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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Checklist
How to Keep Pets Warm During a Power Outage: A Winter Storm Plan
A winter storm plan for dogs and cats when the heat goes off: what to have ready, how to set up one warm room, bedding and coats that work without power, carbon monoxide and candle safety, short potty trips, and the signs it’s time to take your pets somewhere with heat.
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Checklist
How to Keep a House Clean With a Dog: A Daily to Seasonal Checklist
A cleaning schedule for a home shared with a dog, sorted by how often each job needs doing: the door routine for wet paws and coats, daily bowls and sweeps, weekly brushing, beds and rugs, monthly gear and car jobs, seasonal mud and shedding, and the shortcuts to skip.
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Checklist
How to Socialize a Puppy Before Vaccinations Are Done
A puppy’s vaccine series usually ends just as the socialization window closes, so waiting isn’t the answer. Here’s what to ask your veterinarian, how to carry your puppy to busy places, where paws can go down, what to practice at home and how to tell when your puppy has had enough.
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Checklist
How to Set Up a Dog Playdate: Matching, Meeting and Reading Play
Plan a one-on-one dog playdate that goes well: choose a playmate who matches your dog's size, energy and play style, meet on fenced neutral ground after a side-by-side walk, put toys and food away, tell healthy play from trouble, and end before anyone is overtired.
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Checklist
Home Renovation With Pets: A Checklist for Dust, Fumes and Open Doors
A checklist for keeping dogs and cats safe while work is done on the house: a closed pet room and a crew briefing, ID on all day, the hazards to clear, quiet jobs for loud hours, the evening sweep and when boarding is the better plan.
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Checklist
Hiking With Your Dog in Hunting Season: A Trail Checklist
Trails shared with hunters need a few extra steps: find out whether and when hunting is allowed where you hike, put blaze orange on you and your dog, keep a 6-foot leash on, skip dawn and opening weekends, and know what to do if shots sound close.
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Checklist
First Walks With a Rescue Dog: ID, Fit and a Calm Route
A newly adopted adult dog can bolt at the first fright. Sort the ID tag, microchip and a collar-plus-harness setup before you step out, then build up from potty trips to short, quiet loops while you learn your dog's stress signals.
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Checklist
Fall Safety Tips for Dogs: Acorns, Mushrooms, Antifreeze and More
A fall checklist for dog owners: acorns and fallen nuts, wild mushrooms after rain, antifreeze in the garage, mouse and rat bait, leaf piles, burrs and muddy paws, chilly mornings for small dogs, and who to call if your dog eats something.
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Checklist
Dog Grooming Checklist: The Essentials by Week, Month and Season
Every home grooming job sorted by how often it comes around: brushing by coat, a weekly nose-to-tail check, teeth, nails and paw fur, after-walk cleanups, baths and shedding season, plus what to skip and which jobs to hand to a groomer or veterinarian.
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Checklist
Dog Camping Essentials: A Packing Checklist for Tent and Car Camping
What to pack for your dog for a night or two at a campground, and why: pet rules to check before you book, ID that stays on after dark, dog food stored like your own, a pad off the cold ground, a tent-door clean-up routine, safe tie-outs and what to leave at home.
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Checklist
Christmas Dog Safety Checklist: Tree, Gifts, Food and Guests
A dog-proof Christmas in one checklist: anchoring the tree and covering its water, ornaments, tinsel and cords, food gifts and batteries under the tree, toxic sweets and plants, guests’ bags and the front door, a calm plan for the day and what to do if your dog eats something.
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Checklist
Cat Sitter Checklist: Preparing Your Cat, Home and Sitter for a Trip
What to settle before a cat sitter takes over: how many visits to book, a meet-and-greet and trial visit, a one-page care sheet, vet consent and emergency contacts, supplies with spare days, a litter routine a sitter can keep, and the days you leave and come home.
