Unfortunately, most businesses in this country aren’t so crazy about having to deal with their customers’ dogs.  Some establishments even ban man’s best friend from their shop altogether.

But if you or your family want to vacation, and bring the family dog along, you’ll need to prepare yourself for where you can stay, where you can visit, and where you can stop at if you happen to be on a road trip!

The perfect treats for dog: a memorable and exciting trip to a new place! Here is a list of the top ten most Dog-Friendly places, resorts and towns, according to DogFriendly.com’s dog blog:

1. Cape Cod, MA Cape Cod’s beaches, ferries and the Cape Cod National Seashore are all dog-friendly! You and your pup can also visit Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
2. Black Hills, SD Lots of pet-friendly attractions and camping sites, including the Badlands National Park, make this town a perfect stop for you and your dog.
3. St. Augustine, FL Dog-friendly shopping and dining, as well as a boat cruise and a ghost tour.
4. Carmel / Monterey, CA The Off-leash Carmel City Beach is one of the nation’s best!
5. Colorado Springs, CO Dog-friendly places include the Garden of the Gods Park, Seven Falls, the Prominade Shops at Briargate and Pike’s Peak.
6. Bar Harbor, ME includes the pet-friendly Acadia National Park.
7. Virginia City, NV includes a 1800s train and stagecoach that you can ride on!
8. Sedona/ Grand Canyon, AZ Hike the rim of the Grand Canyon just a few hours away from this town of dog-friendly resorts!
9. Mendocino, CA This quaint beach town includes pet-friendly B&Bs, and outdoor dining.
10. Chattanooga, TN Walk Rock City Gardens, or visit Ruby Falls with your dog!

To find more good dog parks near you, visit DogParkUSA.com. And don’t forget to bring along your dogdration, to quench your dog’s thirst in these hot summer months!

Dogs can get pretty bored without their owners around all day to entertain them.  But many dog owners work all day long, leaving their dogs home alone, to fend for themselves and dodge boredom on their own.

Here are some ideas that you can explore and try out, to keep your best friend entertained and happy.

1. Consider a dog walker or a doggy day care. Many dogs appreciate a friendly visit and an energy-releasing walk from a hired dog walker, which adds some fun to their otherwise long and boring day.  Dogs also usually enjoy doggy day cares, but these can become fairly expensive.  Furthermore, doggy day cares should be looked into, as a parent would look into a child day care center.
2. Consider getting another dog. A second dog in the home makes life way more fun for your dog.  The two will keep each other busy throughout the day that you’re at work. However, adding another pooch to the family is a big commitment, and should be discussed and thought-through carefully.
3. Keep plenty of treats in the house. Healthy treats make happy dogs, so be sure that you have a generous stock of dog biscuits at hand!
4. Try rewarding your pet with treats for dogs, like dogdration, after you get home from a long day of work, to show your dog that her patience is appreciated!
5. Exercise with your dog often. Regular walks, a few games of fetch and running around indoors and outdoors, are all good for you and your dog.   Exercise has a calming and mood-stabilizing effect on your dog, so your pet is less likely to act out if he’s burned all his energy for the day.  A few minutes of running around the house before you leave for work will make your dog less anxious and more composed throughout the lonely day.

Most of us know that dogs will eat almost anything, but that doesn’t mean that just about anything is necessarily healthy for them.

Here are some healthy treats and snacks to feed your dog when their regular food bores them!

• Apples
• Carrots
• Melon
• Beef (cooked)
• Hot Dogs
• Chicken (raw or cooked)
• Pumpkin
• Rice & Popcorn— These filling treats are great substitutes for dog biscuits high in fat and sodium.  These foods fill your pet, without adding unnecessary calories to their diet.

Also try feeding your pup small amounts of cheese and green beans, usually cooked.

Dogs also like frozen foods and ice, especially during these hot summer months.  Frozen peas and frozen chunks of bananas are both popular, as well as frozen peanut butter treats for dogs! Try filling an ice tray with dogdration, which has a great peanut butter flavor, not to mention important vitamins, electrolytes, and glucosamine.

While there may be a lot of substitutes for your everyday dog biscuits, not every food is healthy for your dog.  When looking through your kitchen, avoid the following foods, which can be harmful to your dog.

• Grapes
• Raisins
• Onions
• Large amounts of garlic

Dogs will eat almost anything, but there’s a lot you can do to make sure that whatever your dog eats, it’s healthy and good for him!

Boredom is an awful syndrome that some dogs can catch if owners don’t pay their dog enough attention!  Most dogs react to and deal with boredom by misbehaving, which may include chewing up furniture or clothing, getting into human food, or going to the bathroom where they know they’re not supposed to go.

These actions are not only a dog’s responses to boredom, but also a message to their owner, telling them that they’re bored and they need to be entertained and played with!  Here are a few ways you can help your dog evade boredom:

• Be sure that your dog has plenty of toys to play with.  This is an especially helpful tips for puppy-owners.  If your dog is still teething, provide him with plenty of rubbery toys, so that he doesn’t go for the couch or that new pair of shoes. Praise your dog when you see him playing with his own toys, so that he knows that the toys are his.
• Take time out of your day to play with your dog and take your dog on walks often. Activities and playtime with your dog brings the two of you closer, and gets your pet exercising and burning energy.
• Train your dog. Training your dog not only makes him closer to you, but it also makes him trust you more as his owner.
• Keep your pup company.  Cuddling and petting your pet will further build the bond and the relationship between the two of you. Talk to him so he knows you’re not ignoring him. Dogs, like humans, need company and reassurance often!
• Praise your dog with kind words and treats for dogs. Try buying some dog biscuits, or making your own healthy treats, like freezing dogdration in an ice tray.

Unhealthy dog treats and dog foods can lead to obesity in dogs, which leads to other serious health issues, including arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.

When shopping at your local pet supply store for treats for your dog, avoid treats that are high in fat, high in sodium, or greasy.  These characteristics in dog treats make it harder for your pup to digest their treats, which can cause problems like diarrhea.

An important vitamin that is not included in most dog treats is glucosamine, which helps with hip and joint problems. dogdration has a significant amount of glucosamine, to prevent from canine arthritis.  To ensure that your dog is receiving sufficient amounts of glucosamine, add dogdraiton to your dog’s food, or freeze the beverage in an ice tray, for individual frozen cubes of tasty treats.

Your dog can also eat human food in addition to their regular healthy treats and dog biscuits.

Try feeding your dogs the following human foods, which are not so unusual within the average canine’s diet.

• vegetables— Dogs, when eating the prey that they hunted and trapped, were accustomed to eating the undigested vegetation in the stomach’s of their victims.  This may be gross, but it is proof that dogs are not totally allergic to everything and anything green and healthy.  Try offering your dog some cooked green beans, carrots or peas, and mixing the vegetables in with their regular food.  These healthy treats will add some needed vitamins and nutrients into your dog’s diet.
• rice, popcorn and past— These filling treats are great substitutes for dog biscuits high in fat and sodium.  These foods fill your pet, without adding unnecessary calories to their diet.
• egg whites, cottage cheese and yogurt— Cooked egg whites are healthy for your dog because of all the protein that is found in them!  However, avoid the yolk, which is the part that contains all the fat.