The Lafayette Reservoir is one of the few places my dog Jade will willingly walk. I think he likes it because so many people walk their dogs there so there are tons of interesting dog-oriented smells. This weekend, my husband and I took our Cavalier Jade and my parents’ Coton Shana for a walk around the reservoir. Before I go any farther - let me set the scene for you.

The path around the reservoir is approximately 2.7 miles of paved path. The walk is not terribly strenuous, the average person makes the walk in about an hour. Dogs are welcome as long as they are on leash (and this is one place where everyone obeys the leash law). Cars are not allowed and bicyclists are restricted to specific hours when the reservoir tends to be less populated. A lot of families come here, especially on weekends, to picnic and play volleyball, or to fish from the various docks. You can also rent paddle boats or row boats and spend some time cruising on the reservoir itself.  Since the reservoir water is designed to be used as a source of public drinking water, swimming is not permitted (unless of course you happen to be a fish or duck).

The day of this particular walk, temperatures were heading into the low hundreds and both dogs, while glad to be out, were definitely feeling the effects of the heat (this despite the fact that both dogs sported summer haircuts). Jade dealt with the heat by running to a shady spot, waiting until Tim (my husband) and Shana caught up and then running to the next shady spot. Shana dealt with the heat by going wading. Yes I know I just said that dogs are not supposed to go swimming in the reservoir - but technically Shana doesn’t swim. She knows of two places on the trail where she can easily access the water and she likes to cool off by wading in up to her tummy (she also likes to drink the reservoir water - this despite the fact that there are several strategically placed drinking fountains with dog bowls on the path).

Following me so far? Perfect. We had completed our walk around the reservoir (complete with one forray by Shana into the water) and were walking back to the car when disaster struck. The final stretch of path is bordered on one side by the parking lot, and on the other by a cement slope that runs along the entire parking lot and leads down into the water. This slope is barricaded off by railings so people don’t the get bright idea that it would, say, be really fun to race scooters or bicycles on the slope. We had gone maybe 20 feet along this path, when Shana decided that the reservoir looked incredibly inviting and wasn’t it considerate of the builders to create this slope that would allow her to easily access the water. So one minute Shana is at my side, and the next she is 1/2 way down the slope with me standing at the top behind the barricade, tugging on the leash and yelling “Shana! COME! Shana, GET BACK HERE! SHANA COME!!!!” My husband was standing about two feet away laughing.

Shana, who has known the command “come” for three years, looked at  me, looked at the water, looked back at me, ducked her head, stepped backward right out of her collar and headed straight for the water. My husband, Mr. Helpful, immediately starts walking towards the car with Jade muttering “I don’t know you, I’ve never seen that dog before in my life.” And it is at this point that I caught sight of the police car parked about 20 yards away from where I am standing, still yelling like a lunatic at Shana (who, having achieved her goal of going for a swim and cooling off, had absolutely zero intention whatsoever of returning to me before she was good and ready). The whole event was probably no more than about three minutes, but it felt like three years. Having finished her swim, Shana willingly trotted back up the slope to me and let me slip her collar back over her head (the cop car was mercifully empty).

Next time I walk Shana around the reservoir, especially on a hot day, I am bringing tons of extra treats. My plan, as we walk the final stretch towards the car, is to drop a treat every few steps (think Elliot attempting to lure ET with Reeses Pieces). My hope is that treat-eating will keep Shana so busy, she’ll forget about the wonderful, watery temptation just a few yards away.

In a prior posting, I expressed concern that Pixar featured a chocolate-addicted parrot in its new movie UP. I actually saw the movie last night (and yes, I promise in the future that I will see the movie first and write the posting second). After seeing UP, I must agree with the comments of my readers that Kevin (the bird in the movie) does not in fact bear any resemblance to a parrot! I would have to say that if anything, Kevin most closely resembles a beautifully and brightly colored ostrich. That being said however, I do want to reiterate my hope that when people see movies which portray domesticated animals, they use it as an opportunity to start a conversation about the differences between how animals behave in movies, and how they react in real life.

With the thermometer rising to incredible extremes this summer (I have sales people in Florida who tell me it has been 112 degrees with 100% humidity), it is vital that pet owners take some extra precautions to ensure their pets stay cool.

Never Leave Pets In A Car Unattended
According to the Humane Society of the United States, the temperature inside a car can skyrocket rapidly. “On an 85 degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within ten minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees.” Every year, numerous pets die in cars because their owners left them in a hot car for “only a few minutes.”

Make Sure Pets Always Have Access to Fresh Water
Hot, sweaty humans can drink a sports drink if they want to quickly replenish their electrolytes. Animals are dependent solely on water to keep themselves hydrated and their electrolytes in balance. Providing your animal a cool, shaded retreat and constant access to water are the two best ways to prevent heatstroke and possibly death.

Exercise Pets at Dusk or Dawn
With the temperature rising, it is important to exercise your pet in the early morning or late evening – not in the afternoon during the heat of the day. And be sure to adjust your pet’s exercise in accordance with the temperature. On hot days for example, you may need to forgo your usual five-mile run in exchange for an early-morning romp at the local dog park. You also need to consider the type of terrain. While grass and dirt provide comfortable and cool footing year-round, sand and asphalt can get hot enough to burn your pet’s feet.

Provide Pets Shelter From the Sun and Heat
Even animals that normally spend their time outside should be brought inside on hot days (a dog house does not provide sufficient protection). If your pets are left alone during the day, I recommend designating one room of your house as the “cool” room. Install a portable air conditioning unit or window air conditioner in that room and set it for about 75-80 degrees. Prop the door open wide enough that your animals can come and go at will, but not so wide that all your cool air escapes. Keeping one room cool provides your pets with a place to go when they need to cool down without simultaneously wrecking havoc with your electric bill.

Do movies influence the way people think about pets? I claim that the answer to that question is a resounding yes. I have certainly heard through the grapevine about sales of Dalmations increasing after the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmations, and for Lassie fans, there is actually a website called Do You Want A Dog JUST LIKE LASSIE? (to this website’s credit, there is a tremendous amount of education and information about the fact that movie star dogs are made, not born).

With that in mind, I definitely felt a little cause for concern when I heard that Pixar’s new movie UP (which I am dying to see since I am a Pixar addict) features a parrot that becomes addicted to chocolate. In real life, chocolate is actually fatal to birds. My nightmare is that some well-meaning 6 year old sees this movie and, desirous of mimicing what she saw in the movie, shares her Hershey Bar with the family’s African Grey Parrot thereby unknowingly causing the death of a beloved family pet.

My hope is that people see movies which portray domesticated animals as an opportunity to start a conversation. Parents for example could talk with their children about the fact that pets have different nutritional needs than humans, and suggest that the next time bird and child want to share a snack, there are some cut up red peppers in the fridge.

What are your beliefs about how the portrayl of pets in movies and television shows influences how the general populace views pets? Have you ever used a movie about pets to start a conversation about pet care? I would love to hear from you!

Here is a challenge to all of my readers: Play with your cat for 10 minutes a day, two to three times a day, everyday for two weeks (no exceptions). If you do not have a cat, share this challenge with someone who does. If you have a kitten, this challenge will be a piece of cake - kittens play with everything from dust motes to fingers. Play is a vital part of kitten-hood. It is through play that kittens learn valuable social and physical skills. Adult cats need play just as much as kittens. Playing with an adult cat keeps the cat in excellent physical shape. It helps prevent obesity (which can lead to health problems such as diabetes) and food obsession. Play also keeps your cat’s muscles strong and supple. Playing with your cat will help make a friendly, social animal out of a sourpuss (at least most of the time - my parents used to have a Siamese named Lokey and noamount of play could make Lokey be friendly to anyone except my parents).

Ready to take the challenge? Here are three tips to get you started (and I’ll offer more tips and tricks throughout the next two weeks):

1) Cats are most playful in the morning and evenings. I’ve heard many cat owners who complain that their cats regularly rouse them long before the alarm. For the next couple of weeks, unless your cat is a 4am riser (I’m a firm believer that days should not start before 6:30am at the earliest), consider rising with your cat and spending some time (remember, 10 minutes is probably as long as you will be able to hold your cat’s attention) waving around some string or tossing some crumpled newspaper. Repeat this process in the evening when you get home from work. You may be surprised at how much more playful your cat becomes when you play on her schedule.

2) Stick to 10 minute sessions - unless your cat is prepared to play longer. Dogs can fetch a ball for hours on end. Cats however are programmed to play in short bursts (this mimics the behavior of the big, wild cats like lions and cheetahs who hunt in brief spurts of energy and then sleep for 16-20 hours a day). It’s not uncommon for a cat to be chasing and pouncing on a toy mouse one minute, and heading off to sleep for 6 hours in a patch of sunlight the next.

3) Cats have extremely sensitive hearing - they can distinguish different sounds up to a yard apart. During your play sessions, try offering your cat toys with a variety of different sounds (e.g. a ball of newspaper that crinkles, a mouse that jingles, and a toy that squeaks) and see which noises catch her fancy!

Your turn to share. What is your cat’s favorite game?

“My cat seems to be constantly hungry! I put food in her bowl, she gobbles it up and then cries for more - all the time.” This was a concern/complaint that I heard from a fellow attendee at a local seminar I was attending a few days ago. There were five of us sitting around a table and the speaker had asked each of us to present our “30 second commercial” to our table-mates (for those of you not familiar with network speak, a “30 second commercial” or “elevator speech” is a fancy term for the brief paragraph you spout when someone asks about what you do for a living). After I shared that my title (Director of Field Development) and a bit about Petlane (we enhance the lives of pets and their people by providing quality pet products for dogs, cats, birds and small animals through in-home and on-site parties, one-to-one private showings, and website shopping), this woman immediately expressed to me her concern about her kitty.

Whenever someone says they have a specific problem with their pet, I like to ask two questions:
1) Is this behavior normal (e.g. a cat scratching up furniture is extremely annoying and the cat should definitely be diverted to a good scratching post, but the behavior in and of itself is no cause for alarm)

2) Is there a medical problem (e.g. the cat could be constantly hungry because of a problem with thyroid or have diabetes)

If the answer to both of these questions is “no,” I immediately inquire about the amount of exercise and stimulation the pet receives. In the case of this kitty the behavior did not sound normal. The woman had her cat on a high quality diet, she had not recently switched her cat food or reduced the amount of food she was feeding her cat, and her vet had ruled out medical problems.

Food obsession occurs in healthy cats that are not receiving enough physical and mental stimulation. A food obsessed cat exhibits behaviors such as crying after every meal for more food, gobbling his food (most cats are fairly delicate eaters), and frequently licking or playing with his food bowl as if hoping there are still some crumbs left. Food obsessive behavior, in addition to driving cat owner’s absolutely up the wall, is a cat’s way of saying “I’m very, very bored.” So what’s the solution? Enrich the cat’s environment and increase the amount of time you spend playing with your cat. And in my next posting, I will provide some tips and tricks for getting the attention of even the most standoffish of cats.

Fashion capitals of the world: New York, Paris, Milan…Moscow? That’s right, according to MSNBC last month Moscow hosted it’s first ever Pet Fashion Week. Pet Fashion Week originated (as best I can tell) in New York where it has now become an annual event. At these events, fashion designers have the opportunity to show what the well-styled dog or cat will be wearing this season. And just like with human fashion shows, these designers pull out all the stops. Dogs and cats alike walk the, well, catwalk (accompanied by human handlers) showcasing everything from doggy evening gowns to Swarovski crystal collars. You can visit MSNBC to see a slide show of Moscow’s Pet Fashion Week, or turn to Animal Planet for a video showcasing some of New York’s finest fashions designed specifically for the rich and furry.

Ever since I became a home owner, I have become a rather avid gardener. Each weekend, when the weather is nice, I can usually be found pulling in my front or back yard pulling weeds and pruning plants. When I’m in the back, my dog Jade usually takes advantage of the fact that I’m at perfect ear scratching height and joins me outside, nudging my hand until I pet him (I’ve gotten pretty skilled at pulling weeds with one hand and scratching my dog with the other). Jade also feels it is his duty to investigate every bit of plant matter that I remove from the ground (I usually wait until I have an armful of weeds before carting them off to the yard trimmings bin). Fortunately, since my plants don’t smell like Jade’s favorite treat, he has never expressed a desire to help me dispose of the weeds I pull by eating them. And this actually makes him fairly unique.

According to a great article released by MSNBC entitled Growing Danger: Toxic Plants Pose Pet Threat, the Animal Poison Control Center received over 8,000 calls last year alone from pet parents concerned that their pet had ingested a toxic plant. I highly recommend you read the article for all the great information contained within it. For me, here are the three pieces of knowledge that stood out to me the most:

1) The prettier the plant, the more likely it is to be toxic

2) Don’t assume that your pet will learn from one bad experience. A dog or cat who has eaten something once is likely to eat the same substance multiple times, even if he or she has a bad reaction (the article gives the example of a owner who showed up at his vet’s with his dog who has suffering from snail bait poison; the vet treated the dog and sent him home. The  next day the same owner showed up with the same dog who had again eaten snail bait.

3) If  your pet can get to it, assume he or she will eat it. Dogs and cats are naturally curious and dogs in particular use their mouths to learn about the world. It would be completely natural for your pet to take a mouthful of a new plant in order to learn more about it. The safest course of action is to choose plants that are known to be non-toxic.

When I first got my dog Jade, I was extremely concerned about ensuring that I fed him the best treats and food available. That desire lasted approximately one week. By then I was prepared to give Jade carpet samples to chew on if it meant that I could have one hour to study without being interrupted (I was in graduate school when I got Jade and had no idea just how time consuming caring for a puppy would actually be). What I learned from other puppy owners in my training class was that their dogs loved chewing on certain people foods - carrots in particular (when I offered Jade some baby carrots, he took them into the living room one by one, piled them on the carpet, and then returned to see what else I had to offer).I was warned however that I should never feed my dog grapes or raisins.

According to the ASPCA, many dogs have developed kidney failure after eating grapes or raisins. Unlike with pet-toxic foods such as chocolate, no one is certain why grapes and raisins are toxic to pets, or how many grapes or raisins a pet would have to consume before developing problems. Pet owners are recommended to err on the side of caution and never feed this product to their pets.

In small quantities however, there are a number of fruits and vegetables that actually make a healthy snack for dogs (cats being more carnivorous than dogs are less likely to think fruit and veggies make for an appropriate addition to a meal). The ASPCA even has a list of fruits, vegetables, and few other human foods that can be fed safely to your dog in small quantities.

On Sunday, I called my parents to see how my dad, who had just returned home from a two-week trip to Europe, was doing. My mom informed me that he was “sick as a dog” (having caught a nasty cold from my cousin who was one of his travelling companions). Now most human beings (and probably most of you reading this) would respond “oh, poor dad!” Bloggers however, myself included, seem to see things rather differently than the rest of the world. While I did in fact say “oh, poor dad!” what I was thinking was “I wonder where that phrase comes from and wouldn’t answering that question make a good blog topic?”

According to writer Michael Quinion, the phrase “sick as a dog” originated in the early 1700’s. It seems to have been based upon the fact that when dogs eat something that disagrees with them, they tend to throw it up - usually all over the living room rug (at least in my experience). And while here in America we use “sick as a dog” to refer to people with any type of common illness, in places like England they only use the expression to refer to people who are actually, well “sick as a dog.”