One of the most misunderstood pieces of dog body language is the wagging tail. Most of us have been taught that a wagging tail is a sign that a dog is friendly and wants to interact. A wagging tail is actually a sign of excitement and arousal. The dog may be excited because they want to say hi, but they could also be aroused because they are stressed or concerned. It’s important to look at the dog’s entire body, not just the tail, before deciding if this is truly a friendly greeting. Is that dog wagging with a tail at
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Posts by Wendy Welch
Does your puppy need socialization… or desensitization?
While the benefits of socializing puppies are well known, not every pup should be pushed into more situations. Here's what to do for those scaredy pups.
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What’s gotten into my pup?
Many dog owners are familiar with the “puppy witching hour” – that period of time in the evening where your dog suddenly seems to have an excess of energy to burn off. This is very normal, as dogs are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active around dawn and dusk and have extended periods of rest during the day and night. Since both boredom and sleep deprivation can result in problematic behavior, here are a couple tips for using what we know about dog sleep patterns to help keep harmony in the home: Have a plan to give your dog
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Adoptable Dogs Waiting Twice as Long for Homes
Ann Arbor, MI (December 6, 2022) — Across the state, animal shelters and rescues, including Ann Arbor’s Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) are battling a capacity crisis of historic levels. More kittens have come in to HSHV this year than in the past 15 years, and dogs are waiting twice as long for adopters. Dogs in Grand Rapids’ Kent County Animal Shelter are waiting an average of 30 days longer for adoption. Royal Oak’s animal shelter reports having hit 200% capacity for dogs this year. “Current economic conditions and people going back to work are likely causing the slowdown
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Do dogs love us back?
We love our dogs, but how much do they love us back? Research sheds light.
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When hugging hurts
The internet is filled with pictures of people hugging their dogs, but have you ever taken a close look at those images?
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Local Youth Win Humane Youth Awards
The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) received the most nominations ever, in this the fifth year of the Humane Youth Awards. The winner? Zoe Zhang, with runners up Maddie Miller and Cara Gilbert. All three are from Ann Arbor.
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Epic “Foster Fail”
After waiting 16 months, Ren found a home.
And with a very special person: Ren's foster mom decided he could drop the "foster" and just call her "mom."
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Your dog: “Will work for food.”
Did you know that dogs (and, it appears, all animals) are “contra-freeloaders”? This curious phenomenon means that given the option, they would choose to perform a behavior to acquire food even if that same food were freely available.
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From trash to treasure
A cat was desperately trying to open a plastic bag on the sidewalk. A caring passerby stopped to look; someone had thrown her five kittens in there and tied it up. Fortunately, the Good Samaritan brought them to us, and now Mama and her family are treasured!
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