Is your dog afraid of fireworks, thunderstorms, and other loud noises? Does he begin to pace, pant, drool, or want to hide in the closet the moment there’s a hint of a storm brewing? Experts don’t know why dogs develop noise phobias, but they say it’s real, and shouldn’t be ignored.

As the seasons change, so do the conditions your dog is exposed to when participating in outdoor activities. We’re now going into our hot season so we need to be aware of the heat and how well your dog can tolerate these temperatures. If you’re prepared for the environment and know your limits, then you reduce the risk of health problems and injury.

People often ask us what they can do with their dog’s diet to help the dog lose weight. Even when their dogs are on a low calorie diet, they often say their dogs aren’t losing weight or have only lost a little. So we’ve been telling them about the green bean diet. It’s a diet many people have never heard of. Very simply, this diet reduces the amount of kibble by up to 50% and substitutes green beans, which are low in calories and higher in fiber.

During the warmer months, my dog Yankee seems to be prone to hot spots. He’ll start chewing on some part of his body and before I know it, he has a hot spot. Hot spots come on very quickly and can be very painful and sensitive to the touch. Any dog can develop hot spots, but they’re much more common in dogs with thick coats.

One of the biggest issues dog owners have is keeping their dogs busy enough so they don’t get into trouble. If you exercise your dog’s mind and body properly, you can usually avoid the destructive behavior that results from boredom.

What are some things you can do to engage your dog’s mind?

Don’t know about you, but I love spending time and doing things with my dog and other people and their dogs. As such, I’m always looking for activities that I can share with my dog. Why does this matter? Why should we look for ways to spend time with our dogs?

ACL tears on dog’s knees seems to be very common these days, we hear about it all the time. Depending on the severity of the tear, it can sometimes heal on its own, other times surgery is warranted. Lulu, a bull mastiff / pit bull mix has been swimming with us for over a year initially to lose weight, then to maintain her weight. Along the way, probably because she was chasing rabbits, she tore her ACL.

What is Effleurage? It’s French, and means “to touch lightly on”. It’s one of the principal strokes in massage, and because it’s so gentle, it can be performed on any part of the dog’s body, even over bony areas like joints, or the head. It’s a very versatile stroke, in fact, an entire massage can be done using just this one stroke. It’s a stroke that’s done with either one or both hands, following in the direction of your dog’s fur. It’s a soothing stroke that warms the body, increases blood flow, helps to remove fluids and toxins, and ultimately relaxes your dog. Plus it’s easy to do!

Beginning May 1, 2014, Rocky’s Retreat will add dog boarding and daycare to our list of services. Why? Because of demand. We get calls all the time for boarding yet it’s something we never planned to offer. So what will this look like? In the short term, we’ll have space for a limited number of dogs, and we plan to take those dogs home with us.

Have you ever had a massage? If so, I bet you felt wonderful afterward! Even if you haven’t had a massage, chances are you know what it is; the manipulation of skin, muscles and joints for the purpose of affecting physical or emotional changes in the body. While massage for humans has been around for millennia, canine massage as a practice is relatively new. The benefits of massage on humans are well documented, so why shouldn’t the same benefits apply to dogs as well?

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888