dog health

Creating a Dog Drool-Protected Home


Photo by: Kathryn, Smithfield

To protect your home from dog drool, you need to:

  • Understand what causes excessive drooling

  • Cover high-use areas, like where your dog sits on the sofa or bed, with a dog-proof throw or furniture protector

  • Be ready to clean fabrics and other susceptible surfaces to reduce the impacts of drool

But that’s not the whole story. Owning a dog makes life a good measure happier—and messier. Constant fur to vacuum, muddy paws to manage, and full-body fur shakes after rainy walks. But the slimiest canine mess is the dreaded dog drool puddle. Your dog puts your devotion to the test when you sit on a drool-soaked couch cushion or slide across the hardwood floor on a patch of…

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Where Should Your Dog Sleep?

Dogs should sleep in a place that’s comfortable for them, like in a crate or on a dog bed, but where your dog sleeps will always be a compromise between you and your dog. At the very least, you should create some sort of sleep routine for your dog, so he knows where to go when he gets tired and can sleep with minimal disruptions. Whether he sleeps in your bed, his own dog bed in one of his many strange sleeping positions, on the couch, or in his dog crate will vary depending…

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A Personalized Dog Collar: The Best Way to Find a Lost Dog

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Teddy Blue and Maggie
Photo courtesy of Deb German

The single best way to find your lost dog is to outfit her in a personalized dog collar, embroidered or engraved with your phone number, before she goes missing. The reason is simple: the person who finds her is most likely to check her collar or tags first, and call the number on them before making ‘found dog’ posters or fliers, or dropping her at the local animal shelter. That one phone call will lead a good Samaritan instead directly to you, and hopefully your pal will be back in your arms again in short order. A redundant system is better still—adding ID hang tags to your dog’s collar and having her microchipped are smart backups.

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Are Dog Beds Necessary?


Photos via orvis.com

The discomfort and negative health effects of sleeping on hard floors make beds necessary for most dogs. However, dog beds are not one-style-fits-all. Which bed will help your dog the most, depends on many factors, including your dog’s age, weight, breed, health, and a variety of other factors. Finding the right dog bed requires knowledge of your dog, her needs, and a little training on your part.

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What To Do if You Find a Tick on Your Dog


The deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the main vector for Lyme disease.
Photo courtesy the U.S. Department of Agriculture, via Wikimedia

This is the time of year when my dog loves to run through the tall grass in the field next to our home…which means it’s high time for ticks. These tenacious little arachnids carry any number of diseases—from Lyme disease to ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever—and your dog is not the only one in danger. Dogs often bring ticks into the house, where they may find their way onto the human inhabitants. Vigilance is your main weapon against ticks, so…

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How to Create a Crate Training Schedule for a New Puppy or Dog

Congratulations on your new puppy or dog…and double congratulations on setting up a crate training schedule. A crating schedule will help you raise a wiggly eight-week-old puppy into a dog who is full of good habits (chewing on appropriate items, settling quietly, going to the bathroom where you want) and free of bad habits (house … Continue reading “How to Create a Crate Training Schedule for a New Puppy or Dog”

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The 9 Best Dog Breeds for Cold Weather

Whether you live in the icy high latitudes or just love the snow the few times a year your region sees it, having a dog who thrives in the snow is a nice bonus. The best dog breeds for cold weather may not all look alike, and some may surprise you, but we looked at a variety of factors in order to narrow down a list. Some of these breeds are obvious snow dogs, while others you may not consider snow dogs but will enjoy winters just as much as you. If you’re looking to add an adventurous furry companion to the household, but need a dog who can handle frigid temperatures and winter snow, consider these seven exceptional dog breeds for cold weather.

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How to Protect Your Dog in the Snow and Ice

Logan enjoys deep snow on a sunny day.
Photo by Tom, Arlington


What self-respecting dog can resist playing outside in a fresh blanket of snow? Most dogs romp in it with unbridled joy. But winter brings seasonal hazards for your dog, including salt and other de-icing agents, dangerously cold temperatures, deep snow, slippery ice, and more. If heavy snowfall is the norm where you live, you and your dog will have no choice but to spend at least some time in it, even if he’d rather be curled up at your feet in front of the fireplace. 

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