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Dogs New Pets

How to Choose a Responsible Breeder

Article

Reading Time: < 1 minutes If you choose to purchase a puppy from a breeder, it’s critical that you work with a responsible breeder so that the mother dog (dam) and her puppies are raised in a Fear Free environment. When you buy a puppy from a pet store, the internet, or other unknown source, it is very difficult to […]

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Dogs Life at Home New Pets Training & Grooming

Puppy’s First 8 Weeks: Love and Lessons

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Watching mothers teaching their puppies lessons that would hold their value for the life of those little dogs greatly informed my understanding of how to train dogs. The mom, or dam, not only nourishes her puppies, not only keeps them clean and safe, but as they get up onto their feet, as they interact with […]

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Dogs Life at Home

When You Must Rehome Your Dog: What to Do

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes What would you do if you had to give up the dog you purchased from a breeder? Hint Number One: Forget leaving the dog at a shelter or asking a veterinarian to euthanize him. Hint Number Two: Contact the breeder first. We talked to some conscientious breeders about loving ways owners can find a new […]

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Cats Life at Home New Pets

Want a Pedigree Cat? Here’s What to Know

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Reading Time: 4 minutes More than 30 years ago, I said to my husband, “Someday I’d like a gray kitty – a Russian Blue.” Armed with an issue of Cat Fancy, he found a breeder in New Jersey and we traveled two-plus hours to pick up Ashley, my first Russian Blue. Thus began a love affair that continues to […]

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Cats Life at Home

What’s in Your Cat’s DNA? Tests Are Fun but not Definitive

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Cats are enigmatic and mysterious, but DNA testing kits are helping us to learn more about them. Here’s what you can find out about your fine feline, from ancestry to health. Interestingly, no DNA kits can precisely identify a cat’s genetic makeup in the same way the dog DNA tests can. That’s because dog breeds […]

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

New Puppy? Socialization Starts Now!

Article

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 […]