PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Cats love countertops. They provide a high vantage point from which a cat can observe goings-on in the kitchen, they often have tasty crumbs or good smells on  them, and it drives their owners nuts when they get on the counter, which makes it an easy ploy for attention. Pet parents, on the other hand, don’t love cats on countertops quite as much. Nothing puts me off my food quite like knowing a cat butt is planted right where the meal was prepared! If you need to keep cats off your countertops, get ready to put away the squirt bottle and stop yelling yourself hoarse– there are better ways.

Making Counters Unappealing

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I’d generally rather see people get their pet information from a book than a television show. I recommend Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor, The Dog Who Would Be King by John C. Wright and Judi Wright-Lashnits, and Is Your Cat Crazy (same authors as the previous title). However, television isn’t going anywhere, and pet-related TV shows are likely to be a permanent part of pet ownership now and in the future. Many people now get training, grooming, and behavior advice from television. Some shows provide excellent information. Others seem to misinform owners and are intended to entertain rather than convey helpful advice. Here are my reviews of two shows I enjoy, and which provide  generally accurate advice.

It’s Me or the Dog

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It’s the rainy season in many parts of the world, and walks, dog park visits, outdoor training classes, and playtime in the backyard aren’t happening with their usual frequency. A dog kept indoors because of rain is a bored dog, and a bored dog is often destructive, hyperactive, or unfriendly. Want to beat the rainy day blues and keep your dog busy (and thus, out of trouble)? Read on.

Just Do It

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In Part One, we talked about how to plan a move and  prepare for a move without stressing your dog and causing undesirable behaviors. Now, let’s look at the move itself and the settling-in period immediately after a move, and how to keep your dog calm and happy during those stressful periods of time.

During the Move

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So, you’re getting ready to move, and you’re a dog owner. Since dogs are relatively adaptable creatures in general, it’d be easy not to think about the effect of your move on your dog until you’ve already made it. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to destructive behavior and housetraining accidents, and sometimes dogs even run away after a move. Your dog may handle moving like an old pro, but then again, she or he may not. It’s easier to prevent and manage stress ahead of time than to deal with an anxious, destructive dog while you’re trying to settle in to a new home. Follow these simple guidelines, and you’re more likely to experience a stress-free move with your pooch.

Consider Your Dog When Choosing a New Home

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Among the most common goals of active, involved dog owners is to certify their dog as a therapy dog and do therapy work with elderly people, children, veterans, or people with disabilities. Therapy dogs can help people heal, both physically and mentally. The benefits of petting a dog include lower blood pressure, reduced stress levels, and, for people with mobility impairments, the physical therapy of repetitive arm and hand movement, without the pain and boredom of most physical therapy exercises.

But not every dog is suited to be a therapy dog. Some dogs don’t have the temperament for the job; others are  physically unable to take on the hard work of greeting dozens of people in a day, climbing stairs, jumping onto hospital beds or into the laps of wheelchair users (on cue and by the patient’s request only, of course), and walking on tile or cement floors for hours at a time. This post will help you begin the process of determining whether or not your pet is therapy dog material. More →

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If you are housebreaking a puppy or dog, you’ve heard the age-old advice: “When he has an accident, just rub his nose in it!” Somehow that old chestnut has survived several revolutions in dog training, even though behaviorists and trainers have not recommended this method of discipline for many decades. However, it’s not helpful, and may even be damaging both physically and behaviorally.

Why People Rub Dogs’ Noses in Messes

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I know I’m not the only person who jokes,  “My dog would fetch until his legs fell off, if I kept throwing that ball!” It’s usually  worth a chuckle, especially if Augustin and a tennis ball are nearby so that I can demonstrate his willingness to do exactly that. But it’s not just a joke: Every summer, vets see many emergencies in which a dog has suffered heat exhaustion due to excessive exercise in hot weather. Even more frightening, the dog in question often was energetically chasing a ball or bounding around an Agility course until it collapsed.

Some dogs really will fetch until they drop. High-energy dogs depend on pet parents to monitor them while exercising and ensure that they remain cool and hydrated. More →

Convincing an outdoor cat to remain happily indoors is a task most cat parents will face at some point. While some outdoor cats settle into indoor life with no fuss at all, others may pace, yowl, spray, scratch, and behave aggressively toward humans and other pets. I feel that any outdoor cat can transition into indoor life successfully, although some will take more time than others. Preparation, patience, and commitment to meeting the cat’s needs are key to a smooth outdoor-to-indoor transition.

Why Keep Cats Inside?

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