Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 4 minutes While the world practices social distancing and self-quarantine, pet owners are spending more time with their pets. The extra cuddle time with animal family members can be beneficial for humans’ physical and emotional health1,2. Spending so much time together also gives pet parents an opportunity to notice when something might be wrong with their dog […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes National Dog Bite Prevention Week has come and gone, but preventing dog bites is a year-round endeavor. Prevention as well as education are key. That was the theme of a recent Zoom press event featuring experts from various fields. Here’s what they had to say. “Dog bite prevention may have more meaning this year than […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Watching mothers teaching their puppies lessons that would hold their value for the life of those little dogs greatly informed my understanding of how to train dogs. The mom, or dam, not only nourishes her puppies, not only keeps them clean and safe, but as they get up onto their feet, as they interact with […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hide ‘n seek is the greatest dog game ever because there are so many benefits. It keeps children (or adults) engaged. There’s some exercise involved for dogs. When the dog inevitably finds the person hiding, the human-animal bond is enhanced. It’s a great way to reinforce calling your dog to you. And most of all, […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes As COVID-19 continues to keep doors to gyms and yoga studios shuttered, dogs are playing a more prominent role as workout buddies for people seeking safe ways to exercise outdoors. Just ask my dogs, Kona and Bujeau. Since the “shelter in place” order was declared in mid-March, only an occasional rain shower has stopped us […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes With social distancing and stay-at-home orders across most of the country during the coronavirus pandemic, school and library “Read to a Dog” programs that boost children’s literacy are temporarily on hold. But there’s an innovative way for kids to still benefit from reading to nonjudgmental listeners: reading to their own pets at home. The nonprofit […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Everyone who shares a home with a dog deals with poop on a daily basis. While it may not be the most appealing topic, learning about your dog’s “output” offers important insight into his health. Not only his food, but also your dog’s environment and emotional state, affects how his body works. Fear, anxiety, and […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Lots of people are crazy about ferrets. “I think most veterinarians that work on ferrets will tell you they’re pretty darned adorable,” says Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, DACVB. But people who love them want you to know about the challenges of living with them. “The first thing I always ask people is, ‘Why do you […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s hard for me to believe that my dog, Chilly, is already 10 years old. It’s easy to think he’s as young on the inside as he looks on the outside. I just thought it was old age, which I am sure many pet owners like you have thought. However, a few recent changes in […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dogs find certain encounters so memorable that learning happens via a single experience — especially if it’s novel, intense, startling, or incredibly rewarding. Sometimes it’s hilarious, as this headline from The Onion perfectly describes — “Dog Takes Pilgrimage to Holy Site Where It Once Found Rotisserie Chicken on Side of Road.” Often, though, a single […]