How Comical Is Your Dog?

How Comical Is Your Dog? I’ve often wondered what my pooch thinks when I laugh or find something humorous. There have been times that I’d swear she knows and actually gets the joke of a situation. So I decided to do some research on doggy brains and their level of...

Are You Fit To Be A Dog Owner?

Are You Fit To Be A Dog Owner? Each year as many as 6.5 million companion animals end up at shelters throughout the US. Not all are surrendered by their owners but that group is part of the equation, according to the ASPCA. Not everyone who takes on the responsibility...

5 Dog Breeds Not Fit For Kids

5 Dog Breeds Not Fit For Kids Toddlers can be a handful for their parents and if there are pets in the home the situation may be even more complicated — or downright dangerous. Dogs are good for kids to grow up with because of their  unconditional love and ways they...

5 Reasons Your Dog Might Lose Hair

5 Reasons Your Dog Might Lose Hair The beauty of our pets is something that often requires lots of care and is more than skin deep. Dogs (and cats) with long, luxurious hair require regular grooming to remain pleasing to the eye and to avoid health problems related to...

Five Reasons Your Dog Needs Physical Activity

Five Reasons Your Dog Needs Physical Activity Many of us know how much love and joy our canine friends bring to us unconditionally. In fact, a pet can curb anxiety and depression in its owners simply by sharing its life with them. But how many of us realize the...

How To Make Cats and Dogs Get Along

How To Make Cats and Dogs Get Along You’ve probably seen them on Facebook: animals that make the most unlikely friends. Ducks and horses, turtles and pigs, rabbits and chickens, and on and on the list goes.   The more common duo for most of us is cat and dog. You...

Do Homework Before You Adopt A Pet

Do Homework Before You Adopt A Pet The prospect of welcoming a new pet into our homes is an exciting one. But it’s also pretty complex. For those of us who already have a pet it’s important to work out a successful strategy for making initial introductions. And...

Dangers of Dogs & Vehicles in Cold Weather

Dangers of Dogs & Vehicles in Cold Weather More and more these days, Clifton Park pet parents consider the hazards associated with keeping a dog (or cat, or child for that matter) in a hot car. But cold weather can also be deadly for  our four-legged friends. ...

5 Signs Your Dog Is Healthy

5 Signs Your Dog Is Healthy Clifton Park pet parents are bombarded daily with TV ads and online news feeds warning them to be on the lookout for scary signs and symptoms of disease and illness in their pets. Our pets seem to be getting cancer almost as much as we are,...

Do Dog Diapers Work?

Do Dog Diapers Work? Before my German Shepherd “Holly” was spayed she and I got to experience several cycles of her coming into heat. I’d had cats all my life and was no stranger to that feline phenomenon.  However, the canine version was much more than I ever...

Are Dog Bones Safe For Your Dog?

Are Dog Bones Safe For Your Dog? Giving our four-legged best friends bones to cherish and chew is sort of second nature for most pet parents. Speaking for myself, I only give my dog those flavored Nyla type versions because I am afraid of the choking hazard real bones...

How To Read My Dog’s Tail

How To Read My Dog’s Tail It might not surprise you to learn that your Pooch’s tail is an astute communication tool. Many of us realize that Fido’s wagging tail is a sign of happiness and joy, but there is so much more we can interpret from her/his tail and body...

What’s behind a Dog’s Sense of Humor

What’s behind a Dog’s Sense of Humor I’ve often wondered what my pooch thinks when I laugh or find something humorous. There have been times that I’d swear she knows and actually gets the joke of a situation. So I decided to do some research on doggy brains and...

Grooming Your Dog Is Healthy

Grooming Your Dog Is Healthy We all want our pups to look (and smell) like a million bucks but did you know that grooming is also important for their overall health and well-being?  A health routine that includes grooming ensures that your pooch isn’t harboring any...

Should You Sleep With Your Dog?

To Sleep or Not to Sleep with Your Dog (Clifton Park Pet Parents Ponder the Matter) Seriously, is there anything in the world cuter than a puppy (or kitten)? When you meet your new pooch for the first time you are overcome with emotion and an outpouring of love. You...

How to Introduce a Rescue Dog to the Family

How to Introduce a Rescue Dog to the Family I recently welcomed a senior dog to my home. Sadie, a nine-year-old Labrador Retriever/German Shepherd Mix was surrendered by a family with a newborn that worried about how the dog would treat the little human. Sadie cowered...

7 Lazy Dog Breeds

7 Lazy Dog Breeds Top Couch Potato Canine Breeds Identified Are you dreaming of adopting the most laid back of canine companions? Well here is a list from www.insidepetsworld.com of the top mellow breeds for your consideration: 1. Newfoundland Dog — Has been...

Protocols For Flying with Your Pet

Protocols For Flying with Your Pet   The rules for traveling by air with your pet have evolved over the years. For instance, in 1990 I traveled from Los Angeles to Albany, N.Y. with my cat “Koko” when she was less than a year old. At that time, I was required to keep...

How to Detect Depression in Your Dog

How to Detect Depression in Your Dog My neighbor’s dog Blake is a bundle of furry, bouncing joy. Even at six years old, he still displays many behaviors of the puppy he once was. A chocolate lab mix, Blake is a cherished member of the family who wiles away his time...

Adopting A Dog Is Good For Your Children

Adopting A Dog Is Good For Your Children Most people already know that adopting a dog has its benefits and is certainly a good thing for the pup you rescue. But introducing a canine member to your family is particularly beneficial to kids. I know this first-hand. When...

Herbs that are Beneficial to Pets

Which Tasty Herbs are Beneficial to Pets Some of the herbs we grow here in Upstate New York and regularly add to our recipes to make them more delicious are actually good for our pets. While others that are used as natural remedies for a range of health issues can...

Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe July 4th

Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe July 4th As spectacular as fireworks are for we humans the same can’t be said for our four-legged friends. Pet experts agree that more pets go missing on the Fourth of July than on any other day of the year, making July 5th one of the...

Dangers of the Heat for Your Dog

In a recent blog I talked about how the hazy, hot and humid days of summer pose a particular hazard to our pets. To underscore that fact, I want to talk about the dangerous behavior I observed in just the last week since filing that story. On one of the hottest days...

Top Ways to Love Your Pet Every Day

Top Ways to Love Your Pet Every Day If you’re like me you talk to your dog incessantly and wish he or she could understand your every word and now how much you love them. But do you ever wish you knew the best way to put your words into action? Here some top ways to...

How to Bring Your Dog Camping

How to Bring Your Dog Camping Here in New York State we have abundant green space and rural landscapes to enjoy for recreation. When the weather warms up many of us start thinking about outdoor activities. Camping is at the top of my list. Whether I camp in a tent,...

How to Choose a Name for Your Pup

How to Choose a Name for Your Pup Picking the perfect name for your pup is a serious matter but it can also be fun. After all, he or she will have that name for life so it’s important to choose a name that best suits the newest four-legged member of your family. So,...

Dealing with Dog Cancer

Dealing with Dog Cancer Is Canine Cancer a Death Sentence? The leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two years is cancer. In dogs 10 years and older the risk of developing cancer increases exponentially, according to a blog post from April 2017 from...

Different Dog Sleeping Positions

Different Dog Sleeping Positions Why does my dog sleep this way… It’s pretty common knowledge that cats spend a lot of time sleeping every day. But you might be surprised to learn that pooches like to snooze 12 to 14 hours a day, too. And puppies, senior dogs and dogs...

At Home Dog Health Checks

At Home Dog Health Checks Simple Home Check-ups to Detect Disease in Pets If you’re like me you’re hyper-vigilant when it comes to detecting changes in your pooch’s or kitty’s behavior. Yet there have been times when symptoms of illness have gotten past me until they...

Why Foster A Dog

Why Foster a Dog Perhaps the idea of adding a dog to the family is a little intimidating at the moment. Or the loss of a beloved dog is too recent and you can’t bear the idea of getting attached to another pooch. Regardless of the reason, fostering is a wonderful way...

Prevent Dog Theft

Preventing Dog Theft As many as two million animals are stolen each year and only about 10 percent ever make it back to their homes, according to statistics revealed on Petfinder.com. Purebred dogs tend to be the most popular among thieves, but all beloved family pets...

Dealing with Dog Cancer

Dealing with Dog Cancer Is Canine Cancer a Death Sentence? The leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two years is cancer. In dogs 10 years and older the risk of developing cancer increases exponentially, according to a blog post from April 2017 from...

Different Dog Sleeping Positions

Different Dog Sleeping Positions Why does my dog sleep this way… It’s pretty common knowledge that cats spend a lot of time sleeping every day. But you might be surprised to learn that pooches like to snooze 12 to 14 hours a day, too. And puppies, senior dogs...

Dog Crate Barking Solutions

Dog Crate Barking Solutions For most dogs their crate is their home, their man cave, the place where they feel safe and secure. However, if they weren’t introduced to crate training from a young age they may be resistant to spending much time there, which can lead to...

Dog Volunteering

Dog Volunteering Thinking about adopting a dog or a cat for the first time? Not sure you want to take on the responsibility or have enough time for a four-legged companion? Why not consider becoming a volunteer first?  Capital District animal shelters and rescue...

Dealing with Loss of a Pet

Dealing with Loss of a Pet Grieving the Loss of your Pet The agony of losing your four-legged best friend is almost indescribable. In fact, there is at least one study out there that suggests losing a pet may even be worse than losing a human. A study conducted by...

Tips for Boarding your Dog

Tips for Boarding your Dog Boarding  is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for both dogs and their owners, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to give your dog a positive boarding experience while you’re out of town. Once you have found the perfect...

Living in an Apartment with a Dog

Living in an Apartment with a Dog Do Apartments and Dogs Mix? Most of my adult life I have rented apartments and I have always shared my homes with pets. Admittedly, finding the right apartment has been more challenging because of my four-legged children. But I would...