Stuck at Home? Build a Backyard Agility Course
Is your dog’s energy level cranked up a notch or two above the average pooch? Does he or she seem to have an insatiable need to run? Could you stand a little more exercise, too? Then a backyard agility course may be the perfect outlet for the both of you. Canine agility is a sport …
Dog Bite Prevention Week: Avoiding Dog Bites
If you’re a pet parent, you’ve probably felt the imprint of canine teeth on your skin — whether it’s the sharp pinch of puppy teeth or an inadvertent nip during a game of fetch. But it’s the more dangerous bites, the ones that cause serious injury, bacterial infections or transmit potentially fatal diseases like rabies, …
8 Tips for Do-It-Yourself Home Pet Grooming
Some pets never learn. Despite your best efforts, they’ll wallow in every mud puddle, roll on roadkill and dart after skunks time and time again. If you can’t afford a regular grooming appointment, you’ll need to master the dog bath (or the cat bath, as the case may be). And since pets can’t use emery …
The Best Tech for Pet Lovers
Technology changes our lives more every day, and those changes (mostly positive!) trickle down to our pets. This short list proves there’s a new pet tech product for just about everyone. For the aspiring film director, there’s the GoPro Fetch Dog Harness. Now you can capture award-winning footage from your dog’s point of view, by …
If Dogs Could Talk: Teaching Dogs to Speak
No doubt, you and your dog already communicate in a nonverbal way (although full-on conversations with your pet aren’t unheard of, even if they are a bit one-sided). For instance, he or she has a way of letting you know when a trip outside is needed, when the food or water bowl needs filling and …
Is Your Cat Aloof or Intuitive? Researchers Want to Know
Rightly or wrongly, cats have earned a reputation for being independent and aloof. But does your cat actually pick up on your social cues, and then simply play hard to get? Researchers at the Oregon State University Human-Animal Interaction Laboratory are currently examining cat social skills, or how cats relate to us as human beings. …
Home Alone: Back to School Can Be Stressful for Pets
They’ve been inseparable all summer long. Each time the kids leaped off the dock into the lake, the dog wasn’t far behind. When your kids built spaceships out of old moving boxes, the cat was the first to take a ride. And if your child read a mystery book by flashlight at night, your pet …
The Secret Lives of Cats: Kitty Cams Tell All
Ever wonder what your cat is up to when you’re not around? Does your feline lick your toothbrush or nap on your pillow? Well, wonder no more. To help celebrate World Cat Day on August 8, we’re letting the cat out of the bag, with the results of a recent study using kitty cams to …
Dogs at Work: TSA Dogs Tackle Security Before Takeoff
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) dogs can’t prevent turbulence during your flight, but they can help you fly through security a little faster. Trained to sniff out a range of explosives at airports and other transportation hubs, these dogs can screen passengers — without touching them — faster than traditional methods. And that helps loosen airport …
A Fracas at the Food Bowl: Food Guarding in Dogs
Almost every dog relishes the food dish. Many dogs will show their enthusiasm by spinning in circles or dancing on their hind legs when the bowl makes an appearance. But once the bowl is on the floor, some dogs can become downright territorial, growling, lunging and even biting if anyone approaches their bowl. It’s mine, …