Urban Pet’s owner, Ruth Silva, was featured in the February issue of Montreal’s West newspaper “The Informer”. The Informer is dedicated to providing the latest information regarding events, promotions, local businesses and the ultimate news for all Montreal West area.

Here’s a highlight of last month’s piece:

“Ruth was bringing her two dogs to Michelle’s Urban Pet on a regular basis to be groomed. When she found out that Michelle needed to give up her business to return to Toronto, she jumped at the opportunity. Michelle and Rught both understood the importance of maintaining the same level of service for many regular clients.”

“Owning a pet care business has brought Ruth much joy. (…) Experiencing  the reaction of a client seeing their pet freshly groomed and how happy the dog is to see their owner, is, as Ruth puts it, the best way to spend her day: the perfect job.”

Click HERE for the full article.

Hi there and thank you for visiting!

Welcome to Urban Pet’s “Tell Us What You Feed Your Pet” Contest, participate and win big!

How does it work?

Just write in the Comments section of this post what is your furry mate’s favorite food!

The winner will be randomly picked from the list of comments and you will win a FREE grooming for your dog or cat.

Deadline: April 22nd

Urban Pet
All the latest mutt-haves and more!

Click HERE to enter comment in our website or use Facebook to participate:

We have been busy these last few days! We have been researching dog/cat food suppliers for a while now. There are some really good foods out there and a lot different criteria to take into account.  And we came to a conclusion: We’ve chosen Champion Petfoods makers of Orijen and Acana brand of dog and cat food.

Here are some of the main reasons for choosing Orijen:

• All meats are purchased locally in order to ensure fresh, daily delivery. The food is never frozen.  Even the lamb is sourced from an Alberta free-run farm.  The majority of the other brands include lamb that humans eat are imported from New Zealand.  The main advantage for us is being able to trace back the food source in case problems occur.  Of course, having fresh food delivered daily reduces  possible issues.  Our own (human) meat sources are not this good!
• The food is 100% grain free. All ingredients are  Biologically Appropriate.  Simply put, if a dog will not eat it in the wild, then it doesn’t go into the mix.
• It is made in Canada so you will never be hit by some weird import law that could leave your dog without his favorite food.
• Orijen uses air-tight packaging to help preserve freshness – Some other companies add unhealthy chemicals like ethoxyquin and BHT as preservatives.
• Orijen uses low temperature steam processing to create its product – Many other dog foods are subjected to high temperatures during processing, which destroys some of the original nutritional properties of the ingredients.
• It has a good following here in Quebec already. So if for some reason you can not make it to our store, then you should be able to find it in some of the other stores.  The prices are all set by the manufacturer so there is no reason to “shop around”.

There are other reasons of course and we are not saying that other foods do not have their merits, however, for our small store Orijen and Acana seem to be  a good match.

Pet food is a hot topic and people have different opinion and points of view.  Please feel free to share your thoughts here in the comments!!… Actually, we insist!

Urban Pet featured product: PAWZ Dog Boots®

Have you ever wondered how would it feel to walk on the street in summer, at noon, without shoes? Picture yourself barefoot in the snow or hot pavement, either salty or dusty…  Ouch! That’d definitely hurt your feet! Same thing happens to your dog.  Dog owners have realized that and can now purchase different type of boots for their dogs. Many dog boots available in the market make dogs feel uncomfortable or insecure, because they cannot feel what’s under their paws. Unlike other dog boot brands, PAWZ Dog Boots® are made of rubber and allow dogs to feel the ground.

Design and usability

The design of PAWZ® allows your dog to feel comfortable. There are no straps or zippers. They are more like a sock that moves with your dog to allow full motion.  Plus, the fact that there is no padding or sole gives your dog that needed sense of security not possible with a typical pair of boots.

It’s the only disposable and reusable type of boot in the world.  Since they are made of natural rubber, they are also 100% biodegradable – eco-friendly, that is. They come in packs of 12 and can be worn many times, and once one wears out, you can simply dispose them; a regular box would typically last a full winter!

PAWZ protect your pet from salt, fire ants, ice, hot sidewalks, and toxic chemicals like pesticides. PAWZ also prevent your pet from getting rashes, allergies or post- surgical infections.  And, of course, they’ll keep their feet clean, because they also protect your pet from mud, dirt and water.

Sizes, colors and more features

PAWZ® are color-coded depending on the size of the dog, and will fit on paws from less than 7/8” and paws of 4” and up, they come in a variety of fun colors, as well. And even though they are very fashionable, these boots are designed to be functional, comfortable and protective. They are easy to put on and take off your dog, they will not fall off while your dog is wearing them; which means that they do stay, unlike the Velcro ones that fall off pretty easily.

Since PAWZ® dog boots are waterproof; water cannot get in, but cannot get out either.  And because your dog sweats through its paws, you may find the paw is moist after removing the boot. For this reason is not recommended to leave the boots on for an extended period of time, and must be removed while your dog is resting…

It’s like the old saying goes: “Too much of a good thing it’s actually a bad thing”.

Photos in this article belong to http://www.pawzdogboots.com

We all love playing around with our dogs, watching them run or running towards them, wrestling, jumping, etc… While this is healthy for your dog, when doing it in hot summer weather it can be more dangerous than many pet owners realize.

When a dog is exposed to high temperatures, heat stroke or heat exhaustion can occur. Heat stroke is particularly a risky condition that happens when normal body mechanisms cannot keep the dog’s temperature in a safe range, and since they do not sweat through their skin like humans do, if they cannot effectively expel heat their internal body temperature begins to rise.

Medically, what happens is that high temperature causes a chemical reaction that breaks down body cells which lead to dehydration and blood thickening. This puts extreme strain on the heart and causes blood clotting and subsequent death to tissue. A dog’s normal temperature should be 101 F to 102 F, if this temperature reaches 106 F; he is in danger of brain damage, vital organ failure and death. The hardest part is that we may not even notice.

Heat strokes can be moderate or severe, according to the temperature they reach. Moderate ones come into place when a dog reaches up to 106 degrees while severe ones reach 107 degrees or higher temperatures.

Now, the most important thing is to learn to identify the signs when your pet may be suffering from a heatstroke. The less obvious signs are hyperventilation, rapid panting, bright red tongue, red or pale gums, thickly, sticky saliva, and in more brutal cases depression, weakness, dizziness, vomiting (which may come sometimes with blood), diarrhea, shock, coma and ultimately, death. Many of those deaths can be easily avoided.

Once the signs of heat stroke are detected, you should remove the dog from the hot area immediately and try to gently lower his temperature by wetting him thoroughly with cool water, carrying around a pet water dispenser like gulpy (which we sell at Urban Pet) might be a good idea, as well; keep in mind that very cold water may actually be counterproductive because lowering his body temperature too quickly can cause further life-threatening conditions.  Thereafter, you should take him to your vet as soon as possible. Have him checked and examined since he may still be dehydrated or there could even be further complications.

The best approach to heat exhaustion and heat stroke is prevention. On hot weather, you must make sure your dog takes regular breaks, he has enough water and access to conditioned or air conditioned areas. Do not EVER leave your pet inside of your car, especially if your vehicle is parked in a hot area and even though you are away for only 10 or 15 minutes.
Keep in mind that some dogs can fully recover from heat stroke; others may suffer permanent organ damage. Sadly many deaths due to heat strokes could be prevented. As many other things in life, in this case prevention is the key!

Puppy Owner Mistakes

Puppyhood is a crucial era in your dog’s life and you should make the best of it! The world wide web has hundred of articles, tips and lists on how to train a puppy and the main puppy owners’ mistakes; surely, many training methods may seem a little unclear or even contradictory, but there’s a reason for that… there are two type of points of view: treating your puppy with respect and asking for it in return (such as The Dog whisperer, César Millán’s techniques) and also positive training methods; sometimes they may agree on certain topics, but in other occasions they may crash.

Let’s take a look over some usual mistakes and experts’ opinions:

• Inconsistency with the rules

Command words are widely known throughout the dog lovers’ world, they are as common as “sit” and “stay”, etc. However, whichever word is said does not matter as much as how it’s associated by your pet says César Millán. It’s also important to stay consistent, use the same word, the same tone of voice, and keep rules straight and clear to your puppy; this way, you are not going to confuse him/her and create unwanted results; as Martin Deeley, co-founder of the International Association of Canine Professionals and features collaborator on Millán’s DVD “César way”, remarks in his articles about puppyhood “It Is Easier to Put in Good Habits than to Change Bad Ones” .

Andrea Arden exemplifies this slip in her book “Dog Friendly Training” stating that if jumping on your the couch is forbidden, the step to take when correcting this behavior would be to point out that the action is wrong by a firm and steady “No!” and keep it constant throughout time. Whether it’s imposing yourself as a leader or reinforcing your puppy positively/ignoring bad behaviors, the trick is consistency.

• Neglecting to socialize your pet

The Animal Behavior Clinic at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine states that this mistake will reflect on your puppy’s wellbeing throughout time, because pets that aren’t exposed to a variety of animals and people can develop fears and aggressive behaviors; therefore, it’s important to introduce your pets to adults, kids, animals and different environments, this way they will learn to behave around them and you can set your own guidelines of interaction and reward your puppy towards them.

• Giving out too many treats

“It’s important to not pay off the good behavior all the time”, says Marty Becker, veterinarian and coeditor of PetConnection.com. According to Becker, this potential mistake means that in the long term, treats lose their training value if your puppy gets them for no particular reason. Instead of giving a treat for every correct command followed, only reward them with food sometimes. Positive reinforcement training methods indicate that you can always praise them with a pat for following your command; but from a strictly disciplinarian point of view, your dog will eventually perform the desired action without needing a treat or a reward.

• Punishing your pet

Punishing your puppy is a complete opposite to positive techniques, hitting your dog or using harsh corrections is a quick way to teach him to fear you and ultimately your puppy will simply lose his trust towards you. An effective way to correct your dog without having him fear you is to command him with a firm “No!” and he’ll associate your attitude with the fact that the action that he’s doing is not alright, he will learn to respect you instead of being afraid of the violent approach you may transmit, just like Cesar Millán puts it, you have to be a leader for your puppy to respect you.

According to PositiveReinforcement.org “while correcting your puppy if you catch him in the act is acceptable, other punishing techniques are not”; and that a way to compliment this disciplinary technique would be to create a punishment from the environment itself, let our pets discover by themselves the reasons why they should fear the counter, the couch, the toilet or any other space established as forbidden.

An interesting technique, which is relatively but very effective, is the clicker method dog training. Amy Wells, from SearchWarp.com explains its process: “To get started with clicker training, have treats on hand. Begin by letting him see the ‘clicker’ and then every time you ‘click’ give him a treat”. Wells adds: “Clicker Training allows the dog to use his brain and associate positive stimulus with certain actions”.

• Letting your puppy carry out actions that will affect his adult life

César Millán also points out in his “How to Raise the Perfect Dog through Puppyhood and Beyond” that more often than not, puppy owners do not take into consideration that actions that are appreciated as “cute” in a puppy won’t likely be appropriate for a dog in his adulthood; therefore, they must be stopped in the puppy stage. For instance, a puppy jumping over a guest is not as adorable a “120-pound German shepherd dog that can actually knock you down and injure you” says Diana Foster, Thinschmidt German shepherd breeder and home of the Assertive K-9 Training Thinschmidt German Shepherds. They both sustain that bad habits can be difficult to train out of a pet; therefore, preventing them is one of the most effective ways to help a dog stick with good behaviors.

http://www.urban-pet.ca

Last Saturday, July 11th, we had the delight of having our friends from The League of Extraordinary Greyhounds with us at Urban Pet!

Don’t know much – or anything – about them?  Take a look at this brief exclusive interview that we had with Donna, volunteer for “T-Legs” (or scroll down further if you’d like to watch our video, as well!).

Who they are?

They are the Canadian partners of the Northern Greyhound Adoptions – NGA VT, who find homes for retired racing greyhounds all around Montréal. They work also with people in Ottawa, Northern New York State and in Vermont.

What do they do?

Primarily, finding former racing greyhounds a suitable, loving home that best fulfills their needs; as well as providing them care, medical treatment and food while looking for one. All of their work is done on a voluntary basis and they rely on donations, sponsorship and legacies.

What are some of the biggest challenges they face?

Their main challenge is spreading the word around about them and the lack of awareness of greyhounds as a breed; educating people on how loving and great companions they are, is also one of their main difficulties.

How can I adopt one?

You can find them online at T-Legs.com

1. Request an adoption application
2. Fill out the application and have it reviewed by the League
3. Home visit by T-Legs’ volunteers
4. Meet your future pet, but hold on… Their motto is “the greyhound will pick you”!

For more info visit http://www.t-legs.com, or feel free to watch our video, just outside our Urban Pet store:

“A dog is a man’s best friend”. All those who are lucky enough to have a devoted canine by their side will agree with this statement… but how about its counterpart?  Us, the owners, are supposed to take care of our furry mates, take them to the vet when they get sick, provide them with shelter, love, water, food, and overall to watch over their wellbeing; this is exactly where holistic dog foods come into play; simply because we all know that proper nutrition is one their most important needs.

Holistic dog foods use high-end ingredients that do not have any fillers, unnecessary chemicals or by-products. This becomes an alternative method to feed your dog properly that doesn’t aspire exclusively to treat hunger (like many commercial or regular food brands do), but also provides increased energy, shinier coats, better health, and a significant reduction on potential diseases.

Brands sold in supermarkets, such as Purina® or Pedigree ® provides an extension of human slaughterhouses, where waste unfit for human consumption is processed and ultimately gets eaten by our pets. According to an investigation held by Born Free USA this waste contains “intestines, udders, heads, hooves, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts”; cheaper brands also include soybeans, wheat and corn as fillers. This mix could potentially turn into a wide range of nutrition-related diseases, such as obesity, chronic digestive problems, heart, urinary tract, kidney and dental disease, to name a few.

Many dog owners don’t realize the importance of proper feeding and are astounded by the price of organic or holistic food. Major brands, like Wellness®, Eagle Pack® or Holistic Select® charge on average from $45 to $58 dollars for a large pack of holistic dog food, and about $17 to $26 for a small one. When comparing market prices to those that are offered by large well-known companies, it may seem a little high. What customers don’t realize is that holistic foods contain whole grain rice, balanced omega 6 and 3, probiotics, antioxidants, conditioners, vitamins and minerals, while overlooking at the same time, additives and fillers that may put your dog’s health in danger in the long run. Also, it’s a proven fact that a bag of holistic food will last twice as long, or more than a bag of cheap dog food and that it will exponentially decrease vet visits due to unannounced illnesses – and we animal lovers all know how expensive those can be!.

Feel free to come over to Urban Pet and get a free sample of our products! Forget about fast-food type nutrition forever, Pamper your pet today!

http://www.urban-pet.ca

Pet grooming Montreal

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We are a friendly local pet shop (with pet grooming in Montréal) with the latest mutt-haves for your dog, from the basics to the more extravagant and luxurious items to pamper your furry friend. Cat lovers are also welcomed, we have the basics for cats such as food, treats, toys and litter.

Although the store has been open since 2004, it was purchased, in September last year by Ruth Silva, a former client who also hired a dog show groomer. Ruth brings a fresh new attitude and new items that she couldn’t find anywhere else in Montreal when looking for cute and practical stuff for her little Yorkie Bailey.

We carry brands such as bowser beds, coach collars, designer clothing, hockey jerseys, carriers, pawz (dog boots), holistic treats and food, all natural gentle shampoos, buddy belts we also offer you dog grooming and much more…

Any size dog is welcome! and cats too!