There is more to dressing your pet for Halloween then just picking out a costume you like and putting it on them. Depending on your pet’s size, confirmation, temperament and age, you will need to pick a costume that best suits them.

Naturally you don’t want to put a costume with a hat that lays flat on dogs head that has ears that stand up. You also don’t want to put a heavy costume on a smaller or older dog, or any type of costume that is going to restrict their eye sight.

Also, if your pet doesn’t have the temperament for dressing up, don’t force them. Usually a dog that has not been accustomed to it won’t be really thrilled and can be a bit more edgy then normal anyway with all the other Halloween activities going on. It’s best to start when your pup is young to get them use to wearing costumes. Don’t force your dog to wear a costume if they really don’t want to. Put a Halloween bandana on them or ribbon in their hair to show their Halloween spirit as an alternative.

Also, if you are taking your dog trick or treating, be sure to take an extra bag with you for clean up, and don’t mix up the bags!!

For a great assortment of doggie Halloween costumes, you can check out these on Buycostumes.com.

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Recent observations by Veterinarians show that the average lifespan of their patients is getting longer. We know that humans are living longer then they ever have. With healthier living options and medical science we are now seeing many people become centenarians. Just the same is applying to your pets. Pets now have more medical options, they are less likely to just be left loose to run the streets and owners have become more aware of how to give their pets a healthier life.

Now more dogs are living up to 15 and 16 years old who in the past would not have made it nearly that far. The smaller breeds tend to have a bit longer life span then the larger breeds while the giant breeds have the shortest and the toy breeds the longest. The most common killer of dogs is cancer, and some if detected earlier enough can even be cured.

Even the cats are extending their 9 lives to 20 years or even more with Siamese and Abyssinians living the longest. The most common killer of cats is liver or kidney failure in their older years.

Perhaps there is some parallel in that pets and humans both are living longer. Maybe it’s the love and comfort of their pets that keep the elderly aging and the pets still around because of the bond they share together.

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Sometimes travelling with your pet can leave you in a quandary because you just don’t know where to stay. Some hotels only take certain size pets while others won’t let you have any, or charge an arm and a leg extra to let them stay in the room with you.

One hotel is an exception to both those. At Motel 6, they let you have your pets with you and actually welcome you to bring them along. There is no additional charge for your pets; however there are few rules to follow.

If you must leave your pet alone in the room it must be crated. Also, housekeeping will not service a room if you pet is in there alone.

When walking your pet, you must clean up after it.

Any pet that is considered to be a risk will not be allowed. That is for the safety of staff, guests and other pets.

You must declare ALL pets upon check in. Only a certain amount per room is allowed.

Pets must be on a leash and under control anytime you are out of your room

These all seem like pretty reasonable requests to me in exchange for letting you bring you pet with you.

Also, they now have a special discounted rate. If you want to book ahead, use this link and save 10% off your booking with code CP546994.

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It’s not always possible to take you pet on vacation with you; in fact, sometimes it is nice to have a little vacation away from them, even though we love them dearly. But, it’s best not to upset their routine too much when you can’t take them. Here are some tips to help make your vacation a little easier on your pets.

From the time they are young, let them know that you will be returning home and don’t make a big deal out of leaving. A little thing like a smile, pat on the head and “guard the house” or a little catch phrase they are use to will make them feel at ease.

Be sure they have plenty of food and water for the time that you are going to be gone. If you have someone coming in to care them, make sure they know exactly how much food and what food which pet eats.

Make sure the sitter has a phone number to reach you and your veterinarian and your local emergency vet clinic just in case there should be a major problem. Leave a note with them that says you will accept all financial responsibility if they have to rush them into the vets or prearrange it with the vet.

Make sure they have a clean place to potty, enough litter boxes or familiar area that they should use.

Leave them a few toys to play with, even leaving the radio on for them to keep them company will make their time alone more enjoyable and seem more normal to them then having dead silence.

Be sure they are familiar with the sitter and there is no chance they won’t keep the sitter from entering the house or their housing area. Do several trial runs before leaving them alone with a pet sitter for an extended period of time.

Most of all do not make a big deal of it and show them how bad you feel. They will pick up on that and it can create more anxiety for your pet.

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Some people really can’t explain where they came up with their pets name or why.  Maybe the pets appearance was the reason, where they found it or bought it, or maybe they just like that name. Some people like to just get really creative. However, more and more pet owners are giving their pets human names. The names like Fido and Lassie are no longer popular, but Max, Buddy and Lucy top the lists of dog and cats names.

Perhaps the thought behind the human names is that people are associating their pets with being more of a family member then how it use to be.
According to Petfinder.com, the 10 top dog names are:

1. Buddy (805)
2. Max (620)
3. Daisy (588)
4. Jack (520)
5. Lucy (496)
6. Molly (476)
7. Charlie (431)
8. Sadie (415)
9. Jake (407)

Accordingly, the top 10 cats names are:

1. Lucy (354)
2. Molly (328)
3. Oreo (320)
4. Kittens (318)
5. Smokey (315)
6. Princess (312)
7. Shadow (310)
8. Tigger (310)
9. Angel (309)
10. Missy (301)

However, the top 10 most unusual names are:

1. Woe Izmee
2. Gwyneth Poultry (a duck)
3. SoSueMe
4. 54cent Swee’T
5. Iamaredneckwoman
6. Angry Chef Soup
7. Ms. Cornflake Especially
8. Bon Jo Flea
9. McLovin
10. Joe the Plumber

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It’s getting to be that time of year again when we are preparing for Football season. Flags are being hung outside the house, stickers and license plates and magnets are being put on the cars and menu planning for kickoff is starting. Lets not forget our four legged friends this year when getting ready.

There are a lot of merchants out there that have some great NFL pet gear, but one that I like best is Dicks Sporting Goods. Not only do they have some awesome NFL pet jerseys, but they also have NFL collars and matching leads to go with them. They even have an NFL pet mat to keep your pets food and water area clean.

If you aren’t so much in to NFL, but you’re still a sports fan and MLB, NASCAR, NHL or NBA are more your style, they also have quite a variety of fan items for your pets too. Whose dog wouldn’t look awesome in a St Louis Cardinals bandana and matching collar, or a pink Dale Earnhardt Jr collar for the lady dogs.

So while you are gearing up for your favorite sport, be sure to gear up your pet too. Check out the sports pet gear at Dicks Sporting Goods and get your dog in on the action.

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If you had to guess what the most popular family pet dog breed would be, what would you guess? A Poodle, a Cocker, a German Shepherd, a Beagle, nope, it’s a Labrador Retriever. What is it about Labs that have made them the most popular family dog for over 20 years.

Labradors weight in from 60-80lbs and live an average of 12-15 years, unlike most large dogs that do not have that long of a life expectancy. They are extremely energetic and puppy like way into their 4th or 5th year of life, and yet, they are so loveable, intelligent and eager to please. They have a very easy going nature and are very seldom ever aggressive.

Labradors hail from Newfoundland and were used to aid the fishermen in pulling in the nets and catch the escaping fish. After being cross bred with other retrievers, the breed reached its full potential on being a “retriever”.

Not only do they make great family pets, but Labradors are also often used as working service dogs.

Though there is a myth that they don’t shed, they certainly do. However, because they have short soft hair, it is often not seen in the house like dogs that have thick shedding undercoats or long hair.

Having been a former Lab owner, I can tell you that the temperament they have is wonderful however, be prepared to have a lot of excitement in your house for a long time if you have a Lab as your pet, they have way more energy then I could muster up to stay up with them.

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Today on the news was a very sad story about a K-9 police dog which died in the line of duty while chasing a suspect. The high heat index across the country is a huge concern for all pet owners for both indoor and outdoor pets, so I wanted to remind everyone about the extreme heat the country is experiencing and precautions that need to be taken with your pets.

For outside pets, make sure they always have a shady area. Not just an area where when the sun is at certain point they will have some shade. It has to be a consistently shady area. Also, make sure they always have plenty of cool water. Loading their bowls up with ice cubes is a good way to ensure that the water will stay cool. Make sure that their food and water bowls are also in a shaded area and not crawling with ants. Pets can become dehydrated very easily. For indoor pets, make sure they too also have access to plenty of water. Just because they are inside does not mean that they can’t dehydrate from going in and out to potty.

Walking your dog is good exercise, but again, in the summer, precautions need to be taken. First off, is the asphalt or concrete too hot on your pet’s feet? They can burn the pads. Also, you might want to think about lessening the walk time so your pet doesn’t get overheated, and slow down the pace in hot weather. Since your pet is closer to the hot ground, they do heat up quicker than you do.

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While 50 soldiers slept silently, a suicide bomber on the mission to destroy an entire army camp crept up with the intention of detonating a killer bomb. The plan didn’t fare well for the would be bomber thanks to three stray dogs keeping watch over the camp.  

Two non profit organizations, Roberts Cause, and the Puppy Rescue Mission helped to make the reunion possible between the dogs and their new thankful owners. Both dogs are currently in Georgia reunited with Sgt Duke and his other three dogs until Target heads out to Arizona to be with his new owner.

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Several animal rescue  groups will remain in Haiti to continue the Haiti an governments efforts to spay and neuter pets and vaccinate them. Prior to the earthquake, the Haitian government had trained more then 80 veterinarians and  vaccinated over 100,000 dogs and cats in a large scale vaccination and pet population program.

The lives of many animals have been lost and confused, homeless and starving animals are now wandering the streets of Haiti.

The Christian Veterinary Mission has been in Haiti for 30 years, and there were actually two vets on staff when the earthquake hit. They immediately began to help families and their pets. The HSUS has been monitoring the situation along with the AVMA to see where they need to go to be most effective.

Currently, the Animal Relief Coalition of Haiti is on ground in Haiti to help the animals as well as raising money for them.  Organizations that form this group are WSPA,  IFAW, AHA, ASPCA, Best Friends and United Animal Nations.

According to Best Friends website, at this time ARCH is no longer asking for donations to help the animals stating that they have effectively raised enough funds through peoples donations to contain the animal situation. They are gathering up the animals, vaccinating, applying flea control and restoring health to the animal victims.  They are currently seeing between 25 and 50 animals a day.

Scheduled to arrive  today  in the Dominican Republic is a mobile animal unit  which will then go on to Haiti  and should arrive in several days.

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