Blog

How Much You Might Spend on Owning a Dog If you’re like most dog owners (95% according to a 2015 survey by the New York Daily News), you’ve added Dino to your Christmas list. A rubber squeak toy, a few treats, maybe a sleeve of tennis balls. Whatever the lucky pup gets from “Santa”, you’ve plunked down a few dollars for your doggie this holiday season. But Christmas presents is just a small percentage of what you’re likely to spend over Sheba’s lifetime. Add in vet bills, food, grooming, and other incidentals and you’re looking at an average of somewhere...

Hey Sparky Steps Community! Do you know about our Sparky Steps Interview? We want to get to know your story! We think everyone out there has an awesome story of how they met their pet. All you have to do to participate is answer all the questions in the link below and click send. After we will create your answers into a blog post and kick off the conversations and connection! Many issues affect animals in the world today, but even in our own city we can make a difference. We are interested in getting to know everyone a bit...

New Year’s Resolutions for You and Your Dog If you are resolving to make some changes in 2020, you can take your dog along for the ride. Whether you want to improve your eating habits, start exercising more, or pick up a new hobby, involving your dog can help you stick to your resolutions beyond the first month of the year. Here are a few New Year’s goals you and your dog can try for together.   Embrace an Exercise Routine Committing to regular exercise is one the most common New Year’s resolutions. While you probably can’t bring your dog...

Splish, Splash: How to Make Bathing a Dog Easier “I LOVE getting baths!”…said few dogs, ever. If your pupper is like most, chances are he/she is not eager to leap into a sudsy bath of warm water. Some will simply grin and bear it, but others just might put up some resistance. Or maybe a LOT of resistance. If bath time with Ruff becomes a seasonal wrestling match, is there anything you can do to make this situation easier on you, and on him? From distractions like a Peanut Butter Lick Pad for bath time to a hand-strap pet shower...

Can Dogs Help You Live Longer? Recent headlines about dogs’ potential to increase their human companions’ lifespan gained a lot of attention. Sure, we love our dogs, but what about those soulful eyes and fluffy tails help us to live longer? The study that sparked all those headlines focuses specifically on our hearts.   Heart Health Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death, which makes our heart’s a major focus for our overall health and longevity. A study published in the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes journal found that owning a dog decreases a person’s cardiovascular risk....