Tailgating Tips for Tail-Wagging Fans!With the football-tailgating season upon, The DogSmith asks you to be extra careful with the tail-wagging members of your family.
Sept. 5, 2010 - PRLog -- Washington County, Fl, September 5, 2010 – Whether Football season has you hosting parties at home, travelling to your alma mater or just dropping in to your neighborhood sports bar for fantasy football league, The DogSmith asks that you keep your furry family members in mind when you roll out of the driveway or roll out the snacks.
If your plans for the football season have you traveling regularly for a day or a weekend you will need to make sure that your family pet is properly cared for. Most adult dogs can go 8 hours or so without needing to go outside but it is not good for them according to Dr. Marcela Salas, of Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, who says, “Holding on for long periods is stressful and can lead to urinary tract infections.” For overnight trips and weekends, in-home pet care or an overnight stay in the home of a pet care professional may be the best solution. According to Catherine Zehner, professional dog trainer and the owner of The DogSmith of Florida’s Emerald Coast, “Generally your pet will be happier and less stressed if you can keep it in familiar surroundings on its regular schedule of eating and exercise.” If you are hosting a football party at home and you choose to include your pet in the festivities, it is always a good idea to designate someone to take care of it. You want to make sure that your pet does not get into the many snacks and beverages that will be available and make sure its requests to go outside are not ignored. Always keep your dog’s favorite chew toy handy or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter so it won’t be tempted to grab snacks or ‘surf’ your counter tops. This will keep your guests happy and your dog healthy. “Consider your pet’s temperament, age, physical condition and mood before making the decision to include them in your football party plans, because some pets may not handle large crowds and fanatic fans well,” says Zehner. In many cases, your dog may be happier on a long walk or in doggy day care hanging out with its pals. Keeping your guest’s snacks and drinks away from your pets is very important. “Most snack foods can be unhealthy and even dangerous for your pet,” says Beth Jordan, Certified Vet Tech. “Sometimes we forget that most snack foods are not good for our dogs. That includes most popular party foods like avocado/guacamole, chicken (bones), candy, chewing gum, chocolate, coffee, corn on the cob, grapes, raisins, beer and alcohol, macadamia nuts, milk and dairy products, mushrooms, potatoes, onions, garlic, chives, salt, sugar (all common ingredients in snacks), tobacco, and yeast (bread). Keeping these out of your dog's reach can be very difficult when you have a lot of fanatic fans over for the game.” To learn more about pet nutrition or football season pet care packages visit www.DogSmith.com or contact your local DogSmith at 1.888.DogSmith (364-7648). # # # The DogSmith Franchise Services Inc. is a Florida based company whose mission is to enhance the lives of pets and their owners by improving their relationship, and the quality of the life they share, through providing professional support and training to pet dog owners, supporting and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations to minimize the number of unwanted animals and offering affordable and professional care to family pets so that pet ownership is never a burden. To learn more about The DogSmith or to become a DogSmith Dog Trainer, visit www.DogSmith.com or call 1-888-364-7648. End
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