Now that spring has sprung, you and your dog are looking forward to getting outdoors for walks, runs and visits to the dog park.
But, say Best Friends trainers Kim Mandel and Jamie Ianello, they often hear from clients that their dogs seem to be less obedient in the spring -- as though they’ve forgotten all their training and the “rules” of public behavior.
Tags: dog training, Dogs, exercise, pet advice
Halloween is just around the corner and many pet owners are eager to include the family pet in the festivities. Unfortunately, trick-or-treating can turn ugly if an excited dog dashes off in pursuit of costumed children with bags of candy.
No one wants to spend Halloween night in the emergency room with an injured child, or roaming the dark streets in search of a lost pet, so we asked some of Best Friends professional trainers to share their top tips for keeping everyone safe.
Tags: dog safety, Dogs, holidays, pet advice, Pet Safety
The kids are getting ready to head back to school, and everyone in your family is excited about the new school year.
Every one, that is, except the family dog. Your normally well-behaved pet has adopted some undesirable behavior -- chewing on furniture, barking excessively or soiling in the house.
Tags: Dogs, dogs, pet advice, pet behavior
A team of human health researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University recently announced they had completed a study showing that dogs in the workplace not only reduce employee stress, but actually increase job satisfaction and work commitment!
Tags: Dogs, Pet Health, Pet Safety
Canine alert: mark your calendar for June 2-3! We’ll be giving away doggy ice cream and cookies at every Best Friends Pet Care center across the county that weekend… and it’s free!
Bring your parents, too; they could win a trip for four to Walt Disney World® Resort or some other cool prizes. We’re celebrating Best Friends Pet Care’s 20th anniversary (that’s older than me!) and Best Friends wants to say “thank you” to all the pets and people who’ve helped make the company a success – and maybe make some new friends, too.
Tags: Cats, Dogs, Uncategorized
One of the simplest ways pet parents can ensure their dog has long, healthy life is to keep immunizations current. Just as in humans, vaccines against infectious diseases reduce sickness and suffering and can even prevent death. Yet sometimes immunizations are allowed to lapse, putting pets at risk.
Tags: Dogs, Pet Health
One of the most frequent questions groomers are asked by pet owners at this time of year is how to “prevent” their pet from shedding.
Unfortunately, shedding is a part of the natural cycle of hair growth: after each growing stage, there is a resting period when the old hair falls out. Hair is lost all year round, but the heaviest shedding is in the spring when double-coated breeds lose their dense undercoats. Depending on the type of fur, weekly, even daily, brushing is needed, to remove the hair as it sheds.
Tags: Dogs, Grooming, Pet Health
With the holidays behind us and the winter doldrums in full swing, many of us are seeing an unwelcome jump on the bathroom scale. For our pets, even a pound of two of weight gain can be a real health hazard.
Studies have shown that a lean dog will live an average of 2.5 years longer than an obese dog, in part, because they are less likely to develop the medical conditions which come with excess weight. The same applies to cats.
Tags: Activity, Cats, cats, Diet, Dogs, dogs, exercise, Pet Health, Vet, Weight
The winter months can be tough on the family dog. Just like us, pets can suffer from the cabin fever.
Of course, the best thing for us and our best friends is to bundle up and go for a walk or a romp in the park. But, with short days and cold nights, many of us don’t want to spend time outdoors. So, The Dog Dish asked some of our Best Friends Pet Care professional trainers for suggestions on how to help the family pet beat the winter time blues.
Tags: doggy daycamp, Dogs, dogs, exercise, Pet Health, professional trainers, Uncategorized, winter
Most of us start out the New Year by making resolutions -- like losing weight, saving money, spending more time with the family. As pet owners, we also should be adopting some resolutions that will improve our pets’ health and well-being.
Tags: Cats, doggy daycamp, Dogs, dogs, exercise, Grooming, grooming, health, holidays, Pet Health, Pet Safety, winter
