Lifestyle

I have floofy dogs, so I learned to remove dog hair from my car. I also became a fan of preventatives. For example, if...

The best pet air purifiers can help minimize pet odors, pet hair, and pet dander in your home. They can also help with other common allergens and irritants like dust mites and pollen. If you or your dog suffer from seasonal allergies or live in an area with frequent poor air quality, a good air purifier can help you both breathe easier.

Putting a coat on your dog shouldn't be about making a fashion statement. Rather, it should be about keeping a chilly dog warm, thereby preventing hypothermia, a dangerous condition characterized by a reduced internal body temperature. (The normal canine body temperature is 100.5 to 102 degrees. A dog whose temperature drops below 95 degrees can die.) A dog's natural protection against cold varies from breed to breed. Labradors and certain Northern dogs (Huskies and Malamutes, for example) have developed with special physiological responses for coping with cold.

Healthy, adult, heavy-coated dogs may not need them, but sweaters and other cold-weather gear can help puppies, short-haired dogs, and older dogs keep warm to thrive in winter weather.

A dog raincoat keeps your dog warm in cold, wet weather. If your dog is one of a single-coated breeds (such as Boxers, Dalmatians,...

As you see your beloved old dog’s muzzle beginning to gray, it’s natural to consider adding a puppy to the household. You’d love for the next generation to learn from the best, and honestly, you’re thinking it would soften the eventual loss to have another dog already in the family.

There are several words that will instantly rouse our three Rhodesian Ridgebacks from even the deepest of sleeps. “Breakfast,” “cookie,” “dinner,” and “out” all result in Aero, Opus, and Amber running enthusiastically toward the kitchen for food or toward the door to be let out in the yard. But there is one magic word that far exceeds the impact of all others: RUN. Saying the “r” word in the Sarubin household results in sheer pandemonium with three big brown dogs frantically campaigning themselves to be “the chosen one” that day. Forget actually saying a word about going running! These dogs know the difference between [IMGCAP(1)]running shorts and regular shorts, running tights and pantyhose, or running shoes and hiking boots. Simply putting on a headband sends them into a frenzy. My running partners for 14 of my 18 years of running have been dogs. In my experience, dogs are, by far, the best running partners. They will run any distance, anywhere at any time, and are always happy about running. They never complain about the weather, let me choose the route, allow me to set the pace and distance, and motivate me to run on an almost-daily basis – more than any human running partner ever could. If you own an athletic dog and are a runner already, or are considering beginning a running program, you have the best of all running partners already living with you.

There is an ever-widening variety of food-filled puzzles, food-dispensing toys, and “slow feeding” dishes for dogs on the market. Many trainers (and this publication)...

The selection of dog gates for use indoors – and even outside your house – has exploded in recent years. Here are the most helpful dog-gate types.

You’re getting a dog from the shelter? Good for you! We’ll tell you how to choose the best dog for your family. There are a number of steps you need to take before you even set foot inside the shelter door. Doing some pre-visit homework can greatly increase your odds of finding the perfect pup. Caution: If all dogs on a particular shelter’s website are described the same way (sweet, friendly, loving) then the shelter probably doesn’t know the personalities of their dogs very well, or chooses not to be forthcoming with the information. This would be a good shelter to avoid.

It’s understandable that dog owners would be interested in using music to facilitate calmness. And there is evidence that some music does indeed help dogs relax.

I used to live with a Frisbee-addicted dog (a Border Collie named Rupert), and a disc-addicted son, who is now off at college (and still addicted). So how is it that WDJ has never before reviewed flying disc toys for dogs? There is a wide variety of flying toys made for dogs, with different key features for different applications. The overarching concept is to create a disc that flies well enough to inspire a dog to chase it, catch it, and return with it uninjured. Most of us owners want a toy that won't be ruined within three catches between a dog's teeth, but you don't want it to be so tough that it can hurt a dog's teeth or mouth if he doesn't catch it perfectly.