Celebrate Smart this 4th: Fireworks, Veterans, Dogs and PTSD
In America, parades, fireworks, food and fun-filled gatherings on the 4th of July are a time-honored tradition. For some Americans, particularly combat veterans, Independence Day is anything but fun. When deciding how to celebrate America's birthday this year, keep our veterans and active military members in mind.
How to Reduce Stress During Holiday Travel With Your Service Dog
Holiday travel with a Service Dog doesn’t have to be stressful. By following a few simple tips, you can reduce any difficulties associated with bringing your partner along for Christmas celebrations. Prepare Ahead of Time Preparing ahead for holiday travel solves many potential problems. If you’re flying, call the airline and let them know about your Service Dog. If you’re driving, look up good spots to stop so your Service Dog can stretch their legs. Having a solid plan in place means you don’t have to think about details on the day of travel. Preparing ahead also means packing for your dog. Divvy out individual meals and put your Service Dog’s gear in a small bag so it’s easily accessed. Bring extra food, medication, treats, and copies of documentation. It’s better to have a bit too much and not need it than to need more and not have it. If you’re traveling for an extended period, consider purchasing a bag of food once you reach your destination instead of trying to fly with or pack enough for several days. Understand Travel Buddies May Not “Get It” People who don’t routinely see you working with your Service Dog may not entirely understand what your partner does for you. Many people are lucky to have friends and family who support their Service Dog, but some teams might face criticism, disdain, or other difficulties when they return home for the holidays. Be prepared to enforce boundaries concerning your partner, especially regarding access and interaction. Many holiday guests may not “get” that your partner is working for you while around the house, so be sure to be clear about when your Service Dog is on duty and when they’re off duty. If there are children, consider using a visual cue that your partner is working or not. A bandana often works well for this. If your Service Dog has a bandana on, it’s like an invisibility cloak and the kids should pretend they can’t even see your dog. If your dog isn’t wearing a bandana, then they may be petted or played with. If you’d prefer that no one interacts with your partner except for you, then enforce that from the very beginning. Be clear and consistent in your expectations. Stick to a Routine Try to avoid changing your Service Dog’s routine during holiday travel if at all possible. If your partner generally eats at 10 am and 3 pm, do
Ultimate Guide to Keeping Your Service Dog Safe This Halloween
Halloween 2013 is tomorrow and with it comes fall festivals, parties and trick-or-treating. While Halloween events are fun and exciting for the entire family, this most spooky of nights also carries many dangers, particularly for four-legged pack members. Before heading out to celebrate Halloween 2013, review our list of precautions to learn how to keep you and your Service Dog safe and your night of frights as trouble-free as possible.
How to Celebrate the Holidays with Your Service Dog
Holidays are not only a great time to celebrate with your friends and family, but also your Service Dog. Here are 10 great ways to celebrate the holidays with your Service Dog:
Thanksgiving and Your Service Dog
It's that time of year when family and friends travel, gather together and celebrate the holidays with big meals, special treats and lots of festivities. While Thanksgiving can be an amazingly fun time of year, for many people, pets and working dogs, it can be very stressful. Here are some important considerations for keeping your Service Dog happy over the coming days.
Howly Jowly 2013 Service Dog Gear Giveaway (Ends Dec 24th)
As a way to say "thank you" to everyone who's helped support our goals of furthering training and behavioral standards for Service Dog teams in America this year, we're hosting the first United States Service Dog Registry Howly Jowly Service Dog Gear Giveaway. We've got a big stack of gear, books, training DVDs, treats and all kinds of other goodies up for grabs and it's our hope to help make the holidays brighter for as many Service Dog teams as we can. There's no cost to participate, shipping for your prizes is free of charge and absolutely anyone with a Service Dog or SDIT is welcome to participate.