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The best in health, wellness, and positive training from America’s leading dog experts

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Earth-Friendly Dog Poop Disposal

Lots of us go out of our way to look for biodegradable dog waste bags. After all, we want to be earth-friendly in as many ways as possible. Who wants to think of their dog's poop festering away in a traditional polymer bag designed to survive a zombie apocalypse? Unfortunately, the term biodegradable" isn't all it's cracked up to be. Truth is

Creating a Great Dog Foster Home

happy in a "forever home" where he is loved

Managing Dog-Aggressive Dogs in the Family

If you do nothing else about the aggression between your dogs, you must scrupulously manage their movements and activities. Every time your dog successfully engages in a behavior that you don't want her to exhibit, it makes it that much harder to convince her that it's not a useful behavior strategy. Every time your dog aggressively communicates to another canine family member, it increases the potential for unresolvable aggression between the two and serious injury to one or both.

Train Your Dog to Accept Hugs

The process of teaching a dog to tolerate hugging involves either classical conditioning (giving a puppy a positive association with something she doesn't already have an opinion of), or classical counter-conditioning (giving a dog a new association with something she already has a negative opinion of). Either way, the process is similar, but it may go slower if you are working to change an existing opinion rather than simply installing one where none previously exists.
Ear drops for dogs are often medically necessary to treat illness.

Administering Ear Drops for Dogs

Instead of tending to the bottle only when it's time to apply medicated drops or ear wash, make a point to handle the bottle multiple times per day. Set the drops on the counter and toss your dog several small treats. She might be suspicious and ignore the treats at first. That's fine. Act like you didn't notice and busy yourself in the kitchen, ignoring both the medication bottle and your dog.

The 3 Most Common and Preventable Canine Maladies

What is the worst part about these strikingly common conditions dogs get? They are all entirely preventable. Obesity, periodontitis, and overgrown nails affect more dogs in the United States than any other diseases, and can be just as harmful.

Wrongful Pet Deaths and Empathy for Your Vet

When veterinarians make mistakes, it can cost dogs their lives. But rather than immediately calling a veterinary malpractice lawyer, realizing veterinarian errors, and thus wrongful pet deaths, happen because no one is perfect can make a world of difference in your grieving process. This article is for anyone whose dog died after surgery or under anesthesia.
A dog wearing a front clip dog harness.

Finding the Best Front Clip Dog Harness

Using a harness for dogs instead of a collar has huge benefits. There are many types of dog harnesses out there, and finding the best adult dog or puppy harness might seem like a daunting task. This Whole Dog Journal review of harnesses does all of the trial and error work of finding a quality harness for you! For dogs who pull on leash, WDJ strongly prefers harnesses over choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, and even flat collars and head halters.
apple cider vinegar for dogs

Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs

a gooey bit of beneficial bacteria-rich debris from fermentation. This can be added to food, and diluted with water and used for cleaning canine ears, soaking paws, and as a skin-soothing rinse.üAfter shampooing and rinsing your dog, try giving him a final rinse with a solution of half water and half apple cider vinegar for a shiny, soft coat.
weight loss tips for senior dogs

10 Weight Loss Tips for Senior Dogs

Older dogs, like older people, have an easier time getting around if they aren't overweight. Losing weight can be a challenge for dogs at any age, but more so as dogs grow older. Still, weight loss for dogs is worth the effort. Slender dogs not only get around more easily, but also actually live longer. A 14-year study showed that dogs fed 25 percent fewer calories than their free-fed littermates lived nearly two years longer, showed fewer visible signs of aging, and enjoyed an extra three years of pain-free mobility before developing canine arthritis.

Raw Honey for Dogs

Feed your dog raw honey rather than processed honey so that your dog receives all the nutritional benefits it has to offer. Raw honey is known to improve allergies in dogs, soothe kennel cough, help dogs' digestive systems and more! Raw honey is strained to remove debris, but that's it. It's otherwise as natural as you can get. Shop at the farmer's market or do an Internet search for local beekeepers. Processed honey, on the other hand, is manufactured with heat, which thins it and destroys many of its beneficial attributes.

Disabled Dogs Products

If your dog has arthritis or is recovering from an injury or has a condition that restricts her range of motion, a variety of assistance devices ranging from simple to sophisticated can help her live a more comfortable, active life. Steps and ramps are affordable, portable aids for dogs who need help getting onto or off of furniture or into and out of vehicles. For dogs with neck or spine injuries or osteoarthritis, elevated food and water bowls may help reduce pain (or anxiety about pain) from reaching down to eat or drink from low bowls.

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Tips for Dog Owners Near a Disaster Zone

Could you evacuate your home 15 minutes from now, with everything you would need to live with your pets in a hotel for a few days, weeks, or months? What if you had an hour’s notice?