Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
Loving the Snow
My three year old dachshund, Zack, loves the snow! This wasn't always the case when he was younger. Early on he'd hop around getting used to the cold but soon figured out that he loved the taste and the cold on his tongue. He even likes ice cubes from the freezer! As much as he loves the snow, he hates the rain. The first time he was out and about and the snow turned to rain, he looked pissed! How dare his precious snow turn to rain! I couldn't put the umbrella up fast enough! Anyway, getting back to the snow, he'll try to eat the snow and even make a path from our front walk to the grass and sidewalk beyond. He'll push the snow around with his snout in a zig zag pattern wandering from place to place. He even tries to eat the snow as it's falling! Just like a kid trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue. My family laughs every time he ends up with snow on his snout. I'd say he almost loves winter more than any other season just because of the snow. And if there's a "big snow" he seems extra excited to get outside.
By Karen Hojnacki8 years ago in Petlife
Caring for Your Dog at Home
Dogs are wonderful creatures, full of love and joy, and they enrich our lives every day with their presence. Their hairy, stinky, sharp nailed presence. Like all pets, dogs require care. Some more than others, but even the low maintenance ones still need someone to care for them.
By Celina Campbell8 years ago in Petlife
How to Prevent Your New Puppy From Getting Parvo
So you’ve brought home your new puppy and have purchased all the usual necessities like food, toys, and bedding, but are you prepared to keep him safe from parvo? Unfortunately, every summer veterinary hospitals get hit hard with a huge onslaught of ill puppies with parvovirus, and it is anything but fun. Without intensive hospitalization and treatment, (often even with) these puppies are doomed to die within several days after the onset of symptoms. And it’s always the cute ones; though I suppose I have never met an ugly puppy.
By Erin Patterson, RVT8 years ago in Petlife
"Professional"
I had my first experience training an unfamiliar horse today. Now, I'm not going to lie. I felt wildly unqualified. I have hacked horses in exchange for money or even done basic training on my trainer's dressage horses, employer's reiners, and family friends' horses. I have retrained problem horses I have either bought or have been given temporarily to fix. However, I find this to be a whole different experience than showing up at a stranger's house, have them tell you what they would like to improve with their partner, then hand over the horse. Not only that, but this was groundwork. While I feel that I am more qualified than most to handle lunging, ground driving, and general obedience training, I am still in a bit over my head with this project.
By Treble Ranch8 years ago in Petlife
George, the Family Pet... More Like My Pet!
This is George, the family pet… he is more like my pet though. George is a full breed Pitbull and he is 3 years old. Our family has loved George since his mother Remy, she was also our dog, gave birth to him and his siblings. He got his name from his facial features. George looked like an old man in the face and would always sleep. My mother actually named him and it had become a family thing. Although, I am the one to name all of the dogs we have or get. However, I let my mother name him this time because she actually grew more attached to George than I did when he was born. George’s birthday is 3 days after mine and 4 days after my little brother's. So you can say that our house is full of Capricorns, haha. But anyway, back to the story, George is a one of kind, kind of dog. Although, he doesn’t always do what a regular dog would do, George tends to slug around and sleep, haha. He loves to ignore people, he only gives attention when he wants to go outside. George is also a very sneaky dog, haha. He climbs on couches and beds when no one is looking or around. He thinks he is slick but somebody is always watching him. Also, George doesn’t like to be watched when he is eating or drinking his water, I have no clue why, but it is funny.
By BeautyxPower Clothing8 years ago in Petlife
Top 5 Clicker Training Mistakes...
Clicker training is a common way of training an animal using positive reinforcement. It is an effective method of training which involves the use of a small device that clicks, a reward, and a patient handler. The basic principle is rewarding the animal for performing the desired behaviour and ignoring it when it does not perform the desired behaviour. The clicker is employed as soon as the target behaviour is performed and used as a bridge, in order for the animal to create an association between the food and the reward. The method is commonly used to train dogs, but can also be effectively used to train any animal (even a goldfish), so long as the trainer works within the species' natural limits.
By Corinne McCafferty8 years ago in Petlife
Finding a Lucky Penny
It was 2004. I was in the first half of the fifth grade and my sister in the second grade. I had been asking (begging) for my parents to get a dog for as long as I can remember. And one day, seemingly out of the blue, they casually mentioned that they were considering it. Now I don't quite remember how I reacted, whether it was stunned silence or screaming my head off, but I know I was excited beyond belief, and so was my sister. This was the first time we really had a chance at getting a dog.
By Celina Campbell8 years ago in Petlife
The American Dingo
Meet Bayleigh. She's my three-year old American Dingo, or Carolina Dog, that I adopted from a rescue when she was barely six months old. From the moment I saw her photo on the internet, I knew this was the puppy that I had to save. I set an appointment to see her and the rest is now history.
By Dan McGinnis8 years ago in Petlife
Does Your Pet Have a Food Allergy?
Our pets are an important part of our daily lives. We feed them, exercise them, love them and generally try to care for them as best we can. We hate to see them uncomfortable or unhappy, but sometimes it can be hard to know how to help them. If you suspect your pet is suffering from allergies, you may be confused about what is causing it and the changes you can make to make them more comfortable or even eliminate the issue.
By Emma Kathleen8 years ago in Petlife
5 Wonderful Qualities of Norfolk Terriers
There exist arrays of dog breeds with unique characteristics that endear them to their respective owners. Whether purebreds or mixed breeds, dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors are certainly the best friends they’re trumpeted to be. Sometimes, selecting one to become a part of your family can be overwhelming with the abundance of choice available.
By Michael Ugulini8 years ago in Petlife
The Importance of Brushing Your Dog. Top Story - February 2018.
"Grooming" is an instinctive behaviour that all animals have. Simply defined, it is the mechanism to keep oneself clean and free from parasites and sickness. This can range in behaviours from licking, wiping, scratching, bathing, to more human behaviours such as brushing hair, shaving, nail clipping, and skin care. For dogs, they can take care of the basics, such as licking their fur to keep it clean and wearing down their nails (claws) by being active outdoors.
By Celina Campbell8 years ago in Petlife
