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Dogs Life at Home New Pets Training & Grooming

Welcome Home: How to Crate Train Your New Dog or Puppy

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes You’ve just brought your new dog or puppy home. It’s been a big day and it’s time to give everyone a break. After all, there’s dinner to prepare for the humans, laundry to do, errands to run, and your favorite TV show comes on at 8, but don’t forget about that new dog. A dog […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming

Roll Over, Rover! How To Teach Your Dog This Fun Trick

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Roll over is a classic trick that is always a crowd pleaser! This is a more challenging trick, especially for dogs with narrow bodies. Your dog will have to utilize his core muscles to complete the move. That’s good exercise for him. Because of poor coordination on my part, I don’t usually use a clicker […]

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Cats Dogs Training & Grooming Travel & Safety

Good Pet Guests Are Made, Not Born

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Who’s a good boy or girl? Your pet, we hope, when visiting your friends or family. Whether you’re bringing Reggie or Ravenna to a friend’s home for a couple of hours or to a relative’s home for a week-long stay, your pet’s behavior will determine whether his presence is considered delightful or destructive. Here are […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Travel & Safety

Road Trip!

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Reading Time: 3 minutes In the 18 months since adopting Kona from a shelter, we’ve traveled from Dallas to San Diego (twice) and made dozens of trips throughout the Lone Star State and even a few jaunts to Oklahoma and Arizona. Kona has yet to turn three, but I’m estimating she has already logged more than 11,000 miles inside […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming

Shake It, Baby! How To Teach Your Dog This Fun Trick

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Shake is a fun and easy trick to teach your dog. It also has some practical benefits beyond looking cute when she offers a paw to someone she’s met. For one, it accustoms her to having her paws touched, which can come in handy at the veterinarian or groomer. Start with your dog in a […]

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Dogs Life at Home New Pets

Welcome Home: Setting Your New Dog Up For Success

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Reading Time: 4 minutes There is no more exciting time in your household than bringing a new dog or puppy home. You want to start your relationship off on the right paw, and help set your new family member up for success. But imagine what it must be like for the dog. New people, a new house, new food, […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other Training & Grooming

Making Baby-Friendly Pets—Even If You Don’t Have Kids

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Reading Time: 3 minutes The mantra for so much is “plan ahead.” And this is especially true when the stork is expected. We all want for there to be a Lassie/Timmy connection between kids and pets, but that doesn’t always happen. It is more likely to occur, though, with a little help. And the way that families can prepare […]

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Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Fear Free Behavior: My Dog Eats Cat Food and Cat Feces

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Few dogs will turn up their nose at cat food, dry or canned, if given the chance. In fact, so many dogs like cat food that many dog owners who participate in training or dog sports use dry cat food as rewards. Unfortunately, far too many dogs are also attracted to cat feces. This is […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming Travel & Safety

Dog Behavior: My Dog Pulls On The Leash

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Regularly walking a dog is one of the joys of dog ownership. You and your dog get outside, chat with neighbors, and get a bit of exercise. When your dog pulls on the leash, that enjoyment rapidly disappears. Why Do Dogs Pull On The Leash? Dogs pull on the leash because we’re slower than they […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home New Pets Shelters & Fostering

What To Do When You Adopt a Fearful Dog

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Reading Time: 3 minutes You love your new family member, but you notice that she seems hand-shy or that she cowers whenever she encounters something that didn’t faze your previous dog. It’s common to assume that dogs like this must have been abused in their previous home, but that’s not necessarily the case. It is more likely that she […]