Modern Training for Modern Dogs
By Laura Sutherland~ Thank goodness canine training methods have come a long way! Despite the old coercive/punitive style of decades past, science has proven that operant conditioning and relationship-based training are key. These methods mostly consist of rewards for compliance and removal of rewards for non-compliance. Without negativity in training, dogs learn and bond with
How to Know If Your Cat Is Happy
Observe and learn to speak cat By Laura Sutherland ~ How do I know if my cat is happy? Adam Christman, a New Jersey-based veterinarian, gets this question all the time. “Cat parents want to make sure their cats are content,” he said. “It can be confusing [to tell if they are] because cats are
Take Time to Celebrate Our Furry Friends
By Sharon Kurtz ~ “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling the emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” Author Thom Jones Our dogs have always been our best friends, loyal companions, and, most importantly, part of our family. So why not celebrate them? It is a great reason
Senior Dogs Have a Lot of Love to Give
By Laura Sutherland ~ Honest reasons to adopt an older pooch The online dog journal, dogtime.com, published a wonderful article on senior dog adoption. As an adopter of an older dog myself, I couldn’t agree more with its findings. Shelters are full of older pups who, for whatever reason, find themselves alone and caged. People
Our Dogs are Therapy Animals Too
By Laura Sutherland ~ There is an ancient Chinese saying that goes, “May you live in interesting times.” It is NOT meant as a blessing! These are indeed interesting times. A pandemic is scary, and we absolutely must take the necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy, but panic or even handwringing serves no one.
Recognizing and Relieving Anxiety in Your Dog
By Laura Sutherland ~ You’ve recently adopted a dog at your local shelter. Congratulations! For the first few days, all goes well. Then you realize you need to spend several hours away from the house. You give your doggie love, then head out the door — only to return, later, to discover the inside of
Introducing a New Pet Into Your Home
By Laura Sutherland ~ Oh, goody! A new fur-baby is coming to live with your family. Have you considered how bringing in a new pet might be an issue with your existing 4-legged family member(s) or YOU? Let’s talk about that. Adding a new pet can be stressful. There are so many sad cases of
A Good Dog is a Trained Dog
By Laura Sutherland ~ We adore our canine fur-babies and treat them like the beloved family members they are. But wait! They are dogs, after all, and when we forget that and treat them like human children, we are doing our pets a real disservice. A “good” dog is a trained dog. Dogs have their
When Buying Pet Food, Check Those Labels!
By Laura Sutherland ~ We’ve all heard the adage, “You are what you eat.” But what about our four-legged friends? Pet food marketers do their jobs well: They all want you to think their product is the best for your fur baby. But there’s still some research required. Here is what I’ve learned. For starters,
