Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

Dog Adoption | Getting a dog is an exciting time for any dog parent or family. Unfortunately, there are instances where they might be abandoned or suffer neglect. This is probably why dog shelters receive and house many such rescue dogs for kind pet parents to rehabilitate and love. These dogs may have a difficult time adjusting to a new home. But this is not entirely impossible. Therefore, if dog adoption seems a bit overwhelming, it’s a normal concern. However, with a little bit of time and effort, it can be one of the fulfilling things you can do.

Here are some tips you can use to bring a rescue dog home safely.

Tips for Rescue Dog

Prepare for its Arrival

Before you get a rescue dog home, make sure your house has everything that it may need to spend at least a night comfortably. These things may include a bed, kennel, food, dog bowl, water bowl, treats, and some toys. As your dog adjusts, you will find out if you need more things to make it comfortable.

Introduce the Family and Other Pets

Once you have successfully welcomed the pet into your house, make sure you introduce the family and even other pets to the rescue dog. This way, it will get know about your family and know how many people are in the house. You may have to do this repeatedly until they are well-familiarized with your house members. However, make sure you bring in one person/pet at a time in an isolated room that has a place the rescue dog can hide if they get overwhelmed.

Give the Dog Its Own Accommodation

A rescue pet may need some time on its own. This may be because of the trauma they have faced previously. Therefore, it is always a good idea to set up their own space in the corner of a house. This protects you and even them from being overwhelmed by the environment. A kennel or a sleeping bag with blankets and towels may be a good start for their own space.

Dog-Proof The House

Dogs that come through dog adoption may be very unruly. They may even react or get extremely curious about certain things, which may be normal in a household. Therefore, make sure your house is dog-proof in the sense that you have stowed away all such items such as cable, baskets, and even décor. Ideally, you can put up a fence, so your dog is confined to a certain part of the house.

Take It To The Vet

Ideally, you should retrieve your dog’s medical history from the shelter you have adopted it from. This is important so you may know if any underlying conditions need treatment. However, even if there is nothing of this sort, make sure you have a vet visit planned for your canine. This will be a good opportunity for you to get them vaccinated and get an idea of their general health.

Keep it Busy With Toys

Toys are an excellent way to make sure your pet is busy and distracted. However, make sure you get your pet toys that are not a choking hazard. There are also many food-dispensing toys that dogs love. They are a great way to keep them busy for a long time. Other than this, a ball, Frisbee, or a chewing toy make great additions.

Start training early-on

Don’t leave your canine’s training for a later time. Try to establish some ground rules as soon as you bring them home. This will give them a push-start and allow you to see if they can be trained easily or if you’ll need help in this regard. Furthermore, make sure you start with basic commands so they can remember them easily. Don’t forget to treat them if they do! This type of positive reinforcement goes a long way for such pets.

Keep Track of Favorite Foods

Once your pet is at home, you can feed it basic food as everyone else does. However, with time, make sure to change its diet and see what food it like more. This can be a positive sign for the pet, telling them you care about their needs. If you adopt a puppy, make sure you give it a high-calorie and protein-rich diet to be energetic and healthy. However, if you adopt a senior dog, then consult a vet for additional dietary help.

Choose a name if you want

If your rescue dog doesn’t have a previous name, you may choose a sweet one for your dog. However, if you want to change it, make the new name a part of your training. If your dog responds to the new name, make sure to give them a treat. Once you are sure they have adjusted to the name, you can discard the old name completely.

Establish a routine

Once you feel your rescue dog has adjusted to your family and new environment, you can begin by taking it out on walks around the neighborhood or nearest park. This will be a great bonding time for you and the pet. Maybe have different family members take turns so the family can bond. Furthermore, make sure to keep your dog’s grooming a top priority from the beginning. You can have a groomer come over or do everything yourself. Ideally, grooming entails oral health, hair care, and nail clipping.

Give it love

Finally, the most important tip for dog adoption is giving your new pet a lot of love. You will have to be patient but know that once your dog is comfortable with you, it will never leave your side and stick by you through thick and thin. Ask your family members to do the same.

The Bottom Line

Dog adoption is one of the best decisions you can make. You don’t only gain a new friend and supporter, but you give a dog a new and loving home that they deserve. Use the above tips to ease into the process and make sure to give your new pet ample time to adjust to you and your home.

by Bobby J Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
Collect your pet’s waste.
Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.