Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Got a baby on the way? While you’re painting the new nursery and stocking up on diapers, don’t forget to involve your dog or cat in the new life joining your family. Well before your baby is born, you can begin to prepare your pet for this momentous change that will affect his life—in a […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the reasons many people love having dogs is because they are built-in exercise buddies. Most dogs are never going to tell you that they’d rather skip the walk, run, or hike today; in fact, they are usually the ones who insist on going and get us off our behinds and out doing something. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sharing living space with our dog friends is a natural extension of pets being an integral part of the family. But what doesn’t feel natural is walking across the carpet and feeling your feet squishing into a pile of poo or your socks soaking up moisture from a puddle of urine on the floor. Likewise, […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Independence Day is an exciting holiday for humans, but it can be a stressful one for dogs. The loud noises and bright flashes from fireworks can frighten them so severely that they run away, ending up lost or in shelters. Fortunately, you can take precautions to help your dog be less fearful as well as […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Can fear, anxiety, and stress be stealing precious heartbeats from your beloved pet at home? That’s the theory being studied by Dr. Robert Hamlin, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM. His work is examining the idea that stress, especially when it triggers the body’s fight or flee “sympathetic storm” mechanism, not only affects the quality of your […]
Reading Time: < 1 minutes Dogs and cats aren’t capable of multitasking; they live in the moment. So if pets are busily and happily eating, it’s impossible for them to worry about anything else. In this case, I am certain Ethel had no idea that she was pricked with a syringe containing a vaccine. She never saw the needle. She […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you ever felt you are about to die? I mean that literally, like you’ve been held up at gunpoint or held out a window by your suspenders 30 stories up? I’ve suggested for years that too many of our pets at the veterinary clinic feel like they are being held up at gunpoint or are […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes When your dog meets you at the door, head low with ears slicked back and eyes averted, is that a canine apology? Does your dog look guilty? The behaviors certainly mimic what humans associate with feeling shame or apology. Whether or not this accurately reflects the dog’s true feelings is open to debate. Not all […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes I’ve long thought dog sports were good for dogs’ souls. More than their souls, really — sports help them to face the world with confidence in themselves and their handlers. But never have I found a sport so suited for helping dogs gain confidence as nose work. Founded in 2008 by detection dog handlers Ron […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Every time your puppy or dog visits the veterinary hospital, he will get an oral exam. From looking at your dog’s mouth, your veterinarian can collect quite a bit of information. From this quick exam, your veterinarian will look at your dog’s teeth, his bite (alignment for those of you having dealt with orthodontia), his […]