With another Valentine’s Day is approaching, the special someone I want to spend the day with is my dog! After my husband passed away in 2013, Yankee has been there to love and support me in a way that no one else could. From curling up next to me on the couch in the evening to egging me on to go play ball with him, he has been by my side and helped me overcome the most difficult time in my life. There is no one more special to me.

It’s a new year and many people are making resolutions that involve weight loss in themselves. I’m sure most of us have put on a few pounds over the holidays and the New Year is great time to get serious and get in shape. The same is true with our dogs. How do you know if your dog is overweight?

The holiday season is in full swing and if you’re like many people, you may be looking for a special gift for the dog or dog lover in your life. We’ve written about gift giving ideas before, but we’ve updated this list for 2015. Instead of a new squeaky toy or a dog bone, here are some cool ideas that will appeal to a variety of different dogs and people!

For Rocky’s entire life and for a short time in Yankee’s life, I used the same retractable leash to walk them both. It seemed to make sense with Rocky who liked to wander and sniff more into the neighbors’ yards than I was willing to walk. Rocky was very low key, and not fazed by anything so walking on a retractable leash presented no real problems unless another dog approached.

On my recent annual vet visit, I discovered that my 8 year old dog Yankee’s thyroid is on the low side of normal, despite the fact that he doesn’t exhibit any of the typical symptoms.

Not of great concern, but because he doesn’t present known causes, I couldn’t understand why he might this might be happening until I learned about the potential problems with dog collars.

I’ve noticed over the last six months or so that my dog Yankee has developed some anxieties. At Rocky’s, if I put him in the office with his pal Beau, he starts scratching at the door wanting to come out and be with me. He’s never done that before. He’s also started to develop some storm related anxiety, a very new development.

Recently we seem to be getting a lot of questions about dog food and how to choose or improve diet. People want to make sure they are doing the best they can for their dogs. I admire that. We’re the first to admit that we’re not experts, but we do know things you shouldn’t be…

Does your dog have any behavioral issues such as anxieties, noise phobias, obsessive behaviors, or aggression? Is your dog older, or does he carry emotional baggage from earlier in his life? Does he have physical issues such as skin problems, arthritis, allergies, or other conditions? If so, these conditions and more can be helped using Essential Oils….

Now that summer is here, you may be thinking of fun things to do in the greater Central Florida area with the whole family, including your dog. Without doing a lot of research, what are some activities you can do that involve your dog? Here are a few ideas for active day trips you may…

We’re currently working with two dogs, Georgia and Edison, who are both severely overweight and are advancing in their years. If something isn’t done to take the weight off, they’ll soon begin to experience problems associated with the extra weight. Already, prior to beginning our program, one of them was having trouble breathing after walking only a very short distance.

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