Library

Home » Pet Health » Pet Health Library » Library

• Getting Your Puppy Started Off Right

  When you bring a new puppy into your home, there is inevitably a period of adjustment. The adjustment will be easier if you plan how you will meet the puppy's needs and provide a positive experience, safe socialization, supervision, and structure. Puppies can be exhausting at times, but raising a puppy is intensely rewarding.

• Guilty or Innocent? Do pets know they have done something wrong when they act guilty?

  Head down. Eyes averted. Shoulders hunched. Tail thumping the floor. Body retreating. Your pet looks guilty, maybe even apologetic, right? WRONG! Your pet’s body posture and attitude do not indicate guilt or remorse but represent a response to your body posture and attitude.

• Head Halter Training for Dogs

  Head halters can provide better control and safety for some dogs. A proper fit with gentle leash handling and positive reinforcement training is required to make a head halter successful. Some dogs may find the head halters aversive, which means it is not the right tool for them.

• Helping Dogs with Severe Phobias During Storms and Fireworks

  Phobias related to thunderstorms and fireworks cause dogs to suffer and often increase in intensity over time. Behavior modification combined with medication can be used to reduce a dog's level of fear. Until therapy can be completed, it can be helpful to sit with your dog in a safe room where background music and curtains can be used to help buffer noises and flashing lights.

• Helping Your Grieving Pet

  When a beloved family member dies, the surviving people and pets mourn the loss. Dogs and cats rely on their social group for safety and emotional well being. Surviving pets experience the loss of a favored companion and a disruption of the social dynamic. They may also be distressed when they sense changes in the emotions and behavior of household people.

• House Training for Puppies and Dogs

  House training is best accomplished with a consistent program that relies on supervision to prevent mistakes and positive reinforcement for elimination in designated locations. Though house training can be time-consuming, when done properly, the foundational training will last a lifetime.

• How to Recognize Pain in Aging Dogs

  Pain can be difficult to detect in older dogs. It is important for dog owners to recognize subtle signs of pain in their dog, such as slowing down on walks, unwillingness to play, reluctance to sit or stand, limping or weight shifting, and sensitivity to touch on being picked up. If any of these behaviors are observed, your dog should be evaluated by your veterinarian and a pain management plan devised.

• Human-Canine Communication: Tone vs. Volume

  Training a dog to understand human communications is easier when we consider how our tone and volume influence our message. Verbal commands will be interpreted differently by your dog depending on how they hear it. Just remember, it’s not just what you say….it’s how you say it.

• Interpreting Tail Wags in Dogs

  While dogs do not speak the human language, they still communicate quite effectively and tail wagging enhances their ability to communicate. Position and speed of tail wagging takes on different meanings. Interestingly, dogs do not talk to themselves. They will wag their tails in front of humans or other dogs, but they do not wag when alone!

• Introduction to Desensitization and Counterconditioning

  Using desensitization and counterconditioning, a behavior modification technique, can change a pet's negative emotional response to triggers. The technique is well suited for pets experiencing fear, frustration, or hyperarousal. Desensitization must be done slowly and systematically to avoid inadvertently sensitizing the pet.