Great post Ray. I'd like to add something if I may :etiquette. I have mentioned this in relation to service dogs but I saw something the while sitting at an outdoor cafe in Palm Springs that along with this post gave me a thought.

This photo appears on Jin's page. It sort of relates.

.

This is for for the safety of everyone here whenever you are around any dog.

Do not reach for any dog. Let them come up to you and give you a sniff. If they touch you then it's okay to scratch under the chin. Do not pat on the head. Dog's don't like that.

Never pat or touch a dog unless they are aware of you. Surprising a dog is another good way to get bit.

Never put your face close to a dog.

Don't stare a dog down, that's a very aggressive move on your part.

Watch a dogs mizsle and lips. If the lips curl even a little curls just move your hand away.

Friendly happy dogs that want to meet you will wag tails, ears forwards may have mouth open and be smiling.

Unfriendly or unhappy dogs have ears back, tails tucked or wrapped around the left side of their bodies.

Lastly just because a dog barks does not mean it's being aggressive. There are many reasons dogs bark and growl, from love to warnings. It takes practice but you can definitely tell how a dogs feels by it's vocalizations.

Just a couple of additions to a great post-

When you go to any vet, have them scan the chip. Only takes an extra couple of seconds. They DO go bad occasionally, mine did. Home Again paid for a new one AND the vet's charge to put it in

Try to get your dog comfortable with handling their feet. Ours are because they were shown. If you trim the hair between the pads with a blunt nosed scissor, it really cuts down on the dirt tracked in to the rig.

I live in northeastern Pa, the state parks here do not allow any over night camping with pets. You can only bring a pet for day use only. So yes there are many campgrounds and state parks that do not allow pets.

  On 4/26/2013 at 2:49 AM, blz said:

Has anyone ever had to produce a health certificate or vet records/proof of vaccination when traveling from state to state?

No. But when we found a need to board our dog for a few days or just a few hours most good boarders will require a vaccination certificate and a statement by a vet of good health. We have gone on adventures that took us away for a whole day and one that took us away over night, so boarding was necessary.

Also, illness or an accident that left one or both of us in the hospital could conceivably create the same need. It just seems prudent to be prepared.

David

Something I just found out yesterday......we've moved, so wanted to take Oliver to a different groomer than the one we had been using. They told us we need to provide proof of all the necessary vaccinations/shots and gave me a list of them. When I went to find my documentation, I realized he hadn't been given a Bordetella vaccination (kennel cough). I called our vet, who is now 40 minutes away, and was told that they only need this if they're going to be boarded or groomed, so it's not a "usual" vaccination that is given. Our former groomer had never asked for any documentation, which I now know is not wise (hence they don't fall into the category David mentioned as "good" groomers). We had to quickly dash 40 minutes to our vet to get him a Bordetella vac in order to have him seen by the new groomer. So, a heads up to make sure you have a Bordetella vac in addition to DHPP & rabies. As stated above, an illness or accident could make it necessary to unexpectedly board your pet while you're on the road, and if you don't have all the vacs, it could be a huge hassle.

  On 4/26/2013 at 11:47 PM, Ranger and Jin said:

Great post Ray. I'd like to add something if I may :etiquette. I have mentioned this in relation to service dogs but I saw something the while sitting at an outdoor cafe in Palm Springs that along with this post gave me a thought.

 

This photo appears on Jin's page. It sort of relates.

 

.

 

This is for for the safety of everyone here whenever you are around any dog.

 

Do not reach for any dog. Let them come up to you and give you a sniff. If they touch you then it's okay to scratch under the chin. Do not pat on the head. Dog's don't like that.

Never pat or touch a dog unless they are aware of you. Surprising a dog is another good way to get bit.

Never put your face close to a dog.

Don't stare a dog down, that's a very aggressive move on your part.

Watch a dogs mizsle and lips. If the lips curl even a little curls just move your hand away.

 

Friendly happy dogs that want to meet you will wag tails, ears forwards may have mouth open and be smiling.

Unfriendly or unhappy dogs have ears back, tails tucked or wrapped around the left side of their bodies.

 

Lastly just because a dog barks does not mean it's being aggressive. There are many reasons dogs bark and growl, from love to warnings. It takes practice but you can definitely tell how a dogs feels by it's vocalizations.

Thanks, those are some good tips regarding dog behavior.

Ray

  On 4/27/2013 at 8:29 AM, Dance Chick said:

Something I just found out yesterday......we've moved, so wanted to take Oliver to a different groomer than the one we had been using. They told us we need to provide proof of all the necessary vaccinations/shots and gave me a list of them. When I went to find my documentation, I realized he hadn't been given a Bordetella vaccination (kennel cough). I called our vet, who is now 40 minutes away, and was told that they only need this if they're going to be boarded or groomed, so it's not a "usual" vaccination that is given. Our former groomer had never asked for any documentation, which I now know is not wise (hence they don't fall into the category David mentioned as "good" groomers). We had to quickly dash 40 minutes to our vet to get him a Bordetella vac in order to have him seen by the new groomer. So, a heads up to make sure you have a Bordetella vac in addition to DHPP & rabies. As stated above, an illness or accident could make it necessary to unexpectedly board your pet while you're on the road, and if you don't have all the vacs, it could be a huge hassle.

That's a good one to remember, thanks.

Ray

If you take your pet for grooming, any good grooming facility should also ask for proof of at least rabies vacination.

I have a health passport for Jin I got at Petsmart. It has a service dog team ID card in it, photo copy of his tags and every time he gets a vet visit it's logged in there and signed off by the vet. That includes all of his vaccinations so it's current. Since Jin wears a vest he always has it. At least when he's wearing his green vest he has it. Every place I've ever taken Jin to be groomed I've been asked for proof of rabies and bortadella vaccinations. I was also asked to provide proof by his trainers whenever we take a class with other dogs.

A word about bortadella or kennel cough. A couple of years ago Jin got his vaccinations and 6 weeks later he caught kennel cough at a dogpark. Bortadella doesn't always take so be careful.