Blog

By: Meredith Godwin

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. It’s important to construct emergency plans for you and your pet before disaster strikes. Hopefully, you have already considered emergency preparations for your family, but did you remember to include your pets in those plans? Take a look at some things you can do to be a smart pet owner and ready your furry friend for an emergency.

By: Debra Murray 

Have you ever seen Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs? If not, it’s okay. You’ll still get the idea. There’s this scene where Ellie (the main wooly mammoth mama) is getting ready to have a baby. She and Manny (her mate) had this clever code word so he would know when Ellie was in labor. Well, Ellie was having trouble recalling that special word when it was time and there was some confusion in those moments. Finally, Ellie focuses hard, concentrates, and says to herself, “Come on Ellie. Think!”. After a moment’s pause, she is then able to successfully bellow out the code word, “PEACHES!”. The baby is coming!

By: Andrew Long & Debra Murray

Bow-wowza! What was that? Normally, I can sleep through anything, but those thunderous booms and pops quickly startled me out of a sound slumber. I don’t hear those very often, but boy when I do, they make my bones tremble. There’s that distinct smell, too! It stings my nose and makes me sneeze. My eyes burn. I squint hard to see through the hazy air as I investigate the source of my abrupt awakening. My people keep giving me a gentle pat and excitedly say, “It’s okay, boy! It’s just the fireworks. It’s the 4th of July.”

By: Pam Wooldridge

Time for a relaxing vacay? Whether you’re heading to Disney World, to grandma’s house, or anywhere in between, sometimes our furry loved ones just aren’t able to tag along. Planning your pooch’s holiday is an important component of any vacation preparations. How can you make the time mutually enjoyable for everyone?

Tips for deterring interactions with loose dogs

“I was walking with my 2 young children and a dog started running towards us. It began jumping on my 3year old, and would not stop despite me trying to keep him down. My 3year old was screaming. I was screaming for help, and no one came. My son received scratches all over his trunk, neck, face, and ear. I feel horrible for not being able to protect my babies.”

By: Audrey Wissel & Debra Murray

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”
~Josh Billings

Guest Blog by Welcome Baby KC’s Lauren Letterman

Sometimes the first sign of pregnancy is an affectionate pet. Your dog won’t leave your side or your puppy drapes herself across your (toasty) belly. They’ve been with you through morning sickness (so what if they tripped you a couple times as you dashed to the bathroom?), happy danced with you after your first ultrasound, and eyed you sideways when you cried over a cute commercial. Your dog is a constant source of reassurance and comfort as you get closer to meeting your baby. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for them to be a part of your labor and delivery, too?

Welcome to Smartypaws, where clients find no flaws. Low cost luxury boarding, so all can be affording.

Positive training, with no harmful restraining. You’ve tried the rest, now go with the best!

Read all about it! We’ve made some fantastic changes for 2017 and are excited to share our New Year’s news with Smartypaws’ friends, families, and followers. We are bringing in the New Year with luxury low stress boarding, a new location, and Family Paws Parent Education™ group presentations.

Part 3 in a 3-part series

Building a trusting relationship between children and dogs takes time and vigilance. It’s important to spend time together and include our family pups in daily activities with children. However, if we want to foster a trusting relationship, then we need to ensure that everyone and everything involved is enjoying the time spent together. Including dogs and children in pleasant, relationship building activities does not require physical contact or touching between the child and dog.