"Service animals are defined as dogs, or miniature horses, that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person's disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."
Is Your Dog Scared?
If your dog is scared, GET HIM AWAY FROM WHAT SCARES HIM; It may be time to leave the park.
Is Your Dog Pushy?
Pushy dogs aren't listening to other dogs' signals! Give him a time-out ON A LEASH or OUTSIDE THE PARK until he has calmed down and can show good manners.
Symptoms of Hypothermia in Dogs: Shaking (sometimes violent), Shallow breathing, Weakness, Low blood pressure, Dilated pupils, Coma Muscle stiffness, Blank stare, Pale or blue gums, Listlessness
Your dog's body language can help you to understand how they are feeling.
(Happy, Worried, Angry or Unhappy)
The Ladder of Aggression is a depiction of the gestures that any dog will give in response to an escalation of perceived stress and threat, from very mild social interaction and pressure, to which blinking and nose licking are appropriate responses, to severe, when overt aggression may well selected.
Chocolate contains substances known as methylxanthines (specifically caffeine and theobromine), which dogs are far more sensitive to than people. Different types of chocolate contain varying amounts of methylxanthines. In general, though, the darker and more bitter the chocolate the greater the danger.
Originally from the ASPCA website: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
Warning Signs:
Heavy panting, Excessive thirst, Glazed eyes, Bright or dark red tongue or gums, Excessive drooling, Staggering, Vomiting and bloody diarrhea, Elevated body temperature (104° and up), Increased pulse and heartbeat, Weakness or collapse, Seizures, Unconsciousness
Handouts given during the "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" presentation
