Do you:

• Feed your dog brand-name dog food?
• Take your energetic puppy jogging?
• Have houseplants?
• Allow your dog to ride in your pickup bed?

If so, you may be killing your dog. Read about some of the everyday things that can be dangerous to your dog, and also some tips on how to help keep your dog safe and healthy.

Unhealthy and Dangerous Dog Foods

In this day of fad diets and health consciousness, many of us read food labels in search of the most nutritious products. The fact is, most people fail to do the same when food shopping for Fido. This can be a major mistake, especially since some of the bigger names in dog food (Iams, Purina, Eukanuba, Beneful, etc.) use corn, wheat, and rice as the main ingredients. These ingredients are difficult for dogs to digest and offer very little nutritional value. If that wasn’t bad enough, there have been several pet food recalls due to poisoning, the latest coming in March.

Solutions: Make sure to check the ingredients of your dog’s food before you buy it. Products with chicken or turkey as the first few ingredients are better quality. Try to find brands that use natural ingredients like Innova or California Natural.

Over-Exercising Your Dog

Although a nice long jog might seem like the perfect way to burn off your puppy’s energy, too much exercise can be damaging, especially for younger dogs. Exercising your puppy too much too soon can advance the onset of hip dysplasia and other joint problems in some breeds. Too much exercise can also be harmful to older dogs with arthritis.

Solutions: Start off slow with your new puppy. As they grow stronger, the length and intensity of exercise can be increased. In both puppies and older dogs with arthritis, exercise should be brief and gentle. With any pet, regular exercise is the key.

Killer Plants

Most dog owners realize that household items like insecticide, bleach, and other products can be hazardous to their dogs. Few, however, are aware of the dangers that their indoor and outdoor plants can pose to their pets. Many types of bulbs, ferns, lilies, flowers, and shrubs contain species that are poisonous to dogs. Dogs who ingest poisonous plants can experience anything from gastrointestinal problems and lethargy to seizures and death.

Solutions: Become familiar with which types of plants are poisonous to dogs. If you have any of these poisonous plants inside or outside of your home, take precautions to ensure that your dog will be safe. Dogs are naturally curious, so pay attention to what they are getting into.

Hazardous Joy Rides

Allowing your dog to roam unrestrained in the bed of your pickup as you drive around town may sound dangerous…it is. But think about how many times you’ve seen a dog in a pickup bed, ears flopping freely in the wind, as his owner barrels down the interstate. Any sudden bumps or turns could send your dog tumbling into oncoming traffic. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 dogs are killed each year by riding unrestrained in the bed of pickup trucks.

Solutions: Placing a shell over your truck bed makes it a much safer ride for your dog. A traveling crate that is securely tethered to the sides of the truck is also a safe alternative. Many cities and counties are implementing laws that prohibit dogs from being unrestrained in pickup beds.

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Finding a dog-friendly apartment to rent can be about as hard as finding a Chihuahua in a coal mine. They’re out there somewhere, but you better come equipped if you want to track them down. Here are a few helpful tips for dog owners looking for a new apartment – as well as some hints for making that rental space a pleasant environment for all its two-legged and four-legged residents.

How to find a place for you and your dog

Work with an apartment rental service

With the advent of the web, most apartment rental services (or “finders”) in major cities are equipped with online components that make it a snap to find everything you’re looking for in a new place. Before you begin your search, look for the “dog-friendly” check box found on most of these sites. This will help narrow your search, and keep you from mistakenly getting your hopes about an apartment – only to find they only accept ferrets and hermit crabs under the terms of the lease.

Find a good dog park and ask around

Your fellow dog owners are generally a healthy source of information about owning a pet in the city. Scope out a friendly face at the local dog run, and see if you can get an inside track on who rents to dog owners. Who knows, you might even get a date out of it (for you or Fido).

Offer up some references

Nothing puts a landlord’s mind at ease more than the word of another landlord who will vouch for the non-Cujo-like nature of your pup. Before you leave your old apartment, try and get a quick letter from the owner or building manager. It can be something as simple as:

Dear Future Landlord:

Scott and his dog Frida are both wonderful. I miss them already. They lived here for five years and my property is still standing and was never once condemned during their tenancy.

Thanks

Old Landlord

The Next Steps

Now that you’ve got some prospects for a new living space, here are some other important considerations:

Proximity to parks and open spaces

Sure, you can drive to the dog park every night. After work. In traffic. When you’re exhausted. But instead, wouldn’t it be great to have a big open space for your dog right nearby? Check out the best dog parks in your area, and then contain your apartment search accordingly.

The trip to the bathroom

Like all of us, when your dog has to go, he HAS TO GO. You don’t want to have to navigate five flights of stairs or a long elevator ride while your German shepherd crosses his legs and tries to think about the desert. Try and select an apartment as close to the exits as possible.

Create a dog-friendly environment

There is a wealth of pet-accessories that really help make your living space more appealing for your canine friend. If you’re going to be gone during the day, do everything you can to create a more enriching, safer environment for your pet. Find the right toys and home potty-training devices to make your pooch more comfortable when you’re not home.

Apartment-train your dog

You and your beloved pet have to share the same limited-amount of space. So be sure and set some ground rules right from the get go. Find a dog trainer who specializes in helping dogs adjust to small spaces. Read up on how to raise your puppy with a firm, but loving hand. Your couch will last longer and your relationship with your dog will be stronger!

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