"(Doorbell) - Trick or Treat!" Your dog runs behind the sofa and barks, hackles raised... does this scene sound familiar?

How about Fido quivering under the bed?

If your dog has similar reactions to trick-or-treaters, I have some helpful advice. Let's dig in:

• Give your dog calming supplements starting a few days prior to Halloween.
• Give your dog plenty of exercise the day prior and the day of the festivities. This will release any pent-up anxiety and help your dog be more calm when the trick-or-treaters come out.
• Make sure your dog's collar and tags are on well before the festivities, in the event he or she were to escape the house.
• Give your dog at least two durable, food-filled toys to chew on to keep her mind off of all else once the festivities begin.
• Close...

Should People Dress Up Pets for Halloween?

Sure, it's cute, but have you thought about how they feel about it?

I think dressing up a pet who has been trained to accept wearing things using positive reinforcement (praise & positive associations) is acceptable for photo ops, as long as they're not showing any signs of stress or humiliation.

For animals, playing "dress up" is very unnatural and uncomfortable. We must take caution and look out for their mental and emotional well-being.

Dressing up certain animals with aggressive tendencies can exacerbate the problem, as stress causes these animals to snap.

Dressing up shy or fearful animals can make their anxiety worse.

Taking any dog out in public while wearing a costume can cause major communication problems. What I mean is,...

Diatomaceous Earth, a fine white powder sourced from fossils, has many uses including flea and tick prevention, use in parasite cleanses, is a great skin exfoliant, can be used to brush teeth, is a great source of calcium and minerals, is a desiccant (keeps things dry), deodorizer, and can be used in the garden. While D.E. provides benefits for all of these uses, it must be used with caution. Let's dive deeper...

D.E. is comprised of ancient fossilized aquatic organisms that are ground up into micro-sized particles. These particles are very sharp and have jagged edges. This is why it works so well at lacerating the bodies of both internal and external parasites. For obvious reasons, we don't want to get this into our lungs. Extreme caution must be used when...

When a pet passes away, they leave behind many fond memories. They may have inspired you, cheered you, or was just the steady friend you always had around. There are some things that belonged to them that you want to keep around. For me, it was Rosie's favorite toy that she had since she was a puppy, her collar tag, and best picture. These have remained preserved over the years since her passing and sit on a bookshelf in my bedroom.

Rosie was everything: a playmate, best friend, ever-present companion, trick-dog master, agility wiz, scent tracker... my little black bear!

I recently stumbled accross a business that prints dog photos on blankets - full-size. It was funny, because a couple of weeks ago, I thought to myself, "it would sure be nice to get that printed on a...

(Originally Published 5/25/2020)

Service Dogs