Hops in the Right Direction: London Bridge Isn't Falling Down, But Your Dog Sure Is

We've talked about things you can do to make your home a tripod-friendly place, but today we're going to talk about how to fall-proof your dog.

First, to give your dog a bit more traction, pay attention to her feet.  Her nails don't need to be super-short, just well-maintained.  Prada relies on her nails for purchase when she's on soft, pliable surfaces like the couch, and she uses them to dig her bed to get the stuffing just right.  I trim them probably every other week.

You can also purchase paw wax.  Some pet stores have it, hit or miss, but it's really easy to find online, and isn't very expensive.  It's not the kind of wax that will end up smeared all over everything, but it will give your dog a little more grip, and has the added benefit of protecting the pads of her paws from hot concrete and sidewalk salt.

Sometimes, she's going to fall.  That's the reality.  Prada trips pretty frequently--she normally catches herself and bobs up before actually hitting the ground, though.  Even so, there are some things you can do to minimize their chances of getting hurt.

Watch the dewclaw.  Prada once fell between the cushions of the couch and caught hers.  She screamed, I screamed--it was bad all around.  Now we lay a blanket over the couch so that doesn't happen again.  Learn from my mistakes.

Prada also toughs it out with me when I go hiking and camping.  She's pretty good off-leash, but to protect her vulnerable side, where the scar is hidden by surrounding fluff but isn't actually protected by any fur, she's got a Body Glove rashguard (like what surfers use).  I have this one, except in pink of course.  I sewed the one leg hole closed, and voila!  No worries about brambles or biting ants or sunburn.

Finally, I don't bring her to dog parks.  I want her to have lots of fun play time with other dogs, but dog parks are too uncontrolled--play can become a little too rough, and too quickly to respond.

Don't worry though; all in all, dogs bounce pretty well.

A little bit of a change up this week on our Dog Sponsor of the Week.  I found out about Melody through PetFinder, as usual, but by the time I emailed her foster family about her, she had already been adopted! Little wonder with those sweet eyes. So, today's post is brought to you by Melody, not exactly a tripod but close enough, who is thrilled to be starting a new life with her new family!