Finding Balance for Your Furry Friends and Your Fronds

2020 has left a lot of people looking for companionship. Many have adopted dogs, with several animal shelters reporting their kennels empty because of massively increased adoption rates. Others have decided to liven up their spaces with houseplants, which have been making their way into millennial homes at rapid rates. If you’re anything like us, you credit both your pets and your plants with helping you survive this difficult year!

If you’ve got a green thumb and you’re eager to add a dog to your growing family, we say go for it. Likewise, if you’ve got a full fur family and you want to add some fronds to the mix, you should! All it takes is a little planning and forethought to make sure both your pets and your plants stay healthy and coexist peacefully. 

Put your dogs’ health first

Your dogs’ health should always take priority in your houseplant considerations. Why? We’ll put it this way: Most plants can survive a few torn leaves or broken stems and keep on growing without issue. However, treating plant-related illnesses and injuries on your dog brings a great deal of stress, discomfort, and even pain for all involved parties. 

Know your dogs’ behavior before you introduce houseplants to their environment. If you’re just bringing a dog home for the first time, we recommend keeping your plants far out of reach until you know how your dog interacts with them. Most dogs show minimal interest in houseplants, but certainty never hurts. 

Understand which houseplants are toxic

If you find that most houseplants you research are listed as toxic to dogs and cats, don’t fret: there’s a much smaller list of plants that can cause serious health issues. In your houseplants’ defense (literally), toxicity is a defense mechanism against herbivores and omnivores who find themselves in the mood for a salad. Most often, these plants will cause upset stomach, lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea in dogs. 

If your dog is uninterested in your houseplants and respects the boundaries you set, you should have no problem safely growing common tropical plants in your home. However, if the risk seems too great, there are a number of nontoxic plants you can choose, like: 

Ferns are beautiful nontoxic houseplants, perfect for homes with dogs.

• Ferns

• Calatheas

• Spider Plants

• Hoyas

• Peperomias

It’s still important to discourage them from eating your plants, since any foreign material can upset their stomachs.

You should avoid certain plants entirely, especially sago palms, foxgloves, and dieffenbachias. These and a number of other plants cause more severe reactions when ingested and can occasionally be fatal, according to the Pet Poison Helpline. 

Know what to do if your dog digs up trouble

If your dog is a little too curious one afternoon and munches on a houseplant, it may be a good idea to give your vet a call; certain plants cause problems that don’t appear for a few days. Keep an eye out for any of the above symptoms we mentioned, namely gastrointestinal problems. 

We mount and hang our plants or perch them on shelves so that they’re well out of reach of our dogs, and everyone has been happy and healthy. If you’re a dog owner with plants, we want to know your tips: what plants do you have around your home? How do you keep your dogs safe? Send your pictures and stories to us on Facebook.

If you’ve ever trained a dog (and we hope you’ve spent some time training your own fur babies!) you’ve definitely encountered the term “positive reinforcement.” In simple terms, positive reinforcement is the act of rewarding good behavior with positive feedback, i.e. giving your dog a treat after he performs a trick. But why is it that this technique is so important and so highly praised by pet psychologists and trainers?

Of course, there’s the obvious answer: you love your dog, and your dog loves you too! It’s a much happier situation for everyone when you reward good behavior versus punishing bad behavior. But the importance of positive reinforcement in training goes deeper than that. Here are just a few reasons why this technique is the way to go for your training needs:

Positive Reinforcement Fosters Confidence

It may seem like just a human trait, but confidence is so important for dogs! Self-confidence affects every aspect of your dog’s life, from interacting with other dogs and humans to performing tasks correctly when under pressure. Dogs who are frequently punished rather than praised are often unsure of how to behave in specific situations and may display fear in their everyday interactions, which can lead to even more problems down the line.

Positivity Makes Training a Treat in Itself

If your dog knows that he’s going to get a lot of tasty treats during training time, he’s going to look forward to his training sessions! Giving your dog appropriate rewards can encourage them to view these sessions as times they enjoy rather than dread. Again, this goes back to building confidence. Just like a child who’s encouraged in school looks forward to their studies, your dog will be a willing participant when you set aside time to learn a new trick.

Positive Reinforcement is Fun for the Whole Family

Positive reinforcement can be administered by anyone in your house! This is great if you have young children in the house, as it gives them the opportunity to give your dog a treat or a belly rub when they see him performing good behaviors. When your dog notices praise coming from several different sources, they can take on whatever challenges face them with calmness and--you guessed it--confidence.

Positive reinforcement can come in many forms, like head pets, belly rubs, or tasty treats. If you rely mostly on treats for rewards, make sure you’re giving your dog something healthy, wholesome, and free from fillers. We humbly recommend Pawsitively Pure gourmet gluten-free treats or our new Chicken Crisps! Browse through our website to learn more, or give us a call at 407-450-6151 today.

To say that lots of aspects of our lives have changed during quarantine would be the biggest understatement of 2020. For months, school students learned at home instead of going to their campuses, and many workers transitioned to working from home, as well. Of course, our dogs appreciate all of the extra time and attention we can spend on them while we’re cooped up at home, but you may have noticed that this extra attention has developed into a problem: separation anxiety.

What is separation anxiety? It’s your pet’s feelings of distress when his or her owner isn’t home, according to the New York Times. If you’ve ever returned home to a torn-up couch cushion or noticed that your dog excessively “marks his territory” when you’re not around, you’re probably seeing the signs of separation anxiety firsthand. But one of the reasons why it’s so hard to correct is because these behaviors occur when you’re not around. 

Here are a few things to try to help your dog regain confidence when you head back to work or school:

Give your dog puzzle toys and “active” toys

Toys that give your dog a challenge, like Kong toys, help keep your dog occupied in a positive pursuit while you’re away. As you may have heard in your last training session, dogs are at their best behavior when they have a “job” to carry out. So if your dog’s job is to free the tasty treats from their Kong toy, they’ll be less likely to chew on other things in the house. 

Take brief breaks outside by yourself

Your dog is probably excited about all the extra walks you’ve been taking together, but now they expect to go on a walk every time you leave. Allow them to get used to being by themselves in small increments by taking 15-minute breaks outside while they stay in the house. This helps your dogs understand that you’re not leaving forever when you walk away. Gradually increase the length of time you spend outside the house until you know they’ll be comfortable with a full work day alone.

Fill your dog’s space with soothing items, and try calming aids

Changes in routine can be stressful for everyone--animals and humans alike! Calming aids like pheromone sprays and chewables can help your dog relax instead of giving into their anxieties. Additionally, leave a few well-worn articles of your clothing in their sleeping and napping spaces so they’ll be soothed by your scent all day.

Quarantine has been hard on everyone, including our dogs! They deserve a treat. Browse our shop to order delicious, wholesome, gluten-free treats in a handful of craveable flavors. Give us a call to learn more!

Did you know that the first ever pet insurance policy in the U.S. was issued to TV’s Lassie in 1982? It’s hard to believe that pet insurance has been around for so long, but we’ve definitely been hearing more about it in recent years. Vet visits can be expensive, but they’re a critical part of your dog’s overall health and wellness. Pet insurance helps offset those costs, but still, some pet parents hesitate to get it. Is it a good idea? Is it a necessity? How do I know I’m getting the right plan for my money?

Why Pet Insurance is a Good Idea

We have pet insurance for our dog, Jackson, and we highly recommend it for senior dogs. As you may have read in our previous blog, senior dogs should be going to the doctor more often than their adolescent and adult counterparts. Pet insurance not only helps offset your regular visit costs, it also provides special coverage for unexpected illnesses and injuries. 

Unlike human insurance policies, pet insurance gives you a wider selection of veterinarians in your treatment area. It means that you’re able to find the best care and treatment for your dog without being so limited by family finances. Of course, securing pet insurance when your dog is younger or when you first adopt him or her helps you get the best policies. Still, your dog is family and you always want the best for them.

What to Look For in a Pet Insurance Policy

Now that you know you need one, what should you be looking for when you choose an insurance policy? Money.com recently listed their top 10 best pet health insurance companies, and we’ve gained a lot of insight from their article.

Does the policy have a deductible?

Much like human insurance policies, pet policies are often made with a deductible that you need to reach before they start covering your expenses. Some plans allow you to set your own deductibles. Others, like Embrace, base your deductible on how often you need medical services; every year you don’t file a claim, embrace reduces your deductible by $50. Keep an eye out for policies that have per-incident deductibles. 

Is there a waiting period for reimbursement?

The time you have to wait before you’re reimbursed for your vet expenses varies from company to company. According to Money.com, a majority of companies require a wait of at least 2 weeks before they reimburse you for what you spent to treat an illness. The speed with which you’re reimbursed often depends on the nature of your visits. Payment for injuries and accidents often happens more quickly than payment for chronic illnesses.

What treatments and procedures are covered by my policy?

Again, similarly to human insurance policies, every dog insurance policy covers different things. Your standard insurance policy will cover visits for injury and illness, with options to add on coverage for preventive care, dental care, and so on. Keep in mind that pet insurance policies most often do not cover preexisting illnesses, so any visits to treat conditions your dog had before you enrolled them in health insurance will not be covered.

Your Veterinarian Can Help

Your vet should be able to point you in the direction of the best insurance option for your dogs. Pet insurance companies require a full checkup for your dog before they can be enrolled, so if you haven’t already selected a veterinarian, now is a great time to do so. We’d love to hear more about your experiences with dog health insurance. Send us a message on Facebook at Pawsitively Pure Dog Food, or fill out the contact form on our website.

Truly a Human’s Best Friend

I’ll never forget the day we brought Jackson home for the first time. He was just a soft, sweet, curious puppy, with a lifetime of exploration and play ahead of him. We took him on his first walk, watched him gobble up his first treats, and guided him through new tricks and tasks. There’s no doubt that he (and his brother who came later) has improved our lives immensely. Dogs light up our lives every day!

We’re not the only ones who feel this way about our dogs! In fact, studies have shown that dogs have significant positive effects on their humans’ mental and physical health. Here are just a few of the ways dogs improve our lives: 

They’re great companions.

Whether your dog is your little shadow or they prefer to be a little more independent, dogs provide us with companionship unlike any other. Humans are social creatures, and current social distancing and self-quarantine regulations are keeping many of us separated from our friends and family. Dogs have been a saving grace for many who find themselves isolated from their neighbors at this time. Even in normal situations, dogs are our best friends! Who else is ready to play or go for a walk or cuddle on the couch at a moment’s notice?

They help reduce our stress levels.

Studies from Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania have shown that people who own dogs have significantly reduced stress levels compared to those who don’t. In fact, these studies showed that dog owners often had reduced blood pressure, more regular breathing, and a reduction in body tension--in short, dog owners showed less of the negative health conditions brought about by excess stress. Don’t forget that playing with your dog can also help increase your serotonin and dopamine levels. Pure happiness!

They encourage you to exercise regularly.

Dogs are active creatures! The distant descendants of wolves, running, playing, and tracking are in their nature. They need physical stimulation to keep their mental and physical health intact. Many of your dog’s activities also include physical exercise for you, too! There are so many fun activities to try with your dog in the summer months. Try going for a long hike on a trail, or bring them with you for a dip in the pool. Even a game of frisbee in the backyard is a great way for both of you to get some fresh air and exercise.

Dog parents know that daily life is significantly improved when you have a dog by your side. Dogs are incredibly intuitive; they know how to cheer us up when we’re down, and they’re eager to celebrate our happy days with us. Has your dog improved your life? Tell us your story on Facebook. To give your dog the wholesome, human-grade nutrition they need to keep them going, visit the Pawsitively Pure Dog Food shop here.