Traveling to my hometown of Denver is always a pleasure, except for one thing; what do I do with the dogs?

Travel limitations may be one of the largest reasons why people don’t own pets, and rightly so. Finding proper arrangements while you’re gone, or traveling safely if you’re bringing your pups with, can be very frustrating.

If my travel plans don’t include Vito and Lucy, I like to have a trusted friend house/dog sit for me. While this can be just as costly as overnight kennels, it is the peace of mind that makes worth it for me.

Even so, I still worry about the dogs, what if the sitter lets go of the leash, what if they get hurt?

One helpful tool is the Travel Stix, a credit card-shaped flash drive with pet information for dog owners.

The 2GB storage drive can be for either pet caretakers or pet travel scenarios and can be purchased online for $26.95.

The Travel Stix includes various forms and information such as photos of your pet, medical and allergy information, pet rules and favorite walk areas. It’s a comprehensive pet information hub for you as you travel with your pups, or for those watching over them, and even lists what medical decisions can be made in an event of an emergency.

The joy of having dogs is always accompanied with the worries of their well-being, which is sometimes magnified when you travel. Peace of mind goes a long way when it comes to making sure they are healthy and safe. The Travel Stix covers some basic and important elements while you are away or traveling on the road with you canine companions, and might be a good solution when it comes to traveling.

For more information on the Travel Stix, check out www.Forms4Travel.com.

{ 0 comments }

Training your animal does not to be painful for you or your pet, a fact the people of Wales understand.

The country Wales has become the first part of the U.K. to ban electric shock collars. Welsh assembly members passed the ban on March 24^th, which prohibits the use of shock collars with a fine up to £20,000 (about $30,500) or six months in prison.

Electric shock collars have been used as training tools for animals, particularly for dogs and cats.

Although I cannot imagine shocking my dogs for training purposes, the use of shock collars is permitted in the U.S. and the practice is commonly accepted as a method of corrective training.

While proponents of the shock collar argue that the shock is small and causes discomfort rather than harm, some studies show that misuse of shock collars cause animals physical pain and injury.

“This has not been an easy subject to examine,” said Elin Jones, minister of rural affairs for the Welsh Assembly Government, in a BBC News report. “There is genuinely a large degree of concern about how these devices are improperly used, in contrast to responses from people who have used them and found they have worked in stopping an animal from misbehaving.”

The devices often have adjustable dials that determine the intensity of shock given to the animal. The choice to over-shock or overuse for correction seems to be a dial switch away, which can lead to injuries such as burns and cardiac fibrillations, to anxiety and displaced aggressions.

“Electric shock collars train dogs through pain and through fear – they are a cruel, outdated and unsuitable method of training dogs,” said Caroline Kisko, communications director for the Kennel Club, a U.K. organization dedicated to the welfare of dogs that supported the ban.

Living a dog friendly life is exactly that – enjoying your life with your pups. While it takes work and dedication, positive behavior modification allows you to train your dog in a healthy way, leading to a healthy lifestyle for both you and canine companions.
Hopefully the ban on shock collars in Wales is just the beginning. We look forward to other countries, including the United States, to consider the issue.

{ 0 comments }

We urbanites sometimes forget the importance of dog identification tags. Instead of vast green pastures on our property, our cozy apartments or condos offer our canine roomies the security and comfort of closed surroundings.

But outside my Chicago apartment building, I often see pet owners in a rush walking their dogs with out collars and shockingly, sometimes without a leash. It’s been more than once that I’ve seen frantic dog owners chase after their pups across busy Lake Shore Drive.

According to the Denver-based American Humane Association, approximately nine million pets are brought to U.S. shelters each year. Only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners. Sadly, space and resources are limited for many shelters that can only hold the animals for limited time.

That is why on April 3 the American Humane is celebrating its annual Every Day Is Tag Day, where pet owners are encouraged to tag and microchip their cats and dogs.

“Most lost pets without identification are never reunited with their families,” says Dena Fitzgerald, program manager for publications and external communications for American Humane. “At the very least, every cat and dog needs a collar and ID tag, but the best solution is to also microchip your pet for permanent identification.”

Here’s a list from the American Humane to help your pets find their way home in the event that they are lost:

•    Remember that even indoor pets need tags and microchips. Many strays in shelters are indoor pets that escaped and became lost.

•    Make sure your pet wears a collar with a current ID tag, rabies tag and city license. Include a contact name, address, and day and evening phone numbers. Consider providing a phone number for an alternate contact, like a  neighbor or family member.

•    Keep information on your pet’s license, tags and microchips current.

•    When moving or traveling, place a temporary tag on your pet with the phone number of someone who knows how to reach you.

Whether in the bustling city or peaceful countryside, reuniting with your wayward canine companion can be a dog tag or microchip away. If you have not done so already, make April 3 an Every Day Is Tag Day.

For more information about the American Humane’s Every Day Is Tag Day on April 3, go to www.americanhumane.org/tagday.

{ 0 comments }

As a writer, you might think I spend most of my time huddled behind my laptop in some quiet location. There’s some of that, but I also seem to spend a lot of my time in line at the post office. Mailing signed contracts back to publishers, mailing copies of books and magazines to people I’ve interviewed, picking up packages of books to review, products to try, selling my stuff on eBay while waiting for royalty checks to arrive (just kidding on that last one…).

So, last week, I again was standing in line at my neighborhood branch, and saw the info about the recently-announced Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative postage stamps. Of course, stamps with cute pictures of cute dogs caught my attention. (As they would any DFLer, and, better yet, these pets were actual shelter residents from New Milford, Conn.). But, here’s the important part of the deal. Not only are the stamps cute and designed to raise awareness about the 6+ million pets in animal shelters, there’s actual a consumer action piece to the whole campaign. Ellen DeGeneres and her pet food company, Halo, Purely for Pets, will donate one million meals to shelters across the U.S. as long as regular folks buy the stamps.

Even if you do all of your bill paying online, you can use a stamp. Heck, send a friend’s pup a birthday card. The stamps will be available to buy at the post office starting April 30, which is awesome, if you are like me and spend half your days there. If not, you can pre-order them now online from http://usps.com/shop or http://stampstotherescue.com.

{ 0 comments }