You fell in love with a cute bundle of fur and brought it home. Her big brown eyes and sloppy tongue pretty much guarantee that you will give in to her every whim. But soon those behaviors you found irritatingly cute are now just irritating, and the new habits she’s forming are less than ideal. This could be your future, if you make these common new dog owner mistakes. Avoid them, and you will be well on your way to … Read more

There is the normal licking; ice cream dripped on the kitchen floor, many happy (and not so welcome) kisses when an owner walks through the door. Then there is the questionable tongue bath; constant licking of an owners hand or the licking of their paw. How does one tell the difference between harmless grooming and a compulsive behavior? Attention seeker Sometimes dogs like the scent of a soap or hand lotion and can’t seem to get enough of it, so … Read more

Losing your best friend is always difficult. Our dogs bring love, happiness, and companionship to our lives without asking for much in return. As such, their own lives are just not long enough.  After they’re gone, we all work hard to preserve the memories we have of them. Below are some unique ways to honor your faithful companion and remember them forever.  1. Sponsor a Dog Park A great way to keep your best friend in the hearts of everyone … Read more

Houseguests are both a blessing and a curse. It is wonderful to visit, hang out, and reconnect. However, the preparation before the guest arrives can be stressful, even downright exhausting. More so if the guest is allergic to dogs and the hosts resides with one. With a little planning and a lot of elbow grease, it is possible to have a memorable visit, in a good way. The one word to keep in mind… CLEAN. Clean everything, and then clean … Read more

Service Dogs are a common sight. We see them everywhere, from sporting events to airports, schools to restaurants. As commonplace as they are, the vast majority of Americans do not know or fully understand the purpose of a Service Dog or the proper protocol to follow when you encounter one. Help educate your children about Service Dogs to make sure they treat them for what they are: a working animal extension of their handler, who deserves respect and consideration. What … Read more

Columnist Dave Barry was once quoted as saying, “Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear.” Dogs bark, sometimes for reasons unknown to their owner. A plastic bag could be blowing in the wind a mile away, the dog needs to tell somebody. Or the motivation may be more obvious, a door knock, a thunderstorm, an owner … Read more

Puppies are cuddly, endearing and amusing to watch. They explore their world with wide eyed innocence, often with hilarious results. Puppies are babies that need to be nurtured, loved, and trained. Some people love the sweet aroma of puppy breath. When they are done exploring, puppies want to curl up in the closest lap and sigh contentedly. At some point those charming, innocent, delightful little puppies grow. They move into their adolescence where they test boundaries. It no longer holds … Read more

What does one look for in a guard dog? Do they want a dog to attack on command? Or merely bark excessively to scare off would be robbers? There are certain breeds that would lick someone into submission. Of course enthusiastic tail wagging has been known to cause serious injury. It is possible to train almost any dog to be an effective protector, but certain breeds were genetically designed to be protective and downright scary. Here is a list of … Read more

You’ve probably walked in on this scenario more than once, and you may have reacted with the utmost disgust and discomfort. The slobbery lips, the big puppy smile, and that cool, porcelain bowl…that’s right, we’re talking about toilet water. If you’ve had dogs, you’ve likely realized they can’t get enough of it. We know you’re probably feeling a little better now that we’re all sharing the disdain together. But it’s not just that drinking toilet water seems inherently distasteful, it’s … Read more

This will melt your heart, make you smile, and make you cry all at once. SO GOOD! If only more casual pet owners would follow #1, we’d put a lot of animal shelters out of business! And the last line of #10 is so true, isn’t it? The ten commandments was written by ©Stan Rawlinson (The Original Doglistener). A professional full time Dog Behaviourist and Obedience Trainer. You can visit his website at www.doglistener.co.uk for more articles and training information. … Read more

Is your dog food manufacturer deceiving you? It never ceases to amaze us how much mass marketing can distort the truth. Check out the amazingly helpful infographic from PetsWeekly below to help decipher whether or not your dog’s food manufacturer is trying to deceive you. We want to hear from you. Which brand are you using and why? Are you or have you ever considered making your dog’s food at home? Which of these factoids surprised you the most? SHARE … Read more

Sure, we all know that it’s rude and disgusting to not clean up after your dog, but some of these facts really surprised me. Especially the very last one. How do you react when you see someone who doesn’t pick up their dog’s poop? Leave a comment below! Infographic courtesy of PoopBuddy. SHARE to get the word out! SHARE to get the word out!

All the lovely things we bring out to celebrate the holidays—tinsel, chocolate, holly, egg nog, poinsettias –a list that goes on forever, turn out to be not so lovely for our pets. In fact, many are extremely dangerous. Dr. Lisa Olsen, an emergency veterinarian at Iowa Veterinarian Specialties, says that vets are usually very busy this time of year. “We see more than a fair share of problems related to food in an emergency clinic during the holidays,” she says. … Read more

As a parent to a 3 year old daughter, a 6 month old son, and a 7 year old Siberian Husky, this great infographic from EdgarSnyder really hits home about child/dog safety. While walking our dog at the park, it’s not uncommon for  a well meaning, but overly excited child to run up to our husky to hug or pet her . Although she is great with children, the reality is you never know how a dog will react around … Read more

We came across this excellent resource by The Dog Training Secret. The only thing we’d add is in regards to tip #1, you don’t need to buy a puppy at all! If you look hard enough, you can find an adorable pup at a local shelter. And of course there’s always the option of skipping the puppy stage altogether and adopting a well behaved adult or senior dog as well 🙂

Most of us have been experiencing a cold front in some form or another by this time, and it can be particularly bad in certain areas. Wherever you are, your inside dogs probably aren’t very acclimated to the falling temperatures outside. It might seem that dogs are more resistant to cold with all of that fur, and some breeds may be more than others, but all dogs are generally as susceptible to cold weather ailments as we are. Frostbite and … Read more

How would you feel if animal control came knocking on your door, forced you to give up your best friend, only to have him be euthanized? It’s something so unfair, something so horrific and painful that you probably can’t imagine it in your worst nightmares. But for some, this tragic tale is a reality. Some people live in areas with breed specific legislation, that hold bans on certain dog breeds and breed mixes. Breed specific legislation, or BSL, is a … Read more

We have all heard the stories of dogs protecting their owners in the sign of imminent danger, and we’d probably all love to think that ours would do the same for us. However, it generally takes a properly trained dog to handle such courageous acts, and also to know when the time is right to take action. But how many of you have been visiting a friend or relative only to be approached aggressively by their seemingly friendly pet? Perhaps … Read more

Most new dog owners are aware of one of the most important aspects of raising a puppy – socialization. However, most of them don’t understand what socialization means and why it needs to be done. A common misconception is that the puppy needs to actually socialize with other people and other dogs – but this is actually pretty far from the truth. Socialization should really be called by a more accurate term – neutralization. What exactly does neutralization means? Neutralization … Read more

Look at that face. I mean can anyone really say no? We all know that table scraps are typically bad for our four-legged friends, but isn’t there something we can share? Much to our luck, there is! In fact, there are a few people treats we can pass over to our pups. But remember, all of the items on this list are without any extras – no butter, no salt, no sugar. They are as is, and believe it or … Read more