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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

5 Ways to Make Your Dog’s Fear Worse

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes You realize your dog is fearful. You want her to get better, but could you also be making the problem worse? Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. Here are five ways you could accidentally be making your dog’s fear worse. Waiting to Treat It You hope your dog will “outgrow” the problem. Fear doesn’t […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

What Movement and Gait Tell You About Your Cat

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Feline movement could be described as grace on paws. Cats have a variety of movements and gaits and can instantly switch from a slow, sensual walk to a slinky strut to a full-on burst of speed. Recognizing your cat’s movements is one of the keys to understanding his emotions and behaviors. Form Defines Function As […]

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Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Dog Bites: 6 Ways to Prevent Them

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes No one knows how many dog bites occur each year, but the Centers for Disease Control and the American Veterinary Medical Association estimate the number is between 4.5 and 4.7 million. More than 800,000 of the people bitten receive medical attention for dog bites, and most bites happen to children, from dogs the family knows—often […]

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Stressed? You Might Be Stressing Your Cat as Well

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Reading Time: 3 minutes We all know about studies showing that sharing life with a pet has beneficial effects on human health. Even a few minutes of petting a cat or dog can lower blood pressure and release mood-enhancing endorphins. A University of Minnesota study found that cat companionship may reduce the risk of heart attack for people by […]

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Consent to Touch? Cats Require It, Too

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Reading Time: 3 minutes How many times have you heard a cat person say, “Kitty likes to be touched, but only on her own terms.” They say it somewhat unkindly, as if it’s proof their cat is a diva. If we’ve learned anything from the #MeToo movement, it’s that nobody likes to be touched without consent. Yet we still […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home New Pets Training & Grooming

New Puppy? Socialization Starts Now!

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Reading Time: 3 minutes The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy skittered into class and ducked under a chair, trembling. It was Pip’s first night of puppy kindergarten, and he was terrified. After class, I chatted with his parents. “Your puppy is really shy,” I said. “Sixteen weeks is the latest we’ll take a puppy into this class, and he’s […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Does Your Dog Want to be a Therapy Dog?

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Making therapy visits can be great enrichment for the right dog and make you feel good about giving back to the community. But it’s important that therapy pets love their work, and for some dogs it may be too stressful. If you’re considering getting into this, make sure your dog will be an enthusiastic partner. […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

When Vets Take Pets “To the Back”

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes When I worked as a vet tech many years ago, we didn’t routinely “take pets to the back” for treatment. Emergency visits, or pets not easily handled, were the exceptions. But more often than not, dogs and cats had their temperatures taken, vaccines administered, routine blood and stool samples procured, all while in the presence […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

How to Be the Perfect Pet-Sitting Client

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes What information does your pet sitter need to efficiently care for your home and pets? After 25 years as a pet sitter, I find it falls into two categories: pet care and “all that other stuff.” Here’s how to ensure that your pet sitter knows the most important details about your animal’s care. Meals, Meds, […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

Cat Play the Right Way: 7 Mistakes to Avoid

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Reading Time: 5 minutes Nature designed cats to be efficient little predators and to hunt even when they’re not hungry (because who knows when the next meal will scamper by?). Play is the indoor cat’s version of hunting. It’s an expression of a host of hardwired feline behaviors. Cats who do not use their minds and bodies in natural […]