Puppies & Kittens
Guides for the first weeks with a new puppy or kitten: what to set up before pickup, the first night home, early house training and litter habits, first walks on a harness and building calm grooming and car routines while they are young. Vaccines, deworming and the right age for any procedure are questions for your veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Stop a Kitten From Biting and Scratching
Kitten biting is usually hunting practice aimed at the wrong target. Here’s what to do the moment teeth land, how to time play before the usual attacks, where claws should go instead, and when a bite means fear or pain.
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How-to
Potty Training a Puppy in Winter: Cold Mornings, Snow and Dark Nights
Cold mornings, snow and early dark can stall a puppy’s housetraining. Here’s how to keep it on track: a cleared spot by the door, a trip routine that works in the cold, a winter schedule, salty paws, accidents, and what to do when your puppy refuses to go out.
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How-to
How to Trim Puppy Nails: When to Start and a Gentle First Session
Start with a week of paw handling, then take just the tips, one or two nails at a time. When to start, a weekly rhythm, clippers or a grinder for small nails, the trim step by step, dewclaws and dark nails, and what to do if you nick the quick.
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How-to
How to Stop a Puppy Biting: Toys, Calm Time-Outs and House Rules
Puppy biting is normal, but it shouldn’t be aimed at you. Here’s how to redirect teeth to tug and carry toys, end the game calmly when they land on skin, handle ankle and sleeve grabbing, set rules for kids and visitors, and tell when biting needs a trainer or veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Introduce a Puppy to an Older Dog: First Meeting to First Month
A leashed first meeting on neutral ground, then gates, pens and short visits at home. How to keep meals, toys and rest separate, what normal growling from an older dog looks like, and when to separate the dogs and call for help.
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How-to
How to Introduce a Puppy to a Cat: Safe Zones and Leashed Meetings
A staged plan for bringing a puppy into a home with a resident cat: a dog-free zone and high perches for the cat, scent swaps, first sightings through a gate, short leashed meetings, the body language that means slow down, and how to keep the puppy out of the litter box and cat food.
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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 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 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.
