Importance of Keeping Your Dog’s Ears Clean

flapping ears

We all know how important it is to keep our own ears clean to prevent things like infections or hearing loss. It is just as important that we keep our dogs ears clean! We want to make sure our dogs stay happy and healthy; one way to do so is by keeping their ears free of potentially harmful dirt and germs!


Unless you have a very talented dog, it’s likely that he can’t keep his own ears clean. So it is up to you to take a look in his ears every so often to make sure there’s no junk or signs of irritation. Dogs (especially ones with long floppy ears) are bound to get dirt, mud, grass, etc., in their ears at some point. Most of it flies out when the dog shakes his head, but to ensure it’s clean, have him sit down for you so you can take a good look in his ears. You want to look out for dirt, excess build-up of ear wax, anything lodged in the ear, redness or lots of scratches.


The most noticeable signs if your dog’s ears are really bothering him are excessively shaking his head, leaning his head to one side, scratching the ear excessively and whining or whimpering when someone touches the ear. If you notice any of these signs, it is best to have your vet take a look at the ears as these symptoms generally don’t show up until an infection has taken place and needs antibiotics. To ensure it doesn’t get to the point of infection, you want to use vet approved dog ear wipes to wipe the outside area of your dog’s ears (don’t try to force it too deep in the ear!), this should be done every other day or so.


Be aware that the tools we use to clean our ears should never ever be used on your dog’s ears. Q-tips can easily damage delicate areas in your dog’s ear. It is best to have your vet show you how to properly wipe your dog’s ears so that you are gentle but also effective at remove excess dirt or wax. Your vet will likely recommend pet wipes using all natural ingredients so it will help soothe your dog’s ears and not irritate them with harsh chemicals.


So when your dog is rolling in the grass and getting his ears dirty, you can worry a bit less now that you know what signs and symptoms of ear irritation to watch out for. With daily ear checks and as needed ear cleanings with pet safe wipes, you dog will have sparkling clean ears!

Breed of the Week: English Toy Spaniel

english toy spaniel

Meet our cute and affectionate featured breed of the week, the English Toy Spaniel. This breed loves spending time playing and cuddling with their owner and rarely leave their side. They can be surprisingly reserved with strangers as they are very picky about who they give their affection to. One of the typically quieter toy breeds, the English Toy Spaniel can be a great addition to almost any family and living space.


For a breed that’s been around for so many years, it’s amazing how well-documented their history is. During the 16th century, ‘exotic’ type lapdogs were all the rage. During this time, the English Toy Spaniel was developed with it’s immediate ancestors being the Pekingese and Japanese Chin. Many artists during the 16th century loved painting the English Toy Spaniel with their very easy-going personality, they aren’t your typically high-energy small dog and generally prefer to just lounge around most of the day (making it much easier to paint!). This breed goes by many other unofficial names such as Toy Spaniel, King Charles Spaniel (different from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and ‘Charlies’ (after King Charles I and II who both favoured this breed).


‘Charlies’ are not high-energy dogs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t speedy! Although they prefer to lounge around, they absolutely love to chase things that move fast. If a butterfly happens to catch your Toy Spaniel’s attention, they’re off on the hunt in a second! They can get along well other pets and young kids as long as they’ve been introduced early and well-socialized. English Toy Spaniels can be goofballs and have tons of affection to give, but they are very picky who deserves their affection. You will find this breed likes to pick favourites amongst the people he meets and only those people will see the Toy Spaniels more outgoing side.


English Toy Spaniels are great dogs for first time owners. They are fairly easy to train (albeit a little stubborn at times) and will really work hard to please the people they are bonded to. They don’t require much exercise, but are also more than willing to go on a hike with you! Anything you are planning for the day, the Toy Spaniel wants to come with you! They do well in almost any living situation, they are small enough for apartment living and are very adaptable dogs. They only thing they don’t adapt well to is being left home alone all day as they crave attention from their favoured human companion.


This breed needs a lot of maintenance to keep looking their best. With their short muzzles, their faces are perfect places to gather up dirt and debris, so it will need to be wiped daily and after romping around in the garden! They need to be brushed about twice a week to prevent matting in their hair. They should go to the groomer for hair trimming once every 2-3 months. Especially in colder weather, when the hair on their feet and legs gets too long, water will freeze on that fur and can contribute to frostbite. In hot weather, the same area of fur can develop tangles covered in mud and dirt and be very uncomfortable and cause skin irritation if the hair is not kept trimmed.


‘Charlies’ can be a perfect companion dog for a first time owner, especially for people living on their own as English Toy Spaniels like to pick one person to give all their love to. With their easy-going and gentle nature, they are great company to bring to pet-friendly offices. They rarely bark and prefer and slower, quieter lifestyle. If you’re looking for an adaptable and loving small dog, consider the distinguished and sweet natured English Toy Spaniel!

Preventing Joint Problems In Dogs

senior dog with ball

If you’ve ever owned a large breed dog, you’re probably familiar with how common it is for large dogs to develop joint problems. Many of us don’t realize when our dog has joint problems until it has progressed to the point of them needing medication. So we’ve put together some helpful tips to preventing joint problems so that hopefully your dog won’t have trouble getting around when he gets older!



Ensure Minor Injuries Get Proper Rest

If puppies have a big fall, tumble down some stairs, etc., they need the proper time to fully heal. Ideally the fall should try to be avoided completely, but puppies will be puppies! After the injury, make sure to limit your pup’s activity until the injury is fully healed. For minor injuries that don’t require a vet visit, you can still call your vet and describe the situation so he can give you a general time to keep the pup on a lower activity level. Injuries that don’t get proper time to heal will often leave the joints weakened and can mean joint issues later on in life for your pooch.


Keep Your Dog Active!

Dogs that are carrying extra weight are putting more pressure on their joints when they walk around. This speeds up the deterioration of joint cartilage which can’t be reversed. Keeping your dog slim by giving him regular walks, not too many treats and a wholesome diet will help keep him moving around easily and not put additional pressure on his joints.


Early Detection

One of the best ways to ensure that your dog is comfortable moving around and not in any pain is to know the warning signs of early arthritis and sore/weak joints. Taking notice of things like, stiffness when standing up if lying down for a while, limping when walking or after a certain amount of walking, whining or whimpering when doing certain movements. These could all possibly be signs of early joint deterioration. If you start to notice any of these signs, be sure to speak with your vet on how to make your dog more comfortable and if he/she recommends any dietary supplements to help reduce inflammation in the joints.


Although arthritis and other joint problems cannot be reversed, and can be hard to avoid, they can definitely be slowed down. With help from you and looking out for any warning signs of joint pain, your dog can live a long happy life!

Breed of the Week: Borzoi

Russian borzoi, greyhound dog standing. Outdoor shoot
Russian borzoi, greyhound dog standing. Outdoor shoot

The last couple of weeks we’ve enjoyed looking at some rough and tumble working dogs that aren’t afraid of getting muddy! This week we’re switching things up and looking at one of the most graceful dog breeds around, the elegant and swift Borzoi!


The Borzoi breed was created by Russian aristocrats looking to have a hunting companion type dog who was extremely fast and brave enough to hunt large animals such as wolves. There are rumors that this breed dates as far back as the 13th century! Because of their remarkable hunting skills, the Borzoi was originally known as the Russian Wolfhound and the name was changed to Borzoi in 1936. And very suitable that they changed the name as Borzoi in Russian actually means ‘swift’!


This graceful breed is certainly a wonder to watch when they’re in full gallop! Their strides are as if they are floating along and their long locks just flow in the wind! Many Borzoi owners compare their dog to a cat as they are so light on their feet you often can’t hear them walking through the house! They are the epitome of the ‘gentle giant’. They stand at about 2’2???-2’8??? and weigh around 100 lbs when fully grown. They very rarely bark, making them not so great guard dogs. They can be a bit standoffish with strangers and should be very well socialized with strangers and young kids. The Borzoi is not always a good match for a home with small animals as they do have a very high prey drive and will chase anything that moves fast.


The Borzoi’s long hair should be combed through about twice a week to prevent mats and knotting. Due to their super silky hair, dirt just rolls off of them so you don’t have to worry about frequent baths. Depending on your personal preference, you can keep the Borzoi’s coat short, or keep up with regular hair trimming every couple of months. Be sure to speak with your groomer about the proper tools/products to use on your dog, as the Borzoi do have some special requirements (for example, it is recommended to never use a slicker type brush on this breed as it can damage their skin and coat).


The Borzoi can be a fantastic companion for an active family with lots of fully fenced backyard space. A happy Borzoi is one that is running in the wind! They need a gentle and patient leader for their training as they are very sensitive dogs. It’s a pleasure watching these wonderful dogs frolic and play, they will make a wonderful addition to any outdoorsy families!

Becoming a Service Dog


You may have noticed at a mall, restaurant, or just about any public place, a service dog helping his owner in whatever way he can. Service dogs are more than just lovable companions, many people’s lives depend on their service dogs for emergencies, a sense of relief, getting around, and much more! If you think you’re dog has a good temperament and is eager to please, you may be considering training your dog to become a service animal. Today we will be looking at the process of training a dog to become a service animal and the many things that service animals can do!


It’s truly remarkable the amount of ways a service dog can help us. Depending on what they are trained in, service dogs can help detect chemical changes within our bodies that could lead to a possible seizure, or change in blood sugar for people who are diabetic. The service dog we all usually think of is one that helps someone who is blind or partly blind. There are also dogs who help people with impaired hearing, autism, anxiety, even allergies! There are so many people who depend on service dogs to help them get through their day to day lives.


The most traditional breeds to become service dogs are German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Poodles. These breeds commonly have an even temperament, are very intelligent and very trainable (meaning they catch on quick to new concepts and are eager to please their handler). But the service dog industry is not limited at all to these breeds, any dog can become a service dog, it really just depends on the individual dog if they have the right temperament.


The first step in a dog becoming a service dog is to look at their health. Are they overall in good health? Do they have any major problems that would make it hard for them to work all day? All service dogs must be neutered or spayed before starting the process of training. The biggest reason for this is you don’t want the dog to be distracted while on the job. If you have an intact male service dog pass by a female dog in heat, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for that service dog to think about anything other than that pretty female dog that just walked by.


The next step is to find a reputable service dog trainer. You want a trainer that specifically focuses on service dogs as they will know the specifics of what the dog will need to know, and it’s likely that they’ve trained dogs on these exacts tasks many times before. The dog trainer can help you assess your dog’s personality to ensure that they will be a successful service dog. The trainer will help guide you through the entire process of having the dog be calm and relaxed in all types of public places such as the bus, subway, busy malls, as many places as possible to ensure the future handler needing the service dog will not be limited on where he can go. International standard for training a service dog mandates a minimum of 120 hours of training over a 6-month (or more) time period. At least 30 of these hours should be done in busy, public places.


The trainer will often break down the dogs training into three parts. The first is ‘heeling’, possibly the hardest thing to teach a dog. The dog must learn to stay alongside his owner without constant commands (not repeating ‘heel’ over and over again!) and the dog must learn to move with his owner no matter how unpredictable his movements are. The dog should be constantly watching and anticipating his owner’s movements. The next part is often called ‘proofing’. This is basically teaching the dog to stay calm in all situations no matter the location, noise level, distractions, etc. Even at a busy concert, the dog has to remain calm and more importantly, remain alert for any commands from his owner. The last part is called ‘tasking’. This is ensuring the dog is 100% on the specific tasks he will have to perform for his owner. Service dog tasks will vary depending on what their owner needs. For instance, someone who is blind doesn’t need their service dog to alert them to noises or alarms, but this would be something very important to someone who is deaf.


It’s remarkable the many ways dogs help to improve our lives. Even our companion dogs that don’t work as service animals, make our lives more interesting, help to calm us down, and just make us happy!

Breed of the Week: Otterhound


The big, friendly Otterhound is our featured breed this week! This large and very hairy dog loves to spend every minute of the day outdoors getting dirty and rolling in the mud. He’s a rugged and rambunctious dog that loves to play!


The Otterhound originated in England in the 1300’s. The breed was created to hunt otters (to stop the otters from taking all of the fish). A specialized breed was needed to hunt the otters as the dog needed good scent-tracking abilities, able to fight the otter (weighing upwards of 20lbs), and able to withstand the freezing waters that the otters were in. With the Otterhound being a very old breed, there is a lot of debate over their early history, particularly with the size and look of the original Otterhound. Some experts believe the Otterhound was simply a term used to describe any fierce scent-tracking dog able to hunt otters. Others believe the Otterhound was originally a terrier type breed rather than hound. Today, the Otterhound is considered a ‘Vulnerable Native Breed’ by the AKC (American Kennel Club). There are approximately 600 Otterhounds remaining in the world!


This breed was built to be outdoors! They do best in homes with lots of space to run around, making them great farm dogs! This friendly breed gets along great with other dogs, but is better with big dogs as the Otterhound may be inclined to chase small pooches due to their high prey drive. Otterhounds generally are born with a very easy-going and sweet personality, which is good as this breed is notoriously stubborn and often slow to train. They get along best with owners who have the mindset of ‘Dogs will be dogs!’. As long as this dog gets lots and lots of exercise, they rarely have anxiety or major behavioural issues. But one quirk this breed often has (especially if bored or lots of pent up energy) is baying. They have that distinctive hound ‘bay’ instead of a bark, and man are they ever loud!


Do you love brushing and bathing dogs in your free time? If you do, the Otterhound is perfect for you! This large dog has a lot of hair and needs frequent hair trimming, brushing and bathing. The Otterhound’s goal every day is to get as dirty as possible, so you will definitely need to be prepared for daily upkeep of their coat.


The Otterhound is suitable for very active and outdoorsy families or individuals. They are not recommended for homes with small children as young Otterhounds can be quite rambunctious and knock kids over. They need a very patient and consistent owner who is willing to take the time to train them and give them enough mental and physical stimulation (they were bred to be high-energy working dogs). This dog is definitely not suitable for small apartments or living in a busy city. They thrive on the outdoors and being too cramped will give you an unhappy Otterhound! If you’ve got lots of space, patience, and don’t mind a bit of a dirty house, the Otterhound could be your loving and playful companion!

Dogs and Thunderstorm Anxiety

dog watching storm















Breed of the Week: Berger Picard

berger picard

This week we are featuring a French dog breed, the Berger Picard. You may recognise this dog from the novel-based 2005 movie ‘Because of Winn Dixie’. While many people think the star of the movie was a mixed breed, it was in fact the lovable Berger Picard!


The Berger Picard is thought to be one of the oldest dog breeds belonging to the sheepdog group. The Picard breed was developed in 9th century France. They were bred for herding livestock and many in France are still used even today as herding dogs. Many Picard enthusiasts debate over the Berger Picards relation to other breeds. Some say they are closely linked to the Briard, while other say they the Belgian Shepherd. The breed almost became extinct during World War I and again during World War II. Although breeders fought very hard to keep this wonderful breed going, it is still considered to be a very rare dog breed today.


This wonderful dog breed got the starring role in ‘Because of Winn Dixie’ because of its scruffy mutt-like appearance. As with many movies that have animal actors, the director needed several dogs to perform so that when one dog needs a break they can bring in another doggy actor to take over. So to stay true to the novel of having a mutt-looking dog, but also keep consistency amongst the several doggy actors, the director decided to go with the Berger Picard breed.


One benefit to the Picard being a rare breed even today, is that there is less chance for ‘over-breeding’ which can result in many health and temperament issues. So the Berger Picard remains to be a very healthy breed with a life expectancy of 12-15 years and very few major health problems.


The Picard is a great family dog, he can get along very well with children and other pets when socialized properly. The Picard is often very standoffish with strangers and needs a heavy focus on how to stay calm and relaxed around new people. Many Picard owners will tell you their dog is the pickiest eater. You will need to take plenty of time finding the right food that is nutritionally balanced that your dog will also enjoy. Picards are notoriously picky-eaters and for this reason are often not motivated by food during training sessions. Lucky for you they are very loyal and absolutely love to make their owners happy, so often times praise is worth more to them than a dog treat.


This scruffy dog breed is super low-key when it comes to grooming. They have a double coat with a rough, wiry top coat. The Picard has a naturally lower oil content in their fur, which is what helps to give them that scruffy, tousled appearance. This also helps to make it very rare to get matting in the fur, as well as dirt seems to just rub right off of them, resulting in a less smelly pooch! Their coat sheds twice a year, and they only need to be brushed about once a week.


The Berger Picard is a very energetic breed that is up for any type of activity. They are great at going on long hikes, swims, camping, bike rides, you name it! They are generally fairly easy to train in obedience as they just love to keep busy and love being given a task. If you and your family are looking for a sweet-natured dog to go on long hikes or swims with, consider getting the wonderful Berger Picard!

What is the Canine Good Citizen Program?

dog smiling with owner




