Dog park etiquette is a major issue for owners, other dogs and of course the children who may be around the area.

There are a few common sense rules and acts of courtesy that must be followed.

Most importantly, does your dog have the right attitude to be with others? Freedom, my black lab, is very sociable and possesses the right attitude which is friendly, playful, gentle, however, there are some dogs in our neighborhood who are aggressive who should not be included in busy park activities.

Only healthy dogs should be taken to the dog IE: No fleas, kennel cough, pink eye etc. Basically anything that is or could be infected from one animal to another or from animal to human. Dogs under 6 months should not go to the dog park as they may have not have all vaccinations.

Dogs should know the basic commands.

Play fighting can appear innocent, however, keep an eye to make sure that it does not develop into a serious confrontation between each other.

Limited toys in the park for the safety of your dog, other dogs and other owners if the area is crowded. Sharing toys and or having them damaged is a high possibility. Stick with the toys for indoor or use between your and your pup only such as a ball or freesbie.

Even though you are in a designated area, it is still important to pick up after your dog as it may contain bacteria and or parasites harmful to other dogs. On the same note, be vocal and express the same if you see other owners not respectably picking up after their pup. I always carry a bag or two and hand it to the owners right away by saying, "I see you're out of bags, good thing I brought extras." It's a friendly non confrontation reminder.

If your dog is in heat, leave her at home. The reason for this is obvious.

Never give other dogs treats without speaking to the owner first. Like humans we all have a different metabolic system and react differently to certain foods, the same goes for dogs. What may be acceptable for one dog may not be positively received, physically, by another. Also some dogs are in training, therefore, proper communication between owners in important.

Know where your dog is, especially in an off leash park. Do not let it off leash for more than an hour as they can quickly get into trouble. Call them every 10 minutes or so just to check it on keep them on a very long retractable leash.

Recognizing pain in your dog and your cat is easy because we grow such a close bond to them.

There are of course good and bad pain. Goof pain in the form of healing after a major operation and then the bad pain, the ones that cause us worry.

It is important to know the basic signs of pain:

1. They become quiet.
2. Abnormal behavior in eating, sitting position, relating to others.
3. They hide, most commonly they shy away from people and other animals.
4. Signs of stress such as panting and swallowing.
5. Eating & drinking habits, either too much or too little.
6. Aggression, some animals in pain will growl at other animals and or people.

Remember the longer your cat and or dog is in pain, the longer the recovery.

Happy New Year, hopefully everyone and their pets have had a healthy 2008.

Although the peak holiday travel season is over, most are preparing for the Spring and Summer family trips, most who plan to bring the other family member, their family dog.

Whether it is on the plane or in a car, most dogs do get anxious either by motion sickness and or traumatic traveling experience.

Start your dog young when it comes to traveling and make the first few trips a pleasure casual trip, not a trip to the kennel or vet where they can associate car travel with a negative experience.

My sister and I started Freedom, our black lab, when he was 16 months old. Our first family trip together was to the beach, our second trip was to the park and then he sat in the back seat for a trip to the comic store, all positive short traveling experiences.

Safety and security is important for both you and your dog. Freedom was placed in his kennel and then securely fascined in the back seat when he got older.

Motion sickness in cars is usually due to anxiety, therefore, keeping trips short, talking upbeat, making positive fun trips, keeping some toys in the car to keep the dog occupied are all experiences to keep dogs from getting anxious.

In home training is important. Even if the dog is securely fascined and occupied. Dogs are easily distracted and thus can become hyper and noisy, a distraction for the driver. Simple consistent training commends such as "stop" and "down stay" should be practiced in and out of the car.

Giving him/her a treat after the ride or when a command is listened gives an incentive for the dog to behave. Freedom's favorite car ride treat is peanut butter dog biscuits.

Luv Sheila & Freedom, my black lab