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
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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Checklist
What to Tell Your Dog Walker: A Handover Checklist
Everything a new dog walker needs on one page: where the gear lives and how it goes on, how your dog walks, leash and route rules, medications and treats, emergency contacts, the door routine, weather rules and a first walk together.
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Checklist
What to Put in a Dog Crate: Bedding, Water, Toys and What to Leave Out
A checklist for the inside of a dog crate: water that won’t tip, bedding once your dog stops soiling or shredding it, a cool layer for hot sleepers, which chews and toys need you watching, a cover for den lovers, what to leave out, and how to adjust for puppies, chewers and seniors.
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Checklist
What to Pack for Dog Boarding: A Checklist for the Kennel or Sitter
What to send with your dog to a boarding kennel or a sitter’s home, in the order it matters: vaccine records and the facility’s rules, meals portioned and labeled, medications with written doses, ID that reaches someone nearby, comfort items, and what to check at pick-up.
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Checklist
What to Do If Your Dog or Cat Is Lost: The First Hour and First Day
A lost pet checklist for the first hour and the first day: where lost dogs and hiding indoor cats usually go, who to call, what to put on a poster, how to search at night, how to get a scared pet home safely and how to keep it from happening again.
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How-to
What to Do When an Off-Leash Dog Approaches You and Your Dog on a Walk
A loose dog is heading for you and your leashed dog. How to read its body language in seconds, walk away without running, block it with your body and a firm voice, buy time with treats or an umbrella, and what to check and report if the dogs make contact.
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Checklist
What to Bring to the Dog Park (and What to Leave at Home)
A dog park checklist for the first visit and every one after: what goes on your dog and in your bag, what to leave at home, how to scout a park and use the double gate, the signs it's time to go, and a quick cleanup for paws and car seats before the drive home.
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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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Checklist
Vacation Rental With a Dog: Yard, House Rules and Checkout Cleanup
A checklist for a rental house or cabin with your dog: what to ask about the fence, how to walk the yard and dog-proof the rooms on arrival, house rules that protect the furniture, daily paw and hair habits, and the checkout cleanup that heads off extra fees.
