Day-To-Day: Caring For Your Pet

How to Prepare for Unexpected Vet Bills
As pet owners, most of us can sympathize with unexpected veterinary medical costs. Whether our pets suffer an accident or an illness, vet bills can quickly add up. Here are some ways to deal with those unexpected bills.

5 Fun Food Games You Can Play With Dogs Of Any Age
Most dogs love to eat. Most also love to use their noses. Why not combine the two into a game? Here are a few easy but fun food games you can play with your dog. You might be surprised at how much it can tire them out!

The Dangers of Retractable or Flexi-Leashes
Retractable leashes, also known as extendable or flexi-leashes, are a popular item with dog owners because it gives their dogs more freedom to roam.

Bullying Behaviour, Or Just Good Fun?
Watching dogs play together is so much fun. Many make friends easily and thoroughly enjoy the moments spent in play ... it's hard not to smile at their antics! But there are times when play escalates and a dog may no longer be enjoying himself. When should you step in and call things off? How does one recognize the signs of bullying and signs that your dog is uncomfortable?

Cats and Litter Box Problems
It's not unusual for a cat to stop using a litter box. It's a heads-up to their families that something is bothering them. Here are a few common litter box problems and suggestions on how to solve them.

Common Causes of Housebreaking Accidents
Have you ever been caught by surprise one day when your reliably housetrained pet suddenly has an accident? Pets don't do it to "be bad" or to "get revenge" on us for something we did (or didn't do); there is generally an underlying cause for the accident. Here are some common reasons why dogs or cats may start to have accidents in the house.

How To Save Money On Your Pets - 10 Ways to Lower Pet Expenses
We love our pets, but we can probably all agree that taking good care of them costs money... sometimes, lots of it! Keeping them healthy, happy, and comfortable can feel like a never-ending, furry money-pit at times. Here are a few ways to save on pet expenses, from food bills to pet supplies to medical costs.

What To Do If Your Pet Goes Missing
None of us ever plan to lose our pets. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, pets go missing. Knowing where to start looking for help can speed up the happy reunion.

Designing a Pet-Friendly Yard and Garden Space
Are you itching to get out into the yard and garden? Puttering around the yard with our pets at our side is a relaxing way to spend the day. Our pets love to be where we are - and there are ways we can create a pet-friendly yard space, giving our pets the opportunity to run & play, sniff, roll, or just laze around.

6 Beautiful Ways to Remember and Honour a Beloved Pet
No matter how much time we have with our pets, it's never enough. Even pets who passed many years ago still live in our hearts. Memorializing a pet is a great way to honour their memory as well as remember the joy and love they brought to our lives. Here are some ways to remember a beloved pet.

Summertime Hazards for Pets
Those of us with pets can attest to how much many pets enjoy basking in the sun or playing in the water... and how much we love watching them enjoy themselves so much! Let's all keep our pets safe while we have fun this summer. Here are a few summertime hazards for pets to keep in mind.

Things To Do With Your Dogs This Summer
Summer's here! And what better way to spend the lazy days of summer then to enjoy some time with the dogs? Here are a few ways to include dogs in your summer plans.

Preparing For a Natural Disaster - Tips for Pet Owners
Sometimes natural disasters can force us from our homes. Wildfires, floods, tornados, and other events may require us to evacuate, and sometimes with little notice. Those of us with pets can put together a bag for these types of emergencies - a bag that's well stocked with what our pets would need, and easy to grab on the way out the door. Here are some items to include in an emergency kits for pets.

Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
With Hallowe'en on its way, pumpkin is plentiful - and since most dogs love the taste, we figured that this is a great time to share a recipe for homemade pumpkin dog cookies. These treats are a favorite and they're easy, too.

How to (More Safely) Break Up a Dog Fight
Many of us have had the unfortunate and frightening experience of witnessing a dog fight, sometimes with our own dog involved. It's hard to know what to do in this situation when your adrenaline is pumping and things are happening so quickly. Naturally, it's better to prevent a dog fight from occurring if you can, but sometimes they happen. Here are a few tips on how to break up a dog fight - preferably without getting hurt yourself.

Valentine's Day for Pet Owners
Since Valentine's Day is all about spending time with those you love, it's only natural that many of us want to include our pets. By all means, indulge in a romantic night with your (human) sweetheart as well ... at the same time, here's how to keep your pets safe, while also indulging them in their version of a special day.

Pet-Proofing Your Home
Our curious and enthusiastic furry friends can get themselves into trouble, as many pet owners can attest! And when they have a furry buddy to pal around with, that can lead to even more mischief. Here are a few tips on making your home 'pet-proof'.

Embarrassing Pet Stories - Cringe-Worthy Tales
All of us pet owners know that embarrassing situations are a part of having a pet. Here are some of the many stories we've heard from other pet owners. Get ready to laugh (and maybe cringe, just a little...)!

The Many Ways Dogs Enhance People's Lives
Our dogs are a part of our families. They provide love and laughter, comedy and comfort, and they share our homes and our lives. We wouldn't have it any other way! But they are also so much more, to so many people. Dogs are truly amazing creatures. Here are some of the many ways dogs help people.

Frozen Pet Treats for Hot Summer Days
Summer temperatures can be scorching - and our dogs can use a nice cool treat just as much as we can! Fortunately, making a few frozen homemade dog treats isn't that hard. Here are a few easy ways to keep your dog cool this summer.

What To Do If You Find a Lost or Stray Pet
At some point or another, many of us have seen scared, lonely, hungry, or sick pets who appear to be lost, abandoned, or homeless. Here are a few tips on what to do next if you find yourself in the position of playing temporary caretaker to a lost or stray pet.

10 Practical Life Hacks for Dog Owners
Caring for our dogs can sometimes be a challenge. They each have their own personalities and their own quirks. While we wouldn't trade our pets for anything, we can try to make things a little easier! Here are ten practical, useful, and easy life hacks for all of us who share our lives with dogs.

Dog DNA Kits - What Breeds Make Up My Mixed Breed Dog?
Many of us adopt dogs of unknown heritage. A dog DNA test or kit can help take some of mystery out of it - but as entertaining and interesting as it is, don't take the results too literally.

Tasty Homemade Dog Treats for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving can be a tempting time for all of us -- many of us indulge in lots of goodies, and not surprisingly, it can be tempting to want our pets to enjoy these goodies with us. Here are two delicious and safe pet treats that can easily be whipped up at home.

Cold Weather Pet Care
Most parts of Canada and many parts of the United States endure cold, wintry conditions for a good part of the year. Here are some tips on keeping your pets safe during these cold months.

Cold Weather Tips to Keep Your Pet Safe and Warm
Tips on keeping pets healthy, safe, and warm through the cold, wintry months.

Summer Fun: Pet Safety Tips
These wonderful days are perfect for spending outdoors with the dogs, and hopefully there are still many more to come. Lazing around the yard, and going for hikes and swims are popular activities. Here are a few tips for making sure the dogs remain safe and happy while enjoying warm-weather pursuits.

Resolving to Exercise Your Dog or Cat
Exercise, in particular, has wonderful benefits for our pets (and for us!) ... and a New Year's resolution could be to exercise with the dog or cat every day. Exercising a pet doesn't have to a burden - even shorter 'play' sessions or walks can be a lot of fun and beneficial to your pet. Here are some reasons why regular exercise is good for pets too.

7 Reasons Why We're Thankful for Our Pets
We have many things to be thankful for in our lives - including our pets! Here are a few reasons why we're so grateful to have our pets in our lives. What other reasons can you think of?

Springtime Health & Safety Tips for Pets
Spending time outdoors with our canine pals, getting fresh air and exercise, is one of life's great pleasures. Here are a few tips on getting them ready and keeping them safe this spring.

5 Useful Summertime Pet Products
Summer is a favourite time of year to get out and enjoy some extra exercise and fresh air; but our pets might need a little help in keeping safe and cool. Here are a few readily-available, practical pet products that can help your pets enjoy their summer even more.

Pet-Sitting Options When Vacationing With a Pet
For many families, a vacation without the family pet just isn't a real vacation. Watching your dog splash in the lake, or enjoying hikes through the woods is a part of the fun. But what do you do if you want to take in some of the sights that don't welcome your furry pal? The key is to plan in advance - even if you don't end up needing the services.

5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool Outside This Summer
We tend to spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer - particularly in Canada, when warm weather doesn't seem to last long before winter sets in again! But hot days can be taxing on our dogs. Here are five easy ways to help them keep cool this summer.

Ways to Make Your Pet Even Happier!
Our pets give so freely to us: love and affection, joy, laughter... wouldn't it be great to be able to show them how special they are to us? Here are a few ways to enhance your pet's life whenever you have a spare moment or two.

5 Just-In-Case, Everyday Essentials for Dog Owners
Here are a few everyday essentials for dog owners that can help when things happen during the course of normal daily living. Keep these things handy and you'll be well-prepared!

Wildlife Encounters - How To Keep Your Pet Safe
Wild animals are generally happy to stay peacefully away from both humans and dogs. Even so, interactions between wild animals and pets do occasionally happen. Here are some tips on keeping your pets safe around wildlife.

Christmas Holiday Safety Tips for Pets
The Christmas season is filled with new things (food! people! smells! stuff!). This can be a fascinating and exciting adventure for some pets - which can also include getting into some mischief! Here are a few tips for keeping your pets safe while enjoying some holiday cheer.

How to Help Protect Your Pet From Thieves
t's an unfortunate fact that thousands of much-loved pets are stolen every year. Whether it's for nefarious purposes, or the pet is stolen and re-homed, it's obviously a stressful situation for the pet and a heartbreaking one for their families. Here are some things you can do to help prevent your pet from being stolen.