Blog — Category_Safety

Dog Park “Petiquette” and Whether Dog Parks Are All They’re Cracked Up to Be? The concept of dog parks started in California in 1979; today, they can now be found in every state except Alaska. In Chicago alone, there are some 23 off-leash dog parks, according to BringFido.com. The whole idea of dog parks was borne to provide a large space (usually not less than one or two acres) in which dogs can exercise and play off-leash and interact with other dogs in a controlled environment, under the supervision of their owners. The last part of that sentence is they...

How Cold is too Cold to Walk your Dog Winter is here! With temperatures consistently falling below freezing and a few too many days below 0℉, you may be wondering: How cold is too cold to walk your canine companion? Here at Sparky Steps, our policy is to limit walks to 15 minutes when the temperature dips below 20℉. We do this because our main concern is the safety of your pup in these extreme temperatures -- while keeping in mind their need to do their business and stretch their paws. Here are some things to consider when assessing whether...

How to Keep Your Dog Comfortable All Winter With the temperature continuing to drop, we’re all bundling up and throwing on the layers to step outside. But are our dogs as cold as we are? Some of our furry friends are blessed with thick coats that protect them from the below-freezing temperatures, but many shorter or thinner haired dogs are just as cold as we are! Here are some tips to help your pup stay comfortable all through the not-so-mild Chicago winter.   Keeping Warm As a general rule of thumb, if you aren’t comfortable standing outside without a coat...

5 Safety Tips for your dog this Halloween Halloween is coming up, and it’s sure to be a spook-tastic time! We here at Sparky Steps love Halloween, and are excited to introduce our first annual costume contest! Plus, we wanted to give all dog owners some tips to ensure your pup has a safe and enjoyable holiday.   Don’t leave candy or chocolate out Trick-Or-Treating is always essential when it comes to Halloween. Free candy? Awesome costumes? Score! But, it’s important to make sure that your dog can’t get to any of your succulent sweets, as they could make them...