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Hurricane season officially runs from June 1^st to November 30^th. Living in Florida it is natural to have a hurricane prep kit for ourselves; but what about your dog? Do you even know what to have prepared for your furry family member? Let us talk a little about hurricane prep for pets.

First and foremost, you should already have researched the local hurricane shelters to ensure they are pet friendly. If there are no pet friendly shelters (or they are full) you should also have researched if your vet office, local shelters, pet hotels, or boarding facilities are available during a hurricane. There is also the possibility of evacuating to a friend’s house not in the path of the hurricane, but make sure you have already talked about this in advance.

Below is a list of the most common items in a hurricane kit for your furry friend.

• Always pack the essentials like food and water with bowls. You should have at least a three-day supply of both in waterproof containers.
• A copy of your pet’s recent vaccination records. If they are electronic print a copy just in case there is no cell service.
• Proof of ownership, especially if your pet has been adopted.
• Spare collar and leash, if possible, have your dog’s information already on the collar. Your dog should already have an ID tag, so if lost they are easily returned.
• Some shelters require your dog to be in a crate or carrier. Check the requirements for your local shelter to ensure you have the proper items to be able to check yourself and your pet in.
• Familiar toy or blanket especially if your dog goes to one of them for comfort. Having an item that smells like home can go a long way to help comfort your furry friend during this stressful time.
• If your dog takes medications, they should be in a large Ziplock bag along with directions.
• Plan for poo:
  • Potty pads can be valuable if your dog does not like going potty in the rain.
  • Poo bags to be able to clean up after your dog. Dog feces can carry bacteria and can cause sickness if left unattended, plus it smells bad.
• A first aid kit is an important safety item for both you and your pets. Items to include are:
  • Bandages,
  • Iodine or chlorhexidine wound cleaner,
  • Triple antibiotic ointment or cream,
  • Vaseline which can help with cracked paw pads and noses,
  • and Hydrogen peroxide which can be used to wash out wounds or induce vomiting if your dog eats something toxic.

Ensure you are prepared and have the essential information and items ready to go. If you are relying on getting into a pet friendly shelter, try to get there quickly. These shelters fill up quickly and you are going to want to get your spot as quickly as possible. Although only 3 days of food and water is recommended I would have about 2 weeks of food and water in your car that you can easily access if you need to stay longer. Safety is key.

Independence Day can be very exciting for us. This holiday involves BBQ’s, fireworks, street parties, or outdoor celebrations at your home. For a dog though this day can be frightening; there are loud noises, crowds, and unescapable heat. There are some considerations that need to be made for our dogs to ensure they are as comfortable as possible and able to enjoy the festivities with us.

For dogs that are bothered by loud noises it is probably best to leave them at home and not bring them to fireworks displays. Sometimes there are fireworks in your neighborhood, so avoidance is not an option. There are items that can help keep your puppy calm: Thundershirt, calming collars, calming bandanas, calming sprays, or even a dark quiet room in the house. Another idea is you can play music or a movie in the house to help dampen the noise outdoors.

When bringing our fur babies into public places crowds should be a consideration. If your dog is not friendly or does not like loud crowds of people, it is probably best to just leave them home. If your dog is extremely friendly, then this can be an exciting time for them. A few considerations to keep in mind: not every dog out in public is friendly with other dogs, not every person who brings their dog out in public wants to socialize with other dogs, some dogs are working and cannot socialize, and some people are terrified of dogs. Keeping these things in mind it can be a lot of fun to bring our dogs out into crowded places.

Heat is our last big consideration when bringing our dogs out celebrating Independence Day. Dogs can only release heat in two places: the pads of their feet and their mouth by panting and drooling. To help keep our pups cool we can do a couple things. Bring an umbrella to create instant shade. Bringing water and a bowl can help to keep the cooling process going. Bring a towel so you can wipe their paws on a cool moist towel, this can also help cool them down. When at all possible avoid the hottest part of the day, between noon and three, and rest in the shade when you notice your dog is getting stressed.

Have fun, be safe, and Happy Independence Day.

As you may know by reading my profile, I have a soft spot for rescued animals. This is the story of my most neurotic rescue. My dog Zoey, a Great Dane, is the most recent rescue and my most challenging. When I first saw her, it was love at first sight. She was trembling, tail between her legs, terrified look on her face, 30 pounds underweight, and generally a wreck. When talking to her foster mom I found out that she had been through 4 homes, including her foster home twice, in her first year of life. The previous owners had beaten her leaving scars both seen and unseen, starved her (the rescue got her at 50 pounds underweight), and had done no obedience training at all. I knew she needed a good loving home and just had to adopt her. So, on a Saturday morning around Thanksgiving in 2017 I brought home my new neurotic baby. We spent a month potty training, 3 months teaching her that if she pulled on the leash nothing bad would happen (when I got her if she accidentally pulled on the leash she would run to my side trembling), and 2 years dealing with inappropriate chewing. Almost 3 years later she is still a bit neurotic but has improved in many respects. She no longer thinks something bad will happen if she pulls on the leash, she is potty trained, and she no longer breaks down when a man gets close to her. Small victories for other dogs but huge victories for her. Although she is still terrified of obedience training and will often run away from treats before coming toward them, she has made great progress. I have learned from Zoey as much as she has learned from me. Through her I have learned the power of kindness, the frustration of patience, the joy of small victories, and the art of being aware of hand movements.

I rarely use her as a demonstration dog with training because of the abuse she has suffered at such a young age has damaged her beyond repair in some respects. On occasion she does come with me for dogs dealing with aggression, she is so big but gentle with other dogs. She does not mind being barked at while they get used to approaching her. Healing is a long road and we are in it for the long haul.

Like most of you I inherited a dog who had A LOT of behavior issues. He eat a fortune of my shoes, broke a window barking at the mailman, growled at my friends, had issues potty training, pulled on the leash, and chewed almost everything he could get his mouth around. His name was Bingo and he was a 95 lb Lab/Shepherd mix. Although I loved my dog like a child, and still refer to him as my first child, I was at my wits end and did not know what to do. For these reasons I started searching for a trainer in my area to help me. Unfortunately I lived out in the middle of nowhere and there were no trainers to help me. Doing some internet searches I found Animal Behavioral College and started thinking of becoming a trainer. I had trained all of my mom’s dogs, she was a breeder of Doberman Pinschers and Miniature Dachshunds when I was growing up. The course I took was more intensive that I bargained for and I was introduced to the world of positive reinforcement for dog training for the first time. I gave it a try and it worked. Bingo ended up being a model dog and was the envy of all my friends. Gone was the scared untrainable dog and in his place was my model citizen. I was hooked on dog training and have been training ever since.