Should You Sleep With Your Dog?

To Sleep or Not to Sleep with Your Dog (Clifton Park Pet Parents Ponder the Matter) Seriously, is there anything in the world cuter than a puppy (or kitten)? When you meet your new pooch for the first time you are overcome with emotion and an outpouring of love. You...

How to Introduce a Rescue Dog to the Family

How to Introduce a Rescue Dog to the Family I recently welcomed a senior dog to my home. Sadie, a nine-year-old Labrador Retriever/German Shepherd Mix was surrendered by a family with a newborn that worried about how the dog would treat the little human. Sadie cowered...

7 Lazy Dog Breeds

7 Lazy Dog Breeds Top Couch Potato Canine Breeds Identified Are you dreaming of adopting the most laid back of canine companions? Well here is a list from www.insidepetsworld.com of the top mellow breeds for your consideration: 1. Newfoundland Dog — Has been...

Protocols For Flying with Your Pet

Protocols For Flying with Your Pet   The rules for traveling by air with your pet have evolved over the years. For instance, in 1990 I traveled from Los Angeles to Albany, N.Y. with my cat “Koko” when she was less than a year old. At that time, I was required to keep...

How to Detect Depression in Your Dog

How to Detect Depression in Your Dog My neighbor’s dog Blake is a bundle of furry, bouncing joy. Even at six years old, he still displays many behaviors of the puppy he once was. A chocolate lab mix, Blake is a cherished member of the family who wiles away his time...

Adopting A Dog Is Good For Your Children

Adopting A Dog Is Good For Your Children Most people already know that adopting a dog has its benefits and is certainly a good thing for the pup you rescue. But introducing a canine member to your family is particularly beneficial to kids. I know this first-hand. When...

Herbs that are Beneficial to Pets

Which Tasty Herbs are Beneficial to Pets Some of the herbs we grow here in Upstate New York and regularly add to our recipes to make them more delicious are actually good for our pets. While others that are used as natural remedies for a range of health issues can...

Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe July 4th

Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe July 4th As spectacular as fireworks are for we humans the same can’t be said for our four-legged friends. Pet experts agree that more pets go missing on the Fourth of July than on any other day of the year, making July 5th one of the...

Dangers of the Heat for Your Dog

In a recent blog I talked about how the hazy, hot and humid days of summer pose a particular hazard to our pets. To underscore that fact, I want to talk about the dangerous behavior I observed in just the last week since filing that story. On one of the hottest days...

Top Ways to Love Your Pet Every Day

Top Ways to Love Your Pet Every Day If you’re like me you talk to your dog incessantly and wish he or she could understand your every word and now how much you love them. But do you ever wish you knew the best way to put your words into action? Here some top ways to...

How to Bring Your Dog Camping

How to Bring Your Dog Camping Here in New York State we have abundant green space and rural landscapes to enjoy for recreation. When the weather warms up many of us start thinking about outdoor activities. Camping is at the top of my list. Whether I camp in a tent,...

How to Choose a Name for Your Pup

How to Choose a Name for Your Pup Picking the perfect name for your pup is a serious matter but it can also be fun. After all, he or she will have that name for life so it’s important to choose a name that best suits the newest four-legged member of your family. So,...

Dealing with Dog Cancer

Dealing with Dog Cancer Is Canine Cancer a Death Sentence? The leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two years is cancer. In dogs 10 years and older the risk of developing cancer increases exponentially, according to a blog post from April 2017 from...

Different Dog Sleeping Positions

Different Dog Sleeping Positions Why does my dog sleep this way… It’s pretty common knowledge that cats spend a lot of time sleeping every day. But you might be surprised to learn that pooches like to snooze 12 to 14 hours a day, too. And puppies, senior dogs and dogs...

At Home Dog Health Checks

At Home Dog Health Checks Simple Home Check-ups to Detect Disease in Pets If you’re like me you’re hyper-vigilant when it comes to detecting changes in your pooch’s or kitty’s behavior. Yet there have been times when symptoms of illness have gotten past me until they...

Why Foster A Dog

Why Foster a Dog Perhaps the idea of adding a dog to the family is a little intimidating at the moment. Or the loss of a beloved dog is too recent and you can’t bear the idea of getting attached to another pooch. Regardless of the reason, fostering is a wonderful way...

Prevent Dog Theft

Preventing Dog Theft As many as two million animals are stolen each year and only about 10 percent ever make it back to their homes, according to statistics revealed on Petfinder.com. Purebred dogs tend to be the most popular among thieves, but all beloved family pets...

Dealing with Dog Cancer

Dealing with Dog Cancer Is Canine Cancer a Death Sentence? The leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two years is cancer. In dogs 10 years and older the risk of developing cancer increases exponentially, according to a blog post from April 2017 from...

Different Dog Sleeping Positions

Different Dog Sleeping Positions Why does my dog sleep this way… It’s pretty common knowledge that cats spend a lot of time sleeping every day. But you might be surprised to learn that pooches like to snooze 12 to 14 hours a day, too. And puppies, senior dogs...

Dog Crate Barking Solutions

Dog Crate Barking Solutions For most dogs their crate is their home, their man cave, the place where they feel safe and secure. However, if they weren’t introduced to crate training from a young age they may be resistant to spending much time there, which can lead to...

Dog Volunteering

Dog Volunteering Thinking about adopting a dog or a cat for the first time? Not sure you want to take on the responsibility or have enough time for a four-legged companion? Why not consider becoming a volunteer first?  Capital District animal shelters and rescue...

Dealing with Loss of a Pet

Dealing with Loss of a Pet Grieving the Loss of your Pet The agony of losing your four-legged best friend is almost indescribable. In fact, there is at least one study out there that suggests losing a pet may even be worse than losing a human. A study conducted by...

Tips for Boarding your Dog

Tips for Boarding your Dog Boarding  is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for both dogs and their owners, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to give your dog a positive boarding experience while you’re out of town. Once you have found the perfect...

Living in an Apartment with a Dog

Living in an Apartment with a Dog Do Apartments and Dogs Mix? Most of my adult life I have rented apartments and I have always shared my homes with pets. Admittedly, finding the right apartment has been more challenging because of my four-legged children. But I would...

Road Trip Tips for your Dog

Road Trip Tips for your Dog I’ve always made it a habit to take my dog on as many vacations as possible. After all, she is a member of the family. For every destination I have in mind I try to find some dog-friendly activities that will be available once we get there....

Care for Dog Paws

Caring For Dog Paws Springing into Spring on Four Healthy Paws; what Upstate New York Dog Owners Need to Know This time of year spring cleaning, annual check-ups and setting warm weather activity goals here in New York’s Capital District are all on the list of...

Find A Pet Sitter

Find the Best Pet Sitter Looking for someone to watch the four-legged members of our families can be a stressful prospect not unlike when we look for trusted, competent childcare. Finding the perfect dog sitter is not always easy for everyone. Most people stress over...

Calm My Dog During A Storm

Calming Your Dog During A Thunderstorm We recently had a nasty thunderstorm in the middle of the night here in the Albany, N.Y. area that rocked my apartment building and boasted a light show to rival fireworks on the Fourth of July. And it’s not even May yet. My cats...

Tips for Finding Lost Dogs

Tips for Finding Lost Dogs Tips to Safely Getting Pups Back Home No one wants to think about it until it happens to them — the nightmare of a missing pet. It is a heart-stopping moment. Your mind is racing from thought to thought. You are frantically searching for:...

Importance of Training Your Dog

Importance of Basic Obedience Training If you had a friend who constantly interrupted you when you were speaking, roughly yanked your arm and stepped on your feet whenever the two of you walked somewhere and had absolutely no table (or bathroom) manners how often do...

Adopting Senior Dogs

The Benefits of Adopting Senior Dogs (and Cats) When a family is thinking about bringing a new dog into their home, there are lots of things to consider. If the family has children, chances are they will ask for a puppy. Conversely, families without children may give...

Dog Teeth Care

How to Keep your Dog’s Teeth Healthy Recently, while I was in the dentist’s chair undergoing a root canal I vowed to make sure my daughter would never be in a similar predicament. And then I started thinking about my dog and cats. What about the health of their...

A Therapy Dog’s Life

A Day in the Life of a Therapy Dog Marguerita, or “Rita” as she’s lovingly known, is a four-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi from Averill Park, New York whose life is anything but ordinary.  Rita routinely comforts humans suffering with everything from anxiety to...

Dog Hearing Loss

Dealing Proactively with Hearing Loss in Your Dog My brother Tony and his partner Kenny have three miniature Dachshunds. The eldest of the wiener-dog trio is Toby who will turn 16 in November. Next oldest is Webster, a dapple mini Dachshund who is nearly 14. Ernie, a...

Can I Pet A Service Dog?

Is it Illegal to Interact With or Pet a Service Dog? The quick answer is no, it’s not illegal but you still shouldn’t do it.  There have been many occasions when I’ve happened upon a service dog and its handler anywhere from Albany International Airport in Albany, NY...

Poisonous Plants for Dogs

Plants That Are Poisonous to Dogs and Other Pets Spring arrived a few weeks ago. But here in Albany, East Greenbush and throughout Upstate New York’s Capital District we have only been treated to a handful of days when the temperature has climbed above 50 degrees...

Does my Dog Have Feelings?

Does my Dog Have Feelings? Many people wonder if their dog has feelings or emotions. Dogs, like humans, can experience emotions and feelings, more or less intensely, in the same way as humans do. Numerous scientific studies have been carried out verifying these data,...

Is Your Dog A Cartoon?

Is Your Dog A Cartoon? My dog is a goofball. She reminds me of a cross between Scooby-Doo, the reluctant detective, and a silly version of the heroic real-life Movie Icon Rin Tin Tin of the 1950s. “Holly” is a white German Shepherd, who on a number of occasions, has...

Be Prepared for Pet Emergencies

Be Prepared for Pet Emergencies If your pet got injured would you be able to administer basic life-saving care that could mean the difference between life and death? First Aid and CPR training classes are both offered online and in person regularly in most US cities...

Topical Pain Meds Can Kill Pets

Topical Pain Meds Can Kill Pets As many Bay State pet parents hailing from Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga, NY already realize, there are myriad human medications that are off limits for cats and dogs – and not all of them come in pill form. The Food and Drug...

Senior Dogs and Surgery 

Senior Dogs and Surgery Senior pets aren’t all that much different from human senior citizens, except that their lifespans are generally shorter than what we humans experience. While conducting research on the topic of senior dogs and the risks surgery and...
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