Unlike traditional training, which relies on fear, pain or intimidation to bully pets into learning, clicker training uses positive reinforcements. Clicker training is a popular way to train dogs by rewarding good behavior. Unlike traditional training, which relies on fear, pain or intimidation to bully pets into learning, clicker training uses positive reinforcement to shape your pet’s actions.   A clicker is a small, handheld device that—as the name implies—makes a “click” noise when pressed. Owners use the sound in place of marker words traditionally used in training, and for good reason. While praising your pet with a “yes” or “good boy” after he performs a trick certainly works, clickers make a distinctive noise. Unlike our voices, which we use constantly around our pets, the click is a sound your pet will associate only with training. Unlike our voices, too, clickers produce a constant, neutral sound. This can eliminate the confusion your pet experiences when trying to decipher the tone of your voice, helping him focus more on the task at hand.   Clicker training relies on the scientific concept that animals will continue to perform a behavior that is rewarded. To begin clicker training with your pet, click every time your dog looks at you, followed immediately with a reward. After some practice, your pet will know the sound signals a tasty treat is able to arrive and you can begin using the clicker to shape his behaviors. If you’re teaching your dog to lie down, for example, start by clicking every time he lowers his head to follow your hand when you give the “lie down” command. Once your dog has mastered this, click only when he begins to curve his body closer to the ground. Eventually, you will only use the clicker and food reward when your pet has fully executed the trick.   As with any type of training, shaping behavior using a clicker takes practice, so simply walk away and resume teaching another time if you or your dog becomes frustrated. Canines learn best in short spurts, so training beyond five or ten minutes will likely only irritate both you and your pet. Try to find a quiet location during the early stages of clicker training and reward each small step toward the desired action until your dog fully masters each new trick. If your pet is struggling with a certain trick, you can also use a food lure to speed up progress toward desired actions. When using a clicker, it’s important to remember the sound is a reward for doing something right—not a way to get your dog’s attention. Never use the clicker to call your dog, and always follow the click immediately with a treat

Cats are notorious for never listening, but that doesn’t mean your pet doesn’t care about what you have to say. Felines have their own, nuanced ways of communicating and by learning to use a few of their social cues, you can strengthen the bond you share with your pet. Here are a few tricks to try when “talking” to your cat:   Use your inside voice: Unlike dogs, who generally respond well to a bombastic “hello,” cats have incredibly sensitive hearing and will run away if a greeting is too loud. Instead, try using a quiet, sing-song voice when welcoming your pet, especially if he is shy or anxious.   Lend a helping hand: Cats often greet each other nose-to-nose and you can imitate this gesture with your hand. Crouch or sit so your hand is at eye level with your cat, curl your index finger to make a “nose” and slowly reach out your arm. This allows your pet to bump “noses” with your hand—a greeting he can understand.   Offer “slow blinks”: When cats feel relaxed, they slowly open and shut their eyes in what’s called a slow blink. Doing this in your company means your pet trusts you and feels safe around you. You can offer him the same sign of affection by slowly closing and opening your eyes. Often, your pet will return the friendly gesture.   Give consistent commands: When communicating verbally with your pet, be sure to offer consistent commands. If you say “come up” when welcoming your cat to hop into your lap, be sure to always use the same phrase. Likewise, if your cat becomes too rough during play, use the same verbal cue, such as “stop it,” to let him know he’s gone too far, and then disengage from play for several minutes.   Listen to your pet: As with humans, the best communicators in the feline world are also good listeners. While your pet can’t speak per se, he uses body language to communicate with you constantly. Get to know your cat’s unique set of non-verbal cues and you will be able to better communicate with him in ways your pet can understand.   Whether your cat is openly affectionate or offers more subtle signs of his love, he has his own ways of showing he cares about you. By learning to use these cues, you can communicate with your cat in his own language, strengthening the bond you share with your pet.

Whether it’s work, a wedding or a well-deserved vacation, every pet owner occasionally needs to skip town to travel. Leaving your dog behind can be hard on both you and your pet, but by planning ahead, you can set your dog up for a low-stress transition while you’re out of town.   Before hopping on a plane, it’s important to decide where your pet will stay while you’re away. You can board your dog at a kennel or veterinarian’s office, but many owners opt to hire a pet sitter. Not only does this minimize stress by allowing your dog to stay within the comforts of his own home, but also provides you with a house sitter to pick up mail, water plants and take care of other day-to-day activities while you’re gone. Whatever option you opt for, be sure to provide your pet’s caretaker with any necessary health information, including your vet’s contact information in case of an emergency.   Once you’ve arranged a spot for your dog to stay, you can begin mentally preparing Fido for your trip. Invite your pet sitter over or take your dog to meet the staff at the boarding facility so he isn’t confronted with strangers on departure day. If your pet is prone to separation anxiety, discuss this with his caretaker and ensure he won’t be left alone for long periods of time. Spend some extra time with your dog before you head out and make sure he’s had plenty of exercise to help him relax during the transition. If you’re dropping him off at the kennel or vet’s, you can send him with familiar objects, such as toys and bedding, that will bring the smells and comforts of home. You can also send your dog with his usual food and treats to minimize any changes to his diet. Some pet owners find it helpful to leave their pets with time-consuming toys, like a Kong, to distract them the day of their departures. When it’s finally time to leave, be sure to remain calm and confident, as dogs can easily pick up on their owners’ emotions.   Your companion will miss you, just as you miss him during a trip, but a few preparations can help ease the transition. Planning ahead will help you feel ready for your temporary separation, and if you feel confident on departure day, so will your dog.

Most dogs dive nose-first into dinner, but for some peculiar pets, carrying their kibble to a different spot becomes a habit. If your pet is part of this pack, there are several possible causes underlying his behavior:   Pack mentality: Before they were domesticated, dogs ran in packs. For more subordinate members, this meant stiff competition surrounding meals. To avoid fighting with more dominant pack members, outranked dogs would carry their food out of sight. Some domesticated pets still carry this pack mentality today, but you can help ease Fido’s food anxiety by feeding your dogs separately in multi-pet households or crating your pet during mealtime to prevent him from carrying his food away.   Separation anxiety: As pack animals, dogs are also social creatures. Some prefer to eat with their humans and, if fed in a separate room, will develop a habit of carrying their kibble to be closer to the family. To remedy this behavior, simply arrange your dog’s meals so you’ll be home during dinnertime and feed him in the same room you’ll be occupying.   Heavy metal: If you have metal food bowls, you’ve likely noticed the sound kibble makes when it hits the dish. This noise—and even the sound of his tags hitting a metal food bowl—can startle your pet and lead to anxiety about eating directly from the dish. If your dog seems to be carrying his kibble away because of these metallic clinks, try swapping his metal dish for a heavy plastic food bowl.   Creating a cache: Wild dogs couldn’t always rely on a regular meal, so your pet may be tapping into his survival instincts by creating a cache of food. If you find Fido’s kibble or treats in unusual spots, he’s probably saving them for later. To prevent this behavior, make sure you don’t overfeed your pet and keep him confined to one room or area during mealtimes.   When offered a tasty treat, many dogs will also carry it away to a different spot or room for consumption. While this may seem offensive to some owners, your pet is simply acting on his instincts. Protecting a high-value resource—in this case, a rawhide bone or other tasty morsel—helped your pet’s ancestors survive. The tastier the treat, the more likely your dog is to hide it away from competitors, so you can consider it a compliment the next time Fido runs away with his reward.

If you’re like many dog owners, trimming your pet’s nails is an event surrounded by anxiety and drama. Some pet parents even avoid cutting their pooch’s nails altogether for fear they’ll hurt their companion. Trimming your dog’s nails doesn’t have to be stressful, however, with the right techniques and tools.   Keeping Fido’s feet healthy is important and that begins with keeping his nails short. While some active pets wear their nails down naturally, most need a little extra help from their humans. Not only are long toenails painful for your pet as they tap against hard surfaces, but they can create serious communication problems between his body and brain. In the wild, dogs run long distances, wearing their nails down so they only touch the ground when walking uphill. Your pet’s brain is evolutionarily programed to associate toenail contact with walking uphill, then, causing a shift in his body posture when his nails grow too long. Since the hill is not real, your pet is leaning forward over his front limbs for no reason, causing him to compensate with his hind legs to stay upright. The end result is a pet with overtaxed and overtired muscles and joints, which can lead to pain in the long run. Fortunately, clipping your dog’s toenails can help restore his natural balance.   To minimize anxiety over clippers, handle your pet’s paws regularly and introduce him to the clippers, using plenty of treats and praise, before you ever cut his nails. When you’re ready to trim his toenails, use sharp, high-quality, scissor-style clippers. Purchase small clippers for the best control and hold your pet’s paw firmly, but gently while cutting at a 45-degree angle. Trim in small increments to avoid cutting the quick—the a soft cuticle in the center of your dog’s nail that contains blood vessels and nerves. If you do cut too far, you can dip your pet’s paw in corn starch to stop the bleeding. For dogs with light-colored nails, the quick is easily visible, making trimming easier. For pets with dark-colored nails, however, trim only until you see the white lining inside the nail, with a small, black center. How often you trim depends on your individual pet and his activity level, but a good rule of thumb is to trim dogs’ nails roughly every three weeks.   Because the quick grows along with your dog’s nails, skipping a few trimming sessions can cause some serious paws problems. It is not uncommon for the quick to grow almost to the tip of the nail, which can make trimming your pet’s toenails almost impossible. In this case, it may be best to take your dog to the vet or a professional groomer, who can trim the nail and, over time, help the quick recede so you can go back to regular upkeep. For a DYI approach, trim a very small piece of your pup’s nail every couple of days until the quick recedes

For people, mealtime may be all about the food, but for our cats, eating is also a chance to act on their hunting instincts. According to some researchers, then, eating out of a bowl might not be the best option for your pet. Enter the puzzle feeder.   A puzzle feeder is an alternative to free-feeding your cat by presenting him with a food-dispensing game. Ranging from simple designs to more complex challenges, puzzle feeders engage your cat’s brain while he eats, turning mealtime into a challenge with a tasty reward at the end. While cats certainly don’t require a puzzle feeder to take their meals, these contraptions have been shown to add mental stimulation into your pet’s daily routine and, in some cases, can help with behavioral problems.   Your cat will need to learn the ropes for his unique new food “dish,” so start with an easy design. You may want to make a homemade puzzle feeder to ensure this feeding style works for your pet before investing in a commercial model. To do this, take an empty bottle and cut holes in it that are slightly larger than the size of your cat’s kibble. Make plenty of holes so the game is easy at first and then place some kibble in the bottle, close the lid, and place the bottle on its side on the floor. If your pet seems to enjoy this game, you can make a more challenging design with fewer holes or move on to other contraptions using materials from toilet paper tubes to egg cartons. There are DYI designs online or you can use your imagination to design a puzzle feeder, but remember, the game should be fun—not frustrating—for your pet.   Each puzzle feeder is different, so it’s important to consider your pet’s age, personality and health when finding the right fit. Before purchasing or designing a feeder, ask yourself whether your cat is an inquisitive, fast learner that would enjoy a challenge, or if he would be content with a simpler model. Once your cat figures out the movement required to get a tasty treat, eating becomes a game with a reward similar to hunting for his food. Not only does this encourage your pet to eat slower, but can also ease boredom, redirect destructive behavior and add exercise to your cat’s routine. Solo playtime can also aid overweight pets’ weight loss and help in cases of cats prone to shredding furniture, walls or carpets.   Using a puzzle feeder is just one way to enhance your cat’s daily routine. Be sure to provide your pet with plenty of playtime, both interactively and with toys he can enjoy on his own, to keep his mind and body fit, too.

Essential oils are more than just a recent trend: They’ve been around since Biblical times, and for good reason. These concentrated plant oils don’t just offer calming or invigorating properties, but have also been used for natural healing for hundreds of years. While they can provide health benefits for humans, however, there is conflicting information on whether essential oils have the potential to help or harm our pets.   Essential oils occur in nature, giving plants their fragrant qualities. They protect plants and play a part in pollination, and for a long time, have helped in natural healing for both humans and animals. It’s important to note, however, that essential oils are volatile compounds that can be toxic to dogs at certain concentrations. Our pets can lick or eat these oils as well as absorb them through their skin, causing harmful or even fatal reactions in some cases. For this reason, using an essential oil diffuser is not recommended when you have a puppy under 10 weeks of age or dog with liver disease, which makes pets more sensitive to environmental factors.   Many practitioners, however, use essential oils as a natural alternative to medications for dogs. Adherents say lavender helps calm anxious pets, for example, and other uses range from boosting the immune system to increasing appetite. From shampoos to soaps, salves and sprays, these natural remedies are widely available for pets. If you’d like to use therapeutic essential oils for your dog, do so only under the guidance of a registered aromatherapist, found at aromatherapycouncil.org, or a member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, at naha.org. Be sure to research which oils are safe to use with pets before starting any program.   Consuming essential oils or other potpourris can be harmful or deadly to pets. If you notice your dog drooling excessively, pawing at his mouth, experiencing difficulty breathing or walking, having muscle tremors, vomiting or otherwise acting lethargic, he may have eaten something poisonous. If you think your pet has consumed essential oils, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center hotline at 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 and contact your veterinarian immediately. The sooner you seek treatment, the better the outcome for your pet. If possible, bring the product your dog ate to your vet to help with diagnosis.   While essential oils have healing properties for you and your pet, keep them out of reach of your four-legged friend at all times. This will help keep curious critters away from the sweet-smelling liquids. Consult your veterinarian before using any essential oils or other herbal products on your pets, and never apply undiluted essential oils to your canine companion or add them to his food or water.

Many people suffer from hair loss, but few know balding is also common in cats. From flea bites and hormonal imbalances to chronic over-grooming, a host of underlying causes can lead to your cat’s retreating hairline. Hair loss can be a symptom of more serious problems in cats, too, but fortunately treatments exist for most of its root causes.   Known as alopecia, balding can be either partial or total in our feline friends. The skin underneath your cat’s receding hairline may look normal or it could show signs of irritation such as redness, bumps, scabs and lesions. With so many variations, it can be hard to diagnose the underlying cause of your cat’s alopecia—especially given the host of potential problems. Some pets are allergic to flea bites, for example, while others lose their coats due to parasites that cause mange or fungal issues such as ringworm. Hormonal imbalances such as hyperthyroidism or increased levels of steroids can play a role in feline balding, and alopecia may also be a sign of a behavioral problem if anxiety is causing your pet to over-groom. Older cats diagnosed with cancer often lose their hair, too, and some cats, like people, simply go bald due to genetics. Whatever the cause of your cat losing his coat, it’s important to identify the problem. Small, red spots usually suggest allergies, while thinning patches of fur on your cat’s tail end can indicate a reaction to mange or fleas. Ringworm, on the other hand, can leave your cat with smaller, red circles with a white center. Whatever the source, most underlying causes of hair loss also cause our pets to itch and scratch, which can lead to more serious infections.   Enlist your veterinarian’s help, if necessary, to diagnose your cat. He can run blood tests to determine whether Kitty’s balding is due to hormonal or thyroid imbalances or take a skin sample to determine whether your cat is losing his fur due to dermatological issues. To rule out cancer or abnormalities in the adrenal glands, your vet may use X-rays and ultrasounds. Depending on the diagnosis, your cat may need a new flea preventative, medication or topical treatment to alleviate his symptoms. Other possible solutions include changing your cats diet or even trying new laundry detergent, cleaning products or other household products to rule out allergies as the source of your pet’s problems. If your cat’s hair loss is due to a behavioral issue, you should work to reduce his stress levels and may need to seek help from a behavioral specialist.   While there are no surefire methods to prevent hair loss in cats, keeping an eye on your pet can help address symptoms before they get worse. If you notice your cat is scratching one area more than the rest, pay attention that area and seek veterinary help, if necessary. You can also provide temporary relief from itching with prescribed topical treatments while getting to the bottom of your cat’s hair-loss problems.

All pet owners need to leave town for a business trip, wedding or well-deserved vacation from time to time, but that begs the question of what to do with their companions. From no-frills boarding facilities to high-end pet hotels and live-in sitters, there are a wide range of options to fit most any pets’ needs and owners’ budgets.   For years, boarding has been the go-to solution for pet owners who need leave town. Fortunately, most boarding facilities have surpassed the concrete runs and separate social spaces of the past by leaps and bounds. Today, options from pet sitting operations run out of individuals’ homes to pet hotels with a veritable smorgasbord of amenities are commonplace in most towns. Pricing for these boarding facilities varies tremendously depending on which options you choose, with huge leaps in price tags for more amenities and attention paid to individual pets.   As an alternative, many pet owners opt to hire a pet sitter while they’re out of town. Sitters can either come to the house at specified times to feed, exercise and otherwise care for your companion or they can live with your pet for the duration of the trip. Like other options, pet sitting prices can vary widely, but are generally priced at basic boarding levels. Because stress is the most common problem for boarded pets being, this can be a great alternative, especially for uneasy animals. With your furry friend staying in his own home, his stress levels are lower, helping ease your own anxieties on the trip, too. As a bonus, pet sitters often collect the mail, water plants and take care of other household duties at no additional cost.   Some pet owners prefer to board their companions at a veterinary facility for easy access to care in case of a medical emergency, but this option is not always all it’s cracked up to be. Because veterinary offices must prioritize surgical and medical cases over boarded pets, your companion may be short-changed on attention during his stay. These facilities tend to be more bare-bones than other boarding options and can be even chaotic or noisy, so do your research before boarding with a vet. This includes asking if someone monitors the pets overnight, as many facilities do not provide 24/7 care. A live-in sitter can be a good alternative to boarding at the vet’s, as he or she is likely to notice any medical problems quickly.   When hiring a pet sitter, ask for referrals from friends, neighbors, family, your veterinarian or your dog trainer. You can also search for sitters online at www.petsitters.org or www.petsit.com. Ask potential sitters about their past experience, what type of pets they have watched, and any issues specific to your pet—and be sure to set up an easy way to communicate while you’re gone, in case any emergencies arise.

From “hovercat” to “cat loaf,” pet owners have come up with a multitude of names for the phenomenon of cats tucking their paws beneath their bodies. While it’s difficult to understand many feline behaviors, scientists have a clear explanation for your pet’s penchant for loafing.   The normal body temperature for cats lies between 100 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, so a room that feels comfortable to you may still be chilly for your cat. Just like we like to tuck our hands and feet under the covers when we’re cold, so do our feline friends tuck their paws under their bodies for warmth. Fortunately, our pets are highly flexible creatures, making transforming into a heat-preserving loaf an easy task. This helps Kitty stay in his thermo neutral zone—the temperature range in which he’s not expending energy to cool off or to heat up—while relaxing in a comfy position.   Speaking of relaxing, you’re most likely to catch your cat in loaf position in his favorite spots. That’s because a cat with his paws tucked under his body isn’t prepared to defend himself or run anywhere fast. Whether it’s on your bed or in your lap, lying with his paws tucked is a sign your cat is highly relaxed, so you can take the behavior to mean Kitty feels comfortable in his home.   Similar to tucking his paws into a loaf, your pet may also wrap his tail around his front feet to help keeps his toes warm. If he is crouching low to the ground, covering his nose, or otherwise working to be compact, your pet is most likely chilly and trying to stay warm. But beware—if Kitty isn’t trying to stay warm, covering his paws can be a sign he’s comfortable as-is and doesn’t want any attention at the moment. If he appears to be more alert, your pet may be stressed and using his tail to create a physical barrier between his body and whatever environmental factor is creating his anxiety.   Given the prevalence of loafing into the cat kingdom, it’s worth noting that when a cat isn’t  fully tucking his paws while in the position, he may be experiencing some pain. Inspect your pet’s feet regularly to make sure Kitty isn’t hiding any discomfort or injuries. If he remains perched on his paws in an otherwise full-loaf position, it could be a sign something’s wrong.