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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Training & Grooming

Teach Your Dog That Crates Are Great

Article

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 […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other Veterinary Care

Feeding Tubes: A Fear Free Path to Recovery

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes Have you ever developed a food aversion? To this day I avoid artificially flavored grape candy because that was the flavor of the cough syrup I had to choke down when I was sick as a kid. The same thing can happen to pets when they don’t feel well. Several months ago, my dog Dorie […]

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Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Be Quiet! How to Cue Up Silence

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes The doorbell rang. Rudy the Miniature Schnauzer erupted into a frenzy of barking. He ran to the door and back to his parents, back and forth, with increasing urgency. At times, his bark reached such a high pitch, you were certain it physically penetrated your brain. Even after his folks had retrieved a package and […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home

Home Dental Care Saves Teeth, Tames Breath

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Did you know that over 80 percent of adult dogs and cats have some form of dental disease? The good news is that this does not need to happen to your pet. Preventive dental care, both at home and from your veterinarian, can help to ward off dental disease. Preventing dental infections and injuries to […]

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

Feral to Friendly-ish: Cats Coming in From the Cold

Article

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 […]

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Dogs Life at Home New Pets

Did the Breeder Call Your Pup a “Pet”? It’s Not an Insult

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes People sometimes feel slighted when they learn that their pup from a responsible breeder is considered “pet” versus “show quality.” No need to feel slighted! Good breeders love all their puppies and give each one the best of care. Here’s what to know about the similarities and differences between pet pups and conformation contenders. Same […]

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Decoding Your Cat: Behavior Experts Uncover Cat Secrets

Article

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 […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

Are Our Pets Really Happy We’re Home All the Time, Or Is It a Mixed Blessing?

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes At the start of the coronavirus pandemic when my state issued a stay-at-home order, a handmade sign appeared in a neighbor’s window that proclaimed: “AT LEAST OUR DOGS ARE HAPPY!” Meanwhile, the internet exploded with memes of cats being unamused that their humans were cramping their style by invading “their” home so much. Reality seems […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Wearing a Different Face? How Dogs React to Masks

Article

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 […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

What We’re Noticing With Our Pets Now That We’re Home All the Time

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes My husband and I have been lucky to work from home for over a decade. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, we haven’t left our house to go to a movie, restaurant, party, or concert since March. At least one of us is always home – to the delight of our dogs, Rio and Peach. […]