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Articles by This Author
PetSafe® has donated more than $1.5 million to support more than 70 off-leash dog parks in the United States.
Dogs are known to eat poop (coprophagia) from most any animal because it tastes good to them and is packed with protein. It also has nutritional value because cats and other critters don’t...
PetSafe® is partnering with the Furever Home Family on Animal Planet to help rescue pups find a home! This 6-part television series features an Australian family of pet lovers who...
Trying to find the best training collar is not as easy as it may seem. Searching this subject online will likely turn up a wide variety of opinions and make the choice even more confusing. To...
We all want our homes to be peaceful and we don’t want our dog’s behavior to reflect poorly on us as owners. As the leading producer of bark control solutions, we understand the many...
Barking is a way dogs tell us they are hungry or thirsty, need some love, or want to go outside and play. They can also alert us to potential security threats or intruders. If we can interpret a dog barking sound, it helps us to distinguish between nuisance barking and when our dog is trying to share important communication.
Some cats aren’t fully satisfied with life inside and want to explore the outdoors. But it can be stressful trying to keep an escape artist kitty inside when they make a mad dash for the door...
Dehydration creeps up stealthily, like a slow-moving brush fire that suddenly blossoms into a major blaze, causing major problems. Dehydration, like fire, is best fought with water. Lots of...
Many cat parents have experienced it before: the heartbreak and feelings of helplessness that comes when a kitty can’t pee. They will strain, moan, cry, hiss, and try to hide, scampering away...
We make more than pet doors. We make gateways to freedom for you and your pets. PetSafe® dog doors – DIY installation projects you can approach with confidence and complete quickly – can...
What is the best pet fence option for you? You can give your dog freedom and independence and still be a master of his domain with PetSafe® wireless and underground pet fences. What fence...
Do you want to go about your business inside while your pet does his business outside? Do you feel bad keeping your pet cooped up inside all day? Do you want your cat or dog to have access to...
What do you say when you’re feeling afraid? Threatened? Lonely? Hungry? Playful? Humans have a range of options to verbalize their feelings. Aside from a whimper or a whine, dogs have just...
Barking, peeing and pulling Sometimes they bark up the wrong trees, pee in the worst possible places and try to pull your shoulders from their sockets. But deep in every dog is a heart...
Are you considering an addition to the family? Bringing a pet into your home is a big step, and it’s important to do some thinking before making the leap. You need to be prepared so it’s a...
Cat parents unanimously agree that while cats are great companions and fun to be around, no one wants a stinky litter box in their home. Consequently, litter box odor control is key. The...
One of the most common issues we see with the PetSafe® Gentle Leader® is dogs don’t like to wear it. Taking time to get your dog comfortable with the headcollar is the first step in fitting it correctly.
From cookie decorating to ugly sweater parties, the holidays are in full swing. With all the hustle and bustle that comes with this cheerful season, it is important to keep the safety of your...
Does your dog pull while walking? If so, you know the feeling all too of heading out the door for a nice walk only to be dragged around, making the walk feel more like a game of tug a war. If...
Watch out for the top 5 summertime threats to your pet that I have seen and treated in my 17 years as an emergency vet.
This Father’s Day, celebrate being a pet parent. Take a lesson from your dog to live in the moment, love unconditionally, and enjoy the time you have with those you love.
Pets are an irrefutable and irreplaceable part of our lives. Many times, pets are more like family to us, with their lives being akin to a human’s life. As we grow older and walk through our...
By Jodi Bryson for The Dog Daily Studies show that working out with a friend increases the odds that you'll stick with a fitness regimen. And who's one of your best buddies, one that could...
There’s no better way to enjoy the dog days of summer than taking your pooch with you to a baseball game and the Bark in the Park events are very popular at major baseball stadiums around the...
So that adorable little furball has purred his way into a permanent, cat-sized space in your heart. You want to bring him home immediately! But before you do that, take a good look around...
If you think being the parent of a newborn baby is difficult, think again. Pets are men, women, children, and aged - basically everyone's best friend. What would your life be without your pet...
When it comes to dogs, they say the nose knows! And they have incredible olfactory receptors that are always working and definitely play a part in allowing dogs with failing eyesight or...
Being a pet owner is a truly rewarding experience that some people miss out on. However, for those of us who are pet owners, we understand all the benefits of pet ownership, and we relish in...
As a responsible pet owner, you obviously want what's best for your pets. That's why you give your pup the best care possible. If you want to keep your best friend in tip-top shape, arm...
With the start of a new year, you may have resolved to learn something new. Maybe it’s time to teach your dog a few things, too. Remote trainers are a great tool for reinforcing behaviors you...
Pets love holidays, too! Help your furry family members enjoy the holiday season.
Pets bring joy to our lives every day. Whether it’s the excitement your dog shows when you walk through the door after a long day, or the way your cat snuggles up to you while you relax on...
Every year around this time I hear my humans talk to each other about being thankful. I don’t understand why they wait until Thanksgiving to talk about this, because I am thankful all the...
Michelle Mullins and Toni Mark of the PetSafe® Training and Behavior Education Team traveled to Ohio State University to participate in a 3-week companion animal behavior section of a course...
Looking for the newest and best gadgets, technology and products that make it easier to be the best pet parent. Here’s the latest Fetch ‘n Tech product solutions for you and your dog or cat.
Learn how to keep your dog safe from collar accidents with stories of dogs who suffered tragic or near-misss collar accidents.
Help spread awareness of collar incidents during Collar Safety Awareness Week October 19th-25th. Dogs and pet parents everywhere will thank you!
With the coming of spring and summer also come many hazards that can potentially harm your pet. Some of these come along with fun warm-weather activities like camping or trips to the lake or...
Saying, “Goodbye,” is never easy, especially to a pet that has been a part of your family. That’s why even a year after making the tough decision to euthanize my cat due to a deadly disease, the wound is still sore. Coupled with the death of another close family member, my cat’s death has left me emotionally spent.
There are few things as exciting as becoming a pet owner for the first time. It’s the beginning of a journey that involves love, companionship, and care. But you can’t just haphazardly adopt a new pet. In order to make sure both you and your pet are happy together, you need to know what’s right for you, whether you can provide all that the animal needs, and how to make them comfortable as soon as they walk through your front door.
There is no doubt that many people view their dogs as family members. In fact many of my clients often use the term "four-legged children" when describing their pets. A recent journal article in Science demonstrated that both people and their dogs experience an increase in the natural bonding hormone oxytocin after a period of interaction. Some researchers theorize the familiar canine characteristics of large eyes, playfulness, and retention of other juvenile traits promote a relationship similar to that of a parent and child. Although the interaction is often very strong and relatively peaceful, just like any other relationship, there can be periods of conflict.
By Darcy Lockman for The Dog Daily New York City graduate student Lacey Brown was walking her roommate’s German Shepherd last fall when the dog lunged and bit an elderly neighbor on the...
Open Up Their World A pet door can provide your pet with a great sense of freedom - and give your family a much-needed break from being your pet's doorman. All dogs, puppies and cats can...
Picking the perfect containment system for your pet and your needs can be tricky. Accounting for your pet’s temperament, containment size, cost and more, you may find yourself asking: “What’s so deluxe about Deluxe?” Or “why go wired when wireless is so much easier to setup?” We've come up with this guide to simplfy your search.
Really, a pet door is freedom. And if pet doors are freedom, then a wireless containment system is peace of mind. Put them together, and suddenly, you've got more than you expected and the world is a better place, and full of benefits for you and your pets.
The first Saturday in May is a party for the pups! Enjoy the spring air, stretch your legs and meet some fellow dog lovers in your community.
Since 2011, PetSafe® Brand has invested more than a million dollars in creating safe, off-leash areas for pets and pet owners across the United States. In 2017, we’ll help even more communities build, enhance or update dog parks.
You can’t read a news website or magazine these days without a headline warning about antibiotic resistance. You may have heard of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), but the alphabet soup of super bugs is growing to include VRSA (vancomycin-resistant Staph aureus), VISA (vancomycin-intermediate Staph aureus) and a host of other scary bugs. So, let’s discuss a few points about what antibiotic resistance is and what it means for people and pets.
How confident are you that your dog will come to you when called? It’s one of the basic obedience commands every pet parent should teach their dog. In addition to building a stronger bond with your pet, it could one day save his life.
Spring is the perfect time to get outside with your dog. One of the keys to keeping him safe is to make sure he knows basic commands such as come, sit, stay and heel. Check out the video below for some helpful tips on teaching your dog to come when called.
One of the most common reasons that pets end up in the veterinary hospital or ER is due to vomiting and diarrhea, known medically as gastroenteritis. While trauma and poisonings are common and more dramatic, this sometimes simple, sometimes complex condition accounts for a big percentage of veterinary visits. In some cases, the cause can be serious, elude diagnostics tests, or require hospitalization or surgery. Luckily for many cases, the cause and treatment are simple, and management can be completed at home. Your vet can help guide you through the steps needed to determine the cause and the best course of action, and some of the information here will help you decide what's best for your pet before a visit.
Vacation season is almost here! If you’re planning a trip and can’t take your pets along, a professional pet sitter may be an option for you.
Pet owners are pretty savvy these days, and thanks to the internet, information about pet health and toxins is pretty widely available. There's a heap of bad information, too, so be careful what you read and check your sources. Most pet owners in-the-know are aware of antifreeze, chocolate, and rat poison, and know about several other possible toxins that can affect pets like human prescription and over the counter medications. Despite this, there are a few items that are found in most homes that can be toxic to pets, and I'm always surprised that more people aren't aware of them. I've treated patients poisoned with each one of these substances, so the threat is very real.
This simple surgical procedure keeps our pets happier and healthier and helps bring the cycle of pet overpopulation to an end once and for all.
When you go into the dental aisle at your local pet retailer, you're faced with a whole host of choices. Toys, specially-designed treats and dental appliances like toothbrushes and dental wipes are all vying for you attention - and your dollar. So which of these are worth the effort, and which are just hype? Read on to help make some sense of the issue.
While dogs aren’t capable of resolving anything, the end of December is a good time to take stock of ways to help your dog become healthier and happier. Dr. Trisha Joyce of New York City Veterinary Specialists offers suggestions for pet parent resolutions.
This holiday season, experiment with some pet treat receipes instead of that 5-hour-long pie recipe! We found some delicious and healthy treats that your pets will love! These recipes include all the favorite fall ingredients like pumpkin, apples, turkey and more.
By Jennie Huettel, Professional Photographer and PetSafe Photo Coordinator I’m sure you love your pet(s) as much as I do mine. Mine are my world. They go hiking with us. They go camping...
As pet parents, we're more concerned than ever about what we're feeding our pets. But it can be very difficult to choose the right pet food with so many choices and so many ingredients to research. I asked my vet for a list of dog food brands to try and ones to avoid, and here's the list of vet-recommended foods she gave me.
Cleaning up urine is one of the most frustrating aspects of being a pet owner, and it’s just something that happens even to the best pets. Not only is dog urine a pain to clean up, but it also causes stains to appear, damages your carpet, and leaves a horrible smell. Here are some of the best tips to remove the smell of pet urine out of your carpet.
It's hurricane season, so now's the time to prep your emergency plan for your family, including your pets. A disaster can happen anytime, so even if you don't live in a tornado or hurricane zone, it's good to be ready for anything.
As a veterinarian, one of the most common and heartbreaking situations that I've encountered is a family dealing with a cat who is urinating outside the litter box. There may be a medical reason for this behavior, while in others it may be due to factors in the home, the cat's personality, or even the litter box and type of litter. Here are some tips for dealing with a cat who is urinating in places besides the litter box.
A do-it-yourself costume will probably cost about half of what you would spend elsewhere, and it will be original and unique to your pet. Why buy a Halloween costume for your pet when you could make one cuter and cheaper? Check out these 15 easy DIY pet costumes.
As an emergency vet, one of the most common medical problems that we see in the clinic is the case of a dog or cat who's chewed up a toy or eaten something they shouldn't and is now vomiting. Here's how to keep your dog or cat safe from eating something they shouldn't and save a trip to the emergency vet.
Listen, your pet may have a problem with drinking. Is your pet acting angry but also sort of lethargic? Are they legit trying to find water anywhere they can? Could your pet have a drinking problem?
Have you ever had a pet go missing? Each year, millions of pets get lost or separated from their owners and homes. Some manage to get back home, while for others, their fate remains a mystery to their loving families. I'd like to share a few tips and pointers about microchips that may help reunite you with a lost pet. I'll also provide some tips for steps to take if your pet does become lost.
As a veteran vet of 20 years in the small animal ER, one of the most heartbreaking emergencies I've seen over the years goes by the name of "Big dog - Little dog" in medical slang. It's heartbreaking because not only does the bigger dog usually win, human bites (while they try to break up the fight) are common, and in most cases these fights arise out of a simple desire to take your dog for a walk. Here are some tips and tricks to help you keep your pet (big or little) out of trouble at the dog park.
Are you thinking about adopting a cat or a kitten, but you've never had one before? Cats are great companions and will provide you with unconditional entertainment and affection. Here are a few basic cat behaviors that you should know about before bringing home your new pet.
When a dog's eyes fail them and blindness is the result, it can have a serious impact. But that doesn't always mean that they have no quality of life. There are a few important differences between blind dogs and blind humans, and I'd like to talk a bit about them and discus some easy tips for living with a blind dog or one with decreased vision.
One conundrum that's frequently encountered when trying to place a shelter pet is having to make a call on whether or not an electronic fence makes for a safe pet containment system. Some otherwise great pet owners cannot have a traditional fence due to landscape, zoning, or other issues - and for shelters that don't consider this fencing adequate, this represents an opportunity lost when it comes to providing a loving home for a needy dog. Read on to discover myths about shelter pets and electronic fences.
Small dogs have lots of advantages - less food, medicine costs less, less shedding and they are easily portable for trips with the family. One potential problem with small dogs, however, is their tendency to not look in the mirror and realize that they are small - they have big hearts, full of canine courage and can sometimes take on a foe many times their size with disastrous results. Learn how to keep your pocket pooch safe at the dog park and around town.
When you were growing up, your parents probably told you to brush your teeth after every meal. But what about your dog and cat? Many people don't know that pets need dental care too. Dental disease in pets starts the same way as it does in people: poor oral hygiene. And poor oral hygiene leads to periodontal disease.
We would like to remember our loving work companion and one of our first office dogs, Abby. Abby came to work with her dad, Bryan, every day for more than 12 years, even up to her last day. She will be greatly missed by everyone here at PetSafe® brand. Bryan has written this heartwarming article to memorialize his great companion.
Watch out for these 8 winter problems to keep your pets safe all winter long.
Poisoning is a common reason for pets to make a trip to their local veterinary ER, especially around the holiday season. The National Animal Poison Control Center handled 180,000 cases of animal poisoning in 2013. Don't let your pet become a statistic. Read on to learn some of the more common poisonings that pets encounter plus specific tips on how to pet proof your home to prevent poisonings.
In 18 years of veterinary ER work, I've dealt with a lot of scared people. But some of the most frightened pet owners that I can remember are those who just witnessed their dog (or, rarely, cat) have their first seizure.
To begin, I’d like to say emphatically that living with and training a deaf dog isn't harder than with a hearing dog, it's just different, primarily for us. For deaf dogs, especially for those born deaf, it's just life as usual.
Veterinary medicine has advanced to the point that many high-tech diagnostic and therapeutic options, once only available to people, can now be used on pets.
Your dog may chew things you wish he'd leave alone: shoes, furniture, even parts of your house. And sometimes chewing leads to health problems for dogs. Here are 5 expert-recommended ways for your dog to get his chew on while you still have something to wear to work in the morning.
Find out what happens to Shadow the canine cop when he's shot on the job and Dr. Tony's team does everything they can to save him.
I love seeing people bring their dogs to campgrounds nowadays. But how do you keep your dog safe at the campground? How can you keep him from wandering off and getting into trouble?
With the right mix of proper training, boredom-busting activity, and a little patience on your part, most dogs will learn not to dig.
As an ER vet, I've seen too many dogs injured or killed because of improper fencing. Which fence is best for you and your pet?
Emergencies with pets happen every day, and being prepared is important. How do you make a first aid pet kit? When should you go straight to the vet? Learn more from Dr. Tony.
Dr. Tony answers common questions about dental disease in pets and what you should know before bringing your pet for a dental checkup.
Just like humans, pets can suffer from broken bones, torn ligaments, and dislocated joints. What are the first steps you should take, common injuries, and average costs from orthopedic injuries?
The word “Parvo” strikes fear into the hearts of dog owners everywhere. Parvo is a deadly disease that usually strikes young, unvaccinated puppies and has a mortality rate with treatment of about 30-40%.
Celebrate the holidays with these peanut butter puppy treats!
While you and the kids are tearing open gifts on Christmas morning, your pets can be, too! If you’re in need of some last minute gift ideas, we’ve got you covered. To get your pet gifts in...
Most of my previous posts have focused on Jack, but let us not forget the little one! Lily is just starting her training journey. She recently graduated from AKC S.T.A.R. puppy class and...
With a little sewing DIY skills, you can to learn how to make your own personalized scarf with your pet on it.
I just completed scent discrimination classes at my local kennel club. What fun we had! I will put Jack in a room, then go around the house hiding treat filled Easter eggs. I then instruct him to “Find It” as he hunts around the house looking for goodies.
By: Katie Allison It’s October, a month when we enjoy changing leaves, cooler temperatures and the fun of dressing up for Halloween. But October is also the month when we celebrate all the...
Who's top dog in the U.S.? Is your favorite breed also an American favorite too? The American Kennel Club reveals the winners!
Healthy eating and exercise is just as important for your pets as it is for you! October 8 is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day raising awareness on pet weight issues.
I might be a little (a lot) obsessed with my dogs. My husband doesn’t share these feelings.
Rally training for dogs is like rally racing for cars. Jack and I competed in UKC rally obedience trials.
We bring you the best PetSafe videos featuring our favorite furry feline friends!
Fall and winter weather is not always fun for you to stand around in while waiting for your pet to potty, so here are my picks for great pet doors to consider this upcoming season.
