Nonie's Pet Care, LLC
  • Home
  • Services/Costs
  • Register With Us To Get Started!
  • FAQ
  • Customer Reviews
  • Our Detailed Visit Report
  • Meet our Team
  • Nonie's Blog
  • For Present Members Only: EASY ACCESS TO YOUR PORTAL

Create A Safe Place For Your Dog; by Fanna Easter | Jun 14, 2019

6/29/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture
Feeling safe is an essential need for every living creature, just like having access to clean water and food. While humans can choose to retreat to a quite place, install security cameras and alarm systems when they’re scared, dogs doesn’t have that choice. That’s why creating a safe and quiet place for your dog is vital for your dog’s physical and mental health.

What Does Safe Mean For Dogs?
Safe means being “protected from or not exposed to danger or risk: not likely to be harmed” per Merriam-Webster dictionary. This means a dog learns to feel safe and secure when they are away from scary things, such as other dogs, visiting guests, repairmen, children or loud sounds.

Choosing A Safe Place
This step is critical and depends on your dog’s needs. It’s best to choose a bedroom that’s easily closed off by a secure door. By far, choosing the master bedroom works best as it smells like the dog’s pet parents. Also, your dog can practice nightly and enjoy sleeping in the room with her pet parents, which is another great way to teach your dog that this room is safe, relaxing and comfortable.

Creating A Safe Space
Once a bedroom has been located, it’s time to set up the room to address your dog’s needs.

• Your dog should have access to a very comfortable bed and water bowl.
• To drown out noises, place a white noise machine or large box fan (used on medium to high volume) near the door or windows. White noise drowns out construction, thunderstorm, visitors talking loudly, barking dogs or any other scary noises from stressing your dog.
• Tightly close drapes and blinds to prevent sounds (such as construction) or shadows (from people or dogs walking by) from distracting of scarring your dog.
• If a dog is afraid of lightening, turn on a light to prevent prevent lightening flashes from lighting up the bedroom.
• Plug in or regularly spray a calming pheromone (such as Adaptial) in the room.
• Essential oils are very calming to for dogs, try adding 2-3 drops of a dog safe essential oil into a diffuser in a far corner of the room.

Teaching Your Dog To Enjoy Their New Space
Before placing your dog into her safe place when visitors arrive, you should plant to spend 2 weeks teaching your dog that her safe place is truly safe.
  1. Grab high value treats, such as string cheese. Walk to your dog’s safe place and toss food inside the room. Do this 10 times (don’t close the door yet) twice a day. Practice this for two days
  2. Using high value treats, toss a large chunk of cheese or several small peas size pieces inside the room. When your dog goes inside to eat the treats, close the door for one second, then open the door. Dog this 10 times twice a day. Practice this for 2 days.
  3. Follow step 2 but increase the time that the door is closed. Start with 2 seconds and slowly add 1-2 seconds per training session. If your dog should scratch at the door or whine, take a step back and decrease the duration of the door closed. Practice 10-20 times and twice a day.
  4. When your quietly dog can stay behind the door for 5 minutes, give your dog a yummy food filled Kong toy. Do this everything you place your dog inside her safe place.
  5. Now turn on the sound machine and essential oil diffuser and toss your dog a food stuffed toy every time she goes into her safe place.
  6. Slow increase the time.

When To Use Your Dog’s Safe Place?
Place your dog into her space place whenever she needs it. Most dogs enjoy lounging in their safe place during dinner and birthday parties, when guests visit, when strangers arrive, during thunderstorms or during construction. Let your dog chose to go to her safe place whenever she needs it.

Many dogs dislike lots of commotion or loud parties, they would rather relax in their safe place. Additionally, you never know if your dog will eat something or get out the front door. When in doubt, keep your dog safe in her safe room.

Safe Place For Multiple Dogs?
It’s best to keep dogs separate in their safe space. When unpredicted scary things appear, many dogs may become so stressed and take their frustration out on the other dog. Plus, it’s never safe to have two dogs in a room with food stuffed Kongs. Place each dog in a crate or behind a secure barrier when unsupervised. If housemate dogs have squabbled in the best, it may be best to give them their own safe room (two different rooms with securely closed doors)

Which Dogs Should Have A Safe Place? All dogs should have a safe place.
​Most dogs enjoy their crate it it’s not located near high traffic areas, near windows or doors. Ideally, a dog’s crate should be placed into a bedroom that has a door, which can be closed. This prevents someone or something walking near or toward a dog, when they are crated.

If you have any questions about creating or teaching your dog to enjoy a safe space, please contact us.  ​https://positivepooch.net/
0 Comments

Playing with Dogs Helps People Concentrate and Relax, Study Says.  Written by Jay Croft of WebMD

6/28/2024

0 Comments

 
March 14, 2024 -- A new study gets specific about the health benefits of interacting with a dog. The study found that walking a dog relaxes people; brushing a dog improves concentration; and playing with a pooch does both.

In the study, 30 adults wore headsets with electrodes that measured their brain waves while they interacted with a 4-year-old poodle named Aro. The adults participated in eight activities with the dog, and each activity lasted three minutes. These activities were: meeting, playing, feeding, massaging, grooming, photographing, hugging, and walking. Study participants completed surveys after each activity about how they felt emotionally.

“Previous studies of the potential benefits of animal interactions often take a holistic approach, comparing people’s mood or hormone levels before and after spending time with a dog,” Onyoo Yoo, the study’s author and a researcher at Konkuk University in South Korea, told NBC News. “It is a significant finding that engaging in certain activities with dogs can increase specific brain activity.” 
Participants said they were less stressed, tired, and depressed after each activity.

Alpha brain waves grew stronger when participants played with Aro and walked her. Alpha waves indicate stability and relaxation, and the results suggest better rest and relaxation were experienced by the participants.

“Beta brain waves, which are associated with attention and concentration, became stronger when participants played with Aro, brushed her or gave her a gentle massage — a sign that people's concentration improved without an increase in stress,” NBC News reported.
​

Massaging the dog, giving her treats, and hugging her also improved participants’ moods. Participants said they also were comfortable while walking Aro and felt relaxed while massaging her.
0 Comments

How to help your dog with Arthritis,  By Tiffany Tupler, DVM, CBCC-KA. Reviewed by Veronica Higgs, DVM on Mar. 10, 2024

6/12/2024

0 Comments

 
Picture

Arthritis in dogs is a common condition that causes joint pain, affecting most pups as they age. Arthritis is inflammation, swelling, or tenderness in one or more joints that can occur due to genetics, age, infection, disease, injury, or overuse.  Let's look at how you can help your furry friend if they are suffering from arthritis. 

Dog Arthritis Treatment
There are several things you can do around your home and in collaboration with your veterinarian to help dogs with arthritis manage their pain and improve their joint health. Using a multimodal approach—combinations of different types of medications and joint supplements—to treat arthritis in dogs is the best way to ensure quality of life and successful treatment. Making changes to your pup’s daily life and surroundings can help, too. Always speak with your vet before implementing a treatment plan for your pup. Here are some tips on how to help a dog with arthritis.

Dog Weight Management
Weight management is an important part of relieving dog joint pain. Obesity contributes to increased pressure on the joints, which leads to pain and discomfort. Controlling your dog’s weight can help ease their pain as they age. Speak with your veterinarian about the ideal weight for your pet and long-term weight management.

Physical therapy, massage, and daily exercise
 can be helpful for dog joint pain relief. Consider daily exercise in moderation. Nonies has a great exercise program for dogs! Start with short walks, up to 10 or 15 minutes, three to four times per day. Following the same routine every day without high-impact activities (such as ball chasing, running, or jumping) is key to giving your dog some exercise without increasing stress or pain. Speak with your veterinarian about consulting a certified small animal physical rehabilitation practitioner. They can lead your dog through therapeutic exercises like passive stretching, range of motion exercises, controlled walking with obstacles, and using underwater treadmills.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy in dogs can be used to help restore or improve mobility, function, and quality of life.  The goals of physical therapy may include weight loss, reduced pain, reduced inflammation, increased range of motion, improved balance, and increased muscle strength.  Some common physical therapy techniques include: Passive range of motion Treadmill Underwater treadmill Massage Therapeutic exercises Arthritis Medicine for Dogs  While there isn’t a cure for arthritis in dogs, there are a few medications that can help relieve joint pain and inflammation. These include:
NSAIDS--Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play a major role in controlling dog joint pain and inflammation.
Prescription medications such Galliprant®, carprofen, and meloxicam are the safest options for controlling pain and inflammation compared to over-the-counter, non-veterinary products. You may see the full results after three months of daily use. Always speak with your veterinarian about which product and dosage is right for your pet!

0 Comments

    Archives

    April 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Telephone

504-975-2079

Email

[email protected]
Liz Schneider, Owner & Founder
  • Home
  • Services/Costs
  • Register With Us To Get Started!
  • FAQ
  • Customer Reviews
  • Our Detailed Visit Report
  • Meet our Team
  • Nonie's Blog
  • For Present Members Only: EASY ACCESS TO YOUR PORTAL