It can be tough not to shower your dog in treats and extra food. They give you so much love and affection, and nothing gets that tail wagging like something yummy. But more than half of all dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and if your dog is among that statistic, there’s a reason your vet may suggest you cut back a little.

We have some tips for getting the weight off, as well as details on the health risks those extra pounds bring.

Is Your Pet Overweight?

The first thing you should d...

Just setting down a water bowl for your pets may not be enough, especially in the summertime. If you take your dog for long walks or have a strenuous play session, your pet may need even more. You’ll probably notice your dog heads straight to the water bowl after dinner or a salty treat.

Don’t count on your pet to know exactly how much hydration he needs, though. As a general rule, dogs should have one ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. But you can supplement the daily water bowl...

The warm weather months serve as a stark reminder that hydration is essential. If you’ve spent any time outdoors in hundred-degree temperatures, you’ve probably personally experienced the side effects of dehydration: nausea, weakness, and headaches, among others.

But what about your dogs?

Your pet experiences those hundred-degree temperatures alongside you. Even worse, many dogs are covered in at least a light coat of fur. It’s important to have water handy for your pet at all times, but how d...

Eventually, most of us will stumble upon a wandering dog. In some cases, those dogs are strays, but it can be tough to tell the difference. Dogs escape their homes without a tag and sometimes get dirty as they try to get back home.

If you’ve discovered a dog without a nearby owner, you may wonder what to do next. Here are some steps to take to help reunite a lost dog with his owners.

How to Help a Dog Find Its Way Back Home

Make Sure the Dog Is Lost

There are some telltale signs a dog is los...

Your dog is an important part of your family. You want to make sure your pet is safe and happy by your side, whether you’re going for a walk or snuggling on the sofa together.

Unfortunately, even the best-trained pets can sometimes escape. Keeping your dog on a leash or in a fenced yard is one of the most important things you can do to protect your furry friend, but even that isn’t foolproof. Here are a few extra steps you can take to ensure your dog stays where he belongs.

How to Keep Your Do...

Dogs are driven to be part of a pack. In the wild, that pack is of the four-legged, furry variety. But domesticated pets often find themselves serving as part of a human pack, with you, your children, your spouse, or whoever else lives in your home filling all those roles.

If you’re adopting a pet, you’re adding that animal to your pack, whether that pack is composed of people, pets, or a combination of both. Simply bringing the pet into your home can make things tougher for both the new dog an...

June is Foster-a-Pet month, a month the Petco Foundation sets aside to encourage people to temporarily house a homeless dog. The Petco Foundation estimates that if only 2 percent of U.S. households fostered one pet a year, unnecessary euthanasia in shelters could be eliminated.

One of the biggest barriers to this, though, is uncertainty over what’s involved. There are a few misconceptions about dog fostering that can keep you from missing out on a great experience. Here are some of the most com...

Cancer is a serious health risk for older dogs, with about half of all dogs over the age of 10 predicted to develop cancer. If you have a senior dog in your life, you may read that statistic and immediately worry. But don’t. Recognizing the risk means you can do something to help out your furry friend.

As with humans, early detection is key to helping your dog survive cancer. There are a few things you can do, as a pet parent, to keep an eye out for cancer risk and head straight to the doctor i...

Mr. Rogers said that in times of trouble, his mother would have him look to the helpers. If something good has come from our strange days, it’s how many people have responded to the call and offered to foster a dog from a shelter.

Thankfully many of these open-minded fostering pet parents are transitioning to permanent pet parents. And adopting a dog has become the new norm when it comes to dog ownership. It’s almost becoming politically incorrect to buy a dog.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think i...

I am often found enjoying country life on my farm. Sprawling with different species of animals behind a post and rail fence, there is plenty of open space and ample room for everyone to get along untethered with safe boundaries.  

However, lately I have been called upon by several of my city clients to help them navigate their concrete jungle, New York City.

Leash Be With You!

As I specialize in modifying aggressive behavior, many of these clients who call have dogs with some level of reactiv...