First time canoeing with my dog? Tips for safety and life vest?

Lola will have such a fun time at the beach! Dogs just love it! First off, make sure she is fully vaccinated before taking her. Other people will bring their dogs to the beach, and you don't know if they have had their vaccines or not. Her health is very important, so if she isn't fully vaccinated, do not take her. Make sure you take along plenty of fresh water for her to drink, and take a bowl from which she can drink. You probably should take extra water to rinse her off before putting her back in the car so the salt water gets out of her fur and she doesn't get sand in your car. Do not allow her to drink a lot of the ocean water. Too much will make her vomit, trust me that happened to my dog once! Cleaning vomit out of the backseat of a car is not fun. Bring a beach umbrella or something that will give her shade so that she can cool down. Dogs can easily overheat, so make sure she doesn't run around too much, and has plenty of breaks to cool down. The extra water you bring can help with that. You do not want her to get heatstroke, which is too often fatal and is a medical emergency. If she appears to be getting too hot, get her into the car right away and turn on the a/c. Offer her water, and take her into a vet right away if she doesn't appear to cool down. Signs of heat stroke include rapid panting, a bright red tongue, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you see any of those signs, do NOT delay in getting her to a vet. Do not let her eat anything on the beach such as shells or washed up dead fish because those could make her sick. Bring a leash for her. When she's done at the beach, wait at least an hour before feeding her to avoid her developing bloat. Hopefully these tips help you, enjoy your trip!

Whether or not it is safe to leave your dog at your sisters will depend on your dog. If he has never been around children before or has shown any aggression towards children, then it is less safe. No dog should be left unattended around children, so it is best if your dog hasn't been around the baby to keep it in an area separated from where the baby will be- either a separate area of the house or outdoors. Some dogs are fine with babies, others may be made anxious by the presence of a baby or they may view the baby as a prey due to small size and the funny noises the baby makes. Since your dog is so small, perhaps putting it in a pen inside your sister's house would work. He shouldn't be hard to contain due to his size. Whether you should bring him with you is going to depend on where you area going- do they allow dogs? will it be very hot outside? will you have to leave the dog in a car? It can get hot VERY quickly in a car in warm weather even with windows rolled down, so it is not recommended to leave a dog in a car in the summer with warm weather, so unless the places you are traveling allow pets it may be best to leave him behind. Keeping him cool will involve providing access to fresh water, shade, and not leaving him in a car or outdoors for extended periods of time in the warm weather. I am not sure what type of products you are looking for recommendations for? More information is needed from you for that type of recommendation.

It sounds like Skye is all squared away for her adventure. Just be aware of the temperature and her level of stress. Make sure she gets a break and is offered water. Begin with very small walks and increase the duration if she is tolerant of them. I would also make sure she is microchipped in case she gets loose.

Great question, and it's wonderful that you're being conscientious about this! The most important things are to provide a shady place for Bruno to relax & escape the sun, and to keep fresh water available at all times. If you're driving the boat & can't have water out (because it'll spill), just make sure there are frequent stops to offer water. As long as you do this, Bruno should do fine! Have fun and hope this helps!

If Sara sees a regular vet, you can let them know she is going on a road trip and they should be able to prescribe you a few doses of sedative to take with you on the trip. This may help her settle in and relax enough the entire ride.

That's a very good question. Honestly, I might ask your vet why they recommended that. I can't think of any reason that a puppy can't swim except for safety reasons. I used a lifevest for my puppy when he was young to be safe and NEVER allowed him unsupervised or with any other dogs. But I think it's a great idea for puppies to be exposed to swimming and is a great way for them to burn off some extra energy. Congrats on your new baby! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

As long as she has shelter and water and doesn't seem stressed she could spend a few hours at the beach. Just be careful if it is very warm and she is excited that she doesn't over exert herself. Also make sure she is well hydrated to avoid her drinking sea water. I would feed her normal breakfast and make sure she has an hour to start digestion before she is running about.