{"id":437,"date":"2021-08-02T22:43:01","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T22:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/?p=437"},"modified":"2021-08-02T22:43:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T22:43:01","slug":"august-2021-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/august-2021-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"August 2021 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Help Kids and Pets Cope When Summer is Over and School Starts<\/a>
\nHow to Search for High-Quality Pet Food<\/a>
\nThe Dangers of Retractable Leashes<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nHow to Help Kids and Pets Cope When Summer is Over and School Starts<\/strong>
\nSummer is winding down and kids are preparing for the school year to begin. Many kids have those back-to-school jitters. And, there are the family pets who will now have to adjust to the new normal when their best friends head back to school. You can keep your pets in the mix so they don\u2019t feel left out.<\/p>\n

According to the article, \u201c4 Tips on Preparing Your Dog for Back-to-School Season\u201d at Petful.com, the following tips can \u201censure your dog has the best experience possible once your family\u2019s fall routine goes into full effect.\u201d
\n1.\tBefore school starts, practice the new routine. This can include setting your alarm and getting up early, taking your dog for a walk the time you will do so on school days, feed your dog at the new meal times, and start leaving your dog in his crate to get used to it.
\n2.\tSet times for extra exercise before school and work as well as after. \u201cJust like you, your dog needs physical activity and exercise to stay healthy,\u201d the article said. \u201cThey also need it to prevent boredom, which often leads to chewing or other bad behaviors.\u201d
\n3.\tStimulate your dog during the day with puzzle toys or leaving on slow music.
\n4.\tKeep it low key when you leave for the day and when you return.<\/p>\n

Consider a playdate with a friend who has a dog, and you can return the favor another time, according to the article, \u201c10 back to school tips for your dog\u201d at Dog\u2019s Best Life.<\/p>\n

\u201cHire a dog walker or ask a retired neighbor to take your dog for a walk during the day,\u201d the Dog\u2019s Best Life article said.<\/p>\n

For a special treat, try doggy day care. Check out Second Home Pet Resort\u2019s Doggie Day Care.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nHow to Search for High-Quality Pet Food<\/strong>
\nAn important part about having a pet is the right food. With so many options out there and different types of pet food, how do you choose? Start with research.<\/p>\n

According to the article, \u201cHow to Choose the Best Dog Food\u201d at PetMD.com, \u201cA good food will keep your dog\u2019s hair coat shiny and sleek. It will strengthen his immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n

The article points to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) that \u201chas established guidelines for regulators to govern claims a pet food company can make on its label.\u201d<\/p>\n

Things you should do to find the right pet food include:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tRead ingredients.
\n\u2022\tConsider glutens and grains in pet food. Note that dogs are rarely allergic to gluten.
\n\u2022\tCheck by-products.
\n\u2022\tCheck the pet food\u2019s nutritional adequacy statement.
\n\u2022\tIt\u2019s a good idea to get your veterinarian\u2019s advice when it comes to food and your dog\u2019s age, lifestyle, genetics, etc.<\/p>\n

If you think you have a pet who is allergic to his food, consult your veterinarian to find out what\u2019s going on, according to the article, \u201c6 Things Your Vet Wants You to Know About Dog Food\u201d at Fetch by WebMD.com.<\/p>\n

Remember \u201cpremium\u201d food is not always better. \u201cStores tend to group dog foods into the categories of \u2018popular\u2019 and pricier \u2018premium\u2019 or \u2018gourmet\u2019 diets, but there aren\u2019t any nutritional requirements for these labels,\u201d the Fetch by WebMD article noted.<\/p>\n

For dogs allergic to animal proteins, a vegetarian diet might do the trick. While it might \u201cbe tricky to find the right balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and nutrients for vegetarian pooches\u201d it can be done.<\/p>\n

Also be sure not to overfeed your pets. Determine the correct serving size based on your pet\u2019s weight, the Fetch by WebMD article said.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nThe Dangers of Retractable Leashes<\/strong>
\nMany people love retractable leashes and use them for their dogs on daily walks. Then there are those who feel the leashes are very dangerous.<\/p>\n

Some toss up the negatives to human error, while others says its \u201can accident waiting to happen,\u201d according to the article, \u201cWhy Retractable Leashes Are Dangerous\u201d at Petful.com. \u201cCommon sense and vigilance is what is needed to walk a dog on a retractable leash properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the pro side, for a dog who is trained and an owner who properly uses the leash, a dog can walk anywhere from 20 to 30 feet away and have freedom without being off leash.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the con side, often associated with human error to include \u201chuman frailty, human stupidity and lack of judgment,\u201d the article said. Some cons include:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tA label warns about dangers to fingers that can get entangled. Other injuries include rope burns and gashes.
\n\u2022\tPeople in the way of a retractable leash can get hurt and dog fights can occur.
\n\u2022\tThese leashes can cause trauma to your dog as they can \u201cwrap around a dog\u2019s leg and cause much more serious injury than a traditional leash,\u201d the article said.
\n\u2022\tRetractable leashes can undo training by allowing dogs to pull and not listen to commands.<\/p>\n

Oftentimes, the dangers when using a retractable leash happen very quickly and before the owner has a chance to prevent the incident. Dogs darting into traffic while on their leash have been hit by cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been cases of dogs getting twisted in the cord and having a tail or leg amputated by the deep cut made when the cord retracts,\u201d according to the article, \u201cRetractable Leashes: Dangerous And Deadly For Dogs And Humans\u201d at Dogtime.com. \u201cThese things happen quickly, often too fast for the handler to react.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How to Help Kids and Pets Cope When Summer is Over and School Starts How to Search for High-Quality Pet Food The Dangers of Retractable Leashes How to Help Kids and Pets Cope When Summer is Over and School Starts Summer is winding down and kids are preparing for the school year to begin. Many… 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\/437"}],"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=437"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":438,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/437\/revisions\/438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}