Pet Care: How Do I Get My Dog to Stop Peeing Inside?

Everyone loves being greeted by their dog when they come back through the front door. No one loves seeing the puddle of an accident. It’s been years since you’ve potty trained your now, adult dog. Why are they going inside the house? Even dogs who receive the best pet care and house training can still have accidents.

 

If your dog has previously been house trained and is still having trouble making it outside this could mean they may have a urinary tract infection, experiencing onset canine cognitive dysfunction, or other medical issues leading to incontinence.

 

Schedule a visit with your veterinarian to rule out any of these medical issues. Once you have established that the accidents inside are not caused by medical issues you can address the root of the problem.

 

This pet care guide will help pet parents understand why their dogs are going inside and tips to help curb this behavior.

What is the Cause of the Accidents?

Dogs that are house trained but are still urinating inside are going through a potty regression. If they are going when you’re away from home, this is most likely because they’re experiencing owner separation anxiety. Having an accident is a behavioral signal that your dog is enduring separation anxiety from being alone for extended amounts of time.

 

If your vet diagnoses your dog with separation anxiety they can coach you and your dog through ways of controlling the problem. A vet might also refer you to a pet care specialist like a veterinary behaviorist who can help your dog’s anxiety subside.

 

Doggie anxiety can also be triggered by loud threatening noises your dog hears. Thunderstorms, construction, fireworks, and traffic can be terrifying noises for a dog. Dogs that normally do their business outside will have issues leaving the house when noises like this make them panic. Frightened dogs will have an innate instinct to ‘hunker down’ and refuse to go outside. This is when accidents happen.

 

During times when loud noises are audible try and comfort your dog. Speak gently and pet your dog, reinforcing the idea that they are safe and comfortable. Use aromatherapy to help create a relaxing environment or play doggie therapy music to help distract them from the alarming noises. You may also consider getting your dog an anxiety jacket like a Thundershirt. These products apply a constant and gentle pressure that makes them feel like they’re being swaddled.

How to Stop Accidents with Pet Care

You can use the dog training methods you first used when originally house training your dog. The smell of past accidents often signals to dogs that this is an appropriate place to ‘do business.’ Use cleaners with an enzymatic formula that eliminate smells. This helps your dog know the difference between going in the proper place and the house.

 

Also, try and keep your dog off the carpet. Dogs are more likely to go on carpeted surfaces than hard floors. The mess will also be easier to clean up when it doesn’t soak into the carpet.

 

Dogs have an instinctual urge to keep their personal spaces clean. If you used crate training with your dog as a puppy you could try using the crate again while you are away from home. A crate is a sanctuary for a dog. Crates should be lined with comfortable bedding and dogs should want to rest in their crate on their own will.

 

You can also use a pen or a baby gate to limit the areas that your dog can roam while you’re away. Just as with a crate, make the space that your dog is confined to a soft welcoming place. Although you’re going to want this place to be carpet free, make sure there is a dog bed and  plush dog toys to keep your dog busy. Problem-solving puzzle games are also great for dogs that need mental stimulation when parents are away from the house.

 

Pet care is also about knowing how long your dog can be alone in the house before inevitably ‘going.’ Your dog may not be able to hold it for the time that you’re gone. You may consider doggie boarding or day care. Maybe hire a dog sitter or professional walker to come check up and walk your dog while you are gone.

 

The most important thing to realize is that a dog who has been potty trained is not going in your house purposefully. Never scold or rub your dog’s nose in it. This will only make the situation worse because it will heighten their anxiety. Instead, use methods of pet care that help your dog relax with a safe environment.

 

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique wishes you and your doggo good luck with keep the house clean and your dog happy!

 

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3 Reasons Salon Grooming is Great for Your Dog’s Health

A doggie spa experience is just as much a necessity as it is a luxury for your dog’s health. Yes, salon grooming helps pamper your dog, but more importantly, it promotes their well-being and can help you save some long term money.

 

After a trip to Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique, your dog will not only smell great, but will also be more relaxed while professionals take the opportunity to inspect their health. Of course, dog groomers are not veterinarians, but all Splash and Dash dog groomers have training to help in preventative care.

 

Taking your dog to a professional for salon grooming maintenance is one of the healthiest practices for your dog.

How Important is Salon Grooming For Your Pet’s Health?

A dog’s comfort centers around their coat. This is one of the easiest steps toward providing for your dog’s comfort. Have you ever had a ponytail or braids that were tied too tight? This is how dogs feel when their coats begin matting—a constant tug on their skin.

 

Excessive matting can lead to skin irritations, bacteria build-up, and if left untreated hair loss can occur.

 

Even short haired dog breeds need regular washing and brushing around once a week depending on their lifestyle. This keeps coats shiny, clean, and knot-free. Regular washing also regulates a dog’s skin pH balance. Skin maladies like hot spots, infections, and fleas and ticks can all be prevented with routine salon grooming.

 

When groomers wash through a dog’s thick coat, they are able to peer through the hair and get a direct look at your dog’s skin. Reputable dog groomers will scan for any injuries or possible conditions then alert pet owners so they can seek out veterinary assistance.

 

Splash and Dash groomers will attend to your dog’s bath, clip, nails, glands, brushing, teeth brushing and more including showroom style cuts. Most importantly the salon grooming your dog will get will make them feel comfortable and loved.

Salon Grooming Helps Alleviate Doggie Anxiety

Dogs are complex emotional creatures. They need mental stimulation and plenty of exercise to be happy. Dog’s can experience compounded stress and if what’s causing the stress isn’t changed, a dog’s behavior can become erratic. This can lead to barking, snapping, and urinating inside. Senior dogs and rescues are particularly susceptible to prolonged stress and need accommodations for their comfort.

 

A dog will exhibit signs of stress with their body language. Lip licking, hyper-vigilant scanning of their environment, and continual barking are a few symptoms of dog stress. If your dog is showing these signs this could be a signal they are experiencing more than normal amounts of anxiety. Dogs gain stress for many different reasons. A move to a new home, thunderstorms, prolonged separation from their owner, and visits to a veterinarian or all high-anxiety situations.

 

The best way to cope with this is to acclimate your dog to these high-stress situations early on in life. This means starting salon grooming early and comforting your dog during their first experiences like a storm or vet visit. If your dog is exhibiting extended stress signals, please contact your veterinarian.  

 

A creditable dog groomerie makes pet safety and comfort their top priority. Dogs who are not accustomed to the experience of salon grooming will need a gentle touch while being handled during their bathing. Relaxing techniques like aromatherapy and proper handling should leave dogs feeling rejuvenated. They should leave the groomerie with their tails wagging!

 

Splash and Dash Offers Opportunity to Provide the Best for Your Dog

In the last few years, America has become more aware of the foods we put into our bodies. This goes for all members of the family, even the four-legged ones. It is called premiumization. This is a recent push toward providing more healthy and nutritious options for ourselves and our pets.

 

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique recommends using the rotational diet. Balancing raw, dry, can, and fresh preparations of foods for your dog can diversify their diet and provide all the nutrition a dog needs to thrive. Options in pet foods like human grade and holistic formulas are also recommended.

 

When you take your dog in for salon grooming, this should also be a chance for you to find the best methods for caring for your pet. At Splash and Dash, our entire staff is ready to help. We are passionate about pet care! Not only can you find affordable brands of dog food, treats, and pet supplies, but also the healthiest option for your dog. The same options we provide in our stores are what we take home to give to our own pets.

 

Come on in and see for yourself!  

 

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Spike in Landlord Accommodations for Pets

More Pet Owners Make Way for More Pet-Friendly Housing In Major Cities

 

Most of the country has their eyes set either westward at Los Angeles, or to the east toward New York City for new happenings. Anticipation in fashion trends, pop-culture, and marketplace bearings begin in these two cities.

A new push for landlords motivating renters with pet-friendly accommodations has become a new marketing tactic. Of the 68% of U.S. millennial pet owners, 74% own dogs, according to the American Pet Products Association. Landlords are now marketing to these dog owners by waiving pet fees, allowing more than one dog, and supplying on-site pet care facilities.

The vacancy surplus combined with falling prices and rising concessions has made landlords think creatively to lure tenants. Pet-friendliness is now a marketing tactic. In the last 12 months, there has been a 20% increase in pet-friendly mentioning in landlord marketing materials. In NYC rent fees have dropped from $500 (and in some cases an extra month’s rent deposit) to around $20 in buildings like the West Village Building.

This trend is mostly happening within high-end luxury residential spaces like Hell’s Kitchen’s 525W52. Developers plan on building an on-site daycare facility, pet spa, agility course, and veterinary clinic for dog owning tenants.

In Los Angeles, where the highest percentage of renters live, the LA city council is working with landlords and tenants to increase pet-friendliness. A unanimous council vote aimed at curbing the number of pets in shelters was passed recently. LA shelters state that 26.6% of dogs were given up because of landlord pet restrictions.

One landlord in North Hollywood named Judy Guth has a no-pet-no-apartment policy. Guth’s prized 12-unit apartments come with the rule that tenants own at least one pet. If a pet dies, Guth personally takes them to the shelter to adopt another. Many of her tenants have lived in the complex for decades and units are coveted.

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique think these pet-friendly pushes are more than just trends. They are indicative of a lifestyle movement for this country. Dogs are now the center of the home and the heart!

 

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Salon Grooming Hairstyles Gives Pup Instagram Fame

How Salon Grooming Got this Dog 38K Followers on Instagram

As people who work in salon grooming, who are surrounded by cute dogs every day—we get it. We are obsessed with dogs. Our clients are obsessed with dogs. Most of the world is obsessed with dogs! Or cats, depending on your flavor of the week. One thing is for sure. Cute animals of all sizes of fluff and stature are in the Splash and Dash repertoire. We sit back and admire the salon grooming at the Westminster Dog Show, our clients’ dogs, and most recently the Instagram account moem_n.

The account belongs to a Japanese woman named Yuki and features her famous dog—Kuma. Combined, the two have an Instagram account that spotlights all the zany salon grooming Kuma gets on any given day. Photos of Kuma, the Pekingese-Shih Tzu mixed breed, shows the dog with all kinds of hair arrangements like intricate braiding and hair looped out to look like hearts.

The salon grooming that Kuma gets is so fashionable it’s hard to tell Kuma is a little dog and not a little girl. I guess the black button nose and small pink tongue gives it away, but seriously her hair is straightened and has fewer split ends than most celebrities. Five-star salon grooming!

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique think Kuma is quite the novelty, but all dogs are beautiful! Hope you enjoy!

 

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Rescue Dog at the Pet Store Picks Out First Dog Toy Ever

Roo Gets to Participate in Pet Store Tradition

Every loving pet owner knows the joy of taking their four-legged loved ones to the pet store to pick out their own dog toy. It’s a tradition. When a dog combs through the shelves looking for the perfect dog toy to take independently to the clerk just about everyone at the pet store has their heart melt.

When I take my Yorkie—Mercedes—to different Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutiques around the country she goes bonkers! You’ve never seen a dog so excited just to be at their favorite place. The pet store truly is paradise on Earth for dogs. Surrounded by treats, dog toys, and food! What dog wouldn’t be excited to sniff out their favorite toy?

As you guys can see from the video, Roo is delighted to be searching through the pet store. The Golden Retriever takes her time sniffing through the frisbees, then tennis balls, before she finally finds her perfect choice. This moment is even more special because Roo was once abandoned. Her foster parent wanted her to experience the joy that not all dogs get to experience.

Roo makes her way through the aisles of the pet store and finally settles on it—a plush porcupine doll. You can tell when a dog finds a toy they really love. They’ll bite down gently and nuzzle it, almost as if the toy is one of their own puppies. You can see the happiness light up in Roo from the tip of her nose too the tip of her tail!

We at Splash and Dash love seeing moments like this and we hope you do too!

 

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Pet Care: How Do I Get My Dog to Stop Whining?

You get home from work and you’re excited. You get to come home to relax, eat dinner, and spend some much-needed stress-relieving time with your dog. This is part of the balance of pet care right? But, as many pet parents know. This is not always how events play out.

What happens?

You open the door and your dog is so excited to see you. They jump up and whine-whine-whine until you give them attention. Neither of these behaviors are constructive and a whiny dog is the last thing most people want to hear after a long day of work. We all love our dogs, but we don’t love their whining.

This pet care article shows you how to train your dog to stop all the whining!

What Causes “Whining?”

Whining is one of the biggest sounds in a dog’s cache of vocalizations. Whining is another way dogs express themselves. Your dog might whine because he is excited about a treat or because you have just arrived home. Maybe your dog is whining because they are nervous or anxious.

Doggie anxiety is a real diagnosis and if your dog is whining profusely this may be a sign they are experiencing owner separation anxiety. Speak with your veterinarian if training does not help curb whining. Other symptoms of anxiety include shaking, pacing, destruction, or bladder incontinence.

Another reason a dog may whine is because of their intrinsic appeasement behavior, or calming signals. Signs a dog is exhibiting appeasement behavior are yawning, averted gaze, and lip licking outside of mealtimes. This body behavior is your dog’s way of showing their affection and trying to get your attention.

Dogs also whine to show us they are uncomfortable or are in physical pain. If your dog is showing signs of pain like limping or decreased appetite, speak with your veterinarian immediately for pet care. Cognitive dysfunction will also make a dog more active vocally.

Pet Care: Identify the Cause of Your Dog’s Whining

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique only condones humane methods of training for loving pet care that is actually more effective.

The best way to determine what is the underlying cause of your dog’s constant whining is to use reward-based training. This reinforces positive behavior with rewards while unconstructive and unwanted behavior is ignored.

When pet parents use rewards, instead of scolding, a dog will feel more inclined to maintain this behavior. This is especially true of behavior that stems from anxiety. If you punish your dog for the vocalized expression the behavior will stop, but their anxiety will remain. This will only make the situation worse. If a dog is overly stressed they could possibly lash out with even worse behavior.

Use reward-based training to help you find the source of your dog’s whining. If a dog begins whining when you or another person approaches him, or right before feeding, your dog is most likely whining from excitement.

If your dog is whining, retreating, or showing other behaviors that signal fear your dog is probably whining from anxiety. Similarly, if your dog whines during thunderstorms they are expressing their nervousness.

Train Away the Whining

The old saying, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is not always true. It might be a little more difficult to teach a dog that is set in their ways to begin behaving differently, but dogs of all ages can learn.

Dogs are naturally inquisitive and curious animals. The more exercise and mental occupation they get, the happier they will be. The more comfortable your dog is the less inclined they will be to start whining. Make sure your dog is comfortable before beginning training. Try walking your dog first before training and make sure there are no distractions present.

Pet care training begins at the refocusing level. Everyone who interacts with your dog needs to agree to maintain the rules. If your dog begins whining from excitement ignore the behavior. Once the whining stops, reward your dog with petting and treats. If your dog persistently whines, try redirecting them.

Ignore Bad Behavior

Take the attention away from whatever it is that is making them whine. Give your dog a chew toy or a hide a treat somewhere close. Once their attention is diverted—reward them. Having your dog adhere to this new way to receive attention can help curb whining. However, dogs that whine solely for attention will need different pet care training techniques.

For a dog who whines for attention, try walking away from your dog and adamantly only addressing them when the whining has stopped. If your dog gets overly excited for meal times try preparing their meals with them out of the room and out of the line of vision. You may need to put them in another room with the door closed. This pertains to whatever gets them excited. Placing your dog in a neutral space where they cannot see what makes them whine will naturally calm them while reinforcing a composed behavior.

Stress Whining

Dogs that whine as a result of stress will need to have a confidence boost during times of heightened anxiety. Try using calming music and aromatherapy during times of high stress like thunderstorms. The key is to reframe a stressful situation into a fun one. If your dog is fearful of trips to the groomers or the vet, use treats to coax them. Show them these are fun outings and they are safe. Good pet care specialists should be able to take it from there to ensure your dog’s comfort.

If training is not working, please consult your veterinarian for more clinical measures like medication.

The Importance of Positive Reinforcement

Dog training works like this; if a dog sees they get positive reinforcement from a certain behavior they are more likely to repeat it.  If you speak to your dog while they are whining, you are rewarding this behavior. If you are scolding them, then you are increasing their anxiety which exacerbates whining behavior. This is an inadvertent reward.

When a dog begins whining, simply ignore them. Face the other way, turn around, and walk away. This attention withdrawal will correct behavior much quicker. When I first introduced my dog into the house, the best way she learned calm quiet behavior was to reward her while she lay there relaxing. Now, I never hear whining.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique wishes you luck with all your dog training and hopes you exercise great pet care!

 

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