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Dog Pet Pet Holiday

National Take a Walk in the Park Day

National Take A Walk In The Park Day encourages all pet families to stretch their legs on their favorite trail or at a neighborhood park. After a long busy day, a calming and therapeutic way to relax would be a nice, leisurely walk in the park.

Taking a walk at a local park is an excellent way to clear one’s mind from the stresses of the day, re-energize, and at the same time, improve health. It is also a great opportunity to bond with our furry friends!

Make sure that on this day you and your pets:

  • Go out for a walk in the park and enjoy nature’s beauty and being outside
  • Finding a trail somewhere and take a hike in the fresh air

It’s good for them and good for us too!

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Dog Pet Holiday

National Newfoundland Dog Day

Today is National Newfoundland Dog Day! To celebrate the date, let’s learn more about this gentle giant!

Equally at home on land and in the water, these sweet giants are terrific family pets if you have space for them! Despite their size, they are extremely mellow dogs who don’t require a lot of exercise.

Their gentle spirits make them fine, tolerant playmates for children, but behind their soulful eyes is the mind of a keen watchdog!

Appearance

Frequently featured on lists of the largest dog breeds, Newfoundlands are strong, big-boned, and muscular, their enormous heads resting near an adult’s hip or higher for easy petting. They weigh 100–150 pounds.

Big and floofy, a Newfoundland is basically a 150-pound teddy bear.

While all dogs have a little bit of membrane between their toe pads, Newfoundlands actually have quite pronounced webbed feet to help them paddle easily through the surf.

Temperament

Few dogs are as sweet, loyal, and laid-back as a mature Newfoundland. Most of the time, the dog is content to nap while life buzzes all around. Friendly and affectionate, but not overly rambunctious, they often like to be “on” their people, leaning against them or lying across their feet. Yes, that includes babies.

But don’t mistake this mellow vibe as laziness! Newfoundlands are people pleasers and natural working dogs. They have high IQs and respond well to positive reinforcement, clear cues, and obedience training.

While you’ll sometimes hear a rumbling woof or two during playtime or to get your attention at dinner, a well-trained Newfoundland is a sentry!

It’s ideal to begin training and socialization as soon as you bring your puppy home. Newfoundlands have a prolonged adolescence state of up to two years, so giving them obedience guidance right way enables better socializing and deters undesirable behaviors.

Living Needs

Whether you bring a Newfoundland into your apartment is totally dependent on how much room you want for yourself! So in most instances, she’s much better suited to a home where there are cozy observing-the-world spots, as well as ample space for walks or galloping after family members.

They need a moderate amount of exercise—up to 30 minutes daily—and are happy to take walks, not runs, with their owners.

Care

Get ready to hone your styling skills, because a Newfoundland dog requires a lot of grooming!

Their coat benefits from being brushed regularly, and there’s extensive shedding about twice a year to contend with as well. Known as a “blowing coat,” she’ll shed primarily in the fall and spring and will need to be brushed daily to control it.

Your Newfoundland will also need regular nail clipping and ear cleaning, along with frequent dental care throughout the week.

And be sure to always have a towel handy to soak up all the drool!

Health

Because there’s a potential for structural and joint problems, be diligent about helping your Newfoundland maintain a lean physique. Consult your vet for a staged-growth diet and exercise plan. Controlled feedings also help minimize bloating.

While Newfoundlands tolerate warmer weather, they should never be left outside in it for extended periods. Their double coat makes it difficult to handle. The undercoat provides some ventilated cooling, but overall, they’ll overheat quickly.

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Cat Dog Pet Pet Holiday

National Animal Poison Prevention Week

This week educates pet owners on what can poison their pets, how to spot the signs of poisoning, and how to help pets if they exhibit such signs.

History of the day

In 1863, an American diplomat on assignment to Russia, Henry Bergh, prevented a carriage driver from beating his fallen horse. Upon returning to his hometown, New York, after his resignation, Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (A.S.P.C.A.). It became the first and only humane society in the Western Hemisphere.

Owners could not get information about pet care over the internet, so A.S.P.C.A. and other organizations’ pamphlets and articles came to the rescue.

By the 1990s, concern over animals had taken an upswing. People placed more value on the lives of animals. The next few decades saw organizations, even the Food and Drug Administration, taking more care to ensure every aspect of pet care — pet stores, pet food, and even pet toys — were safe.

The A.S.P.C.A., among other organizations, influenced legislation and legal proceedings, bringing to light animal suffering and highlighting our responsibilities in this regard. All these years later, we now view animal care very differently. National Animal Poison Prevention Week reflects our changing view of pet care and is a special event to protect our pet buddies from accidental harm.

Items that can poison your pets

Sweet food items

Many sweets contain a sweetener xylitol, which is toxic to animals.

Human drugs and medicine

Antidepressants, acetaminophen and many other drugs made for human consumption can cause serious health issues when ingested by pets. Make sure to ALWAYS check with your vet if your pet needs any medication.

Flowers

Some flowers may contain chemicals that are deadly, such as lilies to cats.

Chocolate

Chocolate made for human consumption is not safe to be eaten by any pets.

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Dog Pet Holiday

Dog in Yellow Day

Dogs in Yellow Day raises awareness about anxious and reactive dogs. They need some space, love and care so that their environment seems less frightening to them.

Our world can be incredibly scary for anxious dogs, being unpredictable and a little too much for them to handle. That’s why such dogs need someone they can trust to help them navigate their environment. They are still good dogs, even though they may not be keen on socializing with other dogs.

If you encounter such an animal, be kind, give them their space, and avoid being judgemental.

History of the day

Dogs in Yellow Day was founded by Sarah Jones whose dog Bella was attacked by another dog when she was a puppy. As a result, Bella developed a fear of other dogs. Whenever she met other dogs, it left her terrified.

Bella would growl or lunge at other dogs because she was scared. Passers-by often threw her pitiful or angry looks and dragged their dogs away from her. Jones wanted to find a way for Bella and other anxious dogs to be understood, so she started the #dogsinyellow campaign. She is a firm believer that through compassionate awareness-raising, the message will reach more unknowing dog owners and spread the understanding of anxious dogs worldwide.

For more than 12,000 years, dogs have lived with humans as protectors, hunting companions, objects of adoration or scorn, and friends.

Some historians say humans domesticated wolves around 10,000 years ago, while others claim 30,000. Some say this domestication began in Europe, others in the Middle East or East Asia. Other theories say that early human hunter-gatherers actively tamed and bred wolves.

Still, other narratives state that wolves domesticated themselves by scavenging the carcasses human hunters left behind or lingering around campfires. They grew more welcoming with every generation until they became enduring friends.

Today, dogs are regarded differently in various parts of the world. In Western society, characteristics of friendship, protectiveness, loyalty, and affection have earned dogs a prominent position while in the United States and Europe, the care of dogs has grown into a multibillion-dollar business.

However, in some of the developing nations and many regions of Asia, dogs are not regarded with love. They are used as beasts of burden, guards, or even for food.