Dangers of Protective Dog Behavior This is a difficult question to answer because human feelings are being used to describe a dog's reaction. Many pet owners feel their dogs are protecting them from threats. It's a comforting feeling for humans, but dogs feel frustrated. When dogs growl at people approaching, while sitting in their pet owner's lap, this is called resource … [Read more...]
7 Tips on Being a Responsible Dog Owner
Responsible Dog Ownership Tips All dogs and puppies need a responsible pet owner. Responsible dog ownership goes beyond meeting your dog's primary needs, such as fresh water, high quality food and climate-controlled shelter. Responsible dog owners need to meet their dogs' emotional needs and keep their dogs safe and healthy too. 1. Meet Your Dog’s Emotional Needs Dogs … [Read more...]
Should You Treat Dogs Like Humans?
Do's and Don'ts of Treating Dogs Like Humans It depends. There’s a long, fancy word for treating dogs like humans, and it’s called anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is defined as the “attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities and is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology” (Oxford Dictionary, 1885). You’re probably … [Read more...]
Teaching Your Dog Agility Moves
Start with basic commands and then introduce various obstacles one at a time. Agility dogs are good at running up A-frames and through tunnels, scaling tire jumps and racing through weave poles. And they do all this while focusing on their humans, who provide them with verbal and physical cues. If you have ever wondered how agility dogs learn to negotiate a course at … [Read more...]
Fostering Cats and Kittens
By opening your home to a cat or kitten while it waits for a new owner, you can help local animal shelters save more homeless animals. Wondering how you can help your local animal shelter or rescue group find permanent homes for the cats and kittens in their charge? Sometimes all it takes is offering the homeless pets a temporary place to stay. Becoming a foster parent to … [Read more...]
Travel Gear for Dogs
It’s never been easier to bring your canine(s) along wherever you go thanks to a wide range of products. With vacation season on the horizon, if you are like many owners, you will be making plans to take your dog(s) with you. And no matter where you will go or what you will do, there is a range of dog travel products that can help make your experiences easier and better. From … [Read more...]
Play with Your Cat the Right Way
Feline preferences matter when choosing interactive toys and games. Every person and cat will have their own playtime preferences. If you don’t know what your cat enjoys, this article can help you figure that out. However, before I begin: If you and your cat are enjoying yourselves (and you’re not encouraging unwanted behaviors), there’s no wrong way to play. What matters … [Read more...]
What Every Dog Owner Should Know
7 Things Dogs Want You to Know If dogs could speak, this is what they would tell their pet owners. As a professional dog trainer with more than two decades of experience, I often explain these concepts to pet owners every day during consultations. Before you continue reading, throw away your perceived notions of how dogs should think and behave and remember they are dogs. … [Read more...]