Tip – 16 – Drooling – Dogs that drool

Some dogs are natural droolers. The Basset hound, Bullmastif, and St. Bernard are among some classic examples of that dog breeds that regularly drool and slobber. The skin around their mouths and jaws is very loose and this lets the …

Basic Learning Theory and Dogs

Before taking on the rewarding task of training your pet, it might be a good idea to learn about how dogs (and any other animal, including ourselves) actually learn. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are two terms you may have come across. They are two of the most important concepts governing learning.

Classical conditioning was made famous by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov and his dogs. Perhaps you have heard of the experiments he conducted, which eventually got the dogs salivating and drooling simply at the sound of a ringing bell, because they were expecting food. How classical conditioning works is that a neutral stimulus, such as a bell, is paired with giving food. Eventually, after a number of pairings the animal mentally associates the bell with the food.

Hot Spots in Dogs

Also known as acute moist dermatitis, pyotraumatic dermatitis, moist eczema or “summer sores,” hot spots are raised, red, wet and oozing wounds on the skin’s surface that are often self-inflicted by a licking or chewing dog. They can appear and …

Cats in Heat

In cats, the term “in heat” is the more common way of referring to the estrous cycle, or the period of time when your cat is fertile and able to become pregnant. Note that this can only occur in intact …

Fish and Ich

You probably bought some fish from the pet store because you enjoy watching them. You don’t intend to breed or sell your fish, nor do you plan on having anything terribly fancy. Keeping fish is easy, right? But lately you …

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 …

Pet Loss – Grieving for Pets

Losing a cherished pet can be a very painful experience. Many non-pet owners do not understand the grief that one can go through when losing a pet because they underestimate the magnitude of the human-animal bond. Grieving pet owners often …

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Outdoor Cats

The first time you own a cat, you must decide on several things. You must decide what food will keep it healthy and what toys will keep it happy. Then you must decide what veterinary clinic will take care of …

Pet food and treats – Pet tip 113

Most pet lovers probably know that the food that they give their pets is very important to maintain their pet’s health. Due to the fact that in many countries like Canada and the U.S. the ingredients in pet food are …