Dog Care Tips and Local Guides
Real advice on daycare, boarding, local trails, and keeping your dog happy in the Lehigh Valley.
Moving to Easton With a Dog: A Short Local Guide
Moving is harder on dogs than people tend to expect. The house smells wrong, the walk is unfamiliar, and the humans are stressed and busy. Here is the practical order to do things in if you have just…
Read article →Dog-Friendly Easton: Parks, Trails and the Arts Trail
We live on College Hill and walk dogs here every day. This is the short, practical version of where to go in Easton with a dog, and what the rules actually are.
Read article →Holiday Dog Boarding: When to Book for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Every year the same thing happens. Somebody rings in the third week of November looking for four nights over Thanksgiving, and every place within twenty minutes is full. Here is how to not be that per…
Read article →How Much Does Dog Daycare Cost in the Lehigh Valley?
Most daycares near Easton do not publish a price, which means working it out takes an afternoon of phone calls. Here is the short version.
Read article →Dog Daycare Vaccine Requirements in Pennsylvania
Every daycare and boarding place has a vaccination policy, and they differ enough that it is worth checking before you book rather than turning up and being sent home. Here is what is standard in Penn…
Read article →Cage-Free Dog Boarding: What It Actually Means
"Cage-free" is on almost every boarding website now, and it does not mean the same thing twice. At one place it means the dogs play loose during the day and sleep in runs. At another it means a privat…
Read article →Is My Dog Ready for Daycare?
Group daycare suits a lot of dogs and genuinely does not suit others. Getting that judgement right before you book matters more than almost anything else, because a bad first experience in a group is…
Read article →How Many Days a Week Should My Dog Go to Daycare?
There is no single right answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your dog is guessing. But the question does have a shape to it, and most dogs land in one of four places.
Read article →Summer Dog Safety in the Lehigh Valley: Heat, Ticks and Water
Summer here is humid, and humidity is the part that catches dogs out. A dog cools itself mainly by panting, and panting works by evaporation, which is exactly what humid air makes harder. An 85 degree…
Read article →What a Day at Hilltop Actually Looks Like
People ask what dogs actually do all day, and the honest answer at most places is "we are not entirely sure, it is busy." Here is ours, hour by hour, because it is a small enough operation that we can…
Read article →Nine Questions to Ask Before You Board Your Dog
Leaving a dog somewhere for a week is a bigger decision than most websites make it feel. These are the questions worth asking, and roughly what a straight answer sounds like.
Read article →Winter Dog Care in the Lehigh Valley
Winter here is not brutal, but it is long, wet and salty, and those three cause more trouble for dogs than the temperature does.
Read article →How to Pick a Doggy Daycare in the Lehigh Valley
Most dog owners in the Lehigh Valley start their search the same way: Google a few options, look at photos, check reviews, and go with whoever has the best-looking website. That is a reasonable approa…
Read article →Best Dog-Friendly Trails Near Easton, PA
One of the best things about living in the Lehigh Valley is access to great outdoor spaces. And your dog wants in on every single trail. Here are some of our favorite dog-friendly spots near Easton, P…
Read article →What to Bring on Your Dog's First Daycare Day
First daycare days can feel nerve-wracking, but they do not need to be. Here is a simple guide to what to bring, what to skip, and how to make the morning go smoothly.
Read article →Signs Your Dog Loves Doggy Daycare
One of the most common questions we get from new Hilltop clients is some version of: "How do I know if my dog actually likes it?" It is a great question. Dogs cannot tell you, so you have to read the…
Read article →Overnight Dog Boarding vs. Daycare: What Is Right for Your Pup?
Both daycare and overnight boarding serve different needs. Here is how to think through which one makes sense for your situation.
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