Did you know that March 30th is Take A Walk in the Park Day? We’re pretty sure that many of our canine patients would be more than happy to celebrate! Going to the park is lots of fun for Fido. After all, he gets to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine, sniff new grass, and play with his buddies. A Seminole, FL vet offers some tips on taking your pup to the park below.
Dog parks can be a hot spot for fleas, ticks, and heartworms. Fido should be current on his vaccinations and parasite control before his doggy playdate.
Make sure your canine buddy is microchipped and wearing proper ID tags. These simple preventative measures could make a huge difference if Fido slips away!
Unfortunately, not all dogs are well-behaved. Before letting your pet off his leash, scan the dogs that are already there. You want to look for dogs that are being aggressive, as well as female dogs in heat. If any of Fido’s potential playmates look threatening, go for a walk and come back later. Better safe than sorry!
Before taking Fido to the park, make sure he obeys basic commands, like Sit, Stay, and Come. Of course, if your four-legged friend needs to work on his petiquette, you can work with him at the park. Sometimes training near distractions is helpful!
Most parks do have faucets or fountains, but we recommend taking water along anyway, just in case. However, we don’t advise bringing lots of treats. This will definitely attract attention, and may cause a bit of a ruckus. The same rule applies to toys. If you throw a ball for Fido, he’s probably not going to be the only pooch running after it!
Many parks have both on-leash and off-leash areas. If you let Fido go into an off-leash zone, keep his collar on, and keep the leash handy. We also don’t recommend using retractable leashes at dog parks. Your furry pal could easily get tangled up with another pup!
Always pick up after your canine companion. Bring plenty of waste baggies along! You may just want to keep some in your car, so you always have some with you.
Please reach out to us, your local Seminole, FL vet clinic, anytime. We are here to help!
