A Microchip….The Perfect “Welcome Puppy” Gift
Posted on June 29, 2008
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Did you know that 1 in 3 dogs will be lost sometime in their life? If you’re a dog owner, that’s a frightening statistic.
A microchip is a small device (about the size of a grain of rice) that is implanted in your pet to identify them if lost. Your vet can easily implant on during a routine vet visit.
My friend Tommy was on his way to work one morning and saw a little Bichon running down the road. No collar, no tags. He was able to pick up the pup and took it home to keep it safe. He called me and I told him that there was a possibility that the dog might be microchipped and he should take it to the closest veterinary office to have it scanned.
Luckily the Bichon’s owner did microchip the dog, the vet called the owner, and the two were reunited within a matter of hours.
Another reason to chip….
A friend in the Mclean area was walking his dog one late afternoon and found a little Laboradoodle hiding under a car. The dog seemed to be frightened. He quickly called his son to help him retrieve the pup. After they checked the dog over, there was no collar to be found. He called his vet, who recommended that he bring the dog by to be scanned.
Again, luckily the owner had chipped the dog and when the owner was contacted she was relieved….since she lived 70 miles away. Her dog had been stolen off of her front porch. When the thief realized that the dog had been chipped, he let the dog go. They couldn’t sell it. They couldn’t bring it to a puppy mill.
What a great “welcome puppy” gift….a little electronic grain…that will help them find their way home.
www.CanineCommuter.com provides you with access to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to find a veterinarian in your area that provides this service.
Why Not take the Dog Along?
Posted on June 29, 2008
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With the record high gas prices and current economic woes, why spend more money to board your pooch for a week at a pet hotel while you go on vacation? Take the dog along! Dogs love to travel with their owners and more and more destinations are becoming dog friendly. Canine Commuter offers products to help ensure Fido’s comfort during your journey.
According to the Travel Industry Association, increasing numbers of families are including their furry, four-legged companion in their vacation plans. Eliminating the pet hotel stay for a week means an average savings between $400.00 and $1000.00 for one dog (depending on services purchased).
When you decide to travel with your dog (or other companion animal), here are a few tips to make things easier for both of you:
Your dog is a creature of habit. They like knowing when dinner will be served, when they will be walked, etc. Make sure to coordinate your travel schedule and plans with your dog’s normal schedule. This will help ease any stress or anxiety your pet may have.
Familiar surroundings are comforting for your pet. A few weeks before your excursion, select a containment system for your dog. Whether it is a hard crate, soft crate, or a pop-up tent it is important to acclimate your pet to that product / environment prior to travel. Set up the containment device in your home and leave the door open. Toss in toys, treats and other items your dog finds fun. Let your dog adjust to it over the next few weeks and by the time you set off on your adventure, he will have acclimated to his luxury suite and will be less threatened by unfamiliar surroundings.
Bring ample food and water with you. A sudden diet change is not good for your dog’s digestion; so make sure to bring extra food along. If you are traveling by car, it is also important to bring extra water for the trip up and trip back. If you typically water your dog from the tap, you may choose to bottle some of the tap water from home to help adapt your dog’s system to the tap water at your vacation destination.
Air Travel. When you make your travel reservations, be sure to contact the airline to reserve a seat on the plane for your pet. Only the airline can make reservations for your pet - the discount travel companies cannot provide this service. An additional fee will be required to take your dog with you on the aircraft. Only two dogs are allowed per flight and you’ll want to confirm space availability early. An airline approved carrier is required for transporting your pet with you in the cabin of the aircraft.
Microchipping. A permanent implant to identify your pet is a must when traveling. Most veterinary clinics offer the implanting service which can be completed during a routine office visit. Registration in a microchip database is required by the owner, but is generally included in the price of the chip. If your dog becomes lost and is picked up, a vet will scan for the chip registration number and you will be contacted to pick up your pet.
Health Certificate. When traveling by air, you will need to carry your pet’s Health Certificate with you. Generally, you can obtain a health certificate from your vet a few days prior to travel. The certificate is required by all airlines (and some hotels). You should also carry health records with you during travel, in case of an emergency, but they do not replace the required Health Certificate. Confirm with your vet prior to traveling that your pet is up to date with all of his required vaccinations. It is also important to confirm with your vet that your pet has adequate flea, tick and heartworm coverage.
Veterinary Services. When you get to your travel destination, do you know where the closest Vet / Emergency Vet is located? In case your pet needs medical attention while on vacation, it is crucial that you be familiar with your surroundings. www.CanineCommuter.com provides you with access to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to find veterinary services located in your travel destination.
Take Your Dog To Work Day!
Posted on June 20, 2008
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I love this concept! After working in a traditional “drive the car to work - do someone else’s bidding - go home, make dinner, do the laundry and then play with the dogs” life - I decided to try to re-invent my life.
I now play with the dogs first, work by driving the dogs in the car, share my dinner with the dogs, and do the laundry (again) because Madison likes to shred her toilet paper rolls on the bed. They make the best co-workers in the world. Honest! No fighting, no backstabbing, no power struggles (I know, I lost, they won)
Here are some things about business that I’ve learned from working with my dogs…..
1. Make sure you take time to play ball. Working all the time is boring.
2. Do something that makes you happy. (like sneak into the trash while mommy’s not looking!)
3. Surround yourself with friends - even furry ones! Friends make the world a much better place - (and give you someone to take the blame if that sandwich goes missing off of the counter.)
4. Be relentless - Tug of War is not just a game at the office.
5. Wag your tail - because it means you’re happy…..(and you get more kisses that way).
6. Take time for a nap. It gives you energy to play more often.
7. If you want a bone, take it. (Spencer is not going to give his to you).
8. Don’t be afraid to make a mess. (Life with a little clutter is much more fun!)
9. Sniff the flowers, chase the butterflies (or in Spencer’s case the bumble bees) and appreciate the little things.
and my all-time favorite…..
10. If you don’t like someone - growl. They’ll go away.
Cheers!
So you want to be in Pictures?
Posted on June 19, 2008
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Let it be said, I love my dogs. Thanks to Robin Burkett of PawPrints Photography (www.pawprintsphotography.com) I now have my own personal “Dogs as Art” gallery in my home.
I met Robin last year when she helped me with some photography for another doggy business I’m working on, Hoochie Coochie Poochie, and she did such a wonderful job on those images, I hired her to help me with our Canine Commuter Press photos. It turned into a photo shoot for my dogs, but I have the most wonderful images of my dogs to cherish forever.
I felt Robin captured the personality of my dogs as I have come to know them. She and her assistant spent hours at my home, patiently setting up every shot and reviewing the proof images as I was a teary mess looking at incredible images of my furry babies (every picture was so wonderful it was hard to choose!)
For those of you who are considering photography of your pet, I cannot recommend Robin highly enough. I have chosen a few of the images she took of my dogs to share with you. Enjoy!
You can contact Robin at www.pawprintsphotography.com and view her wonderful portrait gallery online.
We want to know what makes you “click”?
Posted on June 13, 2008
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WHAT MAKES YOU “CLICK”?
Canine Commuter wants to become your trusted source for pet travel products on the web, but, we want to know what you, our customer, is looking for from your online shopping experience. Products? Promotions? Price? Free Shipping? Customer Service? We want to offer you the best possible shopping experience we can…but we need your feedback!!
What can we do better to help you? What would encourage you to shop with us? If you have shopped with us, what made you come back? If you are considering a pet travel product purchase - who else are you considering shopping with? Why?
Thank you for your feedback! - We look forward to serving you better in the future.
L.
Products we don’t like….?
Posted on June 11, 2008
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Q: You don’t provide negative reviews on your blog. Why? Do you ever find products that you don’t like? P.C. Loudoun, VA
A: Yes, we occasionally find travel products we don’t like. Either we didn’t like the fit, some have fallen apart upon use, some we thought were poorly made, and some, in our opinion, we didn’t think that the automobiles were engineered to provide adequate support for such devices. You won’t find those products on CanineCommuter.com.
To be fair to the product manufacturers, we are in the midst of providing written feedback about these products to give them the opportunity to respond before posting our opinion on this blog.
The Importance of Crate Fans
Posted on June 11, 2008
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When we’re not trying new products, my dogs travel in crates. Since they are located in the rear passenger/cargo area of my Honda Pilot, I was concerned that they were not getting adequate cooling….so I tried these crate fans and found that they did the trick!
As part of our research, Spencer spent some time traveling in a plastic crate (the kind you can find at the big box retailer). Did you know that we found that plastic crates actually hold heat - and the average temperature can be from 5 - 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the car? During the winter months, that’s ok, but for Spring/Summer travel the only way we could mitigate the heat was to use a crate fan. Spencer was much happier with his own personal air conditioning system. Now I use them regularly when just going from place to place. (I haven’t found a way to use these with fabric crates yet - so if you have any suggestions please let us know!)
And please remember - NEVER leave your dog unattended in an automobile…especially during summer months. It only takes a few minutes to heat the car to fatal temperatures for your pet. One of my rules: If you wouldn’t do it to a child, don’t do it to a dog.
Car Safety for a 5 lb Chihuahua.
Posted on June 4, 2008
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Submitted By K.Q. - Virginia
Q: I was checking out your site, and looking at the booster seats. What would
you recommend to ensure safety for a 5 lb. chihuahua riding in the car?
A: For the dogs that are very small….I generally recommend a containment product that can be used as a safety seat…ie: it can be strapped onto the rear passenger seat. Depending on what your dog will need - here are a couple of options:
Dog Bicycle Trailers - Carrying Dog and Camping Gear
Posted on June 4, 2008
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Submitted by B.K. of Wilmington, DE
Q: My husband and I want to purchase a bicycle trailer to hold our dog and our camping gear. We want a trailer big enough to fit both our Boston Terrier, Pickles, and the gear. What do you recommend?
A: Pickles can easily fit into a medium sized trailer and www.CanineCommuter.com has several to select from. However, I don’t recommend that you on put both your Boston Terrier and camping gear into a bicycle trailer. In the case of a bicycling accident (or the trailer accidentally flipping), Pickles could get injured. I know it looks like there is plenty of room for more than just the dog inside of these trailers - but they are designed to hold only your dog. The extra weight of the camping gear can easily throw the trailer off balance and cause it to flip.
McLean Pet Expo, June 14th - Mclean, Virginia
Posted on May 22, 2008
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Hey there!
I wanted to announce Canine Commuter’s next local appearance….June 14th - at the Mclean Pet Expo in Mclean, Virginia! We’ll be doing safety harness and lifejacket sizing clinics and will have innovative pet travel products on hand for you to stop by and see.
Please join us! We look forward to meeting you and your Canine Commuter!
L.
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