We all know bad things can happen fast.

Phoenix is far away from Tornado Alley but we aren’t immune from floods, fires and other emergencies. Electric outage anyone?

September is the month dedicated for Emergency Preparedness and it is a good time to figure out what to do with your dog in an emergency. Here’s some tips:

Get a rescue alert sticker

This easy-to-use sticker will let firefighters, paramedics know that pets are inside your home. Get your stickers here. Or here. (Or the next time you see me, ask. I have some!)

Figure out your dog’s safe haven before an emergency

Everyday emergencies — medical crises — happen, too. Before anything happens, figure out who you can trust with your housekey and your dog. Make sure this person knows your dog’s feeding and medication times and habits incase you aren’t able to make it home. Other dog emergency-preparedness tips:

• If you use a pet-sitting service, find out if they can help in case of an emergency.
• Contact hotels and motels outside your area to find out if they accept dogs. Ask about any restrictions on number or size and if they would change policies in case of an emergency. This is a really handy list to have if the power or the AC goes out.
• Ask friends or relatives outside your neighborhood if they would shelter you and your pets—or just your pets—if necessary.
• Call ahead to see if emergency shelters will take your dog. The American Red Cross, for example, doesn’t take pets, except for service animals.

Prepare dog emergency supplies and traveling kits

• Keep your dog’s essential supplies in sturdy containers that can be carried (a duffle bag or covered trash containers, for example). Checklist of pet emergency-preparedness kit.
•  Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification information. Your dog’s ID tag should contain her name, telephone number and any urgent medical needs. Be sure to also write your pet’s name, your name and contact information on your pet’s carrier.
• Get your dog microchipped.

If you evacuate, take the dog.

Rule number one: If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pets. You have no way of knowing how long you’ll be kept out of the area, and you may not be able—or allowed—to go back for your pets. Dogs left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost or killed.

Stay safe everyone!

Phoenix weather, especially at night and in the mornings, appears to be cooling off so now is a great time to introduce (or re-introduce) your dog to the neighborhood dog park.

These dog parks provide a great way for dogs to meet other dogs and people and well, frankly, for people to meet other people.

Here’s a list of metro Phoenix dog parks. If you know of any others, please let us know. We are trying to update our list!

Also dog parks allow our little friends to get some physical and mental exercise. That running around makes them less likely to destroy the house.

But — and there is always a but — there’s always a chance of your dog getting in fights or picking up strange parasites and diseases as a result of going to the park.

Our friend Abby Quillen has come up with some terrific tips on dog-park etiquette. She covers getting your dog dog-park ready, health hazards, behavior and general do’s and don’ts at the park.

Important reminder for all Phoenix peeps and dogs! Bring water — just in case. The weather hasn’t cooled off that much. And you never can be sure about the quantity and quality of water at any park

Check out Abby’s nifty, visual dog-park primer:

Next week, summer returns to Phoenix with a predicted 106-degree boom. Why not plan ahead and whip up some frozen dog treats (and maybe some for yourself)?

Here are some yummy, easy DIY recipes for you and your little buddy, they range from one ingredient nibbles to complicated (ok, three-item) delish treats.

Very simple treats

• Frozen green beans, sweet potatoes (both great sources of fiber for Fidos)
• Frozen pieces of fruit
• Frozen chicken bouillon cubes (use low-sodium bouillon if possible)

Frozen watermelon treats

Watermelon is a good source of Vitamins C and A, potassium and magnesium for dogs. But canines can’t handle the seeds or rinds.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of  watermelon (seedless, or if not, then remove the seeds)
• 1 cup coconut milk or coconut water
• 1/4 cup honey (optional)

Directions:

Put all three ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour the liquid into some ice cube trays and freeze.

Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats Recipe

Makes 30-40 Cubes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups yogurt, plain
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 ripe banana, mashed

Directions:

1. Melt peanut butter in microwave for about 30 seconds
2. Place all of the ingredients into a blender, mixer or food processor and mix well (until smooth)
3. Pour into ice cube trays or Popsicle trays.
4. Freeze until firm.
5. Pop out of the tray (you’ll need a knife) and let your dog enjoy this frozen treat!

Let us know how these work for you or if you have any frozen treats you love to give to your dog. Want to go out for some treats – we have you covered.

Enjoy and stay cool!

Are you tempted to give your dog a buzz cut for the summer?

Phoenix temperatures have been at an all-time high and we are all looking for a way to keep our dogs cooler in the summer.

But back away from the clippers!

It’s tempting to get out the extreme scissors when you look at your long-haired Golden Retriever but actually that longer hair helps keep your dog cooler. The hair helps block the heat and regulate your dog’s temperature at the skin level.

“A dog’s coat is kind of like insulation for your house,” explains Louise Murray, vice president of the ASPCA Animal Hospital. “Insulation stops your home from getting too cold in winter, but it also keeps it from overheating in summer—and your dog’s coat does the same thing.”

Your dog’s coat also prevents her from getting sunburn and bug bites and helps protect her from skin cancer, according to Murray.

It’s totally OK to give your dog a “summer cut’’, a trimming to make her hair more manageable and that is a job best left to professionals. Summer cuts can also help reduce the amount of natural shedding that your dog and your house are experiencing.

All dogs benefit from a good brushing, and you don’t have to be a pro to do that. It’s important to select the right kind of brush for your dog’s coat. By brushing your dog regularly, you can strip out loose hair so air can circulate against his skin. Regular and thorough brushing also prevents mats, which are not only painful but also trap heat and moisture and can result in skin infections.

So, to recap, your dog just has to be well-groomed for the summer. No skinhead-look needed!

After an extraordinarily mild May in Phoenix, it’s getting to be that time of year when we all start enjoying the pool, dogs included!

It’s important to remember, however, that Fidos with their wonderful senses of smell can get into what we use to clean our pools, so keep those chemicals in a locked, safe place.

Pool chemicals, including chlorine tablets, muriatic acid and brominating tablets, are generally safe once they are diluted in the pool. But in their purer form, they are corrosive and if swallowed by your dog, can result in severe life-threatening ulcers in the digestive tract.

Also be careful if you are mixing chemicals in a small, confined space, that you don’t let the dog in the area; they could develop respiratory problems from inhaling the chemicals floating in the air. And wipe away any spills since some agents have a sweet odor to them and could attract your dog’s attention.

Once you are all ready for swimming, just know that dogs’ eyes, noses and ears are more sensitive than a humans’ and as such they may be more susceptible to chlorine’s effects. Rinse off and dry your dogs after they swim in the pool to reduce any risk of skin allergies caused by exposure to chlorine.

Many people believe that chlorine is the culprit behind dogs’ ear infections but actually it’s just moistness that can be harmful, according to the American Kennel Club. To prevent infections especially among floppy-eared dogs, give the ears a quick wipe down after pool time, they suggest.

Make sure your dog has plenty of drinking water so she is not tempted to keep drinking that chlorinated or salty pool water. Yes, we know, easier said than done when it comes to directing your dog to a proper water bowl. Exhibit A: The bathroom water bowl (aka toilet).

Overdoing it on the saltwater can cause your dog to have vomiting and diarrhea. The condition can become worse and cause seizures, depression, in-coordination and brain swelling.

As a precaution, check to make sure your dog is not experiencing red eyes, trouble breathing, and throat or stomach pain. It’s a good practice, in general, to have your vet’s number on speed dial. And another great resource to have just in case is the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Available anytime, their number is (888) 426-4435.

With a swimming pool at hand, summer in Phoenix can be bearable and sometimes downright pleasant for you and your dog. Just take a couple precautions and enjoy your summer!

Ah, the Chihuahua, such a misunderstood dog. Yappy, snappy, reminds us of a bad boss with a Napoleonic complex.

And to be completely honest, I have not always appreciated Chihuahuas.

But in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo and all things Mexican, let’s look at ten really good   reasons to love a Chihuahua:

1. They are built for speed. Check out Chandler’s annual Chihuahua races.
2. They are built for desert climates. They love being warm and burrowing under covers and sleeping flush up against you.
3. If you buy one big ol’ bag of dog food, it can last a year if you have a Chihuahua.
4. At two to six pounds, the Chihuahua is the smallest breed in the world. You have no upper body strength? No problem. You can still carry your Chihuahua around.
5. Learning how to spell Chihuahua correctly boosts your IQ.
6. Chihuahuas are one of the oldest registered breeds in America; they were recognized in 1904.
7. Chihuahuas, or dogs just like them, are believed to date back to 5^th century AD. They were bred as the forerunner of the doorbell.
8. They seem to be OK with wearing funny hats.
9. What we see as incredible unfriendliness bordering on psychosis is just a Chihuahua protecting their person.
10. Just like with any other dog, a Chihuahua’s behavior depends on how he was raised and the experiences he has encountered.

The sign at Phoenix’s North Mountain Visitor Center says it all: It’s bee season and with reports of dogs being stung to death in Scottsdale, it’s a good time to review how to prevent your dog from getting stung and what to do it Fido meets up with a bee.

Right now, bee-removal services say they are getting 30 to 60 calls a day for people with swarms and hive problems. Typically, bee season in Arizona runs from mid-March through late October, but it often depends on the weather.

The bad news for people with pets is that there is really no way to prevent your dog from coming in contact with a bee, short of house arrest. By their very endearing curious natures, dogs are going to investigate small flying insects zipping around in the air. In fact, dogs are at greater risk from bee stings than people. They are likely to get stung in the mouth or on the nose, face, or feet.

The good news is that dogs’ throats don’t swell up like humans. In most cases, dogs will have mild swelling and tenderness.

If you know that your dog has been stung, try to remove the stinger as quickly as possible to stop the venom from spreading. Use your credit card or fingernail to gently scrape it out.Use Be careful because you may rupture the venom sac, potentially causing more damage. And sometimes, the stinger can’t be found.

To be safe, contact your vet who will most likely advise you to give your pet Benadryl, an over-the-counter antihistamine, which dogs usually respond well to. Your vet can tell you the correct dosage based on your dog’s weight. You can also run a washcloth under some cool tap water and and press it onto the sting to help with swelling. Don’t use an ice pack as that can cause frost bite.

It’s time to see the vet immediately if your dog is vomiting, has difficulty breathing, trembling diarrhea, pale gums, weakness or unconsciousness. If any of these symptoms occur, take her to the vet ASAP. Your vet may have to administer antihistimines, steroids or other medications to help reverse the problem.

Another good practice: Have your vet’s number programmed into your speed dial and cell phone. You never know when the bees will show up!

Happy Dog Phoenix is excited to have Monica Gomez be today’s guest blogger:

A healthy dog is a happy dog, but ticks living in the Arizona outdoors threaten the safety of your pet. Ticks are a major problem because they carry diseases and are difficult to detect. A dog that brings home ticks can spread Lyme disease, which affects a quarter of a million Americans per year.

The best way to prevent your dog from gathering ticks is to understand how these nasty pests find a new home. This guide by Carrington College can help you protect your dog by providing valuable information on spotting and eliminating ticks. If you follow these tips, chances that you will have to take your pooch to the vet this summer will be low.

Was one of your 2016 New Year‘s resolutions to not walk around coated in dog hair?

Have you already (like me) failed miserably at it?

Yes, I have lint brushes stashed at home, at work, in the car and still walk around slightly hairy.

So clearly, I need to attack the problem at it source. Of course, I am referring to the sweet lil’ dumpling asleep on the sofa.

The first defense against dog hair is a good offense. So, regular brushing and grooming of the dog is requisite. It turns out that good dog grooming is essential to good people grooming.

If you want to take dog-hair prevention a step further, it actually begins with the fabric selection of your clothes. Basically, the more texture a fabric has, the more it will trap dog hairs. So steer clear from fabrics like velvet, velour or corduroy. Knits are going to “trappers’’ as well. Natural fibers like cotton and wool also will attract more than synthetics will. At the other end of the spectrum, smooth fabrics such as leather, pleather and silk offer the best chances for a dog-hair-free appearance.

Leather and silk. Hmmm. If the classy dominatrix look is not an option,  try the next steps in the defense against dog hair: Clothing care and laundry.

First of all, hang up your clothes. Yes, we know, easier said than done.

Next onto the laundry. This is a great dog-hair hack by Clean my Space: Pre-treat your load of clothing by placing them in the dryer for 10 minutes on a heat-free, tumble-only cycle. This will help loosen the hair, soften the fabric which helps get rid hair in preparation for your wash. Remember to empty your dryer vent.

Now, shake each garment out before placing in the washing machine to rid it of any extra hair and wash as you normally would. You can even add in ½ cup of white vinegar which will help the fabric fibers relax and of course, loosen any extra hair.

Once the wash is done, shake each garment out, again, again before placing into the dryer.  Dry using a regular cycle and ensure you get tumbling in there. Dryer sheets can also help break the bond between hair and clothing.

It will take some doing but through grooming, more careful clothing selections and a little extra time in the laundry room, you can too, walk around relatively dog-hair free in 2016.

How do dogs sleep under the covers and not suffocate?

This question comes to us from a Very Important Five Year Old and we needed to get on it pronto.

Also, since

Phoenix is experiencing its own version of Artic weather (32 degrees – how can we stand it?), dogs are now getting under the blankets with the rest of us.

So, now is a great time to discuss dogs’ enjoyment of tunneling under the bed covers. For some, it comes naturally. Dachshunds and terriers, bred to burrow underground to dislodge varmints, love crawling under the blankies. Huskies, who are genetically programmed to burrow because of true Artic temps, do it as well.

For the rest of the breeds, it comes from a desire to be back in the den, warm and safe from intruders. And it fits in nicely with their strategy for complete Bed Domination.

For most, sleeping under the covers isn’t a problem. They move so much during the night in their efforts to control the bed that they shift the covers and create fresh air supply. Being squished by others in the bed can be a greater hazard to smaller dogs than suffocation.

But people with brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs may want to discourage their pups from long periods of hibernation under the blankets, just to be safe.

All in all, canine death by blanket suffocation should not even be on your list of things to worry about. Just cozy up with your favorite hound and let sleeping dogs lie.