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When I wrote an article about reducing the risk of dogs biting children I avoided discussing the elephant in the room. It’s time to face facts.
The truth is that all dog breeds are not the same around kids. You know it, I know it, but it’s hard to talk about without offending dog owners. However, if I don’t create a list of good dogs with kids, where will responsible parents in Adelaide find that information?
Continue reading “20 Good Family Dog Breeds For Kids”Here’s a rare public comment on a dog breeder forum about what I think is one of South Australia’s dirty little secrets.
Here’s some bad news for people with barking problems. Humans may have deliberately selected dogs for their ability to bark. It’s one of the big differences between wolves and dogs.
Continue reading “Stopping Dogs Barking”
Getting a new dog is an exciting time. Whether you’re bringing up a puppy or settling in a rescued dog there’s so much to look forward to…
Amid the fun are a couple of serious issues:
Sam and Jesse are these two charming Cavaliers. The decision their owners made is the same one many dog owners face. I went through it three years ago.
However, it isn’t always a good idea…
Continue reading “Should I Get A Second Dog?”
Here are the top 17. There’s no such thing as a silly question!
Continue reading “The Kitten Questions You Ask Us”
I once knew a German Shepherd who lived in a tower block in an English estate. A normal first reaction would be to feel sorry for him, right?
He was one happy, happy dog. Why? His owner was well aware of the potential for problems. He went up and down the lift all day for his walks and toileting.
Was he happier than a dog that lives outside? Can it be true?
Continue reading “Is It OK To Put Dogs Outside?”
Most of the time it’s just assumed that modern pets in families will know what to do, have good manners and to be perfect angels.
When it goes bad, it’s usually the children that suffer. Dogs are more likely to bite kids in the head or neck (63% of bites compared with only 13.3% of older people) and kids are more likely to need surgery and to stay in hospital (Ting et al, 2016). You’ve only got to look at the picture of my young son (above) to see why.
Usually the dog gets the blame, sometimes with tragic consequences, even though the causes are a lot more complicated. Usually it could have all been prevented with better understanding.
Continue reading “Kids and Dogs”
TLDR: the main reason why dogs lick their paws is when allergic skin disease causes itchy dermatitis between the toes. Other less common causes include
What do you think when you see a dog like this? Many people would say he’s not pretty, or pedigreed, and he probably doesn’t have too many fine manners. Of course we’d disagree. And more and more dog lovers are also seeing the rough diamond in these dogs.
Continue reading “Are Staffy Cross Dogs Good Pets?”
For feeding bones to CATS click here.
Whether you feed your dog bones is without a doubt the most controversial and highly debated topic in dog ownership.
Passions are high. In our guide to where to buy bones last week I mentioned how most vets in the UK (and many in the USA) strongly oppose you giving your dog a bone to chew. At all.
The internet is full of horror stories about bones splintering or getting stuck and many of these stories are true.
Have you ever had this zoo experience? It takes a careful and patient observer. You’re enjoying watching an animal moving around their exhibit (after all, many animals are asleep or aren’t even visible) when suddenly you realise “hang on, this animal is doing exactly the same thing over and over again”?
This is stereotypic behaviour and it’s the bane of every zoo. Here’s the polar bear at Seaworld on the Gold Coast in 2007 who would do this for hours on end.
Continue reading “Why do dogs chase their tail?”
Sometimes cats don’t drink enough, and we worry. Sometimes they drink too much and we worry more! Cats’ drinking habits give us more worries than almost anything else.
‘At A Glance (Details Below)’ Essential Facts
Why is it so hard to know?:
When we were kids we used to ask these questions. Then we stopped. Finally, here are the answers!
Continue reading “Wet Noses Howling and Digging”
I received this lovely message the other day from some clients who moved with their cats to Europe.
I remember seeing their two cats for the first time. I was told one of the cats was ferocious and required sedation to examine. I finished examining the easier cat, gave him his shots and put him back and said, “OK, now for the difficult patient”.
The owner says, “That was the one you just did.” There was a mix up and I had got the names muddled. It could have ended so badly.
Continue reading “Myth 31: You can hold a cat by the scruff of the neck”Choosing the right place to board your cat is more important than you think. Twice in the past week we’ve seen cats get sick after being in boarding. We also seen cats lose weight and have anxiety problems which could have been avoided if their owners knew what to look for when choosing.
If you’d rather just see our recommended catteries, click here.
Continue reading “How To Find A Good Cat Boarding Cattery”“Watch out. Those dogs are crazy, they bark and dig and destroy things.” This is what Daisy’s owner was warned when he told his friends he wanted a heeler.
Luckily for him and Daisy he didn’t listen and followed his instincts. And he is now able to enjoy one of the closest and happiest dog-owner relationships you will ever see. Read how he did it.
Continue reading “Myth 25: Heelers, Kelpies and Collies are crazy”
We all love funny animal pictures but sometimes we come across ones that are just so wrong we can only shudder. It’s when the interpretation of the animal’s behaviour results in them being blamed for behaviour where they are actually the victims.
We all have different opinions on how much and how often dogs should be walked. Each of our three vets offers their opinion.
After reading, why not try one of our eight best Adelaide walks or Adelaide’s off leash beaches?
Continue reading “Myth 12: My dog doesn’t need walks”
One of the saddest things I see is indoor cats living in houses with FANTASTIC vertical territory that they just can’t reach. My kitchen, like most, has wall cabinets which create a high gallery for a cat to patrol. The only problem is there’s no way to get up there.
In this construction, an off the shelf IKEA product undergoes cat-friendly modification. Alternate shelves are offset to create a simple and elegant way to give your cat access to high places.
I can’t promise, but if you live in Adelaide and want a hand, I’ll do my best to help.
Continue reading “Cat Tree Climb IKEA Hack”
If there is there a saying that makes a dog trainer more cranky I’d like to hear it. This myth is responsible for a world of missed opportunities for our senior pets. Take it from us- the only thing stopping our pets learning through life is our own prejudices.
Continue reading “Myth 10: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”Following our killjoy post about Christmas hazards, now we’re going to tell you why your pet doesn’t need treats! And why they are happier without them.
Don’t worry. We’re not going to report you to the RSPCA if you occasionally give in to those pleading brown eyes. We know treat feeding comes from the heart and later I even talk about ways to do it well. But we do hope that after reading this you will feel less like you have to give the treat, and less guilty if you don’t.
Continue reading “Do Dogs Need Treats?”
A lot of people make this mistake and it’s easy to see why. Puppy preschool is all about socialising dogs and if there’s a dog at home, surely this is enough. However, if anything, having a dog at home makes pups less social. I’ll explain why this is so.
Continue reading “Myth 4: My second dog doesn’t need puppy preschool classes”