Guides
Plain, practical guides to the everyday jobs of living with a dog or cat, from measuring for a harness to lifting hair out of the carpet. For anything about your pet's health, ask your veterinarian.
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Guide
Camping With a Cat: Is Yours Ready, and How to Keep Them Safe at Camp
Camping suits a confident, harness-trained cat, and only with someone always beside them. How to tell if yours is ready, rehearse at home, make the tent or car a safe base, handle litter and food at camp, explore on a leash and find a cat who slips away.
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How-to
How to Brush Your Dog Without Getting Hair Everywhere
Hair all over the room after every brushing? Groom outdoors or over an old sheet on a hard floor, mist the coat lightly and empty the brush every few strokes. Here's where and when to brush, and a five-minute cleanup for the hair that escapes.
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How-to
How to Brush a Dog That Hates Being Brushed, One Stroke at a Time
For the dog who runs, squirms or mouths the brush: rule out mats and pain, choose a gentler brush for the coat, set up non-slip footing and a lick mat, then build from one rewarded stroke to a full brush-out, stopping at the first sign of stress.
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Checklist
Bringing Your Dog to Work: Readiness, Packing and Etiquette
A checklist for bringing your dog to work: the readiness checks that matter (settling on a mat, polite greetings, ignoring food), the policy and coworker questions to ask first, a desk kit, a break schedule, office etiquette and the days your dog should stay home.
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Comparison
The Best Time to Walk a Dog: Morning, Midday or Evening?
A morning walk suits most dogs: a full bladder, fresh energy and the coolest air of a summer day. Compare morning, midday and evening walks, shift the schedule for summer heat and winter cold, and fit walks around office hours, shifts and working from home.
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How-to
How to Bathe a Dog That Hates Baths: Setup, Steps and Drying
For the dog who scrabbles, shakes or bolts at bath time: brush out tangles first, make the tub steady underfoot, keep a lick mat in reach, wash the face last, skip the dryer battle and build tolerance between baths, plus what to do when a bath still goes wrong.
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Guide
Backyard Games for Dogs: Nose Games, Fetch, Tug and Obstacle Courses
Letting your dog out isn’t the same as playing together. Start with a quick yard safety check, then rotate nose games, fetch variations, tug on dry ground, a low homemade obstacle course and summer water play that stays safe, matched to your dog’s age.
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Guide
Are Communal Water Bowls Safe for Dogs? Parks, Patios and Rest Stops
Shared bowls at dog parks, café patios and rest stops can pass along kennel cough, giardia, leptospirosis and more. See which dogs should skip them, how to check a bowl when there's no other option, why puddles and ponds need caution too, and what to ask your veterinarian.
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Checklist
Adopting a Senior Dog Checklist: What to Ask, Buy and Set Up
Adopting an older dog from a shelter or rescue? Ask the right questions before pickup, buy less than you would for a puppy, set up a quiet corner with easy footing, and arrive at the first vet visit with the records that matter.
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Comparison
Best Material for Dog Bowls: Steel, Ceramic, Silicone or Plastic?
Stainless steel suits most dogs as the everyday bowl, but not every dog. Compare steel, ceramic, silicone and plastic on cleaning, chewing, sliding and noise, and see which suits chewers, bowl pushers, cats and trips.
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Buying guide
Best Brush for Cats: Choosing by Coat, Undercoat and Temperament
Which brush suits your cat: soft silicone pins, a slicker or a de-shedding tool? Match the tool to coat length, undercoat, skin, age and temperament, see which brush we stock for each coat, and spot the signs that a brush is the wrong one.
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How-to
Back-to-School Routine for Dogs: Helping Your Dog Adjust
A two-week plan for families whose dog got used to company all summer: move wake-up, walks and meals early, give a real morning walk and a breakfast that takes time, cover the empty midday, keep departures calm, and know the signs that call for a veterinarian or trainer.
