Von Willebrand disease in dogs – Pet tip 138

You may be familiar with the human inherited blood disorder Hemophilia A, in which affected individuals suffer from prolonged, spontaneous bleeding due to a missing clotting factor in their blood. What you may not know, is that a very similar …

Dog Tricks – Dog Training Level 1

It is always a pleasure to have guests over that enjoy the company of your pooch. Better yet, have guests that enjoy the company of an entertaining well-trained pooch. Training your dog is not only great for proving that your beloved pet is better than your typical dog next door, but it will be useful during emergency situations when you need your dog to be reliably obedient. By teaching tricks, your dog’s confidence will grow and his/her mentality will remain sharp into the golden years. It is a great way to build a strong relationship with your pet. Remember, it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.

First of all, choose a suitable location to train your dog. The area should be free of distractions that will disrupt your pet’s concentration. Training sessions should not be regarded as play sessions. Your dog must be taught that these periods of training are serious and that he/she will be allowed to play to his/her heart’s content once the session is over.

Next, consider what to use as a reward. Food treats may be used, but try not to depend solely on food to train your dog.

Dogs in their golden years – elderly dogs – pet tip 141

Congratulations! Your dog has reached its golden years! After all those years of romping around, giving you love and giving you a hard time, it is now time for your dog to slow down the pace a little bit. This …

Blueberry Banana Biscotti

Dog treat recipe – Blueberry Banana Biscotti – From Better Food for Dogs

NB:This recipe is for doggie treats. It should not constitute the primary diet of your dog, and is not suitable for cats.

Blueberry Banana Biscotti

Makes about …

Tip 52 – Going on a trip – what to do with your cat

Many cat owners wonder what to do with their cat(s) when they go out of town or on vacation. Do you bring the cat with you, leave it at home or board the cat at a facility? The answer usually …

Dogs that Lack Confidence – Pet tip 209

Dogs are social creatures and they normally like to be around other people and other dogs. Even though they are generally social, they are also pack animals and every animal knows its place in the pack from the leader down …

Water Danger and Dogs – 153

Did you know that not all dogs have the natural ability to swim? In fact, water can be downright dangerous even to dogs that love swimming! There are no ‘doggie lifeguards’, hence it is your responsibility to watch over your …

Aggressive Cats

Tim Cuthbertson has a long scratch down his arm, now nearly healed. It’s the latest reminder of his cat’s favorite game—wrestling.

“Once a day, he’ll come up and bite me on the arm,” Mr. Cuthbertson said. “The only time it’s really annoying is when he’ll do it when I’m trying to sleep. He’ll come up and bite me on the face.”

Cat aggression falls into several categories: play aggression, defensive aggression, misdirected aggression, and territorial status aggression.

Aggression toward people is a problem most commonly associated with dogs, but cat owners also deal with this issue. Though it’s not one of the top 10 reasons for turning cats over to shelters, it plays a significant role in the number of cats turned over for behavioral reasons. A 2000 study of 12 shelters by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, found that about 14 percent of owners turning in their cats for behavioral reasons only listed aggression toward people as the basis, with about 9 percent citing biting. The numbers dropped only slightly, to about 11 and 8 percent, respectively, for mixed behavioral and non-behavioral reasons.

Dog Bones

Bones… The Really Scary Part

Dogs eat non-digestible dirt, rocks, tampons, plastic squeaky toys, and rawhides. They vomit, choke, poop out foreign objects, sometimes need veterinary attention… these are real dogs in real life. One of my Rottweilers had to …

Motion Sickness in Dogs – Pet tip 234

There’s no understanding why it happens this way but some people are affected by motion sickness while others are immune. People suffering from motion sickness suffer the discomfort related to nausea and vomiting when the ‘motion’ becomes excessive. Normally motion …