Pet Education

Pet First Aid Awareness

By admin | Published: April 4, 2010

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Pet First Aid Awareness and Healthy Life

There is nothing worse then trying to figure out what to do when our pets are injured or sick.  What to do if they chewed a blood pressure pill?   What to do if they fell down the stairs?  Calling emergency to explain and wait for information takes away from time in stabilizing your pet.   Taking Pet First Aid is one of the best things we can do as care takers of our pets.

Through Pet First Aid we learn what is “normal” and how to respond to various types of emergencies from a pet in shock, breathing or heart emergencies, cuts, choking and more.

Pet First Aid care is NOT a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet’s life until it receives veterinary treatment.  Please get to the nearest vet or vet hospital after administrating Pet First Aid.

Pet First Aid Kits and Emergency Numbers

When you purchase a Pet First Aid Kit, buy one that will meet your needs.   If you have more than 2 pets and you go hiking, plus other activities, you might want to buy 2 – one for the car and one for home.

When putting together an Emergency Disaster Plan for your home a Pet First Aid Kit, Pet Identification need to be included on the checklist.  There are on-line services that allow you to capture information about your pet that is a great backup to the printed documentation.  Don’t forget about you and your family members’ identification, too. 

Numbers to know before you need them:

Pet First Aid Awareness Month

With April being Pet First Aid Awareness Month, Pet Tech created Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together and talks about increasing the quality and quantity of pets’ lives.

I reviewed the Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together and found the information to very informative.  As caretakers, if we incorporate healthy living with our entire family, which includes our pets, we are all happier and live longer.  In reading Pet First Aid Pets & People Staying Healthy Together, I walked away with a lot of valuable information.  Chester and I even kicked our getting healthy together!   I never realized how out of shape I was until we started walking! 

In this podcast with Thom Somes from Pet Tech we discussed:

  • Why did you start Pet Tech?
  • Why should they take the classes offered by Pet Tech instructors?
  • With April being Pet First Aid Awareness Month, what message would you like to share with pet caretakers?
  • What would you like our pet caretakers think about when caring for their pets? 
  • With spring and summer around the corner, a lot of people are traveling.  When is it a good idea for a pet owner to travel with their pet and when you should a pet owner secure the services of a pet sitter?

Our pets ask very little from us and their love is unconditional.   They deserve the best from us.   Learning Pet First Aid and how to keep our pets healthy is the best we can do for them.   By living a healthy life style with our pets, this will help keep them with us for a very long time!   If they ever were hurt, we will have the tools to help, for we would have taken Pet First Aid.

Promotion for todays podcast:

  • Receive 20% off Knowing Your Pets’ Heath by entering code PSG20 at Chesters Pet Shoppe.  In this book Thom takes us throught the “Snout-To-Tail” assessment.   I have read the book myself and I like it a lot, for it provides us with the needed information in a simple easy way! 
  • Live in New Hampshire or southern Maine?   Pre-register for our June Pet Tech weekend classes and receive 15% off the class.  Host a Pet First Aid Class at your home with some friends and there is no charge for the hostess.  To register send me an email to chesterspetshoppe@gmail.com.

Have questions about Pet First Aid or the Snout-To_Tail assessment?  Ask them in the comments section.  Thom and I will answer them and provide more information in our next podcast.

Rabbit Podcast with Teresa Lewin

By admin | Published: March 16, 2010

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With Easter around the corner, Teresa and I, decided to talk about rabbits.   Each year  people buy rabbits around Easter.  Most of the time people do not realize what is involved in owning a rabbit.  A lot of the rabbits end up in a shelter.   We are looking to prevent less rabbits ending up in the shelter.

 Are you are not sure about getting a rabbit and you have some doubts?  Why not get a personalized letter from the Easter Bunny for your child with a chocolate bunny and donate to your local rabbit society or shelter?   Some shelters allow you to adopt a rabbit where you can donate until the rabbit is found a home.

 Let us see how much you know about rabbits?  Send us your answers in the comment section.

  1.  Are rabbits a mammals or herbivores?
  2. Are rabbits crepuscular”
  3. Are rabbit’s rodents?
  4. Are both puppies and bunnies easy to potty train?
  5. Is it true that rabbits have 1 month pregnancy?
  6. Can rabbits be herded like cattle?
  7. Do rabbits need to be socialized like a dog?

As a kid growing up, we had dogs and cats and 1 white rabbit.   My brother owned the rabbit and the cat, I owned a dog named Blackie.  I am thinking about getting a rabbit, so I will be evaluating what Teresa is telling us in the podcast to determine if a rabbit is right for me and the impact on my pets.

I have some coupons where you can get $10.00 or $20.00 off rabbit products.  Checkout our cages, treats, hay and Clicking With Your Rabbit .

 In this podcast we are addressing the following:

  1. What do we need to know about rabbits before making a commitment?
  2. What about the breed?
  3. Why are rabbits as popular as a pet?
  4. How easy is it to care for a rabbit?
  5. Who should share space with a rabbit?
  6. What do rabbits like and don’t like?
  7. How to setup a safe environment?

 In the next podcast we will talk about the rabbit’s body language.  We will all learn to Speak Rabbit with Teresa Lewin.

For more information about Rabbits and more, the House Rabbit Society is where I know a lot of rabbit owners go.   They have a full library full of information.

I have found some rabbit toys that will be posted on chesterspetshop this Thursday.

 Please send us a picture of your rabbit at Chesters Pet Friends.   If you have any questions, please enter them in a comment and we will answer your questions.

Displacement Behaviours with Teresa Lewin

By admin | Published: March 9, 2010

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In this pod cast Teresa Teresa Lewin, the co-founder and vice president of Doggone Safe  and I finish talking about Displacement Behaviours.   Teresa and I also discuss the pod cast with Greg Ceci on Off Leash Walking and Training.  Plus, we introduced the Bunny and Rabbit pod casts for our rabbit owners.

What is displacement behaviour?  It is a normal behaviour taken out of context and is presented when the dog is under some sort of conflict and anxiety.   

Nobody, including dogs like direct conflict or confrontations and we all replace that thought.    Teresa licks her lips, I curl my toes and a dog licks his lips.  With various displacement behaviours combined and some by themselves, the dogs are telling us I am uncomfortable.   Please leave me alone.

In this pod cast we paint the picture of the family in the living room with the fire going in the fireplace.   The parents are on the couch and the dog is lying on the floor with the children resting against the dog.  The dog starts to pant, then he starts to yawn and nobody notices.   Then gives a big, big lick.   But he has had nothing to eat and drink!    Why is he licking?   This is an example of displacement behaviour which is being ignored.   Since the dog has not jumped up or barked, you might think that the dog is happy with this situation.   But in this picture, the dog is telling the parents in every way he knows how, that he is uncomfortable.    In this situation the parents can take the dog and put him in his crate or dog safety zone.

When you learn to speak dog, everybody is happy.   The dog is happy for you understand what he is telling you.   It reduces and prevents dog bites.  Just image you go on a trip to a new country and nobody speaks your language and you do not speak theirs.   There is a lot of miscommunication going on while you are there!   Then you wish you had taken the time to learn the language.  You would have had a great time,  for you would have understood what everybody was telling you and you would have been able to communicate.   It is the same when owning a dog and that is why Teresa and I talk about the importance of learning to speak dog.

A lot of people talk about risk.  What is risk?   There are two elements to make a risk; exposure and hazard.  “Can the dog bite me?”, that is the exposure and “Will the dog bite me?”, is the hazard.    The risk changes depend upon where you are taking your dog and it is important that care takers evaluate the risk.   A lot of dog bites can be prevented when we watch our dogs and others on what they are communicating to us.

Doggone Safe offers a course called Basic Body Language.   It is a great course to learn about dogs body language and where you can learn to speak dog.  There is the Be A Tree Program, where children are taught the basic body language. 

Chester loves his Chopmerrrs, so we are offering 15% off Chopmerrrs when you enter Chop at checkout at  Chesters Pet Shoppe.   This is Chester’s favorite toy!  Chester is on the home page with his Ginger-man Chopmerrr.  The toy is made in New Hampshire by Great State.   They are stuffed with remants!  No more white fluffy stuff!

Parents take this quiz with your children.

Teresa’s bio:

  • Expert Canadian Dog Bite Prevention Educator
  • Canine Behavior Specialist
  • Co-author; Getting Started, Clicker Training Your Rabbit
  • Co-creator of Doggone Crazy! board game for dog bite prevention
  • Co-founder of Doggone Safe Canada’s first non profit dedicated to dog bite prevention
  • Vice President of Doggone Safe, Inc

Here education and experience is from:

  • Service dog training, tracking, obedience, aggressive dog rehabilitation
  • Works with and trained with behaviorists/trainers all over the world
  • Contracted by therapist to assist with dog bite victim cases
  • Manages the dog bite victim group for Doggone Safe
  • Currently working towards training security and bomb dog handlers on  how to handle their dogs for Olympus K9
  • Currently working on producing schutzhund behaviours uisng the clicker
  • and much more, along with awards and publications.

Bunnies and Rabbits with Teresa Lewin

By admin | Published: March 6, 2010

Bunnies and Rabbits!!   They are so cute and lovable!   But, are they for you and your family?   What does it mean to own a bunny?   I honestly, do not know for I have never owned a bunny.   My brother, Mike,  owned a white rabbit, which he adored!    I am the oldest in the family and had moved out when he decided to get a rabbit.

I will be interviewing Teresa Lewin on Bunnies and Rabbits, starting March 12.  The pod cast will be posted March 13.   My questions are coming from somebody that is thinking about owning a bunny, but I have no idea what it means to own a rabbit.   I  have Chester, the mini poodle, and Sammy, the Maine Coone, who also rules the house!   Trust me, she puts Chester in his place, so he knows who the boss is, too!   I take Chester for walks, play games, etc.   Sammy, we play and she climbs under the covers at night, for she like to sleep below my butt.    What games can I play with a bunny?  Can I teach her tricks?  I see harnesses for rabbits, does that mean, I can take her for a walk in the yard?   What would I do if I brought a bunny into my home?  How do I introduce Chester and Sammy to the bunny?    I don’t know if this is a silly question, but can they play together?  Do I always keep the bunny in a pen, so that Chester and Sammy can not get to her or him?   Can the bunny jump over the pen?  What do I feed her?   Do I have to pick her up a certain way?  What shots do they get?  Does it matter what vet I go to?   I have no idea and that is why I never had a bunny!

The Rabbit pod casts will be very educational and we will run a series.   Easter is right around the corner and so many people so out and get a bunny for their child or themselves, but do not understand what it means to own a bunny.    This is the perfect time to talk about bunnies and rabbits!   When I lived in New Jersey, there were so many places, even some groomers, that sold bunnies!   But some of the bunnies ended up in the shelter and a few were put in an outdoor rabbit cage.   The lucky ones were keep inside the home.   The pod casts will help people like myself, understand what it is we need to know before bringing home a bunny.  What is the pet care required?  How to bond them and more!   From the pod casts, families can make an educated decision as to whether to bring a bunny into their home, or not.

As you can tell, I have a lot of questions for Teresa!   What questions do you have for Teresa?  For the experienced bunny owners, what would you like to share for the new bunny owners?

New to be bunny owners, do not forget to rescue!!   Please do not go to a store to buy a bunny!   There are some stores that bring in bunnies from shelters and that is fantastic.   You can ask the store where they get their bunnies from.   If it is not from a shelter, then go to a shelter to find your new furry friend.  There are so many in shelters, that need homes.  Trust me, after Easter, there will be many more!   If you find that owning a rabbit is not for you and your family, why not donate to a rabbit shelter?   They could use help caring for them until they can find homes.

Send us your photos!   I created a flickr group called Chesters Pet Friends where you can post your photos.    I will include them on the Rabbit Pod Cast blog or rather Ed will show me how to do this.

Off Leash Walking and Training Part 1 with Greg Ceci

By admin | Published: February 27, 2010

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Spring is right around the corner and like many dog owners; I am excited about going to the dog park with my mini-poodle, Chester.   It is so much fun to watch all the dogs run around the dog park and play with each other.  There is nothing more beautiful then to see a dog go into a full run!   Wow!

If you are a new pet owner or not sure about Off Leash Walking and Training with your dog, then get out your notebook!   Greg Ceci, from Puppy Passions is going to help us get started on the right foot before we enter a dog park.  If you are looking for dog trainer to help you with Off Leash Walking or Training, go to International Positive Dog Training Association to find a trainer in your area.

To help you get started, check out the Clicker Puppy DVD with 2 Clickers.  Enter promotion code Clicker and received 15% off.   Learn how to clicker train your puppy by children.  No leashes are used during the clicker puppy training.  Hands-off positive reinforcement encourages the desired behavior you are looking for in your puppy! 

Greg Ceci brings a lot to the dog world with his knowledge of canine psychology and how he uses communication to incorporate positive reinforcement methods with dogs.  You will never hear him use reprimands nor aversive techniques with dogs.

I learned a lot from talking with Greg about Off Leashing Walking and Training.  For this series we focused on the topics listed below.  I just listed some pointers from the interview, but you will have to listen to the pod cast.  There was just so much information Greg gave us and I want you to hear directly from him.

  • The benefits of off leash walking and training with our dogs?
    • What a great way to physically and mentally exercise you dog.  It is a great way to bond with your dog.  He learns that you are going to guide him and he can trust you.
  • As dog owners, what are the steps we should take in getting our dogs ready for the dog park?
    • Teach your dog self control and calm behaviour.  If you dog is not calm, then that is not when to take your dog to the dog park.  When you work all day and come home, your dog is all excited.  Do not hop in the car and run to the dog park.  Take your dog outside and play ball or go for a long walk, then go into the dog park.
  • Does it matter which dog park to choose?
    • Not all dog parks are equal.  Check out the dog park.  Is there a designated section for small dogs and large dogs?  Try and go at the same time to the dog park.  You will most likely see the same dogs and dog owners each time you go.  This enables you to use your speak dog skills to determine if you do want to go into the dog park with your dog or if you want to chose a different time or dog park.

In the next pod cast series we will talk about:

  • How does off-leash training benefit non-dog owners?
  • Will dogs benefit utilizing their social skills at the leash free park?
  • What are some of the reasons that dogs may have a  confrontation at the dog park?

What questions would you like to ask Greg?   We would like to hear from you!   When you do go the dog park, be safe and have fun with your dog!

Chesters Partners