Doggone Etiquette—

Safe & Sound

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

How safe do you feel? How safe are you really? You don’t know? Oh, then you must be relying 100 percent on your VIPeople to make sure you are protected at all times. You may hear people say they are keeping you “safe and sound” and, since you’re a good watch dog, you are familiar with what safe means. But just so you know, in this case “sound” does not mean you can be noisy. Stick with the safe part and we’ll take up the sound with the people who keep you safe.

A Word to the Dog’s owner:

There are lots of safety threats to our dogs when winter really hits us. Simply letting the dog out on his own because it’s too cold (or windy, snowy, icy — you name it) to take him yourself for his usual on-leash walk could easily result in a lost dog. An opening in your otherwise safely fenced area, or a gate frozen ajar that you hadn’t noticed, are common examples of how this often happens. Once the dog is out on his own, he’ll be disoriented by once-familiar scents now frozen, as well as by new ones that are unfamiliar. One turn into an unfamiliar area and Rufus soon becomes a lost dog.

License and rabies tags on the dog’s collar do provide easy and quick identification, but they can also be easily and quickly removed by someone bent on stealing your dog. In addition to tags, make use of the microchip, which is permanent and is invisible to the naked eye. It is the very best ID available. If you haven’t gotten around to getting this safety device for Rufus, make an appointment with your vet to having it done ASAP.

There are all the other safety things we’ve gone over and over, and over again — read labels on ice melts and all the other products meant to protect you from the ravages of winter. Some are lethal to our pets. And that includes road salt, so don’t let Rufus even attempt to lick at ice or puddles on your walks.

A new item to be aware of, especially now when dogs are indoors much of the day, is a sugar substitute called xylitol. It is found in candy, chewing gum, baking (and baked) products, etc. It’s safe for humans, but is dangerous — even lethal — for dogs. Again, read labels.

That’s probably enough about safety, so let’s turn to the “sound” part. Keep up the grooming! A winter-resistant, luxurious thick natural coat needs lots of brushing and combing to get rid of knots and tangles, and to prevent new ones from forming. You’re not off the hook if your dog has a smooth or flat coat, either. Brushing provides good stimulus to the dog’s entire body — skin and muscles and nerves — not just the fur. Check in and around the ears as well as the hair around the pads of the feet and toes. Even small specks of dirt caught in those spots can become very painful.

That’s just your routine upkeep. A date with his groomer will make Rufus feel like a special dog, one you really care about. All spruced up, he’ll be ready to go back to obedience classes — or winter sports, or…

What’s the best thing to keep your own feet warm while you’re watching TV, reading, or even daydreaming of spring? A dog, of course! Watch it getting up, so you don’t bump Rufus off the couch and spoil your chances for the next time you’d like that bit of warmth.

Until next time — BE GOOD!

—Bardi