First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘London dog walking’

Christmas has arrived again, a time for cheerful pleasure , however it is also a risky time for both us and our beloved animals. Pet Sitters London have attempted to list their top tips to reduce the dangers to our animals over Christmas. Pet sitters are frequently asked for help or notice potential risks to pets at Xmas. This is often a neglected part of pet care.
1. Your Christmas Tree
The most important this about this is ensuring that it is in a safe location and is strongly fixed. This enjoyable activity of putting it up with your children, needs to be done in such a way that the cat, when it jumps up onto it, will not bring it down on to the pet. Animals and cats can be put out of joint at Xmas and can become worried and likely to do anything, with all the new people around, with all the new smells and sounds. Try to avoid putting the tree close to furniture that will help the cat leap onto the tree. If possible and particularly if the tree is not the most stable, can you tie it to the wall and or ceiling with some wire. A temporary hook into the wall is a great safety feature. Weighting down the tree roots / stem to improve stability is another way of avoiding problems.
If it is a real tree, clean up the pine trees, not just because it looks nicer, but pets can eat them and this can make them sick. If you put water in the bucket holding, either avoid the chemicals that prolong life, or as they can be toxic, ensure your dog cannot drink this water.
2. Care with the Decorations.
The most dangerous to young children and pets are the glass balls, why not buy yourself a safe painted wood or plastic version. Dogs that chew these can die. Some of the bright streamers can also be attractive to dogs, to chew and block the intestines.
Take care with using hooks on fixing the ornaments to the trees, use string – it is far safer.

3. Dangers with Electrics.
Care with the electrical leads, man and beast can trip over them, bringing down what ever is attached. So use cable tidies, to put them out of harms way. Be very careful if you have a dog or cat that chews and is curious. Keep the electric turned off if no one is present, or shut the door.

4. Animal Behaviour
It is a time when, in principle you have a lot of free time, which is an opportunity to care for your pets, even start a pet training programme that you have been meaning to do. However you have many distractions, with a lot on and people coming and going.
So watch your pet.
Animal behaviour can become eccentric at Xmas with the new sounds, smells and people. Animals are territorial and can see a reduction in attention, their preferred spot taken over by the Christmas tree as a threat to their quarters. They are much more likely to change behaviour, cats become worried and nervous, they often go off their food – even if you are offering them some nice Beef or Turkey. Dogs risk being aggressive, if they do not have enough exercise or too much attention to the visitors. A particular danger even with very well trained and behaved dogs is the “ out of the ordinary” attacks on kids and babies. Separate them if not being supervised carefully all the time. If busy consider a professional dog walker from a company such as Dog Walkers London. If you do not have the time for exercising the dog, book your dog walker for a few walks over the period, though you may need to do this early as they are often busy doing pet sitting at Christmas.
5. Boxes of Christmas Presents
dogs] especially with many people looking at them. Be especially careful if you have moved their bed to put the tree up and the presents around it. Dogs can rip the presents to pieces in minutes if you are unlucky. A great follow on risk is stomach blockages from the ribbons that they can eat, resulting in a trip to the local London veterinary clinic.
6. Food Dangers for Pets
It is always tempting to feed the pets some of the nice food that you have at Christmas. Do not give from the table, transfer to their normal food bowls at normal feeding times. It can take you the rest of the year to stop begging at the table, if it worked well at Christmas
Be particularly careful with the seasonal dangers such as Mistletoe, Holly and Poinsettias which are particularly dangerous plants. Other dangers are things like onions that may be with your meat that could be given to the pet. Chocolate is also another risky treat for pets, as well as sugary products that are not part of a normal animals food. Sugary products can cause teeth problems and with 30-50 % of dogs suffering from being over weight these calories should be avoided. For pet and human, maybe go for a dog walk, he would most likely prefer it.
7. Safety of the Home
Before the season, do a thorough check, looking for potential dangers, our dog walker, often notice dangers and pass them onto the owners, such as live candles that might be knocked over by pets, especially dogs wagging tails.
Turn off potentially dangerous electrical items such as the Xmas tree lights when no human is present in the house.

Xmas has arrived again, a period for gaiety , however it is also a dangerous period for both us and our beloved pets. Pet Sitters London have attempted to list their top tips to reduce the dangers to our pets over Christmas. Pet sitters are frequently asked for guidance or notice possible risks to pets at Xmas. This is often a neglected part of pet care.
1. Your Xmas Tree
The most important this about this is ensuring that it is in a safe location and is strongly fixed. This pleasurable activity of putting it up with your children, must be done in such a way that the cat, when it jumps up onto it, will not bring it down on to the pet. Pets can be put out of joint at Christmas and can become worried and liable to do anything, with all the new people around, with all the new smells and sounds. If you can avoid putting the tree too near to furniture that will help the animal jump onto the tree. If possible and particularly if the tree is not the most stable, can you tie it to the wall and or ceiling with some wire. A temporary hook into the wall is a great safety feature. Weighting down the tree roots / stem to improve stability is another way of avoiding problems.
If it is a real tree, clean up the pine trees, not just because it looks nicer, but pets can eat them and this can make them sick. If you put water in the bucket holding, either avoid the chemicals that prolong life, or as they can be toxic, ensure your pet cannot drink this water.
2. Xmas Decoration Care.
Glass Christmas balls are particularly dangerous, an alternative are the wooden and plastic balls. Eating these can be very dangerous. Another danger are the bight ribbons and streamers that can be attractive to dogs, to chew and block the digestive tracts.
Avoid using hooks on fixing the ornaments to the trees, use string – it is far safer.

3. Electrical Dangers.
Care with the electrical leads, man and beast can trip over them, bringing down what ever is attached. So use cable tidies, to put them out of harms way. Be extra careful if you have a dog or cat that is curious and if it chews. Keep things turned off if no one in the room, or shut the door.

4. Animal Behaviour
Though you may appear to have plenty of time, you are often distracted and paying more attention to other people / things than your pet.
It is important to have a rational understanding of the reliability of your pets. If in any doubt close the rooms with any potential danger to, or caused by pets.
Pet behaviour can become eccentric at Christmas with the new surroundings and people. Pets are territorial and can see a reduction in attention, their favourite spot taken over by the Christmas tree as a threat to their quarters. They are then more liable to change behaviour, cats become worried and nervous, they often go off their food – even if you are giving them some nice Beef or Turkey. Dogs risk being destructive, if they do not have enough exercise or too much attention to the visitors. A particular risk even with very well behaved and trained dogs is the “ out of the ordinary” attacks on kids and babies. Separate them if not being supervised carefully all the time. If busy consider a professional dog walker from a company such as Dog Walkers London. If you do not have the time for exercising the dog, book your dog walker for a few sessions over Xmas, though a good idea to do this early as they are likely to be busy.
5. Christmas Presents
dogs] especially with many people looking at them. Be extremely careful if you have relocated your dogs bed and replaced it with the tree and presents. Dogs can rip the presents to pieces in minutes if you are unlucky. A great follow on risk is stomach blockages from the ribbons that they can eat, resulting in a trip to the local London veterinary clinic.
6. Food Dangers for Pets
It is always tempting to feed the pets some of the nice food that you have at Christmas. Do not give from the table, transfer to their normal food bowls at normal feeding times. It can take you the rest of the year to stop begging at the table, if it worked well at Christmas
Be particularly careful with the seasonal dangers such as Mistletoe, Holly and Poinsettias which are particularly dangerous plants. Some food such as onions, which could be in the nice stew or some of the chocolate being handed around. Sugary products can cause teeth problems and with 30-50 % of pets suffering from being over weight these calories should be avoided. For pet and human, maybe go for a dog walk, he would probably prefer it.
7. Home Safety
Before the season, do a thorough check, looking for potential dangers, our pet sitters, often notice dangers and pass them onto the owners, common ones include live candles that would be knocked over by pets, especially dogs wagging tails.
I would advise Christmas tree lights to be turned off at night and when no human is present in the house.

So a little thought is a key element of pet care

Our best wishes for a safe and Merry Xmas for you and your animals.

Xmas has arrived again, a period for merriment , on the other hand it is also a hazardous period for both us and our beloved animals. London Pet Sitters have tried to identify their top tips to minimize the risks to our animals over this seasonal period.  Cat sitters are frequently asked for help or notice potential risks to pets at Christmas. This is often a neglected part of pet care.
1.  Your Xmas Tree
It is crucial that it is in a safe location and is strongly fixed. This pleasurable activity of decorating the tree with your children, needs to be done in such a way that the cat, if it jumps up onto it, will not bring it down on to everyone. Animals and cats can be disrupted at Xmas and can become scared and likely to do anything, with all the new people around, with all the new smells and sounds. Try to avoid putting the tree close to furniture that will help the dog leap onto the tree. Ideas include tying the tree to the wall and or ceiling with some wire. A temporary hook into the wall is a great safety feature. Weighting down the tree roots / stem to improve steadiness is another way of avoiding problems.
If it is a real tree, clean up the pine trees, not just because it looks nicer, but pets can eat them and this can make them sick. If you put water in the bucket holding, either avoid the chemicals that prolong life, or as they can be toxic, make sure your dog cannot drink this water.
2. Care with the Decorations.
Glass Xmas balls are particularly dangerous, an alternative are the wooden and plastic balls. Eating these can be very dangerous. Another danger are the bight ribbons and streamers that can be attractive to dogs, to chew and block the intestines.
Take care with using hooks on attaching the decorations to the trees, use string – it is far safer.

3. Dangers with Electrics.
The electrical wire can be both a dangerous trip hazard and an electrical hazard if pets bite into them. So tidy the wires up. Be very wary if you have a cat or dog that is curious and if it chews. Keep things turned off if no one is present, or close the door.

4. Animal Behaviour
It is a time when, in principle you have a lot of free time, which is an opportunity to care for your pets, even start a pet training programme that you have been meaning to do. However you have many distractions, with a lot on and people coming and going.
So watch your pet.
Pet behaviour can become eccentric at Christmas with the new sounds, smells and people. Pets are protective and can see a lack of attention, their favourite spot taken by the tree and presents as a menace to their quarters. They are then more liable to change behaviour, cats become worried and nervous, they can even go off their food – even if you are giving them some nice Salmon or Liver. Dogs risk being destructive, if they are not getting their exercise or too much attention to the visitors. A real danger even with very well trained and behaved dogs is the “strange” attacks on children and babies. Keep kids and dogs apart if not being supervised carefully all the time. If busy consider a professional dog walker from a company such as London Dog Walking. If you do not have the time for exercising the dog, book your dog sitter for a few sessions over Christmas, though a good idea to do this early as they are likely to be busy.
5. Christmas Presents
Shiny boxes are designed to be of interest to [pets. Be especially careful if you have moved their bed to put the tree up and the presents around it. Dogs can rip the presents to pieces in minutes if you are unlucky. The most dangerous consequence is often the digestion of string that can cause digestive blockages, resulting in a trip to the local London veterinary clinic.
6. Food Dangers for Pets
Even at Xmas avoid feeding animals at the table, this habit is very difficult to break as they do not understand why it was OK at Christmas but not now!
Some Christmas items are particularly dangerous, especially the Holly. Some food such as onions, which could be in the nice stew or some of the chocolate being handed around. Sugary products can cause dental problems and with 30-50 % of dogs suffering from being over weight these calories should be avoided. For pet and human, perhaps go for a dog walk, he would probably prefer it.
7. Home Safety
Before the season, do a thorough check, looking for potential dangers, our dog walker, often identify risks and pass them onto the owners, common ones include live candles that could be knocked over by pets, especially dogs wagging tails.
Turn off potentially dangerous electrical items such as the Christmas tree lights when no human is present in the house.

Our best wishes for a safe and Merry Xmas for you and your animals. 

Dog Walking is work our that almost anyone can do. What’s superb about it is that you can do it sole or with someone. If you do not have somebody, the dog supplies great company. It’s simple to do, and needs no special equipment, apart from a dog, a leash and comfortable shoes. It also costs nothing, in fact you can make money out of it. In addition it can be done just about anywhere, even in London dog walking is common.
Dog walking has many benefits. It is the key element of dog care. It uses calories, it is a weight loss aid. An hour or so of dog walking ( that is you with the dog!) will use between 200 and 300 calories, depending on your mass. The heavier you are, the more calories you use. Walking does not pressure your legs and ankles, unlike jogging, which can damage your joints and bones.
In fact it truly helps the knees. The action of dog walking stimulates cartilage growth and the flow of synovial fluid inside the knee. It also builds the muscles that shield the knee.
Since dog walking is weight-bearing it also aids builds the muscles that shield the hips. At the same time it strengthens bones therefore reducing the probability of fracture due to osteoporosis. By strengthening the core muscles of the spine and abdomen, dog walking helps reduce the chance for getting low back pain.
The increased effort needed for dog walking helps the heart to pump more strongly. This aids blood pressure reduction with the subsequent reduced risk for stroke and heart attack.
Dog walking increases the respiratory rate (breathing rate), promotes increased flow of oxygen to the rest of the body and also helps eliminate the build up of carbon dioxide. A major plus for you and the dog is improved energy.
There is some evidence that exercise such as dog walking raises endorphin levels which helps reduce pain, reduces serum cortisol levels which helps relieve stress (as does having animals around, so a double benefit), and may also decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
So how do I {kick off with} start dog walking.
Pretty simple. Start with a good pair of walking shoes. If you have a history of flat feet, you should use orthotics.
Do not try to do too much at the very beginning. You should gradually increase the amount you walk. A great goal is 10,000 steps per day, which is approximately 5 miles. Don’t worry it is not that far, remember, most individuals already walk about 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day during the course of a routine day. Do not forget that many dogs, who evolved from wolves still have the same behaviours, need to walk over 5 miles a day. Many have the stamina for ten or more miles a day.
Depending on your fitness, you can build up from low levels. Only one problem, No dog. Not a problem, enquire around, there are many people who do not have ~sufficient time for walking their dog. Increasingly, during this credit crunch period, dogs are being given to into pet charities, so either volunteer to become a dog walker or why not re-house a dog.
Strapped for cash, why not help out people who do not have time for dog walking and set up a business walking their dog.
How fast for your dog walking will depend on you and your dog. Start cautiously. A medium pace, you can walk up to about 2-3 miles an hour. You should be breathing more rapidly and feel your heart rate increasing but still be able to carry on a conversation. You need to make sure that the dog is not pulling you, its not good for him and it is more exhausting for you.
Please note, it’s important to keep up your dog walking routine, for both you and the dog! Enjoy it.

The Maltese is a small toy group dog breed with silky white hair that is lively and cuddly and intelligent, so makes a great pet for city living. Though if living in an apartment, you should give them regular walks or use professional dog walkers such as London dog walking  The hair can grow long, so those with busy lives often give them a puppy cut, otherwise the single coat of shiny hair is heavy and can drape down to the floor and be unmanageable.
They have dark round shaped large eyes. Whilst the Maltese is petite, standing between eight and ten inches tall, it is solid and weighs between three and 7 pounds ( one and a half to 3 kilograms). The dog care of a Maltese is relatively straightforward. They are fairly long lived, up to about 15 years.
 
The Maltese is often protective to its owners, which means they have a reputation for barking a lot. The Maltese’s high activity level can also lead to them snapping. Dog socialisation at an early age is important to removing this problem. They are gutsy and will go up to dogs far bigger than themselves, being secure they mix well with other dogs.
They suffers from a few health issues, that includes skin, eye and teeth problems. As well as the risk of sun burn on the top of the nose and some respiratory problems.
A routine of brushing is required with the Maltese, otherwise you will get matting. In addition to brushing twice a day, one should also clean them after every meal, to minimise hair staining. Tear staining is also common which is due to the size of the tear ducts and how much the dog’s eyes water.  Tear stain can be removed or minimised by use of a metal fine-toothed comb that is dipped in lukewarm water and pulled through the hair below the eyes. This ideally should be done every two days.
The Maltese have thick hair, they do not shed very much and like the akin Havanese and Bichon Frisé   can be considered practically hypoallergenic, with many people not showing allergic reaction. A lot of will keep the hair out of the eyes by the use of a ponytail to ease cleaning the eyes. The ears also need regular cleaning.
Whilst the name suggests the dog comes from Malta, its origins are not clear, though generally felt to come from Italy / Greece. It is also known as a Maltese Terrier or the Maltese Lion Dog ( a reflection on its character), though its official kennel name is “Maltese”.

Its origin may have been either from the Swiss Spitz dog or the Asian Tibetan Terrier. Its earliest record of the Maltese dates back to when it was found on a Greek amphora around 500 B. C. and was frequently mentioned in writings of Greek / Roman times.

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Poor bladder control is the number one cause for puppies being taken to dog shelter charities. It is often difficult and often professional dog walkers such as London Dog Walking are often asked to help, so a key part of puppy care. Experts believe the best way to toilet train is to use a crate. Often a breeder will {use a cagehave used one}, and will often sell on the cage, as the puppy is used to it. The crate method is based on the premise that puppies do not like to soil their beds and in a crate would be forced to sleep in the mess. Whilst in these confines the puppy will try to control their bladder. Young pups from 9 weeks or so should last about 8 hours. During toilet training, put the puppy inside the cage whenever he cannot be watched, whilst you are say cleaning. Just before to placing pup into the cage or taking him out of the cage, take him outside so he can go to the toilet. There should never be any food or water in the crate, just a blanket and maybe a chew toy to occupy his time. As time goes by and the puppy performs better, you can leave him for longer periods out of the crate.
The crate needs to have the right dimensions, enough floor area for him to lie down. But not so large he could urinate in a corner. The cage is useful for the dogs whole life, so to avoid replacing cages as he grows, purchase one big enough for his full grown size, with a partition that you can move when needed.
The two alternatives to cage potty training a puppy are constant supervision, not many people have the time for this. To do this, you need to be with the puppy all the time, so you can be ready when you see his pre-potty pattern, such as sniffing the carpet. Then taking him straight out to his potty area, then bring him straight back, remembering to give him praise and verbal clues such as “good dog”. The pup needs to recognize why he was taken outside was for the potty, nothing else, do not baffle him.

The third alternative to toilet training is put down papers or pre-treated pads, encouraging them to use these areas, for practical reasons positioned in the bathroom or utility room. The pads have chemicals to attract the puppy. When you catch with their pre- potty pattern, pick them up calmly and carry them to the pad. Praise them if they do the business. The main disadvantage with this method, is you have to transition them to doing this outside, by moving the papers closer to the door.
Potty timing, normally, pups need to go out, soon after waking and 30 or 40 mins after feeding.
Occasionally puppies will spontaneously urinate when scared or excited, sometimes known as submissive urination. Do not discipline them for this. If the puppy is liable to this, go for a walk, before any excitement, like family coming. Or if visiting, take them for a walk, just prior to, or when you arrive. The puppy will normally grow out it after about 6 months.
To reinforce the toilet training, as in dog training, you need to use verbal clues. Great ones are simple and distinctive. Everybody in the family or in contact with the dog, such as your dog walkers and the pet sitter need to use the same words. One or a maximum of two words.
Outside: For going outside, to go to the toilet. Use a different word such as “play” if its for more of an enjoyable activity, though he may go to the toilet when he is there.
Potty: Go to the toilet.
Good Dog: For praise – any.
No: When the puppy is doing something wrong, such as going in the wrong area, or inside.
There are probably two rules to follow:
1. Always praise success.
2. Never punish him, if you do not see him in the act of doing something wrong. The puppy will have no idea why you are scolding him.

If you catch the puppy in the act of urinating inside, carry him to the place, will often stop him, as well as reinforcing what he should be doing.