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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How-to
How to Get a Puppy Used to Grooming: Touch, Brushing and the Groomer
Short, rewarded sessions that teach a puppy to accept grooming before any dislike sets in: touch for paws, ears, mouth and tail, a first brush matched to the coat, wipes between baths, groomer practice at home, and the signs your puppy needs a break.
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How-to
How to Get a Dog to Drink More Water: Bowls, Meals and Walks
Simple ways to get more water into a dog who barely drinks: cleaner bowls in better spots, soaked kibble, wet food and frozen lick mats, water on walks, whether water should stay out at night (puppies are the exception) and the signs that mean a call to your veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Fly With a Small Dog in the Cabin: From Booking to Landing
From booking the pet spot to the first relief stop on landing: whether your dog suits the cabin, carrier and settle practice at home, what to pack, airport relief areas and water, the TSA checkpoint on a harness and leash, and a dog who barks under the seat.
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How-to
How to Fly With a Cat in the Cabin, From Booking to Arrival
A step-by-step plan for flying with a cat in the cabin: reserving its spot and checking carrier limits, carrier and harness practice, when to feed and offer litter on travel day, getting through security without an escape, a cat who cries on board and the first hours after landing.
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How-to
How to Clean Dog Toys: Plush, Rubber, Rope and Fire Hose
Check the tag, then match the method to the material: plush and squeaky toys in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle, rubber by hand or in the dishwasher if labeled, fire hose scrubbed and rope soaked, then dried all the way through. Plus how often, when to disinfect, toys with electronics and when to retire a toy.
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How-to
How to Clean a Dog’s Face: Eyes, Muzzle, Beard and Skin Folds
Face care, step by step: wipe eye gunk from the inner corner outward, soak a food-caked beard clean, clean and fully dry wrinkles, wipe the ear flap but never the canal, and spot the signs that need your veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Clean a Dog Brush and the Rest of Your Grooming Kit
Lift the hair out after every session, wash pins and edges in warm, soapy water about once a month and dry them completely. Step-by-step care for slickers, de-shedding tools, mist brushes and nail grinders, plus shared tools, skin problems, a cleaning schedule and when to replace a brush.
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How-to
How to Clean a Cat Carrier After an Accident and Get the Smell Out
A cat that pees, vomits or soils the carrier needs a cleanup that removes the smell, not just the stain. Taking the carrier apart, enzyme cleaner for urine, washing soft-sided, backpack and hard carriers by the label, drying it fully, and lining it for the next trip.
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How-to
How to Clean a Cat Without a Bath, From Sticky Fur to Messy Bottoms
A cat with one dirty patch or a messy rear end rarely needs a bath. Brush first, spot-clean with a damp cloth, soften soiled fur instead of pulling it, keep wipes for people and scented products off the coat, and know when a veterinarian or a real bath is the better call.
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How-to
How to Calm an Overtired Puppy: Signs, Naps and a Wind-Down Routine
Wild, nippy and deaf to cues by evening? That is often an overtired puppy, not an under-exercised one. Here is how to tell the difference, settle a wound-up puppy step by step, plan naps around meals and potty trips, and set up a nap spot they will use.
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How-to
How to Brush a Long-Haired Dog: Line Brushing, Section by Section
Brushing over the top leaves knots at the skin. Line brushing fixes that: part the coat into thin rows, brush each one out from the skin and check it with a comb. Here are the steps, the friction spots to check daily, what changes for double, silky and curly coats, and how to split the work across the week.
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How-to
How to Bathe a Puppy for the First Time, Step by Step
When a puppy can have a first bath, why a warm washcloth comes before shampoo, and how to set up the sink, keep the face and ears dry, dry off fast and end on a treat, plus how often to bathe and what to do if your puppy panics.
