Dog Beach Safety Tips

Living in San Diego is great for so many reasons, but one of the top reasons in my book is how dog-friendly our city is. In addition to the dog parks, hiking trails and dog-friendly restaurants that plenty of other cities offer, we have several of what I consider the ultimate in doggy fun - dog beaches!

The greater San Diego area offers up four main dog beaches for us to enjoy a day of fun in the sun with our pooches. Ocean Beach Dog Beach is the original dog beach and one of the most popular. This beach area is located at the west end of the San Diego River Floodway, also known as the Ocean Beach Flood Control Channel and is open 24 hours a day. Fiesta Island in Mission Bay is another great place to take your pup. Most of this large sandy island is designated leash-free for dogs, and there are lots of dunes to romp in. The calmer bay waters are great for those pups who prefer not to be dunked by incoming ocean waves. Coronado Dog Beach is at the most northern end of the beach next to the Naval Air Station. Wide and sandy, Coronado Dog Beach has plenty of space for your pooch to stretch his legs and run full speed ahead, and can be less crowded than Ocean Beach depending on the day. Dog Beach in Del Mar is a nice, low key place to let your dog romp, but with limitations: the off-leash designation is only from September to June - the rest of the year dogs are allowed but must be kept on-leash.

Dog-friendly beaches can be a fantastic place for dogs to romp and play, and my dogs go absolutely insane as we get close to the beach, but you do need to consider your dog’s safety and health before unclipping that leash.

It’s a good idea to leave your dog’s collar and ID tags on while at the beach, just in case he wanders off. Putting your cell phone number on your dog’s ID tag is also a good idea – that way someone who finds Fido can get in touch with you immediately.

Just like people, dogs are susceptible to sunburn, especially those with shorter or lighter colored coats. Applying a dog-safe sunscreen to sensitive areas like the ears and nose can prevent painful sunburns and keep your pup safe from skin cancer.

Dogs can overheat very quickly and suffer heat exhaustion and heat stroke, so be sure to keep a close eye on Fido for any signs of distress. Heavy or excessive panting, reddening of the tongue and inside of the ears, paleness or graying of the gums, confusion, staggering, vomiting and collapsing are all signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke and must be taken very seriously. Consider bringing your dog to the beach in the morning or evening when temperatures aren’t so hot, and always make sure you have a shady area for Fido to rest and fresh water for him to drink. Many dogs will play until they collapse, so keeping a close eye on your pup and stopping play for rest periods will help keep Fido safe.

The nice cool ocean water might be tempting to your pup, so be sure to bring plenty of fresh water and offer it often to Fido. Drinking salt water can really upset your dog’s tummy and too much salt water can cause health problems.

If it’s your dog’s first time at the beach, acclimate him slowly and don’t force him into the water. Some breeds absolutely love swimming and running in the surf, while others prefer to keep all four paws on the sand. You want the beach to be a fun experience for Fido, so it’s important to understand what your dog enjoys.

Never leave your dog unattended at the beach, even for a split second. There are plenty of hazards Fido can encounter, both in and out of the water. Rip currents pose a drowning hazard to even the best swimmers, and all sorts of potentially dangerous things can wash up on the beach. Making sure Fido is safe in the water and not eating things that could be toxic or cause injury is very important.

Sand and salt water can irritate Fido’s paws and damage his coat, so remember to rinse him with fresh water once you leave the beach. Cleaning his ears is a good idea too, since moisture can build up and cause ear infections.

Your dog’s safety and health at the beach is easy to ensure just by taking a few simple steps to help Fido make the most of his day while keeping him out of harm’s way!

Gorgeous Shadow Needs a Home!

It seems like these days, our rescue has been inundated with dogs needing homes...

If you have been into the Met lately, you have seen Shadow's picture. Shadow is a stunning, purebred blue nose pit bull who comes from excellent lines. Shadow is currently being fostered by her original owners but will be entering our rescue on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Her owners are relinquishing her because, over the past year or two, their male pit bull has attacked her...on multiple occaisions. The owners spent thousands of dollars training with a well known LA dog trainer with no avail. So, they decided it wasn't fair to hang onto Shadow anymore. They decided to find her a new home where she didn't have to live every day in fear of being attacked.

Shadow is one of the most perfect dogs we have ever had come through our rescue. Despite all of her trauma, she is great with other dogs. She is completely obedience trained and housetrained and she loves people of all ages. She loves to lounge on the couch or accompany you on a long walk or hike. Her only requirement is that she has a human companion to love.

If you or someone you know is looking for a new companion, please call us at 619-233-1005.

Treadmill Training for Dogs

Occaisionally, on our blog, we like to write brief editorials on new dog training tips and topics. Today, I want to talk briefly about treadmill training for dogs. Treadmill training is one of the newest fads made popular by The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan. I was a skeptic for quite sometime. I felt like dogs would benefit from excercise outdoors and treadmill work would be boring and was for the lazy dog owners. Then I got Cyrrah...

Cyrrah is a 1 year old purebred Belgian Malinois who came to live with us when she was 12 weeks old. From the instant we got her, one thing was apparent...she was absolutely insane. Amongst dog trainers, she is called a "High Drive" dog (and believe it or not, we look for dogs like this...loooong story). This means that she has endless energy and is a little off her rocker compared to most dogs. Cyrrah's typical day is this - when she first wakes up, she runs in the yard, playing with her sister non stop for about an hour, then she accompanies me to work at the doggy daycare where she plays with her friend Rupert...again...nonstop. Somewhere in the middle of the play session, I take her aside and we do about an hours worth of training. Then its back to playing. After work, we will typically take a brisk 6 mile walk together at the lake. Then we do about an hour of fun training exercises around the yard or at a park, she rests (only because I make her), eats her dinner and then another play session with her sister before bed. Twice a week, we travel to Oceanside for 4 hour training sessions with a club we work with. So as you can see, she has no shortage of excercise. The average dog would have collapsed half way through the course of the day...but not Cyrrah. By the end of the day, Cyrrah still has energy to burn.

Enter the treadmill...

After a lot of consideration, I invested in a treadmill. Physically, I am not able to run her as fast as she would like and with my schedule, adding more exercise than she already gets is near impossible. So I decided to give the treadmill a shot. Since implementing it only a week ago, it has been the best thing I have done for her and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to supplement their dog's exercise routine.

For those interested in implementing treadmill work, any treadmill will do. You don't have to invest $1500 in a treadmill made specifically for dogs. In all honesty, we bought ours off of Craigslist for $100! Just remember, the treadmill is not meant to replace your dog's excercise. Walks, jogs, hikes and playtime should still be at the forefront of your dog's schedule. But if you want to add some extra work to ensure a tired and happy pup, I am all for the treadmill.

A couple of cautionary notes about treadmill training:

* NEVER tie your dog to the treadmill - it can cause serious injury

* NEVER leave your dog on the treadmill unattended - I use the treadmill as a bonding experience between me and my dog and I recommend doing the same - the treadmill is not a tool that will allow you to exercise your dog while you get your housework done

* NEVER let your dog exit to the side of the treadmill - rather make them exit off of the front of the treadmill when the treadmill is stopped

* Introduce the treadmill slowly and with heavy praise for a job well done

* Allow your dog to use the bathroom before using the treadmill and NEVER feed your dog within an hour before or after treadmill work

* ALWAYS give your dog a proper warm up by taking them for a quick 5 minute walk prior to treadmill work

* ALWAYS give your dog a proper cool down, allowing the dog to walk for 5 minutes following treadmill work to ensure no muscle cramps

To introduce the treadmill, first put your dog in a comfortable harness. Then lure your dog onto the treadmill (while its off) with a treat or favorite toy. Let them stand there for a moment, then tell them ok and guide them off the front of the treadmill. Follow by a play session and heavy praise. Repeat, increasing the duration of time spent on the treadmill, remembering to always praise while the dog is on the machine.

Once your dog is comfortable standing on the treadmill, you can start it moving slowly. Use the harness to hold the dog on the treadmill as their first response will likely be to dive off. Constantly praise your dog while the treadmill is moving. Give a "Whoa" command, slow the treadmill down, and allow your dog to exit off the front. Follow by heavy praise and a play session. Your dog's first time on the treadmill should last no longer than 30 seconds at a slow rate of speed. Each session, increase the time on the treadmill by approximately 30 seconds and slowly increase the speed until you get to a good maintenance point. A good maintenance point for most dogs is 20 minutes at 3mph. Every dog is different however, so be sure to gauge your dog's stamina and allow him or her to exercise accordingly.

Once your dog gets used to the work, he or she will likely ask to run on the treadmill. For Cyrrah, now whenever she comes out of her crate, she immediately runs over to the treadmill, sits on it and waits for the fun to start. Cyrrah still gets her walks, training, and playtime but the added exercise has been great for her.

Daycare April 18th

Today started out fast. Before it was even 7:15am we had Duke, Sydney, Dutch, Lola, and Bogey here. Lola, who started at the Paw shy and apprehensive, now comes bounding in the door like she's on an agility field. "Hi hi hi hi Im ready Im ready lets get on with it let me in Im ready!" she says as she goes straight to the daycare door.

By 7:30-8:00 our crowd has increased to include Bella (potato-chip head), Roxy, Stella, and Abby...yup Abby! This little lady is the O.G. of the IG's here at the Paw and after a leave of absence that felt like my lifetime, she is back today to play her heart out. The world is right again!

Nearing 11:30 , the group for today is completed and play time is ON! Courtney's dogs are on fire (as always on friday) and I take a minute to notice how totally opposite they really are. Courtney has two Springers that come with her to work on occasion. They are Jaimie (male, brown/white) and Rylee (female, black/white). Rylee is the older sister and she fits that role well. She is VERY sweet, very loving, and very family oriented. It is a special dog indeed that gets to play with her and she is proud of being able to make that choice herself... which is usually not a problem, unless she is just entering a daycare room of dogs whos only thought is "Im gonna play with that dog!". Rylee's entrance into daycare goes as such : "omg omg omg too many dogs! dont step on me!omg hey! that area is private!" (flattens her self too the ground and shows her belly... then all of a sudden she bolts) "So excited! So excited!... no im not!" (stops dead and rolls over again) "omg omg!". She runs around like this until the other dogs get used to her then she settles into a more ...rational?... pattern of play; one she can be proud of and one during which she can effectively perform her crucial life task of keeping both eyes on her mom at all times (those are her moms legs in the pic).

Now, Jamie is a different story all together. He is the younger brother and is nuts nuts nuts :) He has no hesitation whatsoever of entering daycare...and his crucial life task is easily performed under these circumstances. Being that the task is to lick clean the faces of every dog in daycare, he finds the Paw a very ideal place indeed. Boom! He slams himself into the room and bee-lines it for Sydney, his first victim... lick... lick... lick "yum! bully stick flavoring!" licklicklicklicklick and on to the next one! The whole room goes crazy trying to keep one step ahead of this kissing machine... impossible.

Have a great weekend!

Daycare April 17th

I keep thinking Im gonna run out of things to write about but the excitement at daycare is never ending! ... just ask the dogs :)

Today the Paw is already moving along smoothly. Tucker (Golden Doodle) is here and Gus is obsessed. I absolutely love to watch lil Gus play so hard with the big guys (wishing my dog was brave enough to do that) and I am definitely getting my fill today. He has practically attached himself at the hip to Tuck and they are rolling around chewing on each other's faces. Every so often we loose Gus completely in all of Tucker's fur! Silly kids.

Meanwhile, Duke and Argos (pictured) are doing the open mouthed air bark. This play style is where two dogs face each other with their muzzles practically touching, keep their mouths opened wide, and bark bark bark, staying as close to each other as possible. Eventually this turns into more of a wrestling, nipping, bark fest between the two and continues on until one or both dogs get distracted. This type on mania is Argos' calling card, for sure! He is one of the most popular dogs in the big room and really "gets around" play-wise. A little Duke here, a little Dutch there, a little Tucker, a little MJ (he manages to play with her from outside her recovery kennel), and even a little Maritza. One of the BEST parts about Argos is how you can call his name and he will come right toward you, ferociously waging his non-existent tail and pulling his lips back into a sorta scary looking but very joyful smile. He is the only dog at the Paw to do this and its hilarious!

Moving into the lounge we find the usual suspects for a Thursday... Radar and Bella (Schnauz), Maddie (Pom), Olive, and Rocco-Paco-Taco... ... its just Rocco but I couldnt help myself. And speaking of Rocco, I think its about time he was introduced. Rocco has been mentioned in a few blogs already as being the energizer bunny imitator and since I plan on talking about him much more, here is a little about the guy. Rocco is a puggle. ... ... 'Nough said, right? Not even close! Rocco's world is nothing more than his playground. Everyone in it is there solely to play with him constantly and everything in it is there solely to be played with and chewed constantly. He lives to have fun and therefore practically kills himself trying to get into the daycare room when he gets here in the morning (his crazy excitement always perks me up for the day). He goes from one dog to the next playing with them until they physically can not lift their little heads! If it happens to be a little slow at the Paw that day and he manages to get through every dog in attendance, our only choice is to to let him play with Rupert who Ive mentioned before as being the only one that can tire Rocco out (humans included!). He is always the happiest dog in the room and nobody ever goes home as tired as when Rocco has been here. Take a look at the web cam, he's probably playing with your dog right now!

Whew! That was a long one so I think thats it for now. More tomorrow :)

Daycare April 16th

Todays Blog is a shout out to the dogs at the Paw who are here for alternative reasons. For example:

Mugsy was transferred from our basic obedience class into our daycare and training program. His dad, busy studying for finals, realized that the program would be a great way for Mugsy to advance his training while he actually got some work done...smart man! Now, Mugsy is trained apart from his pops, during his day at daycare and goes home at the end of each day even smarter than he came in... pretty convenient actually :) And we get to spend even more time with him than we did when he was in the group class, so everyone wins!
~Daycare Blurb~ Apparently Mugsy has a thing for Canine Caretaker shoes. Every time one of our reps takes a load off, Mugsy comes running over to sit on their feet!


Duke, who has been coming to daycare with us for some time now, is currently in board and train. His mom found he had developed some minor obedience issues that she couldn't solve on her own so she brought him to Meagan for her expertise on the subject . Duke now has the privilege of staying with us for a couple weeks while we feed him, walk him, love him, kiss him , cuddle with him, play with him, laugh with him, hang out with him, and of course train him all day :) It is soooo much fun having him around and Im sure he isnt completely destroyed about having to see his girlfriend MJ for 12 hours straight.
~Daycare Blurb~ Mj and Duke have been dating since they met a few months ago. They are totally in love and show it by nibbling constantly at each others necks... i swear! If I can ever get a pic of it happening... you'll be the first to see it:)


Last, we have Droopy-Roopy and Lil Miss Ellie. You have all been introduced to these two before but let me reiterate. They are both the most adorable, sweet, playful, innocent, caring, and mischievous dogs you have ever met AND they are both up for adoption!!! They are here as part of our rescue organization and we couldnt ask for a better pair of pups. Anyone looking for a new member of the family would be lucky to have either of them :)

~Daycare Blurb~ Rupert is the most energetic basset Ive ever seen! Until we got him, Rocco (a puggle) was the reigning champ, but even he couldnt stand up to this guy. Two hours in daycare with Rupert and Rocco was fast asleep.... Rupert was chewing on the wall.
~Daycare Blurb~Ellie is the smallest pit bull EVER! She is even smaller than Bella and I never thought that would be possible. She crawls around on the floor looking up at us with her sweet eyes. She does this to lure us down and once we're there, into the lap she goes. Ive never heard of a pit bull lap dog before but thats what she is.. and we love her sooo much for it :)

Daycare April 15th

POOR THINGS!!

The picture above is of MJ and Bella a couple of weeks ago, completely blissed out in their little ray of sun, lovin' life and lovin' each other. Unfortunately, neither of these poor things is able to enjoy this amenity today. Both pups have, in the last week or so, managed to get themselves hurt and have therefore been confined to the daycare kennels for their own comfort and safety (see pics below). Here are their stories...

One day Bella was enjoying her self at the Paw, rough housing over here, peeing over there when I decided she was simply too cute to let be and came over to squeeze her adorable face. As I gave her a smooch, my hand ran across one of her ears... it was totally inflamed! I immediately asked Meagan what to do and she explained the condition. She said the causes could vary but that it was a build up of fluid ... on more than one occasion, she'd heard it called potato-chip ear. One of the funniest times Ive had here is when I had to tell Bella's parents what she had... "um, Bella has potato chip ear...giggle". Of course, it was only funny after we learned it was not a serious condition, needing only a minor surgery to extract the fluid (and a protective cone for a week...bummer!) Now, as she is recovering from her second inflammation, I have no choice but to deem her "potato-chip head" for life. And I know they arent really sure were it comes from but I cant help imagining Bella caught red-pawed, nose deep in a bag of Lays :)

On another afternoon, not too long ago, MJ's dad came to her with a surprise... they were gonna go skateboarding! She had never been and was excited to try something new. She approached the activity like she approaches everything in life, with every fiber of her being. She was gonna be the greatest skateboarding companion anyone has ever seen! They skated (well, he skated and she ran) all over and visited many different places. She was a champ! Unfortunately, MJ was having so much fun she didnt even notice the toll the asphalt had taken on her delicate paw pads. By the time she stopped having fun enough to notice, it was too late. They were ripped to shreds. Now, MJ is on crate-rest for a couple of days, with neosporin applied every so often. I guess she felt so bad for her best friend Bella she just had to be the same... what a good friend!

PS If you look closly you can see MJ's boyfriend, Duke, in the reflection of the crate... he is never too far from his lady love :)

Little Miss Ellie Needs a New Home!

Little Miss Ellie came to our tiny rescue today. Her parents called yesterday asking if we could take her in...if we didn't, she was off to the pound. To be honest, we were a bit hesitant. We have several dogs in rescue right now and we can't even afford the vet bills for them, let alone a newbie. However, we agreed to evaluate Ellie.

This morning, Ellie came bounding into our facility, full of life. She was a little dirty but happy as a clam. She had a pinch collar on, which her former owners used to tie her out in the backyard. Some of the prongs were bent in akward directions - the collar had been used for quite sometime, and Ellie's neck was black underneath where the collar had rubbed.

Just one look and we were smitten. We knew that if this poor girl ended up in the shelter, it would mean near certain death. After all, she is a pit bull...and she isn't a puppy anymore. There are far too many pits in the shelter and we couldn't bear to send Ellie off...we knew she wouldn't thrive in the shelter system.

So we took her into our tiny rescue and she is now going through a basic obedience program while we search for a home worthy of this little princess.

If you or someone you know is looking for a companion, please contact us at 619-233-1005. Ellie is 2 years young, will have basic obedience under her belt in no time, is fully housebroken, spayed and current on her vaccinations. She is looking for someone with an active lifestyle as she loves her walks and would be even more thrilled to go for a hike or to the beach with you.

Daycare April 14th

Wow guys! Its been a long time since we spoke but so much has happened! We were closed for daycare this last Saturday while everyone here at the Paw went to Woofstock... FUN! There was flyball, agility, ice cream bars for dogs, frisby demonstrations, tatoos for dogs, and the Collared-Scholar/ Metropawlitan Dog team, all melting together in the 95 degree sun :) I lasted about 20 minutes there (enough time to show off Rupert to prospective adopters) but kuuuddos to Vicky, Meagan, Katie, and Matt for sticking it out for the long haul. What a weekend!

Now its Monday and daycare is back in its full swing. Maddie and Rupert are enjoying their private party in the front room while the puppies in the lounge doze like they were old folk and the big kids in the "playground" run around like they were young again.

Among these, young at heart, is Jake. His breed and his picture should say all I need to say about him but that would be boring so let me elaborate. Jake is the second Weimaraner I've met and boy are they a distinguishable bunch. Its not just their gorgeous silver coat set against the widest, brightest eyes Ive ever seen... but they have a personality that is so outrageous it puts puggles to shame (must meet puggle to get this... totally insane!).
Here's Jakes day:

1. Have a heart attack (so many dogs, so many smells, so many dogs smelling my butt... AHH!)
2. Freak out (so many dogs, so many smells, so many dog butts for me to smell... YEAH!)
3. Play with new best friend, Argos (play bow, wrestle, jump and spin, repeat..) and
4. Get a sip of water
--Jakes idea of a sip of water goes as such...find water bucket, stick whole head inside it, then whip out of the bucket throwing the water in the air and maybe catching a few drops on their way back down... soooo funny!--

Number 3 and 4 continued to repeat with a lot of wild running and a few quick naps in between.. what a riot! and a superb addition to our club :)


Second mentionable pup for the day is the biggest Westie you've ever had the pleasure of meeting... Gus. In truth, he is only about 20 lbs, but try telling him that. In our numerous debates on the subject, I have only once actually gotten him close to admitting to being smaller than another dog... and it was Raisin... the Great Dane. Needless to say, Gus always plays in the big room. He is a very calm and collected lil guy with the occasional energy bursts where he goes racing around the playground (we call these the Zoomies and are very common in the smaller breeds... Gus calls them moments of weakness.) He is always proper, eating only the best foods and peeing in only the best spots, but achieves it without an ounce of snootiness. He is loving and sweet and is simply one of the greatest dogs you could come across... he just happens to know it:)


More Tomorrow!
-Z

Meet Baby Boy!

Early last week I received a phone call from Deaf Dane Rescue in Oregon asking if I might be able to help with the transport of a rescue puppy up to Oregon. I have a deaf great dane of my own, as well as a deaf and blind mini dachshund, so of course I said yes, and plans were made to start the journey on Saturday, April 19th. A day or so later I got another phone call asking me if perhaps I might consider keeping the puppy at my house until the 19th, since his current owner wanted him gone ASAP and the rescue was worried he might get dumped at the pound. Again I said yes...I didn't want this poor pup to end up scared and alone at the shelter!

It was love at first sight when I picked up this adorable deaf and completely blind dane baby. He was born deaf and blind due to his coloring, so to him, this is how life is and he gets around just fine. He's around 6-7 months old, 100 lbs or so, and is the absolute sweetest dog I've ever met. All he wants to do is be near people - he gets so excited when he finds you and starts to whine and paw at you and give you little puppy kisses. Once he calms down, all he wants to do is lay at your feet so he knows he's near you.

The transport is still arranged for the 19th to get him up to the rescue in Oregon where he'll be put up for adoption, but I've already fallen for this sweet boy and know I'll miss him terribly when he goes. I'm glad I get to have him in my life for a little over a week though, and so far everyone who's met him feels the same. Who knows, maybe some lucky family here in San Diego will decide to adopt him and I'll get to see him again someday...