Traveling With Your Dog

When you travel locally and you have a dog, there’s no question, they’re coming with you! You’ve got the back seat covered and some great tunes to keep you occupied as you gobble up the highway miles, but your pooch is going to need to be entertained, exercised, watered and all the normal doggy things that you take care of at home. We’ve put together a few super helpful gadgets and stuff that will make your pet travels so much more bearable for both you and your pet; well, in this case, it’s a dog.
Camping with a dog next to a lake

Splash-Free Water Bowls

You know what we mean, right? Put a panting, thirsty doggo next to an open bowl of water and you’re going to end up with a Picasso water painting on the floor of your van or wherever you drop the bowl. Its wedge design is to allow you to ‘water your dog’ on the back seat which is tapered and keeps the mess completely inside the bowl! If anything is going to save you on those long trips (except perhaps the showerhead down below), it’s this splash-free dog water bowl from Kurgo. We’ll even demo it for you, just ask! We absolutely love them. They hold up to 24oz, are made from food-grade silicone and can be used for water or food. Shop here

Foldable Vehicle Dog Ramp

As your doggies age, their joints get a little unstable (know what I mean?). Dogs and hips are notorious for getting a little out of sorts as they age. The impact of jumping down from your car trunk can cause long-term issues that we don’t notice until it’s too late. It’s heartbreaking when your best walking or hiking buddy is in distress or visibly limping. Why not make their lives a whole lot easier with an extremely durable and lightweight, foldable ramp. This groovy ramp is just the thing that can make going out for walks enjoyable again and can hold up to 200lbs! Shop here

Incredible Travel Dog Shower

We’ve been there. You’re out in the woods for a hike and your buddy disappears for a short time. When they find you again, panting and full of pride, it hits you; the stench. He’s managed to find a rotten ‘something’ that you’d rather not know and you can barely breathe. Dogs love to roll in sh… er, stuff. The smellier the better, right? Or, if you’re just looking to clean off a layer of mud, this travel dog shower adapter is a life-saver (and a car or even relationship saver!). This hardy little nozzle fits on the end of most standard 2-litre pop bottles and more! Turn your lightweight water bottle into a super functional dog shower. You can get a couple of minutes out of a single 2-litre bottle. This is a MUST for any dog travel kit. Shop here

Floating Fetch Skipping Rocks

This is one of our neatest travel toys that we have available. It’s water playtime with these ingenious, floating, skipping rocks. Skipp them over the surface of the water and watch the doggos go mad chasing them down. These brightly coloured skippers will keep you both in shape throwing and retrieving all day long. Remember though, these particular toys aren’t meant to be chewed on, they’re a fetching toy, so try to limit the amount of chewing that they do on these little things. Give them a once over each time you toss them in case your pooch is a serious chewer. Shop here 
Be sure to check out our complete line of great travel gear for you and your dog. We’ve always got sales going on so drop by and introduce us to your travel buddy.

Grooming your dog at home

Grooming your dog at home

Home Grooming

The weather is getting noticeably warmer and your dog is getting noticeably … dirtier. A few
quick calls to local groomers prove that Fido is either destined to stay this way for a while, or
it’s up to you to give your (very) furry friend an at-home makeover he fully needs and deserves.
Grooming your dog at home doesn’t have to be difficult, but it’s important to follow these simple
steps to ensure your dog not only comes out smelling clean but looking great too! Grooming
can be an overwhelming experience for some dogs, so always be sure to take it slow and follow
your dog’s lead.

Step One – Prepare Yourself

You do not want to go into this home grooming experience unprepared. Do your research,
watch a few YouTube videos, but most importantly, have everything you may need on hand.
Some of the important items include dog shampoo and conditioner, brushes, clippers, scissors,
nail clippers, lots and lots of towels, patience and perhaps an umbrella to hide behind when he
inevitably shakes all of the soapy water all over you and your chosen bathing area.

Step two – Prepare Your Dog

Never bathe a dog that has not been brushed out. Thick, matted fur holds water, which will not
only make the matting worse, but be painful for your friend once his hair is dry.

Step three – Bath time

Use warm water and shampoo and conditioner that was formulated for dogs; some target
specific skin issues, hair types or shedding. Tip, at this time of year, dogs tend to have drier skin
and fur, so spoil your pet with moisturizing aloe or oatmeal-based products for a healthy coat.

Step four – Dry and Trim

Once he is out of the bath and fully-dried, give him another once over with the brush to get out
any remaining tangles. Now is where those YouTube videos will come in handy; whether you
choose to use electric trimmers or trim up areas that are in need of a little love (usually the face,
paws and sanitary areas), take it slow and follow the growth of your dog’s hair. Also, be sure to
read the instructions fully to know which blade is best for your dog and how short it will cut. The
last thing you want is for him to have patches of different lengths of fur.

Step five – Nails

Select a pair of nail clippers that fit the size of your dog and be sure not to cut too low to stay
clear of the nail quick – the area of nerves and blood vessels inside the nail. It is a good idea to
have some cornstarch on hand in case you do hit this area to help stop the bleeding.

Step six – Treats
Once your home grooming session is complete be sure to reward your pet for his good behaviour. This is also the time to treat yourself as well.

At A Pet’s Life, we have a great selection of home grooming products. If you
have any questions about which products would be best for your pet, please don’t hesitate to
ask. We love answering questions just as much as we love seeing your happy, clean pets.