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Thank you Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® for sponsoring this post. Complete and trusted flea and tick prevention starts with Hartz!
Summer adventures create the best memories, and now that we have our dog, Theodore, he gets to spend a lot of our adventures with us. We decided to adventure in the Pacific Northwest this summer, where most of our family is. There are hikes, beaches, parks and lots of mountains to climb (literally). There are many off-leash dog parts, pet-friendly trails and out door seating and concerts we can bring Theodore to, but there are also some safety and precautions that are important to consider when traveling and adventuring with your pet. I thought it would be helpful to go over some of those that I’ve learned along the way!
6 Easy Tips To Keep Your Pet Safe During Summer Adventures:
Extra Protection Against Ticks, Fleas, Mosquitoes:
With the added hikes, trails and fields we’ve been adventuring in, it is really important to be properly protected for the various insects found in different areas. In the Seattle area, there are more ticks than our usual beach walks. This is why I partnered with Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea and Tick Drops. I do NOT want to find a tick on our dog, and I was giving him oral flea medication from our vet, but they don’t necessarily cover ticks and other insects.
The Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Flea and Tick Drops are specifically great for here because of the Deer Tick prevention. Mosquitoes aren’t as bad as Florida, but they do come out if we hike around a creek bed or go out fishing. The application is really easy. Just open, twist and push down. It makes it really easy to apply and go! I love that it lasts 3 months, so that will cover our whole adventure this summer with one application. The Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® Drops features a patented and easy-to-use Pro-Glide™ angled applicator with rounded edges making it easier to get through a dog’s fur, for gentle on-skin application. From topical treatments to collars, Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® offers complete flea and tick protection for less, keeping your pet pest free and ready for any outdoor adventure this summer. Each year, Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® protects more than 5 million dogs from fleas and ticks. Visit Hartz.com to learn more, including where to find Hartz® UltraGuard Pro® in a store near you.
Grab Portable Hydration:
I am guilty of being out and about, then realizing that all I have is sippy cups and water, with no water for our dog. He’s had to drink out of my hand, or a sippy cup lid because I wasn’t prepared. Now I’m much better, as we’ve had him for a long time, but it does take some thinking. You can search “portable pet water bottle” and grab easy-to-use ones on Amazon or Chewy to keep in your car.
Have a copy of your pet’s vaccine and health records:
I realized that I didn’t have this when I needed to take our pet in to get groomed. Most grooming places require knowing the pet is up-to-date on all shots and healthy. Fortunately we had an account with a national grooming salon, so we could get Theodore taken care of. Otherwise I would’ve had to have our local vet do some faxing or mailing. You can also just take pictures of your vet records with your phone, and keep them stored in a drive to access whenever you need!
Get an extra long leash for exploring!
Our leash at home is shorter because we walk on main walk ways and side walks with streets. Now that we are adventuring in forests and fields, we got an extra long leash to allow him to run farther and have more freedom. Many places are not off-leash, so it is really important to keep them on a leash. Having this allows for them to have more fun on trails that aren’t designated for dogs to run free.
Research off-leash zones:
Because we are in my home town, there were a few places we went that were off-leash in the past, but aren’t now. New trails and parks are now designated as dog parks. This has changed in just the last couple of years, so make sure to research the off-leash zones in your area every year, and confirm that they still are off-leash.
Have a kennel ready for new environments:
Make sure to get a kennel, or have one in case there is a reason you need your dog in one place. Our dog is kennel-trained, so he knows to sleep when he is in there. At home, he doesn’t need to be in the kennel when we are gone, but in a new house and environment, I prefer to have him in a safe place. I don’t know the home completely, or if he will get anxious and illustrate unexpected behavior in the yard or house. To make sure we don’t have any holes in the yard, furniture scratched or chewed on, or other issues, I like to keep him in a kennel when we aren’t home to keep everything safe.
There you have some easy, yet really important tips to help keep your pet safe while adventuring this summer. Hopefully these are great reminders from my experiences, as you plan your traveling for fun with the whole family. I know I feel so much better having our pet with us, rather than leaving him behind!