Blog

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...

It Turns Out Sleeping with the Dogs Might Not Be So Bad After All Many pet owners start out with a staunch “no dogs allowed on the bed” rule. Some stick to it, but many succumb to puppy eyes and the promise of cuddling. While personal preference dictates whether or not dogs get to sleep with you in the bed, there is some debate in the scientific community about the benefits. In 2017, Mayo Clinic Proceedings released a study that pointed to a correlation between sleeping with dogs and negative effects on health and sleep quality, according to Newsweek. People...

9 Ways to Keep Pets Safe from Coyotes Here at Sparky Steps, our animal-loving pet care team is out walking dogs all the time. We also offer in-home pet sitting, so we visit all sorts of home environments. And no matter where we go, we often hear stories about coyote sightings. According to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, coyotes are traditionally most active in rural areas during nighttime and early morning hours. But with ongoing development happening across the greater Chicagoland area, coyotes are sometimes displaced from their natural habitat. So you may spot them in lots of...

New Year’s Resolutions for you and your dog The new year is nearly upon us. We here at Sparky Steps will always look back upon the year with pleasure, as this was the year that our organization launched, and we were able to gain the best clients around the Chicagoland area. It is our hope that the new year will prove to be even more productive, eventful and fun. To start things off on the right foot, we put our heads together to come up with some New Year’s resolutions we think would benefit everyone!   Exercise more! Pups need...

Holiday Gifts Your Dog Will Love The most magical time of the year is back! For many of us in the Chicagoland area, the holiday season is in full force -- and so is the mad dash to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones to share in the holiday cheer! Included on that list, of course, are our ever-joyous canine companions. But how do we find the perfect gift? Sparky Steps is here to help, with some holiday gift ideas we’re sure your pup will love! Dog Bones - Dogs sure do love gnawing on those bone treats!...