It’s time to take your dog to the dog park. Unless you have already done it today. Let’s talk about dog parks, dogs, and dog owners. How to get ready and what we should remember while being at the dog park.
Link to the episode on Spotify app (click here)
Link to the Apple Podcast (click here)
Resources for new (and not new) dog owners:
- Find an animal clinic near you – even if your dog doesn’t need it at this moment it’s good to know. Meet with the staff and vet, introduce your dog to them.
- In case of emergency: have phone numbers and locations (use Google maps or Apple maps) to find where is the nearest animal clinic, etc.
- Basic information: keep (online and offline) information on dog vaccines, health, etc. There are apps that can help you to keep all that information in one place.
- Dog Sitter – make sure you know someone who will be willing to take care of your dog in case you have to go away for a few days. There are apps just for that.
- Dog groomer – find a groomer that your dog like the most. You can also try mobile grooming services (someone will have a vehicle that is customized and ready to provide dog grooming service on-the-go).
- food – remember about good quality dog food. Usually, it’s not cheap, check local pet stores, compare prices, check online stores. Make sure you have some food in case of emergency.
- Dog safety – get some of the basic necessities such: dog leash, dog collar, dog harness, dog tag (with your phone number, etc.), car dog seat, car dog seatbelt, etc.
- Support groups – find local or online groups. People share a lot of information and resources regarding dogs. Join Facebook groups (there are many dog-related Facebook groups).
- Contact local city hall – and ask for any resources they might have?
- Contact local animal shelter – ask if they offer any free/discounted resources.
- Contact the local library – your local library may offer some presentations or events. You will have access to lots of books, audiobook, and videos as well.
- Additional questions and recommendations – join not only Facebook dog-related groups but also local Facebook groups (those based on your location). Some of the members of those groups are dog owners as well and might now and share some recommendations.
- Emergency funds – you might need to build a separate emergency fund in case you need to pay for medications, vet visit, or medical procedure. Unfortunately, it can be very expensive so building that emergency fund for your dog might be very helpful. OR even you can get the pet insurance.
Useful Applications:
As promised here are some of the mobile applications that might help you to get better organized as a dog owner, and maybe for those NEW dog owners – feel less overwhelmed.
**DOG HEALTH & SAFETY**
Pet First Aid (by American Red Cross)
App description: “Take care of your furry family members. The American Red Cross Pet First Aid app puts veterinary advice for everyday emergencies in the palm of your hand. With videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice, it’s never been easier to know Pet Frist Aid.”
available on Apple and Android
Dog Buddy – Activities & Log
App description: “Dog Buddy is a must have app for dog owners, (…), you can write dogs’ diaries, record the milestones of your dog and add the picture as souvenir, track your dogs’ weight, save your dog pictures, and track your dog’s veterinary, medications, vaccinations, allergies and other information relevant with your dogs. With this
available on: Apple
PupTox
App description: “PupTox is a handy categorized list of over 250 things that are toxic to dogs and cats. You’ll never have to worry if those flowers you are buying for your garden can hurt Fluffy or if the leftovers from dinner are safe for Rover. Is it toxic to your dog? Is it safe for your cat? PupTox may have the answer.”
available on: Apple and Android
PetDesk
App description: “Effortlessly manage your pet’s (Cat, Dog & other pets) health, all in one place! Just tap, swipe or slide to:
Request appointments 24/7- Get all of your reminders synced to your calendar. Add all of your pet care professionals (Vet, Groomer, Boarding – Pet Daycare). Track your monthly medication reminders and other recurring tasks. Request medications. And much more!
Our goal is to help Cats, Dogs or other pets live longer, be happier, and live healthier lives. By connecting you with pet care professionals we’re promoting better pet health for each of our furry best friend!”
available on Apple and Android
**DOG TRAINING**
Puppr – Dog Training & Tricks
App description: Meet your new dog trainer!
Features: • Over 60 lessons taught by celebrity dog trainer Sara Carson & The Super Collies (America’s Got Talent
available on Apple and Android
Dogo – Dog Training & Clicker
App description: “Dogo app is your pup’s personal coach in your pocket! The app offers positive clicker training, 60+ fun commands with step-by-step clear instructions for puppies or adult dogs to learn and progress every day. You don’t need to worry about purchasing a clicker for your training sessions – Dogo already has it as a built-in feature. You can watch and track your dog’s improvements every day and if you feel like you and your best friend need some extra help from the experts – we are here to support you on a daily basis with a response rate of 24 hours. Don’t wait until your pup develops a personality of a restless devil – teach him to behave in the most fun and stress-free way with Dogo!
*** Daily training with 60+ tricks and awards *** To progress further submit a video exam – dog professionals will review it and give you and your furry friend some detailed feedback *** In-built clicker – choose a sound your dog likes the most *** Track the progress and see your dog learning every day *** Set daily reminders – you will never miss a training day! ***
available on Apple and Android
**DOG SUPPLIES**
Chewy – Where Pet Lovers Shop
App description: “This one’s for the pets. Chewy leads the pack with 1,000+ trusted brands of food and supplies, 24/7 help from pet experts, and FREE 1-2 day shipping on orders over $49! Get extra savings off your first Autoship order, plus 5-10% off select brands on future shipments. It’s everything you love about Chewy.com, with a few extra tricks just for our app customers.”
available on: Apple and Android
PetSmart
App description: “At PetSmart, we know being a pet parent is one of life’s most rewarding experiences. It also raises many questions! So, we’ve built our app to be a valued resource for every step of your pet parent journey. You’ll find helpful articles, products, and services bookings.
NEW! Treats loyalty program – sign up, earn points when you shop & manage your account via the app. Pet services bookings – schedule salon visits, check camp availability & make PetsHotel reservations. PetSmart Treat Trail game – connect treats, earn points & get coupons. Personalized offers & content – tailor the app experience specifically to the pets in your life. New pet parent guides – create a profile & receive useful tips & articles to help you with all your pet parenting needs!
With a store locator, helpful resources, checklists, services bookings, informative articles and videos, the PetSmart App is a great resource for a great life with your best friend!”
available on: Apple and Android
**DOG ACTIVITIES/FITNES**
Walk for a Dog – Do Walking
App description: “Turn your dog walks into support for your local animal organization. Simply use this free app every time you walk your dog. The more people walking for the animal shelter or rescue organization of your choice, the more we donate.
Walk for a Dog tracks and map your walks. Enter each of your dogs into the app to track their walking activity together or individually. You can view past walks and share them on social media.
Create fitness goals for both you and your dog, and help other animals along the way!
How much we donate is determined by the number of people actively walking for your selected animal organization, so please spread the word, and share the app. For more details, please visit WoofTrax.com/faq.”
available on: Apple and Android
Rundogo – Dog Sports Tracker
App description: “Choose any activity from dog running (
available on: Apple and Android
Whistle – Pet Tracker
app description: “Whistle 3 is our latest, best-in-class, all-in-one GPS location & activity tracker for dogs & cats. As the Whistle device captures valuable data about your pet and their day, the Whistle app brings the data to life with additional software features and helpful insights to bring you closer to your pet and make your daily interactions simpler, smarter, and more joyful.”
available on: Apple and Android
**OTHER**
BarkHappy
app description: “Discover the
BarkHappy is a
-FIND
-DISCOVER DOGS NEARBY. Create a profile for your dog and see others near you! Send wags, messages, or invite others for a playdate!
-ATTEND
-LOST & FOUND ALERTS. Report lost or found dogs and alert other users with the
available on: Apple and Android
Rover – Dog Sitters & Walkers
App description: “The Rover app was created for dog people by The Dog PeopleTM. Through the app, get adorable photo updates, GPS tracking of your dog’s walk, an easy way to message sitters or manage your business, and a secure way to book and pay. With over 200,000 pet sitters and dog walkers in the U.S. and Canada, Rover makes it easy to book pet care you can trust.”
available on: Apple and Android
Wag! – Instant Dog Walkers
App description: “Wag! is the #1 dog walking app to book a dog walker on-demand, or at your convenience. Experience every step of your dog’s walk through text updates, live GPS tracking, pee/poo notifications, and photo report cards. Wag! dog walkers are thoroughly vetted and tested on dog handling experience. Wag! services are insured and bonded with customer support around the clock. Your pup is sure to love all of the amazing Wag! dog walkers.”
available on Apple and Android
FitBark
App description: “FitBark monitors your dog’s everyday activity and sleep and turns that data into deep, actionable health insights. It’s a new way to motivate you and your dog to be active, explain changes in behavior, and make better decisions with your vet about nutrition, mobility, anxiety, skin conditions and other health issues.
This app is compatible with FitBark and FitBark 2 dog activity monitors.
FitBark is entirely dedicated to getting you and your pet healthy together. And making it fun!
MONITOR ACTIVITY & SLEEP 24/7. Track minute-by-minute activity, sleep quality, distance traveled, calories burned, and overall health and behavior. Rank your dog vs. breed, age and weight peers.
LINK YOUR HUMAN HEALTH TRACKER. Get active with your dog! Link your Fitbit, Apple Watch, HealthKit, Google Fit or Jawbone device and stay healthy together. Talk about motivation!
MONITOR MOBILITY & PAIN. Invite your trainer or veterinarian to monitor changes in mobility, osteoarthritis, or orthopedic rehabilitation. Follow the FitBark Health Index to catch early signs of discomfort or disease.
MONITOR STRESS & ANXIETY. Glance at the Hourly View after you leave home to get valuable clues about your dog’s anxiety levels and how he or she is doing when alone, or while in the care of other humans.
MONITOR ITCHINESS & SKIN DISEASES. Keep tabs on the FitBark nightly Sleep Score to track the development of skin conditions over time, such as atopic dermatitis, infectious dermatitis, hot spots, or flea allergies.
LIGHT, RUGGED & WATERPROOF. FitBark 2 fits dogs of any size (Chihuahuas and Leonbergers welcome!), and loves the water as much as your dog does. Fits collars up to 1.5″ (38 mm) wide.”
available on: Apple and Android
**TRAVEL**
BringFido
App description: “Looking for a pet-friendly hotel? How about an awesome dog park, trail or beach? BringFido.com is the world’s leading pet travel website and the #1 trusted resource for dog owners looking for the lowdown on the best hotels, attractions, and restaurants that welcome pets. Our app brings the best of the website to your phone, giving you free on-the-go access to pet-friendly information worldwide.”
available on Apple and Android
Mentioned in the podcast:
Chance Shelter (website), Teddy the Spazman (Instagram profile)
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What’s your favorite or scary dog park-related story? And what dog park tips would you like to share with others?
Let’s connect on Twitter (click here) or Instagram (click here) and if you want to see some of the pictures from our local dog park, please follow #Groovy4Dogs hashtag on Instagram (click here)
