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Pet Peeves: Does My Dog Really Need to Pee That Often?!

PetSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:15:28 -0700

Q: I love walking and jogging with my Pointer, Rosco – when he's ready to run, he totally keeps me in shape! But, unfortunately he wants to stop all the time, like a couple times each block, to pee. Eventually if I start jogging, he'll run as well, but if I'm just walking him on a potty break or slow the pace even a little, he takes it as his cue to go. Umm, and after the first five minutes, nothing's even coming out anymore! What's up with this?

A: I can definitely relate as my male dog looooves marking things and does the leg-lift-no-liquid thing, too. When walking, start out at a slow pace letting the pup stop to go. After a while, you'll notice a routine and be able to calculate how many breaks he needs to finish. Once you notice that there's nothing left inside, simply give your "finish" command (whatever that word is for your pet) and gently move him along. You should soon be able to limit the subsequent stops and have a dog down to three to five "pee/mark breaks" per short walk. Good luck!

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Do Tell: What's Your Favorite Workout With Furry Friends?

PetSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:30:09 -0700

Not only do they lift us up when we're feeling down, but our pets pretty much eliminate any excuse not to get at least some exercise. Rats. In addition to jogs around the park or rousing catch'n'chase games, many gyms (mine included) offer activities like this Ruff Yoga or Doga – what's your favorite workout to do with your pooches?

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Giovanni Ribisi Uses Both Hands . . . Would You?

PetSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:45:14 -0700

Whose lead would you follow? While Giovanni chooses a one-leash-per-hand tactic, his girlfriend uses a double duty, single-handed strategy. Now I've definitely seen dog walkers in my neighborhood with an armful of leashes, and it can result in some mighty tangles. I'm curious to know, even if you've got just one furry friend, how would you feel more comfortable walking two pooches at once?Source

Giovanni Ribisi Uses Both Hands . . . Would You?

Two leashes means two hands.

Both leashes in one hand.

Other – I'll tell you in my comments below.

One in Five UK Dogs Miss Their Daily Walk, Pack on Pounds

PetSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:30:49 -0700

Chubster pets are on the rise in the UK because a fifth of dogs are missing out on their daily walks.

According to a recent survey of 3,000 pet owners, hectic work schedules and the fact that many people fail to appreciate how much exercise pets actually need to stay healthy have created a generation of unfit dogs. The study noted:

More than a quarter of study participants admitted they only exercised their dogs once a day or less.
The amount of exercise dogs are getting varies from breed to breed, but even the more active ones are struggling, with more than a quarter being taken for a walk less than once a day.
One in 10 dogs in the area go on “walkies” less than once a week.
Nearly two million dogs in Britain are suffering from obesity, with lack of exercise and over-feeding thought to be the cause, according to the PDSA.

In an ideal world dogs need daily exercise and stimulation to stay happy and healthy, but it's not always possible. What do you think of the statistics?

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Pet Peeves: Children Sticking Hands in My Dog's Face!

PetSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:06 -0700

My friend passed along this frustrating tale of walking her dog in Brooklyn over the weekend, and I wanted to share her story with you and get your take on the right and wrong . . . and the best solution:Q: While walking my dog on Saturday afternoon down a side street, I stopped to pick up my dog's poop and, while I was taking care of his business, a child about four or five years old came up behind me and reached for my dog with her spare hand holding a bagel. I turned around right as my pooch went for the bagel and was able to pull him away before he grabbed it. The adult said nothing, gave me a "look of death," and dragged the child away by the other hand. I was shocked! If my pooch had grabbed the bagel, I'm sure it would have caused a scene, nevermind if the pooch wasn't as friendly as mine is. Shouldn't the mom pay more attention to her kid and not let her approach a strange dog with hands out . . . especially while appearing to offer food? What do you think?

See my answer when you

Dog Days of Summer: Sidewalk Dangers

PetSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:00:27 -0700

In addition to releasing heat with those dangly tongues, doggies also sweat through the pads of their feet. Now imagine what that would be like if they were trying to get rid of their own excess heat . . . onto already scalding sidewalks. Hot pavement can burn puppy paw pads – and since animals are much closer to the ground, they heat up quicker than we do and can be in special danger.When walking your pup in scorching climates, try to stick to shady sides and save longer strolls for when the sun is low, like morning and evening. If you're not sure how sizzling the street or sand is, test it out on your bare foot or hand – if it feels too hot for you, it's probably also too hot for your pet!

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Do Your Dogs Wear a Harness and a Collar?

PetSugar — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:00:01 -0700

Walk time fills North with tail-waggin' joy, and it's definitely rein-in harnesses at my house! Call it personal preference, if you will, but I still think my pup's better suited with a harness like his smooshy breathren. I'm curious do you also put a collar on your harnessed pet like these two?Pacific Coast News Online

Do Your Dogs Wear a Harness and a Collar?

Yes, he's got a collar on all the time and a harness for walkies.

No, he just uses a collar for walkies.

No, he just uses a harness for walkies.

Growing Up Samson: First Walk on the Wild Side!

PetSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:00:02 -0700

Our newest Sugar pup, Samson, finally finished up all his puppy boosters and, last week, he took his first real walk outdoors. Hooray! It's important to have your dog up-to-date on shots before letting him meet other furry friends so he doesn't pick up any dangerous diseases.

See a full gallery of adventure piccys and a couple of my tips for those first time walkies when you

How Long Are Those Walkies?

PetSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:00:58 -0700

While sometimes my pup gets a quick walkie around the block, other times we take a more leisurely stroll. I like to keep his daily walk time pretty consistent – except on weekends when he's a bit more spoiled – and make sure he gets adequate exercise. Can you total up the average number of minutes your pup spends on a leash on a typical day? If you've got more details to add, share in your comments below! Source

Got the Day Off? Get Out With Your Pup!

PetSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:30:44 -0700

It's Memorial Day and I'm using today to take an extra long walk with my Boston. He's a fairly energetic dog who can walk quite quickly (as long as it's not too hot), and we're gonna go on a street roaming adventure! I know some of you have big dogs and others have little ones, so everyone's speed needs will be different. The latest issue of Self magazine provided a couple tempo tips that I wanted to pass along:

Stroll: 3 mph Breeds including French Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels do well at a leisurely tempo like this.
Brisk Walk: 3.5 mph Higher energy small dogs can benefit from this speed, like Miniature Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers, for example.
Jog: 5 mph Golden Retrievers and Jack Russells have lots of energy . . . best burned off at a quick pace!

Now see my advice when you

To the Rescue: Kitty's Outdoor Catwalk

PetSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:30:00 -0700

Okay, so maybe the stroller didn't go over that well with most of you, but what about a more traditional walk? I've already scoped out some harnesses for uncommonly leashed pets (i.e., not dogs). But what happens when you do buy one of these – how do you get kitty to walk? My friend took a little outdoor adventure with her adorable cat on a sunny weekend and snapped some fun pictures – and shared some advice to make things go smoothly. Find out her advice (and mine) when you