As we go through the Dog Days of Summer, it is a good time to refresh ourselves on how to help our dogs deal with the heat of summer. Unlike us, they don their fur coats year ‘round and have different mechanisms to deal with the heat. We wanted to share some thoughts about keeping your dog not only safe, but also happy, during the hotter summer temperatures.  How dogs shed heat  Dogs use the same evaporative cooling process as us to lower their body temperature. However, while we sweat through our pores all over our body, they can only shed excess heat nat ..read more

Fire season is part of life in Truckee. What follows is our policy on keeping your dogs and ourselves safe during smoky conditions. We us the website AirNow.gov and IQ Air to evaluate the air quality specific to the area where outings are scheduled. We seek the healthiest and most logistically sensible location for each day. Red - Purple Index When the smoke level is in the red we wear masks and proceed with a cautious approach. When the smoke level is in the purple, we are likely to cancel outings. Morning air is commonly less polluted so we will shift outings to mornings during smoky peri ..read more

Wag & Wanders Reusable Dog Poop Bag Holder product review by Liz Stinson. Dog-waste. There is a lot of talk surrounding the culture behind how we as a community handle the dog-waste on our public trails and out in the woods. And almost certainly we have all seen a poop bag while out on a trail or along the sidewalk or even, and most sadly, next to a trash can. One thing we know about dog-waste is that it messes with the natural ecosystems to which the waste has landed upon. While we all work together to find a balancing solution to this problem I thought sharing one of my favorite tools a ..read more

As the weather starts to warm up, we all get excited to get out more with our dogs. Spring is a wonderful time to be out, and we should also be aware of new hazards for our dogs during this change of seasons.  CAR SAFETY The sun starts to feel quite a bit warmer after the equinox and has the power to heat up the landscape. This also means that cars will warm up quickly when left in the sun. Be aware that leaving your dog in your car on these sunny spring days without adequate ventilation and access to water is downright dangerous for your pup.  WATER As the warm weather heats up th ..read more

Trailhead  Positioning yourself on trailhead for example Legacy Trail/ Bridge or at a place where your dog typically fails on recall with a long lead and wait for people/dogs/distraction to show up and start working on long lead on recall.  Find out the distance in which your dog is capable of not running up to the distraction. Stay in that distance to strengthen the capacity to disengage!!! Let your dog roam on the long lead and when she sees the distraction start recalling her the way you usually do. Repeat 10times. When you are successful 10/10 then decrease the distance. In betwe ..read more

By Team Alaska We know that not every human loves winter weather and snow as much as we do, but we also get to see just how much each of your dogs really do love to get out and play in the cold and snow when we take them out on winter Buddy outings. Sometimes, we just need a little extra motivation to get out and explore on a winter day. Here are a few suggestions of beautiful local places that are perfect for a snowy romp with your pup. Consider skiing, snowshoeing, or even just walking on packed trails, but please follow proper trail etiquette and don’t ruin trails for other users. Nevada N ..read more

Boredom is something we all understand as the birthplace for bad ideas and destructive behaviors. The term “Enrichment” has been circulating in the dog training universe for a while. Of course we all want our dogs to have rich and happy lifes and that is why we give them love although we are tired, play ball with them or buy them their favorite treats. But are our dogs really happy and fulfilled?  What is Enrichment? Enrichment generally means to enhance the quality of something and “Canine Enrichment” refers to the improvement of your dog's quality of life. The fulfillment of the core in ..read more

We like to learn about what adventures Buddy dogs are enjoying in our local geography. This is from Shanna Hoverstein, long time Buddy client and handler of Cleo: "Cleo has never been the most motivated running buddy, but once you get her out in the snow she transforms into a completely different dog. Her enthusiasm for backcountry skiing is insatiable, and she loves racing the fastest skier to the bottom of every run. Some of our most memorable days out with her include: Making the most of last year's epic snowpack with a link up of Jake's, Hidden, and Rubicon (Cleo favors tours big on vert ..read more

Taking your dog for their annual veterinary exam is an important part of ensuring their immediate and long term health. We understand that going to the vet's office can be confusing and stressful for you and your pet. A little bit of advance planning can help you minimize the stress and maximize the benefit of the limited time you get to talk with your vet care team about how your dog is doing. Pre-visit Information to think about Before your appointment make a list of updates and questions you want to discuss with your vet. This article by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker is an excellent writeup of eve ..read more

We humans follow instructions to brush our teeth at least twice a day, but for most of us, dental care for our dogs involves scheduling an annual cleaning at the vet once a year. There is a lot more we can be doing to help care for our dog's teeth, gums and overall dental health on a regular basis at home. Brushing your dog's teeth may seem daunting, but with just a little patience and practice it is a fairly simple care routine to establish with your dog. Why does dental care matter? It's not just about making sure Fido has pretty pearly whites when he smiles for a photo. Dental diseases or p ..read more