Puppy proofing your home – Pet tip 102

Few things on this earth are as cute as getting a new puppy. It really is a special time that passes so quickly. Puppies are adorable, they adore their owners and they love to play with everything. Play for puppies …

Reading pet food labels – Pet tip 146

Attempting to choose the right pet food for your dog or cat can be a daunting task. Wandering amongst the aisles of food in your local pet store, there seem to be millions of options. While many owners appreciate the …

Reverse Sneezing in Dogs – Pet tip 233

If you have a small breed dog, chances are that you are already familiar with the term “reverse sneezing”. This phenomenon is most commonly seen in small dogs (especially those with shortened snouts), although it can affect any breed. Dog …

Senior Citizens and Their Precious Pets – Pet tip 193

It’s a difficult thing to think about but many pet owners are in their later senior years and some of them have young pets. In the event that older pet owners fall ill or pass away, what will happen with …

Service Dogs and Autistic Children – Pet Tip 253

Dogs help humans in so many ways. They help with companionship, with tasks that they carry out for us and sometimes they help make every day living much easier. Perhaps the best demonstration of this fact is when dogs help people with disabilities. Many of us have seen dogs helping blind people and many have heard of dogs that feel when a seizure in an epileptic person is about to occur and then protect them from injury. Dogs can also help aid autistic children and parents of autistic children in many ways as well. Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of autistic children in Canada may be 1 in 165 children or higher. Therefore, many people may well personally know of an autistic child in their extended family, or know of friends or acquaintances that have an autistic child. So how can dogs help these autistic children?

The National Service Dogs (NSD) organization in Ontario Canada, is one of the best organizations that specifically help train dogs to make the lives of autistic children better. You might be wondering how a service dog can be useful to autistic children

Sick Dogs and Cats that won’t Eat – Pet Tip 252

We all know how important nutrition is to good health. Food gives us fuel for energy and allows us to do things that we usually take for granted. The same goes for animals. However, when an animal is sick, or is in the hospital, it can often be very tricky to get them to eat properly. The term “anorexia” means that an animal is inappetent, uninterested in food, and has stopped eating. It is very important to keep the calories up in a sick patient since this is the time they need them the most. Nutritionists have calculated formulas for energy requirements for different sized animals that are healthy.

Signs of Illness and Observing Behaviour – Pet tip 177

As pet lovers one of the most stressful things that we go through with our pets is when they fall ill. Due to the fact that pets can’t tell us when they are feeling ill, it is up to us …

Stolen Dogs and Cats- Pet tip 235

You take your dog on a walk and decide to do a quick errand at the same time. So you tie your dog to a parking sign and go into the grocery store for fifteen minutes. Your dog is well …

Sunburn in cats and dogs – Pet tip 142

The sun is beating down, it is the middle of the day in the summer with a very high UV rating. Naturally, before you step outside you lather on the sunscreen, as you are aware that sunburn will predispose you …

Teething Puppies – Pet tip 191

Just like with human babies, little puppies have 2 sets of teeth. When their first set of teeth start to come in between 3 and 6 weeks of age, they will begin teething which is uncomfortable for puppies. In order …

Terriers and Digging – Pet tip 214

Although many dogs engage in behaviours that humans don’t appreciate, some of these particular behaviours come from specific breeds of dogs. Tiny dogs like Chihuahuas for example commonly bark at anything they are unfamiliar with. Labs often engage in destructive …

Tip – 10 – Dog breeders and cat breeders – How to choose a reputable breeder

Although there are many good breeders out there there are also many bad breeders. These are breeders that keep their pets in horrible surroundings and have no real interest in the breed. Their only goal is to make money. Here …

Tip – 12 – Dogs on the furniture – dog sleeps with owner

Why do dogs tend to sleep on the sofa, your favourite chair or even sleep on your bed? They seem to love these places and often climb onto them repeatedly even when we repeatedly ask them to get down.

True …

Tip – 14 – Submissive urination in dogs – Submissive urination is not a house training problem

Dogs are genetically programmed, to live in a hierarchical group. Some dogs are more dominant, and other dogs are less dominant or more submissive. Normally dogs will accept their owners as the leaders of the pack. They are in essence, …

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 …

Tip – 20 – Dogs and chocolate cats and chocolate

Chocolate and dogs and cats

Dogs and cats must NOT eat chocolate. Although the reaction to chocolate varies from dog to dog based on the quantity eaten in relation to its size, chocolate is poisonous to dogs and it can …

Tip – 22 – Cheap dog toys

Dogs like to chase toys. Unfortunately, due to their wanting to chew everything they catch, they can very quickly destroy expensive toys. Those that make a noise seem to get crunched and ripped up the fastest, and replacing them can …

Tip – 23 – Dog drinks from toilet cat drinking from the toilet.

Toilet water drinking in cats and dogs.

Many dogs and cats love to drink from the toilet. Thirsty dogs and cats lap up the water with vigor simply because it is cool and accessible. It’s much easier for the pet …

Tip – 25 – Bonding with your dog through touch – Touching and stroking your dog

SYSTEMATIC STROKING TO STRENGTHEN THE BOND BETWEEN A DOG AND ITS OWNER:

Touching has a powerful emotional effect on many dogs. It is part of the bonding process between the owner and the dog. Furthermore, the dog must be willing …

Tip – 26 – Dog training basics – Teaching your dog its name

Ignoring commands
One of the reasons why dogs seem to ignore their owner’s commands is simply due to the fact that the dog has not learned to pay attention when their master speaks to them. For example, many dogs do …

Tip – 28 – Dog training – Dog nail cutting – clipping

NAIL CLIPPING

Should the dog show signs of being uncomfortable when clipping its nails, first get it accustomed to its paws being handled by massaging each of its paws for 10 or 15 seconds, until it shows no negative reaction …

Tip – 30 – Dog training – Playing fetch

DOGS THAT FETCH A BALL OR TOY, BUT WON’T BRING IT BACK

Lots of dogs will chase after a ball or other retrieving toy, but when they get it they not only won’t bring it back, but actually run away …

Tip – 31 – Dog has ear mites – cat has ear mites – itchy ears

If your cat or dog is scratching a lot around the ear or neck, along with repeated head shaking, and a possible bad smell coming from the ear(s), a common cause might be ear mites. Ear mites are tiny parasites …

Tip – 32 – Dog training – Barking dog – Treating Excessive “Alarm” OR “Warning” Barking

EXCESSIVE “ALARM” OR “WARNING” BARKING

Much of a dog’s barking is what can be called “alarm barking.” It is usually in the form of bursts of two or three barks with short pauses between them. It is an attempt to …

Tip – 34 – Dog training – Desensitizing dogs

PROBLEM – AFRAID OF, OR DOESN’T LIKE, BEING TOUCHED:

The secret, is to desensitize the dog to reacting to being touched, especially when cleaning paws. Start by touching casually WITHOUT making eye contact since eye contact is always seen as …