Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was playing fetch with my dog Ziggy one day and he was doing so well retrieving the rubber duck I would throw for him that I decided to video part of his workout and send it to a friend so he could teach his dog what I was teaching Ziggy. I took out my […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you have a puppy or adult dog with lots of energy, you know how much work it is to keep your pet entertained. And you’ve probably noticed how your dog’s stress level—and yours—goes up when he’s not getting enough exercise. High-energy dogs can develop behavior problems if they don’t get enough exercise and stimulation. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a certified yoga instructor as well as a veterinary behavior technician, I have found many similarities between yoga in humans and relaxation cues in our pets. In humans, yoga has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and regulate the fight or flight response. Animals do not have […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The most wonderful time of the year is finally here. The holidays bring festive decorations, bustling preparations, celebrations … and too often, stress. While we worry about how to get everything done or how to adjust our plans to the challenges of the past year, we can’t forget to care for our beloved pets. The […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The destruction was everywhere. Shredded furniture. Bent window blinds. Gnawed baseboards. Scattered throughout the house were shreds of random papers, from magazines to bills. The area rugs reeked of urine. As I took all this in, the distraught woman pointed at her leather couch, which featured a giant, ragged hole in the once-plump cushion. “He […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes A major conundrum of the cat world is the profusion of feral cats. Robin Olson, president of Kitten Associates in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, recently trapped the most beautiful tabby-marked Siamese kitten in her yard. Dubbed Silas Buttonwood, he will be vetted, neutered, fostered, and placed in a loving home. He is proving to be a […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Veterinary behaviorists are last responders. When no one else can assist, they swoop in and save the day, and often a pet’s life. Boarded veterinary behaviorists are true specialists. Not only are they veterinarians who understand medical health, they are also experts at understanding emotional health. They unpack animal behavior for us–in the case of […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes At the start of the pandemic, concern was sometimes expressed that dogs would be disturbed because people were now wearing face masks. Personally, I was skeptical, from the evidence of my own highly reactive Pug. She’s attentive to small details – one thing she’ll always object to is a person who is looking at their […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Horses might be pretty big creatures, but in their minds, they only weigh a few hundred pounds. Before humans started breeding horses to carry and pull heavy loads, equines were much smaller. Scientists believe the first domesticated horse only weighed about half of what today’s horses weigh. But while horses’ bodies have become bigger—making them […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Bodie, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever and one of the millions of dogs suffering from allergic itch, recently saw his veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. His journey with itch, however, is just beginning. Dogs with atopic dermatitis (allergy to environmental triggers) and their families face a lifelong challenge of managing the ups and downs of itch. […]