Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat is the most critical period of your puppy’s life? It’s not her first snowfall, the day you met, or the first time she sits when you ask her to. It’s the time between roughly 3 and 14 weeks known as the “socialization period.” Pet owners often ask what’s so important about this time. They […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesPicture this. You work in an open-plan office, but you simply don’t get along with the person in the desk alongside yours. Or someone in the office insists on wearing perfume that gives you a headache. Once you leave that office environment and go home, it’s fine, but the tension starts up again the next […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesDr. Jane Goodall hadn’t heard about Fear Free, but the idea resonates with her. Considering animal emotions is something she once fought for. It’s hard to think of Goodall as a controversial figure, but when she first began her observational notes on chimpanzee behavior at Gombe National Park in Tanzania in the early 1960s, she […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesEveryone knows dogs love to sniff, but we tend to think of it as a distraction, that walks should be for exercise, not wasting time dawdling and sniffing. But exercising an animal’s mind is important too, and a substantial part of the dog brain is devoted to smells. A study–“Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesIt’s not only people who suffer from stress; our pets most certainly do, too. The question is, could you unknowingly be the cause of some of your pet’s anxiety? Everyday noises and events that humans take for granted, for instance, can cause pets to be fearful and anxious. And because pets, like people, react differently […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesI love to take summer vacations with my pets. It’s a thrill to pack the car and drive to an idyllic campground in Colorado or head west to explore the off-leash dog beaches of Southern California or north to Wisconsin to splash around in refreshing lakes – checking out dog parks and pet-friendly accommodations along the way. […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesIs it noise aversion? Does your dog run and hide or start panting and shaking when children in the neighborhood set off firecrackers? Has your dog run away during the Fourth of July celebration? If so, your dog likely suffers from noise aversion, also commonly known as noise anxiety or noise phobia. Noise aversion affects […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesRelaxing comfortably in a crate or carrier is a critical canine skill with many applications. A dog’s crate is an important management tool that assists in building better behaviors and deterring unwanted antics such as chewing furniture instead of appropriate toys or eliminating on the rug instead of outdoors. A kennel is also a protected […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesConnecticut resident Kathye O’Brien Anstis and her family were concerned when Riley, their 5-year-old Beagle mix, started bumping into their legs – it was as if he couldn’t see. They took him to a veterinary ophthalmologist who confirmed that Riley had lost his eyesight and diagnosed him with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS), a […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesI like to think my Labrador Retriever mix, Rio, is invincible. He loves hiking on trails, swimming in lakes, and generally frolicking outside. Even though he’s nearly 9 years old, I’ve been in denial that he’s a “senior.” But a recent conversation with a veterinary technician gave me pause. He mentioned that dogs who start […]