Articles
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Dogs may become frightened of specific locations due to a traumatic event or negative experience that occurred at the location. Comfortable exposures during a puppy's sensitive socialization period may prevent fear from developing. Treatment includes behavior modification and medication, in some cases.
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Dogs may overindulge in food for several reasons, including not feeling full, boredom, or simply because they enjoy the taste of their food so much. If your dog's intake exceeds their daily calorie requirement, it can contribute to excessive weight gain and obesity. This article outlines some helpful strategies that can help your dog eat a healthy amount.
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Interactive feeders that require a pet to think and work for their food call upon pets’ natural instincts to hunt or forage. Besides being fun, these food puzzles may help both physical and behavioral problems in cats and dogs. When used correctly, interactive feeders may benefit pets that eat too quickly, become bored when alone, or suffer from separation anxiety.
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Gentamicin + betamethasone valerate + clotrimazole (Otomax®) is a combination topical ear medication used to treat bacterial and/or yeast ear infections in dogs. It is also used off label to treat bacterial and/or yeast infections in cats, or for the topical treatment of superficial skin infections in both dogs and cats.
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If you are planning to add another dog to your family, take time to consider the personality, size, and sex of your current household dog. Introduce the dogs gradually, watching for subtle signs of fear or aggression. Supervise the dogs for as many weeks as needed to assure long term success.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tail wagging enhances a dog’s ability to communicate. Different positions, speeds, and even the direction of tail wagging mean different things. It is always important to observe and interpret the tail wag in conjunction with all the dog’s postures.
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Although some dogs like to run free more than others, all dogs need to be trained so they will respond when they are off leash. Dogs instinctively want to explore new sights, sounds, and smells so it's important to teach them to return to home base. Start by teaching your dog basic verbal commands without the tug of a leash at home. When your dog becomes proficient close to home or in confined areas, you can both venture out further or add more distractions. Incorporating off-leash training into ordinary daily activities reinforces the learning. Your dog's response may be enhanced if he receives a reward for his prompt attention. The reward can be as simple as a “Good dog!” accompanied by a pat on the head, a treat, or toy. Be careful not to create a dependency on treats as motivation for good behavior.
