I personally dont like them because the part you hold is uncomfortable and bulky. There is a huge plastic thing in between me and the dog. When I walk a dog, I like to be connected to the dog via a regular leash. The dog and I walk as one. The dogs can feel my energy through a regular leash. They cant with a retractable.

I have walked dogs that are on leash aggressive and if they are on a retractable leash with some slack, they can run around and act like idiots. It take a few seconds for me to reel them in. If a dog sees something and bolts, they can since the retractable let them pull when they want.

I heard a horror story from a guy at the dog park. He had his poodle on a retractable leash. He bent over to pick up its poop and a car drove by and the dog ran to chase the tires and got run over. Would have never happened with a regular leash.

Another Scottsdale dog owner told me about a near death experience when her dog greeted a dog on a retractable leash. The dogs got excited and danced around sniffing and then playing and the retractable leashes cord got wrapped around her dogs neck and was tightened when the dog pulled.

I’ve seen dogs tripped by other dogs retractable leash cord, Ive had skin burns from the cord getting wrapped around my ankles.

And when a dog i was pottying got approached by a “friendly dog” and the dog wasnt so friendly, It took me a few seconds to reel the dog in and I had to grab the leash part and speed the process up to avoid a fight!

And dogs dont learn any manners on a long retractable leash. They lead so they feel like they are the alpha.

The only situation I think a retractable leash is ok is in apartment complexes or homes with no fence when you are just standing outside to potty your dog.  And thats the tape type retractable, not the cord. The cord ones should be banned.

Look at all these dangers and ask yourself if it is worth it...http://www.flexiusa.com/operation/safety-advice.php

And google retractable leash danger or retractable leash horror stories….amputated fingers, killed dogs, not worth it.

My brother adopted an adorable doberman and the first few transition days were rough, as the dog had separation anxiety and wasnt sleeping through the night. I told them to call John and with one phone consult, they were able to reduce the Dobies stress and it slept through the night.

Not only do they produce results with owners and their dogs, these guys work closely with Arizona dog rescues! When I fostered for Boxer Luv years ago, John came out and worked with one of my fosters and it was amazing to watch him work. I learned so much from his sessions.

They give you, dog owners, the tools and information you need to have a well behaved, happy dog.

As a Scottsdale pet sitter, I encounter many dogs that need dog training and I feel confident that my clients will be pleased with Arizona Partnership K-9 Academy!

If you have any issues, call them. you will be amazed. You will see results.

They are Valleywide. Free consultation.

http://www.arizonapartnership.com/

Being a Scottsdale dog walker has given me years of experience and I have found that for a dog walking collar the martingayle with a chain loop(for noise distraction) works great. They are inexpensive and effective. They slip on and off over the dogs head.  They fit right behind the ears, above the normal dog collar.

For a leash, I like a 4 foot nylon dog leash. They give you the most control during the walks since the dog stays closer to your side.

I find the longer leashes just get caught under the dogs legs too often. I have to stop and untangle the leash from under the dogs front legs. If you dont mind wrapping the leash around your hand a few time, the 6 ft leash will give your dog a little more freedom when appropriate.

I do NOT recommend the retractable leashes. Find out why in my next blog…

Patty with Elite Pet Care- a Scottsdale dog walker

]]> http://elitepetcare.com/scottsdale-dog-walking/feed/ 0 http://elitepetcare.com/when-the-dog-wont-eat-tips-from-a-scottsdale-pet-sitter/ http://elitepetcare.com/when-the-dog-wont-eat-tips-from-a-scottsdale-pet-sitter/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:19:09 +0000 admin http://elitepetcare.com/?p=727 The first thing to do when your dog wont eat its food, is to make sure it isnt sick.

If your dog is healthy and acting normal and just is bored with its kibble, I have found this quick tip on how to get it to eat.

Of course all dogs are different, but as my experience as a Scottsdale pet sitter,  this works for me. When buddy wont eat his  kibble…(he eats raw 1 meal/kibble the other) all I do is put the kibble in a microwave safe bowl, add water to cover it and heat it. I pour extra water out, let it sit and cool down and mush it up and serve. he eats it right away. The hot water releases the aroma/flavors and he seems to like it when its mushy.

Other tips are to add some canned food, add yogurt, or some cottage cheese!

Cats release their stress by peeing on the bed, going number 2 outside of the litterbox, scratching
furniture, attacking other pets or people, etc.
Some quick tips to make sure your cat stays stress free:
-Make sure the litterbox is clean. For multiple cat homes, have multiple litterboxes.
- Make sure the cats always have a private space to hide and be alone

-Provide seperate food bowls for homes with multiple cats.

-Provide mental/physical exercise.

-Plug in a pheromone diffuser, http://www.feliway.com/us

For all your South Scottsdale cat sitting and pet sitting needs, call Elite Pet Care!

Top 10 names for cats

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Bella
4. Oliver
5. Tiger
6. Smokey
7. Tigger
8. Lucy
9. Shadow
10. Angel

Max

For example, one day buddy gave me kisses and his breathe stank. It was worse then usual, so I looked in his mouth and there was a broken tooth that was rotting. I felt like a bad mom since I hadnt brushed his teeth in over 2 weeks. If I had, I would have noticed this a little sooner.

A friend of mine has a dog and I noticed its bad breath… I looked and there was an abnormal gum growth hanging from the dogs mouth!

To keep your pets healthy, I recommend the following SIMPLE things to do weekly, if not daily……

1) Check your pets teeth! Brushing them is ideal, but at the very least, check them.

if your pets breath is stinly, there is probably a reason.

2) Check your pets ears. A simple flip ofer of the ear flap, or a peer into an erect ear will be worth the 5 seconds it takes.  Dogs have a huge pain tolerance and they may not show signs of a problem. If there is any build up, clean them out!

3) Check over their bodies for bugs, ticks, bug bites, new lumps.  Ticks like to hide in between toes, in ears, anyplace warm. Feel with your hands so you dont miss anything.

4) Check your pets eyes. Wipe away any goobers. Look at the pupils. Buddy has recently developed uneven pupils that went un noticed by me, but were caught by the vet.

Its the little things that will keep our pets healthy. Being around our pets all the time makes it easy for us to miss little things unless we look.  Just like a family member that we see everyday, we don’t notice things like weight loss. But if they are gone a month and come back, we would notice even though they have been that weight for a while!

Now if your dog is active and needs exercise during the day to tired them out and keep them happy there are a few options.

You can hire a pet sitter or dog walker that comes to your home and walk your dog or take them to the dog park. This saves owners the hassle of dropping off their dogs from a facility. Each visit is personalized to what your dog needs. It gets one on one attention. If there are any training issues, a pet sitter can work on them. Like how to walk nice on leash!

Or you can use a doggy day care which is like an indoor dog park. Pros are that the dogs play all day and get tired.Cons are that these are indoor facilities so dogs pee and poop inside. This ruins any house training your dog knows. There is also  no time out areas so if your dog doesnt want to play anymore, it is still in the room with the dogs that do. I know this would be awful for my pug because he hates being bothered by annoying dogs! When hes tired, he wants to be left alone.

There is little human interaction at dog daycare and the dogs go wild. Not good for dogs that are in training or misbehave at home.

For a walk on the pavement or on a rocky hiking trail, dress your dog up with booties that will protect their paws. REI sells them as well as pet supply stores and even online! Booties are a great investment if you are dog walking in Scottsdale AZ!

http://www.ruffwear.com/Barkn-Boots-Grip-Trex?sc=2&category=7853

Phoebe walking Chaparral lake

For those bored and hyper dogs, give them a job! Make them work a little harder with a doggy packpack. I use Outward Hound, they come in all sizes. The best prices that I have seen so far are:

http://www.myoutwardhound.com/backpacks-for-dogs-dog-backpacks.html

Tiger Lily at Lucky Paws shelter.

If you are walking on a dog training walk or if you have a dog that pulls, use a separate dog walking collar like a martingayle. This collar go on when you walk and comes off after.

Regular collar and walking collar right behind ears.

And always make sure you bring  plenty of water when you are walking dogs. For extra long hikes, bring them a light snack to keep their energy up.
Happy trails!

There are common toys like Kongs, http://www.kongcompany.com/,  that you can fill with anything that your dog can tolerate. You can freeze or put the filled kong in the fridge to solidify the mixture.

I like:
-banana yogurt mix
-peanut butter yougurt
-wet dog food
I opt for soft items for my dogs kong so there is no choking risk like there may be
if the kong is filled with hard kibble or treats.
There are kong treat balls(and other brand)  that make your dog work for treats or kibbles as well

I also like marrow bones right from the butcher. Remember to always feed them raw. Never give your dog a cooked bone.
The ones sold at the pet supply stores are smoked and are not my favorite as they break too.

Nylabones are great too. I didnt think platic would be fun for dogs until my boxer ate my remote control. Then I realized
dogs like hard plastic.

I recommend bully sticks instead of rawhides. Bully sticks are all natural and highly digestible. Rawhides are not.
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/

For those dogs that need extra mind stimulation, http://www.puplife.com/collections/puzzle-dog-toys