Professional Pet Sitting + Dog Walking

You’re a loving pet parent who has all the latest and greatest toys, yummiest foods, and softest beds for your dog or cat.  But do you know where the nearest emergency vet clinic is?

Being prepared for a pet emergency is one of the most important skills you can learn to be a great pet parent.  Although emergency pet first aid is not a substitute for veterinary care, it can be a life-safer between the time of an accident and your arrival at the vet clinic.  You’ll want to be sure you have a well stocked pet first aid kit at the ready, as well as consider taking a course in pet first aid to brush up on your care skills.  Take a look at our helpful resources to be sure you are ready when your pet most needs you.

Knoxville Pet First Aid Classes:

American Red Cross, Knoxville Chapter, 865.588.1835

PETCO Online Pet First Aid Course, www.petco.com

Knoxville Emergency Vet Clinics:

After-Hours Pet Emegency Clinic, 865.966.3888

Animal Emergency Critical Care and Referral Center, 865.693.4440

Knoxville Pet Emergnecy Clinic, 865.637.0114

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, 888.426.4435

First Aid Online Literature:

American Veterinary Medical Association

PetEducation.com

 

 

 

 

Agility is the fastest growing sport for dogs in the United States.  It is also one of the most exciting for human spectators to watch!

A handler directs a dog through an obstacle course made up of tunnels, jumps, and weave poles using only voice commands and hand signals.  The dogs are judged on their course speed and accuracy.  Typically, an agility course is 100 x 100 feet, with 10 to 20 feet between obstacles.  The first canine agility demonstrations are thought to have been in the late 1970s, held at dogs shows in the United Kingdom.  In the early 1980s, the sport quickly become more popular in the United States, and several national and international agility organizations were formed.

In agility dogs of all sizes are welcome.  Lightweight, fast dogs like the Border Collie are normally some of the best at the sport, but any dog in good physical condition, regardless of size or pedigree, is welcome to compete.  There are even special courses built for small dogs in The Teacup Dogs Agility Association.  The obstacles are scaled down to allow dogs under 17 inches tall to excel at the course.

To get started in agility you’ll want to find a good trainer to get you started in the right direction.  However, first you’ll want to be sure that your dog is well trained in the basic commands for “sit” and “come” before starting more rigorous training.  In Knoxville and the surrounding area there are several dog parks with agility equipment, as well as trainers who specialize in agility training.  Check out the resources below to help you and your dog get started in this sport.

Knoxville Agility Training:

Agility Adventures 865.604.1565

Dawn Darr 865.584.6553

Oak Ridge Kennel Club www.discoveret.org/orkc

Dog Parks with Agility Equipment:

PetSafe Village Dog Park, 10424 Electric Avenue

Dogwood Park at Victor Ashe Park, 4901 Bradshaw Road

Agility Associations:

United States Dog Agility Association

Canine Performance Events

North American Dog Agility Council

 

 

Knoxville has come a long way in making our city a more pet friendly place. Dog parks continue to be constructed around the city, and restaurants continue to be added to the list of pet-friendly establishments.

Another organization supporting the pets in our community is the Companion Animal Initiative in Tennessee, or CAIT for short.  CAIT is part of the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and is a network of professionals and volunteers who focus on legislation, education, and sterilization.  They provide a wide variety of programs for veterinary students, animal professionals, and the general public.

CAIT was established as an initiative of the nine-county “One Vision” task forced formed in 2000 to explore how to make the East Tennessee region a better place to live.  When investigating  local citizen’s main concerns, animal welfare ranked fifth on the long list.  CAIT now provides a variety of programs including providing education for vet students on shelter medicine, monitoring animal related legislation, and sitting up spay-neuter clinics for feral cats.  CAIT currently sterilizes and vaccinates over 400 feral cats each year in an effort to reduce the surplus of homeless animals in Tennessee.

To learn more about CAIT or how to volunteer visit their website: www.vet.utk.edu/cait

Did you know that there are over 300 dogs in our Knoxville community that spend one hour each week working with HABIT, a nationally recognized animal-assisted therapy program?

HABIT or Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee, is a non-profit group of volunteers that works to promote the bond between humans and animals. Through the program children and adults in retirement/nursing homes, assisted living centers, hospitals, and schools receive animal assisted therapy.  Even though dogs are the main animal volunteers in the program, there are a few cats and rabbits that participate as well.

HABIT has been around since 1986 when it was founded as a collaborative effort between the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Social Work.  Today over 120 facilities in Knox and the surrounding counties are served by HABIT and many more are on the waiting list.

Before being accepted into the program, animals are medically screened and evaluated for behavior.  The human volunteers then go through an orientation and training to learn how the program works and what is expected of them.  The volunteers are then placed in a facility such as a school where children can read to the dog, or a rehabilitation center where the dog can help clients with their speech or motor skills.  Once the visits begin, experienced volunteers monitor, and provide ongoing feedback and evaluation to help ensure that the visits are benefiting both the client, volunteer, and animal.

If you are interested in volunteering with HABIT, there are four steps to get started:

1. Attend a 2 hour HABIT informational meeting to learn about the program.

2. Submit your paperwork to the HABIT offices.

3. Take your pet to an hour-long behavior assessment by HABIT volunteers

4. Once you’re approved for the program, attend an orientation at your assigned facility.

For more information you can contact HABIT:

Web: www.vet.utk.edu/habit

Email: habit@utk.edu

Telephone: 865-974-5633

Despite how you may feel about your own job, it’s a known fact that dogs love to work.

Just like when us humans are passionate about our careers, we feel a sense of accomplishment when we complete a project well.  Dogs are no different – whether it is getting your newspaper or reading with a child – dogs adore the attention, and the same sense of accomplishment that we feel.  Dogs with jobs get exercise, mental stimulation, and companionship, which are all things they desperately need.  Plus, by helping your dog with his/her job, you will enrich the bond and communication between you and your furry friend.

What kinds of jobs do dogs in Knoxville do?

There are many dogs that have an amazing impact on the day-to-day lives of their human companions.  Specially trained dogs see for the blind, hear for the deaf, and find the lost.  Other highly trained dogs can do extraordinary things such as detect cancer molecules, sniff out traces of peanut butter in foods, or track down bedbugs.  But fortunately for the average dog living with a family in Knoxville, he/she doesn’t need to go through the intensive training necessary for these types of specialized jobs, for your furry four-legged friend to still feel needed.

Sports, tricks, games, and obedience lessons are all satisfying games for your family dog.

All over Knoxville there are dogs taking obedience lessons or learning to navigate agility courses.  Others are diving off docks, competing in hunting trials, or playing flyball.  Make this the summer that you give your dog a job!  Here are some great links to get you started:

Smokey Mountain Dock Dogs – Dogs off all sizes compete to see who can jump the furthest, the highest, or swim the fastest off a dock

Big Orange Blast Flyball  - Highflying dogs competing with their owners in flyball competitions

HABIT (Human Animal Bond in Tennessee) – Volunteer therapy dogs and their owners working in local facilities