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

Barn hunt for dogs is an all breed sport that allows dogs to exercise their hunting and tracking instincts.

Barn Hunt for Dogs

Want a fun sport that is physically and mentally exhausting for your dog, uses your dog’s instincts, and is filled with great camaraderie? Then...
How long can you leave a puppy alone? Not long.

Leaving Your New Puppy

I have a sign hanging near my back door that says, “If I can’t bring my dog I’m not going.” Of course, it is meant to be humorous, but it is truer than I care to admit. I am lucky in that, as a trainer, I have been able to bring my dogs almost everywhere I go. Not everyone is as fortunate. Let’s see if I can help you make plans for your puppy, should you be forced to leave him home alone.
Homemade dog food recipes must include complete and balanced nutrition in order to be healthy.

Concerns about Homemade Dog Food Recipes

One of the biggest challenges with homemade dog food is the inconsistency of nutrient content in raw ingredients. Ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and grains can vary widely in nutrient content depending on their growing conditions, seasonality, source, storage conditions, and processing methods.
Bloodshot eyes in dogs can have a number of causes from allergies to serious eye infections.

How to Treat Bloodshot Eyes in Dogs

A dog’s eyes can appear red or bloodshot for many reasons—some of which are minor and will quickly resolve, and others which are much more serious.
Training with treats is an effective means of positive reinforcement training so long the treats are not a bribe.

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training: 6 Tips for Training With Treats

Training with treats is cornerstone of positive reinforcement dog training. It’s dog-friendly, it’s fun and the basics are easy for trainers of all ages and skill levels. At its core, the concept is simple: feed behaviors you want to see happen more often.
While Doodles typically share some traits with their Poodle parent, there are no guarantees regarding which traits they will inherit. Credit: Madeline Block

Why are Doodle Dogs so Popular?

The first popularized Doodle was a Labrador Retriever and Poodle mix, bred in 1989 by Wally Conron as a guide dog prospect. He aimed to create a dog with the temperament of a Lab, but the non-shedding coat of a Standard Poodle for a woman who needed a guide dog, but whose husband had dog allergies. In a 2014 interview with Psychology Today, Conron said that he regrets popularizing Doodle breeding. "I opened a Pandora's box, that's what I did,” he said.
Dogs eating chocolate was the fourth most common reason for calls to Animal Poison Control.

Top Calls to Animal Poison Control

The APCC received more than 451,000 calls from pet parents last year who needed immediate answers: Could what their dog gobbled down cause a life-threatening problem? The organization crunched its data and just released its annual list of the top ten toxins that pets managed to ingest the most.
Sucralfate for dogs can help with a variety of canine stomach problems.

Sucralfate May Help with GI Problems in Dogs

Sucralfate is a human medication used off-label in dogs for ulcers, vomiting, and irritations along the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the small...
Famotidine for dogs is an acid reducer that can help deal with certain stomach issues in dogs.

Famotidine for Dogs

Famotidine is a stomach-acid reducer that is sometimes used “off label” in dogs. “Off label” means the medication is not approved by the FDA for use in dogs, but veterinarians may prescribe it. Famotidine is available as an injectable that can be administered at a veterinary hospital and an oral form that is available over the counter (OTC).
Adopting a shelter dog, a rescue dog, or another dog in need is a great way to make a friend for life.

Adopting a Dog from a Shelter

On average, it takes three to six months for a shelter dog to fully settle into their new home and to see their true personality. Some dogs may blossom quickly. Others may take longer to adjust. This is normal, and it can take longer if a dog has experienced a lot of turmoil and change throughout their life before adoption.
Acid-reflux in dogs is a serious issue that requires a vet visit.

Acid Reflux in Dogs

Symptoms of GERD in dogs include regurgitation, decreased appetite, difficulty swallowing, and acting uncomfortable. Some dogs with GERD may have a chronic cough. You may also notice that your dog’s bark sounds different than it used to. One of the classic symptoms experienced by dogs with GERD is that they are more likely to regurgitate than vomit (see sidebar). However, conditions that cause chronic vomiting may lead to the development of GERD.
Hyperthyroidism in dogs is rarer than hypothyroidism and results in a dog's metabolism speeding up.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs

With hyperthyroidism, the dog’s metabolism speeds up. You may notice your dog drinking more water (and increased urine), losing weight, constipation, and showing signs of increased activity. With the dog’s overall metabolism too high, many of the dog’s body systems are affected. Some dogs will vomit and have diarrhea along with an increased appetite.
Dogs can eat cicadas, but they shouldn't do so in large numbers.

Can Dogs Eat Cicadas?

Cicadas interest dogs because they smell appetizing, are a source of protein, move in ways that attract a dog’s prey drive, make intriguing noises, and have a crunchy texture. While cicadas aren't poisonous to dogs they can cause gastrointestinal upset and stomach obstructions if they are eaten in large numbers.
E-collar dog training is not recommended by most expert trainers, as it can traumatize the dog.

Why E-Collar Dog Training Is Not Recommended

E-collars are dog-training devices used to deliver several stimuli to the dog wearing the collar, including auditory, vibration, and electric shock. There are several...

Latest Blog

Why Veterinary Wellness Exams Are Important

I took my two dogs—Woody, age 9, and Boone, age 3—to see their vet a week ago. I wasn’t looking forward to being chided for allowing him—nay, facilitating him—to gain a few extra pounds this winter. But I wasn’t at all expecting the health problems that my vet found.