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The best in health, wellness, and positive training from America’s leading dog experts

Warning signs after spaying a dog include swelling and discharge around the incision.

Warning Signs After Spaying a Dog

Most dogs who have spay surgery go through the spay incision healing process without problems. Healing tissues are fragile, however. It is your responsibility to pay attention to the instructions you receive post-surgery.
Getting a sick dog to drink water can be a challenge but there are several ways to encourage drinking.

How to Get a Sick Dog to Drink Water

If your dog is sick, feeling a little off, or has an acute or chronic illness that makes him avoid water, he still needs to drink enough to stay hydrated. We have ways to entice a dog to drink starting with cool clean water, and adding flavorings.
Pumpkin dog treats can offer a seasonal and healthy treat for your dog.

Easy Recipes for Pumpkin Dog Treats

Most dogs love the taste of pumpkin. The gourd's prebiotic fibers support the microbiome too. Best of all, pumpkin dog treats are easy and fun to make.
Long line training allows dogs room to explore without pulling their owners around.

A Long Line: The Surprising Problem-Solver

The ever-changing outdoor environment is wildly exciting for our dogs. Alas, when they enthusiastically zigzag after every scent, bike, or friend, they yank us along with them. To break free, start fresh! Head to a new spot, with a different approach. Ditch the 6-footer and grab a long line, which is essentially a longer, thinner, lighter leash.
You can tell if dogs are playing or fighting by closely observing their body language.

How to Tell If Your Dog Is Playing or Fighting

Dogs that are playing often exhibit loose, bouncy movements and relaxed facial expressions. Their ears might be perked up or floppy. However, things can turn aggressive quickly, which is why dog owners need to remain vigilant.
Why do dogs roll in poop? It seems to be an instinct to mask or mark their scent.

Why Do Dogs Roll in Poop?

Most pet owners have undoubtedly witnessed the rather unsavory sight of a dog rolling in poop or dead things. But why do they do it? While there is not yet a scientific explanation for this behavior, there are theories.
Dogs can understand humans, at least in part. How much they understand is still a topic of research.

How Much Do Dogs Understand Humans?

Any dog lover will tell you that their dog can understand them to one degree or another. We communicate with our dogs via words, facial expressions, hand signals, and body language, and our dogs respond. And science is catching up to what we experience every day!
Liver cancer in dogs is a slow process that requires you to pay attention to your dog's quality of life.

Liver Cancer in Dogs

True liver cancer tends to grow slowly, but your dog can be uncomfortable and feel sick. Many metastatic cancers that settle in the liver, such as hemangiosarcoma, have shorter survival times and may be painful. Keep in mind your dog’s quality of life.
Kennel cough is very contagious and you need to keep your dog isolated until you're sure it is gone.

How Long Is Kennel Cough Contagious?

If your dog is still coughing you need to assume he might be contagious. To be truly safe from being the bane of your dog’s social circle, I would keep him out of his activities for a week after the last cough.
A dog's whisker serve an important sensory function and should not be cut.

Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers and Should You Cut Them?

When you think of whiskers, you probably picture cats, but dogs also possess a set of whiskers on their muzzle, cheeks, and above their eyes that serve important specific purposes.
Coursing is a sport that lets dogs who like to run show what they can do.

How To Get Started in Fast CAT, the Best Sport for Speedy Dogs

Fast CAT–short for fast coursing ability test–can be an excellent activity for dogs who love the act of chasing, and it’s an extremely beginner-friendly dog sport that doesn’t require much training.
Dog sedation for grooming is an option for dogs that find it stressful or taumatic.

Dog Sedation For Grooming

In some cases, a dog may need to be sedated for grooming. For example, if you have a new rescue dog who is badly matted, sedation may be the kindest way to get him shaved and nails trimmed.
Canine dysfunctional behavior in dogs is roughly equivalent to autism in dogs.

Understanding Canine Dysfunctional Behavior

Does your dog exhibit autism-like behavior? I have had several clients ask me if their dog could have autism and whether this could explain their dog’s behavior. In humans, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is...
Dogs can get food poisoning from consuming an animal they find dead, or by eating unsafe or harmful foods.

Can Dogs Get Food Poisoning?

It may seem like dogs are immune to food poisoning, as they often eat things that would land us in the hospital. They are susceptible to many of the same pathogens that impact humans. In a healthy adult dog, a larger pathogen load is required to induce illness.
Puppies can start eating hard food in between 3 and 4 weeks old.

When Can Puppies Start Eating Hard Food?

Understanding when and how to introduce hard food is important as it can influence your puppy’s health, growth, and overall well-being. Most puppies can start transitioning to solid foods between 3 and 4 weeks of age.

Latest Blog

Sorting Through My Books

Keeping my book collection to only three tall shelves has taken ongoing effort. At least once a year, I’ve had to give the shelves a critical pruning, throwing away titles that contained either incomplete or poor information and donating to my local library books that were of good quality, but not something that I planned to refer to again and again.