fido's playground - Blog

Business As Usual

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:36:32 GMT

Business over the last couple of months has been incredibly varied. This is one of the many reasons why i love my work.

We have looked after kindly old age pensioners from their own homes. This carries a lot of responsibility as medication needs to be administered and the dogs monitored. Although Fidos's senior citizens have their own set ways and normally a few adventures up their paws, this arrangement of making visits to walk and feed them seems to work well. Life is calm and routines are kept the same. We very often arrive to dogs deeply asleep, sprawled out over couches or beds.
Recently we have had a spate of couples needing extra help as a baby arrives in the family. With working life needing to continue as normal, we are often asked to walk dogs while one parent is away for work, or provide much needed relief during a morning or afternoon by offering 'play' at my flat.
Staying overnight in a house full of pets is a perfect option for keeping the costs down. A household with 2 dogs and 2 cats can cost anything over 60 euros per night for care. There is no stress or worry involved in this option, no transport of animals to various places, no wrenching away from routine and familiar smells. You leave and we arrive! No fuss. Minky and Thierry, Boris and Maggie will confirm this (2 Whippets and 2 short haired cats respectively).
Do you have friends to stay but dont want to burden them with walking the dogs. We have covered for all or some of the walks that our dog community has needed leaving friends free to keep a flexible timetable.

References

Otto	Jack Daniels (JD)

Thank you so much Linda and Susie for the fantastic service. When I got home Otto was lovely and relaxed. A nice to change to the frantic puppy I see when I usually get home from work. The note from Linda was also a wonderful personal touch. ♥ Charlotte Samantha Joseph and Otto.

From the first day Susie came in to look after me, I knew things were going to be different. Rather than fuss and try and get me to play with things when I wasn't in the mood, Susie let me go to her in my own time and remembered that it is my house and I am charge when Mum is away. And when she's not, actually. The second time Susie came I was taking medicine and Mum was slightly worried how I would adapt to someone else squirting liquid antibiotics into my mouth through a syringe, given that I had given Mum quite a hard time. But I'd come to trust Susie and liked her calmness, so I actually did it without any fuss. Susie is lovely; she grooms me and talks to me, she listens to me and she feeds me. I am always happy to see her, because I know she is there just for me and not fitting me in between other chores, but spending good quality time with me while Mum is away. When Mum gets back, she is always happy because I'm not despondent or fed up and she knows I have been well cared for and loved. Apparently, she even tells Mum how I'm doing while she is away too and sends her pictures, which is nice. Thank you Susie.
Nicola Thornton and JD or Jack Daniels

Moving Home with your Dog: Some Tips

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:48:01 GMT

Moving house is stressful for your dog. It can cause behavioural problems and your dog may even go missing. This is what happened to one of Fidos' dogs.
You are essentially moving the den. It is a challenging time and threatens their view of survival as they do not understand what is happening. The familiar smells are changing, the sounds are different, your house will be full of people lifting and straining, filled with raised voices, alarming noises and doors are left open. To help your dog move with as little stress as possible the simplest way is to:

book your dog in with its favourite pet sitter, friend, family member, or neighbour for the duration of the packing and the move. This is the least stressful and the most fun!
If this is not possible keep your dog in a separate part of the house with their bed and toys and water.

Moving Day

Make sure your dog is microchipped and take a photo, dogs can panic in a new surrounding and run off in search of their old home or 'den'.

Accustom your dog to traveling by car if it is not used to it
If your dog suffers from car sickness, do it a favour and do not feed it at least 12 hours prior to traveling
While traveling in the car take lots of potty breaks, water for drinking and time for a little exercise
On arrival keep your dog separated, from the hubub of unpacking, in a separat area with its familiar bed and toys
Check your new environment is dog proof, and once you are sure, allow your dog off lead to sniff and explore on its own. I have known one dog to jump from an upstairs window. Be aware and give your dog time to adjust to its new surroundings. If you are not sure, keep your dog on the leash.
Keep your dog as quiet as possible. Don't overstimulate it with attention.
Provide a mini den where they feel safe eg a crate. If they are not used to a crate before the move, then take the time to accustom them to one using positive reinforcement.
It is best not to leave the dog unattended in the early stages. Practice some gesture leaving.
Keep your dog on the same food it is used to.
Decide on your new house rules, and from the very beginning, implement them.
Positive reinforcement and play is more important than exercise at this time.
Try and plan a move when your dog is not on heat.

Some Signs of Anxiety

quietness or moroseness
chewing
hyperactivity

aggressiveness
scavenging
neediness

nervousness
toileting in the house
barking or howling

Air Freshners, Smelly Shampoos and our Pets

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:04:42 GMT

Have you seen your dog try to roll in an airfreshner that is plugged into your wall? Or roll in somethjing on the street after a shampoo and wash? Does your cat poop outsider the litter tray?
Dogs, cats and hamsters for example have a heightened sense of smell, at least 40 x more powerful than our own.

Humans have 5 million receptors and half a square meter of nasal membrane

Dogs have 220 million receptors, and 7 square meters of nasal membrane!

Cats have over 200 million receptors and a membrane that is double the size of the membrane in the human nose. A cats ability to smell has been described as mind bending.

A hamster uses his sense of smell to recognize other hamsters, to tell whether a hamster is male or female, to find food, and also to detect pheromones in hamster social situations. Hamsters actually communicate with each other with pheromones (chemicals that are secreted from the body). Imagine closing your human eyes and trying to live, like the hamster, through your sense of smell.

Air freshners are overpowering scents for our pets. Can i suggest that for them, an air freshner maybe like smelling a bottle of formaldehyde. This is a smell that WE find overpowering. Imagine amplifying this smell by at least 40? Do our airfreshners and shampoos have the same affect on our pets?

Dogs will try to roll in a strong smell because it is so overwhelmingly powerful that they feel they need to camouflage themselves in the same scent. Hence rubbing up to a airfreshener plugged into the wall or rolling on something disgusting in the street after a shampoo. Dogs don't want to draw attention to themselves, they feel safer blending into the surroundings. Strong smells like these can be threatening to an animal. Dogs may also urinate or defecate in the home, to try and over ride the smell of the airfreshener. As a dog listener i can recall a colleague’s story of a dog suddenly becoming nervous around the family's 13yr old daughter. It was discovered that the daughter had been given perfume for her birthday and the dog was reacting to it. A perfume smelt 40 x more than we would smell it!

Cats may poop out of their litter trays when their own territorial signals are overridden by strong smells or strong human odours. They may poop on the bed or at the entrance to the flat (den). They dont know that the smell is of pine, they just know, that to other cats, this smell overrides their attempts at marking their territory to trespassing cats. Hence they try to make their mark stronger and poo outside the litter tray.

Be aware of the affect your air freshners have on your pets. Ask your groomer to wash and shampoo your dog with a natural non smelling shampoo. Wash your hands with neutral soap before handling a hamster and do you really need the airfreshners plugged into the wall?

'Cat'

Reference for January 2013

I am exceptionally happy with the quality of care my cat received when I travel. Susie and team play with him and attend to his needs, as well as looking after my plants and making sure cat does not trash the apartment with his energetic tendencies. I have happily recommended Susie to several colleagues who are thinking of getting pets and are concerned about pet care while they travel.

Sarah Eves and 'Cat'

Kennel Cough

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:50:49 GMT

Kennel Cough

It is that time of year and i have come across a couple of cases of Kennel Cough. Here is some information for a quick diagnosis and treatment.

It is a extremely contagious respiratory disease in dogs. It most commonly occurs where groups of dogs are congregated together, such as doggie day-cares, pet shops, veterinary hospitals, grooming parlors, parks, shelters, and kennels. If untreated it can become serious and even lead to pneumonia, especially in young puppies. An interesting fact is that Kennel cough can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or mycoplasmas, or a combination of the three, so in cases of a viral infection antibiotics will not ¨cure¨ the cough. The biggest thing that antibiotics do is keep it from worsening.

Kennel cough is characterized by a dry, hacking cough in the later stages or a dog clearing its throat in the earlier stages, it is often followed by gagging. Coughing can be induced when the dog becomes excited or exercises.

If you think your dog has kennel cough, isolate it from other animals and visit your vet. Kennel cough is easily spread through aerosols in the air, contact with other dogs. contact with contaminated surfaces, such as the ground, toys, water and sidewalks.

Treatment is with antibiotics, rest and warmth, as in human flu. There are also available, natural therapies to support your dog.

Summer Puig Corner

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:24:45 GMT

References

My husband and I are very grateful to have found Susie Hunt of Fidos Playground to take care of both our dog and our cat for the last two years. Because we travel frequently, sometimes for an extended number of days, it feels good to know our pets are being well taken care of so we don't have to worry. I would recommend Susie to anyone who is looking for dependable and knowledgeable pet sitting.

Diana and Nader Mahmoud and Charlie and Rascal

''Yes everything was fine when we got back on Wed afternoon. I have been meaning to send you a mail thanking you for a excellent service since we got back. We were very happy with everything and with the job that Linda did, first class and we will for sure use the service again.''

Darren Meadows father of Otis.

Collserola Fun!

The walks into the Collserola have begun! Lush was our first walker. Loaded into Linda's car, she visited the cool hills behind Barcelona while her folk were enjoying the Costa Brava. The dogs are more alive up there with a sparkle to their eyes, as the pavements are replaced by earth and leaf laden ground and car fumes are replaced by the smell of wild boar and pine trees.

A Day in the Life of Fido

Its a busy Friday for Fido. Running his paw down his appointments Fido notices that he has a weekend of pet sitting Boris and Obie. He will need to visit them 3 x a day for the next 4 days. He enjoys their company and slobbers at the thought of hanging out with them. He also notices that he has four sets of cats to visit. He loves his feline companions. They bring out his feminine side (he would never admit this to Boris and Obie) and he sneakily packs some nail varnish for a good ol pampering.
Preparing his bag the night before he collects all the keys he will need, and again double checks that he has the right keys (he has been known to forget keys or arrive with the wrong set), and then packs his camera, sunglasses, hat and energy bars.

Bright and bushy tailed the next morning he heads off to meet his mates. They are pleased to see him and they share some time together in the park. Not too many girls out this early in the morning, but they know they will be back at lunch time and again in the evening. Maybe more luck then.

After breakfast Fido is off again. Running to steal the last bicing from a fellow bicinger he cycles off to visit with his first cat. This one is a grey cat and Fido is very aware that she is very shy. She reads a lot, smokes long thin cigars and likes her own company. She enjoys Fidos visits, but he still needs to sit patiently and wait for her to open the conversation, but when she talks ... well ... it is difficult for Fido to leave.

The next set of cats to visit are a pair of great friends. They are also great gossipers. They tell him about their day, who walked past their window and at what time. They remind him to remove the bones from the food he prepares for them and then they ask him to sit outside on the grass with them while they soak up a bit of sun.

Travelling by the metro this time, Fido is back to visit Boris and Obie. They decide it is too hot and a sit under a shady tree works just fine. All the trees have been marked up until this point so they would not have got very far if they had tried anyway.

Fido stops to buy a bocadillo, eyes the pigeons that hang out on the street and then pads his way to visit the next cat. A very charming young lady, he asks her to paint his nails and they sit out on the terrace together sipping homemade pinacoladas.

He has time to keep up with his facebook page and also make some calls. He is impressed with his new smart phone. Just before he is due to meet with Boris and Obie for the night he is phoned by a new client. This time it is a family of 2 galgos, a little dog and a cat that have apporached him for some care. He updates his diary, looks up on google where they live and then finishes the day with a bone.

July 26th, 2012

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:54:56 GMT

Toxic Foods for both Dogs and Cats

Chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs, although cats are smarter at refusing it! The toxic agent in Chocolate is theobromine. It is in all chocolate including white, but the worst is dark, and unsweetened baking chocolate.
Onions in all its forms can breakdown the red blood cells and cause anemia.
Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in both dogs and cats.
Milk and other dairy products except for kittens will cause diarrohea and other digestive problems in adult dogs and cats.
Yeast Dough. Before it is baked bread dough needs to rise and that is exactly what it would do in your dogs or cats stomach if eaten. It will swell and stretch the abdomen causing severe pain. In the process of fermentation it will also produce alcohol causing alcohol poinsoning.
Alcohol has the same effect on a dogs or cats liver and brain as it has on a human but it takes a lot less to do its damage. 2 teaspoons whisky given to a 5lb cat could cause coma. A dog will feel symptoms like vomiting, diarrohea etc
Sugar, fat, raw eggs, caffeine are also foods to keep away from dogs and cats. For example and enzyme in raw eggs will interfere with the absorption of a specific Vitamin
Peach/plum/Apricot pips for dogs not only once swallowed can cause obstruction but the pip contains cyanide which is both poinsonous to dogs and humans. The difference is humans know how to eat them. Dogs dont.

June Puig Corner

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:53:02 GMT

Introducing Linda Koldal. Linda has been working alongside me now for nearly a year, but i did not truly 'see' her until much later when suddenly (a bit like Mr I. Newton, except i did not get hit in the head with an apple) the light came on in my head that she would be a perfect person to join the Fidos' team.

On that note as of the 1st of July she leaves the computer (she has a computer sciences degree) and joins the animals.

I include a reference from one of her first jobs and a happy dog owner:
''Yes everything was fine when we got back on Wed afternoon. I have been meaning to send you a mail thanking you for a excellent service since we got back. We were very happy with everything and with the job that Linda did, first class and we will for sure use the service again.'' Darren Meadows father of Otis the English bulldog.

Tips to keep your animals cool this summer

Dogs sweat through their paws. Keep them off the hot pavements during the hottest time of the day.
They also sweat by panting. Be sensitive to this behaviour in the heat.

Walk or run your dog during the coolest hours of the day. They are close to the ground and feel the heat directly as it rises. Carry room temperature water with you for them to drink. Make the most of the Barcelona fountains.

Allow them to sleep, provide a damp towel for them to lie on, wash them down with water from the pads of their feet upwards and around the neck, keep them in the shade. Switch on a fan.

Old and overweight animals suffer in hot weather. Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs and cats like Bulldogs and Persians and those with heart or lung diseases should be kept indoors in air conditioning as much as possible.

Dido 'The Escaparista' gives advice on what to do if you loose your dog.

First of all it is very important that you wear a microchip. It is not a painful proceedure.

If you have arrived on the plane from another country and already wear a chip, then go immediately to a vet and ask them to register you with the Archivo Identificacion Animales de Compania. You fill out a form with your address and your human's telephone number.

Once you are bored of roaming the streets chasing pigeons and eating bocadillos, let yourself be caught by a friendly human who will then take you to a vet, the vet will then read your chip, then they will phone the Archivo, the Archivo will then phone your human and advise them where they can come and pick you up. And ... for your own sake try to keep your explorations within the barrio.
Put a post it! on your human's fridge to remind them to call the Archivo identificacion Animales de Compania on 934189294 as soon as they notice that you are not at home waiting with their slippers in your mouth.
I believe the same proceedure is followed for those cheeky felines.

Reference for the month of June

When our family moved to Barcelona from Canada last year we brought our 3 year-old Labradoodle, Lucy, with us. We now also have a large fish, named Ken (you can see their photos on the About Our Pets page).

Susie has taken care of Lucy and Ken for us on a number of occasions. She has always been very professional in her approach and we were very comfortable leaving them in her care from day one.

Lucy is very happy with Susie and we have not had any problems or concerns. She’s always very happy to see Susie especially as she loves the homemade dog biscuits Susie brings. When we were away for the Christmas holiday last year Susie also sent us photographs of Lucy, which we were very happy to see. Ken has also been equally well cared for.

I have been happy to recommend Susie and Fido’s Playground to my friends and know they will enjoy the same peace of mind while they are away.

Wendy Dick and Lucy and Ken

References

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:07:22 GMT

Reference for the month of May

Susie has looked after our some-what shy cat several times for us whilst we have been away and each time she has taken great care to
keep us informed of how things are back at home. We have appreciated her professionalism, and trust her completely with our cat, and our home. She even did us the favor of watering our plants, which was greatly appreciated. We would be happy to recommend her to anyone in need of a sitter.

Emma Reynolds and Cosita

May Puig Corner

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 13:55:41 GMT

The Adventures of Fido

in May included the care of 2 Java Finches and 3 Budgies. You may remember that Fido cared for the Java Finches called 'Donna' and 'Ocell' in December. Since then they became sweethearts and Donna laid 5 creamy coloured eggs. Of the 5, 3 did not hatch, 1 died after hatching and the last one is alive and thriving and now a member of Fidos' animal community. He is called 'Domingo', because he hatched on a Sunday and also flew the nest on a Sunday. As you will see from the photo Domingo still has his baby plumage, a smudging of black feathers on his back. It is quite amazing that he should have grown to this size as the eggs were tiny, no bigger than the nail of my index finger!

What does a cat's tail say?

Cat Care or Cat sitting with Fido!

Fido also looked after 4 cats. He visited Sugar while her parents were away on honeymoon, JD while his mum was undergoing eye surgery for new sight, Cat while his mum was away on work travel, and Rascal while her folks travelled to visit family.

Cat

Rascal

Sugar

Dog walking, doggie daycare and doggie sitting.

Fido still walks his dogs. He trots up to their houses to take them out, gives food and any medication, and generally listens while the dogs bark about their day. Dog care at home included 2 whippets, 'Minky' and 'Thierry'. Minky needs her medication every evening at meal times, and Fido is careful to administer it, even though Minky actuallly likes to chew it like a gummy bear. 'Pepper' from El Borne also popped up for a weekend here and there. 'Jessie, Dido, Nico and Lucy' enjoyed walks and the play group continued under Fido's watchful eye with Charlie, Dora, Zac and Hunter. Fido also shared his kennel and toys with Sam, Dora, and Charlie.

All the best for a warm upcoming June. Remember to leave lots of water out for your pets as the days heat up.

C for Calming signals

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:41:57 GMT

C for Calming Signals

This is the title of a book written by Turid Rugaas a Norwegian dog trainer and behavourist. She calls her book “On Talking terms with dogs: Calming Signals”

Turid talks about yawning, lip licking, head turning and many other signals that dogs use to communicate with one another and their humans. These signals are also the basis for the Doggonesafe (a non profit organisation) presentation against dog bites for which i am a presenter.

If your dog is awake it is communicating to you. Besides the obvious body language the dog uses very subtle and almost invisible signals. Dogs have the same ability and the same social skills to avoid conflicts as wolves. Conflict solving is part of their heritage and nature. They do not want a fight. They will use the 'fight' reaction as a last resort.

Dogs use these signals at an early stage in any tense situation. They talk, using the signals to calm themselves, to convey peace, to calm others or to show goodwill. I teach children and adults to notice these signals helping them make informed decisions around familiar and unfamiliar dogs.

According to Turid there are at least 30 signals. Some are very subtle and some are so swift that you can hardly see them. It takes experience and awareness to pick up your dog’s signals.

Watch your dog at home, find these signals in the dog park (you will realise that most dogs are more stressed in the dog park than happy) or as you walk out with your dog. Notice, how your dog communicates with other dogs or how other dogs communicate in return. Here are a few signals.

Head Turning. Have you ever noticed that when you point your camera at a dog to take a photo … it turns its head! How frustrating!

The camera is equivalent to a direct stare with your eyes, so a dog will turn its head to divert the gaze, which is considered threatening in 'dog speak'.

Dogs off lead will stand facing each other but you may notice that one will look one way and the other will look the other way. This is 'Dog Curtesy'. Like a human shaking another's hand. Direct eye contact is bad manners in 'Dog Speak'.

Licking. Licking is a sign that a dog is thinking, unsure and watching. I see this signal a lot out in the street when i am walking a big confident dog. The smaller dogs lick their lips furiously in an effort to convey to the big dog that they are not a threat and please to leave them alone.

Sniffing. This may be used as a long signal, where the dog will put its nose to the ground and move around sniffing, or it may be a very quick movement, a dip to the ground and then the nose comes back up. This has been used on me! A sweet visitor to my flat picked up that i was a little frazzled and she started to sniff around the room! She was calming me down!

Yawning. A dog may yawn if there is a fight within the family, or if a person starts to hug a dog. Yawning can also be used when a dog knows that it is going into a situation that it does not enjoy. I have used this signal to calm a dog that is aggressive when i go to leave its flat. I yawn and yawn, and it stares at me in absolute calmness.

Curving. Look at dogs greeting each other in the street. Notice how they may approach each other in a half circle. This is 'Dog Courtesy'.

A paw lift. I walk a dog regularly every Tuesday. Before she comes to me she stands at a distance with her paw lifted. I signal to her that i am not a threat by sitting with my back to her. This is another signal.

Blinking eyes or the white half moon eye. If a dog is holding onto a bone and you approach it, you may notice the white half moon in the eye, or if you take a photo of the dog, you will see the white half moon.

Humans tend to notice the other more obvious body language like standing big and tall, growling, or that the dog has raised its hackles. But these are not calming signals. These are signals that tell of the dogs arousal or excitement. The calming signals are more important and indicate the subtle thoughts of the dog before the dog becomes aroused.

Also be aware that dogs may communicate using one signal more than another. For example a black dog may prefer to yawn or a little dog may prefer to lift its paw.

Take your time with your observations. Enjoy your increased awareness. Sit on a bench and watch. There is a silent conversation going on all around us.