Jumpy Dogs – Key Strategies That Might Surprise You
Traditionally you may have been told to ignore dogs or puppies when they jump up. However, this is unfair to your dog or puppy, as usually when they jump up they are nervous and are asking for reassurance, or you have been away and they are pleased to see you. Dogs are social animals and crave social and emotional contact from their guardians. Therefore, when your dog jumps, they have a social or emotional need, and as dog guardians we should fulfill that need. Provide Reassurance When your dog… Continued
Teach Your Cat to Like the Carrier – You Got This!
Does your cat run and hide as soon as she sees the carrier? Even worse, does your cat scratch and bite if you try to force her into the carrier? Take a deep breath! There is a way to teach your cat to like the carrier. Make the Carrier a Happy Place First, put the carrier in a part of the house frequented by your cat, so your cat gets used to seeing it. If the only time your cat ever goes into the carrier is for a vet… Continued
You Can Still Help the Animals of Ukraine Survive the War
Quick Link: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Latest updates on the Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine fundraiser Highlights for the month of July include: – local and international adoptions picking up despite the challenges – shelters preparing for the winter and taking on long overdue repairs – delivering pet food all over Ukraine and fostering new partnerships … and so much more! A Letter from Dr. Marina Bayeva: On August 24th, it will be six months (!) since Russia invaded Ukraine. Six… Continued
Pets – Who Cares for Them When You Cannot? (Part Two)
Before you entrust the care of your pet to anyone, you should ask them the following: Have you had formal training in pet first aid, and can you apply first aid if necessary? What experience do you have with pet health issues such as diabetes, seizures, and bloat? Do you have experience giving pets medications such as pills, ointments, drops, or injections? Have you had training and experience supervising interactions between pets that do not regularly interact with other pets? Are you familiar with canine and feline body language? Do… Continued
Getting to Know Pets and Their People Magazine
Here at Pets and Their People, we want to make it as easy as possible for busy pet parents like you to find the pet care information you’re seeking. So here’s a quick summary of some of our most useful features: For training tips, enrichment ideas and product reviews, be sure to visit the Current Issue. You can find current Lifestyle, Pet Safety and Educational posts on our blog. Have a training question? Submit it here. Have a story to share about the pet(s) in your life? Submit it here. We’d… Continued
Looking at Dog Training with Fresh Eyes
You have your treats ready. Maybe you have a clicker and a treat pouch too and you’re ready to train your dog. Yippee! Setting up structured training sessions where you do your homework from puppy or dog training classes is common, isn’t it? But what happens outside of these sessions? Do you ever think to yourself, “I’m not training now.”? Well, we have news for you! While we might not think we’re actively training, our dogs are always learning. They’re either learning that things they do get them rewards from… Continued
Six Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool During the Summer Months
1. Baby pool Some dogs might not enjoy swimming in their big backyard pool, but enjoying laying in a baby pool. Some even like to roll around in it. 2. Sprinkler Some pups might not enjoy submerging themselves in a pool, but love to run free through a sprinkler. 3. Slip and Slide We’ve had many dogs grace our homes who enjoyed the slip and slide. They can run down it, lay in the water, dash through the water feature. 4. Splash Pad This combines the fun… Continued
Pets – Who Cares for Them When You Cannot? (Part One)
As much as we would like to have our pets with us at all times, that may not always be possible. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball that will require you to leave your pets in the care of someone else. For example, you may need to travel for work, a family healthcare crisis, or a funeral. In addition, you may need to evacuate your home due to a natural disaster where you will not be able to take your pets with you. Planning Ahead Perhaps you’re staying home… Continued
Managing and Training Fearful Equids
Fearful Equids Caring for fearful equids brings its own special challenges but can also be exceptionally rewarding. Here are a few simple tips to ensure your success. Move how you naturally move, but slower. One of the things most people do when they start working with fearful animals is to tiptoe around them and move hesitantly. Instead of helping, this can actually make them more anxious and it makes you seem suspicious. Instead, try moving the way you naturally move, but slower. As I often tell my students,… Continued
How Do Dogs Cool Down?
Your dog has three ways to help keep cool in hot conditions; panting, sweating and blood vessel expansion. On very hot and humid days, even with a few cooling systems on board, our pets can still struggle to regulate their temperatures. Running, hard play, direct sun and other variables can create a potentially dangerous situation for your dog when it is hot. As pet guardians we need to make sure that our pets’ environment keeps them cool and safe. Panting – Respiratory Process The sweating process for dogs Is actually… Continued
Product Review: Wondercide®
All-Natural There is a lot of talk about flea and tick meds, and what is best for our dogs. Recently the topic has turned to all-natural products. I want to share my favorite all-natural flea and tick preventative. We live in a heavily wooded area and have an overabundance of ticks, fleas, chiggers and mosquitoes. Many animals and humans suffer with pesticide exposure, and I wanted to reduce this for my pets and family. I do my best to avoid chemicals around our pets, family and the wildlife I… Continued
Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine Fundraiser – Latest Updates
Quick Links: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters (Click on link to listen to the inspiring BARKS podcast.) Dear Supporters, Here please find the latest updates for the Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine fundraiser – both the big picture and the individual shelter updates. Some of the highlights include: – animals finding new homes even during the war – expanding capacity by building new enclosures to take in even more animals – kitten and puppy season… Continued
How to Handle Your Dog When You Encounter a Service Dog
Many pet guardians don’t know what to do when they encounter a service dog team, particularly when they have their pet with them. Here are a few tips in case you and your pet encounter a service dog team at the pet store, park, or other place. Your first concern should be making sure your dog is leashed. No matter how well-trained you feel your dog is, if your dog makes a mistake and distracts the service dog, it could result in injury to the service dog handler. If… Continued
Tired of Furry Furniture? Try These Tips!
Why Do Pets Love to Get on the Furniture? There are many reasons, including some you may not have thought about: Comfort – Furniture is comfortable. Our pets need a soft cozy sleeping place to get good rest, especially as they age and start to have joint pain, etc. Security – Another big reason is being up higher than floor level gives your pets a better view of their surroundings. Only allowing your pets on the floor greatly reduces their environment and limits your pet’s ability to observe what is… Continued
Dogs and Automobiles – Part 2: Aversion and Motion Sickness
A Dog May Suddenly Refuse to Get in the Car for Several Reasons The vehicle may have become a predictor of something unpleasant such as a trip to the veterinarian. Or perhaps the dog was in the car during a traumatic event such as a crash or a thunderstorm. If the dog was injured getting in or out of a vehicle, they might also become anxious about the car. Nausea due to motion sickness is one of the biggest reasons dogs learn to dislike traveling. This may be due… Continued
Ask A Trainer: Tension in a Multidog Household
Q: After two weeks with us, my foster girl had a fight with my male dog. Both huskies. They now walk circles around each other and have low growls. How do I get them comfortable around each other again? I would love to take them to the park in my car but I am scared I will have a fight break out in the car. -R. A: Thank you for the question, R.! My first suggestion would be to reach out to a Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Dog Trainer in… Continued
Dogs Who Growl with Teeth, Oh My!
My dog growled at me today and that made me happy! Why, you ask? It is very simple actually; he is a rescue dog that had a bite history when I adopted him. Warning Signs He is a dog that had been punished for growling, and so he no longer growled when upset or scared. His name is Oso and he has turned out to be an amazing dog. He just needed love, and to be taught that warning signs are acceptable and appreciated in this house. He… Continued
‘Excessive‘ Barking – Are There Any ‘Quick Fixes’ That are Humane?
“Oh, I LOVE it when my dog shouts at the mail carrier and won’t be quiet when I ask him to,” said no one ever! Don’t we all love a quick fix? If only there was a quick way to make our dogs be quiet…well, one that’s humane that is. You see, there are many ‘quick fixes’ in dog training and some of them make your eyes water and are really not very nice for your dog. We love our dogs, don’t we? So there’s no need to go… Continued
Summer Is Here – Protect Your Pets!
From the Blog This information does not replace the advice or instruction given to you by your veterinarian. Summer is when dogs are most at risk of being affected by heatstroke. A dog’s normal body temperature is 100°F to 102.5°F but, unlike humans, dogs do not have sweat glands throughout their skin. Their only methods for cooling include limited sweat glands on the pads of their feet and nose, and panting. Both of these are inefficient at cooling their body temperatures in extreme situations. If a dog cannot effectively… Continued
The “Keeping Your Cool” Issue
Welcome! The July 2022 Issue of Pets and Their People focuses on tips, tools and resources to help you and your pets stay cool, even if things get a little heated. Yes – ‘heated’ in the literal sense – be sure to take a look at the article from The DogSmith on preventing heatstroke in pets. But, even if you’re joining us from a part of the world that isn’t very warm right now, there’s still plenty in this issue that you don’t want to miss! From ‘pet peeves’ like… Continued
When Can I Stop Training My Dog?
My students often ask when they can stop training their dogs. That’s when I ask them, “When do you anticipate you will stop learning?” My point is that we are still learning as long as we are alive. The same is true of our dogs. If dogs are awake, they are learning from both us and the environment in which they live. Since the environment is vast and almost always available to our dogs, it provides more learning opportunities than we do. For example, a child in a high chair or… Continued
Pets & Automobiles – Part 1: Safety
Cars, trucks, mini-vans, basically any automobile are often as much a part of our pets’ lives as they are ours. It’s how we brought them home the first time and how we transport them to all types of activities. We have all known someone who has a dog that the mere mention of “car ride” has the dog leaping in ecstasy. However, some dogs are or become terrified of riding in a moving vehicle. Some cats enjoy car rides, but many find the crate and car a predictor of getting… Continued
Separation Anxiety in Puppies and Dogs
Is your dog struggling to be left on their own? Do you wish you knew how to help them feel better when you’re not there? Prevention of Separation Anxiety in Puppies Puppies are not designed to be on their own. Every inch of them wants to be with a carer for their survival. Once we understand that bit, it helps us move on with their alone training. Here are our top tips to help prevent Separation Anxiety in puppies: Don’t leave your puppy to cry it… Continued
Prepare Your Dog for Fireworks and Thunderstorm Season
While the Fourth of July can be great fun for us humans, the loud bangs can be dreadful and terrifying for many dogs. As compassionate pet parents, we all know how important it is to come up with a preparedness plan for this holiday’s celebrations. We are here to help to get you ready in the weeks before the holiday. Understand Why Dogs are Scared Learn How to Create a Safe Place Discover Training Games Prepare the Days Before the Fourth Products to Support Your Dog How We Can… Continued
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