Hip Hounds

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a good week!  Most of you know that we have a sign posted on our front door that reads, "All dogs mut be on a leash".  We ask that all dogs arrive on a leash for safety reasons.  This rule is most important for new dogs and nervous dogs.  Even the smallest dogs need to be on a leash.  A dog can become very nervous and fearful if it is passed from mom or dad to a strangers arms; this may cause the dog to bite the stranger (or staff member).  This is why no matter the size of the dog, a leash is always the safest way to handle the dogs. 

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This thought just came to mind earlier this week and I figured that I should post this week’s blog early so I would not forget!  Check back next week!

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A lot of dog parents watch their pups on our awesome webcams to see what their kids are up to throughout the day.  Often at pick up times we are asked, ‘ what is in the spray bottles that the staff carry around?’  The spray bottles are loaded with plain tap water.  We use the spray bottles to distract the dogs.  We use them to distract them from other dogs if play gets too intense, or to distract them from chewing on play equipment of fencing.  Most of the time the water works just fine and the staff does not even have to call the dog by name.  Some dogs though, love the water and the spritzing has no effect on the dog.  If the spray bottle does not work, then we call the dogs name to get their attention and tell them ‘no’ or ‘leave it’ if they are getting into mischief.

We at Hip Hounds do everything in our power to keep the playgroups safe and calm.  We do have to raise our voices at certain times to break up the dogs if play is getting too intense and if we feel a fight is about to happen.  If we raise our voices, this means we have used our more gentle methods of distraction and they have failed to get the dog’s attention.  We would rather use our voices to distract the dogs and break up an argument than physically manipulate them.  This is much safer for the dogs and the employees.

I hope this answers a lot of questions out there and of course if you ever have any additional questions about how we handle dog arguments, intense play, or mounting ; please let us know!  Thanks for reading and we will be back next week!

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Good morning! We hope that everyone is having a good week! We have a special guest blogger this time around. Meredith has been with us for quite some time and was particularly inspired to write the blog this week.

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So take a moment to read and we will see you back next week!

Woof!

Here at Hip Hounds we keep a plentiful stock of clean towels blankets, beds and toys for every guest, however, we understand that for the comfort of your dog many like to bring their own blankets and beds that smell like home. As this is perfectly welcome for all guests, we just like to remind our dog owners to bring personal belongings at their own risk. We try to the best of our ability to keep track of each and every dog’s belongings including giving everything a wash before their departure. There are certain times when things get a bit hectic around here! Such as Fourth of July weekend, many of the dogs staying in personal runs had their own blankets and beds. While we do not allow any other dog in an occupied run at any time, there is space between each bottom of the fencing allowing for dogs to pull and tug at their neighbors toys and blankets during the night if these things are in paw’s reach. Also, many dogs may be a bit nervous being away from home, causing them to chew away at their beds! We do apologize for any new rips and tears or missing belongings that may have been sent home with another family. For future boarding plans, if you intend on bringing any personal items from home, please be sure to put a name wherever it may fit!

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-Meredith

    Hello everyone!  We are very busy at Hip Hounds preparing for the Fourth of July holiday.  We have a lot of pups staying with us over this weekend also!  Some of you may have noticed that our lobby is slowly being made over.  We have put up a new price board over the front desk.  This makes it easier for everyone to see our pricing options for daycare and our boarding rates.  We also spread out our food layout to make room for a larger selection of treats!  We carry large and small packages of yummy treats so you can pick up a small treat for your pooch on your way home, or stock up for the whole month!  We also carry venison treats for those pups with food allergies.  We still carry the full line of canine Natura products and can get feline products upon request, so let us know if your kitties need anything!

Gerry full      We hope that everyone has a great weekend and stays out of the heat! See you next week!

Woof!

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Hello everyone!  As most of you know we did have some hefty thinderstorms in the area last night.  I was actually at Hip Hounds when the storms hit.  Everyone made it through the night in one piece and is doing well this morning.  Some dogs do have storm anxiety and need special attention during severe weather.  Check out this article provided by The Weather Channel for more info!

Woof!

     Summer begins next weekend and that means pool parties, barbeques, camping, floating the river, and trips to the lake.  Your dog may stay with us or tag along with the rest of the family.  Either way  you must consider protecting them against the usual summer offenders for canines, which include:  heartworms, fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitos, ants, and  microscopic pests such as giardia!

     The risk of heartworm disease is year round here in Texas and it is best to have them on a preventative like Heartguard to give them the maximum protection against life threatening heartworms. 

     Fleas and ticks can transmit tapeworms and other diseases such as  Ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease!  Frontline is a great preventative to keep the fleas and ticks at bay.  Products like these will keep you and your pet safe from these pests so you can enjoy the summer days and nights.

     If you to take your dog to the local pond or lake for a dip, you might consider vaccinating them against giardia Wrong Turn download .  Giardia is a nasty one-celled organism that makes itself at home in a dog’s intestines and causes diarrhea and vomiting.

     There are many different types of preventatives available at your vet, so it is best to consult your vet to find out which product will work best for you and your dog. 

     Woof!

Good morning everyone!  It is Friday once again and we have been having a fun week at Hip Hounds!  This is the time of year when a lot of dogs visit us for the first time.  A lot of families are planning summer vacations and realize that their pup needs a place to stay while they are gone.  The majority of pups that walk into our playgroups are well-adjusted social dogs who understand canine language.  There is a small percentage of dogs who have no idea how to communicate with other dogs and are not able to stay with us because of their lack of communication skills. It takes time to properly socialize a dog.  It is best to start at a young age but sometimes that is not an option.  Every dog is different and responds to everything differently, so this must be taken into consideration.   They must be exposed to all kinds of environments, animals, and people in order to develop the skills to cope with anxiety, excitement, or joy over the course of their lifetime.  Your dog does not have to love everyone and everything it encounters but he or she should be able to handle situations without distracting everyone else around them. I cannot stress enough the importance of the socialization of your dog.  Not only does it increase their self confidence but it increases yours as well.   It also strengthens the bond between you and your dog by allowing you to partake in many activities with your dog rather than having to leave them at home. Woof.

Happy Friday everyone!  I am sure that all of you are preparing for Memorial Day weekend.  Hip Hounds has started the weekend early!  There are lots of pups staying with us over the next few days and it is one big dog party here!

Have a great weekend and a safe holiday!

woof!

Wrong Turn release      Good morning everyone!  Today is Friday and we are all ready for the weekend!  It will be busy here at Hip Hounds, as we have a lot of pups staying with us over the next few days! 

     Yesterday evening I was rushing to get home as quickly as possible so I could watch the entire season finale of Bones but I was held up because of my dirty puppy!  I thought he had a scab and was worried that he might have a small puncture from playing too rough but upon further examination I discovered it was just poop.  Somehow he rolled in poop.  I was relieved and grossed out at the same time.  Needless to say we got home a little later than expected last night because someone had to have a bath before getting into mom’s car!

     Speaking of poop…

     If your dog is experiencing some diarrhea, you can add some canned pumpkin (not pie filling) to their meal or just give it to them by itself if you are having to withhold food.  This will bulk up their poo a little and can help with the diarrhea.  It also helps with constipation!  Check out this link The Time Machine video if you need more information on how to handle bouts of diarrhea.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Check back next week!

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     I hope everyone is having a good week and staying out of the nasty heat!  We are beating the heat at hip hounds by staying inside with the air conditioners and having an occasional romp in our bone-shaped pools! 

     I know that a lot of doggy parents log on to view our web cams.   I am sure that you guys see some funny stuff on there.  Maybe you have spotted your dog playing, me dancing, or another dog being humped.  I want to address humping because it is something that dogs do from time to time and it is sometimes misunderstood.

     Dogs hump (or mount) each other for different reasons.  It all depends on the situation and the individual dog.  Some dogs hump in play, as a sort of game.  If you watch them long enough and you notice the dogs trading roles, these dogs are having a good time being goofy with each other.  Other times there might be a dog in the play group who may feel that another dog is being too rowdy or unruly.  The first dog may hump the unruly dog to attempt to calm them down and say, "hey buddy, you are being too crazy.  I am in control!"  This behavior may look mean but it is totally natural pack behavior.  All of the dogs at Hip Hounds over the age of 9 months are spayed or neutered, so there is no sexual behavior in any of this.

     While monitoring the play groups, we try to stop all humping just because it can escalate into a fight if both dogs are extremely excited.  Some dogs are very sneaky about humping others and do it while our backs are turned!  We know who the sneaky ones are and we try to keep a good eye on them. 

    I hope everyone has a great weekend.  I also want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all of the doggy mommies out there this Sunday!  Check back with us for next week’s blog, video of the week, and dog of the week!

woof!

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