Humans for Dogs

How will your dog celebrate the New Year?

Don't forget to include your dog in this year's new year celebrations! Make sure it's safe though ...

Keep your dogs indoors if fireworks scare them. And most importantly - make sure alcohol is kept out of their reach!

Photo by boxercab.

Best Ways to Wash Your Dog

There are several ways to give your dog a bath.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Groomer.  Make an appointment, drop your dog off, pick them up clean.  I use this for emergencies, like the time Teddy rolled in something so stinky that I still couldn't be in the same room with her after three baths!
• Dog wash.   There are dog wash businesses that have all the facilities for washing your dog from a tub with ties to shampoo to hair dryers.  Definitely the easiest do it yourself way.
• Bath tub.  To be avoided at all costs unless you have a small or very docile dog.
• Shower.  This is my favorite.  I get in the shower with the dog.  They have no where to go and usually stand still with their tail between their legs while you soap them up and rinse them off.  Beware when you let them out though!  Everything will get wet!  I usually turn off the water and give them a few minutes in the shower to realize it's over and to shake well.  Then I dry them off and wait to see if they'll shake again.  Then I let them out in the bathroom.
• A hose in the backyard.  I hang on to the collar with one hand and wet, soap and rinse the dog with the other hand.  This is the hardest method physically and usually the messiest - but the mess is outside.

Any other ways you wash your dog?  Any tips for us?

Photo by longristra.

Would you pay $130 for a massage for your dog?

The Ritz in Florida is now offering a massage for your dog for $130.   While there are a lot of benefits to massage for both dogs and humans, $130/hour is pretty steep.  Also, an hour massage is a long massage for a dog.  If your dog has never had a massage, you are better off starting with a 5-15 minute one. 

For some of the benefits of massage and chiropractic care for dogs see my post on how a chiropractor fixed Teddy's back, after the vet said there was nothing we could do!