Treat Toys Provide Enrichment and Mental Exercise for your Pet
Like it or not, winter's here and we'll be spending more time indoors with our pets. Older pets and those with injuries or disease are usually more homebound than their more physically-abled pals. Whether due to weather, injury, disease, or age, pets that need to stay indoors can benefit greatly from enrichment activities and mental stimulation. Enrichment activities are tasks that improve a pet's quality of life and activities in which...
4 Ways to Help Prevent Injuries in Companion Dogs
Do you know how to prevent injuries in your companion dog? When many of us hear the term “canine injury prevention”, we typically think about sport and/or professional working dogs. However, it is not only our sport and working dogs that get injured during activities. On any given day, I see many people sharing on social media or hear people talking about how their companion dog was injured while playing...
Could My Pet Benefit From Rehabilitation?
There are some obvious cases where rehabilitation can benefit animals including spinal injury, osteoarthritis, or cruciate ligament rupture. But small injuries can happen during normal life and dogs are generally quite stoic and are very good at hiding subtle injuries. If these injuries aren’t picked up on, then as the dog ages, they will adapt how they move and hold themselves, either making the injury worse or causing other areas...
Exercising Your Dog in a Small Space or Apartment
How to Exercise Your Dog When You Live In an Apartment Living in an apartment or having limited space with no yard is not a barrier to giving your dog exercise. There are many ways to exercise your dog by getting out and about or providing activity indoors. Daily Walk The daily walk is crucial for all dogs, especially dogs that live indoors. Firstly, they have toileting needs. Many people...
Muscle building and Strength Exercises for Dogs
When people think of muscle building and strength exercises for dogs they picture the big Pitbull or Rotti conditioning for protection sports or protection work or even the skinny dog needing to gain weight. However, muscle conditioning exercise has benefits for all dogs and is also beneficial in the rehabilitation of dogs recovering from injury or suffering degenerative issues such as hip dysplasia or spine related problems. See “Exercising a...
Road Trip Tips For Driving with Your Dog
The sights, the smells, the speed; car rides are bliss for dogs. Some pet behaviorists believe this is due to that fact that car rides can mimic the sensations that dogs experience when hunting in packs. From moving synchronically with the other members of the car (their “pack”) as the car sways and maneuvers to the accelerated speed of travel and the challenge to their superior olfactory senses (did you...
Why Do Dogs Have Dewclaws?
Dewclaws are evidence of the evolutionary history of dogs Dogs do not create museums or libraries to preserve the history of the evolution of their species. Dogs simply store their wisdom in their genes. But sometimes we can read bits of this history by looking at a dog's behavior or his physiology. Take the case of dewclaws. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, dewclaws are...
GET A GRIP: Keeping Seniors, Injured, and Weak Dogs Safe at Home
Older dogs and those with injuries or balance issues can have trouble moving around the home, especially on slippery surfaces like tile or wood floors. Some dogs react to slippery floors by not wanting to get up or walk - they lack confidence and will elect to "stay put" rather than risk slipping. Pets that are nervous about moving around can become weak because they are less active. Other dogs are less self-protective or fearful,...