{"id":363,"date":"2019-07-01T16:27:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T16:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/?p=363"},"modified":"2019-07-19T16:17:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T16:17:25","slug":"july-2019-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/july-2019-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"July 2019 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shy Dogs: How to Help Your Timid Pet<\/a>
\nWays to Introduce a New Cat to Your Present Cat at Home<\/a>
\nHow to Keep Your Pet\u2019s Paws Safe When It\u2019s Over 100 Degrees<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Shy Dogs: How to Help Your Timid Pet<\/strong>
\nSome dogs are outgoing while others are shy. There are many reasons for shyness but there are ways to help.<\/p>\n

According to the article, \u201c7 Things You Should Never, Ever Do With a Shy Dog\u201d at HealthyPets.Mercola.com, don\u2019t tie your shy dog outside alone in public, don\u2019t force her into fearful situations to desensitize her, don\u2019t force her to work with an overbearing and dominant trainer, and don\u2019t force her into noisy places with \u201cunpredictable activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are naturally shy dogs and some who come from an abusive past. Socialization is very important for dogs and should occur between 7 and 14 weeks old. \u201cThis is the time period when part of the brain that builds associations is rapidly developing, and it is also the time when dogs can develop fears or phobias,\u201d according to the article, \u201cHow Confidence-Building Exercises Can Help Timid Dogs,\u201d at petMD.com.<\/p>\n

Confidence building exercises can help timid dogs by retraining their brain along with removing \u201cthe fear stigma attached to various situations or things,\u201d the petMD article said. <\/p>\n

Start desensitizing with a good training reward treat to use only during the exercises, the petMD article said:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tWhile on a leash, slowly introduce your dog to the fearful stimulus at a distance to avoid a fear response.
\n\u2022\tYour dog should know the scary thing is near but not show fear, and have your dog sit and pay attention. Praise and give treats.
\n\u2022\tGet closer next time and repeat. Do this once or twice a day while getting closer each time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour dog will start to build a positive association in his mind between the scary thing and his favorite thing, and pretty soon, your dog may automatically sit and look expectantly at you, waiting for a treat whenever the scary thing is present,\u201d the article said.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Ways to Introduce a New Cat to Your Present Cat at Home<\/strong>
\nTwo cats are better than one, but what do you do when you have one and you bring home a new cat? There are ways to help introduce the two to make the transition go smoothly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrowing two cats into one environment without proper consideration of their positions is just asking for trouble,\u201d according to the article, \u201cSimple Tips for Introducing Two Cats\u201d at Petfinder.com. If done right, you may get two good friends. <\/p>\n

According to the article, here are some tips:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tKeep the cats separated in the beginning and put the new cat in an isolated room.
\n\u2022\tThe room should be like \u201chome\u201d and include litter box, food and water, hiding places, toys, and a scratching post.
\n\u2022\tEnsure the cats can smell and hear one another. Feed the cats near the door on either side.
\n\u2022\t\u201cAfter 2-3 days, some cat experts recommend switching the cats\u2019 locations so they can get used to each others\u2019 smells,\u201d the article said.
\n\u2022\tMix their scents by rubbing them with the same towel.
\n\u2022\tAfter a couple more days, play with the cats near the door to build positive associations.
\n\u2022\tIf all goes well, after a week, have them see each other using a screen door or high baby gate. \u201cContinue feeding, playing with and giving the cats treats within view of the other cats, but don\u2019t force it!\u201d the article said.
\n\u2022\tThe final step is a supervised face-to-face introduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce the cats are face to face, though, there will be some kinks for them to work out,\u201d according to the article, \u201cIntroducing your new cat to other pets,\u201d at The Humane Society of the United States.<\/p>\n

With luck, the cats slowly will find their way together. If you see any aggression you may want to call an animal behaviorist or your vet.<\/p>\n

<\/a>How to Keep Your Pet\u2019s Paws Safe When It\u2019s Over 100 Degrees<\/strong>
\nWhen summer comes, temperatures rise, and sometimes the heat makes it dangerous for humans as well as animals. That can make it unsafe to walk your dog or cat on hot pavement. It can be detrimental to your pet\u2019s paw pads causing severe burns.<\/p>\n

There are things you can do when you take your pet for important daily walks to keep your pet safe.<\/p>\n

According to the article, \u201cPaw Pad Burns on Dogs: What to Do\u201d at petMD.com, when it\u2019s especially hot outside, keep daily walks short \u201cnot only to ensure that he doesn\u2019t get overheated, but to avoid painful burns to his paw pads.\u201d<\/p>\n

While a dog\u2019s paw pads are meant to be pretty strong, hot concrete can do a number on them. A dog with burns on his paws may limp or cry out. Blisters on burned paws can occur as well.
\nIt\u2019s also very important to take the time of day into consideration when walking your pet. \u201cTake walks in the cooler part of the day — the early morning and evening,\u201d according to the article \u201cHow to Keep Your Dog Cool in the Summer\u201d at WebMD.com. \u201cAnd carry enough water for both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, check the pavement yourself before you even think of heading out. As the saying goes, \u201cIf it\u2019s too hot for your hand, it\u2019s too hot for your dog\u2019s paw pads,\u201d the WebMD article said. Try to find grass to walk your dog, and avoid concrete and asphalt. If you haven\u2019t yet, you can try dog booties as well. If you can find shade to walk under, such as trees, do that as well. <\/p>\n

Keep these tips in mind to ensure both you and your pet are safe on your daily walks, and that your pet\u2019s paws stay in tip-top shape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shy Dogs: How to Help Your Timid Pet Ways to Introduce a New Cat to Your Present Cat at Home How to Keep Your Pet\u2019s Paws Safe When It\u2019s Over 100 Degrees Shy Dogs: How to Help Your Timid Pet Some dogs are outgoing while others are shy. There are many reasons for shyness but… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":369,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions\/369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}