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Activities & Enrichment Dogs

Playing in a Winter Wonderland

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Most dogs love snow, the exceptions being some small dogs and dogs without much haircoat. That said, throw a jacket and some booties on them and even dogs such as German Shorthaired Pointers love to skijor and sled. Here are some ideas for winter fun with your dog. Backyard Play The best snow for dogs […]

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Dogs Travel & Safety

Tying Dogs Out: How and Why It Can Go Wrong

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s an all-too-common sight (particularly in large urban areas) to see dogs outside businesses with their leashes tied around bike racks or no-parking signs while their people are inside buying a doughnut or picking up their dry cleaning or even grocery shopping. People who tote their dog to the store and then tie the dog […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs New Pets Training & Grooming

Old Tricks for New Puppies

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Tricks are perfect for puppies. They’ll help your puppy learn to pay attention to words, and to you; they’ll demonstrate the joys of cracking a joke and making people laugh; they can reinforce training; make for a better partnership; instill confidence in a new puppy; and give you, the human partner, a chance to show […]

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Cats Dogs Other Travel & Safety

What to Do if You and Your Pet Are in an Auto Accident

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Road traffic accidents happen. Whether it’s a minor fender bender or something more serious, if your pet is in the vehicle, you will have to assist them and keep them calm until other help arrives. Ensuring pets are restrained will help to minimize injuries and possibly reduce the severity of the situation. Here’s what you […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming

Clicker Training Basics

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Reading Time: 5 minutes Clicker training techniques allow us to communicate with our animals using positive reinforcement.  Positive reinforcement (which you may sometimes see abbreviated as +R) is one of the quadrants of learning. It involves adding something desirable to the interaction to increase the likelihood that an animal will repeat a behavior. To enhance its benefits, positive reinforcement […]

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Cats Travel & Safety

Knock Three Times: Save a Cat’s Life

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes You may or may not remember the hit song Tony Orlando sang way back in 1970 called “Knock Three Times.” He was clearly singing about cats who find their way under car hoods. Before starting your engine in the morning, knock three times on the car hood. When it’s very cold outside, cats find warmth […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home

8 Ideas for Getting Out That Pent-Up Energy This Winter

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Dogs everywhere seem to be afflicted with the zoomies these days. With the arrival of winter’s challenging weather coupled with the spike in COVID cases, many pet parents and their dogs are forced to stay socially distant, spend more time in our homes and cancel travel plans for at least the upcoming winter months. That […]

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Cats Life at Home Training & Grooming

Study Gives Clues to Causes of Spraying

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes When cats spray urine in the home, humans consider it a problem behavior, but for cats, spraying is a normal means of communication. Domestic and wild cats use spraying to mark their territory. “It’s found throughout the feline kingdom,” says Mikel Delgado, Ph.D., of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s a way to […]

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Dogs Veterinary Care

Dealing With a Cancer Diagnosis

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Getting a cancer diagnosis for your dog is like a punch to the gut (yours). The first thing to do is to sit down and take a deep breath. Many cancers are treatable, a few are curable, and there are many ways to give your dog quality time until the end, no matter what. Where […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming

What Is a Reward? Every Dog Is Different

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes When your dog does something you want her to repeat, you offer a reward. You may think of a reward as a tasty treat, a cheerful “Good dog,” or a pat on the head. These are all rewards that work for most dogs, helping to show them you’re happy about what they just did. But […]