Happy tails, happy trails
By MATT BALL
Press Correspondent
They come in all shapes and sizes, sport many different colors and patterns and move on four legs. They make us laugh and cry, provide us with much-needed companionship and keep us in shape. They are dogs, and we see all kinds nearly everywhere in the Coeur d’Alene area.
Chaley Rider of Mountain View Veterinary Clinic says the most common larger breeds of dogs she sees are Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labradoodles and goldendoodles. Popular small dog breeds include Chihuahuas, English bulldogs and shih tzus.
No matter the breed, happy dogs (and their owners) are healthy, well-behaved and active.
According to Rider, the most important thing owners can do for their dogs’ health is get them immunized early for parvovirus, rabies and kennel cough. Puppies should get all needed vaccinations by the time they reach 16 weeks of age.
Parvo, a virus that thrives in dog feces, is one of the worst contagious diseases a dog can contract. It’s expensive to treat and can be deadly.
Before puppies complete their vaccinations, they should not visit dog parks or socialize with other dogs, Rider says.
Rider believes timely immunization is key to preventing a dog from contracting parvo and other potentially deadly diseases.
But good health involves more than just vaccinations.
Sandy Reeves, owner of North Idaho School of Dogs and breeder of award-winning border collies, says grooming is also very important. Grooming removes matted hair, cleans the fur, improves the dog’s appearance and helps the owner to recognize possible health concerns.
About a dozen businesses in the Coeur d'Alene area offer professional grooming services.
Good health is only the beginning. Reeves believes canine training is equally important.
“You want your dog to be well-mannered in the neighborhood, in the home, on trips and in the car,” Reeves says.
Once the puppies are born, Reeves recommends they get socialized. Handling the young puppies, especially holding, helps a lot.
She says the optimum time to give the dog and owner formal training is when the puppy is between 4 and 6 months old. Although owners could train alone using books, magazines and online resources, structured training classes may bring better results, Reeves says.
In the classes, owners learn how to use commands to get the dogs to obey and techniques and tools to improve manners. Good training includes teaching the dog to not bark or jump on other people or animals at inappropriate times.
Well-behaved dogs have several things in common their owners provide. They include feeding good nutritious food, having a large fenced-in yard, ensuring the dogs are well-groomed, planning daily walks, cleaning up messes, playing nice and incorporating training.
Dogs themselves provide emotional benefit. Keith Laing and his wife, Marty Coulter-Laing, owners of a soft-coated Wheaten terrier, know dogs can be loving and empathic. They take their dog, Duffy, to an assisted living home, where he provides comfort and friendship to the residents.
To remain healthy, dogs require regular exercise. One of the most popular outdoor activities for dogs is walking with their owners. Reeves says owners need to exercise their dogs daily and keep their dogs on leashes when on streets, sidewalks, trails and parks.
Walking is not just good for the dog, but good for the owner.
“We as human beings need to be on our feet, walking,” Coulter-Laing, owner of 11-year-old Duffy, says.
Many area trails allow leashed dogs. They include Centennial Trail, Tubbs Hill, Prairie Trail, English Point and Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, among others.
Many owners bring their dogs with them when traveling. Duffy has traveled as far as Nova Scotia, Canada, and Key West, Fla. Coulter-Laing says in her 11 years, Duffy has traveled farther than many people do in their lifetimes.
She says owners need to accustom their dogs to vehicles before embarking on a road trip.
Also, owners need to be informed about which lodging facilities allow dogs in the rooms.
Another way dogs can get exercise is by running around in a dog park. Before 2010, Coeur d’Alene had no canine playgrounds. That year, says City Parks director Bill Greenwood, the city opened Central Bark at Northshire Park on Atlas Road.
“The community wanted a place to allow their dogs to be off-leash,” he says.
Since then, four more dog parks have opened in the Coeur d’Alene area. The newest canine playground, located at Croffoot Park off Lancaster Road, opened May 12.
Each dog park provides drinking water for the dogs and benches for their owners and open spaces for dogs to run. Also, each park features either grass or decomposed granite as the surface.
Most canine playgrounds have separate areas for different sized dogs, though the dog park at McEuen is a little small for bigger canines. Still, large dogs roam at McEuen’s dog park.
Good behavior by both dogs and owners is just as important as room to run. Because of this, the city posts signs showing the rules to follow when enjoying the dog parks.
Most often, unhappy or poorly-behaved dogs are the fault of their owners, Reeves says. Irresponsible owners ignore their dogs frequently, permit the dogs to travel off a leash while walking along streets and trails, and fail to clean up messes the dogs make. Another sign of an irresponsible dog owner is a poorly-groomed dog.
Well-behaved dogs who receive a healthy diet, ample enclosed spaces in which to run, regular exercise and plenty of attention will bring joy to their owners and anyone they encounter for years to come.
Don’t believe it? Just ask Duffy.
•••
Playgrounds for Pooches
Coeur d’Alene and surrounding areas have special fenced-in parks where owners can let their dogs run loose.
- Central Bark at Northshire Park: 3889 W. Nez Perce Road, 3 acres of grass
- Cherry Hill Park: 1525 E. Hazel St., 0.6 acres of decomposed granite
- Croffoot Park: 1247 W. Lancaster Road, 3 acres of grass
- McEuen Park: 420 Mullen Ave., 0.3 acres of decomposed granite
- Riverstone Park: Centennial Trail, 0.6 acres of decomposed granite
Each park features drinking water for dogs and benches for owners. McEuen has obstacles for added variety.