It’s an often-repeated tip, but not as often followed: “Never pet a cat’s tummy!” What does this mean, and why does it happen?

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 mental and/or physical exercise during their peak activity times.  Morning and evening are good times for walks, play time, or other exercise.  If your schedule doesn’t permit this, then provide some other type of enrichment at these times, such as feeding breakfast and dinner out of a puzzle toy. Remember that it is also normal for dogs to sleep for several hours mid-day, and they do need to have a chance to rest.  If you have a home that is highly active during the day, make sure your dog has a quiet place they can go to for some shut-eye.  If your dog attends day care, look for a facility that does allow dogs a nap-time mid-day so that you don’t come home with a cranky, over-tired dog at the end of a long day.

Making sure that you have plenty of playtime with your cat is extremely important. We know that lack of playtime and enrichment can lead to your cat becoming bored or frustrated and potentially acting out. But did you know that for playtime to be most effective for your cat, there’s an actual sequence of events that you’ll want to follow? Cats are a predatory species and as such, they follow a specific series of steps when going through their predatory sequence. It’s these steps that we want to replicate when we’re playing with our cats. It’s also important to know that cats are opportunistic hunters, going out to hunt prey as often as 20 times a day, in order to stockpile food. Understanding these things and how to integrate them into your play time with your cats could dramatically improve the results you’re seeing from playtime. Knowing that in the wild cats hunt up to 20 times day could shed light on the fact that a play session once a day for ten minutes really isn’t going to be enough for a young and active cat. We’ll want to make sure that in addition to changing how we play with our cats, that we’re increasing the amount of time we’re dedicating to play with our cat friends. Once we’ve increased the time spent and improved the type of play we’re offering, we should see cats who are more relaxed and comfortable overall. In the wild, cat’s predatory sequence is to search for and/ or locate prey, approach, capture, kill, manipulate and then consume. These steps sound fairly ominous when we’re discussing playtime with your indoor cat, but we can very easily replicate this with toys that mimic prey, wand toys being one of the best for this action. Moving the wand toy around to mimic how their prey might move, catching your cat’s eye and allowing them to stalk and chase the toy can ignite a cat’s predatory behavior. Allow them to pounce on and “kill” the toy, completing the sequence. We want to motivate them to engage and keep them moving, but don’t want to create frustration by not allowing them to capture the toy and end the sequence. By just making sure we’re appealing to a cat’s true nature when we’re engaging them in play, we can increase the benefits of those sessions. For more information, take a look at this video from cat guru, Jackson Galaxy.

We love our dogs, but how much do they love us back? Research sheds light.

neading, making biscuits, making muffins… why do cats do this?

The internet is filled with pictures of people hugging their dogs, but have you ever taken a close look at those images? 

While there are so many wonderful things we can share with our pets over the holidays, there are some important things to remember when we think about including our cats in the festivities.

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.

With folks in many ways making a more holistic move towards self-care, many cat owners are looking for the same for their cats. There are so many cat “remedies” on the market, it’s hard to know which ones to try!

While we’re often told if a dog’s hackles are up (their fur along their shoulders and spine), it’s not good… it’s actually just a state of heightened arousal!

Your cat isn’t doing it to hurt you. It’s a game to him, and we need to give him the tools to seek attention and play in a way that’s appropriate for both of you!

Is your dog tearing up your yard? We have a solution.

When thinking of adding a new adult cat to your home, there are some things you should consider, as well as some preparation that you’ll want to do before you bring your new cat home. Understanding your resident cat’s history is really important when considering adopting a new cat. Has your cat lived with or interacted with cats before? Is she generally a confident cat, or does she become shy or uneasy when things change in your home? How does she react when new people come over? Knowing who your cat is and what her previous experiences have been (as much as possible) can help inform the decision to bring another cat home. If she’s quite shy and change is hard for her, you might want to be cautious about adopting a second cat as this addition could be hard for her to acclimate to. It’s also important to remember that just because your cat tolerated living with or interacting with another cat at one point, the introduction process should still be done slowly… just like people, cats pick and choose their friends and your resident cat might not take to the new cat the way they did their previous feline friends. Making sure that you have a great space to set your new cat up in so that the introduction process can be done slowly is also quite important. A separate bedroom or bathroom can be an excellent choice for this. You’ll want to keep your cats separate as you work through the introduction process, so having this space will be crucial for your success. Some introductions take only a couple of weeks, while others can take much longer. It just depends on the personalities and previous history of both cats, so some will need to be separated longer than others. Being patient and having a little extra space at home will both be important tools when beginning intros with new cats. For more information, check out this fantastic blog post by Jackson Galaxy, cat guru extraordinaire!!

People often differentiate between “obedience” training for their dogs, and “trick” training.  Often we minimize behaviors that we label as “tricks,”  when in fact they can be very useful skills to teach. 

Are two better than one? While there’s an added expense of food and medical care, here are the top five reasons to consider adopting two kittens instead of one:

As people are increasingly going back to the office, many dog parents are concerned about their pet experiencing separation anxiety. Here’s the good news.

Is your cat a water hog? Love the running sink even when there’s fresh water nearby? Here’s why… and what to do about it.

It never fails; no sooner does Fido return from the groomer looking clean and smelling fresh, then he finds something gross and stinky to roll in! Why do dogs insist in rolling in smelly stuff, and what can you do about it?

When the days get warmer, cats sometimes go cuckoo! Here’s how to manage some seasonal behavior change.

Car sickness is a fairly common problem, especially among puppies. To prevent a potentially life-long fear of cars, follow these tips.

It’s kitten season, and we’re welcoming adopters a plenty! Besides lots of love and a warm lap, here are 5 things you should have before adopting a kitty.

Wondering how to exercise your dog in winter? Try flirting! A flirt pole, that is! Flirt poles are like oversized cat wand toys with a fleece or plush toy at the end. And dogs go bonkers for them!

We know the rules on how to meet a dog we don’t know. But what about cats?

It is a common scenario – the three year-old dog that used to be the life of the dog park is now less interested in romping with the group.

Have you recently adopted a pair of cats or kittens, or added a new cat to your already multiple cat home? Is it sometimes hard to know if your cats are playing or fighting? You’re not alone!

Cat guru Jackson Galaxy recently spoke about some ways to live the best life with your beloved cat, and his tips are a great place to start when thinking of how to have a really great relationship with your cat.

Many of the “pandemic puppies” who were adopted since March 2020 may be experiencing their first holidays with larger family get-togethers this year now that vaccines are more widespread. 

More and more, cat owners are understanding that there’s more to living with a cat than just caring for their physical needs. The word is out that cats love training and that their emotional needs are just as important.

When we say our pets are “fine,” we need to explain what “fine” looks like.  Animals can have different fear responses, which include the well-known “fight or flight” behaviors, but also “fret” and “freeze.” 

Most cat owners are aware that their cats LOVE boxes. The phrase “if I fits, I sits” is something every cat owner is aware of and we all delight in seeing our cats shove themselves into even the tiniest of boxes. We know that cats love boxes because they feel enclosed, safe and warm, and that even big cats in captivity will put themselves into boxes placed in their enclosures. Did you know, though, that if you tape a square onto the floor, it’s likely that your cat will put himself into that 2D square? Even more mind bending is that if you create a square on the floor and remove portions of the square, like the corners, they might be just as likely to move into that visually incomplete square. During the nationwide lock down due to coronavirus, a team of researchers set out to find out how likely a cat is to recognize the shape in their environment and place themselves inside that shape. One goal was to determine how cats perceive illusions, which can be compared with other species, to better understand cognitive perception in those animals. Although a small sample size, the results were quite interesting, and it’s something you can definitely try out at home with your cat… mental enrichment can be really fun for your cat!! Check out the article detailing the research here.

“How do I stop my dog from barking?”  is a common question trainers get. To answer that, the first things we need to know are 1) in what type of situations is your dog barking, and 2) what need are they trying to meet? Dogs bark for a lot of reasons: boredom, fear, attention, excitement, etc.  In any of these cases, the focus shouldn’t be on stopping the behavior, but instead, thinking about meeting the dog’s need before the barking starts.  For good tips on addressing different types of barking, check out this blog post: https://positively.com/dog-behavior/nuisance-behaviors/barking/ Avoid devices or methods that involve applying a correction, vibration, shock, tone, spray, etc.  to stop the barking.  While these techniques may stop the barking itself for a period of time, the dog will usually grow accustomed to it, and it will stop being effective, plus (more importantly) these methods can create worse behavior concerns by creating a fear response to whatever is present when they receive the correction.  Barking is, above all, communication – listen to what your dog is saying, and respond by meeting their needs proactively so that the barking becomes unnecessary.

In the animal welfare world, we talk a lot about consent for touch with dogs, but this theory applies as much to cats as to dogs. You’ll often hear a cat parent say something like, “He likes attention, but only on his terms,” and to some, that is thought of as a bad thing, making cats less desirable as pets. The truth is that all of our pets at home deserve the same respect, the choice to move away when they want to, and to seek attention on their terms, without labeling them as “difficult,” which is often how we refer to cats who need space from their people at times. In reality, you’ll see even the most confident, social cat seek a break in interaction or need some time to say hello properly before being petted. The best way to ask consent from your cat, or a cat you’ve just met, is to offer just a pointer finger, not your whole hand. Cats often greet one another nose to nose and the tip of your pointer finger is the closest we can come to recreating that greeting. The cat might approach and rub on your finger; that’s an invitation for pets! Stick to her face and cheeks, and only pet her for a moment, allowing her to move back in to seek more attention or give her the space she might need to move away and come back another time. If the cat doesn’t move forward for pets when you offer your finger, you can try to offer some great treats or wet food to make friends, but give him the distance he’s asking for. He’ll come to you when he’s ready, especially if you have really tasty treats for him! As you get to know your cat better, or as you’re reexamining your relationship with your cat, you’ll get to know his body language, and will know when he’s done being petted just by how he’s holding his head, tail and body. Try this rule of thumb: offer a finger, move into an interaction based on the response you get and then offer five seconds of attention. Stop petting at that point and only resume if your cat actively seeks you to do so. Let him seek attention, let him walk away, let him turn the interaction into some playtime… you have to be ready to respond in any way that he wants in order for him to trust you; and when he trusts you, he has a lot less need to communicate through biting or scratching!

It is a story that trainers often hear: “My dog rolled over asking for a belly rub from the neighbor, and then out of the blue bit her when she touched him.” 

It’s a long contested question, one that we’re getting closer to being able to answer, but it does remain one of the mysteries of the cat world to some degree. Newest research supposes that the purr comes from the muscles within the cat’s larynx. As the muscles move, they constrict the glottis and as the cat breathes in and out, the air vibrates and we hear purring.

In homes with children and dogs, it sometimes can be challenging to keep kid’s toys from becoming dog chew things, especially during the holidays or birthdays when toys are all over the place.  Here are a few tips for keeping your kids’ (or your own) things safe from your dog’s jaws!

Every year cat owners debate how to best keep their Christmas tree safe from their cats. Here are some tips that can help to make things a little easier!

  How many of us were taught to extend our hand when meeting a new dog to allow them to smell it? The “sniff test” is common advice that we have probably all done, but is no longer the advisable way to introduce yourself to a new dog.  Extending your hand towards a dog you don’t know could be seen as a potential threat, and trigger a defensive bite.  Instead, turn sideways, avoid direct eye contact, and possibly toss (don’t hand) the dog some treats. Dogs have amazing senses of smell – they can gather information just fine from where you are, so go ahead and keep your hands safely to yourself!

  Most people are familiar with the concept of dog “zoomies,” but it’s not as widely known that cats can, and do, absolutely have the zoomies, too. Those moments when your cat is spontaneously tearing around the house and you can’t get him to stop, even for his favorite treat? He’s likely in zoomie mode. Why does this happen? It could be that he just woke up from an epic cat nap! Cats can sleep up to 16 hours a day to conserve energy for hunting. When they wake up, the zoomies can happen because they’re reinvigorating their minds and bodies for the hunt. Sometimes a cat will just get up and run about, seemingly chasing nothing. That’s because cats, as a prey species, like to stretch their predation skills and are, indeed, chasing an imaginary mouse. It’s also entirely possible that your cat is really just trying to engage you in play, so offering a wand toy or some toy mice to “attack” during a zoomie session is never a bad idea. Sometimes, your cat will tear out of the litterbox and run around–something you’ll want to keep an eye on. This could indicate a handful of litterbox or medical concerns, and if this behavior is persistent, you’ll want to contact your veterinarian. Other things to keep an eye on would be if the behavior is concurrent with loud vocalizing, weight loss or disinterest in eating or drinking; speak with your veterinarian about those issues, as well.

  Most dogs enjoy petting, but even the cuddliest dog has times when simply not in the mood!  Prolonged touching can be overstimulating to some dogs, and can make others uncomfortable or stressed.  When dogs don’t feel able to move away – which they may not when in physical contact with us – they may resort to telling us to back off in less desirable ways. Give dogs a way of “opting in” to social contact by using the “3-second rule” of petting.  Pet for no more than three seconds, then stop.  Does the dog nudge you or move into you to say keep going?  Then go ahead and resume.  Do they shake off or move away?  Then stop. Encourage new people to use the 3-second rule when getting to know a dog, too.  Dogs who know they have a choice are much more likely to choose interaction, and everyone can stay happy and safe.

Lots of people know or love what could be called a “sassy” cat. Often, when we say “sassy,” we mean a cat who just doesn’t like to be petted for too long, or has certain parts of their bodies that they object to being handled. These guys are usually cats who also feel pretty uncomfortable when we try to pick them up. Commonly, any of these actions performed by a human will result in a nip or bite. Before that bite, though, we’ve probably missed a whole series of behaviors and body language cues that were telling us to stop petting our furry friend! This video, from cat guru Jackson Galaxy, gives more detail on what we should be looking for when interacting with our sassy feline friends, and what to do to work to manage this behavior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si-yk1KxYX0

  Do you and your dog both dread toe-nail trims?  Then why not give your dog the opportunity to give themselves a pedicure on their own by making it into a simple trick? By taping some sandpaper to a plywood board or something similar, you can create a canine nail file! It is easy to train a dog to swipe their paw on the sandpaper, and as they do so, they will end up filing their own nails. Doing a few swipes a day a couple times a week can keep nails from getting unmanageable, and reduce how frequently you need to do full toe-nail trims. To train this behavior: Hold the sandpaper-covered board low and at a slight angle in front of your dog. If your dog already knows to shake, high five, or wave, give their cue to do that behavior, then mark/reward as their paw touches the board in any way on the way down.  (If your dog does not already know a paw behavior, you can place some treats under the board, and mark/reward as they start to scratch at it.) Begin increasing the angle of the board, so the paw makes a full swipe on the board as it is lowered. Raise criteria by waiting for more swipes, and/or swipes with both paws.A video example is here: (Note: Cadence is wearing a GPS activity tracker/locator on his collar, not an electronic collar!) On to Training Part 2!

(Did you miss Part 1?) We show you how to train your dog to file their own nails by swiping at a sandpaper board… and while it is often relatively easy to teach the dog to file their front paws, teaching them to swipe with their rear feet can be a little more challenging. So we like to introduce a little environmental help! Sit on a chair, couch, footstool, etc. and prop your nail file board up at an angle in front of you. Have your dog in front of you and the board. Use a food lure to have your dog get their front feet on the couch, pretty much on your lap. Their rear feet are on the ground. Move the food lure slightly away from their nose so they start to stretch and reach for it.  As they try to extend their body, watch for any rear foot lifting. Click/treat. Increase criteria to be clicking and treating only as the rear feet raise off the floor and make contact with the board. Continue to reward for foot swipes against the board. This video shows the basic set-up, though for this first session I was using a platform, not the nail file board. Once Cadence understands it is his rear foot movement/swiping that is getting reinforced, I can then put the intended target in. I used a wider target here for the first session to make it easy for him to be successful!  

Thinking of adding a cat or kitten to your feline crew at home? Here are some things to consider: Energy Level! – Adopting a kitten or cat with a similar energy level to the resident cat(s) is generally the best fit. Have a cat who lived with cats previously but it’s been a long time? Pick a cat with a positive known history with other cats. Cats don’t automatically like other cats just because they liked another cat at one time; the introductions still need to be slow and managed. Adopting a kitten for an older cat who’s lost a companion or to liven them up? Beware: This often backfires, unfortunately. Older or elderly cats almost always just want tons of love from their people; adding a kitten to the home can send them into depression without consistent, focused management of the relationship. Again, focus on energy levels. After all, there’s really nothing better than two elderly cats napping on your lap! Trying to remedy a behavior problem? Adding a kitten to a home to remedy a behavior problem with your current cat can really amplify the concerning behavior that you’re trying to fix.  Most often, finding outlets for that frustration and destructive behavior will be much more successful for you. Adding a kitten can sometimes create a whirlwind of frustration…. Please, be cautious if you’re thinking of taking this path. All of these warnings aside… adopting two kittens at once can be so wonderful, as can be adding an adult cat to your home. Just remember to think about who your resident cat is and with whom they’d like to share their person. Take into consideration how much time and space you have for introductions and managing relationships as well, and you’ll be on the right path for picking the best mate for your feline friend!

  HSHV has long been an advocate for positive reinforcement-based training methods, and new research continues to support that this is the most effective approach.  A new study has found that dogs trained from a variety of cues – including coming when called when off-leash – responded more reliably and faster when trained using positive reinforcement than when dogs were trained the same behaviors using aversive devices, such as shock collars.  Read more about the study here.

To help a fearful kitty, the best thing you can do is to give that cat a safe room to call home, go slowly and be prepared with a lot of great food motivators.