• Do you know how to identify signs of stress in your dog? The following behaviors are signs of stress in your animal: tucked tail, pinned ears, growling, whale eyes (showing the whites of their eyes), showing teeth, piloerection (hair standing up on their back), pacing, panting, whining, barking, hiding, displacement behaviors (obsessively digging, chewing, licking), yawning, licking their lips, licking other dogs faces.
  ​

• Do you know what behaviors are threatening to your dog? When another dog is pulling on the leash while standing on their hind legs and paddling the front legs (this is perceived as a threatening behavior to the other dog), being humped by another dog, strange/unknown/inebriated people kissing, hugging, staring at, bending over, non consensually touching your dog.
  ​

• Do you know how dogs say hello to each other? Don’t introduce dogs face to face, dogs introduce themselves to each other by sniffing each other, keeping a loose leash during introductions is important for them to move around each other freely and assess the social situation.
  ​

• Movements are disinhibited when people are drunk or high. Please consider your dog’s mental state when interacting with inebriated individuals.
  ​

• Your dog does not want to be friends with everyone they meet, just like you.
  ​

• Always be aware of your dog’s mental state when anyone that is not the owner is interacting with your dog.
  ​

• You are an advocate for your dog. Please gently encourage people to obtain consent from you and your canine before allowing them to interact with your dog.
  ​

• Your dog is on a leash, it is trapped, it cannot run away. Consider your dog’s emotional needs. Don’t force your dog to interact if he/she does not want to interact; read their body language.
  ​

• Does your dog have a bite history? Ever killed or injured a small animal? If yes, don’t bring them. There will be children, itty bitty doggos, and inebriated people. Don’t put your dog in a scenario where they feel unsafe, threatened, or their prey drive kicks in.
  ​

• Just because your dog does not have a history of biting anyone, does not mean your dog does not get stressed. It is your responsibility to be aware of your dog’s body language, comfort, and to make sound judgements regarding your dog’s welfare.
  ​

• If you bring your dog, treat him/her as if you were the guardian for a small child.
  ​

• If your dog looks distressed 😩, you should take it somewhere safe and quiet and comfort your animal.
  ​

• Happy people shouldn’t bring unhappy dogs to music festivals. Respect your dog’s personality.
   

• Is your dog vaccinated 💉 for rabies, distemper, and bordetella? If not, here are important reasons why they should be when in a large gathering with other dogs:

  • Rabies has been endemic in the south Jersey area and it is a scary, uncurable, neurologic disease that is spread through saliva. Any mammal can contract rabies and it can take up to 6 months for symptoms to appear. If your dog is 16 weeks or older, it is eligible to get the rabies vaccines, not to mention, it is required by law in the state of NJ.

  • Distemper is a virus that affects multiple organs and is especially fatal to young puppies, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, and skunks. By getting vaccinated for distemper you’ll be protecting your own dog, puppies at the festival, as well as any local wildlife your dog may interact with. Distemper is spread through sneezing, coughing, sharing water and food bowls. Puppies 8 weeks and older are eligible to start getting vaccinated.

  • Bordetella is a bacterial respiratory infection that is spread through coughing and sneezing, aka “kennel cough”. It is known to cause particularly bad respiratory disease in older dogs, young puppies, and squirrels. Puppies 8 weeks and older are eligible to start getting vaccinated. If your dog isn’t vaccinated 💉, please be considerate of other people’s dogs and the local wildlife and keep your dog at home.​
     

• If your dog is sick 🤢 (coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea) don’t bring them.​
   

• Does your dog have his balls or her ovaries? If so, please don’t bring him/her. Intact males can cause other dogs to be aggressive towards them or be aggressive and territorial towards other dogs. Intact females can cause other dogs to fight over her. Let’s avoid the hormonal drama.
  ​

• There are ticks 🐞 in the woods! Lots of them! As our winters continue to get warmer and ticks aren’t getting killed off from sub zero temperatures, we are seeing them more and more each year! With ticks comes a plethora of diseases that they carry. Please use an appropriate tick preventative on your dog which contains ingredients proven to have anti-tick activities such as: fipronil, amitraz, isooxazoline, selamectin. Essential oils do not work and most of them are dangerous to your pet's health.
  ​

• Please keep your dog on a leash at all times 🦮. Not all people are comfortable being approached by dogs. Not all dogs are comfortable being approached by other dogs.
  ​

• Please have a dog tag with a phone number ☎️ on your dog, in case something happens and we need to find you right away.
  ​

• Does your dog walk you, not the other way around? If your dog is greater than 25lbs (11.4kg), please use a sturdy rope leash, not a retractable leash.
  ​

• If you are tying your dog up outside, please make sure your dog has a shady spot away from the sun ⛅ and a water bowl 🌊
  ​

• Please clean up after your dog. Feces are a biohazard. Plus they’re gross. 💩 🦠
  ​

• Please do not bring cats, ferrets, rats, lizards, snakes, birds to a music festival. These are prey animals and will get very stressed out being at a music festival.
   

• There is a vet ⚕️ on site and if any emergency or concerns arise, please go to the medical tent and they will radio a vet.

Thank you, and can’t wait to see everyone at BeardFest! 🎉

Sincerely, Dr. Zoya VMD 🩺