Easter is a great holiday to spend with friends and family, and the family dog! While we love chocolate at Easter, we have to remember that it is poisonous to dogs. Eating chocolate can lead to theobromine poisoning in dogs. Dark chocolate is much more deadly than milk chocolate due to it's higher coco content. Mild cases of theobromine poisoning cause vomiting and diarrhea while severe cases can lead to seizures, rapid heart rate, hyperactivity, respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. While there is no need to freak out if your dog eats a tiny bit of chocolate, if they eat over 100 milligrams of theobromine per kilogram body weight it could kill them. The amount of theobromine in chocolate varies depending on the type, the worst being high cocoa and bakers chocolate. If you aren't sure how much your dog has eaten, take them to the vet.
Here are some tips for keeping your dog safe over Easter:
1) If you are having an Easter Egg Hunt which involves leaving chocolate around keep your dog inside during the hunt and make sure ALL of the chocolate is picked up before letting him/her out.
2) Where possible try to use milk or white chocolate, if you dog eats milk chocolate they may still have to go to the vets but the consequences will be much milder.
3) Any dark chocolate you do have at Easter do not use in an egg hunt, leaving chocolate on the floor or hidden in bushes is asking for a dog to eat it.
If you dog does eat chocolate, keep calm and call your vet. In most cases, especially in big dogs, it's not a big deal because most of the chocolate that humans eat is fairly low in cocoa content. Your dog will most likely have a stomach ache unless they have eaten a LOT of dark chocolate. Always best to be safe, keep chocolate out of reach, and if in doubt call you vet.
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Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Doggie Day Care in London
This makes me want to be a dog! They get picked up while their owners are at work and get to play the whole day in the country, all for only £25 (only slightly more than the average hour long walk).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152992/The-doggie-creche-owners-barking-demand-mutts-eggs-benedict-breakfast--Not-mention-Radio-4-chauffeured-ride-home.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152992/The-doggie-creche-owners-barking-demand-mutts-eggs-benedict-breakfast--Not-mention-Radio-4-chauffeured-ride-home.html
Dogs on the London Underground
I've seen loads of dogs on the London Underground. Some seem to be enjoying the experience much more than others! I've chatted with dog owners of all different types and come up with some basic tips for taking your dog on the tube.
1) Try to travel when it's not crowded
2) If you dog is little, pick him/her up. At best they'll be scared, at worse they'll get stepped on!
3) DO NOT let your dog on the tube if they are not house trained UNLESS you intend to carry them the entire time. Accidents are a great way to get dogs banned on the underground.
4) Check when the underground stops operating if you are traveling at night, it usually shuts at 12 and opens again at 5 but this can vary.
5) Use the luggage gate... I went through the normal gates and Zorra got whacked in the bum. She was not impressed.
Taking your dog on the underground is a great and cheap way to travel around London, but as always you MUST make sure your dog is socialized and friendly before taking them in public.
1) Try to travel when it's not crowded
2) If you dog is little, pick him/her up. At best they'll be scared, at worse they'll get stepped on!
3) DO NOT let your dog on the tube if they are not house trained UNLESS you intend to carry them the entire time. Accidents are a great way to get dogs banned on the underground.
4) Check when the underground stops operating if you are traveling at night, it usually shuts at 12 and opens again at 5 but this can vary.
5) Use the luggage gate... I went through the normal gates and Zorra got whacked in the bum. She was not impressed.
Taking your dog on the underground is a great and cheap way to travel around London, but as always you MUST make sure your dog is socialized and friendly before taking them in public.
Zorra on the Tube after drinks at Gordon's Wine Bar
Monday, 18 March 2013
Dogs in Harrods
Dogs are Allowed in Harrods!
If you want to take your dog with you to shop in Pet Kingdom you can! You MUST have your vaccination records with you, however, or else they won't let you in.
Go to door 3 and tell the concierge that you intend on shopping in Pet Kingdom and they will escort you there, after you've shown them you vaccination records of course.
While you're there, if you are into this sort of thing, you can take your dog to the Pet Spa at Harrods. It's expensive because you can't get any of the extras listed on the brochure without a treatment (the cheapest is £59.95) but if you are only in town for a few days with your dog it could be quite the novelty!
If you have a dog which is prone to tear stains it would be worth looking into their tear stain treatment. This is the one thing that I think would be genuinely useful... compared to the "blueberry and vanilla facial."
If you're feeling like your dog needs some extra pampering they have an entire spa day that you can book your dog in for, including lunch! Most people don't get treated this well!
http://www.harrods.com/content/the-store/news-events/2011/the-pet-spa-launches/
If you want to take your dog with you to shop in Pet Kingdom you can! You MUST have your vaccination records with you, however, or else they won't let you in.
Go to door 3 and tell the concierge that you intend on shopping in Pet Kingdom and they will escort you there, after you've shown them you vaccination records of course.
While you're there, if you are into this sort of thing, you can take your dog to the Pet Spa at Harrods. It's expensive because you can't get any of the extras listed on the brochure without a treatment (the cheapest is £59.95) but if you are only in town for a few days with your dog it could be quite the novelty!
If you have a dog which is prone to tear stains it would be worth looking into their tear stain treatment. This is the one thing that I think would be genuinely useful... compared to the "blueberry and vanilla facial."
If you're feeling like your dog needs some extra pampering they have an entire spa day that you can book your dog in for, including lunch! Most people don't get treated this well!
http://www.harrods.com/content/the-store/news-events/2011/the-pet-spa-launches/
Pub Etiquette for Dogs
10 useful tips for taking your dog to a pub or restaurant:
1) If possible, take your dog for a short trip to the pub or coffee shop when they are puppies. Sit outside with a cup of coffee and just let them get used to strangers saying hello and being tied up. Make the first few trips short so your dog doesn't get bored and misbehave.
2) Bring a rawhide bone with you to give your dog under the table so that he/she doesn't get bored.
3) Start off with quiet places than gradually work up to busier places when your dog gets used to being out in public.
4) If possible go with a quiet, well behaved dog who is used to pubs and restaurants. Your novice pub-going dog will benefit from watching a more seasoned pub veteran.
5) Take your dog for a long walk first! Go to the pub when your dog is tired so they just sleep while you eat.
6) Take a doggie blanket with you, your dog will appreciate somewhere to lie down and they are more likely to settle if they have somewhere to curl up. Most pubs and restaurants have hard floors which dogs, especially thin breeds like whippets, don't like to lie on.
7) Before you take your dog to the pub be sure to socialize them. Take them for walks in town so they can meet lots of people and be used to being pet by strangers and children.
8) Make sure your dog is comfortable with being tied up and having you walk away. If you need to go to the bathroom you don't want your dog howling the entire time you are away! Practice this at home, it's important training anyway. We will cover how to do this properly in a later post.
9) Socialize with other dogs first, you will probably meet some when you are out and you need to make sure that your dog isn't dog-aggressive before you take them in public. We will also cover this in detail in another post.
10) ALWAYS carry poop bags! This is the least glamorous part of owning a dog, but it is so important! Not only is it gross and unhygienic to leave dog poo behind, it's against the law in most places. Take more bags than you think you could ever possibly need, and if you see a fellow dog owner caught short please give them one! Watching someone else scramble to pick up poo with newspapers and grocery bags while you have dog poo bags in your pocket is not very kind - you never know when that will be you!
Follow these steps and enjoy! Watch this space for more tips on dog training and socialization.
1) If possible, take your dog for a short trip to the pub or coffee shop when they are puppies. Sit outside with a cup of coffee and just let them get used to strangers saying hello and being tied up. Make the first few trips short so your dog doesn't get bored and misbehave.
2) Bring a rawhide bone with you to give your dog under the table so that he/she doesn't get bored.
3) Start off with quiet places than gradually work up to busier places when your dog gets used to being out in public.
4) If possible go with a quiet, well behaved dog who is used to pubs and restaurants. Your novice pub-going dog will benefit from watching a more seasoned pub veteran.
5) Take your dog for a long walk first! Go to the pub when your dog is tired so they just sleep while you eat.
6) Take a doggie blanket with you, your dog will appreciate somewhere to lie down and they are more likely to settle if they have somewhere to curl up. Most pubs and restaurants have hard floors which dogs, especially thin breeds like whippets, don't like to lie on.
7) Before you take your dog to the pub be sure to socialize them. Take them for walks in town so they can meet lots of people and be used to being pet by strangers and children.
8) Make sure your dog is comfortable with being tied up and having you walk away. If you need to go to the bathroom you don't want your dog howling the entire time you are away! Practice this at home, it's important training anyway. We will cover how to do this properly in a later post.
9) Socialize with other dogs first, you will probably meet some when you are out and you need to make sure that your dog isn't dog-aggressive before you take them in public. We will also cover this in detail in another post.
10) ALWAYS carry poop bags! This is the least glamorous part of owning a dog, but it is so important! Not only is it gross and unhygienic to leave dog poo behind, it's against the law in most places. Take more bags than you think you could ever possibly need, and if you see a fellow dog owner caught short please give them one! Watching someone else scramble to pick up poo with newspapers and grocery bags while you have dog poo bags in your pocket is not very kind - you never know when that will be you!
Follow these steps and enjoy! Watch this space for more tips on dog training and socialization.
Zorra at the Tunnel House
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Poo Bags
It might sound ridiculous, but carrying poo bags can be a great way to meet people in London. Twice this week I've seen a fellow dog owner caught short with no poo bags and offered them one of my own. Not only are you helping keep the streets clean and improving general opinion of dog owners, you are helping out someone who would otherwise need to resort to desperate measures such as newspaper. You never know who you might meet in the park...
Gordon's Wine Bar
I was very surprised by how dog-friendly Gordon's Wine Bar is! My friend and I took my dog to Gordon's and sat outside with her on their heated patio. Several people came to say hello, but one gentleman was particularly interested in my dog. He turned out to be the manager of Gordon's, and said that dogs are always welcome, inside or out! He came back with water for her and really gave her the star treatment. I've been going to Gordon's for years, but this was the first time I went with a dog. It was also the first time I met the manager, so maybe taking your dog around London is the way to meet people! I'll test this theory out...
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