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Puppies can be a popular holiday item! While of course we support adopting a puppy from a local rescue or shelter, even if you or someone you know is buying a puppy from a breeder or pet store, we want to help those puppies stay happily in their new families too. The Puppy Manual is for all puppies everywhere!

The Puppy Manual from Adopt-a-Pet.com is not a comprehensive guide to raising a puppy – there are entire books devoted to that topic! However it is a super-helpful and concise 21 pages covering the basics, to help new puppy parents prepare for the arrival and first few months with a new puppy.  The basic training, socialization, and guidelines explained simply with many easy-to-follow steps can be used starting at the age of 8 weeks, the earliest age at which most people would be bringing a puppy into their home. If your puppy is slightly older, as long as they are under 6 months old, these steps can still be helpful! For puppies older than 6 months, many of these tips still apply, but you’ll want to look at the other articles we have in our blog that are for older puppy & dogs too. We have several formats of The Puppy Manual for you to choose from, click any of them to download and start reading:

1. PDF free download, two sizes:

• HIGH-RES 2.5MB “The Puppy Manual” PDF  great for printing
• WEB-size .5MB “The Puppy Manual” PDF great for reading on your screen

3. Kindle download: http://amzn.to/19Dr7a8 — this version costs 99 cents, the lowest we could make it available on Amazon.

We’d really appreciate your time if you’d post an honest review on Amazon, no matter what format you choose! Reviews will help it be seen by even more people, helping more puppies.

If you need any assistance with the PDF download, please email Jennifer at blog@cms.adoptapet.com

The highest percentage of dogs surrendered to shelters are adolescents – thorough puppy training and socialization can prevent many puppies and dogs from becoming homeless. Help puppies everywhere by sharing The Puppy Manual a free download from Adopt-a-Pet.com with everyone you know who has or will soon be adding a new puppy to their home! Click the icons below for easy sharing.

The secret to true happiness is waiting at your local animal shelter – and on Adopt-a-Pet.com and
http://bit.ly/adoptapetcom

I’ve been out walking my dog and been attacked by a stray dog. Thanks to being prepared and a good dose of luck, all of us escaped without any permanent harm. The first time I witnessed a loose dog attack a person was in New York City’s Central Park, when from far away I watched as two off-leash dogs, no owner in sight, stalked and then attacked a person and their little dog. Fortunately people rushed in to help, likely saving the life of the little dog and possibly the person too. When I moved to Los Angeles many years ago, I lived in a not-so-great part of town. I was terrified by the number of unfriendly stray and off-leash dogs I was suddenly fending off from my dogs on our daily walks. Fellow dog-walking neighbors told me to carry a walking stick to swing at them to keep them away, but the coordination needed to manage that and my two dogs on leashes was more than I could manage. I also really didn’t want to have to hit and potentially permanently harm any dog! I asked an animal control officer I knew for advice and he showed me what he carried on his police-like belt…

Pepper spray gel. I got exactly the type he used from a local self-defense store. I’d seen a few dogs come in to the shelter who’d been pepper sprayed, and although they often had red eyes (and were wet from the officers hosing them off to help reduce the spray’s effect more quickly) they all recovered without any permanent damage.

Having the pepper spray made me more confident, which is another important tool officers also use when handing stray aggressive dogs: stand big and tall, don’t run, try not to act afraid but also don’t antagonize or threaten them, and many dogs will posture by circling, hackling, and growling, but will then retreat instead of attacking. For the next few years, though my dogs and I saw and were approached by at least a dozen stray dogs, many unfriendly ones, they never got close enough where I had to use the pepper spray. I was so relieved!

Then came the day. I was out walking when I saw a dog that I thought I knew – a big fairly rare-breed purebred dog, easy to recognize. He’d been loose just a few weeks before and badly bitten a neighbor. I tried to hide myself and my dogs behind a parked SUV as he ran by on the other side of the four lane street, but he caught our scent – and circled around until he saw us. We were lucky. That had given me the time to pull out the pepper spray from it’s holster and have it ready in my hand.

If I hadn’t, what happened next happened so fast, there’s no way I would have had time to use it. When he saw us, he didn’t hesitate. He charged full speed at us. Silent and terrifying. Totally different than the other stray dogs who’d approached us slowly hackling and growling. I only had time to yell one “No!!” before he was on us. He barreled into my 70 pound dog with his mouth open. He was going so fast the force of the impact rolled them both over, and so he didn’t get a grip.

The two dogs somehow ended up a few feet apart right next to me as they sprung to their feet. I sprayed the pepper spray right at the stray as I yanked my dog’s leash to pull him away. Adrenaline kicked in and I felt laser focused, making my aim better than I would have expected in such a situation. The spray came out in a stream of gel that hit his shoulder, causing him to turn away from my dog and he actually bit at the stream with his mouth, causing the spray to go all over his face! At the same time I was stepping away from him I kept spraying his side, and he moved in a half circle around us, then he bolted back across the street! There he started rolling in the grass, rubbing his face which I imagine at this point was burning. Fortunately, someone who I think was his owner came out of the house. I yelled “hose him off!” and then hightailed it out of there just in case the dog decided to come back for another attack.

This is just my experience using pepper spray to ward off an attacking dog. I do not in any way endorse or advise any one to try what I did. I’ve heard that pepper spray can blow back into your eyes, so along with my other luck I am lucky there was no wind that day. I am lucky the dog decided to bolt away from us, and I am very thankful a person was there to care for the dog after he’d been sprayed. (I heard later he was just fine.)

It’s been more than a decade since that attack, and I am still grateful for the advice of the animal control officer and all the luck that kept me and my dog safe from a dog attack that day.

Photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/956788

Dr. Dog is back with a really important warning for pet owners! Share to keep people in the know on the dangers of pets ingesting clothing. It happens way more often than you might think! This important message is courtesy of our friends at Redandhowling.

When Annie Hart received a call that a homeless poodle was hit by a car and needed her help, she didn’t think twice and raced to the scene. Having rescued numerous animals from the throes of despair, she had seen it all. But she wasn’t prepared for the sweet and gentle way sweet Layla would thank her. See for yourself…

What are you and your pets thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Love

Kindness

Generosity

Charity

Tell us and share a photo of your pet on our Adopt-a-Pet.com Facebook page!

Check out our previous Thanksgiving and Black Friday articles too:

• This Black Friday adopt a black pet!
• Traveling with your Pet Thanksgiving Day? Pet Travel Tips for the Road
• Start a New Thanksgiving Tradition
• What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving
• 10 Tips for Thanksgiving Pet Safety

If you adopt a new pet, is your home ready to welcome the new addition to the family? While you want your furry new friend to roam, you also want your home in one piece. So take these quick and simple pet proofing steps so everyone is happy and safe.

Closed Doors & Gates

You should always close the doors to the closet, bathroom, pantry and other areas that might have important or off-limit items. You can teach your pet boundaries by setting out toys or resting spaces in the living room, bedroom and other safe spaces. That way they will learn to go to those places by default and avoid off-limit areas.

You can also find a local handyman to install safety or childproof gates to keep them out of rooms you want to preserve, or where you need to get in and out often and might forget to close the door. Installing safety gates at the top or bottom of stairs is a good idea if you want to keep a pet from getting to the second story.

Cabinet Locking & Storing Items

You should take your toiletries, medications and other bathroom items off of your countertops and lock them in your cabinet, or your pets could swallow them. Use locking devices on your cabinet doors as cats often have the ability to open doors with their bodies or paws. You should also practice this with spices and other ingredients in your kitchen.

For your living room, keep your curtain ropes and cords high up and out of reach from your pets. In terms of electrical wires, tuck them far away behind your entertainment system or underneath your furniture. You don’t want your pets chewing them and possibly shocking themselves. You could also install safety locks if you need an extra amount of protection.

Toxic Foods to Store Away

While there are various foods we may love to eat and drink, some of them are dangerous for pets. It’s important to store them far away, or they can cause gastric distress, seizures or, in the worst case, death. Some of the food and drink to keep stored include:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Greasy foods
• Weak chicken or cooked pork bones
• Grapes and raisins
• Mushrooms
• Nuts
• Raw fish

For further protection, you should also hide your trash cans. This prevents pets from spreading garbage all over the kitchen. Consider storing your trash underneath the sink or installing a container with a sturdy lid.

Gardening Tips for Your Pet

Fencing in your backyard is important, but consider fencing or fence windows that will let them see out while still keeping them safely contained, so they will be less likely to feel trapped and bored. Take your pet on walks, play often and leave toys in the yard. To protect your garden, put a chicken-wire fence around the beds to show it’s off-limits and plant some stakes to keep the wire propped up.

You also want to reassess some of the plants in your garden. Some breeds cause diarrhea, tremors, vomiting and other deadly symptoms to pets. The effect will vary by your pet’s breed, age, health, and size, but you might consider uprooting these plants from your garden:

• Aloe vera
• Azalea
• Baby’s breath
• Carnations
• Chrysanthemum
• Daffodil
• Ivy
• Lilies
• Milk weed
• Morning glory
• Poinsettia
• Sago palm
• Tomato plant
• Tulip
• Yew

No matter what you do, the crucial prep step to owning a new pet is vigilance. Installing safety gates and closing doors is helpful, but these aren’t guarantees. Besides, you want to give your new pet attention, which means having your eye on them. So play, cuddle and stay safe together so everyone’s happy.

Contribution by Andrea Davis, Home Advisor

Missouri Puppies for Parole shared this story with us in honor of Veteran’s Day last week. Such a story is heart-warming to share on any day! They said, “Here is a veteran from the Greatest Generation who along with the many thousands of Veterans of so many of our wars we celebrate this week and remember their contribution to freedom and liberty for all of us.

Soldier the dog was trained by our offenders at Algoa Correctional Center and adopted by the Veterans Home in Mexico Missouri where he will live out his life serving the Veterans and making their days just a bit brighter.

In this instance, Soldier went up to the third floor to this dying Veterans bed and sat by the side of the bed until a staff member gave him permission to get on the bed – where he stayed for 45 minutes. The gentleman smiled – perhaps his last smile.

A dog thrown away and of no use to anyone – now making honorable contributions to many.

Bless all our Veterans.”

Thank you for sharing that amazing story with us here at Adopt-a-Pet.com!

Since the inception of the program on Feb. 1st, 2010, Missouri Puppies for Parole offenders have trained over 2800 dogs that have been adopted out having passed the AKC Good Citizenship test. These are dogs who most likely would have been euthanized at local shelters. Puppies on Parole is moving into taking certain dogs to a higher level of training under the auspices of COMTREA community health and Bridle Ridge Acres Equine and Canine Center for people in need.

You can see more stories like Soldier’s on Missouri Puppies for Parole Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MissouriPuppiesforParole and also on their website: www.doc.mo.gov if you click on Puppies for Parole on the right you will see stories, videos, milestone flyers etc. including listings and pics of their current dogs being trained in-house at 19 of their 20 prisons. Don’t miss the incredibly touching video of Liam and Sierra!

Vacationing or traveling with pets can be fun, but sometimes you need to find a good pet sitter for your pet. Work trips, out-of-country travel, or even an extra-long work day can mean your normal pet care routine can’t happen on schedule. You might be lucky enough to have a reliable friend or neighbor who can care for your pets, but what if you don’t? Boarding kennels are an option, but many pet owners fear their pets will not be happy in a kennel setting. Not to worry, in almost every city and town there are plenty of pet sitters that can take good care of your pets until you return.

There are primarily two types of pet sitting services you can use. One, the pet sitter comes to your home, and cares for your pets who stay at your home. The other, newly popular kind of pet sitter for dogs is one that hosts your pooch in their home, often through an online booking service.

Here are our tips for vetting both types of pet sitters to find the best pet sitter for you and your pet.

1. Get a referral. Ask your friends and family if they have a reliable pet sitter they use and trust.

2. Ask and check references. Ask for references that have a similar type of pet to yours — your pet sitter may be wonderful with big dogs, but does she know how to tell if a cat is acting sick?

3. Look for online reviews. If the pet sitter is operating as a business, you can often find reviews of their services on review sites like Yelp and also on their page if they have one on Facebook.

4. Have your pet interview the pet sitter. Pets can be particular! Even if she is the best pet sitter in the world, if she and your pet don’t get along well, it might not be a good fit.

5. Accredited, bonded, insured? Organizations like Pet Sitters International, NAPPS,  and DogVacay.com offer a range of services to their members, from insurance, bonding, to background checks. Ask your pet sitter to provide a copy of their documentation and check online to make sure it is current.

6. Do a short trial visit. If you are going away for a long time, try a one-time visit while you’re away, even if it’s just for the day at work. That way if any questions or problems arise, you’ll be locally available.

7. Spot check. If you’re going away for more than two days, see if a neighbor, friend, or family member can do occasional spot-check visits,  to make sure your pets are being cared for in your absence.

8. Ask for daily updates. Your pet sitter should update you daily to let you know how your pet is doing. Some pet sitters can send photos too, don’t hesitate to ask them to do this for you!

9. Have a backup plan. If something happens to your pet sitter, you need an emergency backup plan for someone to care for your pets. Bring those telephone numbers with you! For example, your vet might do emergency boarding if needed, but check before you leave. Leave a key so someone else can access your home if needed.

10. Have a great trip!

Do you like to dress up your pets for howl-o-ween? In year’s past we’ve shared our 5 Halloween Pet Safety Tips as well as some Pet Costume Safety Tips, and we’ve copied below for easy reference. Thinking of pet costumes? In our experience, most pets don’t really like wearing costumes. So we only ask that our pets wear them for a few seconds while we take a photo, then quickly reward them and take it off! That kind of costume experience also opens up the possibilities since it isn’t something your pet has to actually be able to wear and move around in, which opens up the door to a lot more creative fun!

PET COSTUME SAFTEY TIPS

1. Use costumes that can be taken off quickly, like those with velcro straps. (Examples of ones you can purchase: Football, Shark Fin, Angel Wings.) Let your pet smell the costume, and give them treats so they associate the costume with good things. For dogs, ask them to sit and stay, and reward them as you put the costume on.
2. The first time you put the costume on your pet, have them wear it for just a few seconds. Gradually increase the amount of time your pet wears the costume.
3. Never leave your pet unsupervised wearing a costume, for any length of time. If your pet continues to struggle or seem unhappy or scared after one or more short sessions, wearing a costume might not be fun for them, and of course never something you should force them to wear. Costumes are meant to be fun!
4. If you have an active dog, playing with a toy or taking them for a walk after you put the costume on can distract them from wanting to get the costume off, and get them used to the feeling of it being on, so they ignore it like they do their collar.
5. Most cats and dogs love to be admired and told how cute they look, so don’t forget to lavish them with compliments about how adorable they in their costume.