Pool Safety for Dogs as Warmer Weather Nears
It’s that’ time of year again, when the weather gets warm and it is time to get everyone in the pool, including your dog. But, just as with humans, it’s important to keep your dog safe around the pool. While you may think all dogs can swim, it’s not the case.

“Whether or not your dog is a born swimmer, it’s important to make your pool accessible for them when you are around, giving them easy ways in and out of the water, that will also keep your pool from being damaged,” according to the article, “7 Pool Safety Tips for Dogs” at petMD.com.

Some important tips from the article include:

• Your dog should be comfortable with water before diving in.
• Use a life jacket to ensure your dog is safe.
• Do not leave your dog alone at the pool.
• Ensure your dog has easy access to get in and out of the pool on his own.

According to the article, you should also have a pool fence to keep your dog and children away when you are not around to supervise. Teach your dog how to swim or try swimming lessons.

There are some natural born swimmers, such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers. Then there are those who are not, including Dachshunds. “While they can be taught to swim and some may enjoy it, they won’t become strong swimmers,” according to the article, “Dog Pool Safety: 9 Tips for a Safe and Fun Pool Day With the Pups” at bechewy.com. Dogs who should not swim include short-muzzled dogs such as Pugs and Bulldogs. Inhaling water for these dogs can pose serious problems.

Before your dog goes for that swim, check off everything on the list to ensure your dog is safe around the pool, or lake, or the ocean.

How We Entice Your Pet
At Second Home Pet Resort we enjoy meeting and greeting you and your pet when you arrive for drop-off. And we love having your pet stay with us. We do our very best to engage with your pet, love on your pet, play with her, and give her food and treats. But not all pets are created equal. Some get nervous or a little down when they are away from their family. That can affect your pet’s eating habits, which sometimes leads to some pets not wanting to eat. So, what do we do?

We do everything to help your pet get comfortable at Second Home and try to make it their home away from home. That starts with making sure their suites are comfortable or that their cat condos are comfortable as well. Dogs get playtime, cuddle time, outdoor time, and potty breaks. Cats enjoy daily exercise on their own in our cat atriums that include climbing trees, dangle toys, scratching posts, and more.

If they experience not wanting to eat, we help in a few ways. We use different pet friendly foods to try to get them to eat. If pets go more than two meals without eating, that is when we start enticing them to eat.

For dogs, we entice them with ground beef, chicken, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, wet food, yogurt, and cheese. We do our best and are very patient with them to try to get them to eat.

For cats we offer wet food, tuna, and chicken to try to entice them.

If there is ever a severe problem and a pet is not eating and we are unable to entice them, we are in touch with pet parents to advise them of the situation and discuss next steps.

School is Back in Session: Remember to Book Your Dog in Day Care at Second Home
School is back in full force and that means you are settling back into your regular after-summer routine. The children are off to classes while you head to work. And with school back in session, it’s important to have a plan for your dog and that includes the all-important doggie day care at Second Home Pet Resort.

While you’re working and the kids are at school, you can rest knowing your dog is safe and having a great time at Second Home’s doggie day care. As long as your dog plays nice with other dogs, is spayed or neutered, is current on vaccinations, and likes playing with other dogs, doggie day care is the perfect place to be.

Second Home’s resort activities coordinators supervise all doggie day care play groups and engage the dogs in many activities so you know your dog will not be bored. The resort has a 1,000-square-foot dog Activity Center as well as more than an acre of play yards and dog-friendly playground equipment.

Make sure to call Second Home and figure out the package and options that are best for you and your dog and whether you require full days or half days.

The same thing goes if your dog has been in day care throughout the summer. You want to be sure to continue your day care plan needs for your dog.

Remember, for any new guests joining doggie day care groups, they must first participate in a 20-minute pre-assessment interview for safety reasons. Inquire with Second Home’s Client Services staff. They will be happy to help.

The importance of grooming your dog regularly and be sure to book ASAP as we fill up fast.

The Importance of Grooming Your Dog Regularly
Having a dog in the family means lots of love, good food, a cushy bed to sleep in, lots of treats, and regular grooming. It’s not just about a poofy style; it’s about their overall health. Grooming is an essential part of your dog’s life and Second Home Pet Resort has a grooming salon where guests can enjoy a stress-free environment.

“There is more to grooming than just making your dog look handsome or pretty, though,” according to the article, “7 Benefits of Regular Dog Grooming: Important Care Facts” at Dogster. “With a regular grooming schedule, you can keep tabs on your dog’s overall health, rid them of fleas or ticks, and keep shedding at bay.”

According to the article, grooming benefits include:

• A groomer can spot skin or health problems
• Grooming promotes healthy skin and coat
• It removes tangles and mats
• Maintenance of nails, ears, and eyes.
• “Regular grooming will help keep shedding at bay,” the article said.
• Find and treat fleas

“Good groomers don’t just cut for beauty; they look for signs of trouble beneath the furry surface,” according to the article, “Hair Comes Trouble: Why Pets Need Regular Grooming” at ASPCA.

By grooming your pet, you show you are a responsible owner, the ASPCA article said.

It’s important to find a good, responsible groomer as well. By choosing Second Home’s groomers, you will know your pet is being treated with the utmost care. But be sure to book your pet’s grooming ASAP as we fill up fast!

Second Home Offers a Discount for Multiple Pets Sharing the Same Suite
When you have a pet and need boarding that goes above and beyond, Second Home Pet Resort is the place to go and the place where pets love to be while you’re out of town. And it’s also a great place if you have multiple pets who can share the same room.

Because pets are our passion, we want to make sure your pets are safe and feel comfortable during their stay. And we want you to feel that your pets are in good hands. If you have more than one pet, we know that keeping them together will make them feel better and you will feel better about it too.

While boarding a family of multiple pets can be very expensive, at Second Home we work with you. Check out the multiple pet rate options for two or more pets from the same household, boarding at the same time, and sharing the same pet suite. At Second Home, our per-pet incremental fees drop dramatically after the first family pet.

By keeping your pets together with us, you won’t have to ask family members to care for your pets while you are out of town. Sure, they may be well meaning, but they may not be prepared or trained. And some may not be all that reliable.

Second Home has staff who treat your pets like family, and they are trained to care for them. You can still provide your pets with the best resort experience, and you will be able to do it with affordable multi-pet rates.
So, make sure to book your pets. We can’t wait to see them!

What You Should Know if You Hire a Pet Sitter Instead Boarding
When you have pets and want to go away, the big question is whether to hire a pet sitter or bring your pet to a boarding facility. It’s an important decision to make and one that should be best for your pet and for you and your family.

It’s not always easy to find a pet sitter, let alone one you can trust with your pets and in your home while you are away. Oftentimes, you are allowing a stranger into your home to take care of your beloved pets. Additionally, your pets may not get along with the pet sitter. There’s also the chance that your pet could escape from the home and become lost. Those situations are scary.

Second Home Pet Resort is literally a home away from home for your pet. It is Arizona’s all-suite mountainside resort for pets, and everyone at Second Home has a passion for animals. We put your pet’s comfort and safety first, just as if your pets are our own.

When you go away on vacation, you can feel good knowing your own pets are in a special place where they, too, are on vacation. During their stay, your pets are safe in our care, first and foremost. Your pet will be in a private suite and if you have more than one pet, they can stay together. They have socialization options with doggy day care, potty breaks, a play yard, and even a pool. To top it off, we offer cuddle sessions.

Second Home is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and your pet is never left in a building alone. Your pet will be in a loving environment until you return to take him home.