Fear Free Happy Homes
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 […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hide ‘n seek is the greatest dog game ever because there are so many benefits. It keeps children (or adults) engaged. There’s some exercise involved for dogs. When the dog inevitably finds the person hiding, the human-animal bond is enhanced. It’s a great way to reinforce calling your dog to you. And most of all, […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes As COVID-19 continues to keep doors to gyms and yoga studios shuttered, dogs are playing a more prominent role as workout buddies for people seeking safe ways to exercise outdoors. Just ask my dogs, Kona and Bujeau. Since the “shelter in place” order was declared in mid-March, only an occasional rain shower has stopped us […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes With social distancing and stay-at-home orders across most of the country during the coronavirus pandemic, school and library “Read to a Dog” programs that boost children’s literacy are temporarily on hold. But there’s an innovative way for kids to still benefit from reading to nonjudgmental listeners: reading to their own pets at home. The nonprofit […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Everyone who shares a home with a dog deals with poop on a daily basis. While it may not be the most appealing topic, learning about your dog’s “output” offers important insight into his health. Not only his food, but also your dog’s environment and emotional state, affects how his body works. Fear, anxiety, and […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s hard for me to believe that my dog, Chilly, is already 10 years old. It’s easy to think he’s as young on the inside as he looks on the outside. I just thought it was old age, which I am sure many pet owners like you have thought. However, a few recent changes in […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dogs find certain encounters so memorable that learning happens via a single experience — especially if it’s novel, intense, startling, or incredibly rewarding. Sometimes it’s hilarious, as this headline from The Onion perfectly describes — “Dog Takes Pilgrimage to Holy Site Where It Once Found Rotisserie Chicken on Side of Road.” Often, though, a single […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When do you spay or neuter a dog or cat? For years, you’ve probably heard that the best age for this reproductive surgery is six months, but times change. Veterinarians and pet owners are taking a closer look at when it should occur. And the answer isn’t what you might think. For kittens, the answer […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes More and more veterinarians are taking low-stress and Fear Free approaches to care. But as pet owners, we can’t leave it all to them. It’s equally important to do our part to make health care less stressful for our dogs. That starts at home – and it’s really not hard. You may think your dog […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Stop copying me!” I’d yell at my sister, next to me in the car backseat. “Stop copying me!” she’d whine, then stick her tongue out at me. Mercy, she was aggravating. My father would tell us both to be quiet. We’d glare at each other across the imaginary demarcation line in the middle of the […]