Cobourg dog photographer Archives - PAWSH MAGAZINE

Cobourg dog photographer

TORONTO DOG MAGAZINE: HOW TO PACK A DOG-FRIENDLY EMERGENCY OVERNIGHT BAG

Uncategorized, WELLNESS
Comments Off on TORONTO DOG MAGAZINE: HOW TO PACK A DOG-FRIENDLY EMERGENCY OVERNIGHT BAG

One of the most stressful pet parenting situations is being called away from home unexpectedly and needing to find a last minute dog-sitter. Perhaps the weather is really bad (hello winter) and you are stranded at the office. Or maybe there is a health emergency and you have to rush to the hospital.

Whatever the reason, today we’re going to share how to prepare a standing dog-friendly overnight bag so that when your neighbour, auntie or friend has to step in at a moment’s notice they will have everything they could possibly need for your beloved fur-monster with no fuss!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #1: A LARGE DOG TOTE BAG

Choose a bag that will comfortably house all of the overnight care goodies that we plan to pack on this list. We personally love something that is a heavy duty cotton and machine washable to help keep this overnight bag looking pristine at all times! And if it has a dog-friendly inscription on it like “Dog is my true soulmate” even better! (Tote bag available here!)

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #2: A DOG-FRIENDLY TRAVEL BED

If your dog is going to stay overnight at someone else’s house, they are going to need their own bed. Pack a nifty travel dog bed, something that folds up nice and small but stretches out into a deluxe slumber space. We love this Travel Mat from Canadian pet product designer Handsome Mountain. It is water-resistant, rolls up like a yoga mat (with built in tie strings, amazing!) and is very plush so as to provide comfort for your little one on any floor, couch or carseat!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #3: DOG FOOD
An air-tight container of dog food is also a must, because after all puppy has to eat.

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #4: AN EXTRA LEASH
Have a back up leash included in this bag too. Why? Because this way when your dog-sitter arrives in case of emergency they don’t have to spend any time searching for your dog’s everyday leash, which, let’s face it, is usually dropped in a different place after every walk (at least, it is on our house!)

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #5: A CHEW TOY

What do you like to pack when you stay away from home? Toys of some sort probably, yes? Well, your dog will also appreciate this! Consider including a multipurpose chew toy to help keep your pup occupied in their new surroundings. We personally love to pack the Bionic Urban Stick that is ultra durable, floats, doubles as a tug-of-war toy and can be stuffed with treats!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #6: TRAVEL DOG BOWL

A travel bowl is also a good idea so that your dog doesn’t have to commandeer one of your dog-sitter’s everyday dishes. We love the Pocket Bowl from RadDog on Etsy, because it folds up small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, thus leaving lots of room in your dog overnight bag for other essentials. Plus your dog-sitter can throw it in their purse or pocket for any long walks or outings!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #7: DOG TOWEL

Include a dog-friendly towel as well. Not only will this double as a second sleeping space for your pupster, but it will also help to protect your dog-sitters’ couch from pesky dog hairs. Not everyone allows their pets on the furniture, so including a fresh towel to cover upholstery with will help your furry couch potato to be a polite guest. Plus it will be needed for mucky paws or any unexpected baths.

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #8: ORGANIC DOG TREATS

Treats are also a must! Pop an unopened bag of dog treats into the overnight bag so that your dog-sitter can spoil your pup. As we all know treats can often help reinforce positive behaviours in a pup too which can help make a sleepover easier too. One of our favourite dog treat companies is Amelia Biscuit Company, located in Paris, Ontario. Their Peanut Butter Treaty Bites are wheat-free, organic and oven baked. Dogs go bananas for these yummy morsels and the air-tight resealable bag makes packing them for sleepovers easy-peasy!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #9: A DOG TEDDY BEAR!
And, of course, no sleepover would be complete without a Kong Knots Wild Bear Toy, because everyone needs a teddy bear to sleep well when away from home!

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #10: A DOG SWEATER

Pack your dog a sweater in their overnight bag too. It’s not just to look cute — it will keep them dry on rainy walks and warm on chilly nights.

DOG-FRIENDLY OVERNIGHT BAG ITEM #11: A LIST
And finally include a little list that contains all of your dog’s emergency numbers and information. For example, your vet’s number in case of emergency, the nearest 24hr vet clinic, any medication instructions, any behaviourial issues, a list of your dog’s words like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘up,’ ‘down’ etc., because every dog has a different vocabulary.

FINAL TIP
Once your dog overnight bag is all neatly packed and organized there is only one last thing left to do – store it in a place that is easily accessible at a moment’s notice. We recommend a closet by the front door so that when a last minute dog-sitter needs to grab it they can do so with ease!

We’ve covered all of the essentials, but would love to know what you would pack for your dog’s overnight bag! Let us know in the comments!

Save

DOG TRAINING TIPS: HOW TO TRAIN A DOG TO SPIN

WELLNESS
Comments Off on DOG TRAINING TIPS: HOW TO TRAIN A DOG TO SPIN

Who doesn’t love to spin or twirl? It is such a freeing movement and something that is actually very simple to teach your pup! Often times dogs love spinning as much as their humans love seeing them do it! Here to take us through a step-by-guide to training a dog how to spin is Jess from Cohen the Australian Shepherd. Take it away Jess!

STEP 1
The first step is having a moderately hungry dog who knows how to follow a lure. Some dogs need a bit of help in learning that you want them to follow a bit of food in your hands and for some dogs it comes (very) naturally.

STEP 2
Place a treat in your hand and your hand near the dog’s nose. Slowly move your hand in a clockwise circle and voila, your dog has spun. Mark with a “yes” or a click and the treat from your hand. If the dog hasn’t followed your hand it’s possible they need a bit of help learning how to follow a lure, or it’s possible that you moved your hand too quickly. STEP 3
Now, try the other way. Lure your dog in a counter-clockwise circle. Again, mark with a “yes” or a click and treat. Some dogs will have an easier time turning in one direction than another, but ideally you want your dog to be able to turn both ways. You want muscle development equal on both sides.
STEP 4
Once your dog is successfully following the lure (it may only take 2-3 times) you can start fading the lure. Show the dog the treat but do a bit of slight-of-hand trickery and palm the treat to your other hand without your pup noticing.

Lure them in a circle then open your luring hand as if to say “look! no treat!” and then feed them from your other hand. You want your dog to understand that even if there’s not a treat on her nose she’ll still get one at the end. Practice this until you don’t have to be crafty in palming the treat and your dog is following an empty hand.
STEP 5
Now, it’s time to add a verbal cue. While luring the dog in a circle say “spin” while the dog is in movement so they associate the twirl with the word. Repeat until your dog is cuing off your voice and not your hand gesture. And that’s it! It’s a spin! Now go the other way and give that direction a unique name. “Twist” is a common cue.

SEE IT HERE IN ACTION
How long should you allow a dog to do this trick?
Until you’re sick of it! Dogs tend to love this trick because it’s easy, fun and it pays off with a treat at the end of it. When you’re first starting out, 1 spin = 1 treat, but as you and your dog progress you can ask for multiple spins for one treat.

SHOW US YOUR STUFF! Show us your dog spins by posting a video on Instagram and tagging with with the hashtag #pawshtricks for a chance to have your dog featured on Pawsh!

{Special thanks to Jess Bell and Cohen the Australian Shepherd for this wonderful dog training guide! Photography by Pawsh Studio.}

Save

DOG PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: 3 MUST-HAVE PUPPY PHOTOS (AND HOW TO TAKE THEM!)

LIFESTYLE
Comments Off on DOG PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: 3 MUST-HAVE PUPPY PHOTOS (AND HOW TO TAKE THEM!)

Puppies grow up far too fast! One moment they are a squashy little ball of fluff who fits in the palm of your hand, the next they are a full grown dog taking over the bed! Don’t let those early little pawprints run away from you. Follow these three tried and true professional dog photography tips from Pawsh Studio so that you can cherish the earliest moments of pet parenthood forever! (more…)

TORONTO DOG MAGAZINE: BACK TO BASICS

LIFESTYLE, Uncategorized
Comments Off on TORONTO DOG MAGAZINE: BACK TO BASICS

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone for your patience while Pawsh took a little hiatus this winter. We needed to get away and recharge, destress and seek balance, spend some time detatched from the constant computer time and really just hug our dogs to help get us reinvigorated about the Pawsh project.

Happily we will be returning to regular scheduled programming next week. The past several weeks have been spent cooking up new fun, bite-sized features for the blog that you and your pupsters can enjoy on the go!

We are so looking forward to getting back into chit-chatting about dog wellness, behaviour, fantastic products and living a dog-friendly lifestyle on a regular basis. We have missed it deeply. Thank you everyone again and again for sticking with us while we worked to rediscover our own ‘pawsh’ voice amidst the general noise of life and the media world. We can’t wait for next week!

Save