Happy New Year!

Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?

~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Happy howling New Year!

We are so excited to be starting out the New Year with all our Dogs on Thursday friends! Over the Holidays have been so busy and we have really missed out on catching up with everything, everyone has been upto.

I am not sure who all is still contributing to this blog, so if you are or if you would be interested in doing so could you please contact me thegardener63@aol.com?

Have a good week,
Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Winter Exercise for Your Pups

First things first...

Happy Birthday Abigail! You can read about her here.

I have a subscription to Dog Fancy and every month I enjoy reading the different articles about dog care, breeds, tips, etc.

I have read many articles on winter exercise for dogs. Some as simple as just letting them run in the back yard for 15 minutes. Some as complicated (to me) as training for sled dog competitions.

Now obviously, not all dogs would be able to do some of the things that I have read about. Take my bassets as an example. We get some deep snow here, and to let them run about in the back yard is a great idea but not always possible as they tend to get stuck in the deep snow and sled dog? Forget it!

But I did read one article a few years back that was interesting about things you can do inside. Like setting up an obstacle course inside the house in the family room, basement, or hallway. Or a game that encourages a dog to use their sense of smell in a game of hide and seek whether with a treat, favorite toy, or favorite person. Or teaching new obedience skills or tricks. Something to keep them busy, interested and active.

For our house, we have done some of the hide and seek, play fetch with a very soft ball, tug, and still get out for walks if the weather permits. Sometimes we play in the back yard if hubby snow blows a maze for them to run through.

I thought it would be interesting to take a poll to see how you all keep your pups fit through the winter. If you would like to participate, please email me and I will post the info on DOT next time. Or if you would like to make this subject the focus of your next post, just send me your link and I will list that. Send to thegardener63ataoldotcom.

Happy DOT,
Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Introducing New Additions to the Household

First up in the Spotlight, we want to say a belated Happy Birthday from all of us on DOT to Buckey of Bits and Pieces who turned a happy 15 years last Friday!

If we have any newbies to the site here please leave a comment to introduce yourself and leave a link so we can get to know you!

So over the past month we have introduced a kitten into the house. And some have wondered how to introduce a newcomer to older established pets in the home, whether it be another dog or a kitten. While I am no expert at this I can tell you what has worked for me and I am sure others can chime in with their comments to offer advice from their experience as well.

First, have patience, and a lot of it. While you may think the new additions is adorable, others in the home may not. Time is needed for all to make a successful adjustment.

Second, do not put the new addition right in to the mix with your current pet(s). Have a separate room, gated or closed door at first to allow the new addition to get acclimated to a small area at a time and your older pets to get used to new noises and smells of the newcomer.

Third, supervise. Only allow the new addition around the older one when you are right there to reinforce good responses or correct any negative responses. This protects the new addition as well as keeps the older pet from becoming overwhelmed. And keep the encounter short with building longer exposure as time and reactions permit. When the visit is finished put the new addition in their safe zone. This builds their confidence and reassures the older pet by permitting personal space and affection from you.

Forth, slowly expand the territory the new addition can explore. Baby gates are a wonderful item for this process as it allows limited exploration while permitting exposure to existing pets through the gate. In time you will be able to fully integrate all pets together. This also assists with potty or litter training too. (For puppies this in no way takes the place of crate training!)

I hope some will find this information helpful and look forward to reading comments and suggestions from you all as well.

Happy DOT's,
Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too.

I received one picture for the DOT Costume parade and it was of beautiful Sydney submitted by Janet...

Thank you Janet!

HoneyDew and Sampson did not dress up this year as someone was under the weather but here was a pic from last year.

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, a time of reflection and thankfulness for blessings (I am sure our dogs fit in to the 'blessing' category) I would invite you to share a story, poem, or thought on how your pup enriches your life. If you wish to participate, you can email the above to me to thegardener63@aol.com by November 17th. Or simply link in to Mr. Linky on the 18th, if you wish to participate but not featured.

Happy DOT's,

Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too.