Dog parks are off-leash areas that let dogs interact with each other and stretch their legs mostly free of charge, although there are also a few members-only dog parks. Most feature water stations, poop bags, and are at least partially fenced-in. Sounds pretty good so far, right? While we can probably all agree that the …
Tug-of-war is a fun game that many dogs love because it mimics shaking their prey! They can play it with a human, other dogs, or even just themselves. However, there are a few instances in which dogs shouldn’t get to play tug, and I’ll point them out in this article. Pros of playing tug of …
Dog owners know that it doesn’t matter what time of year it is or what the weather is like. Dogs need to go out and get some exercise. For some dogs and their people, the answer of what to do in the winter is skijoring. Skijoring—“ski driving” in Norwegian—involves a person on skis being pulled …
In this article, I’ll share tips on how to introduce a new puppy or adult dog to your cat, along with what to consider before you even bring Fido home in the first place. I also cover the tough decision of having to re-home a dog who’s determined to harm your resident cat. Can dogs …
Have you ever heard of the Feist dog breed? I hadn’t, at least not until early 2019 when I adopted my Feist mix Wally West from a rescue organization here in North Carolina! What is a Feist dog? One of the very first questions I had for the rescue group lady I was in contact …
Throughout this series on dog sports, there has been one question that I’ve asked all of the handlers and dog owners: “How important is basic obedience in your sport?” When it comes to the sport of rally obedience, there’s no question. Obedience—at an advanced, not basic level—is critical. About rally obedience Rally, or rally obedience, …
I’m excited to add another dog to our family in 2021! I’ve been carefully choosing the right dog breed for us (over analyzing, for sure). I’m writing this to: Show how important it is to carefully choose any dog or puppy Process my choice (writing helps me do so) Document my life with dogs Choosing …
One in 3 pets will get lost during their lifetime and 10 million pets are lost in the U.S. every year. That’s an estimate of the American Humane Association. Thankfully, there are several ways of identifying and returning a pet with her owners. Microchips for dogs are an affordable, tamper-proof option. However, microchips do come …
Do you allow your dog up on the furniture or is it a strict no-go in your home? Regardless of your preference, there’s certainly no right answer to this question. In this article, we’ll offer proactive solutions to keep your dog off the furniture, but we’ll also look at the topic from different angles. For …
Who’s looking forward to running at top speed down a dock and leaping into the water this summer? If you feel you’re too old for that sort of thing, remember how you felt when you did it as a child? That excitement, joy and energy are all part of the sport of dock diving—for dogs. …