Warmer days and more hours of sunlight provide the perfect opportunity for dogs and owners to enjoy the great outdoors. But there are added risks to your dog’s health and wellbeing that Springtime can pose. Being alert to these common dangers can help keep your protection dog happy and safe.
Picnic Food
As the first picnickers brave the parks again, with tempting foodstuffs laid out around them, you need to be careful about what your dog eats. Some foods that are delicious for humans are deadly to dogs. Chocolate, grapes and sweeteners in some baked goods are all poisonous to protection dogs. They can cause adverse reactions and, in the most extreme cases, even death. If you think your dog has eaten something harmful, call your vet immediately for advice.
Other dogs
Over the past year of lockdowns, your dog will have got much less used to other people and to other dogs. Now that Coronavirus restrictions are easing and more people will be outside, it is important to train – or retrain – your protection dog to make sure that they are equipped to deal with the sensory overload. Contact us to ask about our training packages for residential and working dogs, as well as intensive boot camps.
Antihistamines
For many people, the first days of spring are also the first days of returning hayfever. We keep the condition surpassed by using allergy medication but antihistamines, and the drugs they are mixed with, can have negative effects on protection dogs, causing drowsiness or hyperactivity. Keep your own medication locked away, out of reach or consider swapping to dog-friendly alternatives.
Slug Pellets
Tending to the garden is a natural part of the spring. As new seedlings begin to sprout, we want to keep them free from pests. Putting down slug and snail pellets can deter these insects from taking a tasty meal on prized leaves. But these pellets contain metaldehyde which is lethal to dogs even in tiny amounts. Wipe your dog’s paws and muzzle after every walk to prevent even traces of this chemical from getting into their system.
