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At Keep Doggie Safe.com, we strive to keep you and your dog safe all year round. When summer comes around, that includes keeping fleas and ticks off of your dog.

First, a little background: Fleas flourish in temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees and humidity of 75 to 85 percent.  For some of us, that means it’s flea season all year round. For others, it’s flea season in the summer. See the map on our site to see how long flea season lasts in your area of the country.

During flea season, fleas can lay up to 28 eggs in a day on your pet. Eggs either stay on your pet or fall off and grow wherever they land.  Eggs take from 10 days to 200 days to hatch. Once they do, they live for an average of six weeks. The only way to get rid of them is to either kill them or pick them off.  For every adult flea on your pet, figure on ten more that you aren’t seeing.

Here are six ways to keep your pet free of fleas:

1. Get a flea comb and comb your pet regularly.  Examine the droppings on a light colored towel and flush it down the toilet when you are done.
2. Give your dog a bath regularly using a safe shampoo. This will eliminate lots of fleas and their eggs.
3. Vacuum your house regularly and discard the bag outside the house. You will pick up lots of fleas and their eggs. Better to put them in the trash.
4. Wash all of your pet’s bedding at least weekly. This also eliminates fleas and flea eggs.
5. Pick a safe flea control product for your pets. There is a great directory of products with ratings for their safety here.
6. Consider some of the safe products that we are offering.  We believe strongly in natural remedies and are only offering products that we believe are safe for your dog. For example the Doggles flea repellent t-shirt,  uses permethrin a man-made derivative of chrysanthemum flower extract. Permethrin has been used in flea shampoos for dogs for many years.

Whatever you do this flea season, keep you dog safe.  And do it as naturally as possible!

There is so much joy when you bring a new dog home for the first time and potty accidents comes with the territory of pet ownership. A puppy isn’t born knowing that your carpet or hardwood floors is not an acceptable place to relieve himself. So be sensitive to this learning curve and remember that accidents happen.

Even the best dogs have their share of oops! House training your dog and staying tuned in to their potty break signals will make sure your dog gets outdoors quickly, not giving him enough time to soil your hardwood floors. Establishing a potty training routine is the first step toward a happier life with your new found furry family member. Here are some tips on house training your dog:

1. Take your dog out at the same time each day. Suggestion would be in the morning when he wakes up before breakfast, upon arrival from work, and before bed time.

2. Praise, Praise!! Dogs will do anything for a reward and to hear you say “Good Girl” or “Good Boy”. After she potty outside immediately praise, so she knows why she is getting praised. Don’t wait until you get back inside to do so because she won’t remember why she is getting praised. She will soon learn that going to the bathroom outside equals treat & praise.

3. Location, Location- Choose a spot outside that will be your dogs official porter potty area (make sure the area is cleaned daily). Dogs like the security & familiarity, picking one specific spot will make her feel at ease and help to know that area of the yard equals. Your dog will need supervision so take her on leash to the potty spot. The best part about picking a spot is that you won’t have the problem of landmines all over the yard and a small area to clean.

4. Choose Your Words Wisely- Giving your dog a command to “go potty” or “do your business” will let her know what is expected of her. While your dog is going to the bathroom outside use words or phrases like “go potty” that they will come to understand. As time goes on when you say the words “go potty” she will immediately run to the door instead of relieving herself on your floor and run back inside afterward.

5. Schedule Feeding- Like humans, dogs like eating on a regular schedule and this will make them more regular in the literal sense.

6. Don’t Rush Potty Time – Give her about 10 minutes to go potty, if she does not do so bring her back in and take back out in 15-20 minutes for another try. She should not be able to run or play inside until she has went potty, play is her reward for being on good potty behavior.

If you catch your dog eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt her but make sure not to scare her. Immediately take her outside to her bathroom spot, afterward lavish her with praise & treat for job well done.

Keep in mind that potty training any dog requires repetition and hands on approach. Be fair warned no dog is perfect and their will be messy moments throughout the process . But as time goes on she will learn that bathroom time is outside. If you happen to sniff and find a soiled area in your house hours or days later it is too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your dog’s nose in it, taking her to the spot and scolding her will not help the situation. In fact it will make her more afraid of you and even more afraid to potty in your presence. Animals do not understand why they are being punishment once time has passed and scolding can do more harm than good.

Now on to the fun part, clean up. Cleaning up the the soiled area in your home is very important because dogs are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces. So keep it squeaky clean & green with eco-friendly, all natural, non toxic cleaning products. Pet Oder & Stain Remover like Petastic Stain and Odor Remover are safe.

Your Puppy is a joy forever, and the journey is worth the reward.

You love your dog and he is part of your family. But remember, he’s a dog and some things that are safe for you are not safe for him. Here are 10 items that are safe for you, but aren’t safe for him.

1. Pain relievers – If your dog is in pain, don’t give him over the counter medication that you would take. Ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (tylenol) are NOT safe for your dog. Aspirin is generally considered to be safe for your dog, but check with your veterinarian first.

2. Antidepressants – Is doggie feeling depressed? Don’t give him an antidepressant made for humans (Zoloft for example). There are some antidepressants that are safe for dogs, but only if your veterinarian prescribes them.

3. ADD/ADHD medications – Doggie is hyperactive? Running around a lot? Drugs like Ritalin are NOT safe. If your dog is hyperactive, he’s probably bored. Take him for a walk or a run. Or enroll him in an obedience class.

4. Sleeping Pills - Doggie can’t sleep? Don’t give him a sleeping pill! Take him for a run. Human sleeping pills are not safe.

5. Household Cleaners – Popular household cleaners like floor cleaners, oven cleaners and all purpose cleaners can give off vapors that could be toxic to small pets. Consider using green, non-toxic alternatives.

Now, let’s talk about foods.

6. Chocolate – It’s fairly well known that chocolate can be toxic to your dog. But why? Dogs seem to eat anything with little ill effect. Blame theobromine, a chemical compound in chocolate that dogs cannot tolerate. The more theobromine in chocolate the more toxic it is. Dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate is the worst. Milk and white chocolate are better. However, the safest policy is to not give your dog chocolate under any circumstances.

7. Grapes and raisins – For some unknown reason, some dogs experience renal failure when they eat grapes or raisins. To be safe, don’t give your dog these foods under any circumstances.

8. Onions – Onions, cooked or raw, are not safe for your dog. Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to cats and dogs. It causes a condition called hemolytic anemia, which can cause some red blood cells to burst. Even a very small amount of onions can cause this condition, so be very careful not to feed onions to your dog.

9. Macadamia Nuts – As with grapes and raisins, the reason why macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs is unknown. Don’t feed your dog macadamia nuts.

10. Chewing Gum – Chewing gum containing xylitol can be fatal to dogs. Just three grams of xylitol can kill a 65 pound dog. Xylitol causes a large amount of insulin to be released into your dog’s system, which can cause liver failure.

Your dog will eat anything. But you can protect him. Avoid the above items to keep him safe.

Every dog parent hates even thinking about outliving their best friend.  Unfortunately, it’s just part of the deal-when you fall in love with your dog, chances are you will outlive your dog.  But every moment you spend together counts twice for both of you.

Here’s the facts about dogs and their live spans:

The Oldest Dog

Denice Shaughnessy’s wirehaired dachshund, chanel, passed away at 21! She was heralded as the world’s oldest dog, according to Guinness World Records. Now another old dog, one still living, is vying for that title. Max, a terrier mix, is 26 years old, according to his owner, Janelle Derouen of New Iberia, La., although Guinness has yet to certify his status.

Pets Are Living Longer

Veterinarians say it’s not unusual for some dogs and cats to reach 15 years or more, and they’re seeing more and more pets do so. “Just as the average life expectancy for people keeps reaching closer to the century mark, we’ll continue to see the same parallels in our pet population,” says Martha Smith, director of veterinary services at Boston’s Animal Rescue League.

Dog sizes as it relate to live expectancy
If you want your dog to live a long time, choose a small or medium-size breed. Longevity directly correlates to breed size. Large dogs have shorter lifespans than small or medium-size dogs, and toy breeds tend to have the longest lives of all. As for giant breeds such as Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, Great Danes and Irish wolfhounds? Well, they don’t have a giant-size lifespan.

Five longest-lived dog breeds

“The most short-lived breeds are giant breeds. They tend to live to be 6 or 8 years old. Large breeds like shepherds, Labs, goldens probably live 10 to 13 years and the medium and small breeds 12 to 14 years. Mixed breeds in general tend to live a little bit longer than pure breeds.”

It used to be commonly thought that to calculate a dog’s age in human years, you simply multiplied by seven. But you can’t apply that formula to any single dog breed because of the variability in aging between breeds. You can make a pretty good guess, though, many vets say, by figuring that a one-year-old dog is equivalent to a 12-year-old person and a two-year-old dog is equivalent to a 24-year-old person. For every year after that, add four years.

That formula is probably the most accurate because it does take into account the maturation that happens in the beginning of the dog’s life and then the slowing of the aging in subsequent years.

Select for longevity
Pat Santi, who breeds Cardigan Welsh Corgis in Coatesville, Pa., and currently has 32 of the short-legged herding dogs, says her dogs often live to be 18 or 19 years old. The average lifespan for the breed is 12 to 14 years.

Does Santi simply have the magic touch? Not necessarily. She attributes her dogs’ longevity to good genes and good nutrition.Genetics is undoubtedly a part of the equation. “To a significant degree, how long an individual dog or cat is likely to live is pre-programmed, just like it no doubt is for people,” Berg says.

With that in mind, some dog breeders are selecting for longevity. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America instituted a longevity program in 1997 to identify and track dogs that reach the age of 10 or more or whose parents reach that age.

If you’re buying a purebred puppy of any size, ask the breeder how long her dogs usually live.

Size & Life Span
Keep your pups slightly thin and give them a full two to three years to reach their mature size puts less stress on the skeleton and organs such as the heart.

Studies have shown that slightly underweight dogs live an average of two years longer than overweight dogs.

“These dogs were basically underfed a little bit their whole lives,” Smith says. “They had a lifespan that was considerably longer. I think on average it was two years longer than their heavier counterparts, so staying lean, staying fit, is obviously very important in longevity.”

Pet gerontology expert and veterinarian Richard T. Goldston, in St. Petersburg, Fla., says the improvement is a combination of more responsible pet ownership, a stronger human-animal bond and better veterinary care and pet nutrition.

“Forty years ago, maybe 30 percent of 60-pound dogs would reach 11 years of age. Now, 60-pound dogs, at least 50 percent are going to live 11 years or a little bit longer.”