Let’s Celebrate!

Nana’s blog has been on a bit of a hiatus as of late due to an uptick in business (never a bad thing).. But, no more radio silence we promise! Especially since we are back with some big news- it is our 10th birthday!

Nana’s was started way back in 2007 with the simple concept that Nana ( Linda Edwards) needed a little bit of extra joy in her life after losing her husband and her exact thought was “animals make me happy and bring me joy and I want to surround myself with the unconditional love given by our four-legged companions.” And, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love walking into the house being greeted with tail wags and kisses? So Nana’s Pet Sitting was born.

Now ten years later, what started out as a simple way to add more joy into the life of

Nana and help the pet parents feel comfortable heading on vacation while leaving Fluffy behind, has blossomed into the premier pet sitting company in the Charlotte area.

For Nana’s tenth birthday we wanted to do something BIG. Something to show the Charlotte community how much we appreciate being a part of the pet scene and give back some of the joy the dogs and cats give us every day.

So, we are raising money for one of the most dedicated pet rescue groups around: Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love (GDFRL). Not only does GDFRL work their tail off hosting adoption events and a few pet shows throughout the year, they dedicate their lives to finding these gentle giants a forever home.

Unlike some pet rescues, each Dane is set up with a vetted foster family to train, rehabilitate and love these dogs. Great Danes often get overlooked due to heath issues and their size, but they need the same love and devotion smaller breeds get. Which is where we (and you) come in.

We are raising funds so they can keep these dogs in foster homes with the adequate space and training they need and you can join in on the fun too!

For our 10th birthday we are asking for $10 donations (but will of course take any size donation you wish to make) to help raise $10,000 during our Birthday month of July.

And, for a little extra birthday fun, all those who donate $10 or more are entered for a chance to win a gift basket courtesy of Nana’s Pet Store filled with 10 of our top items!

Ready to donate? Head to our gofundme page! Want a sneak peak at the gift basket? Keep scrolling…

Just a few of the Great Danes Nana’s 10 for 10 fundraiser will help.

Basket Includes:

1. One 30 minute Pet Visit
2. Admission into a PetTech Pet First Aid & CPR Class, taught by Linda Edwards
3. Six foot Mountain Dog Leash, made from recycled climbing rope
4. Peek-a-Prize cat toy
5. Kong kitty/dog laser
6. Durasqueak dog toy
7. Portable water /food dish
8. Dog Pyramid puzzle treat dispenser
9. Breakaway cat collar
10. Kozy Krinkle dog toy

Did we forget to mention that 10% of all purchases made at Nana’s Pet Store during the entire month of July will be donated? Now more than ever is the time to stock up on your pets favorite things.

Thank you all in advance for helping support this amazing rescue!

 

 

 

 

What is a Titer Check?

Taking responsibility for your pet’s health would, naturally, entail yearly vet checkups and routine vaccinations, like rabies, distemper, bordatella and parvo virus. But have you ever stopped to wonder just exactly why you’re vaccinating your pet every year? Do you yourself get a chicken pox vaccination every year? How about a hepatitis shot?

We do not get vaccinations every year because we don’t have to and it’s possible our pets don’t either. Veterinary medicine is finally catching up to human medicine and the way vets think about vaccinations is changing for the better.

Shortly after your pet turns 16  weeks old, they typically have completed all their vaccinations, at which point, titer checks can be run for subsequent years to determine a pet’s immunity to certain viruses without blindly pumping them full of toxic vaccinations.

Photo: VP Photo Studio/Shutterstock

Titer checks are used to determine the existing levels of antibodies to disease in the blood. By drawing 1 ml of blood vets can test for actual immunity levels in your pet. If the levels come back too low, or negative, they might need another vaccination, however once a positive or strong immunity level occurs, the titer check will likely indicate that your pet will not need another vaccination.

“An animal with a positive test has sterilizing immunity and should be protected from infection. If that animal were vaccinated it would not respond with a significant increase in antibody titer, but may develop a hypersensitivity to vaccine components,” according to Dr. Ron Schultz, a renowned pet vaccination expert, who was recently quoted in Dogs Naturally.

Administering yearly vaccinations to a pet who is already immune can result in disastrous and expensive health issues, as it would in humans if we were vaccinated yearly. Vaccinations should not be given blindly or based on age. The determining factor for giving your pet a vaccine or booster shot according to Dr. Patrick Mahaney, an experienced vet, should be their immune system, “if your pet is sufficiently immune, giving them a vaccine doesn’t make them more immune.”

Cost

The cost of a titer check varies between vets, cities and states. In Charlotte, NC titer checks range from $70-$90 and near the D.C. area they run about $110. The cost of vaccinations can often be less than the titer check, which is why some vets do not offer it to many clients.

The cost of a titer might be slightly higher, but the price your pet’s health will pay for yearly vaccinations could be high.

Rabies

A titer check can be used to check for the rabies vaccine, however, rabies is required by law and states do not accept a positive titer check in place of a current rabies certificate.

Consult with your vet about replacing your pup’s yearly vaccination schedule with an annual titer check instead. Reach out to several vets in your area to discuss the benefits of titer checks, prices and what is best for the overall health of your pet.

 

Pet Insurance- How to Choose

We hear a lot about insurance today. Health, dental, vision. We seek it out as part of job packages and have to shift through pages of policy information that can seem foreign to those new to the insurance marketplace. Finding the best and most affordable insurance for yourself or  your family is hard enough let alone ever having to think about insurance for Fido or dear old Kitty.

Yep, you read that right, pet insurance. It is a real thing. Plan options, wellness add-ons, dental coverage. All of it and more just for your pet. While it might be hard to fathom paying for another insurance plan, think about how expensive vet bills can be for even the most common ailments. Think about your dog or cat’s breed specific conditions and hereditary issues- most of which are covered by almost all pet insurance companies. Paying a little each month is better than getting saddled with a $4,000 vet bill when an emergency happens.

Just like people insurance there are many different factors to consider when trying to pick out a plan for your pooch. Age, breed and your state of residence will affect your monthly premium choices but aside from the cost you will need to decide what coverage is most important to you. Things like dental, holistic and alternative treatments, reimbursements for medications, supplements and prescription food coverage.

There are several big players in the pet insurance marketplace: Embrace, Trupanion, Nationwide (formerly VPI), Healthy Paws, Petplan, PetFirst and Pets Best. Take our pet insurance quiz to find out which is best for you and then view our full comparison guide. Please keep in mind this information is in no way an endorsement for any particular insurance company and before purchasing any plans, contact each company with specific policy questions.

Pet Fire Safety

National Pet Fire Safety Day is quite a mouthful to say but the idea is quite simple. July 15^th is designed for pet parents as a reminder to do a quick safety check around the house, making sure it is “pet proof” and updating your family’s fire evacuation plan to include your pets.

Pet proofing is often done when bringing home a kitten or puppy for the first time, but after months and years go by some of these simple safety tips escape us. Here are a few fire safety tips about those innocent household items we often forget about.

• Candles

Burning a candle on the coffee table or bathroom counter can add a nice cozy feel to the room; however curious cats that get free range of the furniture can cause some serious problems. Not only can they get up there and push off the burning candle, their fur can easily catch fire.

Candles also cause damage when placed on an unsteady surface. If your cat or dog were to bump into it, could they knock the candle over?

• Gas Stovetops

Whether it is your cat crawling around the kitchen countertops or your all too naughty husky mix who thinks anything on the counter is his, they are in the position to twist the stove knob. Gas stoves are dangerous for two reasons: if pushed hard and turned correctly by your pet, a flame will emerge. Secondly and most dangerously, if the knob gets turned just enough, carbon monoxide will leak.

• Lamps

Free standing and table lamps while a beautiful alternative light source than an overhead light, should never be left on when your pets are home alone. Lamps have the ability to tip over, from the swish of an excited pup’s tail or the nuzzle of a cat who likes to rub his head on every surface. When you turn a lamp on and head out the door you are leaving open the possibility for your pet to knock over the lamp, causing the hot bulb to break and potentially cause a fire.

• Electrical Cords

Cords strung behind the TV can look like a great chew toy for your teething pup or kitten. Make sure all cords are hidden and tucked away. Frayed cords can overheat, create electrical shock and catch fire.

After checking your home and doing some pet-proofing, take a second to discuss with your family your fire evacuation plan. How and where you get out of the house is what will save your life, but once you’re out the last thing you want to do is go back in for the cat or dog. Make sure you have a plan in place for your pets too. The ASPCA has a few great resources in disaster preparedness and the National Fire Prevention Association has tips on fire evacuation plans including a checklist printout for pets.

Using window or door decals identifying the type and number of pets you have is also an excellent safety precaution to ensure your pets make it out safely in the event of a fire. Join Nana’s Pet First Aid & CPR this week in honoring Pet Fire Safety Day by completing a home check and updating your pet’s emergency plan.

 

 

New Canine Calming Drug

A new canine calming drug, Sileo, is about to hit the market and timing could not be better with Fourth of July celebrations about the begin. Fireworks displays are one of the biggest causes of pet stress, anxiety and lost pets. July 5th is often the busiest day of the year for animal shelters and rescue groups taking in lost pets.

Pet parents often flood into their vet’s office this week seeking out something, anything, that will help calm their dog during the fireworks. Fear and anxiety from noise often occurs more than just once a year. Thunderstorms are also a common cause for noise aversion and as many as 70 million dogs are affected by noise anxiety.

Signs of noise aversion can vary from mild to extreme and some pet parents do not even recognize their pets are affected. In a study done by the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol and reported by Animal Wellness, half the pet parents interviewed recognized at least one behavioral sign associated with noise anxiety and fear, even though only one quarter of those pet parents actually classified their dogs as being fearful of noise.

Common signs of noise related anxiety include: hiding, chewing, panting, pacing, defecating indoors, drooling, seeking company of pet parent, trembling, and the most extreme-escaping. Dogs with an extreme anxiety will do anything they can to escape from the noise, which might mean jumping through a window or over a fence, both of which I have witnessed through my pet sitting business.

Without having anti-anxiety medications specifically for pets, cats and dogs are often prescribed human medications by their vets. By using medications intended for their human counterparts, pets can often suffer side effects for a few days after the initial medication was administered.

This is where Sileo comes in. Sileo is the first FDA approved treatment for canine noise aversion. It is administered at home by the pet parent. The medication is a gel that is applied to the gums, using a syringe and starts working within 30-60 minutes but wears off in two-three hours, which is often how long a thunderstorm or fireworks display will last.

Sileo “calms without sedating” according to their website and works by inhibiting norepinephrine, a chemical in the brain associated with the fear response. By restricting the flow of this chemical in the brain it helps dismiss the underlying fear of noise.

The medication was tested on about 180 dogs during New Year’s Eve in New  York ranging in age between 2-17. Over 75% of owners rated the drug effects as good or excellent and side effects were rare or minor.

When looking through news articles and the Sileo website I was unable to obtain any information about what is in the medication and might add a word of caution to pet parents about putting more chemicals into their pets’ systems. However, depending on the severity of noise anxiety, the risk of medication might outweigh the risk of your pooch jumping out the window. If you are one of the pet parents with a scared and anxious dog over the 4th, you may consider talking to your vet about the risks of Sileo. I would be interested to know if anyone uses it and what your experience is.

 

 

 

 

 

Snakes The Time

In honor of the Copperhead living in the bushes around my office, I figured snakes the time to talk about snakes -alright I know…all bad wordplay aside, snakes are a serious concern. Living in a region of the US that has several varieties of venomous snakes, I am always on the lookout for slithering neighbors around my house, office and often on the walking trail. But being a pet mother and pet safety instructor I am always watching. I can understand what a snake is but our pups are genuinely curious, learning by touching, sniffing, licking and do not always understand when they could be in danger.

The most lethal aspect about a venomous snake is not that they can inject you with poisonous venom, instead it is the fact they are often hidden. Hiding away in the yard clippings for the compost, seeking refuge in the wood pile, camping out in the cool shade of the bushes near the deck or wandering their way through the border grass and ivy so often used for landscaping. None of these places make their long moving bodies visible.

Worst part? These are places we reach, step, move and touch without looking. They are also places of great interest to the sniffing, licking, touching, curious pups we parent.

Copperhead Snake

Majority of snakes try to retreat when they are encroached on, whether this encroachment happens by accident or not, the snake’s first reaction is often to get away. But there are some venomous snakes who get defensive, hold their ground and are more likely to strike.

Certain snakes, whether bumped on accident by your pooch’s paw or not, have a high probability of biting. In North Carolina, the Copperhead and Cottonmouth are quickest to strike and the Pygmy Rattlesnake normally attempts to slither away, but if further bothered, will quickly attack.

You can easily identify venomous snakes by these markers, according to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences:

• A pit between the eye and nostril and the scales on the underside of the tail are not divided
• No pit between the eye and nostril and most scales on underside of tail are divided
• Tip of the tail has a “rattle” or “button”
• Top of head with large symmetrical plates
• Top of head with irregular, fragmented scales

Cottonmouth Snake

When you spot a venomous snake, you have time to assess and move away. But dogs walking in the border grass and accidentally waking a Copperhead, do not have the same time to move away. According to PetTech, the first international training center for pet first aid and CPR for cats and dogs, the majority of snake bites “occur on a dog’s head, neck, front legs and paws because they investigate their world with their nose, head and paws. Bites to the head and neck can become very serious because of the potential to interfere with breathing.”

What you do in the first few moments of a venomous snake bite can result in the life or death of your pup. What then can be done? Aside from the basics of prevention- making sure you never let your dog walk in tall grass, ivy, get into bushes, under the porch or into the woodpile, snakebites may still occur regardless of how careful you might be.

Once bitten symptoms will immediately start to occur.

Signs venom has been injected include:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Bleeding around fang punctures.

Other signs include:

• Excessive salivation
• Vomit
• Weakness or nervousness
• Convulsions

Take immediate action to restrain, muzzle and immobilize your dog, keeping the bitten limb level with the rest of the body if possible. The sooner you can get our pup still the slower venom will spread giving you a better chance to save your dog’s life. Treat for shock and begin transportation to a vet as soon as possible.

Call the vet on the way to let them know the situation so they can be ready and waiting for you when you arrive. Do not waste a second of time getting your pet in the car and to the vet. After a venomous snake bite, dogs need to be monitored for 24 hours to ensure no further complications or infections occur.

Shock management, restraining, muzzling and snakebites are all topics covered in the PetTech first aid programs. Summers are great for hikes, long walks, trips to the mountains and even just enjoying a stay-cation in your own backyard. But nowhere will you be completely snake free. It is important to remember that even after killing a venomous snake, the snake can still possess the nerve reflex to bite.

Taking a pet first aid class today will help prepare you for a snake bite situation in the future. You never want to be sitting there wishing you knew what to do. Be proactive in your safety and the safety of the four-legged children in your family.

Enrolling in a PetTech PetSaver class will give you all the tools you need to keep your pets happy, healthy and alive during these snake infested summer months.

To find our more information on how you can help improve the quality of your pet’s life visit Nana’s Pet First Aid & CPR.

Volunteering

Over the weekend a group of my pet sitters and I went to Animal Care & Control to volunteer for a few hours. For several years now I have wanted to get a group of sitters together for volunteering but time always seemed to slip by quickly and the year ends before I have a chance to catch my breath. This year, however, we managed to take moment and I am so glad we did.

My team and I were deciding on where to volunteer, there are so many choices, among them The Charlotte Humane Society and Animal Care & Control and ultimately my sitters chose Animal Care & Control and I was thrilled. Animal Control often gets a bad wrap but after spending the day with their team, I can confidently say, they are one of the biggest pet advocates in the city.

Their intake levels have been down, which is excellent, and they have invested a lot of time into pet enrichment, education, vaccines and spay/neuter services for the community. I could not be prouder of the work they are doing for the animals in our county. We learned quite a bit about their animal intake process and discovered that they care for more than just cats and dogs. They take in bunnies, birds, horses and they even once cared for a monkey, who they found a home for in a sanctuary in California.

Our morning of volunteering consisted of cleaning food bowls and kitty crates, filling Kongs and treat containers and, of course, playing with and loving on cats and dogs!

As our time was nearing an end, I knew the reality of our fun morning would be coming. We were about to pack up and ship out, leaving behind these adorable, loving pets. Pets who need a home. Pets who need a caring family and someone who will adore them the way they adore us. Someone to count on, to have fun with, to bond with.

Talking with one of the volunteer dog walkers, she said the hardest part of volunteering was leaving, “I would sit in my car and cry in the parking lot for ten minutes after I left. I just felt so bad, how could you not?” Eventually she was able to turn her sad frustration into a positive experience. She has made it her mission to bring as much joy to the dogs she walks during the time she has with them. And what more could you ask for in a volunteer?

It took a lot of self restraint not to leave with two kitties and a little chihuahua myself and one of my sitters nearly walked away with another husky. What made leaving easier for us was seeing the lobby full of people there to adopt. A few people even brought their current pets along in hopes of finding a four-legged child brother or sister. It was fantastic to see. 

Adopting a dog can be scary at first, you never know where they have been or how they have been treated. But there is nothing more rewarding than being able to give a second life to these pets. I cannot vouch for every city’s Animal Control program, but the one we spent the day with has a dog trainer who works with the dogs that come in. The trainer assesses their personalities and works on basic training and socialization so these pups are ready for their new homes.

The sitters and I left Animal Care & Control Saturday morning with a new mission- sign up to become regular, long-term volunteers.  We want to continue to help give back to the community in the best way we know how, by loving on and caring for pets in whatever capacity we can.

I really encourage anyone looking to volunteer to look into your local Animal Control program, I think you might be surprised at how much they do in your community. I also strongly encourage anyone looking to add a pet into your home to consider adoption.
The majority of pets in shelters and rescues are lost and abandoned pets that are never reclaimed.

These pets touched my heart and encouraged me and my staff to get started on a monthly volunteer basis and help with education about shelter pets. I hope you will let these pets touch your heart too!

 

Pet First Aid Awareness Month

It’s April and that means Pet First Aid Awareness Month is in full swing! I love April, not just for the beautiful flowers, blooming trees, pollen everywhere (just kidding on the last part, I could go without that layer of green dust everywhere), but most of all I love April because it is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month.

There is so much that goes into pet first aid, CPR and care, I have an entire business devoted to it! You might be asking why, exactly, this month is so important…well let’s find out!

For information on classes visit: nanaspetfirstaidandcpr.com or pettech.net

For free first aid and wellness printables click here.

 

Poison Prevention Week

Happy National Poison Prevention Week! I know, I know, this is not the most exciting or happy week to celebrate but it might be one of the most important. As reading, understanding, comprehending humans we know what is good and bad for our bodies. We know what is toxic, what will cause damage and make us sick. Our pets, however, rely on our judgement as pet parents to look after what they eat. From food to water to toys, our pets need us to help keep them safe from their inquisitive nature and desire to put everything in their mouths. You know, that pile of junk in the garage that’s oozing some unknown substance (don’t deny it, we all have one) or that tangle of cords behind the TV that is still in reach of the kitty.

Some of these things are common sense like giving chocolate or grapes to your pet but what about the pile in the garage? How often do you think about your pet getting into things around the house? How about the things we willingly give our pets that we might assume are good for them, like peanut butter? In honor of National Poison Prevention Week here is short list of common household items or foods that are severely poisonous to our pets.

1. Lilies, Tulips and Daffodils
   

Lilies, especially Easter, Day, Tiger, Asiatic, Japanese and Show Lilies are all extremely toxic to pets. Consuming even two or three petals can result in kidney failure. Ingestion of any kind can be fatal to your feline. Even walking through fallen pollen and licking paws later is fatally dangerous.

Tulips are major cause for concern for those of you who have pooches who love to dig. Tulip bulbs have a high concentration of toxicity to dogs and can cause tissue irritation, vomiting, excessive drooling or diarrhea.

Daffodils contain toxins in nearly all parts of the plant. The bulb, flower or plant can cause extreme abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, cardiac arrhythmia and even respiratory depression. Ingestion of the crystals on the outer layer of the bulb can trigger further reactions in your pet.

If you even suspect your pet has ingested part of these plants, head immediately to the vet or call the Pet Poison Helpline. Check out a complete list of toxic plants here.

2.  Xylitol

This natural sugar sweetener is found in nearly every type of gum, candy, mint, yogurt, ice cream and even some peanut butter. Xylitol has been known to cause hypoglycemia and severe liver damage in dogs. What exactly does that mean? VCA Animal Hospital helped us out with an easy explanation, “Xylitol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin results in a rapid and profound decrease in the level of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), an effect that occurs within ten -60 minutes of eating the xylitol. Untreated, this hypoglycemia can be life threatening.” As little as five grams (.17 ounces!) can be life threatening. Check out this complete list of foods containing xylitol and be sure to read ingredient labels or consult this list before giving your pet people food!

2. Over the Counter Medications

Advil, Aleve, Motrin and Tylenol are four of the most common medications pets can get their paws on. As little as one or two pills can cause intestinal and stomach ulcers and kidney failure. Tylenol is the most toxic according to the Pet Poison Helpline.  “One regular strength tablet of acetaminophen (Tylenol) may cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, acetaminophen leads to liver failure and, in larger doses, red blood cell damage.” Toxicity affects from these medications often lasts five to six times longer in cats than dogs because cats do not have the proper proteins in their stomach to breakdown aspirin. Symptoms of poisoning may appear within ten – 30 minutes or be as delayed at 12-24 hours. Symptoms include: vomiting (potentially vomiting blood), diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain and pale gums.

If you suspect your pet may have gotten into your medicine cabinet, call the vet or Pet Poison Helpline immediately even if they do not show symptoms right away.

3. Pesticides and Herbicides

It is spring time and that means getting those winter lawns looking green again. Killing off unwanted weeds, spraying off bees, mosquitoes and other unwanted pests is common this time of year.  However, your beautiful, bug free lawn might come at a price for your pets. Whether you or a lawn service are caring for your yard, read labels to find out what is and is not appropriate for pets. Dogs and outdoor cats have a tendency to eat grass and dig dirt. When grass has been chemically treated your pet is ingesting those same chemicals. Dog toys that get left in the yard during treatment get coated in toxins too. Dogs and cats often groom themselves and after a romp in the yard, chemicals and toxins stick to their paws and fur, which when grooming, get ingested and can cause damage. If you insist on getting your yard sprayed check out Pesticide Action Network’s Pesticide Database for toxicity and regulatory information.

Short, simple list right? It is hard to remember how each small thing can impact your pet’s well-being. Sending flowers for a birthday, anniversary or holiday never seemed so complicated before, but it is crucial to look up each plant before sending or receiving flowers into your home to make sure they are not toxic to your pet.

What happens if your dog hops onto the kitchen counter to swipe down that jar of Go Nuts peanut butter because it’s just ‘oh so tempting’?

Signs of poisoning can occur immediately or one day later depending on the amount consumed and which type of poison it is. Good indications that your pet has been poisoned are:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive salvation
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Stumbling as if drunk
• Pale gums

If you notice any of these symptoms or even suspect your pet is poisoned call your vet IMMEDIATELY! They may instruct you to induce vomiting before bringing your pet in. If possible gather vomit or stool sample for your vet, this may help them determine the cause of poison. For this reason, it is critical to keep an unopened, up-to-date bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the house, as this is often used to induce vomiting in poison emergencies. Only administer hydrogen peroxide at the instruction of your vet!

If you cannot reach your vet call the Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 for instructions. There is a $49 fee per phone call but this is nothing compared to saving your pet’s life.

Running with Archer

By Guest Blogger Britany Ochalek

While the first day of spring is not technically until March 20^th for many of us the weather has already warmed, the sun is hanging in there a little longer and the time to dust off our running shoes has come. Spring has the perfect outdoor weather. It is cool enough yet that the worries of overheating are not quite there and the sun’s rays aren’t relentless in the afternoons and late evenings.

But as we prepare ourselves for running, hiking, long walks and extended park visits, we must also prepare our pups too. I recently started running with my dog, Archer a husky mix, and he could not be happier, but it took me a while to work my way up to running. Running has always been a solitary activity- just me, my music and the pavement ahead. My pace, my direction, no interruptions. My biggest concern was how to keep running in my control. I was afraid Archer would try to stop and sniff or chase a squirrel in the other direction. Would he understand pace? Would he take off sprinting, dragging me behind or pulling my arm out of my socket because he thinks it’s time to play “crazy dog?”

I have never had any doubts that he could run a decent distance, he is part husky after all- it’s in his blood. But just like a human, I knew he would need a slow transition into running, an activity that is normally only acceptable at the dog park. So, we started exploring all the local walking trails throughout the city. I had two goals during our long walks: get him used to the idea that these walks were all business, we were not to dilly-dally around with sniffing and peeing on every tree trunk and get him used to prolonged, fast paced walking.

For the last several weeks the two of us spent our early weekend mornings walking, our last walk clocked in just under two hours. We were whipping our lazy winter butts into shape! I knew that our time had come, however, to attempt a run.

I picked an obscurely slow time in terms of traffic, both car and pedestrian, to limit distractions. I rigged up Archer’s leash into a makeshift runner’s belt making me hands free. This also allowed my entire body force behind Archer so, if by chance he took off sprinting, I would be able to use my body weight, not just the end of my arm, to slow him. I choose to run him in the same neighborhood loop we frequently walk so most of the smells would be familiar in hopes this would reduce his stopping.

With these precautions, I was ready to head out. I let him pee before we got started (he had already done his other business a little earlier so I knew that would not be an issue) and we started our one mile run.

At first he was beyond excited we were running and was trying to gallop around in circles at the end of the leash. This amplified when we turned out of my apartment complex. But after a stern “nicely” and a “let’s go” he stopped and kept a nice trotting pace next to me.

I was proud of my boy for running so well! I truly expected a worst case scenario but I should have given Archer a bit more credit. He only strayed a few times to sniff but I told him “let’s go” and never stopped, he caught on and was a perfect running mate.

We have since worked our way up to three miles. I still run him early in the morning before traffic and before people. I will eventually feel comfortable running him on the walking trails and at other times of the day, but we still need a little more practice.

I want to attribute most of my running success on the proper preparation. Just as I would not start running three miles out of nowhere, I knew Archer shouldn’t either. Especially for dogs not used to running or performing a lot of sustained activity, allow your dog to make the transition with you, from walking to running, from one mile to two, eventually even four or five. My long walks also helped Archer recognize the times when walking was not about sniffing and meandering, which really assisted his transition into running and understanding why we were not stopping to sniff and pee.

Guest Blogger: Britany Ochalek has been working for Nana’s Pet Sitting and Nana’s Pet First Aid & CPR for over two years. Through Nana’s she met Archer, at the time a two year old husky mix, and adopted him in April 2015.