Make Mine Chocolate Campaign

Every Easter many children get pet store rabbits as Easter gifts. Soon after, the shelters are flooded with calls because the children don't play with the rabbits and they don't want them anymore. Make Mine Chocolate is a campaign reminding people not to give rabbits as gifts and buy chocolate rabbits instead. You can "like" them on Facebook and spread the word here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-Mine-Chocolate/342712376109?ref=ts&sk=wall.

If you have older children who are able to be gentle with animals and understand that most rabbits don't enjoy being picked up, a rabbit may be a great pet. There are several rabbit rescues in DFW area that are at full capacity and could use your help. They would love to adopt out rabbits to good homes and are happy to teach you what caring for a pet rabbit entails. Even though they are small, they are just as much work as a dog or cat. With proper care, rabbits can be affectionate loving friends!

Wild animals need care too!

With constant weather changes and the continued destruction of land, mother nature needs help from you to care for her wild critters! This winter was hard for even many of the southern states so there was less growth of food for animals in the area. Even if you have a small space, you can help. My mom has an average house in the middle of the city but her back yard is a peaceful haven for many wild critters. She tells me that they are her pets too. Because of all the new construction in the area, animals are being run out of their natural homes. Rabbits, hawks, squirrels, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even ducks are showing up in areas they wouldn't normally. Setting up your yard for the animals is pretty simple and even better, is that when you plant the native plants for the wildlife, you save on water bills too!

Even Florida got hit hard this year. If you go to the store, you may notice that sunflower seed has almost doubled in price. This may mean that people who normally feed the birds, can't afford to feed them anymore. However, growing sunflowers in your yard is easy. Pick a small space in your yard to grow the sunflowers. Once they finally grow seed, they may hang down and not look as pretty, but it is a lot of fun to watch the birds hang upside down and eat from the flowers. You could also harvest the seed and put it in a feeder.

There has been a reduction in butterfly populations because of construction and also because of chemicals used on our lawns. Butterflies need host plants to feed on as caterpillars and nectar plants to feed from as adults. Each species prefers different kinds of plants. The Dallas discover gardens is always offering classes about how to fix your yard up to attract the butterflies and not use poisons. Check out a list of events here: http://texasdiscoverygardens.org/upcoming_events.php. You can also download an app for your smart phone to take a garden tour here: http://texasdiscoverygardens.org/index.php

The DFW Wildlife Coalition offers presentations to groups on how to coexist with animals in the city. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation for a group that you are a part of, check them out here: http://www.dfwwildlife.org/wildspeak.html

Just a reminder: Even though animals are coming to our yards to feed, we must remember that they are wild and should stay that way. The more natural we make their food sources, the better. We should not feed them by hand. We don't want them to become too comfortable with humans as there are still people who will hurt them.

If you have any questions about setting up your yard, let me know. If I don't know the answer, I will find out!

Good Vs Bad Dog Play

Sometimes dogs can get a little too rough and the slightest move while playing can break out into a fight. There are signs to be aware of in order to prevent a fight before it starts. Do you know the difference between good and bad dog play? Sometimes the signs are subtle. Check out this video to learn more!

Do you know how to read your dog's body language?

Do you know how to read your dog's body language? What about your kids? Learning how to read a dog not only helps you with dog training, but it also keeps you and your children safe!

Many times, warning signs are subtle and you need to know how to recognize them. Did you know that not all dogs who wag their tail are happy? Once your learn the warning signs, you can use them to make decisions on how to act. There are many calming signals that you can use.

Check out this video on dog body language and stay safe!

Advice from your Lewisville Dog Walker

No matter how well behaved your dog is, you should always keep it on a leash when you are in public. Besides the fact that it is the law, it keeps your dog safe. What if something happens to scare the dog and it takes off running? I have a recent example of that. I was walking a beagle in the park when we saw a cairn terrior. Being the friendly beagle that he is, he howled hello to the other dog. However, the other dog didn't think it was friendly and started running away. I hollered for the owners who weren't paying attention to their dog to go get it. If their dog had been on a leash, it would have stayed safely beside them and they would have realized what was going on. It was so easy for their dog to slip away from them since it was free.

Another time I was walking a small, harmless looking, rat terrior in her apartment complex. However, she is very dog aggressive. All of a sudden, a guy comes walking by with his pomeranian without a leash. The pomeranian got excited and wanted to come see us. I tried to stop the pup by hollering "no". However, the pom was coming up fast. The guy reassured me that she was friendly. He never thought that maybe my dog wasn't. I had to take swift action to ensure that the other dog wasn't nipped on the nose. I have had situations like this happen so many times.

Even if you have the best trained dog ever, please, don't assume that it is safe for them to be off leash. Besides, it's the law to keep our pets leashed at all times in public areas.

Pet Rabbit Tricks

I wanted to share Hershey's debut on youtube. She is still learning "in" but she is almost there. Hey, it count's as long as she is halfway across the line, right??? The video is a little dark, but you get the idea. I will try to get more videos of her soon.

Get Help for Your Agressive Dog Before it is too Late!

I am sad to find out that my friend's boston terrier was killed by the neighbor's German Shepherd yesterday. The neighbor was out of town and the GSD's were in their backyard. They broke a hole in the fence, reached in, and grabbed the terrier. Her dog was rushed to the vet and had surgery, but still didn't make it.

This tragedy could have been prevented. It is very important to get proper training for aggressive dogs. This may take time. I have a client with a German Shepherd who was dog aggressive for years. She hired a special trainer and worked with her dog daily. Her dog is now able to go to doggy camp.

Also, be sure your yard is secure and you have a strong fence. Try not to leave them out in the yard all day unsupervised as well. I have heard of cases where dogs were able to scale tall fences.

If your dog needs a trainer I am happy to help set you up with one in your area. I network with as many pet professionals as I can.