ASK DR. SCHELLING DEAR DR. SCHELLING, We're excited about adding Cornelius, a rescued mixed breed dog, to our family next week. He's our first pet. We've been reading up on dogs, getting ready for the big day. It seems dogs like to drink from all sorts of questionable sources of water, like puddles and (ugh) the toilet. How can we entice Cornelius to drink only fresh, clean water? – New "Dog -Mom" To-Be
Dear New Dog Mom, Congratulations on your new arrival. It sounds like Cornelius will have a wonderful home. In this article, WATER IS A DOG'S BEST FRIEND, I discuss the importance of water for dogs and provide suggestions on how to lead your dog to clean fresh water and inspire your dog to drink adequate amounts of this essential nutrient. Click here to read full article
Dear Max, Lately my dog seems bored with his toys. I would like to give him something new and fun to play with. Are there any homemade toys that can pique my dog's interest? – DIY Dog Person … … … … Dear DIY, I love homemade toys! Sure, my favorite toys are the cool ones my humans buy me, but every now and then they'll bring out a homemade toy to change things up. Two of my favorite "do it yourself " (DIY) toys are made from items you probably have around your house right now.
Whenever my humans get a new pair of socks, I get the old pair. They just tie the two socks together and the tug-o-war battle begins! The "play socks" can be washed after I've gotten my paws on them and then tossed out once I've demolished them. Note: My humans always supervise my play with the socks and always put the socks away, out of my reach, after I'm done playing with them, to make sure I don't ingest the socks – that can be dangerous. I also fancy plastic bottles. There's something satisfying about the crunch of an empty beverage bottle that makes me want to gnaw on it until I've flattened it down. My humans simply rinse out the bottle, remove the cap, and supervise my play while I crunch out the day! For my safety while I'm chewing, they got me the WATER BOTTLE CRUNCHER. The bottle cruncher has a canvas sleeve that protects my mouth from any sharp edges while I'm playing with my recycled toy, plus it's washable, so I can play inside or out without tracking in a mess. Max ... ... ... Do you or your dog have a favorite homemade toy? Tell Max about it and it may get featured on our site: askmax@doghealthnewsletter.com
Max's Mini-Reviews WATER BOTTLE CRUNCHER: I used to relish sneaking into the recycling bin and finding a plastic bottle to play with. My humans weren't very happy with my trash-digging ways so they got me the Water Bottle Cruncher to keep me from re-recycling on my own. All my humans have to do now is put an empty beverage bottle in the canvas sleeve and I can bite and crunch the day away without having to worry about hurting my mouth. The best part is that this toy never wears out; once I've smashed a bottle to capacity, a new one can be inserted into the bottle cruncher to keep the good times rolling. … … … … DRINKWELL PET FOUNTAIN FOR DOGS: I love water. It used to be particularly fun to snag a drink from the garden hose when my humans were watering the plants outside. To keep me away from the hose (and its not-so-healthy contents), my humans got me my very own pet water fountain. The fountain gives me a continuous stream of cool water just like the hose outside but it's all mine! Even better: The fountain holds a lot of water, so no matter how thirsty I am, I know I can count on a cool drink. That's not all! The filter in the fountain rids the tap water of any bad tastes and odors before I lap it up, so my water is always clean and fresh.
What topics would you like to see covered in future issues of the Dog Health Newsletter? Let us know at: comments@doghealthnewsletter.com
DOG FACT The phrase "dog days of summer" refers to the time between July and September when Sirius (the dog star) rises early with the sun.		TO QUOTE: "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." – Roger Caras
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