Dogs in General Archives - Page 11 of 26

4th of July Fireworks Remedies for Dogs

July 3, 2016 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

A Dog’s Perspective on Fireworks

Fireworks—classic component of the July 4th holiday weekend. Large crowds gather to watch the night sky turn technicolor. Often spectacular. Always noisy.

Almost always anxiety-producing for dogs.

If Wink could climb inside my skin to hide, he would. Graidy, who never used to be that bothered by fireworks, now turns into a quivering mess, courtesy of chronic Lyme disease. (Lyme can affect neurological functioning in all kinds of weird ways, this being one of them.)… Read More

Lyme Bulls-Eye on Dogs

June 26, 2016 / Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 2 Comments

Some vets will tell you that dogs don’t get the common bulls-eye rash that humans do when infected with Lyme disease. I’m here to tell you that dogs absolutely do.

Right now, Graidy’s got a beaut of a rash on his inner thigh. His fur is white and very fine, so it’s easy to see down to his skin. (That’s a photo of his bite. Sorry, I couldn’t get a better shot, Graidy wasn’t interested in staying still, but it … Read More

Housetraining Your Dog and Putting It on Cue

June 19, 2016 / Dog Training, Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 1 Comment

There are times in life when I just don’t feel like standing around while my dogs find the perfect spot on which to relieve themselves. Like when the temperature outside is in the minus digits. Or, when I’m in a hurry to go somewhere and I don’t have hours for them to decide to do the deed. Or, when it’s late and I’m so tired that I’m not sure what’s holding me upright any longer. I’m sure you could think … Read More

Why I Don’t Use a Flexi-Leash

June 12, 2016 / Dog Training, Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 6 Comments

What’s the matter with using a Flexi-leash?

Flexi-leashes require tension on the leash in order to keep the line pulled out and thus teach dogs to pull.

And if you already have a dog who pulls (because maybe you haven’t had the time to properly train him how to walk on a leash?) then a flexi-leash will ensure that you will always have a problem walking your dog. I know. Harsh, but true.

Here’s just one of the all-too-frequent occurrences … Read More

Is It Fear or Aggression or Both or Neither?

February 24, 2016 / Dog Training, Dogs in General, The Mail Bag / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

I have an adolescent male Aussie who, when on the leash, gets extremely worked up when he senses (hears, sees) another dog. All his attention goes straight to “I gotta get to that dog! I gotta get to that dog!”.

There are a lot of dogs in the neighborhood and thankfully most of them are leashed when their moms and dads walk them. However, Remy (my aussie) has a meltdown even if the dog is several blocks away.

We’ve tried

How Many Dogs Old are You?

January 16, 2016 / Dog Training, Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 13 Comments

Over the years, many people have asked for help on how to pick the perfect dog. I’m always happy to assist when I can. I usually start by asking: How many dogs old are you?

Huh? you say. Are you asking me how old in dog years I am?

No, it’s not a sneaky way to calculate your age. Rather, it’s a very important question in a list of questions that need to be asked to ascertain what kind of … Read More

Here’s to a Happy and SAFE Holiday Season

December 24, 2015 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / 5 Comments

Twas the Night Before Christmas

and all through the house

All the creatures were stirring

One might even say conferring

On where all the goodies were hidden

Not realizing they were forbidden…

With the flurry of holiday preparations and all the comings and goings, it’s a time when we may be more distracted than normal. And therefore a time when our dogs may find their way into any number of things that could poison or kill them.

At this … Read More

Need a Thoughtful Christmas Gift Idea?

December 17, 2015 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

I know I’ve already reviewed this product, but I’m so happy with my Vimtag remote surveillance camera that I wanted to share it again in case you need a great gift idea for a pet-loving person in your life.

If you know someone who has to regularly leave a beloved pet behind for most of the day, you know the relief they would feel being able to check in on their dogs or cats to see if all is … Read More