How to handle Fido this long weekend

by Contributed - Story: 78677
Aug 2, 2012 / 11:00 am

With the long weekend coming up and many outdoor events happening in the city, be sure to keep your dog's best interest in mind if you are considering bringing them out with you. Although it is great to expose your dog to real life situations and have them participate in the fun, sometimes it is best to leave them at home.

Below are some points to take into consideration for your dog:

a.    Heat – even though you might be able to find some shade, your dog can easily get overheated. I suggest exercising your dog early in the morning and later in the evening when the sun is not so hot. Pavement too can become extremely hot and cause blisters on the pads of your dog's feet
b.    People – some dogs get overwhelmed with an abundance of people. Many people like to pet dogs, which may be fine at first, but can lead to an agitated dog
c.    Food – there will certainly be spilt food on the ground which your dog may want to scoop up… this can lead to an upset stomach and some unwanted messes
d.    Sensory overload – music, people, children, food, noise, etc…

If you do decide to take your dog to a market or outdoor event that allows dogs, please bring water for your dog, take the time to sit in some shade and keep an eye on what your dog is telling you through its body language or vocals.

Be prepared to leave earlier than expected to take your dog home.

Whatever you do, do not leave your dog in the car, even with the windows rolled down and in the shade!

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About the Author

All about Brad Pattison:

Educating Others

Created & opened the first Doggy Day Care in 1991 in Vancouver, BC
Opened up Hustle Up™ Training School in spring 2008 (certifies people to become Certified Trainer Educator’s or 6Legs to Fitness™ instructors)
Currently 90 Certified Trainer Educator’s across Canada, 1 in United States, 15 6Legs to Fitness™ instructors in Canada and 5 in South Africa.

Television

Host of hit TV show “At The End of My Leash". Currently airing in 50+ countries with a total of 6 seasons, 78 episodes.
Host and Producer of ‘Puppy SOS’, which premiered on Slice Network April 6th, 2011.
Guest appearances on Canadian Television shows – 3 Takes, X-Weighted, The Mom Show and Simon & Chris
In 2008, at the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Awards, “At The End of My Leash” won 4 out of 5 nominations including Best Series and Best Host.
‘At The End of My Leash’ was also nominated at the 2008 Gemini Awards
In 2010, at the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Awards, “At The End of My Leash” won Best Lifestyle Serie

Charity

Honorary Chair for Canadian Cancer Society’s ‘Bark For Life’ in 2010 and 2011, held in Toronto, ON.
Affiliation with the Painted Dog Conservation project in Zimbabwe to help raise awareness of the declining Painted Dog population. The Painted Dog leash and collar line, designed by Brad Pattison– donates $3 from each item purchased to the Painted Dog Conservation. www.painteddog.org

Rescue Missions

Created Pattison K9 Rescue team with first mission down to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Helped rescue over 200 dogs.
Partnered up with CANDi International for a dog rescue projects in Cancun, July 2009 and Puerto Rico in November 2009. www.candiinternational.org
Aid in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010.
Brought an eight-person team down to Cancun in February 2011 to help Spay and Neuter program alongside the Cancun Animal Rescue organization.

Books

Author of 3 books: Synergy in Training between Man & Dog, Doggy Business (kids book for Dog Babysitting) and bestseller, Brad Pattison Unleashed (published through Random House Canada).
New Puppy book to be released May 2012 through Random House Canada.

www.bradpattison.com

The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet presents its columns "as is" and does not warrant the contents.

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