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 Help a Cat Adjust to a New Home After Moving
A settling plan that starts at the new front door: what goes in the base room, how arrival day and hiding should go, why the old bed and litter stay, when to open more rooms, how to secure doors and screens, how long settling takes and when to call your veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Get Tree Sap or Pine Pitch Out of Dog Fur Safely
Pine pitch won't wash out with water, but a few drops of kitchen oil usually soften it enough to slide off the hair. Here's the step-by-step method, sap between the toes, washing the oil out, when to trim or call a groomer, and who to call if your dog licked sap or a solvent.
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How-to
How to Get Snowballs Out of Dog Fur and Paws, and Stop Them Forming
Pulling ice balls off your dog’s paws hurts. Melt them with lukewarm water, dry between every toe and brush the feathering once it’s dry. See why some coats collect snow, how trimming paw fur and keeping nails short help, and the frostbite signs that need a veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Get Burrs Out of Dog Fur, and When a Foxtail Needs a Vet
Most burrs come out at home if you hold the hair at the base and tease them loose from the outer edge, with a drop of cooking oil for stubborn ones. See where burrs hide, how to handle burrs in mats, toes and ears, how to prevent them, and when a foxtail is a job for your veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Get a Dog Used to Wearing a Coat, With or Without a Harness
A step-by-step plan for a dog who freezes, scoots or rolls in a new coat: start at home with treats, fasten one closure at a time and build up wearing time. Plus how a coat goes on with a harness, drying and washing after wet walks, and when to take it off.
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How-to
How to Get a Dog Used to a Backpack Carrier, From Home to Trail
A step-by-step plan for legs-out and enclosed dog backpacks: check the fit for your dog and your back, build from an open pack on the floor to wearing it at home, lift safely alone or with a helper, and spot the stress signs that mean stop.
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How-to
Dog Won’t Pee on a Leash? How to Teach Leash Potty Breaks
Some dogs hold it through every walk, then go in the yard or back inside. Why it happens, when to call your veterinarian, and a step-by-step plan: one quiet spot, a slack leash, a potty cue and a reward on the spot.
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How-to
Dog Scared of the Vacuum? A Step-by-Step Plan, Plus Quieter Cleaning
A step-by-step plan for a dog who hides from, barks at or chases the vacuum: start with it off and far away, pair the sound with food and build up slowly. Plus where your dog goes while you clean, robot vacuums, when to get help and quieter ways to keep hair down.
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How-to
Dog Refuses to Walk? Why Dogs Stop on Walks and What to Try
When an adult dog plants their feet, the reason is usually pain, fear, the weather, tiredness or gear that rubs. See when to call your veterinarian, how to check the harness, why some dogs stop only on the way home, and a step-by-step way to get moving again.
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How-to
How to Stop a Dog Jumping Out of the Car When the Door Opens
A dog who launches out of the car the moment a door opens has usually learned that the open door means go. Here's how to make the leap impossible today with a tether and a leash-first routine, teach a car-door wait step by step, and handle hatchbacks, small dogs in boosters and a dog who gets loose.
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How-to
Dog Doesn’t Like Their Paws Touched? How to Build Up to Nail Trims
A step-by-step plan for a dog who pulls away, mouths or growls when you reach for a paw: when to see your veterinarian first, a touch-to-hold ladder with treats or a lick mat, then adding wipes, the paw cleaner cup and the grinder.
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How-to
Dog Backing Out of Its Harness? How to Stop Slip-Outs
Most harness slip-outs happen in reverse: a startled dog backs up against a tight leash and the harness slides over their head. Here's what to do in the moment, how to add a collar as a second attachment point, how to teach a calm return and what to do if your dog gets loose.
