Dog walking, San Francisco, CA
Therapy dogs are available at SFO to help calm stressed out travelers. These dogs and their handlers are specially trained and certified by the San Francisco SPCA. Look for the the dogs warring vests saying “Pet Me!” The dogs are available Monday through Friday at terminal 3 on the departure level near the airline check in counters and inside the boarding area.
Cleaning up your dog’s poop is probably not one of your favorite things to do, but your dog’s poop can tell you quite a bit about their health. Click the link below to find out if your dog’s poop looks like they could have parvovirus, parasites, worms, parasites or ulcers.
Hello fellow dog lovers!
I have always found dog parks great places to go to help get your dog well socialized to a wide variety of other dogs and people. Especially for puppies, socialization opportunities are important for their long term development and general well being. These places are great equalizers where folks can decompress, catch up on neighborhood news, or just enjoy watching the dogs romp around.
We all have our favorite places to go for our dogs to exercise in The City, but if you are looking for a fresh place to go and meet new dogs and people, look no further than right here. It lists all the enclosed and open dog parks in town. And here are the top 11 dog parks in town according to sfist.
There I am (third from left) helping clean up Bernal Hill on 1/3/2015 with fellow dog walkers. We had a great time getting to know each other. Thanks Amad for bringing the donuts, coffee cups and napkins and your dog all on your motorcycle!
Derby was born with deformed legs. Check out his amazing story and the courageous people who made him able to run.
Did you ever wonder why just hanging out with your dog just makes you feel so (dog gone) good and relaxed? Well it turns out that hanging with your best buddy is physically and mentally good for you, since it helps reduce stress.
Check out the article below from the folks at Animal Smart
Studies show that interactions with therapy animals can decrease stress in humans.
Playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol. These hormonal changes can help a nervous child feel more relaxed about reading aloud. Reduced stress can also benefit physical health. In a 2001 study, researchers found that pet-owning patients with high blood pressure could keep their blood pressure lower during times of mental stress than patients without pets.
Another study shows that pet owners may also have increased odds of surviving for at least a year after having a heart attack.
“Both pet ownership and social support are significant predictors of survival, independent of the effects of the other psychosocial factors and physiologic status,” wrote the heart-disease researchers.
And in 2008, a group of Italian researchers documented the successful introduction of a shelter dog to Alzheimer’s patients. Patients were given questionaires, and many responded that animal-assisted activities (the dog as a therapy animal) was beneficial.
It’s not just tutoring companies that introduce kids to dogs. As seen in this video, elementary school students in Arizona can read to dogs and take care of them at school.
“You can always talk to the dog, and the dog’s not going to judge you,” says the school principal.