Category: Training & Behavior
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What To Look For in A Pet Trainer
Training a dog takes plenty of work whether it is a puppy, adolescent or adult dog. However, not every pet owner has the time to train their pet themselves, or help them get to the preferred obedience and skill level. Fortunately, there are trained professionals who enjoy working with even the most recalcitrant and…
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Why Do Cats Urinate Outside the Litter Box?
Much to the frustration of the diligent cat owner, some feisty felines will urinate outside of their litter box. Not only does this create an unsightly (and unsanitary) puddle of stench but it also leaves their handler perplexed as to what may have caused this strange outburst. While the bizarre behaviors of cats are nothing…
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Cat Fights: 5 Tips for Keeping the Peace
Cats love to play, wrestle, paw and chase each other around. However, they also like to nip, scratch and fight! A recent study in 2008 by the American Pet Products Association showed that most American households have 2.5 cats. That means if you are a pet owner, you are more likely to have multiple feline…
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Why Dogs Like to Burrow in Blankets
Not every unusual dog behavior has an explanation. Some dogs love to dig on tile floors, while others chase their tails, or go yapping after moths, bugs and butterflies. However, some canine behaviors can be explained by environment, breeding and innate survival skills. Burrowing is one such habit that has not only a logical explanation,…
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Adopting a Dog: Temperament Tests
When you walk into a rescue home or a shelter, it can be difficult to fully ascertain what kind of personality a dog has. With all the noise and distractions of other dogs, people, and small spaces, only the most subtle of distinctions might set apart one dog from the next. But how do you…
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When Kittens Bite
Cats are natural stalkers and hunters, and from their earliest days, they bite, scratch and practice their skills with enthusiasm. Every pet owner has his or her own tactics on how to deal with the problem of biting. Fortunately, when the animal is small, they are young enough to handle, and are impressionable enough to…
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Negative Behavior in Domestic Pets
No matter how cuddly and adorable a dog might be, or how loved they are by their owners, all animals have innate instincts from the days when they were running free in the wild. In the natural world, dogs and cats will growl, hiss, scratch, or bite when they are cornered, threatened, hurt, frightened or…
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Why Cats Scratch: Understanding the Behavior
All experienced cat owners have a healthy appreciation for cat claws. Witnessing unfortunate couch cushions and curtains be shredded irreparably, or physically suffering through a random cat attack is enough to inspire even the most devoted cat-lover to give feline paws plenty of distance. Here are some of the reasons why cats scratch, and how…
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Unusual Cat Behavior
Like dogs, cats have their own repertoire of oddities and unusual mannerisms or expressions. From chattering at closed windows, to eating paper, drooling, and dropping dead mice at our door steps, cats have entertained and baffled their humans for as long as the blissful domestic cohabitation has existed. Unravel some of the mysteries by learning…
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Do Dogs Dream?
Canines are dedicated nap-takers. They love to snooze in the sun, lounge on the carpet by our feet, and rest their heads on our laps. Most pet owners have observed that their dogs will twitch, whimper, or even snarl in their sleep. These signs indicate that canines dream just as humans do, piquing the interest…