Co-sleeping with geriatric dogs made safer with this inexpensive product

There are countless ways the human-animal bond can be strengthened, but one that lots of pet guardians really love is co-sleeping. As a pet ages, though, many wonder whether it’s feasible due to some age related problems like incontinence, and as importantly, the pet’s safety: plenty of my families have expressed they’re understandably concerned after their dog has fallen out of bed. 

Since the bulk of my practice is devoted to palliative and hospice care support offering overnight stays, I can attest to my families’ concerns about an aging dog’s changing ability to judge the edge of the bed, especially at night. 

Some pet guardians decide that doing away with the frame of the bed makes most sense since it lowers the height of the bed considerably, while others have gone in a different direction to keep things safe while not changing their cherished routine. The video below highlights one budget-friendly way that’s done. 

With over 20 years of experience in pet care and the past 10 of those focused on animal hospice, Lorrie Shaw is a Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner, Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Advocate and Certified Fear Free Professional. She is CXO of Telos Companion Animal Services, LLC. She can be found at lorrieshaw.com.

Halloween safety with pets can be successful with mindfulness and a little preparation

For weeks, aisles have been lined with Halloween candy, decorations, costumes and the like. It's a fun time of year, and, in most households, things are looking and feeling a bit

more festive. Pets have a natural curiosity about all this new stuff, but it can also make them a bit uneasy. It's important to remember that the things that we humans view as fun can be especially frightening to pets. Costumes, faces painted with make-up and life-sized decorations can startle pets and cause them to behave unpredictably, so introducing Halloween to any pet with mindfulness and a slow pace is important.

By keeping a few things in mind, you can keep your furry friends safe and keep the fun going this time of year.

• One of the most common activities, carving pumpkins, is a long-held tradition for adults and kids alike. Keep jack-o-lanterns that are lit with candles away from all pets.

• The days preceding and following Halloween often yield pranks — and some are not-so-playful. In fact, they can be cruel, particularly towards pets, and especially black cats. Don't leave pets outside and unattended during this period.

• Strings of lights are popular these days in both indoor and outdoor displays during Halloween. Be sure to always keep cords and wires bundled and out of reach. Watch for decorative plastic pieces that cover the lights. These can look especially inviting to pets, much like their chew toys. Artificial spiders and spiderwebs are enticing, too. Consider them carefully before using.
• With oodles of trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell, it can be a difficult time for some pets to manage. The noise, the costumes and little ones can be disconcerting for pets. Avoid problems like anxiety and excessive barking by giving your pet a safe, cordoned-off area to stay in during this time. Try a spare room with white noise or a radio playing to buffer the sound at the door, and use a Feliway diffuser or spray for cats, and an Adaptil diffuser or spray for dogs.
• Halloween candy is particularly inviting to pets — some even have penchant for the sweet stuff. Take special care when there is candy around to keep it locked up and away from pets, perhaps in an upper cupboard with a door on it. Dogs and cats are very crafty and can reach counter tops, tables and stove tops. Chocolate is especially toxic to animals, as it contains a component called theobromine.
• Also, xylitol, a sugar substitute found in sugarless gums, candies and other sweet treats poses a special threat to dogs: it's absorbed rapidly into their bloodstream, releases a large amount of insulin, causing extreme hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and can lead to liver failure and even death. Use special care with packs of gum in your purse or in your car's console.
•  Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect your pet has ingested a harmful substance. They can help guide you, and if you need to have your pet see a veterinarian locally, the APCC can start a case file that can be transferred to that vet. Have your credit card handy, as there is a fee of $65 to do so and is well worth it. Though not a substitute in an emergency, you can also download their mobile app by clicking here.
• Candy wrappers can be a special problem. Foil and cellophane can be fun for pets to play with but can pose serious tummy issues, even a blockage.
• Does your pet like the activity that Halloween brings? Bandanas are a suitable, simple way to have a pet look festive. For the truly adventuresome, it's fun for pets to dress up in made-for-them costumes. But, be sure that they fit properly, that your pet can breathe in the costume and that movement isn't impeded. Consider giving the costume a trial run before the festivities begin to ensure your pet really feels comfortable and that there is no risk of allergy. Avoiding costumes that have small pieces that could be pulled off and choked on is a must, especially for those curious young canines. Bear in mind that some pets are not fond of playing dress up, so if that's the case, be mindful and skip the costume. 

Lorrie Shaw is owner of Professional Pet Sitting, where she specializes in ancillary pet palliative and pet hospice care and is also a Certified Pet Loss and Grief Companion. She's a member of Doggone Safe (where she completed the Speak Dog Certificate Program), as well as the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, Pet Sitter International and Pet Professional Guild. She tweets at @psa2.

Staying safe when tending to certain tasks that could make your dog ill-at-ease is a must

During the cold or soggy months I joke that I feel like a kindergarten teacher because I spend much of my time bent over putting on dog booties or drying off wet paws, or putting on or removing a charge's fleece jackets.

I get a few laughs from saying that, but in truth it can be a very dangerous situation for me: my face is level to a dog's body, and more easily within reach of my charge's teeth. You get the picture.

The fact is, just like you, I spend a lot of time in physical contact with the dogs in my care all year whether it's putting on a collar, harness or leash, checking them over for ticks or burrs after an adventure or tending to a minor (or goodness forbid) a more serious injury.

Though I am confident that my charges by and large are behaviorally safe around their bonded humans (including myself), there are times that my touching them might become uncomfortable for some reason — or be downright painful, and as you know, canines often try to hide their pain. If I locate an especially painful area that I'm not privy to and/or startle the dog, they can easily act out in response to the pain. This kind of thing is especially prevalent in arthritic dogs.

I don't get up-and-close to my canine friends in a casual way: believe me, there is mindfulness behind my close interaction, though it might seem quite off-the-cuff (years of doing so and relationship-building helps!).

Whether I'm interacting with a fearful or anxious dog, or one that is fine with being touched, I make a point to follow these rules:

Give fair warning: As I build a rapport with a dog, I touch them a lot, an act that builds trust: petting, rubbing their ears, scratching their rump — things that most dogs find positive. As I get to know them, it's then that I incorporate the word "touch" immediately prior to my performing tasks that they not find as favorable, like checking for ticks or burrs, putting on booties or if I am having a look at things around their head or face. The dogs in my care seem to catch onto this quickly and appreciate it.

Keep their mouth busy: Yes, I use a lot of treats in my work and for good reason — they work! In this case, I have them munch on some dog treats as I set about tending to whatever it is that they might not find favorable. If they are happily munching away on a yummy treat, they are less likely to be paying attention as closely to me, they'll associate what I'm doing as something positive and honestly, it's harder to snap or bite if your mouth is full.

Position strategically: Whenever possible, it's ideal to approach a dog from the side, and facing the same direction as they are, as opposed to approaching from from the front. This conveys, "We're working on doing this together, and I'm honoring your space.". (Fearful or anxious canines benefit from this greatly.)

Pay attention to body language: dogs use non-verbal language and they speak clearly when they are uncomfortable. If I see that a dog is not okay with what I'm doing, I stop and give them space. Click here to get a better understanding of how dogs tell us when they are having difficulty in social situations and otherwise.


With a fluid action, If I'm attaching a harness around a dog, as an example, I will have a couple of treats in one hand, the harness in the other, and as I approach I'll say, "Okay, here we go! Touch..." (as I pop a treat into their mouth with my right hand as I slip the harness around their facial area, then another treat as I fasten the harness and clip the leash.)

Staying safe when interacting with my charges, large or small is paramount. By incorporating these tips, you can do the same while trust-building all the while.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer -- most recently as a regular contributor for The Ann Arbor News -- and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Dog walking equipment can fail, but one inexpensive item can be a safeguard to keep your pet tethered to you

The act of walking a dog is as unpredictable as most anything that I can think of.

I have charges in my care that are effortless on leash no matter what we encounter on an adventure, while others can be reactive if they even see another dog. That said, there are plenty of dogs that fall somewhere in between when it comes to being able to handle themselves when out and about.

Then of course, there are other dogs that are allowed to make an unwelcome approach.

Try as I might, I realize that there are things that are out of my control. Nonetheless, I have the responsibility to ensure that not only my clients, but everyone else, stay safe.

I employ a considerable amount of mindfulness when it has comes to choosing the gear that I use when walking a dog, no matter the breed or age. What I find works best for me and my canine pals is their flat or martingale collar that includes their identification tag, an Easy Walker harness, a long lead (more on that is available by clicking here) or a 6 foot leash, depending — and a carabiner.

I find that the latter piece of gear provides me a little extra peace of mind when it comes to my staying physically connected to my charge when I use it to connect a dog's collar to the harness.

I always use and recommend those two pieces when walking a dog, and despite the fact that they are both great at staying secure, the reality is that dogs can wriggle out of their harnesses, and collars can slip off in the blink of an eye and then you've got a pooch on the loose. If your dog is like a couple of those that I care for, they'll capitalize on any opportunity to not be tethered while outdoors and away they go!

The solution: I simply clip one of my carabiners to the ring on my charge's flat or martingale collar to the ring on the harness, and then of course I connect the leash to the ring on the harness as usual.

Regardless of the equipment that you prefer to use, this is a simple trick that you can employ with your own pet for an added measure of safety — simply clip the two (whether it be a martingale, flat or head collar/halter or harness, specifically) using the rings on each with a carabiner.

Should any one of tools have a failure, the carabiner acts as a backup. Typically available at sporting goods or outdoor specialty stores, (better pet stores usually carry a leash made by RuffWear that has one built-in), a carabiner is an inexpensive and easy way to ensure that your pet stays tethered to you.

For more of my tips on making the most of your time out with your furry pal, click here.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Walking multiple dogs at once can prove to be a dangerous prospect, even for professionals

Admittedly, being a professional dog walker is a lot of fun: You are greeted by your charges with a lot of enthusiasm, the premise of your time together is all about fun and positivity and you never know what to expect.

The latter statement is probably the most important. Not knowing what to expect can be an exhilarating thing — but it's also something that needs to be taken quite seriously.

The need for dogs to get out and about and experience the world is something that myself and fellow dog professionals stress is necessary, and for good reason. Exercise is important, sure, just as the socialization with people, other dogs, and their environment.

It's the socialization part that can throw a wrench into the best intentions when it comes to taking some pets out for some fun, especially if one or more of them have trouble handling themselves with regard to their behavior.

In households with multiple dogs, I often hear about the struggles that are encountered when trying to walk their four-legged friends as a group. To do so seems to make a lot of sense, right? Time is saved, there are certainly enough contraptions out there to facilitate the task and after all, people like my most famous predecessor, Jim Buck, have made it look
easy.

I have no problem with the idea of walking one or two family dogs together, providing they are able to both handle themselves confidently. But beyond that, I never walk more than one pet at a time.

The truth is, walking a group of dogs is not wise, nor is it safe, for a lot of reasons. It's especially true if there are one or more dogs at the other end of the leash who simply lack the skills and sophistication to successfully navigate a challenging social situation that they find themselves facing. It could be a squirrel that pops into view, or a small child that tries to approach — or perhaps another dog that triggers an unwanted response.

Further, the level of arousal easily becomes heightened in the presence of the other dogs in the group. Those reactions boomerang right back to the dog who is having difficulty, or worse, that dog could redirect their unwanted response onto another dog in the group — or even toward the human that's on the other end of the leash.

Let's not forget about encountering a reactive dog and their ill-prepared handler, or those canines that are allowed to go off-leash. (I see this frequently.)

A situation like any of those are nothing short of disastrous.

That said, it's wise to attune oneself to the specific needs of each dog in the household and proceed accordingly, rather than putting everyone together in a group — tethered — with the expectation that they'll all be on the same page.

A reactive dog deserves to have the time out on a walk all to themselves, so that their human has the opportunity to work with them one-on-one, or simply to just get the most out of the walk that they are able to. Every good experience sets the stage for long-term success and confidence.

Mitigating any probable angst with the other pets in the group while you are out with another is easy: before the leash is grabbed and the shoes are put on, give the other pets their own stuffed Kongs or safe chew toys to stay occupied, in or out of the crate, while you're away.

Walking several canine friends may seem like an ultimate goal to attain in households with multiple dogs, but I assure you that it's a misguided one. Even as Buck, a pioneer in my field, acknowledged in a 1964 interview, there are dogs that simply require solo treatment.

Here's to keeping your adventures from becoming misadventures.

For more practical tips that will save your sanity on walks, even if your pooch has a ways to go in their training, click here.


Lorrie Shaw is a freelance writer and owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.