Welcome to Greenbrier, one of the best doggone spots in the Smokies!

As you probably know, dogs are not allowed on most hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They are however, allowed on roads! You probably wouldn’t want to take your dog for a walk on busy Newfound Gap Road, but there are many other quieter roads in the Park, most of which do not see nearly as much traffic.

The Greenbrier section of the Park is one of these areas that is a little more peaceful. When you enter the Park from Rt. 321 in Pittman Center, there is just one road for the first 3 miles. Much of this road runs alongside the middle prong of the Little Pigeon River, providing some beautiful scenery! Once you have gone 3.1 miles, you have the option of turning left toward the Ramsey Cascades Trailhead (1.5 miles), or continuing straight for another mile to the Porter’s Creek Trailhead.

Take a look at a Park Map.

In the summer, it can get fairly busy here, especially along the river near the entrance -a popular tubing and swimming spot. Farther down the road, once it turns to gravel, you will encounter fewer cars, making it a great place to walk! In winter, it is so PEACEFUL here! The other day, we didn’t see a single car during our entire walk!

There is also a great picnic area here at Greenbrier! There may only be 12 picnic sites, but they are rarely all occupied. This picnic area is open year round, so why not have a winter cook-out? Each picnic site has a grill, but you will need to bring your own charcoal. Dogs love hamburgers!

Before you and your dog visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Park Rules.

Enjoy your visit!

Brrrr…it’s cold outside!

1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase your dog’s supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

The exact origin of the breed is not known, but the earliest historical references are found in Chinese art of the Han Dynasty, dating 206 B.C. to 22 A.D. They were a working dog, used for hunting, herding, pulling, and protection. A couple of sources mention that the dogs were and are bred as a delicacy to be eaten in certain parts of China. While this writer is unsure about the reliability of this statement, it has been my personal experience, from my travel to the Ji Lin province in north-eastern China that many locals in those parts do enjoy dog meat, although I don’t know anything about breed preference.

These dogs require early and thorough socialization as puppies. If they are not exposed to a variety of caring, but firm and authoritative humans from an early age, they take on the alpha dog characteristic and believe they are in charge. But when properly trained from an early age, they make wonderful, loyal companions. They can make good indoor and/or apartment pets if they are taken for walks daily. Their coats require frequent brushing and care.

For more information on the physical characteristics of these dogs and how to purchase one, visit the American Kennel Club site.

This winter especially, we have all been using a lot of salt on the roads! Though it helps melt the snow and ice faster, making for safer driving, road salt is really hard on a dog’s feet! Prolonged contact with de-icers and salt can lead to chemical burns! It is also dangerous when ingested.

I first learned this when my dog was a puppy and his paws started bleeding! I took him to the vet and they asked me if we were using salt on our front steps. There was the answer! Since then we have used sand instead.

Unfortunately, even if you are not using salt at home, there is likely salt on the streets and sidewalks everywhere you go. If you find that your dog has particularly sensitive feet, you may want to help protect them!

Here’s a recent article from the Knoxville News Sentinel discussing ways to protect your dog’s feet: Pet owners offer a little help for Fido.

Booties

You may think it looks silly, but booties may be the way to go in protecting your dog’s feet. The article mentioned above, recommends Pawz natural rubber dog boots.

Pawz is the world’s only disposable and reusable, waterproof dog boot. Made of natural rubber, Pawz are 100% biodegradable. Pawz are designed to go on easily and fit securely without zippers or straps. Fashionable yet durable, Pawz offers serious paw protection.

My dog has Ruffwear Bark’n Boots, which are basically doggie hiking boots! Right before our first backpacking trip together, I noticed that Wesley’s cut paw was not healing as fast as we had hoped! I was worried that if I left it open for him to hike 12 miles on, it would get infected! Luckily there was a pet store nearby that sold these boots. After a few minutes, Wesley didn’t even seem to notice his new shoes and our trip was saved! They stayed on his feet for most of the trip. In the last mile he ended up losing one boot! Luckily, Ruffwear does sell single boots!

After Care

After you come inside and you notice your dog has chapped feet, here are some things you can do. First, remove any salt that might be on his feet using a warm damp wash cloth. After his feet are clean you can apply a moisturizing ointment like vaseline.

Try Musher’s Secret, a 100% natural wax for doggie paws. Musher’s Secret is a dense, barrier wax
that forms a breathable bond with your dog’s paws. Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, it provides tenacious protection even in the most extreme conditions. It is all natural so it is ok for your dog to lick. Also, each application lasts about a week!

Here are a few other things you can do to protect your dog’s paws in winter.

• Inspect your dog’s paws regularly, so if there is ever a problem, you can catch it early.
• Keep your dog’s toenails trimmed. Long toenails cause the toes to spread apart, which leads to those pesky little snowballs.
• Keep the hair between your dog’s toes trimmed short (this also prevents snowballs!)

Rawhide Candy Cane

One of our personal favorites, these treats are festive, tasty and affordable at only .95 cents from Amazon.  The only problem I have with them is keeping them hidden from my dogs until Christmas!

Biscuits

The classic milkbone is a sure way to make your pet happy!  These chrunchy snacks keep your dogs teeth clean and their breath fresh!  According to the Milkbone website, everytime you buy one of their snacks, a portion of the proceeds goes to Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization that trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with special needs, free of charge.  A great treat and a great cause!  What more could you ask for?

Tugger Knots Moose

“KONG Tugger Knots are fun, interactive multi-purpose dog toys, with rope handles for tugging, plush bodies for shaking and snuggling, plus a squeaker for extra excitement. Tugger Knots’ unique design features knotted ropes inside the toy, which provide a variety of chewing resistances for a realistic feel that dogs love. The ropes are also looped together to absorb tugging stress, leaving the plush toy intact after even the most strenuous tug sessions. And the rope is wrapped with plush characters made from double-ply material for extra durability.”

Big Head Peguin

“Our Petco Holiday Cabin Fever Big Head Penguin Dog Toy is a soft and adorable flat bodied dog toy that is sure to entertain your dog all winter long. This cute dog toy is perfect for toss and fetch games or shaking back and forth. So when you and your dog are stuck inside because the weather outside is frightful (and you are getting cabin fever), this dog toy is so delightful! Features loud squeaker action that will keep your pooch happy and interested in playtime. Great as a gift or stocking stuffer. Either way, your furry friend is sure to love this dog toy!”

Personalized Stocking

Oriental Trading will personalize a bone-shaped stocking with your pets name!  This cheery polyester plaid bone stocking is available for just $7.99, personalization included!  Check it out at the Oriental Trading website.

Play in the Leaves
Leaves will fall, and you will inevitably have large piles of them gathered up in your yard! Remember when you played in them as a kid?! So much fun! Gather together your kids and your pooch(es) and enjoy those leaves again! Run and jump into those huge fluffy piles of leaves, and your pet will surely follow you!

Take your pet on a hike!
Fall is the perfect hiking weather, and what better way to enjoy the trails than with your pooch? Here at the Smoky Mountain National Park, pets aren’t allowed on most of the trails, but your pet can join you on the Gatlinburg Trail, and at the City Parks! And if you come stay in a pet friendly cabin, feel free to take your pet for a walk in the woods near there! Just remember to scoop up after your pet, keep them on a leash, watch out for bears, and don’t get lost in the woods!

Dress Up For Halloween
If you’re the kind of pet-lover that occasionally enjoys dressing up your pet, this is the perfect excuse! Not only can you dress up your pet, but you can also dress up yourself too and make the perfect duo! Dorothy & Toto, Lassie & her boy, Nana & Peter Pan or the Darling Kids, Rin-Tin-Tin & Lee Duncan, or your own favorite duo!

Fall Doggie Treats
Brew yourself some apple cider, and make your pet some homemade Fall Treats! Bullwinkle.com has tons of recipes for homemade dog treats! A couple that sound like Fall are Apple Cinnamon Drops and the Thanksgiving Treat.

Enjoy a Pumpkin Together
Carve out a Pumpkin to make a fun Fall decoration or cook up a delicious pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake or more! Whatever you do, don’t forget about your pet! Pumpkin is actually recommended as part of a healthy diet for dogs. It should make up no more than a 1/4 of their diet, and make sure if you are using a fresh pumpkin, that you thoroughly cook whatever you give your dog, as fresh, raw pumpkin is difficult for them to digest. If you are using canned pumpkin and would like to share some with your pooch, just make sure it is plain 100% pumpkin, with no added sugar or spices! The pumpkin gives them added fiber, which helps their digestive system, and also helps their coat of fur stay healthy, glossy, and beautiful!

Rent a Pet-Friendly Cabin
Fall is the most popular time to come to the Smokies, and we know you don’t want to leave your beloved pet behind! ERA in the Smokies has several pet-friendly cabins and chalets for you to choose from when you come to enjoy the Smokies! Enjoy those hikes, pumpkins, and leaves with your pet here in the Smokies, and at the end of the day, curl up with your pet by the fire, in front of a good movie, or with a great book!