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A Dozen Ways to Entertain Your Dog on a Rainy Day
While rain can send one dog diving into mud puddles, it can also send others to run for cover! When the skies are not sunny and long periods of rain keep dogs indoors, many will display signs of boredom. Even the overflowing box of toys seems unappealing. What’s a dog parent to do? Here’s 12 Ways to Help Entertain Your Dog on Those Rain-Soaked Days: 1. Singin’ in the Rain Channel your inner Gene Kelly and grab your umbrella, slip on your rain slicker and boots, and enjoy a walk in the rain! (Don’t forget your dog’s raincoat, too!) If … Continue reading →
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Sleepypod Safety Harness Review
Knowing just how concerned our customers are when it comes to ensuring the safety of their pets on road trips, we paid great attention to Sleepypod’s claims that their pet safety harnesses were the only ones to pass crash testing. Considerable research on our part backed this up. Indeed, while many of the harnesses on the market had been crash tested, they had not actually passed! After scrutinizing both versions of the Harness – the Clickit Utility and the Clickit Sport, we felt confident in our assertion that, although there were other options out there and some of them certainly … Continue reading →
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Wire Crate vs. Plastic Kennel: Which One Is Best For Your Pup?
When choosing the right crate for your dog, the style is just as important as the size. Taking a look at the wire crate vs. plastic kennel, hopefully, you will be able to determine the right crate for your dog. Most importantly, whichever crate you choose must be size appropriate for your dog. The dog must be able to not only stand up inside of the crate, but be able to turn around in it as well as to lay down stretched out. Never choose a crate that is too large for your specific dog, as he will rest in … Continue reading →
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Important Things to Consider Before Getting a Puppy For Christmas
Ever wondered just WHY every year dog experts preach that a dog is for life and not just for Christmas? There’s more to it than you think. I am one of only two certified dog behaviour consultants in Ireland, and I have been working with dogs for almost ten years now, through Creedons Doggie Daycare, and teaching dog behaviour through Creedons College. Every December I shout from the rooftops to people not to purchase a puppy for Christmas, and every January I have to bite my tongue as I am inundated with requests from new dog owners, looking for help … Continue reading →
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6 Alternatives for Treating Chronic Pain in Dogs
Chronic pain is a common medical issue in dogs. Dogs often experience chronic arthritic pain in the hip, knee, back, and other joints in the body. The first course of treatment in these dogs typically include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, or Previcox. These oral medication are commonly prescribed because they are the most effective and provide the quickest relief in many dogs. However, despite their ability to provide pain relief, there are dogs unable to have these medications for various reasons. There are dogs who experience sensitivity to NSAID’s which manifests as loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. Since NSAIDs require the … Continue reading →
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How to Manage and Treat Your Pet’s Bad Breath
Puppy breath is said to be cute, but as dogs get older, their breath can turn into something you’re less than excited about cuddling up with. If your dog wants to give you a full-face smooch, do you recoil from the smell? And cat owners know the feeling, too. Like when your cat yawns up close and personal by your face and the smell of her breath makes you want to faint. Phew! So how do we stop our furry friends from having dragon breath? First, we need to figure out root causes. Why Does My Pet Have Bad Breath? … Continue reading →
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How to Treat and Prevent Your Dog From Heartworm Disease
Are you aware of heartworm disease? Could you tell if your dog was showing heartworm disease signs? Do you medicate your dog with a monthly heartworm preventative? All are crucial questions owners must ask themselves to prevent their pets from testing positive for this avoidable infectious disease. So, What Is Heartworm Disease? Heartworm is a blood-borne parasite spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Our pups can become infected by the bite of a single mosquito and a potentially life threatening illness will develop. Heartworm is the common name for Dirofilaria immitis. There are four classes of heartworm disease which … Continue reading →
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The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly of Pet Adoption & Animal Rescue
There is an epidemic of homeless dogs in this country! There are an estimated 3.9 million dogs placed in shelters annually because of unwanted behavior problems and medical need. Unfortunately for many of these dogs, the outcome is bleak. However, due in part to the thousands of shelters and rescue organizations working diligently, many of these dog’s lives have a happy ending. But what happens to those dogs who don’t end up as new members of a family? The ones who are seen as unadoptable or returned for the unwanted behavior or medical issues which outlasted their novelty or cuteness quotient? This … Continue reading →
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10 Things You Might Not Know About Clicker Training Your Dog
Have you ever tried clicker training with your dog? Clicker training is currently a very popular training method, and there’s good reason for that. If you haven’t tried it yet here are some facts about it, good reasons to do so, and some tips to get started. The Facts The Science Behind It: Clicker training is based on the theory of operant conditioning. This term was coined by B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist and behaviorist. Animals learn that their actions can control their environment. For example, they learn that ringing a bell gets the door to open. It is positive … Continue reading →
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National Pet Wellness Month #NPWM
October is National Pet Wellness Month. That means, this would be a great time for you to consider the care of your pet. Every year, or even more, it’s good to take a step back and think about any appointments your dog or cat may have had, or any that they may need. You might be thinking, “well, I think about those things often, why do I need to do it once a year?” Perk up your ears, and we will go through some common thoughts pet parents have in common, and some questions we should all be asking ourselves. … Continue reading →
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Breathwalking? How to Meditate With Your Dog & Positively Condition Your Mornings
It’s no secret that the modern world as we know it today is a pretty hectic place. It seems that from the moment we awake in the morning, until the time we lay our heads down at night, we have somewhere we need to go, or some thing we need to do. Say goodbye to loosening your tie, or letting your hair down after a hard day at the office–in the age of the smartphone, work, and your many responsibilities have no official hours—we’re always connected, day and night. You remember charge your phone daily, but did you remember to … Continue reading →
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Pet Obesity: How to Spot It in Your Dog and Manage It
There are many things you don’t think about when picking up a dog from your local breeder or animal shelter. You look online at the newest articles on what to look for but beware, you’re always going to miss something. There is no one quick article you can read over and know every problem your dog might run into, they are just like kids and every situation is unique. This being said I’m going to delve into what has become ubiquitous here in the US. In a new study taken in March of 2015 by the Association for Pet Obesity … Continue reading →
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