Why Celebrate – We all know a toothache can be devastating and extremely painful, this is true for your dog too. The problem with dogs is you do not always know when they have a problem as they do not always show pain the way humans do.

Celebrating Pet Dental Health Month helps people become aware of how important good oral health is for your dog.  According to AVMA by the age of 3 years, your pet could already be on there way to developing periodontal disease, which may not only be an issue for your dog’s teeth but can also affect the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Do you know the signs that might help you understand your dog might have a problem with their teeth? This is a perfect reason to celebrate Pet Dental Health Month to learn everything we can to help our furry friends and spread the knowledge we learn with other dog owners.

Dogs are not as prone to cavities as humans so that is a plus when for our furry friends; however, gum disease is can become very irritating and uncomfortable for your dog. Taking that preventative maintenance is always best when it comes to your dogs health. Here are some of the signs to watch out for…

*Bad Breath *Tartar Build up on Teeth * Broken or Loose Teeth * Change in Behavior *Drooling *Abnormal Chewing *Loss in Appetite

How to celebrate – If you have not started already, get your dog ready to start brushing their teeth at least weekly, daily is ideal for the best results, take it slow and let them get accustomed to the concept. It is best practice to use ADA compliant oral products and to find out what you should use the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) has a list of these approved oral products just for our dogs

The best way to celebrate Pet Dental Health Month is by visiting your vet to let them know you are a proactive dog parent by having your dog’s teeth checked and cleaned on a yearly basis as recommended by the AMVA. We want the best for our dogs and keeping up with your dog’s oral health needs will help to keep your dogs mouth healthy and keep down the chances of gum disease for our furry friends.

Gifts for dogs – Some of the best gifts are VOHC approved toothbrush and toothpaste, dog chews made for oral health and don’t forget the treats that can help keep down the tarter build up on your dog’s teeth.

Yes, I said it, your skills as a dog parent, you might just be missing the training skills needed to train your dog at home. Many people feel it is the dog’s fault that they cannot be trained; however, many times it is a problem with not understanding your dog or knowing what a dog is thinking or understanding what motivates your dog to learn. This is exactly why it is important to a dog’s future to create awareness and education in training a dog at home and taking time to celebrate Dog Training Education Month. 

Take time out each day of February to train your dog and by the end of the month, you should see a great improvement in your dog’s behavior. This time spent with your dog will also help you bond with your best bud and create a lifelong relationship that is rewarding to both you and your dog.

I know many times we feel we do not have the time to train a dog at home, and if this is the case, I want you to know that setting aside even 10 to 15 minutes a day can really make a difference working one-on-one with your dog.

Because this is Dog Training Education Month a great way to celebrate is to share what you have learned that has worked with your dog. This will help other dog parents wanting to learn or maybe give them ideas that might help train their dog.

How it originated – There are many different organizations such as the AVMA and PetSafe that endorse Responsible Pet Ownership Month celebrated the whole month of February in order to keep pet parents informed on what it takes to be a responsible pet parent. The origination does not seem readily available; however, I am sure it was put together by one or many of the different organizations that celebrate and keeps pet parents aware of the needs of our wonderful furry friends.

I absolutely hate the statement, it is just a dog, at The Wood Hound our dogs are part of the family and treated as such. This is too where I have an issue with the holiday being dog ownership, you don’t own the ones you love, and it should be changed to Responsible Pet Parent Month, yes I know the law says…

OK, that is my rant of the day; however, I do feel we need to celebrate this day to help people understand that raising our furry babies is not always an easy task and you need to be aware of the commitments you should make before jumping in and bringing that sweet puppy into your life.

So what does it take to be a responsible pet parent and why is this holiday so important? Parenting a pet takes commitment not only keeping them fed nutritious food and plenty of water, but you also need to give them plenty of love, a warm home, exercise, training and provide adequate health care. Of course, the big thing is the commitment should last the pet’s whole life.

If you are thinking about welcoming a new pet into your family do your research so you are aware of what your pet needs and make sure the pet is a good fit for your family. Do you have an adequate place for your pet inside your home, if you plan to get a dog, do you have a fenced yard and plan to spend time to walk them? Understand what you need to train your new pet and be consistent, training a pet creates a bond and makes everyone happier.

The most important step of being a responsible pet parent is knowing and willing to provide what your pet needs throughout the lifetime of your pet. Understanding that pets have feelings too and need the love and attention they deserve. You will benefit so much by being prepared and understanding the responsibilities that come with sharing your home with your pet. 

One reason I stress the importance of doing your research for the right pet is due to a pet owner deciding the pet is not right for them after the fact. When this happens, the pet is either thrown outside to live in the ever-changing climate and ignored or taken to a pound or shelter.

The pet loves the family unconditionally and does not understand why it is being surrendered and why you never came back, after all, they thought they were part of the family and family members should never be tossed out, right?

Creating awareness in February helps everyone understand that with spring right around the corner and one of the most prone mating seasons. Everyone needs to help keep down the population by spaying and neutering pets so we do not have so many in shelters and euthanized each year.

I hope this helps everyone understand why this is an important month and hope you are ready to help make a difference.

How can you get involved? Check around in your local area to see if there are volunteer opportunities or even if you can donate to a low-cost spay and neuter clinic if your community has one.

Many times there are vets ready to take on the challenge to see how many animals they can spay and neuter during the month of February, be an animal advocate, call around and see if you can help by putting up flyers, posting on Facebook and promoting any community event going on that supports the cause. 

Helping others get educated helps others understand the needs and benefits of spay/neuter and how it can save many lives each year. Yavapai Human Society explains it in a way that you might be able to relate better.

If you take one dog having approximately 6 females puppies each year and each of those puppies went on to have 6 female puppies and so forth each after 5 years that one female dog would have contributed 7776 more dogs to the overpopulation issue. As you can see even helping one animal get spay/neutered can make a big impact on the population.

Unaltered animals run more of a risk of developing Pyometra, uterine or breast cancer in females. For males the risk of testicular cancer and prostate cancer. 

According to many different organizations, such as  HSUS, PETA, and USDA, just to name a few, state that dogs living at the end of chains develop psychological issues due to spending their time alone normally isolated in a back yard of their owner’s home, with very little attention, water bowls that have been turned over and sporadic feeding schedules.

Dogs living a life on a chain many times are left with little or no shelter to protect them from the elements and in temperatures ranging from extreme heat to below freezing.

Dogs need to be free to live in homes with their humans as family members and enjoy life as they should, dogs do deserve better. 

Take a stand in your community, find out more about the laws in your area so you know what you can do and how to help get them changed if needed. Here is a list of laws regarding chaining dogs according to Unchain Your Dog. After arming yourself with the laws in your community, if you know of a dog that chained more than the law allows report them to the authorities.

Get involved by getting your community to help by raising money and building fences for chained dogs and volunteering to train dogs and keep educating and advocating. 

We do this by training our dogs not to dig under fences or running out the front door when visitors arrive as we know it is important to keep our pets safe from the many dangers outside our homes and yard that pets just do not understand.

Why is Pet Theft Awareness Day celebrated on February 14th? According to Last Chance for Pets, this is a day that we see a big spike in pet theft.

You might ask yourself why would someone steal my pet? To answer this, the biggest reason is money.

These thieves steal our dogs to resell them, normally this happens with purebreds and that cute little Yorkie could be the target; however, do not rule out you Heinz 57, as many times these are used as bait dogs in fighting rings.  

We have always protected our children from being kidnapped and teach them about stranger danger and now we have to worry about our pets too. Pet theft is real and with only a 10% return rate according to Last Chance for Animals, it is important to know where your pets are at all times.

How to celebrate – You might ask how do we celebrate Pet Theft Awareness and what measures should we take to keep our dogs safe from that lurking thief that can grab your dog before you know it?

Many people do not realize that theft of our pets is such a big problem so spreading awareness is big on the list.

Some of the precautionary measures we take here at The Wood Hound is padlocking our gates, keeping our dogs inside while we are gone, and knowing where our dogs are at all times.

Another way to protect your pet is by getting them micro-chipped and keep the information updated, always have a recent photo of your pet and we hope that you never have to face this but if your pet comes up missing call the authorities.

Never leave your dog tied up out front at the convenience store while you run in or leave your dog unattended in a vehicle these are all prime targets for theft. 

Why Celebrate – Pets can play a big role in any household as the official door greeter after a long day at work, cuddle buddy on the couch during your favorite TV show and even someone to take those daily walks with. What’s not to love?

Did you know people that have and love dogs seem to also have better health? According to WebMD pets can have a positive effect on your health. With a more bonded relationship with your pet, studies show that dogs can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and have lower triglyceride levels.

An article from Havard Health indicates the power of touch can be a huge stress reliever that may even contribute to better heart health.

The director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, Alan Beck, ScD, explains petting your pet also relaxes and soothes your pet. 

We love our pets, and with the statistics being in our pet’s, favor, why not show our pets how much we love them and work to create a deeper bond with them by celebrating Love Your Pet Day.

How to celebrate – Celebrating Love Your Pet Day can be a full day of activities and so rewarding for you and your pet. Depending on what type of pet you call a family member depends on how you might celebrate this day. Considering you are reading this and we are looking at the different Dog Holidays in February we will focus on our canine fur babies to celebrate with.

To start the celebration, pamper your dog by giving them a nice massage, you can check in your area to see if someone offers these services or do it yourself. My dogs love it when I massage them and always seem to relax. If you are unsure how to do this just make sure to keep the message very light not to cause any pain to your furry friend.

Take your dog for a walk to a special place, maybe a different route than normal so they can sniff out the unknown or visit your local pet store and have your dog pick out a new toy or a special treat.

Spend some time outside playing games, like fetch or take some extra cuddle time watching that favorite dog movie on TV. The possibilities are endless and as long as you are spending that special time with your dog they will be loving every minute of it.

Other pet parents would love to see what you and your pet are doing this day, so make sure to take lots of pictures and post on social media you can use #NationalLoveYourPetDay to make sure you are sharing with other pet lovers of the world.

Remember this is the day special for your pet, to show them that you love and appreciate their unconditional love and companionship, so make the best of it, love and enjoy the time spent with your dog and creating that human-animal bond. 

This day is a good time for treats and if you plan to get your fur babies a special treat always know that it is best to feed them treats just for dogs and if you are still in that valentine mode, never give them chocolate, as it can be very toxic to them.

During this time of year with the colder months, dogs do not seem to get enough exercise and because of the cool weather they also tend to eat a bit more. We are all into a bit of comfort food when it is cold outside and dogs are no different.

Keeping the awareness up about walking your dog is the best way to keep your dog at a lean healthy weight and also provides the best time to bond with your dog. Exercise is also a great way to burn off that extra energy and have a much calmer dog. 

These little crunchy biscuits are responsible for keeping our dogs teeth healthier as and with February being Pet Dental Health Month it is a great time to celebrate National Dog Biscuit Day with the world and dogs will love you for it.

Picking that perfect treat can be a bit tricky as there are so many on the market now, the best thing to consider is to make it healthy. They have all the regular contenders, but to celebrate this holiday a fancy treat from the local dog bakery might be an option. 

As responsible dog parents, making homemade treats may be a fun way to celebrate and know you are giving your furry friend a healthy treat for this holiday.

There are many different recipes such as one I have used before for peanut butter and pumpkin treats that are dogs love and they are easy to make. Make sure the peanut butter you use is all-natural and never containing Xylitol. If you know other dog parents or your dogs have playmates sharing homemade dog biscuits is a great way to celebrate with others.

The dogs are all lined up and excited to enjoy this holiday, I know mine will be looking at us like let the celebration begin!

This is how Spay Day USA came about and then later after 74 other countries joined the battle creating World Spay Day. According to Doris Day Animal League, these numbers have drastically decreased to 1 million since 1995, as you see creating the awareness and everyone joining together can make a difference.

Many people want to have their pets spayed/neutered; however, after contacting a vet and finding out the cost, many feel they cannot afford to have the procedure done and do not have any choice but to keep their pet unaltered. This leads to accidental pregnancies and contributes to the overpopulation issues we face every day.

During the month of February, many vets get on board and reduce the cost of spay/neuter prices and even volunteer at low-cost or free clinics to help with the underserved and promote awareness for people that do not feel they can afford the procedure.

We would all like for our pets to live longer, and in an article from Banfield, they show that pets that have had the procedure live 9-18 months longer than unaltered pets. According to the article, this is because there are health benefits from having your pets spayed/neutered.

According to Banfield benefits include:

Females

Mammary, uterine or ovarian cancer

Uterine infections

Problems associated with the birthing process

 Males

Testicular cancers

Risk of perianal tumors

Prostatic diseases such as inflammation, infection, cysts, or enlargement of the prostate gland

The procedure is also known to help with behavior issues such as aggression, marking, and roaming. 

Call your vet and see what they have to offer this month to help promote Spay/Neuter Day and get an appointment if you have an unaltered pet or check with your local humane society to find out if anyone is sponsoring free or reduced rates during February.

We can also check into volunteering or donating to help others that may not be able to afford to get their pets altered. If you are wanting to get a new pet this month is also a great time to adopt and give one of those shelter pets a great home.

The more we can do as a community, state, country and even in the world the better off we will be in helping to save lives of these wonderful companions and to end the overpopulation by reducing the number of puppies and kittens born every year. Let’s get involved!