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Activities & Enrichment Cats Dogs Life at Home Senior Pets

Pets Plus Seniors Equals Happiness

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes When Robert Hampton recently moved into the Brookdale Memory Care Center in Dallas, his wife, Marilyn, knew exactly what he needed to boost his spirits and to encourage him to be social with other residents. She brought in four friendly cats from a local pet rescue group into her husband’s room and said, “Pick one.” […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Other Training & Grooming Veterinary Care

Make Getting Pee And Poop Samples Stress-Free For Your Pet—And You

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Elated and relieved people all over proclaim “Good potty!” and “Good pee!” when their dogs perform these necessities during leashed walks. But when is the last time you really looked at your dog’s poop? And how much attention do you really pay to the clumps you scoop each day from your cat’s litter box? One […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

How Pets Read And Respond To Our Emotions

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes Legendary Lassie did more than “save” little Timmy from being stuck at the bottom of the well. The beloved television Collie seemed to accurately read when Timmy was happy or scared and knew when to spring into action to save him from danger in each episode. It turns out our dogs–and cats–may be better mind […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

My Pets Survived Our Home Renovations and Yours Can, Too

Article

Reading Time: 5 minutes Raise your hand if you just finished or are in the midst of a major house renovation. Nod your head if your frustration and uncertainty during this ordeal sparked a spat or two with your spouse or made you want to scream out loud. As stressful as these construction projects can be to us, imagine […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

How Dogs “Yap” By Using Their Tails and Ears

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Want to better understand your dog? You may be surprised to learn that he says a lot by how his positions and moves his tail and ears. Although a dog’s tail is situated far from the ears, these key body parts work in harmony in clearly communicate a wide range of moods from anger to […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home

Does Your Dog Need Canine Friends?

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ask yourself: Do you like all people all of the time? Probably not – and that’s perfectly acceptable. And the same applies to your dog. “For 95 to 98 percent of dogs, the simple answer is yes, they like having doggy buddies,” says Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, professor emeritus at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home Travel & Safety

Retractable Leashes Pose Risks To People, Pets

Article

Reading Time: 2 minutes The retractable leash, also referred to as a flexi lead, can allow dogs to be up to 26 feet ahead of their owners during walks. Proponents say it gives these dogs “freedom” to explore their surroundings. However, many veterinarians, dog trainers, pet sitters and dog walkers say the extendable leads unleash far too many dangers […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home Training & Grooming

The Making of a Therapy Cat

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Outgoing. Confident. Friendly. Those three words size up Casey, my four-year-old orange tabby. I often say that Casey has yet to meet a stranger or feel as if he is in a strange place. But even though Casey assists me in our veterinarian-approved pet first aid/CPR classes and travels nicely inside his carrier on road […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home New Pets Other Training & Grooming

Marriage Pending? How Do You Merge Your Pets?

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Moving from San Diego to Dallas a few years ago, I bravely left my being-single comfort zone and joined an online dating service. My biggest concern wasn’t if I would find the person of my dreams, but rather, how dating would emotionally impact my dogs, Kona and Cleo, and my cat, Casey. Seriously. And, I’m […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Don’t Become a Statistic: National Dog Bite Prevention Week Tips

Article

Reading Time: 3 minutes Repeat after me: Any dog can bite anyone at any time. Yes, even nice dogs, shy dogs, and scared dogs can and do bite people every day. The victims are not limited to mail carriers perceived or to children determined to deliver big hugs. About 4.5 million people of all ages from all states are […]