Did you know that today is “Swim a Lap Day?” So in honor of that, I decided to do a little reading on water safety for dogs. I always thought it odd that none of the dogs I have owned enjoyed swimming. I mean, who doesn’t like to cool off with a nice swim on a hot day? A few years ago I got a kiddie pool just for the dogs because they seemed so uncomfortable in the heat. Imagine my surprise when they would not go near it!  A few times I actually sat in it myself and I have to admit it felt really good!

I always thought swimming was something that dogs instinctively know how to do and something they like. I now know that I was wrong in assuming this. I have learned that, like humans, dogs are at risk of drowning if they do not know how to swim.

Now that summer is here, water safety is something we should not take lightly. Even if your dog does like to swim, he should always be supervised around pools, beaches, lakes and any other places where there is deep water.

If you own a boat and want to bring your dog and your dog does not know how to swim, (or even if he does), invest in a life preserver. With a quick internet search, you will find many options for life preservers. They are very inexpensive, well worth the money and can also be used in backyard pools. If you do own a pool, it should be securely fenced to keep pets and children out when there is not adequate supervision.

And, no matter how much your dog may enjoy swimming, it is always a good idea to limit time in the water. If he should swim out and become tired, he may not be able to swim back.

Enjoy your summer everyone and please be safe!!

It is hard to believe that it is already almost two years since we said goodbye to our beloved dog Oscar. Our dogs are all special to us, each in his or her own way, but Oscar truly was exceptional.

Adopting a shelter dog can be a gamble, but with Oscar we hit the jackpot. The worst thing he ever did was pull on the leash as a young dog, a behavior we were never able to conquer. It may have been the Husky part of him that wanted to pull, but we learned to channel that energy in a positive way and use it to our advantage to pull the kids on their sleds in the winter. I don’t know who had more fun, the kids or Oscar. He loved playing football in the snow, snacking on marshmallows and most of all his family.

In his youth he would occasionally escape when the opportunity presented itself but he never went far, enjoying the game and inviting us to join in. As he got older, he could be completely trusted to stay nearby despite our lack of a fence, happy to chase squirrels in the yard and relax under a tree when he got tired.

The last two years of his life as he gradually lost the use of his hind legs, Oscar faced his own challenges, but he faced them with courage and dignity. It was a difficult thing to watch our vibrant, independent dog become more and more dependent on us, but he seemed to accept it without complaint. He was an inspiration to all of us. He was a friend to everyone and a perfect mentor and teacher to Mickey who joined our family near the end of Oscar’s life. Although he was unable to walk without the help of a cart by then, he welcomed Mickey, showed him the ropes and made him feel like part of the family to the best of his ability.

At the time of his passing, my son and my daughter both wrote about him in their blogs. I recently came across the blog post my daughter wrote. It brought back many wonderful memories which I am happy to share. The joys of owning a dog are immeasurable. I thank my daughter Gloria for allowing me to share this very personal story and I thank Oscar for the fourteen years of devotion he gave to our family.

I hope you will enjoy my daughter's blog post and the beautiful collage of pictures in the link below.

http://thatsocallife.com/2012/06/18/for-oscar/

If you own a pit bull you already know. Your dog can’t be just as good as other dogs - your dog has to be better! If something bad happens, your dog will be blamed, even if it is not his fault. One of our obligations as responsible owners is to protect our dogs from such situations and one of the keys, whether your dog is a pit bull or another breed, is to be able to read a dog’s body language. Almost all dog bites can be avoided if we are mindful of the signs.

The first and most important thing is to let people who want to meet your dog know, is that it is not a good idea to make eye contact with a dog, especially if they don’t know the dog. If people ask to meet your dog and you are comfortable with that, give them the dog’s name and instruct them to call him over. Allow your dog to meet new people on his terms. It is always a good idea to tell people, especially children, to keep their faces away from any dog they don’t know. Always put your dog in the best position to succeed.

As for dog body language, a yawn, a tongue flick and a tucked tail are all signs that the dog is nervous and it may be best to leave him alone. If the dog is turning his head away or staring sideways he is also telling you he is uncomfortable and may not want to interact.

The freeze and stare or stiff body and tail held high are serious warning signs. These dogs are telling you to back off or they may bite.

On the other hand, if a dog’s whole body is wagging and he is panting it means he is happy and it is probably safe to proceed with introductions. Just bear in mind that a wagging tail is not always a sign of friendliness, it could just mean that the dog is in a heightened state and may be nervous.

If we are careful and pay attention to the signs, we should be able to interact with most dogs and safely allow people to meet our dogs. But, as long as a dog is fearful enough to feel the need to protect himself, a dog bite could occur.

If you are concerned about dog bites, here is an excellent video, well worth the time it takes to watch. http://thegreatdogadventure.com/episode27/

In the end, it is up to us to watch and read our dogs’ body language, but ultimately, it is not what our dogs do that matters, it is what we do to protect them.

Since my daughter and her dog left home for greener pastures in sunny San Diego, other than the occasional overnight visitor, this has been a one dog household since last November. When Mickey came in February of 2011, we had thirteen-year-old Oscar and when Oscar left us in June of 2012, my daughter almost immediately began checking shelters and rescues, looking for her first dog of her own. A little over a month later, we welcomed three-month-old Maeby.

I forgot how much fun it was having multiple dogs until this past week when I unexpectedly was asked to dog sit for not one, but two friends’ dogs.  One, Cam, a seven year old Plott Hound has been Mickey’s friend and a frequent overnight guest since the beginning of Mickey’s life here. The second, Buddy, a one year old Westie-Poo arrived for his first visit here when my friend’s dog care arrangements fell through at the very last minute. 

Cam went home after four days but Buddy will be here for a while. Despite being younger and much smaller than the other two, Buddy has found his place and has enjoyed running and playing with the big dogs – he seems to think he is one of them, and Mickey, despite being a big “momma’s boy,” has certainly seemed to enjoy the canine companionship.

Next week we will have another visitor, Mia, a five year old American Eskimo, who will be spending three or four days here. Buddy’s stay will be almost three weeks.

I think after all of this is over Mickey and I will probably enjoy the peace and quiet for a little while, but it won’t be long until the house starts to feel a little empty again. I have been thinking about it for a while, but it may be time to seriously start looking for another dog that needs a home – it will be twice the fun!

                                                                 I think I may need a bigger bed!