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I really like Rescue Box because my subscription helps provide vaccinations for homeless animals in shelters. My dog gets treats, toys, and other accessories in her box each month, and we're always looking forward to what might be in the box for the month. The only drawback is that you can't...

Puppies chew for a variety of reasons. They chew because they're teething, bored, or anxious, for instance. If you catch your dog chewing on your shoes, sandals, slippers, etc., stop him or her with a verbal command or loud noise. Then, provide him or her with an appropriate chew toy, and...

When I come home from work, my dog is so excited to go on a walk that she pulls on the leash for the first half of our walk. After that, she calms down and starts walking nicely. How do I get her to stop pulling on the leash during the first half of our walk? Do you have any tips?

That's an interesting question. I'm not sure what I think about ghosts, but I do believe that animals can sense things we cannot. I know that animals can often sense natural disasters. I also know that some people have seizure dogs - dogs who can alert someone to the fact that he or she is...

@Poppy I love the idea of teaching my dog to put her own toys away. She can help me keep the house clean! I imagine it would give her a sense of purpose to have a little, "job," to do. :)

Every year, our biggest local animal shelter has a sponsored walk. People walk a 5K with or without their dogs. At the event, there are also vendors selling things, demonstrations, an agility course to do, etc. It is always a huge success! I know of a local cat shelter that does a golf...

I believe a crate or some type of carrier would definitely be more secure than tying a dog up somewhere. If we make the crate or carrier a place our dogs enjoy being, they won't mind being confined to the crate or carrier for a little bit. We can do this by getting our dogs to associate the...

If food allergies are suspected, you should talk to your vet about putting your dog on a hypoallergenic diet. Once your dog is on this diet for several weeks, you'll introduce ingredients into his or her diet one at a time until you find the one (or more) ingredient/s that cause a reaction. It...

Ryan, TV for dogs is a good idea. What documentaries do you watch? I'll search YouTube for some videos of dogs to stream to see if my dog enjoys watching them. Thank you for the idea!

That's awesome, Pipsqueak! I may have to try that one. I don't mind my kitchen floor getting wet - it's just water. Everything dries so fast here in Colorado anyway. :)

When I was growing up, we always fed our dogs Purina Dog Chow. Now, as an adult, I still like Purina and feed my dog Purina Pro Plan Weight Management. I realize that this is not the healthiest food on the market. I'd like to make sure my dog is eating a nutritious and healthy food. What do...

Ryan, That is a fantastic question! Like us humans, dogs adapt to the loss of one sense by relying on their other senses. A dog's sense of smell is so good that it can easily help compensate for vision loss. While this is great for dogs, it can make it difficult for us to tell when our...

I love spending time outdoors with my dog, but it's been so hot out lately. I fear that my dog will overheat if we stay out for very long. I'm looking for some activities to keep my dog occupied and stimulated indoors. I love to hide treats around the room for my dog to find. I praise her...

I love flowers and plants, but I know there are so many that are toxic to our precious furry friends. Right now, I don't have any plants or flowers in my home because I'm afraid my dog will eat them. What kinds of flowers or plants do you have in your home? Which plants are safe to have...

If your dog eats a lot of chocolate, take him straight to the vet or your closest emergency vet. If your dog only ate a little chocolate, I'd call the ASPCA Poison Control line. They do charge a fee for the consult, but it is worth it to know what the best course of action is in that...

Puppies like to chew on things while they are teething because it makes their gums feel better. You've taken a great first step by giving your puppy a lot of appropriate chew toys to gnaw on. Try to keep everything you don't want your puppy to chew, such as clothes, shoes, remote controls...

I was just reading an article that described two research studies that indicate that dogs respond to gesture commands more often than they do to voice commands. However, these studies were quite small. Do you use voice or gesture commands or both with your dog? I pair voice and gesture...

That's a good question. I also think it's best to try to prevent stomach issues, though we can't prevent them all, obviously. Sometimes a dog's tummy will be upset because he ate something, "bad," but other times, his tummy will be upset because he has a virus or another type of illness. We...

Awesome! Thanks for the clarification, Vinny. I have a BA in Psychology, but in Psychology, we call that reward schedule, "random reinforcement." It doesn't surprise me that dogs can pick up on patterns easily. They are intelligent furry companions.

I was curious what was meant by "stimulus control on a variable schedule," too. Do you mean rewarding the positive behavior randomly? Like the first time, you'll give a reward for the behavior, skip the next two times, then give a reward for the 4th time?