Tips & Tricks

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! If you’re on the hunt for a last minute Mother’s Day gift, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our list of unique gifts to give to the dog lover in your life! Sponsor A Rescue Dog: When you sponsor a dog, you're spreading the love with the ones you care about AND the hundreds of deserving dogs here at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Your donation will go directly to a dog in need, in honor of the special woman in your life! With a small monetary dona

How to Ensure They Eat Healthily by Mark Webster Rescue dogs are often malnourished, have health problems or just have not been properly fed. If you have a rescue dog in your life, it is important that you know how to feed them so they can get all of the nutrients they need to thrive. A happy, healthy dog is a great joy but only if they are fed well... A single dog with a healthy appetite can demolish a complete pet food bag in a matter of days. If you have more than one dog,

Fostering a dog offers temporary shelter to dogs needing a loving home and family. Fostering will give you a sense of fulfillment as you can help save a dog's life. What Is Foster Care? Foster care is a program meant to place animals in temporary homes where they’ll be able to receive the love and care they need. A foster parent or foster family may share their home with their chosen foster pet with no time restriction because this will depend on the pet’s need and how long t

A pet can provide joy to everyone, but it can be especially beneficial for people with deep-rooted trauma. Many soldiers who have returned home from war have witnessed horrific events that have resulted in PTSD. Anxiety, despair, numbness, nightmares, and other symptoms of PTSD can be treated with a variety of therapies. Traditional treatment can be incredibly effective, but some veterans have trouble recognizing what they need. While it's critical to seek professional therap

Hyperactive puppies may seem like a bit of a challenge. But learning how to tame them can give you a satisfaction that no one could compare. It's pretty usual for young dogs to be overly active. However, if you don't train them while they're still young, it can cause a problem once they are older. Here at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, we will give you some tips on training your hyperactive young dog. Why Do Puppies Have So Much Energy? This question can be highly misleading. Puppies

If you are reading this, you are probably planning to travel with your pet soon, particularly in Florida. Or, if you're living in or close to Florida, you might be wondering which places accommodate them. As dog owners or lovers, there are times we want to bring our pets along in our travels. Some may want to keep their pets with them for assurance, while others enjoy good meals and travel if, and only if, they're with their pets. In Florida, there are so many places you can

Before you adopt a dog, you want to make sure that you are ready for the responsibility that comes with doing so. Once you confirm that you can take care of a dog, you will need to think about a few essential factors to help you figure out what type of dog to adopt. Everything from breed to age to history plays a role. While there are plenty of matters to keep in mind when adopting a dog, they can easily be divided into three main categories: lifestyle, location, and temperam

A new year comes with New Year’s Resolutions! Did you know, your canine companion help you keep those resolutions? Take a look at some common resolutions and how your furry friend can help you achieve them. Spending More Time Outdoors With Nature Not only will your dog encourage you to get in more cardio, but he will also help you spend more time with nature. Spending time in nature hiking, camping, biking, etc. is a great way to unwind and your pup will love it! Dogs love th

If you stumbled on this article and haven’t adopted yet and are considering, check out this article first ! If you have adopted, then you’re in the right place. Adopting a dog is a very exciting time. You and your new furry friend are about to start the next chapter of your lives. Yet, it is also a stressful time. How do you become friends with your new dog? How do both of you get used to your new routine? The good news is that no matter how old your new pooch is or their his

🎃🎃 Halloween is all about fun for the family. But for your dogs, it could become a very scary night! Follow these five tips for keeping your dog safe this Halloween: 🍫Stash the candy. All forms of chocolate - especially dark or baking chocolate - can be dangerous, even lethal, for dogs. If your dog has ingested chocolate, look for poisoning symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures. Candy containing xylitol, an artificial sweeten

🐾🐶🐕 LET'S TALK ABOUT MARTINGALE COLLARS! 🐕🐶🐾 When you adopt a dog from Big Dog Ranch, we require you to either have or purchase a martingale collar for the dog. We know that you want to have a pretty new collar on your dog, and they can wear that too, but please ALWAYS attach the leash to the martingale collar. 🌟🌟 Martingale collars fits loosely on a dog’s neck but tightens when it needs to. 🌟🌟 It has two loops. The first looks like a traditional nylon collar that

If you are obsessed with dogs or have one of your own to love, you may be aware that National Dog Day is on August 26th. If you didn’t know that this day was fast approaching, or even a day to be celebrated, now you know! National Dog Day recognizes and brings awareness to mixed breeds and pure breeds from shelters and rescues. This day encourages people to celebrate their dogs and share their stories, hoping it will inspire friends and family to rescue a dog of their own. He

Losing a pet can be devastating and can feel worse than losing a parent. Pets provide something humans cannot: unconditional love and companionship. There are FALSE myths we are told surrounding grief, such as: 1. Don’t feel badly you can get another 2. Your pet is in a better place 3. Time will heal 4. Be strong, don’t cry Grief has been an emotion suppressed by society for years. Grieving is healthy and it is important to embrace the roller coaster of feelings and to

With rain comes lush greenery, fresh air and unfortunately the deadly Cane Toads. Cane Toads are back and as dangerous as ever for your dog and other pets. The Cane Toad, also known as a Bufo Toad, is generally harmless to people, but they can kill dogs. They average between 4 and 6 inches but can grow to 9 inches, they have large triangular glands behind their eyes that contain a high load of a milky-white toxin that can kill dogs. If a dog bites or licks the slow-moving fro

AMAZING STORY OF RESCUE, RECONNECTION AND LOTS OF DOGGIE LOVE There are several dog rescues in Puerto Rico with hundreds of dogs and Big Dog Ranch Rescue is their largest and most involved outlet for these dogs. When you adopt a dog from Puerto Rico it makes space for us to save more! Amanda Lippman, Big Dog Ranch Rescue volunteer, partner, and adopter tells her amazing story of finding her best friend! "I was introduced to Big Dog Ranch Rescue about 4 years ago. My client, T

A picture may be worth 1000 words, but it won’t tell you the full story. That’s why we rely on our Animal Care Specialists! Big Dog Ranch Rescue wouldn’t run successfully without these animal lovers. These are our employees that work with the dogs day in and day out. They are committed to the health and well being of our dogs, they help the dogs transition from a public shelter or abusive/neglectful situation, and they give them the routine and structure they need to adjust t

Guest Blog Post By Nicky Butler I’d like you to try and imagine a scenario, if you will... Your best buddy has dragged you out to a party. You’re a bit of a social introvert, and you didn’t really want to go but, since it’s your best friend, you indulged her. The party’s crowded and noisy, and it’s full of people from your friend’s home country. They don’t really speak your language and you don’t speak theirs – but it’s ok because your friend promised she’d stick beside you a

A few days ago we talked about the 3/3/3 rule - 3 days to detox from shelter life, 3 weeks to settle and learn the routine, 3 months to finally feel "home." When you bring your new dog home, it’s important to do what you can to ease his or her transition. Patience and a sense of humor are critical for your new dog’s success. Your new dog needs to be given an opportunity to adjust. To adjust to the new people, sounds, smells and environment. A dog that was quiet and confident

At Big Dog Ranch Rescue, we have a volunteer that tells each of our dogs, “You are halfway home.” We do our best to provide an amazing environment for our dogs to help them adjust to their future lives. As you can imagine, life at The Ranch is quite different from life in your home and tragically, some of our dogs have never experienced a loving home. When you meet a dog in a rescue or a shelter many people don’t realize that the dog’s personality will shift and change as the

Many families are considering adding a new four legged family member. While puppies can be very cute, it’s important that you set your new family member up for success when you bring them home! PETTING - Puppies are soft, sometimes fluffy and generally very cute! With your young kids, be sure to encourage gentle stroking at all times - never pulling, grabbing, heavy patting or sitting on! Your new puppy is not a couch or a pony, so be sure to let your child know they should n