Hey Ontario….I think spring is finally here…Hopefully.

The grass is greening up nicely and many trees are in full bloom, this is a magical time of the year.  If you’re like my family, we are sick and tired of COVID-19. We are all feeling isolated, hate the social distancing and upset with working and learning from home.

The very best thing we did is get a new puppy. I can honestly say that she has been the greatest part of COVID-19. Yes, something positive about Covid-19! It’s been many years since I’ve trained dogs. All of our bed bug dogs have now retired and our family dog Copper passed away in 2019. Although Luna is six months old, the amount of love and investment in her training is immeasurable. Luna is not just a family pet for us, she is a highly trained #Canada Goose hazing dog. How cool is that? She gets to chase geese for a living! In and out of ponds, running around golf courses, parks, playgrounds and beaches. Needless to say, I need her to be unbelievably trained, socialized and an all-around good girl.

Ticks are here…

That’s nice, what does this have to do with Ticks?

Luna and I are always active during training, work and our days off because training never ends for a dog. I have also noticed that more people are enjoying the outdoors more than normal. I see more dogs and people walking than ever before. Now that the snow and ice are gone,  people are leaving the sidewalks for a more tranquil stroll in the forest. Remember, it’s spring, and lurking in the shadows is danger; bloodthirsty, a forbidding 8-legged bugger…#TICKS.

At this time of the year, our main concern is Ixodes scapularis (a.k.a. #blacklegged or #deer tick).

In particular, This Spring, the left-over ticks from the fall seem to be making run for people and pets. Deer Ticks carry #Lyme disease and other diseases too; including babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and a few rare but more serious infections.

Luna and I need to be ever vigilant. Remember, we are constantly in long grasses, forests and very humid areas in search of geese and adventure. We ensure that Luna is on a Vet approved tick medicine and I follow the below precautions. Because Luna is usually filthy after work, she gets a bath and brushed for ticks too.

Don’t worry it’s not all doom and gloom, get outside this spring! Honestly, we encourage you to enjoy the outdoors and breathe in some fresh air; just make sure you have a good tick prevention plan to stop ticks from biting you and your pet, and a good pest control company handy!

According to our good friends at The Tick Encounter Resource Center the University of Rhode Island. The following precautions will help you stay tick-free:

• Make tucking in pants stylish
• Spray shoes with tick repellant
• Protect pets with quick tick knock-down products
• Stay in the middle of trails
• Do a tick check daily