Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new study casts doubt on a mainstay of teaching dogs to stay home alone. Here’s what it found. Everyone’s heard the advice: ignore your dog when leaving the house and returning. The claim is that long goodbyes and excited reunions might cause separation anxiety, but if you don’t make a fuss, the dog will […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Surgery is only the first step in repairing an injury or defect. Ensuring that pets rest during recovery is essential to the process. So is rehab. Here’s what to know about successful recuperation, through the experience of a lucky pup. Milo looked like a normal puppy when he was brought to Oklahoma State University Veterinary […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes How cats eat plays a pivotal role in their day-to-day satisfaction with life. Here’s what to know about letting them eat the way nature intended. The cat hears the rustle of grass and the ultrasonic squeak that tells her there’s a mouse nearby. Her ears swivel to home in on the location of her prey. […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes The dog brain is very different from that of wild dogs, so that in some ways puppies are born ready to fit into the human world. But the puppy brain still has a lot of developing to do after birth, and understanding that process is important to raising confident, well-adjusted dogs. It’s now generally believed […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent studies show that declawing can significantly increase the risk of long-term adverse effects on feline physical and emotional health, including chronic neuropathic pain, biting, and an increased likelihood of house-soiling. Here’s what you should know if you’re considering this procedure for your cat. Declawing is an emotional, controversial, and divisive topic. Some people consider […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Who doesn’t love being told a story? Dogs and cats are no different. Here’s how shelter reading plans can improve pets’ chances of adoption. Imagine you are housed in a shelter, suffering loud noises from other anxious animals and smelling scents that definitely aren’t from a home. You enjoy little social interaction and are confined […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes A mantra for cat caretakers: You can’t scoop the litter box too often. While there’s a litany of tips for successful litter box training, if the box isn’t scooped often, the prettiest setup is useless. Cats have extremely sensitive noses, and while they find comfort in familiar scents, a box full of urine clumps and […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sometimes you need to catch your puppy by the collar if he’s eating something dangerous or about to take a flying leap and you need to stop him quick. Here’s how to successfully teach him to like having his collar handled so he doesn’t respond aggressively during these incidents. “Time out!” I called. Seven people […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you were to go by all the talk about “dog people” versus “cat people,” you’d think that everyone had to choose one and stick to it. They don’t, of course; plenty of us have both cats and dogs and despite their differences, it seems to work out. If you want to ensure a good […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not unusual for pets to suffer stress-related diarrhea, especially when it comes to car rides or veterinary visits. Here’s how you can help relieve the causes. With a dog or cat who tends toward an anxious outlook on life, visiting the veterinarian can be a big stress. One of the most obvious signs of […]