Lifestyle

Take a look at those household cleaners under your sink and in your laundry room. Many of them list a plethora of toxic ingredients including petroleum distillates, mineral spirits, formaldehyde, and others that have been proven carcinogenic and mutagenetic. As concerned consumers we can try to purchase safe and healthy products for our pets, but it is not always easy. Many products on the market today are considered proprietary and closely guard their formulas as trade secrets, making it impossible for us to judge their contents. Homemade cleaning products can keep your house perfectly clean for less money – and at a lower cost to the health of your canine and human family.

Carpet cleaners or rug shampooers combine suction power with cleaning sprays, rotating brushes, and rinse water to remove stains, odors, and stubborn grime.

There is nothing sadder than the look on my 8-year-old dog Otto's face when he sees me loading my new puppy Woody into the car, on our way to puppy kindergarten classes. This is pretty much the only time I take Woody somewhere and don't ask Otto to come along, too. Otto's expression was so bereft, it got me looking around for some other activity to take up with Otto (and Otto alone).

Few things are as rewarding as bringing a dog into your family. Dogs bring inherent expenses though and it's important to understand the financial commitments so you can budget for the known costs.

Not to be outdone by the veterinary profession (See Alphabet Soup

Check out the most exciting and useful dog products you can use in the new year.

Many trainers use a platform or a box, also called a “place board,” to help a dog understand the concept of remaining in a designated spot. It is is a low, stable surface that is used to help a dog learn to stay in the same spot while changing positions or to learn a formal “stay.”

Emotional support dogs are not registered in any database. What you do need is a letter from your licensed mental health professional that you need an emotional support animal.

You either love it or hate it: the wet, warm sensation of a dog licking your face. Many of us seek out this kind...

When you use a dog walking app service, you are inviting a stranger into your home who you have not vetted. You are handing your four-legged family member, with all his or her unique quirks, to a well-intentioned dog lover who most likely does not have the requisite education and training to keep your dog safe by understanding body language, recognizing early warning signs, knowing how to avoid incident, and what to do should something go wrong. This puts your dog at greater risk.

If I were to choose two words to summarize how to live harmoniously with dogs in apartment buildings it would be with consideration." It really is no different than how we should strive to treat our neighbors even when pets are not involved. For example

There's no denying it: a new puppy is one of the world's most wonderful things. It's a cold, hard heart that doesn't get all mushy over puppy breath, soft pink puppy pads, and the fun of helping a baby dog discover his new world. So, if one puppy is wonderful, two puppies must be twice as wonderful, right? Well, not usually. Most training professionals strongly recommend against adopting two pups at the same time. The biggest challenge of adopting puppy pairs is their tendency to bond very closely with each other, often to the exclusion of a meaningful relationship with their humans. They can become inseparable. Also, owners often underestimate the time commitment required to properly care for and train two puppies; as a result the pups often end up untrained and undersocialized.