Dog Articles

Pets and Coronavirus

Coronavirus and COVID-19 has changed the world for everyone … and that includes our cats and dogs!

While it still doesn’t appear that dogs (or cats) can actually become infected with this novel coronavirus and develop the COVID-19 disease, your pets can still be at other heightened health and safety risks during this time of self-isolation while we’re all working together to try and flatten the curve.

This article will help you keep your pets as healthy and safe as possible in your home during this time of changed routines and #coronaquarantine. Not only will this help your pets, but it’ll also help save you additional stress (and costs) during this difficult time.

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Topics: Dog Safety, Cat Safety, Xylitol, Pet Suffocation, Rodenticides, Household Dangers, Coronavirus

Want to include your dog in the Thanksgiving feast? Make a Thanksgiving-themed stuffed KONG to give them during dinner (or while guests arrive). Not only is this a fun treat for them, it's a healthier way to include them in the festivities than to sneak them table scraps. Stuffed KONGs are a wonderful training tool to create positive associations with safe spaces, crates, visiting company, and other hustle and bustle.

Watch Cathy and Marissa in this Facebook Live to see 4 easy Thanksgiving stuffed KONG recipes:

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Topics: Dog Safety, pet safety tips, pet safety, Dog, Pancreatitis, Blog, Dog Treats, Dog Tips, Safe pet treats, Safe dog treats, Pet Hazards at Thanksgiving, Turkey, Stuffing, Thanksgiving Safety

Moving is one of my least favorite things. Yes, there’s the excitement of setting up a new home and exploring the neighborhood, but it’s the little things that I wish would just take care of themselves — the packing, the heavy boxes, the boxes that were never unpacked from the last move (should I just throw it away already?), the unpacking, the utility transfers and account cancellations … it can be really stressful!

I recently moved into a new home and thought a lot about how to make the move as stress-free as possible for my dog Sookie. Moving when you have a dog adds another layer of preparation and management, but with some planning and extra care, your dog can acclimate quickly to their new home.

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Topics: Dog Training, Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Puppy Training

Carving your dog or cat's face onto a pumpkin is a super fun way to get the whole family involved in the festivities.

First, we'll go over how to make your pet's pumpkin stencil and then we'll get our hands dirty, open the pumpkins up and start the carving.

This photo is of my cat, Mazel, standing next to the pumpkin I made of our Frenchie, Marshall, last year. This year, it's Mazel's turn!

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Topics: Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Cats, Halloween, Pumpkin

Fall is such a fun time of year and Halloween is the perfect time to get your dog in the spirit with you! With so many costume ideas on the internet for you and your dog, you’re bound to find one that fits your dog’s personality or accompanies your costume.

If you’re thinking about dressing your dog up in a costume, first think of how they react to wearing things — if they hate things being placed over their head, or react negatively to velcro, stay away from those types of costumes. And, if your dog simply hates wearing anything, you’ll need to work on positive reinforcement training and desensitization to get them used to wearing a costume, which may mean not dressing them up this year.

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Topics: Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Cats, holiday pet safety tips, Pet costumes, Halloween

Teaching your dog how to stay is essential for their safety and your peace of mind — it's one of our Top 6 Important Behavior Skills to Train to Keep Your Dog Safe. Stay is quite useful in lots of different situations, from being able to look both ways before crossing a street while out on a walk, to preventing door dashing when you have guests over. It's also a wonderful cue to practice your dog's impulse control and encourages calm and relaxation. Let's first look at what stay means from a dog training perspective before jumping into the how-to of training your dog to stay.

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Topics: Dog Training, Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Puppy Training

Ah, Halloween; the time of year when looking like a cast member from the Walking Dead is celebrated! And the one day when consuming mountains of chocolate is encouraged. While this night may be a wonderful time for you and your two-legged kids, it's important to keep in mind that ‘All Hallows Eve’ can present some new dangers for your cats and dogs and therefore may not be as fun an evening for your four-legged kids.

As with most things though, if you’re aware of the potential Halloween hazards for cats and dogs and take the easy steps provided here, your whole family will be far more likely to have a Halloween full of fun and great memories, rather than a night (and a sizable chunk of change) spent in the local Animal ER. To help you gear up for the ghoulish holiday, we’ve compiled the top Halloween dangers so that you can avoid a real nightmare for your dog or cat!

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Topics: Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Cats, holiday pet safety tips, Pet costumes, Halloween

Halloween can be a trick or a treat for your dog, depending on how much they enjoy the constant buzz of activity at the front door or dressing up to join in the festivities. If you're wanting to include your dog in any trick-or-treating, costume contests, or have them help you greet the gremlins, princesses, and superheroes who ring the doorbell, there are a few things to consider to keep everyone safe and happy. We've got 5 dog training and behavior tips to help you and your pup enjoy All Hallow's Eve.

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Topics: Dog Safety, pet safety tips, Dogs, Xylitol Dogs, canine chocolate toxicity, Toxicity in dogs, Blog, Pet costumes, Dog costumes, Halloween, Trick or Treat

While July 4th celebrations can be tons of fun for us humans, the loud bangs and other fireworks noises can be downright terrifying for many dogs. Even dogs who don't suffer from thunderstorm phobia or other noise aversions can become stressed by all the hubbub and flashing lights in the sky.

Dogs may show anxiety or stress in a variety of different ways. Pay attention and learn to recognize these signs for what they may mean. Signs of stress can include: panting, trembling, drooling, pacing, hiding, trying to escape, decreased appetite, potty accidents, dilated pupils or wide eyes, and whining or barking.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help your dog through the fireworks and lessen their stress and anxiety. Let's look at things you can do ahead of time to prepare your dog, as well as things you can do the actual day of July 4th to lessen their stress!

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Topics: Dog Safety, Dog, Fourth of July, 4th of July, Fireworks, Sedatives, Noise Phobias, Acepromazine, Thunderstorms, adult dog tips, puppy tips, supplements for dogs, noise aversions

Being able to reunite a lost dog and their owner is a rewarding feeling, but it’s also not always an easy task. Sometimes the dog won't come near you, or for other reasons you can't catch the dog. In this case, taking a photo or writing a description and posting on social media with the location can go a long way in helping someone track down their lost dog. 

If you see a loose dog and feel you are prepared and able to help, and if it’s safe to do so, here are some tips to help you find their owner as quickly as possible:

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Topics: Dog Safety, Dog, Finding lost pets, Lost Pet