Amy Shojai's Blog, page 15

How to Stop Howls & What Do Dog Howls Mean

How to Stop Howls & What Do Dog Howls Mean

A dog howl is a normal part of the canine communication repertoire, but some dog breeds howl more than others. The Northern types like Alaskan Malamutes even use a typical “woo-woo” happy howl in conversation between each other and human family members.

We typically think of howls to be a wolf trait, and it’s true that these wild cousins use howls in a haunting, effective manner. In my neck of the woods, wannabe wolves (aka coyotes) serenade the evening moon, and house dogs sing along with their wild cousins. Despite popular memes to the contrary, dogs are not wolves—or coyotes—so exactly what’s up with all the arrrroooooo-ing? Why do dogs howl?

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Cat Ringworm: The Naked Truth & What to Do

Cat Ringworm: The Naked Truth & What to Do

Many years ago, I had my first run-in with ringworm when my German shepherd (age 12 at the time) developed ball patches. A dozen years later, my second personal experience happened when I adopted a stray kitten I named Seren. She had couple of crusty bald spots on her forehead. That’s actually pretty typical. Cat ringworm has nothing to do with normal shedding. Ringworm most commonly affects elderly or young pets. Learn what you need to know about ringworm in pets.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Skunked! 3 Home Remedies to De-Skunk Your Dog

Skunked! 3 Home Remedies to De-Skunk Your Dog

Karma-Kat loves watching the bunnies that play out on the back patio so I wasn’t concerned when he began chattering with excitement—until I noticed THIS bunny had a long fluffy black and white tail. Yes, a skunk has set up housekeeping next to our house. Hoo boy. And dogs seem to love getting skunked. So far, Shadow-Pup hasn't been nailed...but for some dogs, it happens time after time after time... so here's how to de-stink your skunked dog.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

How to Crate Train Puppies & Kittens

How to Crate Train Puppies & Kittens

SQUEEE! It's puppy & kitten season, and just in time for YOUR big adoption gotcha-day celebration, during March local PetSmart® stores will have crate, kennels, carriers, and accessories on sale. There are many kinds of crates and carriers, from soft sided to hard plastic to wire, and in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Read on for some crate training tips for both dogs AND for cats.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Why Won’t My Puppy Potty On Grass?

Why Won’t My Puppy Potty On Grass?

DEAR ASK AMY...Why won't my dog go on grass?

"Hey Amy! I'm pretty stumped and you're the only dog expert I know. I recently rescued a Husky/Australian Shepherd that was kept 100 percent inside. He's a super sweet puppy-named Loki--about five months old. They never let him out and he eliminated on a "trashcan lid" according to his owner. Now, he won't eliminate outside unless it's the last resort. He doesn't go in the house... only on my concrete porch. Would you have any ideas on how to get him to make the transference from porch to grass? Dave"

Puppies Like Familiar Routine to Poop & Pee

The short answer to why dogs won't go on grass and instead eliminate other places is ... they've never gone on grass before, and it's scary! This happens a lot with backyard breeders and puppy mill dogs. Dogs raised on cement kennel runs, or in wire cages, simply "go" when the need arises. They may never have seen, sniffed, or felt grass beneath their paws before, poor pups. Other dogs may associate pottying on the grass with feeling bad, if they had a case of diarrhea, for example...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

How Can I Stop Neighbor Dogs Pooping in My Yard?

How Can I Stop Neighbor Dogs Pooping in My Yard?

I recorded a YouTube video that has since garnered a lot of views. What do you think?

Tips to stop neighbor dogs dumping on your lawn

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Crappiocca happens…Latest Blog Update

Crappiocca happens…Latest Blog Update

Faithful readers may notice something "different" about the blog this past week or so. I tried a grand experiment a couple of years ago, with advertisements on the site. I've always provided recommended products when appropriate, and some of those include affiliate links.

Now some of that has changed--for the better! Read on about the blog update, and why it happened.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

First Aid Guide to Dogs Swallowed Objects

First Aid Guide to Dogs Swallowed Objects

Swallowed objects kill pets every day. Thanksgiving doesn't have to be around the corner, think about potential hazards to avoid. Eating foreign objects often causes only minor problems in dogs and cats. In the best cases, the swallowed cat toy or sock (yes, Bravo did that more than once!) gets vomited up or passes in the stool. However, it's important to recognize swallowed objects' symptoms, and how you can save your pet. Refer to this article on why dogs suck objects.

Prefer video/audio? Here ya go!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Ask Amy: Why Does My Dog Hug & Lean?

Ask Amy: Why Does My Dog Hug & Lean?

Watch this video for tips understanding why dogs lean against us and grab/hug us.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

What Is Surrender Prevention? Help Cats & Shelters

What Is Surrender Prevention? Help Cats & Shelters

Recently I learned about a marvelous program called SURRENDER PREVENTION that seeks to keep cats from going into shelters and losing their homes. This FREE program offers tools and tips for shelter staff not only for shelter adoptions but to keep cats in homes. This lightens the workload, while saving cat lives--and loving relationships, by keeping cats in homes. Learn more about this free program!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing