Dear _______, I was recently one of thousands of people to see your classified ad about rehoming your dog, and I thought others might benefit from this experience.
Category: Pets
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No, You Can’t Have a Wolfdog
One of the lesser-known challenges faced by animal welfare organizations is what to do with wolf dogs (or, as we referred to them, wolf hybrids).
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Never Buy a Puppy From a Pet Store
In rescue I worked very hard to be diplomatic; in this column less so. Still, this one might be one for the record books. Here goes: if you buy a puppy from a pet shop, you are encouraging animal cruelty.
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Unintentional Dog Commands
With most foster dogs, training really means acclimating them to living in a house, housebreaking, teaching them to go up stairs. It’s really just about getting them to understand the basics — anything else is up to the adopters, or at least that’s how I viewed it.
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Would You Let Your Dog Fly Cargo?
One of the issues dog owners face is that when they move, they need to figure out how to get their dogs to the new location. Most of the time this is accomplished by automobile; sometimes, though, it needs to be done by airplane.
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Someone to Watch Over Me
I never set out to have a protective dog, but soon after I adopted Chowder, my orange* Chow, I realized that I had one nonetheless. He had certain behaviors that revealed this. He would become extremely agitated on a walk if we encountered another dog and I was closer to the dog than he was. […]
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My Favorite Quotes About Dogs
“I care not for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.” — Abraham Lincoln This is my favorite dog quote of all time. Some of the worst dog owners I’ve ever met have been pious hypocrites who told me earnestly that they had prayed about the decision that they […]
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The Perfect Pet
A lot of dog training books and websites promise to teach you how to train “the perfect pet” or “the perfect dog,” but that’s just not going to happen. Your dog will never be perfect and it’s better to understand that from the start. Much like your children, spouse, friends, and boss, your dog will […]
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Joining the Cult of Greyhound
You won’t find dogs more elegant and sleek in appearance than sighthounds, and greyhounds are the most prominent representatives of this category. But all is not as it seems: if Basset Hounds are the WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) dogs, Greyhounds are the Not-At-All-What-You-Think dogs.
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Good Enough Pet Care
My life is exploding and my dogs haven’t been on a walk in 2 weeks. This is temporary and they’re just going to have to suffer with me. Sometimes you aren’t going to be the ideal pet parent and that’s okay.
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Dubious Dog Rankings
Dogs are judged in numerous ways. Tallest. Fastest. Most expensive. Most obedient. These are all solid, familiar metrics. However, there are more important things to look at, as this list, culled from personal experience, research and opinions expressed on social media, will show.
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Reading Your Dog’s Poop
Most dog owners spend a lot of time picking up poop, but not a lot of time thinking about it. It’s gross, but you should really be paying attention to your dog’s business. Knowing what’s normal will help you spot potential health conditions before they become serious.
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Dealing With the Traumatized Dog, Part 1
Sometimes people will adopt a dog, and despite all of their best efforts, they end up with a dog who has some serious personality problems. If you are in that position, here are some tips to wrap your head around when considering how to help your dog.
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Completely Practical Dog Clothes
It’s very common to scoff at the idea of clothes for dogs, but even the cutest outfit can sometimes be very practical. Even some vets will say that dogs should never wear clothes, but I’m all for what makes your dog most comfortable.
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“It’s Me Or the Dog”
If you’re reading this, perhaps you are in this situation. Your significant other wants to move on to the next phase in your relationship, but before that happens, your dog or cat needs to go. You’ve been presented with an ultimatum: you can have love or you can keep your dog, and you don’t know […]