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
Why Do Dogs Like Squeaky Toys? And How to Keep Squeaker Play Safe
A squeak sounds like small prey and goes off the instant your dog bites, so every chomp pays off. Why some dogs squeak for hours or whine with a toy, what to do about a dog who digs out the squeaker, how to choose a squeaky toy and how to live with the noise.
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Guide
Why Do Dogs Dig in Their Beds? Normal Nesting and When It’s a Problem
Digging, scratching and circling before lying down is normal nesting. Learn why dogs do it, how to tell a normal routine from a frantic one, what extra digging says about the bed, how to handle a bed shredder and when to call your veterinarian.
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Guide
Why Do Dog Paws Smell Like Fritos? What’s Normal and What Isn’t
That corn-chip smell is usually normal: harmless bacteria that live on every dog's feet, kept warm and damp by sweat from the pads and the fur between the toes. Learn why it happens, which changes are worth a call to your veterinarian, and the habits that keep paws fresher without over-washing.
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Guide
When to Pick Up a Small Dog, When Not To, and How to Lift One Safely
Lift your small dog early, before a big dog arrives, in crowds and on escalators, but not once a big dog is worked up or your own dog is lunging. Learn a pick-up cue, the two-handed hold, elevator leash safety, when a carrier helps and what to do if your dog hates being held.
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Guide
When Is a Dog a Senior? Ages by Size, Aging Signs and What to Change
Dogs count as senior in roughly the last quarter of their expected lifespan, which comes years sooner for a Great Dane than a Chihuahua. See senior ages by size, how to work out your own dog's, the physical and memory changes to tell your vet about, and what to adjust at home.
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Guide
When Is a Cat a Senior? Life Stages, Aging Changes and What to Adjust
Most cats count as senior from 10 or 11, about 56 to 60 in human years. Here are the cat life stages, which aging changes are normal, which ones need a veterinarian, how often a senior cat should be seen, and the small changes that help at home, in grooming and in play.
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Guide
When Do Puppies Lose Their Puppy Coat? What to Expect and How to Brush
Most puppies trade the soft puppy coat for an adult one between 4 and 6 months, though some start at 12 weeks and some coats take well past a year to finish. See the change coat by coat, why the puppy uglies are normal, how to brush through it and which hair loss needs a vet.
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Guide
What Does Airline-Approved Mean on a Pet Carrier? How to Check Fit
The airline-approved label describes a carrier made to fit under a seat, not your airline’s acceptance. Here’s how to find your flight’s under-seat limits, measure and weigh the carrier with your cat or small dog inside, choose soft- or hard-sided, and check Amtrak’s different rules.
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Guide
Walking a Dog in the City: Crowds, Crossings, Hazards and Potty Spots
Busy city sidewalks need their own habits. Learn how to keep your dog close in a crowd, teach a sit at every curb, pass doorways safely, spot glass, bones and rat bait before your dog does, and find a potty spot when grass is scarce.
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Guide
How to Travel With a Dog in a Pickup Truck: In the Cab, Not the Bed
Your dog rides in the cab, never the open bed. See where a dog sits in a crew, extended or regular cab, how to tether and cover truck seats, how to get in and out of a tall cab, and why a parked truck is no place to wait.
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Guide
Should You Get a Second Cat? How to Tell if Yours Would Welcome One
A second cat can be good company or a daily source of stress. Learn what lonely behavior often means, what makes a cat likelier to accept a newcomer, which pairings tend to work, what one more cat takes in space, money and time, and what to try first.
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Guide
RV Travel With a Cat: Carrier, Litter Box and Escape Routes
Make an RV a safe home for your cat: where the carrier rides on driving days, where the litter box goes, how to close off slide-outs, screen doors and windows, what to do if the power fails, and an arrival routine for every new site.
