Posts by Ashley Tomasko

Puppies spend a great deal of time playing, chewing, and investigating objects. All of these normal activities involve puppies using their mouths and their needle-sharp teeth. When puppies play with people, they often bite, chew and mouth on people’s hands, limbs, and clothing. This kind of behavior may seem cute when your pet is seven…

Leash Walking Pulling is not a good thing There are several ways to train a puppy to walk without pulling,but the common denominator is simple: Appropriate behavior is rewarded while inappropriate behavior isn’t. In this case, walking without tugging is appropriate and pulling on the lead isn’t. The reward for walking properly is praise and…

Crates can be a “safe place” for puppies Crates are often looked at as “prison cells” because they are made of open wire, fiberglass, or plastic. Despite their appearance, crates can be a home-away-from-home or a comfortable retreat. Crates are great tools with house training. For car travel, inside a crate is probably the safest…

Even the youngest new puppy can learn to “sit”, “lie down” , “stay” , and “come” when asked. But looking at your cute new puppy, it’s hard to imagine that training would be necessary at all. Of course, it always is. During training, we should view our pets as companions who both understand and respond…

Costumes and masks, lights and decorations, and a constant parade of strangers coming to your door— Halloween can be a downright spooky experience for pets. You can protect your pets by reading these tips to prevent the risk of them being hurt, poisoned, or lost. Halloween Hype Causes Pet Stress Before the trick-or-treating starts, put…

What Is the Purpose of My Dog’s Anal Glands? Anal glands, or anal sacs as they are sometimes called, are small paired pouches located between the internal and external anal sphincter muscles, one on each side of the anus at roughly the 4 and 8 o’clock position. They empty through short and narrow ducts just…

Sharing your home with a cat has many joys—hairballs not one of them. It might come as a surprise that hairballs are not an inevitable part of a cat’s life. What Are Hairballs? Trichobezoars, indigestible hair masses in the abdomen resulting from the ingestion of hair, are commonly called hairballs. And although hairballs are easy…

Shedding is a natural, healthy way cats and dogs renew their fur, but loose fur is not always welcome to pet owners – particularly when it seems to get everywhere and into everything. Cats and dogs that are indoors most of the time will shed more lightly and regularly throughout the year because their temperature…

Protect your pet and give yourself the peace of mind this June for National Microchip Month! Here are some important takeaways this month: 1 in 3 pets go missing in their lifetime Some microchip manufacturers offer lost pet alerts 44% of pets have not been microchipped Pets are more likely to be returned home if…

Is your pet itching his or her ears all the time? Do you see excess black debris in the ears? If you do, this may be a sign of ear mites. They are also very contagious, so quick diagnosis and treatment is essential to avoid spreading mites to other pets in your home or neighborhood.…