Petersen Pet Hospital - July 2020

Petersen Pet Hospital - July 2020

Monthly Pets First

July 2020

Boating With a Border Collie OUR ADVENTURES OUT ON THE WATER

“Being on a boat is a somewhat surreal experience. It’s so peaceful to be out on the water and you can get close to nature.”

Stacey and I have been introducing our border collie, Sam, to a lot of new experiences. One of the big ones has been boating. Sam has taken pretty easily to being on the boat when Stacey and I go out to the lake. This is a big relief. We were worried she’d want to jump out into the water or try to play with a fish while I was in the middle of reeling it in. But she’s remained pretty darn calm. She was a little nervous when we first started bringing her onto the boat, but she really took to it. Sam likes looking around and smelling the air. Boating was a big part of my childhood summers. My parents have owned a boat since I was in grade school, and we often took family excursions to a local lake on the weekends. The morning was spent water skiing and riding around on the lake. At lunchtime, we’d go back into a cove, put an anchor down, and relax for a while. We’d eat the lunches my mom packed, then swim around and float on tubes. After lunch, we’d go back to boating around the lake and do some more water skiing. These excursions are how I became familiar with boats and learned the basic safety rules of boating. I have a lot of fond memories of boating, and I’m really glad that I still get to enjoy boating today with my family. When Stacey and I go out with Sam, we pack our lunches and treats for Sam and bring out a big umbrella to keep things shady. We also put down a blanket under the console so Sam can get out of the sun when it’s hot or lay down when we start going fast in the boat. It’s been a good experience for us. We like to go out as a family and not leave Sam behind. I’ll spend a few hours fishing while Stacey enjoys the sun and reads a book.

I’m hoping to be able to take Sam out fishing by myself someday when she’s more comfortable in the boat.

Being on a boat is a somewhat surreal experience. It’s so peaceful to be out on the water and you can get close to nature. If

you go back to a quiet cove, then you can hear fish splashing and see the birds in the trees or the waterfowl floating by. You get fresh air and sun. Boating is a neat experience, one that I’ve always enjoyed. It helps me relax and gets my mind off work for a while. Boating is also a pretty good social distancing activity. My fishing buddy and I usually go out on my boat together, but more recently, we’ve been having to go out in our separate boats. We’ll find a place to anchor near each other, and though we’re fishing on separate boats, we’re still close enough to talk and catch up. Being able to go boating like this has been really helpful during these challenging months. It’s good to be able to get out and have a hobby to enjoy.

With the summer weather finally here, I hope to spend a lot more time on the boat with Stacey and Sam. It’s important to take a break once in a while and enjoy a little peace on the water.

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Border Collie Corner SUMMER SAFETY TIPS: PET EDITION

Hello, everybody!

Summer is here, and there’s plenty of fun in store for people and their pets. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the boat with Dr. Petersen and Stacey. We have a lot of fun! I have to wear a life jacket when we go on the boat, which I didn’t like much at first, but I know it helps keep me safe. This month, I’m looking at other ways people can help keep their pets safe during the summer months. Get your pets microchipped. If your pet spends time outside, then make sure you get them microchipped. A pet microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and gets implanted just under the skin. It contains a set of numbers that are part of a >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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