Ahhhh. Springtime. Lovely weather, fragrant smells, more activity, garage sales and winter thawing (even though we didn’t have much of a winter to freeze us up and keep us indoors). This is the time of year we all start to open more windows, clean off the BBQs and plant flowers and gardens. Spring is about being out in the yard and out on the trails. And, for us dog owners, we want to be outside with our best friends. In this story, we’re going to briefly cover some cautions and dog safety tips to note as you begin to spend more time in the great Nevada outdoors.
Wildlife
One of the reasons we love Northern Nevada so much is because of its rich landscapes and expansive outdoor beauty. Our lakes, rivers, mountains and valleys all provide delicious backdrops for hiking and playing … and they also make for ideal habitats for some risky wildlife. As the temperatures rise, creatures that have been mostly dormant for the winter months begin to emerge. One of those creatures tends to give most of us the heebie jeebies: SNAKES! Those slithering buggers are going to be emerging more and more often as this warm weather keeps up. We’re still getting pretty chilly at night, but as the temperatures continue to rise, so too will the snakes we see on trails and in our backyards. Use precaution and also look out for Snake Education Classes this spring and summer around town to get more advanced information about poisonous snakes and what to do in the event of a snakebite.
New Gardens and Plants
One of the favorite hobbies this time of year is getting our gardens and plants growing. For most of us, we’ll be tilling old soil, planting vegetable plants and upping the appeal of the landscape around our homes with bright flowering plants. Just as these hobbies excite you, they’ll also excite your pups. Anything unknown that has fun new smells and colors will be curious to your dogs. They’ll want to get their nose right in the new landscape, which can be a problem if you happen to plant anything that’s potentially poisonous for your dogs to ingest or use any chemical-heavy fertilizers or weed killers. This is why dog safety tips come in handy. Remember, your dogs are going to sniff and play around in the new environments like crazy unless you fence them out. Consider looking over a list of poisonous plants (we found a pretty good one here). Also, instead of chemically derived fertilizers, consider using natural ones. There’s a local company that produces some of the best natural fertilizer, compost and soil right here in Northern Nevada: Full Circle Compost out of Minden.
These are just two main concerns that come along with our sunny springs here in Northern Nevada. As you start to venture out more remember to keep our dog safety tips in mind and protect your dogs against fleas, ticks and other insects.
Stay safe out there in the sunshine everybody (which reminds us, keep your dogs and yourself well protected from the sunshine as well).