Paws for Thought: 5 Things to Think About When Welcoming a Puppy Home

Awww, puppies – they’re fluffy, fun and full of love. But for every inch of cuteness, puppies are also darn hard work. They demand time, money and (above everything else) plenty of love and affection.

So there’s actually plenty to consider (and prepare) if you’re soon to welcome a new four legged friend into your home.

1. Get ready for the nipping, chewing and biting

Puppies have are incredibly inquisitive nature (and by virtue of this, they also have an appetite for chewing on sofas, shoes and just about anything else that takes their fancy).

At first, they’ll explore their boundaries by chewing up your personal items right in front of you. And as they gradually begin to learn that this behavior is met with a firm “no”, they’ll move on to chewing things out of your sightline (so you’ll need to keep a beady eye on them at all times – or move things out of their reach!).

It’s important that you hop onto this behavior while they’re in the act. Dogs can’t comprehend being disciplined for things that have happened a while back (even with you pointing at a slobbered up, chewed up shoe).

You could also try dousing your items with bitter apple spray, which is odorless, but leaves an unsavory tangy taste in the mouth.

Finally, bear in mind that dogs don’t chew and bite things to be naughty. They could also be teething, and it can be a sign of malnutrition or hunger.

2. Puppy-safe zone your home

While your new recruit is in training, you may want to consider zoning your house off. Many new dog owners buy baby gates and play pens, which protect certain rooms and create a safe space while they’re home alone.

3. Feed me, feed me! – How much?!

Puppy tummies are rumbling for food practically all the time. In fact, they actually need feeding as much as four times the amount as a fully-grown adult dog! But this isn’t so surprising when you consider that pups should be gaining at least one to two grams per adult pound per day.

There are special formulas of dog food for pups – and with good reason, too; they are enriched with vitamins, minerals and fats, as well as including a higher protein content.

You should also do your research into the breed of your dog, as some have unique dietary needs compared to others.

4. Walkies!! – How often?”

Pups generally require around 5 minutes of exercise per month of age until they’ve reached adulthood (at which time they’ll be able to get out and about for longer periods).

Some breeds – like huskies, border collies, boxers and dalmatians – will require more exercise than most (so it’s well-worth doing your research before deciding which breed you can commit to).

You’ll also need to bear in mind your pup’s jabs. Most vets don’t recommend letting your pup out until one week following their second jab. But don’t worry – if they’re yet to be fully inoculated, you can still play with them and exercise them at home.

5. Goodbye, farewell – is this forever??!?!

Puppies can be notoriously prone to separation anxiety. Training is the first step to showing your dog that you WILL return. This simply involves leaving them in a safe room, saying goodbye, and waiting outside. Do not return until your pup has stopped whimpering or barking. Once they’ve calmed down, enter the room, praise them and give them a treat.

Repeat this process over and over until they know that:

1. There’s no need to shout and stress
2. You ARE coming back
3. It’s far better if they remain calm and collected

FOMO bones also help when the time comes to actually leave them all alone. With all-natural CBD, your dogs natural levels of calming cannabinoids are about to get a welcome boost.

FOMO Bones contain passion flower (for topping up their GABA, which can become depleted in stressful situations); Valerian Root (a herbal plant with mild sedative properties) and Chamomile (the white flower known for soothing nerves and lulling you to sleep).

This article by Jennifer is originally published at FOMO Bones.

Author bio: Jennifer is the voice behind the FOMO Bones blog. She's pretty sure in her past life, she was a Great Dane. However, we peg her as more of a labrador. Regardless of her breed, she's a dog enthusiast who has 15 years experience training dogs and owners.

6 Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Any dog owner will have experienced the feelings of guilt when leaving their four-legged friend alone even for just a short amount of time. While it is completely natural for dogs to miss us and want us to come home as soon as possible, some dogs suffer severe cases of separation anxiety on a different level. Not only does this make going out on our own somewhat of a chore, but it also can cause your dog problems, not to mention your couch, shoes, table… the list goes on! Fortunately, there is now a completely natural way to ease separation anxiety and reduce the symptoms of anxiety in dogs using CBD treats.

If you are a new dog owner, keep an eye out for these seven signs of canine separation anxiety in the dog’s behavior, so you can manage their nervous demeanor before it becomes too severe.

Your Dog Suddenly Learns to Sing

Well, not quite. One of the primary signs of severe separation anxiety and distress in dogs is excessive howling or barking, as well as destructive chewing. While all dogs feel sad when they see their parents walk out the door, howling and/or scratching at the door trying to desperately follow you is a red flag that you need to take notice of.

You Come Home to An Accident

If your dog is already potty trained and provided you are meeting their bathroom needs and taking them out frequently, they shouldn’t feel the need to pee inside and it shouldn’t cause distress. Understandably, if you are gone for hours and hours, then an accident here and there is bound to happen. However, if you are normally only gone for an hour or two and you always come home to a pee or poop on your white sheepskin carpet, then something is definitely up. This is a common symptom of separation anxiety in dogs and we suggest consulting a dog behaviorist or professional dog trainer for further advice, treatment, and possible medication.

Destruction and Devastation

The strongest warning sign of separation anxiety and distress and, without a doubt, one of the worst is destructive behavior while you are out, even for short periods. If you regularly come home to find your furniture chewed up and your shoes destroyed, it won’t be hard to pinpoint the culprit. Many dog owners choose to crate train their dogs and they still often come home to find that Fido has broken free and destroyed his crate and everything around it.

Frantic Panting

Dog lovers will all agree that fireworks and thunderstorms are two things that the world could do without when it comes to the effects they can have on dogs. Think back to the last time you snuggled up by the fire with a glass of red wine in hand, all ready to settle in for the night to the sound of thunder… and then your dog just completely freaked out, panting excessively, hiding, crying—all of the things a pet parent never wants to see! The same is true with many dogs when they experience separation anxiety; they start panting like crazy usually just as they see you putting your shoes on to leave.

Pacing

Another sign of anxiety in dogs can be repetitive pacing in the same pattern. Your dog might sometimes do this when you are home. However, if you notice that your pooch is frequently pacing more often than normal, you need to address it.

Clingy Behavior

There is a saying about dogs that goes something like this: “you will never pee alone again!” This is definitely true for the majority of us dog lovers and is usually completely normal behavior. What isn’t normal per se is, if your dog suddenly starts being ultra clingy and possessive. While almost every dog wants to be by our side, most do have a small degree of independence at times. This can be something as simple as laying by the side of the bed instead of on it (and on top of you!) or in their own bed while you are sitting on the couch. A major telltale sign of separation anxiety is if they have to be on top of you all the time or they start barking or crying.

OK, by now you have probably realized that your dog has separation anxiety in one form or another. Here are a few pointers of what you can do to try and soothe them so you can leave the house with a clear conscience and not worry about leaving them alone in the future.

○       Speak to a dog trainer about crate training and overcoming problem behaviors

○       Start by leaving them alone for just 15 minutes before returning and increase the time gradually so they know you are coming home

○       Consult your vet to rule out any underlying health issues

○       Ensure they get plenty of exercise every day

○       Make sure they have their own “safe” place to comfort them

○       Try leaving an item of your clothing in their bed while you are out

The above list is quite basic and, of course, there is no guarantee that any of those things will work and if your dog’s separation anxiety is getting worse, then keep reading.

Using CBD to Treat Anxiety in Dogs

Fortunately, if your pup is experiencing separation anxiety for long periods and you have tried everything under the sun, but nothing works, there is a solution—and a downright effective one at that! Along with mental stimulation, CBD treats are a tasty way to stop your dog’s separation anxiety once and for all. It has been proven that giving your dog a treat as a part of positive reinforcement can hugely strengthen your already rock-solid bond while also giving him an all natural, therapeutic way to ease his nerves and his feeling of being anxious meltaway. CBD oil has been proven to work to heal a wide range of emotional and physical ailments, but most people agree the taste is not great. These natural and completely organic CBD dog treats are worth checking out, as thousands of dog owners around the globe and clicking onto the fact that CBD dog treats actually work when nothing else seems to.

This article by Jennifer is originally published at FOMO Bones.

Author bio: Jennifer is the voice behind the FOMO Bones blog. She's pretty sure in her past life, she was a Great Dane. However, we peg her as more of a labrador. Regardless of her breed, she's a dog enthusiast who has 15 years experience training dogs and owners.

Pet Hacks: 5 Ways To Make Your Road Trip With Your Dog Stress-Free

Time to hit the road? Far from setting off into the sunset and enjoying a relaxing journey, traveling with a dog can be a fur-raising experience.

Fear peeing, puking and pooing; shaking, barking, whining and whimpering. Yeah, safe to say that hitting route 66 quickly turns into the road trip from hell when accompanied by your nervy canine. So, what can you do about it? Let’s work through our top waggly-tail tips.H

Plan well ahead for accommodation

We don’t know why, but not everyone is a huge fan of dogs (between you and I – they don’t know what they’re missing). Anyway, dogs are pretty much a no-go for many motels and hotels, so you’ll need to do a little legwork before you set off.

This page lists pet-friendly hotels in the USA, and allows you to search by date as well as book online. Easy peasy.

Make a list (check it twice, thrice, four times) and pack in good time

Packing for a smooth trip starts with getting organized and packing your bag at least the day before. Here’s a list of things to pop into your case for your pooch:

●       Dog food

●       Treats

●       Dog crate

●       Food/water bowls

●       Dog harness/seat belt buckle

●       Leashes

●       Up-to-date vaccine records (this will be required when entering Canada, as well as for staying at some accommodation)

●       Poo bags

●       Lint roller (for attempting to tackle that in-car dog hair)

Go for walkies before hand

A long walk will pay off big time before your journey (at least double the usual daily walk should do nicely). Give him a small treat or two once he’s home, but avoid feeding him his usual meal (a full belly is a sure-fire way to bring about car sickness).

Dogs can easily (and happily) go for a day without food, just so long as they have plenty of water to hand.

Safety first

When it’s time to set off, be sure to safely secure your dog with a seat buckle or place him in a good quality crate (don’t be tempted to let him hang his head out of the window – as this can lead to some pretty nasty eye injuries).

You should also make sure that he’s easily identifiable (at least through a collar tag and microchip). Ideally however you should go one step further, and fit him with a dog tracker (there are some great – and inexpensive – options out there that work with your smartphone – such as the Paw Tracker; Gibi Pet Locator and Link AKC Smart Dog Collar).

Finally, think about the weather. If it’s the midst of summer and your car is air-conditioning free you should plan to avoid travelling during the hottest times of the day.

Top up your gas at quiet stations

If possible, try to stop off for gas and toilet breaks at stations outside of built-up urban areas, as it’ll be more likely that you’ll discover a grassy space (which can encourage a reluctant pooch to open his bladder!).

Take a pit stop for a mid-way walk

Try to split your journey up every couple of hours or so with a 15-minute walk. This may take some planning, but it shouldn’t be too challenging to discover a nice walk just a short way off most main highways.

Pop in a CBD bone or two into your pouch’s packing

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that’s derived from all-natural, 3rd party tested hemp (e.g. it won’t make your canine stoned – it’ll simply calm their nerves and get them travel-ready).

CBD bones are made for everything from the terrors of fireworks to taking a road trip or plane ride.

FOMO bones team CBD with a formidable team of valerian root, chamomile and passion flower for one all-natural canine calmer.

Pack up the suitcase, through in the dog basket, blanket and FOMO bone – we’re hitting the road!

This article by Jennifer is originally published at FOMO Bones.

Author bio: Jennifer is the voice behind the FOMO Bones blog. She's pretty sure in her past life, she was a Great Dane. However, we peg her as more of a labrador. Regardless of her breed, she's a dog enthusiast who has 15 years experience training dogs and owners.