Subscribe

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

Home Care Page 4

Care

Reverse sneezing is dogs is caused by irritation at the back of the throat.

Reverse Sneezing in Dogs

What is a reverse sneeze and what causes it?
Huw many hours a dog sleeps is determined by factors like age, size, and breed.

How Much Sleep Does Your Dog Need?

A dog's sleep requirements are influenced by their age, breed, activity level, and individual makeup. Puppies, very active dogs, and seniors need their power naps. Adult dogs in their prime sleep more like people do.
Dog groomer cutting nails on black Labrador retriever dog

How to Trim Dog Nails

No dog likes getting their nails cut, but every dog can learn to accept the procedure.
Getting sap out of dog fur can prevent matting and other ailments.

How to Get Sap Out of Dog Fur

As a do-it-yourself project, pitch removal requires time and patience, so take an objective look at the situation. Is there a small amount of pitch in your dog’s hair? Or is there a lot? Is your pup able to sit or lie still for half an hour or more? Do you enjoy grooming your dog?

Terrifically Tough Dog Toys

There are just a few companies who specialize in chew toys for canines with shark mouths – dogs who instantly shred the majority of toys. If you are looking for something that an aggressive chewer can take under the kitchen table and gnaw on for any stretch of time, you’d best stick to those few. For this article, we wanted to find toys that could last long enough to entertain us and our shark-mouthed dogs for more than a few hours or days.

Blind Dogs Can Have Normal Lives Too!

Chewbacca is, in most ways, a normal, happy, seven-year-old Golden Retriever. He loves to play with the other dogs. Like most Goldens, he enjoys a good game of fetch. He joyfully embarks on daily off leash romps with his guardian, Jenny Alt, and her three other dogs. Chewbacca has one trait that makes him just a little different, however. He cannot see. With a few accommodations in training and management, blind dogs can enjoy happy, normal lives.

Getting the Most Out of Puppy Kindergarten

You've got a new puppy and are about to start puppy classes (or are planning ahead for your new pup – even better!). You know good puppy classes are an integral part of helping you and your dog invest in a long and harmonious future. Puppy classes aren't magic. Just signing up, paying, and attending aren't enough. You have to train and practice and build your relationship with your puppy. It will last a lifetime and the effort you put in now will pay off multifold. But keep in mind that the bad habits that you and your puppy develop now will also give you payback many times over! So let's assume you have really committed yourself to rearing a puppy well, and talk about how to get the most out of your puppy classes

Letters from Readers: November 2016

My dog has learned to demand having her teeth brushed! I read that coconut oil was very good for dogs. About a year ago, I started using it to brush my dog's teeth. Every night for the past year, our 2-year-old dog Lila will come to me and paw my leg while staring straight into my eyes, about an hour after her dinner meal. She will not leave me alone until I say, Ready for your teeth to be brushed?" She looks at me

Veterinary Applications of Laser Therapy

Acupuncture Points and Trigger Points: Traditional Chinese acupuncture points are stimulated by a focused laser beam, used solely or in combination with acupuncture needles, to produce a systemic effect; high doses of laser therapy may be used to deactivate trigger points (hyperirritable spots that induce pain elsewhere in the body) found in muscle, ligaments, tendons, and periosteum.

Top 20 Essential Oils for Dogs

Carrot Seed (Daucus carota). Skin care, first aid, healing, scarring,skin conditions. Super gentle.Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica). Improves circulation,helps deter fleas. Skin care.Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita). Also called bluechamomile. Skin-soothing anti-inflammatory. Burns, allergicreactions, skin irritations.Chamomile, Roman (Anthemis nobilis). Intensely calming andantispasmodic. Wound care, teething pain.Clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Different from common garden sage.Gentle, sedating, calming

Boarding Your Dog Anxiety-Free

So, you're leaving town for a few days. What ARE you going to do with Fido? Experts agree that the best situation for your dog's health and happiness would be to have someone stay in your home, maintaining the dog's regular diet and exercise, and preserving his comfort and sense of security, but this is not always possible. And while we know people who haven't taken a dog-less vacation for the life of their dogs, we think this is a little extreme.

Canned Food Review; Mixed-Breeds vs. Pure; Another Harness

Just read your “Canned Food Review” (WDJ October 2012) with interest and definitely learned some stuff. I’d like to get on your radar for next time a fairly-new-to-the-market canned food that was recommended to us by our locally owned pet food store, where the owners do a lot of research on pet foods. You won’t find Pedigree or Science Diet there.

Latest Blog

How “Bird Flu” Could Threaten Your Dog

The “bird flu”, or avian influenza, has been around for a long time; it’s circulated in wild birds since the late 1990s. But like all viruses, it mutates over time—and influenza viruses are known to mutate very quickly. What’s more, some emerging strains are deadlier than others.