The same thing can apply to our household pets. As much as they're members of our families – and as much as we as humans have bred them to be more adapted to household living rather than running wild – they still have mental and physical needs.

It's our duty as pet parents to provide for those needs. The trouble is, modern society forces most of us to work 9-5s, spending a good portion of our waking hours away from the home and away from our canine companions.

That's where enrichment comes in. What can we do to provide enrichment for our pups, even when we're not around? Let's talk about it.

All About Enrichment for Dogs

Before I get into toy recommendations, I wanted to talk a little about what enrichment is in the context of dogs.

What is enrichment, specifically?

Any animal has needs. These needs come in different categories: physical, mental, and emotional.

When you examine each of these categories, you can further break them down into a bunch of different kinds of needs.

• Health needs, like disease prevention, parasite treatment, and pain management.

• Hygiene needs, like ear cleaning, tooth cleaning, and fur brushing.

• Dietary needs, including both regular food and treats.

• Exercise needs, usually focused on meeting physical fitness goals.

• Sensory needs, including stimulation for all five senses, as well as preventing undue stimulation.

• Safety needs, including environmental safety.

• Security needs, including both physical and mental security.

• Social needs, like being able to play with people or other dogs.

• Behavioral needs, which are often breed-specific, like herding or foraging behaviors.

• Mental needs, like mental stimulation, tricks, and puzzles.

Technically speaking, meeting all of these different kinds of needs is enrichment. However, these days, when you talk about enrichment, you're mostly talking about the "more than bare minimum" activities: letting your greyhounds run, letting your hunting dogs forage, and the like.

Think of it like cabin fever. Being cooped up in a small space like a home or apartment with nothing much to do will leave you bored and can lead to anxiety, neurotic behaviors, and more. It goes just as much for people as it does for dogs.

Why do dogs need enrichment toys?

Enrichment is critical to keep your pups happy and healthy. Enrichment toys are a way to help do that, either because you don't have a good way to allow a behavior and need to simulate it or because you aren't around enough to provide that enrichment yourself.

It's a sort of self-serve enrichment option, basically.

There are all manner of benefits to enrichment, but they all basically come back to one thing: keeping your dog healthy. Dogs that lack enrichment can develop behavioral issues like anxiety, destructive tendencies, neuroticism, and other issues.

Enrichment can also help extend the life of a dog. Bored and anxious dogs end up stressed out, and stress causes all sorts of problems and can make other issues – like diseases – worse.

Types of Enrichment Toys to Consider

I'm not going to give you specific toy recommendations because the market is huge. Instead, I'm going to talk about specific kinds of toys and leave it to you to decide what specific toys within that category you want to get.

Lick and Chew Toys

First up are some of the most common kinds of enrichment toys, which are toys meant to be licked at and chewed.

Often, these hide a treat inside, like a dab of (xylitol-free) peanut butter, which your dog can spend time getting at. The chewing helps keep their teeth clean, the licking gives them a sensory experience, and the toy can be a source of excitement when you bring it out and give it to them.

Chew toys need to be resilient, but even the most resilient toy can eventually start to break apart under continual chewing, so make sure to inspect it each time you use it and replace it if it starts to break up so your dog doesn't eat or choke on something they shouldn't.

Snuffle Mats

Snuffle mats are sort of like very plush rugs. They're meant to mimic the experience of rooting around in a fairly deep lawn, looking for anything interesting hidden in the grass.

Many different dog breeds love this kind of foraging behavior, and a snuffle mat helps you encourage it. Hide a couple of treats in the mat and let your pooch root around in it, looking for the nugget of tasty reward.

Snuffle mats need to be cleaned and, often, replaced as they start to fall apart. Fortunately, they're relatively cheap and easy to find, so you don't need to worry about their longevity too much. Just make sure they're made of a pet-safe material.

Lick Mats

Lick mats are a sort of cross between snuffle mats and lick toys. They're textured mats that you smear something like wet food or peanut butter in and let your dog go wild on trying to lick it all out.

It takes time because of the texture hiding the goodies in the nooks and crevices, but it's not quite the same kind of behavior as snuffle mats.

As an added bonus, these tend to be more easily cleanable and more durable. On the other hand, if you're not proactive with cleaning them, they can get really smelly really fast.

Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys are usually made of fairly durable plastic with little compartments you can use to hide kibble or treats.

Your dog knows the treats are there – they can smell it – but they need to figure out how to get past the doors or mechanisms hiding them. It's sort of like a puzzle box for your canine child to figure out.

Simple puzzle toys are just sliding covers over compartments. More complex puzzle toys can be interlocking mechanisms that need to be moved in a certain order to access later treats.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different designs, so you may need to go through a few before you find one that is complex enough to keep your dog entertained but not so complex that it leaves them frustrated.

Hide and Seek Toys

Hide-and-seek toys can honestly be just about anything you designate as a dog toy. Many people do things like take a dog's plushie and hide it under a pile of pillows or blankets or just hide it somewhere in the house and then ask their dog to go find it.

Dedicated hide-and-seek toys are a combination of toy and hide. For example, a big fake eggshell with a plushie chick inside. You place the egg somewhere and have your dog go find the chick. It's the same concept, just without having to risk sacrificing pillows or blankets for the cause.

These are excellent toys for dogs that love to go seek out something, especially those who are bred to be hunting dogs or have a strong drive to dig. Uncovering a hidden treasure is a pleasure they love.

Scent Toys

Scent toys are somewhat similar to hide-and-seek toys, but they work primarily on specific scents to help your pooch find them.

Usually, they come with some kind of little scent spray or scent card that provides a unique scent to track, which you hide for your dog to locate when you call for it.

Agility Toys

Some dogs can't get enough of running around and jumping, and if they could, they would have you play fetch with them for 18 hours a day.

Agility toys and courses are a good way to help stimulate this drive while also adding an intellectual element to it so it can tire them out and leave them more satisfied.

I've written about setting up basic dog agility courses before, including what kind of agility elements work well and how you can lay out courses to get started. The only caveat is that you need the space to do it, but if you can get it rolling, it's a wonderful option.

Toys for You Too

There's also a category of enrichment toys that you have to take part in as well. Agility toys fall into this category, but there are also simple versions like durable balls for fetch, knotted ropes for tug-of-war, and other simple activity toys that work great, too.

On top of this, one of the best forms of enrichment is training. Teaching your dog new tricks and variations on older tricks helps to engage their brains. When those brains get working, you have a very satisfied dog at the end of it.

How to Pick a Good Enrichment Toy

Let's finish things off by talking about how to pick the right enrichment toys for your dog.

First of all, you'll never be able to just buy one or two toys and call it good. Dogs will get bored of the same toys over and over all the time, so you'll want to rotate the selection in and out.

You can do this when they start losing interest, on a set schedule, or even seasonally; it all depends on your dog and your selection of toys.

Secondly, you need to pick toys that address the specific needs of your dog. Different dogs of different breeds will have different proclivities.

Some won't take well to agility. Some prefer the more cognitive puzzles rather than physical activities. Some have a huge drive to hide and seek and aren't going to be interested in the more straightforward tug-of-war and other activities.

This will all change over time, too. It can depend on the breed of your dog, but also their age, their personality, and even their experience. Puzzles, in particular, tend to escalate as your pooch gets used to the simpler options and wants something more complex.

When it comes to selecting the toys specifically, there's a lot to consider.

• Make sure the toys are made of durable and non-toxic, non-dangerous materials. Expect your dog to be licking, chewing, and otherwise tearing at the toys. If it has something like a woven fabric or a filling, you need to make sure that if your dog swallows some, it won't hurt them. Long strings are a common failure point here and can cause intestinal blockages.

• Size them appropriately. Getting a toy that's too large for a small dog can be frustrating for them to use. Getting a toy that's too small for a large dog can also be frustrating in different ways, plus it can be a choking hazard.

• Don't overlap the same enrichment too much. Even if your dog is primarily food-motivated, using only food-based enrichment can get stale over time.

With so many options available, it's hard to pick anything to be the best, so expect to experiment until you find what your dog enjoys the most.

Dog Enrichment Toy FAQ

Let's answer a few questions you might have before I let you go.

I have two dogs that play with each other: do I still need enrichment toys?

Yes! If your dogs have to rely on one another for enrichment, things go wrong when one is ill or tired, and there's only so much of the right kinds of enrichment involved.

You still need to meet other needs beyond the social.

How much do enrichment toys cost?

It all depends on the kind of toy and the brand, but most enrichment toys will cost somewhere between $10 and $40.

If you're paying much more than that, ask yourself what you're getting for the money; similarly, if it's much less, wonder what they're cutting for the savings.

What if my dog isn't very food-motivated?

There are all sorts of enrichment toys that don't need food to be successful. Scent toys, hide-and-seek toys, and agility toys all fall into this group.

Every dog will have something they love; you just need to find it!

So, what are your favorite enrichment toys for your dogs? Let me know in the comments!

In the past, I wrote about excessive licking in dogs – what causes it, why they do it, what it means, and why it can be a problem. For the part, that post was focused on licking other things, like the floors, the walls, or you. I did briefly mention the side effects of licking at themselves too much, but it wasn't the focus of the post.

Today, I wanted to talk a little more about self-licking. Sometimes, dogs end up seemingly fixated on licking themselves, particularly their paws. This can cause a bunch of issues, but the most common are "lick granulomas", which is just a fancy name for an open sore caused by excessive licking. It can also cause infections in cuts and scrapes they get naturally, and irritate other problems, making it take longer to heal.

While a little licking and chewing at their feet can be grooming, excessive licking can cause all sorts of issues. Obviously, if it's causing problems, you want it to stop. The question is, how? I'll get to that, but there's some ground to cover first.

Why Dogs are Licking Their Paws

To solve a problem, you first need to know what is causing the problem. What causes a dog to lick their paws excessively?

Grooming

The first option is grooming, and it's probably the least likely cause on this list, just because it generally won't be excessive. Grooming is just how they clean their feet, getting bits of dirt off of their toes and working out sand from in between them.

Excessive grooming can happen, but it's generally caused by something else, like some of the other options we'll get to later.

Injuries

Probably the most common cause of excessive foot licking, by far, is injuries. If they stepped on excessively hot pavement and burned a paw pad, if they stepped on a thorny plant and got a sticker in their paw, if they cut their paw on something rough or sharp outside, if they got stung or bit by an insect, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that their foot hurts or is irritated, and they don't have very many ways to deal with that. The best option their furry little minds can think of is to soothe it with licking, so lick they do.

The problem, of course, is that licking isn't actually going to solve any of those issues. Worse, it's just as likely to keep irritating them, and their dirty little mouths can even cause an infection.

Injuries can range from small irritations that will heal in a day or two to serious problems that need a vet trip. It depends on the scope of the injury and the likelihood of infection, so make sure to check their paws!

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is the fancy medical word for skin irritation and inflammation. If you ever get a rash from poison ivy or an allergy, that's dermatitis. Dogs can get dermatitis from bacterial issues, from allergic reactions, and even from food sensitivities.

They can also develop it because of chemicals on the ground they walk on – it can be especially common in winter due to road treatments and other chemicals, or when lawn treatments or pesticides are used – and can even be caused by plants they walk on.

Fortunately, while this can be annoying to diagnose, it's relatively easy to treat. The trick is figuring out what is causing it specifically and avoiding letting your fur baby walk on whatever it is.

Parasites

Another semi-common cause is parasites. In particular, fleas and mange mites can cause your fur baby to be very itchy, especially around the paws.

Obviously, parasites are a known and solvable issue, so if they're what's causing excessive licking, it's a quick treatment away from relief.

Generalized Pain

One of the more difficult to address causes of excessive licking is very similar to the first: pain, and an attempt to soothe that pain. The trouble is, what happens if the pain is internal? Something like a fractured or broken toe would be obvious and solvable, but something like arthritis or a slowly growing tumor might not be obvious without testing.

This cause generally requires diagnosis and treatment from a vet, so if you've ruled out all of the easier causes, you will have to bring them in.

Behavioral Issues

This is one of the major elements I focused on in the previous post I linked up at the start. Behavioral issues, ranging from compulsive behaviors to boredom or anxiety, can cause your pup to lick at themselves just out of a need for stimulation.

Sometimes, this might be treatable with medications, while other times, it might mean you need to give them something to redirect their behavior or keep them entertained. It depends on what kind of behavioral issue is cropping up, really.

Other Health Problems

Sometimes, if your pooch has another health issue, they might be sore or stressed or irritated in ways they don't know how to express, so they lick to try to soothe themselves. Things like yeast infections, bacterial infections, and other illnesses can all cause this behavior.

Generally speaking, you'll notice other behavioral issues as well if this is the case, like lethargy, a lack of appetite, odd-colored stool, and so on. As you might expect, it's time to talk to a vet if your doggo is sick.

How to Get Your Dog to Stop Excessively Licking Their Paws

Now that you have some idea of why your pup is licking at their paws constantly, how do you solve the problem?

Step 1: Diagnose the Cause

The first thing you need to do is figure out which of the causes above is the one that's occurring.

Generally speaking, the first step is to look at their paws and see if there are signs of injury or irritation. If it's a surface-level injury or signs of topical irritation, it's easier to solve than if it's arthritis, a behavioral issue, or something more internal.

If you can't figure out what the cause is, it might be time to talk to your vet. As long as they aren't licking themselves raw and bloody, it probably isn't emergency vet material, but a regular vet visit isn't a bad idea.

Step 2: Treat the Cause

Once you have identified the cause, treat it if you can.

• If it's an injury and it's minor, see if it needs antiseptic or just cleaning and bandaging.

• If it's an injury and more major, have the vet handle it as necessary.

• If it's an infection, medication may be provided to deal with it.

• If it's inflammation or irritation, soothing creams and potentially steroids can be used.

• If it's pain or behavioral-related, talk to your vet about what may be necessary.

• If it's parasites, antiparasitic medications are easily accessible.

• If it's boredom, play with them more or give them an outlet when you're not available.

All but the most serious causes can be handled either at home, with over-the-counter treatments, or with a phone or video call with a vet to diagnose and prescribe something. The most serious issues need a vet examination and potentially other tests, like blood tests, to figure it out.

In rare cases, other kinds of treatments may be necessary. For example, if they end up having a cyst or small tumor, it may need surgery to remove.

Sometimes, irritated skin won't heal on its own, and cryotherapy may be necessary to remove it and start from a fresh wound for healing. And, of course, sometimes all you need is an anti-itch cream.

Step 3: Prevent the Licking

While you're waiting for a treatment to work, you'll want to do what you can to prevent your pup from continuing to lick at their paws and making the problem worse.

For temporary, short-term, day or two healing, an e-collar can be perfectly effective. If all you need to do is stop them from licking long enough for some irritation to heal, that's a fine option.

You might also consider something like dog booties or other foot coverings. You want something they can't easily pull off, and that won't hinder their ability to move around.

And, of course, you want something that isn't going to irritate their feet. Fortunately, there are a lot of potential products out there you can use.

In more extreme circumstances, you might need some kind of treatment that makes their feet taste bad to them, so they stop because it's gross. Bitter apple or citrus juices can do the trick, though something too strong might make their life unpleasant even when they aren't licking.

Be careful not to use these kinds of treatments on open wounds or irritated skin, as it can be painful for them.

Step 4: Remove External Factors

External causes of excessive licking generally come down to things like a food allergy, an irritation due to a chemical you're using somewhere inside or outside the home, or just boredom or anxiety.

You can try to remove these as factors.

• Change their food if a food irritation may be causing the problem.

• Remove plants from places they walk – or take them to other places to walk – to avoid irritation.

• Give them more things to do to alleviate their boredom or separation anxiety.

You won't always be able to fully control the environment and keep them from stepping in something that irritates their feet, but as long as you have ways to deal with it before they lick themselves raw, you're ahead of the curve.

Step 5: Paw Cleaning and Paw Balm

Two things worth mentioning as additional options are paw balms and paw cleaning.

Paw cleaning is a simple, but sometimes annoying, habit you'll need to get into. Basically, just keep a bit of water and a towel near the door.

Whenever they go outside, whether you're just letting them run around the yard, or you're taking them for a walk, or they've been out with you shopping or to the vet, make the entryway a checkpoint.

All you need to do is give their paws a quick rinse and wipe down. This helps remove anything, like chemical residues and dirt, that could irritate their paws.

Even if they aren't irritated right away, that irritation can develop later in the day as the residue lingers, and then comes the licking. Dealing with it right away is a great option.

The downside is that it's just One More Thing You Have To Do when you get home with your pup, and it's a hard habit to build and keep. Once you get it going, though, it's not too bad.

The second is a paw balm. There are a variety of kinds of paw balms – we sell three – but they all serve more or less the same purpose.

They help keep your dog's paws supple, soft, and healthy. They're often hydrating and moisturizing to prevent dry and cracked skin.

They can provide a small barrier against chemicals and residues, though hot pavement will still burn. They can even help speed up healing when your pup ends up with an irritation or inflammation.

Once the problem has been solved and the causes have been addressed, you should be good to go. It's fairly rare for excessive licking to be any sort of emergency, and if it is, you'll definitely notice other signs, whether it's bleeding, serious behavior changes, or something worse.

Have you ever experienced a dog that wouldn't stop licking their paws, seemingly no matter what you did? If so, what did the cause turn out to be, and how did you solve it? I've seen all sorts of things, but I'm curious what else may be out there.

Choosing Safer, Healthier Dog Products Starts With Knowing Exactly What's in Them

If you’ve ever lost a dog to illness—or spent nights worrying over what might be hiding in that overseas-made treat—you’re not alone.

Many of us trusted the packaging, only to learn too late that some overseas-made pet products contain cancer-causing chemicals, toxic dyes, and mystery ingredients we can’t even pronounce.

At toe beans, we believe pet parents like us deserve better, much better.

Why "Made in the USA" Isn’t Just a Label at toe beans

Many dog supply brands out there are quick to make the “made in the USA” claim, while failing to disclose that the raw materials in their products actually come from the same mass-production, low-cost labor countries overseas you're trying to avoid.

Oftentimes, such brands will claim "made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients/raw materials" as the country of origin designation for raw materials they don't really want you to know the true origin.

We believe every pet parent has the right to know exactly what went into the products they buy and what country they were produced in. Knowing such information can make the difference between long and short-living dogs as well as the quality of life they live.

That's why, we take a totally different and radical approach. With a few exceptions, all pet supplies on the toe beans catalog are crafted either in our own facility in the USA or by carefully vetted small-batch American artisans we know and trust.

It’s in our DNA to keep the strictest controls and oversight in our supply chains to source only the cleanest raw materials the world has to offer—organic, sustainable, toxin-free, and third-party certified.

Our products are manufactured using raw materials backed by trusted certifications including USDA Organic, USDA Bio-based, FSC^®, GOTS^®, and Oeko-Tex^® to ensure the highest safety standards from end to end. Learn more about toe beans raw materials certifications here.

So whether your pup is stretched out on our orthopedic dog beds, enjoying a handful of our Momma Knows Best Organics^® USDA Certified Organic Dog Treats, or burning off energy with one of our eco-friendly dog toys, you can feel confident you’re giving them the healthiest care possible.

You Shouldn’t Have to Guess What’s in Your Dog’s Products

That’s why we are obsessed with transparency and making dog supplies any pet parent can trust — clean, honest, and radically transparent.

Every product in our catalog comes with a datasheet that we fondly call the product’s anatomy. In it, you can learn what exactly went into your products and where all raw materials come from – from the threads to the main components.

Sometimes we even disclose our raw material suppliers, such as in the case of our leather dog collars, where we clearly tell our customers where exactly our leather comes from.

Lack of transparency is, in fact, the main tool many dog supply resellers out there use to get away with baseless claims such as organic. Here is what we think when it comes down to buying products claiming organic status:

“If it claims organic but it's not third-party certified, don’t let it fool you, it's not bona fide.”

Just some food for thought. Discover what safe, non-toxic, and organic really looks and feels like. Browse our collection of USA-made Organic Dog Products and give your pup the cleanest clean the world has to offer — no compromises.

The things we eat as people aren't always the things our canine companions can eat. Just like how there are plenty of foods that are toxic to cats, there are human foods our dogs shouldn't eat either. What should you keep off the menu to avoid giving your pooch a hard time?

Can Dogs Eat Fruit?

First, a simple question: can dogs eat fruit at all? Fortunately, the answer is yes. While dogs aren't obligate carnivores like cats, they do have some dietary restrictions, largely related to certain chemicals that can give them a bad time.

Dogs can enjoy fruits as treats. Fruits like apples, blueberries, pears, strawberries, watermelon, mango, and others are all good options. My guide (linked right there) can give you some great ideas on which fruits to use, and how to use them.

What Makes a Fruit Bad for Your Dog?

Some fruits are going to be bad for your dog, but why are they bad? Are they full of chemicals that are fine for humans but toxic to dogs? Are they going to trigger an allergic reaction?

Generally, there are three main reasons that can disqualify a fruit from being part of your dog's diet.

The first reason is sugar. A lot of fruits are considered fairly healthy, but they're full of natural sugars. Natural fructose is better for you (and your dog) than artificial sugars, and it's way better than chemical sweeteners like xylitol, which can be toxic to your dog. But, it's still a lot of sugar, which can cause problems with obesity and diabetes, especially in older dogs.

The second reason is something that could choke your dog. Fruits that have large seeds or pits can be obstructions and, depending on the size of your dog, can block their airway or their bowels. Both of these can be very dangerous and painful to your pup.

On that note, it's a good idea for any canine caregiver to know how to help a choking dog because time is of the essence. Check out this guide to the canine Heimlich Maneuver to learn more.

Some of these fruits are fine if you prepare them right, while others might have other reasons to avoid them as well. I'll get to that in the actual list.

The third reason is toxicity. Some fruits do, in fact, have toxic compounds in them. At best, these can cause bowel upset or vomiting. At worst, they can become a life-threatening medical issue. It's better to avoid them entirely.

Now, let's go through the list.

Fruits a Dog Shouldn't Have Because of Toxic Ingredients

First, let's talk about the fruits that your dog absolutely shouldn't have. Any fruit with toxic compounds in it should be avoided entirely.

Avocados

Avocados are often thought of as vegetables, but they're actually fruits. They also fit both the toxicity and the obstruction points because the pit of the avocado is tough and can be a choking hazard.

The most important part, though, is that avocado skins, pits, and leaves all contain a compound called persin. While persin generally won't kill a dog unless it's very small and they eat a lot of it, it's going to cause gastrointestinal distress, including vomiting and diarrhea. That, combined with the high-fat flesh of the avocado, makes for a bad time for everyone.

Persin can also cause pancreatitis if consumed in sufficient amounts or over a long term.

Note that you can still use products like dog fur conditioners that include avocado oil; these ingredients have been refined to remove anything toxic. Since avocado oil is a great way to add luster and shine to your dog's coat, many people still use the fruit, even if it's not for eating.

Cherries

Cherries are a fruit that really hits all three of the reasons why a dog shouldn't have them.

They're pretty sweet and sugary, especially sweet cherries (tart cherries are a little less so, though they do still have a lot of sugar in them.)

They have pits. Those pits aren't going to bother a larger breed, but small dogs might choke on them.

Most importantly, though, they contain cyanide in the pits.

If you carefully pit cherries and give them to your dog in moderation, it's probably fine that they have one or two here or there. If you have a cherry tree, though, make sure your dog can't go to town on fallen fruit. The same goes if you eat cherries; make sure your pup can't fish the pits out of the trash.

It's also a good idea to learn the signs of cyanide poisoning. Dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, and red gums can all be signs.

Grapes

One of the worst fruits for dogs, grapes of all sorts are bad for our canine friends. Grapes (and raisins) are so toxic to dogs that they can cause sudden kidney failure in surprisingly small quantities. Just keep them away from your dog at all costs.

This is a good place to discuss the symptoms of poisoning in dogs. If you're worried that your dog might be poisoned or ate something they shouldn't that could hurt them, look for symptoms like:

• Bowel issues, including constipation and diarrhea.

• Lethargy and delayed responses.

• Standing with their back hunched.

• Twitching or seizures.

• Vomiting, drooling, or foaming at the mouth.

These symptoms indicate an emergency, and you should rush your pup to the emergency vet ASAP to get treatment before their organs shut down. Your vet will administer treatment like activated charcoal, a medication to induce vomiting, and scans or even surgery to address what's wrong. Obviously, it's better to keep the grapes (and other toxic fruits) out of reach.

Green Tomatoes

Tomatoes are part of the same overall plant family as nightshade, so it's not really a surprise that it can be toxic to some animals.

Fully ripe tomatoes are fine for dogs, but under-ripe or green tomatoes, as well as the green parts of the plant, all contain a chemical called solanine. That chemical is only mildly toxic, so your dog would probably have to eat a whole tomato plant or more to get really sick over it, but it's still better to avoid it, wouldn't you say?

Plums

Plums are another fruit where the pit contains cyanide and can be a choking hazard. Basically, any stone fruit is going to have these issues since they're all similar.

The flesh is fine, but the pits are very dangerous, so you have to be careful with how you dispose of them.

Raspberries

Raspberries are right on the fence. They're a healthy fruit and they're undeniably delicious, but they do contain a very small amount of xylitol.

One or two isn't going to be enough to hurt a dog unless they're very, very small or are very sensitive, but a whole package of raspberries – or a dog left to their own devices next to berry bushes – can cause problems quite quickly.

Fruits a Dog Shouldn't Have Because of Obstructive Elements

The second group is fruits that should either be avoided or be prepared properly if you want to give them to your dog. That's because they contain something, like a pit, a core, or seeds, that can block airways or obstruct bowels if your dog swallows them. Avocados, already listed above, fall into this group because of the pit as well.

Peaches

Peaches are a good example of a fruit that can be fine in moderation for dogs, but can also be very high in sugar, and the pit is dangerous.

Not only is the pit capable of blocking an airway, but it also contains a chemical called amygdalin, which, when digested, creates cyanide. So, why didn't I list it in the toxic section? The edible part of the fruit is fine.

Oranges

Oranges aren't bad for your dog, but vets generally recommend leaving off the skin and removing the seeds when possible. By the time you're done doing that, it's practically not worth it for a treat anymore, right?

That said, some dogs don't like citrus at all because the citrus oils are very strongly scented, and your pup's sensitive nose might be irritated at having them close. If you ever peel an orange and notice your pup avoids you, that's probably why.

Other citrus all fall into this category as well. Lemons, limes, grapefruits, pomelos, mandarins, citrons, tangerines… the list goes on. Relatedly, did you know that all citrus we enjoy today are cross-breeds and hybrids between three original citrus plants? Mandarins, Pomelos, and Citrons are the three originals; everything else is some manner of derived hybrid between them.

Persimmons

Persimmons are a less common fruit, but the seeds they contain can be obstructive to your dog's bowels. They aren't super toxic, which is why they aren't listed in the toxic list, though they do contain compounds that can cause digestive upset.

Under-ripe persimmons are also very astringent and can also cause digestive upset. The flesh of the ripe fruit is fine in moderation, though.

Fruits a Dog Shouldn't Have Because of Excessive Sugar

Finally, let's talk about some fruits you should consider avoiding. These aren't necessarily dangerous for your dog, but they are high in sugar. That means if they have diabetes, or you're worried about obesity or them developing diabetes down the line, it's better to avoid them. They can be given in moderation, though; a single bite here and there, as a high-value treat, can be just fine.

Bananas

Bananas are emblematic of this entire category. They're very sweet and have a ton of sugar in them when they're ripe, but they also have a lot of healthy minerals and vitamins that your dog will enjoy.

A slice of banana tossed to your pup with you eating one yourself is fine, but they shouldn't be part of their primary diet.

Canned Fruits

I'm not specifying one particular fruit here. Many canned fruits are canned with added sugar or even syrup, and that's a huge hit of sugar your dog doesn't need. Obviously, if the canned fruit is one with another issue, you have twice the reason to avoid it.

Note that even fruits canned in water or juice still tend to have added sugar to them. Syrup is worse, but juice isn't always better.

Dangerous Fruits for Dogs FAQ

As usual, let's wrap things up with a few common questions.

What should I do if my dog ate a bad fruit?

This depends on the fruit. Grapes? Take them to the vet ASAP. Other fruits? Keep an eye on them. If they exhibit the symptoms of poisoning, take them to the vet. Otherwise, just keep an eye out for obstructions and be prepared for a messy bathroom break.

Fruits that are high in sugar are only bad for weight and diabetes reasons, so if your dog is otherwise healthy, a bit of over-indulgence won't hurt them. Just don't make it a regular thing.

How can I get rid of pits and seeds?

Many people recommend a dog-proof trash can for things you really don't want your dog to get into. I've known some very clever dogs that find their way into these, though, so make sure whatever you get can resist the cleverest pupper around.

Alternatively, make sure to store the waste out of their reach until you can get rid of it.

What is the worst fruit for dogs?

Undoubtedly, grapes. It's actually kind of crazy that we don't even know which compounds in grapes are the toxic ones, but we know that all kinds of grapes, even in small amounts, can lead to very sudden kidney failure and even death.

If your dog even eats just one grape, you should be extremely vigilant for signs of poisoning and call your vet ASAP.

As always, if you have any non-medically-related questions, I'm always more than happy to help however I can! Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Healthier Products, Happier Dogs

Your dog’s health and happiness are priceless, and at Toe Beans, we’re here to help you nurture both. The raw materials in our products are certified for their non-toxicity, safety, and environmental friendliness to keep your furry companion and other family members safe, healthy, and away from cancer-causing substances. Learn more about our raw materials certifications.

Power up your dog’s rewards with our USDA organic dog treats, made in the USA in a USDA-inspected facility with the cleanest USA-sourced USDA organic ingredients. Keep your dog smelling fresh for longer between baths with our USDA organic dry dog shampoo. Don’t forget that a healthy and shiny coat is best maintained with natural animal fibers rather than synthetic ones. Our gentle dog brushes are exclusively hand-made for toe beans in Germany, using a brush-making tradition of 400 years!

Playtime is better than ever with our USDA Biobased dog rope toys, offering safe and truly eco-friendly options for endless fun. And for stylish walks, check out our always-in-fashion leather dog collars. Made in the USA with full-grain Spanish veg-tanned leather.

Do You Ever Worry About Where and Who Made Your Dog Supplies?

The sad truth is, unless you buy your dog supplies directly from a US-based company that manufactures their products in the USA and that also has strict controls and oversight over their supply chains, odds are your dog supplies have been made overseas with substandard raw materials that could potentially represent a long-term health hazard for your pup.

At toe beans we take pride in being more than just another dog supplies brand. By designing and manufacturing nearly all our products (98%+) in-house and/or in close collaboration with small-batch US artisans, we're able to ensure the highest standards of quality, sustainability, and supply chain controls and oversight.

When you choose toe beans dog and cat supplies, you're not only putting your fur baby's health, happiness, and longevity first, you’re also choosing supply chain transparency, raw material safety, and ethical American manufacturing. You can have the confidence that your dog supplies were made in the USA with certified raw materials that are free from human exploitation and hazardous substances.

Join the movement of ethical, health, and environmentally conscious dog parents. Shop our dog supplies collection now.

Perhaps the single most routine surgery in the veterinary field is that of the spay/neuter. Most people are aware that these surgeries are done and why, but not necessarily what they do, how, or what needs to be done after the surgery itself. I wanted to take a moment today to talk about it!

What is Involved in a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Spaying and neutering are surgical procedures, which means they are invasive and require anesthesia, monitoring, and potentially IV fluids and other care.

The surgery is a lot less invasive for male dogs than for females due to the anatomy involved, but either way, it includes an incision in the flesh of the dog's underbelly, ligation of the blood vessels leading to the relevant reproductive organ, and the removal of that organ.

In male dogs, it's the testicles, while in female dogs, it's usually both the ovaries and the uterus, though in rare cases, it can be just the ovaries.

If you're interested in a closer look, this article covers neutering a male dog, and this one covers spaying a female dog. Fair warning: the neutering article includes pictures, so skip it if you're squeamish.

The key point to take away here is that both surgeries involve incisions of the skin and cutting away organs inside.

No matter how well-practiced the vet, these can always be potentially dangerous due to infection, failed ligations, or other problems.

Your job is to keep an eye on your beloved canine companion to make sure nothing goes wrong and that they heal normally.

What Are Common Symptoms After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Surgical recovery is a lengthy process, though your dog probably won't show it as much as you expect them to.

In the first 24 hours after the surgery, your pup will be recovering from being under anesthesia. They'll be groggy and nauseous and may have other symptoms, such as:

• Glassy-eyed looks

• Sleepiness

• Wobbly movement

• Excessive vocalization

• Shivering

• Irritability

All of these are normal. They're shaking off medication and dealing with both an unpleasant sensation, a bunch of disorientation, and a general feeling of not being entirely normal.

They don't know what's going on, and they don't have the language to understand if you explain, so they can only do what they feel they can do: whine about it, usually.

Because of their nausea, your dog is probably not going to want to eat very much. One of the main risks here is dehydration, so make sure to encourage your pup to drink. Offer food in small amounts, but be prepared if they can't keep it down.

After the first day or two, your pet will largely recover mentally, but they are still healing from the surgery. This is the most dangerous time for three main concerns.

The first is infection. While many procedures are in place to make sure your pet is as clean and sterile as possible during the surgery, there's always the risk of infection with any surgery, no matter how thorough the procedures. Keeping an eye out for the signs of infection is your most important job.

The second is reopening the incision. A small amount of bleeding on the first day is normal, but after that, it should remain closed, though it can be red and a little swollen.

If your pet does something that reopens the incision, you'll need to talk to your vet to get it closed back up. Fortunately, these aren't big incisions, so it's not a huge emergency if they reopen.

The third is internal bleeding. Part of the surgery is tying off the blood vessels that feed the organs being removed. There's always a risk, however small, of these not remaining properly tied off and causing internal bleeding. This is one of the biggest emergencies that will need immediate attention.

How Long Does Recovery After Spay or Neuter Surgery Take?

In general, dogs take around 10-14 days to fully recover from a spay or neuter surgery. The first day is the worst, and each day after will be better.

Some dogs take a little longer to recover, which can depend on their age, their size, and if there were any complications with the surgery itself or with their recovery process.

Many dogs will feel like they've recovered earlier, but they aren't great at judging the state of their healing internally, so your job is to keep them relatively calm and still so they don't hurt themselves in their excitement to get back to normal.

What Do You Need to Do to Care for Your Dog After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Caring for a dog after a spay surgery is fairly simple, but if it's your first time, it can be a little nerve-wracking. Just remember that millions of pet parents do it every year, and most of them don't have issues, so you'll probably be fine, too.

When you first bring your dog home, let them rest in a quiet, safe place. If you have other pets, kids, or anything stressful in your house, find a place your dog can stay away from them and let them recover there.

Check on your dog frequently for the first 24 hours to make sure they're fine. Complications can happen quite quickly, so you want to keep an eye on them or even stay with them while they rest and shake off the anesthesia.

Give them small amounts of food and water later in the evening. Their appetite won't return to normal for probably about two days, but you want to try to keep them hydrated and fed. Just be prepared for the risk of vomit if they can't keep it down.

Encourage frequent movement. Statistics show that if your dog spends most of the first day sleeping or resting, their recovery is probably going to take longer. You want them up and moving, even if it's just a walk across the room.

At the same time, discourage exercise and play. Jumping, running, and excessive playing risk reopening the incision or the ligations and can cause complications.

Keep the surgical site dry. No swimming, no bathing, no playing in the rain or the snow.

Keep checking the incision. A little redness and swelling are normal, but if it bleeds, reopens, leaks a strange fluid, looks bruised, or is otherwise unnatural, contact your vet.

What Symptoms Should You Watch for After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

You can generally categorize issues post-surgery as normal, needing attention, or emergency. Let's go through each category.

Normal issues after a surgery.

Normal issues are things you may or may not see, but if you do, they aren't something to worry about. If they stick around or get worse, then they escalate into the next tier of severity, and you'll want to talk to your vet about them.

To be clear, you can call your vet about anything you aren't sure about. They're generally pretty happy to help, even if they are overworked – they love your dog almost as much as you do – and they won't be mad about a nervous call. Just don't necessarily rush your pup into the emergency vet for something that isn't a problem.

So what's on the list?

• A small amount of blood or bloody discharge from the incision site on the first day after the surgery. Small things like a minor red stain on their bed where they were lying are pretty normal. If it's bad, there will be more volume, or it won't go away even after days.

• A bit of redness or swelling, or even bruising around the surgical site. An incision is, after all, cutting through the skin. Think of it like when you get a cut yourself; it will be red and irritated because it's damage to the skin.

• Your dog whining and crying about their situation. Some dogs are way more dramatic than others in their discomfort, but most just won't know what's going on. They'll be disoriented, uncomfortable, and probably in a little pain, and they'll be vocal about it.

• Not doing their business on schedule. Potty training is important, so this can feel bad, but anesthesia basically halts the digestive process, and your dog probably won't go back to normal for at least a day.

If any of these happen for a day or two, don't worry, and just keep an eye on it. They should go away on their own.

Issues that need some attention.

Now, let's talk about the issues that will require attention but might not need an emergency trip.

These issues include:

• Significant swelling of the incision. This might be a sign of infection or could require medication to help manage.

• Colored discharge from the incision. This is generally a sign of some kind of infection and will require medication and maybe cleaning.

• Pale gums. This can be a sign of internal bleeding or an infection and is worth getting looked at.

• Long-term lack of appetite. If your dog refuses to eat or drink even after a day or two after the surgery, something might be wrong, and they'll need attention.

• Intermittent vomiting. Same deal here; it means something is wrong but not immediately life-threatening.

If your dog is experiencing any of these, you'll want to call your vet and talk to them about it. They might be able to do a quick video visit and give you a prescription or advice to try to care for the issue, or they might want you to bring your dog in to be looked at. Follow their advice.

Issues for the emergency vet.

Now, let's talk about the true emergencies. If you see any of these, you'll want to bring your pup to the nearest emergency clinic.

These issues might require another surgery to correct or could be a sign of something dangerous occurring:

• Consistent blood from the surgical site. This can indicate a failed ligation that will need to be redone.

• Consistent vomiting that doesn't go away. This can indicate a number of issues that need to be checked out.

• Difficulty breathing. This is another potentially serious complication that needs immediate attention.

• Inability to stand or not waking up. Terrifying!

These are your true emergencies, so get going ASAP if you see them.

Dog Spay Surgery FAQ

Now, let's wrap things up with a couple of other questions you might have.

Do you need to keep the incision clean?

Follow your vet's instructions.

Generally, you only need to wipe off discharge if it happens, but otherwise, it's better to leave it alone.

What kind of cone should you put on your dog?

Cones aren't generally recommended these days; instead, a more flexible e-collar is the way to go.

If your dog doesn't seem interested in licking or scratching at their incision, they don't need a collar or cone. If they can't seem to leave it alone, you need to protect the incision from their picking at it, so use the collar.

What if your dog doesn't tolerate a cone?

There are a few other options. One of the most common is a onesie, which can protect the site of the incision while being harder to work around and more comfortable for your pup.

You can also try something like boxer shorts – the fly is for the tail – though with both options, you still need to remove or alter them for potty time.

When all is said and done, you should be in a good position both to have a safe and healthy dog and to go through the whole process again with another dog in the future.

Remember, there are no stupid questions, and you shouldn't feel bad about being concerned. We all have to learn somewhere!

If you have any non-medically-related questions, I'd be more than happy to help out however I can! Just leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Pure, Safe, and American-Made Dog Supplies – Because Your Dog Deserves the Best

At toe beans, we believe that every dog deserves the cleanest and safest products available. From nutritious treats to grooming supplies, all of our dog supplies are made to protect your dog’s health and enhance their happiness and longevity.

Try our USDA Organic Yummies for the Tummies dog treats, for a guilt-free way to reward your pup with organic, chemical-free yummy snacks. For a shiny and healthy coat try our USDA organic dog shampoos and dog brushes.

Our USDA Biobased certified synthetic-free dog toys are perfect for keeping your dog entertained without exposure to harmful substances. And, for a touch of sophistication and timeless style, explore our US-made leather dog collars and leashes, made with the finest chrome and heavy metal free, veg-tanned Spanish leather; designed for long-lasting comfort and performance. Did you know our dog collars and leashes come with a lifetime warranty?

Every product in our catalog is made using only raw materials certified for sustainability, safety, and non-toxicity by the world’s most trusted organizations such as the USDA, Oeko-Tex^®, GOTS^®, and FSC^® among others.

Setting a New Standard in Dog Supplies with Radical Transparency and Unmatched Safety

Do you know where the ingredients and raw materials in your dog supplies come from? Or, whether they are made by forced labor overseas?

Sadly, most pet brands rely on overseas supply chains, often linked to toxins, harmful chemicals, and forced labor. At toe beans, we do things differently—98% of our products are made in-house or by small-batch U.S. artisans, ensuring total quality control.

Our materials meet strict sustainability and safety standards, certified by The USDA, Oeko-Tex^®, GOTS^®, and FSC^® amongst others.

Ready to provide your dog with the cleanest dog wellness supplies? Shop our dog supplies collection today and experience the toe beans difference!

Obviously, there are differences between breeds; a tiny breed isn't going to be able to pull a dog sled, while a huge breed will have trouble running an agility course, and some are better trackers or hunters than others.

Beyond that, though, we have to think about physical disabilities. Just like people, dogs can be born with congenital defects that hinder their abilities. Others might contract illnesses or suffer injuries when they're very young.

Blindness is not a common problem in young dogs, though it can still occur. Those puppies deserve just as much love and affection as any other, but many people may be unwilling or unable to provide them with the care they need. Training a blind puppy can present a lot of challenges, but with dedication, time, and love, they can be overcome.

If you're willing and able to care for a blind puppy and train them in all the things they'll need to know when they grow, I salute you. To help, I've put together this list of ten of the most useful tips I can find, backed by expert dog trainers and behavioralists.

Let's get right to it!

1: Understand Differences

One thing that can be worth thinking about is when your dog lost their sight.

Some dogs are born with either very limited or no vision. These dogs don't know anything different, and while those around them might act as though they can see, the blind puppy doesn't know that. Your puppy will adapt to not having sight with relative ease as long as you're there to help care for them.

For puppies who lose their sight early to injury or illness, don't lose heart. They will still be able to adapt, and probably quickly, too. They just won't adapt quite as fast, because they were learning how to navigate the world with sight, and they lost it and have to learn to compensate.

At the same time, these dogs have some advantages in having some basic idea of what the world is like and what scents might represent, even if they haven't really interacted with it much. They'll probably lose this over time, but it can help overcome some initial hurdles.

As for dogs that lose their vision later in life as mature adults or seniors, there is a whole other array of challenges to consider. Since you aren't as likely to need to train them, though, that's somewhat outside the scope of this post. Some of the tips can still help, though, so keep reading!

2: Be Gentle and Patient

The Browns from Alpha Paws Training recommend being patient and gentle when training a blind pup. Blind dogs may be slower, more hesitant, and less confident in their explorations of the world around them.

They will still be receptive to learning new things, but the usual dog training schedules might not apply. You'll probably need to take longer to train them in certain things and be kind and gentle if they're having issues or accidents.

This is one of the greatest challenges of training a special needs dog. It can feel like they're stuck in their training or they aren't making progress fast enough, and it can be disheartening. Many people have a crisis around this time and consider giving up their pups to someone who has more time and ability to train them.

In my view, as long as you aren't neglecting them or made a promise to do something you couldn't, there's no shame in giving up a special needs pup. They deserve love and care, and if you can't provide it, it's better to hand them over to someone who can instead of struggling in a way that hurts both you and the puppy in the long run.

3: Create a Household Scent Map

Jennifer Mauger, a contributor to Chewy, says one of the most important things you can do is build a household scent map.

A household scent map is a fairly simple thing to build; all you need to do is get something like a bottle of vanilla extract or a lavender essential oil. Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Frankincense are all also good options. These are all scents dogs like and are pleasant enough to people that they won't be unpleasant.

A scent map just means you take that scent and dab a little bit of it on various parts of your home where your dog should know something is there. Corners, doorways, the legs of furniture, even walls.

Since your dog will have a keen sense of smell even though they're blind, they can use this to build a mental map of where things are. This helps them avoid running into walls or furniture, so it's both safe and enjoyable for your pup.

You can even dab some scent on their toys so they know where to find them! You don't need to use different scents for everything (though you can use different scents for different categories of objects, like one for walls and one for toys); just one or two will serve the purpose.

4: Use Clicker Training

Susan Gary of Top Dog Pet Sitters highly recommends clicker training. A clicker is just a small, sharp noisemaker with a button that makes a click when you press it. It's an auditory signal that a blind dog can learn and hear; critically, it's unique enough that your dog won't mistake other noises for it, which is essential for reliable training.

The click alone doesn't mean anything. Your first task with clicker training is to associate the click with a positive outcome, usually a treat. Just click and offer a treat periodically throughout the day to associate the noise with the reward.

Once that's in place – and it won't take long – all you need to do is use the click to identify a specific behavior you want to reinforce. So, say you're teaching your blind puppy to sit; when you say sit, and they sit, the instant their butt touches the ground, click and reward. Eventually, you can drop the reward aspect; the click is enough to reinforce a behavior.

You can read more about clicker training in this guide from the American Kennel Club.

5: Teach a Stop Command

Another important element of training a blind dog is training them to stop on a dime. You can't afford a dog that will run wildly and ignore your commands; there are all kinds of things they can run into or encounter that can be dangerous.

Moreover, there's only so much you can do to dog-proof everything around you. In your house, sure, you can keep things out of head level or away from their common paths, as well as scent-mark things that can't be removed. But other things can change or can't be marked. The edge of a pool or a pond, the trailer hitch on a truck, road traffic, the list goes on.

In these cases, having a firm command that your dog always obeys and that gets them to stop no matter what is critical.

6: Teach Step Up

Another useful command to teach your blind pooch is "step up" or "step down." These are simple commands that serve to warn your pup that a step like a curb or other short stumbling block is just ahead. This can help prevent tripping up or down that step.

While a single misstep is unlikely to cause an injury, it can lead to them being more cautious and hesitant because they don't know when the ground is going to jump out at them (or drop out from under them.)

If you've ever been leaning back in a chair and felt that jolt of almost falling or missed a step when climbing the stairs, imagine how they feel with the same experience but no eyesight.

7: Consider Household Safety

Lara Shannon of Pooches at Play recommends taking some serious time to make your household as safe as possible for your dog. Get down on their level and look at anything that could be head level or below that could cause an issue.

Consider things like:

• Adding corner protectors to doorways and other corners so that even if your dog gets excited and runs into one, they don't hurt themselves.

• Baby gates at the top of staircases so that your dog can't trip and fall down them, potentially injuring themselves in the tumble.

• Adding rugs or other surfaces to slippery floors and other footing hazards.

• Removing fallen branches and other low hazards in your yard where they could run into them while playing or doing their business.

• Adding markers around trees and other outside objects that can't be reliably scent-mapped; a simple ring of a different surface a foot or so out from the trunk of a tree can help warn your pooch something is coming up.

How much you do and what you need to focus on will depend on where you live and what your dog is like. Consider things from their perspective and make them as safe as possible.

8: Don't Rescue Them

Gillian Young, from the Wonder Dog Institute, says one thing you need to do is avoid "rescuing" your pup from common obstacles. It's one thing to snatch them up from a dangerous situation; that's fine. What you want to avoid is "rescuing" them from things that are just a little hard for them.

For example, if your blind dog is having trouble climbing stairs, your goal is to train them to be more confident going up and down the stairs. If you just pick them up and bring them up the stairs in your arms, it can hinder their training and even disorient them.

Blind dogs rely on their other senses to get around, and a big part of that is building and maintaining a mental map of your home and the things in it. Picking them up and putting them down somewhere else means they have to spend time figuring out where they are, and that isn't always easy. Scent maps help, but it's still better not to do it to them in the first place.

Guiding and helping them remain independent is better in every respect.

9: Don't Do Too Much At Once

This is less of a specific tip and more of a story you can take a moral from. Mardi Richmond of Whole Dog Journal tells the story of Orbit, a blind dog who was well-trained and socialized by his parents. One of the biggest challenges he faced was sound, particularly ambient noise.

Blind dogs use scent to map the area around them, but they also use sound to build that awareness. They can hear quite well, too, and can get a lot of information from ambient noise.

The challenge is that we people often tune out a lot of that noise or take it for granted. Things like crowds, traffic, loud machinery, and other noises can be disregarded because we know what they are.

The trouble is, for a blind dog, that's all potentially relevant information. Suddenly being immersed in it can disorient and overwhelm them, especially if they aren't used to it. So, when you're introducing them to new circumstances, be mindful of the noise.

10: Work on Socialization with Well-Trained Dogs

Another tip from the Orbit story is to be slow and careful when socializing your blind dog with other dogs. Since your pup is blind, they won't be able to see the visual cues that other dogs give and expect to be received. Whether it's play bows, social hops, attempts to sniff, or just a wagging tail, it just won't be seen.

So, if the other dogs your dog is learning from are rambunctious, aggressive, or unlikely to recognize a dog without the right social cues, it can cause a communication issue.

The ideal is to make sure you're socializing your pup with stolid, calm, and unflappable dogs that can be just as graceful to a social faux paw as you will be.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know! I'd be more than happy to help however I can!

Safe, Sustainable, and Stylish Supplies for Your Dog

Your dog is family, and at toe beans, we treat them that way. That’s why we’re obsessed with creating products that keep your furry companion healthy, happy, and safe—without compromises or shortcuts.

Looking for treats that are as healthy as they are delicious? Check out our USDA Organic Dog Treats, crafted with 100% organic ingredients to nourish your pup without harmful additives. Grooming is easy and gentle with our Organic Dog Shampoo and Dog Brushes, both designed with the premise that, just like you, your dog has delicate skin too.

Playtime becomes worry-free with our USDA-Certified Biobased Dog Toys. For the most pleasant walks, our US-made Leather Dog Accessories combine durability with elegance, ensuring your dog looks and feels in style all the time.

Every product in our small but growing catalog reflects our passion for creating better, safer options for your beloved pup.

Discover the difference toe beans makes. Shop dog supplies today!

Which fruits are the best, and are there any fruits you should avoid? Let's dig right in!

#1: Apples

Apples are readily available all throughout the year and come in dozens of different varieties, which can be sweet, tart, and everything in between. They're rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, both of which are important for a healthy canine, and the dietary fiber they provide can help ensure clean bowel movements and minimal mess to clean up on those walks.

One important note about apples is that you should always slice them and keep the core away from your pooch. The core, which contains the seeds of the apple, is both tough and less pleasant to eat, and the seeds have cyanide in them.

While it's not enough cyanide for us humans to really worry about if we accidentally eat a seed or two, our dogs are much smaller and more vulnerable to those kinds of toxins.

Apples are also fairly firm, so cutting them into smaller bits helps reduce the risk of choking. That's going to be true of any firm fruit, so keep it in mind as you go.

#2: Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits around for both people and puppies. They're super rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and they're very tasty to boot.

As an added bonus, they're already bite-sized for dogs, so they're easy to just use as small treats or to hand over a handful after a good day of training.

Different people give blueberries differently, and it can also depend on the size of your dog. Small breeds might find berries to be a bit of a choking hazard, especially if they don't chew them properly, so you might consider mashing up the berries first.

You could also partially freeze them so they're more solid to chew on, which can be helpful if you want to put them in an engaging puzzle feeder.

One thing to keep in mind about blueberries is the pigment in their skin can stain, so don't give your dog blueberries when they're in the room with the white carpet. That same pigment can tint their poo later, too, so don't be too concerned if it looks a lot darker than normal after a handful of berries.

#3: Pears

Pears are a safe, tasty, and relatively inoffensive fruit you can give to your dog. Pear juice is used in tons of beverages because it's essentially a neutral flavor that just adds sweetness without adding too much sugar, and the same goes for using it as a dog treat.

Your dog will enjoy it, of course, and it's full of vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin K, which are important for a healthy doggo. As with most fruits, though, you want to make sure to remove the seeds and core before handing it over.

#4: Strawberries

Strawberries are sweet, delicious, and healthy for most dogs. They have vitamins, antioxidants, and plenty of healthy components. More importantly, there are no toxic substances you have to worry about.

Your dog could even eat them with the hull still on if you want, though I find that prepping a bunch of berries and leaving off the hulls is easier.

Strawberries are just on the edge of having too much sugar, so keep that in mind and only feed them in moderation. Smaller dogs can also find them a choking hazard, so making sure they're soft and ripe, mashing them, or cutting them into smaller pieces can be a good idea.

#5: Watermelon

A staple of summer, watermelon is one of the best fruits you can feed to your pup on a hot day. The rind should be removed, of course – it's tough and indigestible, so it's not very pleasant for your doggo.

The seeds should also be removed if possible, but they aren't likely to cause a huge problem if you miss a couple. Seedless watermelons can also be a good option if you don't want to go through all of that hassle.

The biggest benefit of watermelon is just the first part of the name: water. Watermelon is 90% water, so it's great for hydration without overdoing it on the water bowl and risking an accident or other problem. It also has a lot of potassium and vitamins, so it's generally healthy. Cut it, trim it down, and let them enjoy it!

#6: Coconut

Coconut is an interesting fruit in many ways. Obviously, you can't just give one shell and all to your pooch, but if you break it open and scoop out some of the fruit inside, it can be a tasty treat.

This really only applies to fresh coconuts, though. You don't want to be giving your pup sweetened and shredded coconut, or even coconut flakes, for both digestive and sugar reasons. On the plus side, it's a fruit rich in healthy fats, which can be a key part of your pup's macronutrient profile.

#7: Pumpkin

Depending on your perspective, pumpkin might be considered more of a vegetable than a fruit, but it's on my list either way. Pumpkin can be very tasty, healthy, and good for your dog, but you have to make sure you're either using unsweetened, unadulterated pumpkin puree or baking your own pumpkin so it's soft and good for them. Obviously, a pie filling full of sugar and spices just won't do.

Pumpkin Is also a key ingredient in healthy dog treats, dog treat recipes you can make at home, and even mixed with chicken for a tasty food when your dog is feeling under the weather.

#8: Cranberries

Cranberries aren't just a staple of juices, Christmas recipes, and that sauce in a can that comes out as a cylinder; they're an incredible superfood. They're packed with so many vitamins and minerals I could write a whole post just on how good they are.

I recommend sticking with fresh cranberries rather than dried, though; dried cranberries often have added sugars or even xylitol, and that's no good.

Are There Fruits to Avoid Giving to Your Dog?

Not all fruits are great for your dog, but most of them are at least safe. Some can be toxic, and others harmful in other ways.

The poster child for fruits to keep away from your dog is grapes. Grapes contain compounds that can be extremely toxic to dogs, but it's a per-dog sensitivity. Some are fine; some go into shock very quickly. Keep them away to be on the safe side. Note that this includes raisins as well!

Avocados are another example. It contains a compound called persin that can be dangerous, and while the flesh of the avocado doesn't have a ton of it, it can still be enough to upset your dog's stomach. The high fat content can also cause problems.

Another fruit you might want to avoid is pineapple. Pineapple can be given to your dog in moderation, but it has a few problems. For one thing, it's very high in sugar, which is generally bad for most dogs, especially dogs with prediabetes or diabetes.

The pineapple skin is indigestible, so it can cause digestion issues and even bowel obstructions. There's also the enzyme in it! If you've ever eaten a bunch of pineapple, you know that funny feeling in your mouth? That's the pineapple enzyme breaking down your mouth skin. You don't want to do that to your pooch, right?

Another fruit you might consider avoiding is blackberries. They're full of antioxidants and healthy phytochemicals, but they also contain naturally occurring xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Your dog would have to eat a lot of them (unless it's a very small breed) to be hurt by it, but it's still better to be safe, right?

Dog Fruit Snacks FAQ

Now, let's round things out with a couple of questions that I didn't have space to cover in the list above.

What other fruits are good for dogs?

Most fruits are at least safe for your dog to eat or are safe after you do a little preparation. For example, mangos are a tasty treat, but you can't just give them one whole. The pit can cause problems if you do, and the skin is hard for your furry friend to digest. Peel and core the mango and give them bites of it, and you're fine.

Other melons than watermelon – like cantaloupe and honeydew – are also good options, but they have the same caveats. No rind, no seeds, in moderation because of the sugars.

What fruits should you leave off the list?

There are a handful of fruits that are healthy and won't hurt your dog the way a toxic fruit might but are still less good for them than the other fruits on the list.

One big example is bananas. Bananas are full of potassium and other nutrients and can be perfectly fine treats for a dog, but they're also very sweet and full of sugar, which can cause problems, especially if your dog is diabetic. Oranges are also one that is often more trouble than it's worth. You want to leave off the peel and the seeds, at which point you have a mess on your hands.

Peaches aren't bad for your dog – as long as you don't feed them the stone – but they're also emblematic of a common mistake, which is using canned rather than fresh peaches. Canned peaches have tons more sugar and are much worse for your dog. The same goes for any canned fruit, really.

Grapefruit is another fruit you should consider leaving off the list. It's annoying like oranges, but it's more acidic, which can upset your poor puppy's stomach. There are also compounds in grapefruit that can interfere with medications – it's more of a problem for people, but you don't want it to cause problems in a senior dog, right?

Is it a good idea to give dogs fruit as a treat?

Many fruits can be good treats. They're tasty, they're usually fairly healthy, and they serve to break up the usual routine of kibble and treats like cheese or sausage.

Even so, they should be considered a "sometimes food" because of their sugar content, and you still have to avoid the ones that can be bad for your pooch.

Do dogs need fruit to be healthy?

Nope!

As people, we're used to a balanced diet from the food pyramid, and the recommendation to get however many servings of fruit and veg each day. Dogs are omnivores just like us, so they can eat most of the same things, but they don't need to.

The biggest reason why is actually their existing food. Dog foods are specially formulated to contain all of the macro and micro-nutrients your dog will need to stay healthy. They don't need added fruits, vegetables, or anything else to stay healthy.

Why can we make a nutritionally-complete kibble for dogs but not for people? Dogs have much less complex dietary needs, for one thing. Human nutrition is immensely complicated, especially since we need to get it right, or we start to develop neurological problems.

We also live a lot longer, so there's a lot more time for problems to develop. Dogs might have problems subsisting just on kibble if they lived to be 60 as well, but they don't have that kind of lifespan.

How much fruit can my dog have?

Not much! In general, treats should make up 10% or less of your dog's diet. Fruit should be considered a treat, not a staple, for this purpose. So, try to avoid giving them too much fruit!

If your dog is eating too much fruit on a regular basis, they'll generally start to develop signs of an upset stomach. You don't want to make your fur baby sick, right?

So, there you have it: a good rundown of what fruits are good for dogs in moderation and which ones you might want to avoid. If you have a specific question about a fruit I haven't listed, feel free to drop me a line!

The Healthiest Choice for Your Dog and the Planet 

As a loving dog parent, you are always pursuing the very best for your pup. We’re here to help you provide that. Our commitment to non-toxic, organic, and sustainable products ensures that your dog stays happy and healthy while also caring for the environment.

Start with our mouth-watering USA-made USDA organic dog treats, made with wholesome ingredients like organic pumpkin and peanut butter—all free from synthetic preservatives and harmful chemicals.

Shop with confidence knowing that our dog treats are free from ingredients coming from overseas oftentimes disguised under ingredient groups such as “globally sourced” ingredients. Pair these with our USDA organic dry dog shampoo, for a gentle, toxin-free grooming experience. Keep your dog’s coat looking its best with our dog brushes, made with FSC certified wood and natural bristles. Did you know natural bristle brushes are proven to work best both for your dog and for humans?

For playtime, explore our non-toxic dog toys collection, featuring toys made from certified materials that ensure endless fun without any worries. And don’t forget our fine Spanish leather dog accessories, 100% made in the USA.

Every product we offer is proudly designed and manufactured in-house or in partnership with small-batch artisans in the USA, ensuring unmatched quality and the highest levels of supply chain visibility. Unlike most online retailers, we maintain strict control over our supply chains to ensure ethical practices, sustainability, and the highest quality for your pup.

Take the next step in providing the cleanest care you can offer your dog. Shop our dog supplies today!

Now, we've all been there, right? Everyone has that moment as a kid where they eat too much cake and feel sick, or gorge on holiday candy and treats, or just go too deep on whatever it is they're fixated on at the time. However, we don't usually eat until we actually throw up. And, critically, we're doing it with something we enjoy.

So, do dogs just really like eating grass? Is this a behavior we should be worried about? Let's talk about it.

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass Until Vomiting?

First up, let's talk a bit about why dogs eat grass in the first place. Then, we'll get into whether or not you should be concerned and what you should do about it.

Before getting into the actual reasons, I wanted to mention a common myth: that dogs are intentionally gorging themselves on grass to induce vomiting.

So, you know how when you have nausea, and you feel the bile rising in your throat, and your mouth starts to salivate a lot? It's a biological reaction to get you to swallow a lot of liquid to try to settle your stomach, or at least coat your mouth and throat before you vomit to protect it from stomach acid.

In dogs, the same sort of thing happens, but they don't really know how to deal with it. Most of the time, they start licking or chewing on anything nearby. If they're outside in the yard or on a walk, they'll start eating grass in an attempt to settle their stomachs, but since grass isn't really part of their diet, it can trigger their gag reflex and make them vomit.

Basically, they aren't intentionally making themselves vomit, but that's what ends up happening, and since vomiting often alleviates whatever was causing the digestive upset in the first place, it kind of works out.

Another common reason people think dogs eat grass is out of boredom, but that's not really accurate either. Dogs, when they're bored, are more likely to be destructive than consumptive. They might eat things like grass, cardboard, furniture, pillow stuffing, and whatever else they can get their paws on, but it's more of a side effect of just tearing it apart. They aren't doing it to eat grass; they're doing it as part of just doing something to get your attention.

What are the actual reasons dogs eat grass? There are basically three main reasons.

Reason #1: They just like the taste.

The first reason dogs eat grass is just because they like how it tastes.

You and I eat vegetables and (usually) enjoy them, right? Whether it's some lettuce in a salad, some broccoli or cauliflower roasted in the oven, or a nice pile of carrots and potatoes on the side, vegetables can be quite delicious.

And, of course, we all know that dogs love eating things they find tasty. Whether it's their kibble, a treat like a bit of cheese, or a pile of something weird and gross on the ground, they'll dig right in. Their tastes might not make sense to us, but to them, and the way they see the world, it's delicious.

Grass can be tasty in its own right. Even plants you might not think you would eat can be tasty in the right preparations, and to dogs, that right preparation might be as simple as "still wet from morning dew or a rainstorm" or "covered in the scent of other animals that ran through here."

It also ties into the second reason; after all, when you evolve to do something, you probably evolve to at least find it palatable.

Reason #2: It's an instinctual behavior.

Dogs are a distant offshoot of wolves, and wolves also eat grass. They do it for many of the same reasons, but also, it's just part of hunting. Sometimes, they need something moderately nutritious to fuel them while they hunt prey. Sometimes, when they take down prey, as they eat the meat, they end up with mouthfuls of grass as well. They can't necessarily afford to be picky eaters, so they take what they get.

A lot of times, dogs just have this need to eat grass as they pass by. There doesn't really need to be a deeper meaning to it at all; it's just something they do because their little goofy brains tell them it's a good idea.

Reason #3: They have an upset stomach.

I already covered this one above in a roundabout way. Dogs don't really have the drive to eat grass to satisfy an upset stomach, but if they're feeling nauseous, they might want something to try to keep it down. If they don't have access to grass, maybe they'll just start licking the carpet, or they'll go and drink a bunch of water.

And, truth be told, sometimes it works. In fact, while the experience of a dog eating grass and then throwing up seems universal, studies have shown that only around 10% of dogs show any sign of being ill before they eat grass, and only a quarter of them vomit after eating grass. You might even be able to attribute the vomiting to over-eating in general or to eating something on the grass that disagrees with them.

In a way, it's a lot like how we can settle our stomachs with neutral crackers or digestives or something else that can soak up churning stomach acid and help the system move a little faster.

Should You Worry If Your Dog is Eating Grass?

Honestly, probably not!

It's fairly natural for dogs to eat grass from time to time. Some of them will want to eat grass pretty often, maybe on every walk or every chance they get. Others might only think of it as a sometimes snack, taking mouthfuls of a tasty grass they find along the way but generally leaving it all along.

There are a few good reasons why you might want to do some redirection training and help keep your dog from eating grass too often, though.

• If they eat too much grass, it can fill them up, so they won't eat their normal food and can end up deficient.
• If they eat too much grass, it can cause an upset stomach and lead to problems.
• They might eat things along with the grass that they shouldn't, whether it's sharp bits of wood, stinging plants like nettles, plants like poison ivy that can cause a bad reaction, or things like stinging insects that can cause other problems.
• The grass they eat might have chemicals or other nastiness on it that can be dangerous for your dog, even if the grass itself is not.

Overall, if your dog is eating grass, you should look at the situation and figure out why they're doing it and if it's cause for concern. If it's sporadic or occasional and doesn't seem to cause them any problems, you can leave it be.

If they're eating grass while also doing things like digging holes or tearing up the carpet, it probably means they're bored. They might also do things like eat your houseplants, which is also obviously not something you want them to be doing.

Boredom means that training isn't likely to work since it doesn't address the cause of the problem. You'll simply need to find ways to keep your dog entertained and engaged, even when you're not around. That might mean hiring a pet sitter for the day, or a dog walker, or getting friends to hang out and care for them. Alleviating boredom and the anxiety that comes with it is the key.

If your dog seems to have a compulsion to eat grass and they seem to be fixated on it whenever you take them out, there are two things you can do.

The first is to take them to the vet to see if there's actually something wrong with them. It's pretty rare for this to be the case – your fur baby isn't going to be eating grass as their sole symptom, so you'd be able to recognize if they're sick in other ways – but it's possible. A rare disorder called pica, or disordered eating, can lead to dogs trying to eat just about everything they see, including grass. Other medical issues, like gastric reflux, IBS, or pancreatitis, can also lead to eating grass. It's a good idea to rule these out.

The other thing you should do is try redirection training. Redirection training just means that whenever you see your dog start to lean over to eat grass, you give them a call or command to distract them and reward them for not eating the grass. I find that a "drop it" command can be pretty effective.

If you do this consistently enough, they'll attach the reward in their mind to the act of refraining from eating grass, and they'll stop. You do need to be consistent and proactive with it. It will take some time, just like all dog training, but it's not actually all that hard to do.

Overall, though, unless your dog has accidentally poisoned themselves, gotten themselves sick or parasitized, or is eating so much that they cause problems, you probably don't need to worry about them eating grass. Sometimes, the things dogs do are just things dogs do, and they aren't a sign of anything worse.

Another thing you can try is changing their food. There was one recorded example of a dog that ate grass to the point of vomiting every day for years, and it turned out to be something with their food that disagreed with them. When their parents changed their food, they stopped eating grass, and everything was good. That might not be the case for your dog, but it might be worth a try.

Dog Grass Eating FAQ

Now, let's round things out with a few questions you might have that didn't fit into the main sections.

Do dogs like eating grass?

Maybe! Like most things, your dog is an individual, and they have their own preferences. Some dogs don't care about grass one way or the other. Some prefer to avoid it when they can. Some like the texture or the taste of the grass. Some might not actually be going after the grass itself, but rather, some kind of chemical or fertilizer or a specific plant in the grass, like clover. If you notice that your dog eats grass a lot more in the spring, that's likely it; fresh grass shoots and wildflower sprigs are sweeter and more tender, while later summer and fall grasses are rougher and more likely to be bitter.

Is grass bad for dogs to eat?

Only in excess. Dogs are omnivores just like we are, so just like we can eat some vegetables in our diet, dogs can have a little grass as a treat if they like. Cats are the same way, though they aren't quite the same kind of omnivore.

That said, if they eat too much grass, it can cause problems, so you should probably try to train away that behavior as much as you can. You don't need them to fully stop; just not eat to excess.

More importantly, though, even if the grass isn't bad for your dog, you never know what's in the grass. There could be toxic fertilizer, pesticides, roadside chemicals, and even parasites that can come along for the ride. If you keep your yard free of contaminants, you may be fine, but it's best to be safe.

Is eating grass a sign of nutritional deficiency?

While this is a pretty common myth, it's actually just that: a myth. For one thing, if you're feeding your dog right, they won't be nutritionally deficient in the first place. More importantly, if they are deficient in some nutrient or another, they'll have symptoms of that deficiency, usually weight loss, lethargy, loss of coordination, or another sign of illness.

Overall, you generally don't need to worry about your dog eating grass, even if they vomit after doing it. It's only if they do it over and over and over that it might be an issue, but even then, it's unlikely to be an emergency. Just mention it next time you bring them to the vet, and work on some training along the way.

As always, if you have any questions about anything I covered in this article, be sure to let me know in the comments section!

Support Your Dog’s Health with the Cleanest Dog Supplies

As a dog parent who values their health and the planet’s well-being, you're making conscious choices every day. But choosing the right products is about more than just good intentions. At Toe Beans, we understand that every decision you make matters —especially when it comes to what your dog consumes and interacts with.

Our USDA organic dog treats are a great way to spoil your pup without compromising their health. Made with only certified organic ingredients, these treats are free from globally sourced ingredients and harmful chemicals, so you can feel good about every bite they take. Alongside these treats, our organic dry dog shampoo offers a gentle, toxin-free way to care for your dog’s skin and coat in between baths. Both products are made with the same dedication to quality and sustainability that drives everything we do.

Your dog’s well-being extends to every part of their life, which is why we’re proud to offer a boutique range of unique, safe, non-toxic products. From USDA Biobased certified dog toys to our lifetime guaranteed full grain leather dog accessories made in The USA with the finest veg-tanned Spanish leather, we ensure that your dog is equipped with products that enhance their health and happiness. Our collection of dog brushes is perfect for regular grooming, ensuring your dog’s coat remains shiny and healthy without exposure to harmful substances or brushburn.

By choosing toe beans dog supplies, you're not just supporting your dog’s health and longevity, you're supporting sustainable, small-batch production made right here in the USA. We design and manufacture more than 98% of our products in-house, ensuring that every product is made with love, care, and uncompromising quality.

Join the movement of health-conscious dog parents and explore our dog collections today.

They're still babies, so they're still learning how to exist in this wild world of ours, and it's our job to make sure they're set up to succeed as best they can.

Potty training isn't necessarily easy. You need to keep track of their needs and their progress, make sure they aren't suffering from an allergy or dietary sensitivity, and they aren't getting into things they should that lead to accidents.

It also requires you to be very consistent, to make sure your pup knows when you take them to potty, it's for potty, not for play or socialization. While you can potty train a dog of any age, it's easiest and most effective when they're very young.

Sometimes, unfortunately, your pup may regress in their training. If they're still a puppy and they're still in the midst of training, a regression might just mean accidents you need to deal with. If they're an older dog, incontinence can be a greater concern.

So, what can cause potty training regression, and what can you do about it? Let's talk about it.

What is Puppy Potty Training Regression?

Potty training regression generally refers to your puppy having accidents they shouldn't be having. Say, for example, you've been taking your puppy out to potty every couple of hours, but they're getting better at holding it, and you're able to let them go for 4-5 hours at a time instead.

For a few weeks, they've been good, with no indoor accidents, going outside when you bring them outside for it, and all seems well.

Then, out of nowhere, they start having accidents inside again. It's not necessarily even just a single accident, but a series; it seems like you're going to have to go back to every two hours, and the broken sleep once again.

This is potty training regression: a return to an earlier point in the potty training schedule, accidents when there weren't accidents before, and the frustration of seeing things go awry.

Are There Different Kinds of Puppy Potty Training Regression?

While a regression is a regression, the age and level of training of your puppy can mean different things.

If your puppy is regressing when they're around four months old, it's probably the most common kind of regression, which is just progressing training schedules too much, too soon.

We like to think that our puppies are more or less fully potty trained around this age, but that's really just optimistic. Most puppies take a little longer, and a regression at this point is normal.

If your puppy is regressing when they're closer to seven or eight months old, it's also a very common reason: training tends to lighten up. You don't want to have to give your pup a treat every time they go to the bathroom, right?

So, you're probably lightening up on the training and the positive reinforcement, and that can make training regress. Basically, you just have to stick with the training – and the rewards – a little longer.

If your puppy is regressing when they're around 10 or 11 months old, there are a handful of reasons why it might be happening. This is a time when puppies are starting to reach sexual maturity, which causes a lot of changes.

Male puppies are more likely to start marking their territory – which isn't quite the same as an accident – and female puppies are dealing with floods of hormones and distractions.

If your puppy is regressing when they're a year or more older, it's less likely to be a training regression, and more likely to be something like a medical issue. I'll talk more about that in my list of possible causes.

If your dog is much older – into their senior years – and they're having accidents, it's regression in another sense. Sadly, it's a sign of doggy dementia. Again, more on that in a bit.

What Are the Different Causes of Puppy Potty Training Regression?

There are a ton of different reasons why potty training regression can happen. Some of them are behavioral, some of them are reactionary, some of them are medical. Let's talk about them!

Regression Due to Overestimation or Overeating

One of the first – and thankfully, least bad – causes of regression is that your puppy simply can't hold it in any longer. One of two things happens here.

The first is that you've overestimated how long your puppy can hold their bowels, and you're not taking them out as often as they need to go.

Young puppies only have so much ability to control themselves, and when you're training them, your goal is to extend that amount of time. But, just like we people, if they go too long without having the chance to go, they'll experience cramping, pain, and, eventually, involuntary incontinence.

The solution here is simply to keep track of how long they can go without going, and don't push too far, too fast.

The second possibility here is that you've overestimated your puppy's capacity for food and water. When you drink a lot of water, you have to pee a lot sooner than you would if you don't drink much water. You can't deny your puppy food and water, of course, but if they overeat or drink too much, they'll have to go sooner rather than later.

This is particularly common when you're getting them more exercise, playing a lot to tire them out, and then bring them back in and let them drink until they're restored. You'll probably need to take them back out right away, but if you don't think about it, you might not realize that, which leads to an accident, and a regression.

Fortunately, this is just another case of vigilance. You need to pay more attention to the situation and take them out when they need it.

Regression Due to Medical Issues

Another common cause of potty training regressions – and accidents as your puppy gets older – is medical problems.

All sorts of medical problems can cause regressions. Some of the most common include:

• A urinary tract infection, or UTI, which causes irritation and pain as well as a loss of bladder control.
• Diabetes, which is rare in young puppies but can occur due to genetic or congenital factors, and needs to be appropriately managed to prevent incontinence.
• Inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic condition characterized by bowels that don't work quite right and get inflamed easily, leading to incontinence and other symptoms.
• Kidney disease, which can be caused by a bunch of different factors, including undetected UTIs, and cause more accidents.
• Medicine side effects. Sometimes if your puppy is on another medication, they can have side effects including incontinence. Your prescribing vet should tell you about it, so you can prepare, and it should alleviate once they're off the medication.

If you're taking your puppy out on a tight schedule and they shouldn't be having issues, but they're still having regressions, you might consider taking them to the vet as soon as you can.

It's not "rush them to the emergency vet" dangerous, but you should still schedule a rapid consultation if you can. UTIs and other infections are no joke, and chronic conditions need to be managed to prevent problems down the line.

In some cases, a simple medication or a change in diet is all you need to solve the regressions. Other times, you may need more long-term treatments.

Regression Due to Stress or Anxiety

Another cause you might consider is significant sources of stress and anxiety.

Some dogs get separation anxiety, which can manifest particularly when you're away at work or you're asleep at night.

Whether it's night crying, accidents, barking, whining, or other behavioral issues, it's a kind of anxiety that needs to be handled before it becomes a huge disruption.

Other times, it might be because of a change in lifestyle or routine. If you recently had to move to a new house, for example, a whole unfamiliar place can be very stressful and can lead to regressions. Similarly, major life changes can do the same.

Similarly, if you're getting another new animal, uncertainty with the new pet might also cause problems. A particularly sensitive puppy might relieve themselves out of submissiveness, or they may be bullied, or they may just be anxious and scared. This usually alleviates with proper socialization.

Regression Due to Allergies or Sensitivities

As you might expect, the cause of incontinence might not actually be a regression in training, but rather, a problem with what your puppy is eating.

Allergies can cause stomach upset, which can lead to diarrhea and incontinence. Sensitivities are the same, but are broadly less dangerous.

A sensitivity can be disruptive to the digestive system and is definitely unpleasant, but an allergy can be both very damaging to their systems and even, in some cases, fatal.

If you've switched to a new food or a new treat recently and regressions have started happening, check to see if there's an ingredient your puppy might be sensitive to or allergic to. You might also talk to your vet about allergy tests. There are some tests, like a RAST test, which can help identify allergies.

Regression Due to Faulty Training

Unfortunately, one of the other common causes of potty training regression in dogs is faulty training.

If you're not consistent enough about it, or you stop giving rewards too soon, or if you just hit a point where you assume they should be trained and treat them as if they are, they can regress because they aren't being given the constant feedback. While this is definitely a pet parent mistake, it's at least easily fixable by buckling down and taking training more seriously.

Even if your dog seems like they're very good at letting you know when they need to go, they aren't always actually aware of it themselves, and you might not always recognize the signals they're giving you, especially if you're distracted. Similarly, if you're co-parenting, your partner might also not be on the same page as you, and that can cause problems as well.

Puppy Potty Training Regression FAQ

Let's wrap things up with a few of the common questions I get about puppy potty training and training regression.

Is potty training regression dangerous?

Usually, no. It's annoying for you to have to clean up the mess when it happens, it's stressful for your puppy if they're stuck in a crate with that mess and can't distance themselves from it, but it's not itself dangerous.

The danger comes from if the root cause of their regression is medical. Medical issues like infections or allergies require diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and if you don't get them, they can get worse and have disastrous consequences. If you're at all unsure of why a regression is happening, call your vet!

Is puppy potty training regression normal?

Unfortunately, yes. There are a lot of possible causes of potty training regression, almost all of which are fairly common. In a way, it's almost rare to have a puppy that doesn't experience at least one regression. That's really just part of the training process.

Does regression mean you did something wrong?

Maybe, but not necessarily. If it's something you did, it's either because of a lifestyle or schedule change that stressed out your puppy, or it's because you're rushing their training when you should be taking more time to make sure it's reinforced. Either way, it's relatively easily corrected; just like your puppy, you need to learn and grow.

At the end of the day, the biggest thing you need to know is that potty training regressions are normal and can happen for a lot longer than you might think.

Don't take it as a personal failure, and definitely don't take it out on your pooch! You both want what's best for each other, so act with kindness and keep up the training. I promise things will work out.

If you have any additional questions that I haven't covered in this article, be sure to let me know in the comments section! I'd be more than happy to help however I can!

Keep Your Dog Healthy with Safe, Non-Toxic Products

If you're like us, you believe your dog deserves the cleanest care possible. After all, every dog parent knows that the long-term health and longevity of their pups are a function of the quality of the products they consume. That’s why we’re committed to offering clean and toxin-free products intended to improve your dog’s life. From USDA organic treats to sustainable grooming supplies, every product in our portfolio is made with your dog’s health in mind.

Our USDA organic dog treats are perfect for rewarding your pup with a snack that's safe, delicious and nutritious. Made in a USDA inspected facility, with locally sourced ingredients free from harmful chemicals or additives, our treats are a healthy, truly all-natural choice. For grooming, our dog brushes made with natural bristles make it easy to keep your dog’s coat healthy and shiny. Our  USDA organic dog balms will help you sooth dry or irritated skin.

When you shop with us, you’re supporting small-batch manufacturing right here in the USA. We’re proud to work directly with artisans who share our commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Unlike many other retailers that rely on overseas mass-produced generic dog supplies, we design and manufacture our own products. This gives us full control over every stage in our supply chains.

From raw material sourcing through manufacturing to your doorstep. We maintain the highest standards for supply chain visibility and transparency in the pet supplies industry. Does your current dog supplies retailer have the same supply chain controls? 

Choose the healthier, truly sustainable option for your dog today. Explore our full range of dog care supplies.

Since they don't have hands, their mouths are their primary way to interact with objects. That's why they chew things, lick things, bite things, mouth things, and generally put things in their mouths.

This isn't a learned behavior. Puppies, from the moment they open their eyes and can start moving through the world, will start to bite and nibble on things.

Whether it's a plush toy you give them, a disc or ball you use to play fetch, or a cool stick they found, they're going to use their mouths to figure out what it is, carry it around, and possibly even give it to you, whether you want it or not.

Of course, having a puppy that chews on everything isn't necessarily a good thing. It's one thing if they chew on a toy meant for chewing. It's quite another if they're chewing on your kid's homework, or your shoes, or the cables to your computer.

There are a lot of things in the world that, when chewed apart, can be harmful. Sometimes, that harm is to you and your life; sometimes, it's to your puppy, who can accidentally swallow things they shouldn't or get objects lodged in their throats.

Naturally, you want to know how to train your puppy not to chew on things. But can you really do so, and is it ethical to do so? After all, in a sense, it would be like training a child not to touch things with their hands. Is that kind of behavior even possible?

Let's talk about puppy biting and chewing, what's normal, what isn't normal, and how you can manage it.

Why Puppies Mouth, Chew, and Bite

Biting behaviors from puppies start early. In fact, even before they're old enough to open their eyes, they feel around with their paws and their mouths. That's part of how they find their mothers, so they can eat, after all.

As they get old enough to explore and interact with you and the rest of the world, biting will be one of their main behaviors. This serves two purposes.

The first is that they're telling you they want to play. Play biting is usually soft – they aren't trying to attack you, naturally – but puppies often don't know their own strength or how sharp their tiny little teeth are.

This plays into the second reason, too. Puppies bite and nibble and chew and mouth things, including your hands, because they're still figuring out how their mouths work.

If they bite hard enough to break the skin and hurt, you need to react appropriately because that's how they learn how much force is too much force.

There's also the fact that they are, very likely, teething. This is painful for children and puppies! When teeth grow in, they have to work their way out through the gums, and that leaves the gums swollen, tender, and painful.

Teething by chewing on things helps relieve that feeling, even temporarily. It's why we give teething toys to our children, and it's why we should do the same thing for puppies.

What Biting and Chewing is Normal?

Puppies will bite, chew, and nibble just about everything, just about all the time, when they're very young.

When they're under two months old, they won't be biting as much, just because they're barely active creatures at that point. As they get older and explore and learn about the world, the biting and chewing ramp up into high gear.

It's best to think of this as a phase. As they get more experience with the world, they'll start to learn that they shouldn't be biting and chewing on everything.

Their teeth will have come in, and they won't need to teethe to alleviate the mouth pain. They'll have learned that some things are hard, some things are soft, and some taste really bad, and they'll associate the sights and scents with the tastes and the feelings.

By the time a puppy is 5-6 months of age, they'll be doing a lot less biting and chewing. They'll still probably chomp on things a little too hard from time to time (especially if they're an energetic working breed), but they'll be more selective about it.

What triggers a puppy to bite and mouth?

So far, I've mostly said that biting is a natural behavior, and that's entirely true. At the same time, there may be some triggers that make your puppy more likely to bite and chew on certain things.

Think about:

• Are there big, fluffy objects your puppy will find very compelling to bite? Dressing gowns, fluffy slippers, housecoat ties, curtains, puffy jackets; these are often similar to the objects you allow a puppy to chew on, and sometimes can even be infused with delicious (to them) scents and flavors.
• Are they nervous and use biting and chewing as a coping mechanism? Often, you can identify sources of stress and remove them, or just put more time into tiring them out so they don't have the energy to chew.
• Are they teething? If they're usually chewing on objects that are stiffer and more resilient, they may be trying to soothe their gums. There's not much you can do to stop this, but it doesn't last too long as a phase.

Regular exercise, regular rest, and regular meals all help as well. Heck, sometimes your puppy chews just because they're hungry and want to eat, but they don't know how to otherwise express it.

Can You Prevent Puppy Biting?

No, not really. It would be like telling you not to move your tongue. Not only is it an unconscious and entirely necessary behavior, it's essentially impossible if you want to live and enjoy living.

That's not to say you can't manage puppy biting, though.

The goal isn't a complete restriction on the behavior. Rather, it's to redirect it away from things they shouldn't chew, to teach them that some things are bad to bite, and to teach them self-control.

The official name for this, by the way, is " bite inhibition training." You basically just want to teach them to think twice before biting something.

How to Train Bite Inhibition in Puppies

Training starts early, and there's a lot you can do to help train a puppy not to bite on things they shouldn't.

If your puppy has other puppies to socialize with, they naturally learn some bite moderation.

When they play, they bite at each other, and when they accidentally bite too hard, the negative reaction of their playmate teaches them that it was too strong of a bite.

If they don't have a playmate, then you have to work on that yourself.

This is where things get tricky. Advice differs, and different authoritative sources (the ASPCA, the American Kennel Club, and others) have different advice!

For example, some people say you shouldn't play with a puppy with your hands. If you do, you're basically teaching them that it's okay to play with people by biting at their hands, and once they're older, that can get them in a lot of trouble.

On the other hand, other sources claim playing with your hands is the best option. That way, if they bite too hard, you can yelp and scold them, which teaches them they went too far, just like if they were playing with another puppy.

However, still other sources say you shouldn't do the yelp and scold because sometimes that kind of reaction has the opposite effect.

Some puppies realize they did something bad and stop, but others might find the noise encouraging, and you really don't want to teach them that people make funny noises when they're nibbled!

Navigating tricky training.

So, what's the truth?

The truth is, it varies by dog and by age.

The older a dog is, the less you want to play with them with your hands directly. When they're very young, you can play with your hands and use feedback if they go too far.

Over time, start to replace your hands with toys like tugging ropes or plush toys. These can take more abuse and are better for your dog to chew on.

Should you yelp or not? That depends on the dog as well. If you try it and they just get more excited, it's obviously not going to work, so you need to stop.

On the other hand, if it makes them back off and cuddle or lick at you instead, then it's an effective way to help train them to be more controlled in their nibbling.

Playtime is over.

The biggest thing you need to do, regardless of how you play or whether or not you yelp, is to reinforce that if they go too far, playtime ends.

While scolding them verbally can be a deterrent, if you keep playing with them afterward, it's not a very strong deterrent.

On the other hand, if you stop playing altogether – or even put them in another room for a time out – it teaches them in no uncertain terms that there are lines they cannot cross.

Redirecting behaviors.

As your puppy gets old enough to stop teething and return to just biting and nibbling as a way to play and interact with objects, you can start redirection training.

When you're playing with your pooch, and they start chewing at your hands, it's best to have something like a stuffed toy on hand to replace your hand and get them to chew on that instead.

What Not to Do

When trying to train your puppy to be more regulated with their chewing and biting, there are some things you should avoid.

Don't roughhouse and encourage biting. Yes, flipping a puppy over and scratching their belly while they try to nibble at you is adorable, but it also encourages them to go overboard and bite when they don't even really want to. Be careful with any over-play that encourages biting, especially if it's something that "traps" your puppy.

Don't use physical deterrents. There are distressingly many people who still feel like the best way to stop a behavior is a bop on the nose, but that kind of physical reaction doesn't actually work when training animals like dogs. There's no way to be light enough to not hurt them and still act as a deterrent, and being hard enough to hurt is abuse.

Don't just blindly follow advice from the internet. Every puppy is different and will respond differently to different actions and reactions. If your puppy immediately understands that a yelp is crossing a line, then yelp. If walking away and ending playtime makes them think that it becomes a game of chase – or their unsupervised time is a chance to chew on something else – don't use time-out as a solution.

The goal really just comes down to finding what works best for your pupper and using those options. Just remember to take it slow; a brand-new puppy isn't going to be well-disciplined and well-behaved right away.

Puppy Biting FAQ

What are some of the biggest questions about puppy biting and how to stop it? Let's look.

How much biting is normal?

Puppy biting is pretty much the only thing they can do for several months of their puppyhood. If they're biting a lot and they're under six months old, it's perfectly normal. If they're reaching a year old and are still biting and chewing on everything, then you have some work to do.

Do bitter sprays work?

There are some sprays you can use on objects like furniture that taste awful, so if your puppy tries to chew on it, they get a mouthful of unpleasantness. These can work as long as they're refreshed enough to stay effective. Just don't make sure to spray too much that they end up stressed out because of it.

Can you train a puppy to stop biting entirely?

No, and you really shouldn't try. No matter what, your dog needs to be able to use their mouth to interact with the world around them, and if you're trying to stop it entirely, it's never going to happen.

What's the most important part of puppy training?

Positive reinforcement! When training a puppy not to bite, it's not about discouraging the biting; it's about rewarding the times they don't bite. This can be tricky to identify, but the rewards don't need to be big, either; just a little praise can go a long way.

Do you have any other questions? If so, ask me in the comments! I'd love to help.

Some of us are familiar enough with it that we keep track of those odors – unpleasant as they can be – as a sign of health.

One of the key factors that influence a dog's breath is their dental hygiene. Unfortunately, while dogs can be trained to do a lot, you really can't train them to brush their teeth, floss, or use mouthwash.

Even if they wanted to, they don't have hands! So, you have to do what you can to keep their teeth healthy and strong.

What Dental Care Does Your Dog Need?

Dogs need to keep their teeth for as long as possible because it's how they chew their food and how they handle things in their mouth.

If their teeth aren't properly cared for, they can cause pain, lead to infections, break, or fall out. Over time, your dog may end up without teeth entirely, and you'll need to adapt the kinds of food and other activities you perform with them.

What care does your dog's mouth need?

Daily Brushing

Ideally, you will brush your pupper's teeth once a day. The biology of the mouth is the same between dogs and people, more or less, and that means after they eat, bits of food, saliva, bacteria, and other stuff form a sticky plaque that adheres to teeth.

This plaque is alive due to the bacteria, which secrete acids as they live. Those acids eat away at teeth and cause inflammation, decay, and infection to gums and bone.

Therefore, the best time to brush your dog's teeth is shortly after a meal. However, as we often don't have the time or the patience to do that, you can pick any time that is convenient for you as long as it gets done.

Better Food

One of the dirty secrets of dog food is that many dog foods contain fillers. We all know this, of course, but what most people don't realize is that those fillers are often much worse for oral health than natural ingredients.

Things like grains and other carbohydrates are better food for the bad mouth bacteria and more readily form plaques. So, feeding your pooch better food will help in a bunch of different ways, including with tooth care.

Regular Exams

Routine dental examinations, including x-rays and cleanings, can help prevent the build-up of plaques and gum disease and detect abscesses under the gums, lesions on bone, and other oral issues. They can even detect other forms of illness, including oral tumors before they get large enough to become a visible problem.

You often don't need a full anesthetic dental visit every six months. Your vet will check for signs of tooth and mouth problems in a casual examination when you bring your dog in, and only if they have signs of issues will a dental trip be recommended. At that point, you can plan for a trip where anesthetic may be likely, a deeper clean is required, and even dental care like fillings can be performed.

How to Help Keep Your Dog's Mouth Healthy at Home

Keeping your pooch's mouth healthy at home will have long-term repercussions. They'll be able to live without mouth pain, they'll have teeth that can keep them happy and healthy for longer, and you won't have to worry about softer foods for a while.

Older dogs can still succumb to the inevitable – that is, teeth will decay over time, and there's not much we can do about it – but the longer you can hold it off, the better.

So, what can you do to help keep your dog's mouth healthy at home?

Get in the habit of brushing their teeth.

Sadly, while we all know that caring for teeth is important, less than 1% of dog parents actually brush their pup's teeth. As a result, nearly 80% of dogs over three years old have full-blown periodontal disease, and will have long-term repercussions because of it.

Some dogs are placid and happy to let you mess around in their mouth. Most, though, aren't, so you're going to need to train them to tolerate it.

First, buy a doggy toothbrush and doggy toothpaste. Toothbrushes are designed with soft bristles, angled handles, and even multiple heads to make it easier to get all the angles of all the teeth fast and effectively.

Doggy toothpaste is especially important. One of the most common additives in human toothpaste is xylitol, which helps to restore tooth enamel. Unfortunately, it's also very toxic to dogs. Doggy toothpaste also comes in flavors they'll enjoy, like chicken, peanut butter, or beef.

The actual act of training is slow and works best if you start when they're young.

• Start by just getting them to hold still while you inspect their mouth.
• Once you can do that, start introducing the toothbrush. Don't brush yet; just touch parts of their mouth to get them used to the feeling until they can tolerate it.
• Introduce the toothpaste. You might want to put a little on a finger or on the toothbrush and let them sniff and lick it so they know it's not something to be scared of.
• Start brushing teeth. It's easiest to hold their lip up and brush their front teeth to start, so they get used to the sensation.
• Over time, add more teeth until you can brush all of their teeth inside and out.

Throughout this whole process, praise them and pet them for tolerating it without complaint. If they start to reject it, dial back, and don't force it. You'll be able to help them get used to it over time.

The American Kennel Club goes into this process in greater detail if you want a bit more elaboration.

Buy dental-friendly dog food.

Something I already mentioned above is that dog foods can be pretty bad for your dog, especially if they're full of carbohydrates and fillers that fuel the bad bacteria.

Dental dog foods aren't as good as tooth brushing, but they can help cut down on the food that fuels the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Unfortunately, they tend to be more expensive and harder to find than normal dog foods, and they aren't always compatible with allergy foods, so you may not be able to use them over an allergy-friendly food.

There are also prescription dog foods for more extreme or more sensitive cases. Some dogs need carefully balanced food, and some are just a lot more susceptible to tooth decay than others. In those cases, getting a prescription might help with insurance covering costs and other benefits, as well as making some foods available to you that otherwise wouldn't be available.

Invest in doggy dental chews.

Dental chews are basically healthy treats for dogs. They're textured and ridged, stuff enough to scrape plaque off of teeth, but not so hard that they can cause damage to teeth or gums as your dog chews on them.

Sometimes, they also include ingredients that help fight mouth bacteria and ward off tooth decay.

Dental chews aren't a replacement for tooth brushing, but they're a good supplement, and if your dog really doesn't want to have anything to do with a toothbrush, they can be better than nothing.

Give your dog a chew toy.

Chew toys aren't just for enrichment and entertainment; they're also a way your dog can chew on something that not only doesn't contribute to plaque formation but helps get rid of it.

Chew toys of various sorts, including plastic, rubber, nylon, and even rawhide, can help keep your pooch entertained and bust some of the plaque that builds up over time. Rotate through different kinds of chew toys so they always have something fun and new to play with.

Consider powders and sprays.

For dogs that are extremely averse to any kind of dental hygiene, you can try powders and sprays.

Sprays are spritzes you can either spray directly into your dog's mouth or onto something like a chew toy so that when they lick and chew on the toy, it gets into their mouth and on their teeth.

It's made of a bunch of different ingredients, but the most important are minor antibacterials that will kill mouth bacteria. The end result is less plaque build-up, better breath, and less tooth decay.

Powders, meanwhile, are similar, except they work in a different way. They're probiotics, which means they're made up of good, healthy bacteria.

You sprinkle some on your dog's food, and when they eat, the good bacteria eat some of the leftover bits of food that the bad bacteria normally would, out-competing the bad bacteria and preventing tooth decay.

Again, they aren't as effective as tooth brushing, but it's a good supplement, especially if you can't find or can't afford dental-friendly food.

There are also powders and drops that can be added to your dog's water dish to do the same thing. They're tasteless and odorless, but they help kill bad bacteria and keep your dog's mouth clean.

If all else fails, try dental wipes.

Dental wipes are basically cloths soaked in a dental-cleaning liquid. Instead of using a large and irritating toothbrush, you can wrap one around your finger and just use that to "brush" your dog's teeth.

They aren't as good as a brush at getting into all the little divots and nooks in a dog's mouth, but they're often more tolerable than a brush and can help you give your dog a brushing without using a brush or toothpaste.

Dog Dental Hygiene FAQ

Let's round things out with some common questions.

How often should a dog visit a doggy dentist?

Just like people, our pupper pals need to have dental exams and cleanings on a regular basis. Often, that should be about once every six months, just like it is for people. It can be part of a general vet check-up, or as a special doggy dental visit.

It's important to remember that a casual dental inspection can't catch everything and that a full, in-depth cleaning and examination requires general anesthesia.

Your vet will need to check for places where teeth touch a surface they shouldn't, where guns are inflamed or prone to bleeding, and where cavities may have formed under the gumline. They will also check the soft tissues and palate, tonsils, tongue, lips, and more.

What happens if your dog gets a cavity?

Cavities are actually a lot less common in dogs than in people. Usually, dogs end up with gum disease that, if it progresses, can damage the jawbone and the gums. Cavities are less common because of dog diets and how much more exposed their teeth tend to be.

There's a common misconception that dogs don't get dental care the way we do. In fact, if your dog has a cavity, they can get a filling just like we do; they can even get a full root canal and crown if necessary.

The downside is that it's usually quite expensive, so many people opt for having the tooth pulled instead. This can be fine for a single tooth, but over time, if your dog loses too many teeth, it can hinder their quality of life.

What dogs are most susceptible to tooth decay?

In broad strokes, the smaller a dog is, the more likely they are to have issues with tooth decay. There are two reasons for this. The first is that smaller breeds are just genetically a lot more likely to have issues than larger dogs.

The second is that their teeth are physically a lot smaller, so even a tiny spot of decay can cause more problems, whereas a larger dog has more leeway before it causes issues.

Are no-anesthetic dental visits viable?

Unfortunately, no. Some doggy dental clinics offer no-anesthetic cleanings and procedures, but these tend to be pretty traumatizing for our poor pup pals and can make it harder for you to take care of their teeth later. It's better to opt for the anesthetic when it's necessary.

Do you have any questions about maintaining your dog's dental hygiene, or was there anything I mentioned in this article that you'd like additional clarification on? If so, I'm always more than happy to help, so be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Whenever there's a funny "challenge" to feed a pet some strange food, though, I always ask myself: is this safe? Is it okay to feed a dog something like broccoli, or are there toxic compounds or chemicals that can aggravate them if they eat it?

Fortunately, with broccoli, there's good news. If you want to contribute to the growing pile of hilarious dogs confronting broccoli on the internet, you're safe to do so.

Is Broccoli Safe for Dogs?

The short answer is yes, broccoli is safe for dogs to consume.

It's safe both when it's raw and when it's cooked, too, so you don't need to worry about having to steam it up every time you want to give them a treat.

You might also discover that your dog likes cooked broccoli more than raw – or vice versa, and they like raw broccoli more than cooked. Just like people, dogs have different preferences, and cooked and raw broccoli have both different flavors and different textures.

Watch out, though; broccoli florets are made up of tons of little bits, and all of those bits can get everywhere if your pooch is a messy eater. You'll be cleaning up green stuff for ages.

There is a longer answer, though.

How Much Broccoli is Too Much for Dogs?

Unfortunately, broccoli does contain a particular chemical compound that is actually mildly toxic to dogs. It's called isothiocyanate, and it's common in all of the different kinds of brassica vegetables. In case you don't know, a lot of different edible vegetables are just various kinds of brassica we've bred over the millennia to be different species. Turnips, rutabagas, radishes, wasabi, horseradish, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage, bok choy, collards, watercress, arugula, mustard greens, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and of course broccoli, are all brassicas.

Luckily, this chemical isn't going to kill a dog if they eat broccoli. It causes mild gastric upset and, in sufficient amounts, can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and rarely, potentially severe side effects.

So, why do we say it's safe for dogs to eat broccoli?

You would have to be feeding your dog a lot of broccoli for this to be a problem. The American Kennel Club specifies that broccoli should be no more than 10% of their diet to stay safe; anything over 25% of their diet causes problems, and severe side effects are unlikely unless they're eating way more than that.

Why just 10% of their diet?

Using a percentage here is important because it's impossible to give a measurement in cups or grams. After all, if you feed two cups of broccoli to a mastiff, it's going to have a very different experience than if you feed two cups of broccoli to a chihuahua, right?

The AKC and other organizations tend to use percentages for these kinds of things when it's just a general recommendation for exactly this reason. It's just a way of saying keep intake down and don't make broccoli a key part of your dog's diet. You probably aren't going to be doing that anyway, but, you know, words of caution.

For more specific chemicals, medications, and the like, these organizations will instead use dosages per kilogram or pound of body weight to adjust for the size of the dog being treated. That's important for medications and compounds with a strong effect, but not so much for something like broccoli.

Is Broccoli Beneficial for Dogs?

Sort of. As a vegetable, broccoli is rich in dietary fiber and low in protein and fat. It's also high in vitamin C. On top of that, it has other vitamins – A, D, K, and more – as well as lutein, a beneficial nutrient for eyesight and heart health. These are nutrients that are beneficial to dogs just as much as they are to people, so it's not a bad thing for your dog to have some as a snack.

At the same time, the isothiocyanates can be detrimental in large amounts, and there's a lot in broccoli that isn't really important to a pooch. We tend to think of things like broccoli as healthy because they're healthy for people, but they aren't as great for dogs; they're just fine.

How to Prepare Broccoli for a Dog?

If you want to give your pup a snack with a little broccoli, you should make sure you're doing it right. There are four rules you absolutely have to follow; otherwise, you will put your pooch in grave danger!

Okay, well, it's not quite that scary. But it's still important!

Rule number one! Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Broccoli, especially if it's raw broccoli, is actually kind of tough. And you know dogs, they barely chew their food, and they'll snarf it right down if they get the chance. Put a bowl with a few broccoli florets on it in front of them, and if they like it, they'll start gulping. And then what? Then you have a dog choking on broccoli! Nobody wants that. So cut the broccoli small. As an added bonus, this also helps you keep track of how much you've given them.

Rule number two! Cook the broccoli first. This isn't actually that firm of a rule – some dogs can eat raw broccoli just fine – but it's also a way to help keep it safe. Cooked broccoli is softer and easier to chew, so it's much less likely to get stuck and become a choking hazard. It also holds together better and makes less of a mess when your fur baby starts going to town on it.

Cooking the broccoli is also important for food sanitization reasons. Unfortunately, food regulations are in a lull right now – you've probably noticed the seemingly weekly recalls for things like salmonella and listeria – and those bad bacteria can affect dogs, too. Cooking the broccoli makes it safer for both your consumption and your doggo's.

Rule number three! Start with a small amount until you know how your dog reacts. Some dogs won't like broccoli at all, and cooking up a bunch for them doesn't do you any good. Some dogs will love it, and if you're not careful, they'll try to get at every salad you make.

More importantly, though, some dogs will be more sensitive to isothiocyanates, so it takes a smaller amount of broccoli to cause them digestive upset. Give them no more than a floret or two (depending on the size of the dog) and watch them to see if they start to have digestive symptoms or signs of an allergic reaction. Allergies are very, very, very rare, so they shouldn't be a problem, but you still need to make sure the first time you give them any.

Finally, rule number four! Never, ever cook the broccoli with spices, seasonings, or anything else. That means if you're making a tasty broccoli dish for yourself, it's just for you, not for the puppy! Salt, garlic, onion, oregano, caraway, tarragon, and a bunch of other spices and herbs are bad for dogs – much worse than isothiocyanates – so you definitely don't want to put them on the broccoli you give to your pup.

Most of the time, you want to give your dog the florets of the broccoli and not the stems. The stems are tougher, harder to chew, and more likely to get stuck in the throat. If you chop them small and steam them well, you can give them the bits, and I know some people will even puree the broccoli stems for a liquid treat as well. Those are options, but if you want more whole vegetables, the florets are the way to go.

What Are the Side Effects of Giving a Dog Broccoli?

When you feed your dog some broccoli, you're probably going to be in for a slightly unpleasant time.

So, here's the thing: broccoli is healthy and tasty, a lot of dogs enjoy it, and it's safe if you give it to your pooch in moderation. But, it also contains some sulfur compounds and a lot of fiber, both of which combine in a dog's digestive system for one particular result.

You probably already know what I'm talking about, right? Stink bombs.

Broccoli, even small amounts of broccoli, can make your dog gassy. If your dog is already naturally gassy, they'll be even more gassy. Worse, broccoli farts are definitely unpleasant.

Some dogs might not be really affected by this. Others might be walking chemical weapons for the rest of the day. There's really no way to tell until you give them some and see how they react.

Truthfully, this is also something you might consider enough of an adverse side effect to stop you from giving them any more broccoli. It's not going to be truly harmful unless it's really bad, but even some bloating and gassiness can be unpleasant for your pooch, so think carefully if the funny videos or the quick treat is worth it.

Dogs Eating Broccoli FAQ

Let's wrap things up with a quick summary of some of the most common questions about dogs and broccoli.

Can dogs eat broccoli safely?

Yes, as long as they don't eat too much of it. Handing them a floret as a snack or for a funny video on TikTok is fine. Feeding them a vegan diet full of broccoli is not. You want to make sure it's a snack or a treat and not a significant portion of their diet.

How much broccoli is too much for a dog?

The AKC recommends no more than 10% of a dog's daily diet be broccoli. That's not much, but it can be more than you might think, depending on the size of your pooch. Either way, treat it as a snack or a treat, and you'll be fine.

What do you need to do to give your dog broccoli safely?

Start with a small portion to make sure they don't have a bad reaction. Make sure to cook it – usually by steaming it – with no added seasonings, not even salt. Cut it up into small bite-size portions for your pooch, and make sure to watch them in case they choke even on the little bits you give them.

Special note: when you cook broccoli for your fur baby, make sure to let it cool before you give it to them! You don't want to accidentally burn their mouths or throats, after all.

My dog likes frozen broccoli! What can I do to make it safer?

If your dog likes frozen broccoli but doesn't want to touch it if it's cooked, you can try cooking it and then freezing it. That way, it's still cooked, softer, smaller, and easier for them to digest once it thaws, but it's still frozen, so they can still enjoy it while it's cold.

Should I consult with my vet before giving my dog broccoli?

Probably. Your vet might have specific information for you or for your dog, or simply based on their own past experience. In general, they'll tell you the same things I've told you here, but they might have more specific information.

This is especially true if your dog has any ongoing health issues. For example, an elderly dog with some digestive problems in the evening might actually benefit from a little bit of a fiber snack like broccoli, while a puppy might not get much out of it. Other health issues can be affected by gas and bloating as well.

Have you ever given your pooch broccoli? Have you taken one of those funny internet videos? If they act funny around broccoli, I highly recommend it; having that video to laugh about later is great. Plus, I'd love to see it!

I don't blame you! Packing away your fur baby and sending them on a plane without you is hugely stressful, and that's even before you read the horror stories.

The simplest alternative is to drive with your dog or dogs to your destination. It's easy to say that, though, and it can often be a lot harder in practice. It's one thing to drive for an hour or so to visit family across the state, but it's a whole other issue if you're trying to manage a cross-country trip. So, whether you're moving for a job or just going on a vacation and needing to bring your pups, how can you do it the right way?

How to Train a Dog to Enjoy the Car

The first and largest hurdle is training your fur baby to enjoy a car ride. Some dogs love it, but others don't, and the last thing you need is a dog with anxiety, nervous energy, or fear huddled in the back, whining for dozens of hours of driving.

The key, as it so often is with dogs, is proper training. Dogs that have anxiety or fear in a car are either very young puppies who aren't used to the noise, motion, and new experience, or are dogs that have been conditioned to find car rides unpleasant. A dog that only ever goes in a car when they're being abandoned at a shelter or taken for an invasive procedure at the vet is a dog that will definitely not enjoy the car.

If your furry friend is fine with the car, you can skip this part entirely.

Step 1: Figure out how averse your pooch is to the car.

The first thing you need to do is determine how averse your dog is to the car in general. If they're fine with short rides but get anxious on longer rides, you have a much easier job ahead of you than if they won't even get near the car in the first place.

Step 2: Work on accommodation.

Your goal, no matter how averse they are to the car, is to work on getting them more comfortable with it. As with most dog training, this just involves exposure and reward. Bring them to the point where they're comfortable, and then push them slightly further and reward them when they sit there. That might mean bringing them to sit next to the car, or sitting in the back seat when it's stationary, or taking them on a short trip around the block or to the local dog park.

Step 3: Extending the trip.

Depending on how long your trip is going to be, you may need to train your dog to be able to lie down and even sleep in the car for a longer journey. It's already stressful to stay on a highway for hours, but if your dog is anxious, fearful, or crying the whole way, it's going to be even worse. It also definitely helps if you can have someone along for the ride who can hang out and comfort your pooch, too.

Training this will generally involve going on longer and longer car rides. Even if all you're doing is driving circles around the city, there's no real way to acclimate a dog to a long ride other than simply taking them on a long ride.

Preventing Motion Sickness in Dogs

One of the biggest risks of a long car ride with a dog is motion sickness. This tends to impact puppies more often than adult dogs, but some dogs just don't have a good time in a car simply because of the motion, making them nauseous and upset. The same thing can happen to people, after all, so it's not surprising that it can happen to dogs.

If your fur baby gets motion sickness – especially if they vomit because of it – you'll need to do what you can to prevent it and prepare for the issues that occur if they do.

• Keep the temperature in the car on the cooler side. While you might end up a little chilly, it's easier for you to wear warmer clothing than it is for your dog to suppress their stomach.
• Make sure there's some air circulation. Depending on the kind of driving, you may be able to open a window, or you might need to turn the car HVAC on higher and aim it towards the back.
• Limit food and water before the trip if you can. For longer trips, you can't really avoid feeding and hydrating your pooch, but for mid-length journeys, you can make sure they go before you go and can delay feeding until you've reached your destination.
• Take your dog on a walk and play with them for a while, at least 20 minutes before your trip, so they're a little tuckered out and are more likely to stay calm or even nap.

You can also talk to your vet about anti-nausea, anti-anxiety, or motion sickness medications for dogs. Medications like Maropitant, anti-anxiety medications like alprazolam and trazodone, and even CBD tinctures may be viable options, but talk to your vet about it first.

Preparing for the Trip

When it's time to actually go on your trip, you need to make sure you have everything you're going to need.

The exact list can vary depending on whether you're moving or just going on vacation, but here's a decent checklist to get you started. If you can think of anything I forgot, let me know in the comments!

Travel Food and Water

For longer trips, there's a pretty good chance you're going to be stopping at just about every rest stop along the way, either to give your fur baby some food and water or to let them stretch their legs, do their business, and relax a bit from that particular leg of the journey.

Speaking of doing their business, you'll also want bags to clean up after them (most rest stops ask that you do this but don't provide their own bags the way a dog park might), wipes to clean up if there's a mess, and possibly even puppy pads for the car if there's no convenient place to stop and there's an emergency.

Pre-Trip Vet Checkups

One important thing to do before you embark on your trip is to take your fur babies to the vet to make sure they're in good health. You can talk to the vet about anxiety and motion sickness, as well as pain, general illness, and other considerations. Your vet will probably have some advice that can help, as well.

If you're moving and this is the last time you'll see that vet, you may also want to make sure you get physical copies of important paperwork, health certificates, vaccination records, and similar records. All of this should be available electronically at whatever other vet you pick at your destination, but having hard copies can smooth the way to setting up at your new location. If you're not moving, having copies of important documents like vaccination records can be good in case an incident happens, and you need to prove good health.

If you've been putting it off, this is also a good time to make sure they're up to date on their vaccinations and have a microchip with accurate information on it. The last thing you want is to lose your pup at a rest stop or overnight stay and have outdated information on that chip!

Plan Your Journey

For shorter trips, you might not have to stop overnight somewhere with your pooch. For longer trips, you might need accommodations that allow pets. Depending on the kind of trip you're planning, you may need to call a hotel ahead of time, or you might need to make sure your Airbnb or VRBO or whatever kind of short-term rental you pick allows them. Unexpected fees, cancellations, or denials can throw a huge wrench into your plans, so make sure to prepare ahead of time.

You'll also want to make sure you have all of the relevant supplies you'll need. Things like:

• Collars and tags, with spares, just in case.
• A leash or harness for whenever you need to bring your fur babies to unfamiliar places.
• Paperwork, medications, and grooming items to keep them comfortable and happy.
• Toys to keep them occupied and distracted as necessary.
• Food and treats for longer trips and stops. A water bowl is also helpful.
• A bed they're familiar with so they have a place to curl up and sleep.

Your exact list of items will depend on the kind of trip you're taking and where you're going to be staying, so customize it as necessary.

Extra Tips for a Smooth Road Trip with Dogs

Now, let's cover a handful of additional tips that can make your road trip smoother when you have a dog – or several dogs – to bring with you.

Bring a doggy first aid kit. Your human first aid kit – which you should also have in your vehicle at all times – can cover some basics, but a dog-focused kit can make sure you're prepared for anything. These kinds of kits can be found online for as little as $30, so it's easy to pick one up and keep it with you.

Consider a doggy car seat. These are raised, secure, and comfortable platforms your pooch can use to watch out the window without getting in the way, risking hitting buttons with their paws, or otherwise being a bother. They're also more comfortable than a normal car seat or the floor of the vehicle. If you buy these ahead of time, you can also make sure they smell like home and are more comforting for your fur babies.

Make sure to plan your route. The unexpected can always happen, from road delays and construction to accidents, so make sure you know where the rest stops are along your route and have some idea of where you can pull off the highway to a park or even just a fast-food place to get a break if an emergency happens. Similarly, make sure you know about pet-friendly lodging along the way.

Don't forget to leave time at these pit stops. You might only need a couple of minutes to hit a restroom and have a snack, but your fur baby will probably take a good deal longer to get comfortable enough to do their business. Make sure you aren't on a tight schedule that forces you to hurry this along.

Dogs in Cars FAQ

To wrap up, let's answer some of the most common questions about traveling with a dog or dogs, especially long distances.

Do dogs dislike car rides?

That depends a lot on the dog. Some dogs are perfectly fine or even excited to go on car rides, even longer trips. Others are initially excited but get tired or bored being cooped up in a vehicle for more than an hour. Others are fine for short trips but get motion-sick on longer trips. It really comes down to the individual.

How often should you stop for a break with a dog?

Generally, the average is every couple of hours, which is coincidentally often the distance between rest stops across America's highway system, though this does tend to vary regionally. If you have puppies or older dogs who may have incontinence or other issues, you'll need to stop more frequently.

Is it better to drive or to fly with a dog?

This depends on a lot of factors. Flying is a lot faster for long distances, but it can be more expensive. And if your fur baby is a larger breed, they'll need to fly through a pet cargo service and can't fly with you on a plane. Most dogs handle car rides a lot better than plane rides, though. In the end, it's up to you and what works best for your needs.

So, did I miss any important questions you may have about traveling in a car with your dog? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible with an answer!

Effective crate training isn't all that difficult. In fact, I've written a whole guide to effective dog crate training, and it doesn't take very long at all! But there are always going to be issues along the way.

One common issue is puppies that can't seem to stop chewing on their beds. Crates are harsh and uncomfortable when they're empty, so it's good practice to put a bed in there for your pup to enjoy while they're sleeping. But some dogs just can't stop themselves from chewing their bed apart.

This isn't just a matter of annoyance when you find bits of fluff and foam on the floor in the morning and the expense of buying a new bed for them whenever they destroy the old one. It can also be a health hazard! Dog beds are meant to be safe for a dog to sleep on, but not for them to eat. Those bits of foam, fabric, fiber, and more can all cause problems if they swallow any of it,

Why Do Puppies Eat Their Beds?

When you get your puppy a new bed, they're probably going to be excited. They hop on and off of it, they roll on it, they curl up and doze, and yes, they probably give it a nibble or two. A lot of this is just expressing their excitement, but it can calm down once they're used to the bed.

Sometimes, though, that chewing never stops, and they just keep on biting, ripping, tearing, pulling, and generally destroying that fancy new bed. But why?

It's part of their nesting instinct.

First of all, it might be part of their overall nesting instinct. You might not think of dogs as having nests, but they actually do, though we don't usually call them nests. You've heard of a "wolf den" before, right? It's the same concept: a dog or a set of dogs working to make a specific place where they spend their time as comfortable as possible.

Dogs "nest" in a bunch of different ways. They dig at the ground to create small hollows where they can lay comfortably. They arrange padding and other materials to create a softer bed for themselves. They can even drag and wrap things like fabric around themselves, which is why some dogs will curl up in a blanket to nap.

With a new bed, your dog is probably trying to break it down into a more comfortable form for themselves. That might mean scratching at the bottom, chewing at the rim, or just pulling it apart to make it into a form they find cozier and more comfortable.

While all dogs can express a nesting instinct, it's strongest and most common with pregnant mother dogs, especially in the week or so before they're due. It's an important part of creating shelter and comfort for their pups.

It's part of marking their territory.

Another reason a dog might chew at their crate bed is as a way to mark their space. This can be especially common in dogs that spent some time as strays and in dogs that have spent a lot of time with other dogs and want to carve out a space of their own.

A huge part of how dogs identify territory is through scent. Moreover, dogs have scent glands in their paws, and they can identify the unique elements of their breath and other smells they produce. All of this means that when they're chewing, scratching, pawing, and otherwise damaging their bed, it's really more about infusing that bed with their scent.

This allows your dog to create a space fully their own. You might notice that the chewing behavior is worse with a brand new bed (which smells like a factory, like off-gassing foam, and other smells) or in the immediate hours and days after you wash it.

It's a nervous tic.

Another common reason why puppies chew at their beds is as part of separation anxiety. This is especially common if you notice that they only seem to chew up their beds when you're asleep or away from home at work, and they're stuck in their crate. It can also be related to night crying.

Puppies have a lot of energy, and they're forming a lot of attachments and bonds, especially when they're young. They want to spend time with you since you're their parent figure and packmate. When you're not around, they may be worried, scared, nervous, or anxious. With very little space to maneuver and very little to do, they might start expressing that nervousness by chewing on their bed.

In a way, it's kind of the puppy equivalent of human fidgeting. They have nervous energy and anxiety, and they find a behavior that soothes it.

Some dogs that have separation anxiety develop it due to a lack of socialization. Others have it because of a quality of their breed (especially small breeds), and still others are simply too young to feel secure on their own just yet.

This can also be caused through an excess of energy. We often describe this as having "nervous energy" but it can manifest in any dog that is cooped up too much and doesn't have an outlet for all of their energy.

Your poor pooch is teething.

Another common reason why your puppy is chewing on their bed is because they're chewing on everything. When your pup's teeth are coming in, it's going to be sore and painful, just like it is for human children. In order to help their teeth come in and alleviate some of that pain, they chew on anything they can wrap their lips around. During the day, that usually means chewing on toys, though they may also chew on pillows, table legs, sticks, stray toes, and whatever else they can find.

At night, in their crate, they don't have access to much else, so they chew on what's available: the bars of the crate, the bed, any toys you put in, and so on. Usually, this is a temporary behavior once their mouth stops aching, though.

Other reasons your dog might chew:

There are a handful of other reasons your dog might be chewing on their bed in their crate.

They might just be curious. Some dogs have an innate drive to "try it and see what happens" and that can manifest in the form of chewing on things. This tends to abate as they get older and know more about how the world works.

Another reason is hunger. A hungry dog might be attempting to forage around the space they can access, and if they're in their crate, that means in their bedding. This can be especially true if you ever give them treats in bed or if they bring food there, so their bed has lingering scents of food.

It can also be due to illness. A dog that is sick or in pain – even if it's just the equivalent of a puppy cold – might be seeking something to soothe themselves, and chewing can be an outlet, even if it's not a very effective one.

How Not to Stop a Dog from Chewing Their Bed Apart

Before getting into specific ways that you can address bed-chewing behavior, let's talk about the one thing you don't want to do: engage with them positively.

This is a tricky line to walk. You can't punish your dog for chewing on their bed because they won't associate the behaviors, so they won't learn. You need to address the behavior, but without giving them the kind of attention they might be seeking. They want to engage with you and have fun with you, and if they find that you're normally distracted (or not home) but you give them attention when they chew, well, they're going to chew more.

Basically, you just always need to be aware of how your interactions with your dog are going to be perceived and what behaviors you're reinforcing.

One other thing is that you don't want to take away their bed, at least not for long. If they're chewing on it when you're around, you can take it away, but if you're going to be putting them in their crate overnight, they need something comfortable. You don't want to make the crate an unpleasant place to be; otherwise, you damage crate training routines!

How to Stop a Dog from Chewing Their Bed

Now, let's talk about what you might be able to do to stop your pooch from chewing apart their brand-new bed. You have a couple of options.

Start with redirection training.

The first thing you want to do is start with redirection training. Redirection training is fairly simple. When you see your dog start to chew on their bed, scold them a little (just say "no!") and then hand them a more appropriate chew toy. When they chew on the toy instead of the bed, praise and reward them.

You can also do other minor forms of training. When you see them resting on their bed without chewing on it, praise them. When you see them chew on a chew toy rather than their bed, praise them. Simple reinforcement is all you really need.

Address other causes of chewing.

If your pooch is sore, sick, anxious, nervous, or scared, you can address these issues in various ways. Calming scents, CBD tinctures, and your own presence can help alleviate the stress of being alone. That's why I spent so much space on why your pup is chewing, so you can figure out the reason and address it directly.

Sometimes, too, all it takes is time. As your puppy gets older and calms down, they'll be less likely to chew their bedding into shreds.

Puppy Crate Bed Chewing FAQ

Now, let's answer some of the most common questions you might have about puppies who chew up their beds.

Why do dogs chew on their beds?

There are a bunch of different reasons why your pooch might be chewing at their bed.

Here are some of the most common reasons:

• It's part of their nesting instinct to create a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
• It's a scent-marking technique to help them firmly claim the space as their own.
• They have separation anxiety and are chewing as an outlet for their feelings.
• They're teething to relieve the pain of new teeth coming in.
• They're sick and are seeking some form of relief.
• They're hungry and are seeking something to eat in the middle of the night.

There are other possible reasons as well, but again, these are the most common.

What are some ways you can stop your dog from chewing their bed?

You have a few options here.

Some options include:

• Implementing redirection training to get them to chew a toy instead.
• Using a protective cover to make it unpleasant to chew.
• Making sure to tire out your dog and address anxiety issues.

Essentially, you want to figure out why they're chewing and get rid of those issues.

What should you avoid?

For the most part, you want to avoid anything that punishes your pup. Don't take away their bed for long periods of time or make their crate an uncomfortable place to be.

Don't attempt to punish them directly, either. Most forms of punishment don't work because the association doesn't exist, so it just adds stress and makes behavioral issues worse.

Should you try a chew-proof dog bed?

This one is up to you. Chew-proof dog beds advertise being extremely durable, so even if your pooch chews at them for hours, they won't rip them apart. They tend to be pretty expensive, though.

It's often better to address the behavior, however, because if they're prone to destructive chewing, it won't stop at the bed.

Have you ever had to stop your furry friend from chewing up their crate pad? If so, what did you do to stop it? Let me know in the comments section! I'd love to hear all your stories!

So, say you've decided to adopt a dog from your local shelter or even snagged one that someone abandoned or one that has been living feral in your neighborhood and was finally wrangled.

These are some of the most challenging dogs to socialize and train, but also some of the most rewarding, most loving, and most emotionally engaging relationships you can form with a pup. Taking a dog from a disadvantaged and difficult scenario, and bringing them to a state of love, contentment, and happiness, is so incredibly rewarding it's difficult to describe.

Among the many behavioral issues you'll need to work on with your new rescue is housebreaking, also known as housetraining.

Step 1: Assess Your Dog's Current Abilities

Different rescue dogs have different amounts of socialization and training, depending on where they came from. Some of them might be almost entirely housetrained already, and just need a reminder of their training. Others, especially feral dogs, may never have had that training at all.

So, your first step is to determine how much they can do. Do they know any commands? Do they naturally "hold it" when they're in the house? Do they mark their territory?

You should establish a few baseline pieces of data.

Data to keep track of with your pup

Consider writing down information like:

• How long your dog goes before they need to go.
• How often they have "accidents" when you're not around.
• If they can sleep through the night in their crate without incident.
• When and where accidents happen, if they happen.

You'll also want to perform a basic assessment in conjunction with a vet.

• Are they fixed? An intact pup is more likely to have issues and less training.
• Do they have any illnesses? Things like worms and infections can cause bowel issues.
• Are they on any medications that might have incontinence as a side effect?

All of this gives you a baseline you can use to know what's normal and what isn't for your new rescue pup.

Step 2: Monitor and Control Your Dog's Diet

The second major step is to make sure you're feeding your new pup a relatively bland and inoffensive diet.

I'm not saying you need to go full upset stomach chicken-and-rice meals. Those are useful for a sick pup, but they aren't always a healthy baseline. But, a diet made to be as easy to digest and as simple as possible will help you identify if they have any food allergies or sensitivities.

The last thing you need if you're trying to train your dog to have better bowel control is feeding them something that makes them need to go all the time, right?

Make sure you're also controlling:

• The amount of food you give them, so they aren't over-eating and causing problems.
• The speed at which they eat, so they don't eat too fast and give themselves an upset tummy.
• The timing of when they eat, so you have a consistent pattern built into each day.

Feeding your dog a bland diet at the same time every day gives you a strong foundation you can use to build upon over time.

Step 3: Take the First Steps Slowly

Even if your rescue dog was housetrained originally, there's a chance that they've lost their control and habits over time.

This can happen for a few different reasons.

• They've been stuck in a rescue kennel for too long and haven't been taken out often enough, causing accidents.
• They were abandoned or on their own for long enough that no reinforcement kept them from abandoning their training, so they just do their own thing now.
• They're wild enough that the odors of a new environment and potentially other pets in the home drive them to mark their areas.

So, when you adopt a new pup, you need to figure out if they had training initially or if you are going to be starting from scratch.

Step 4: Set the Ground Rules

Before you can embark on potty training a rescue dog, you need to set the ground rules. And no, I don't mean sitting your pup down and telling them how it's going to be. I mean understanding yourself how you're going to have to handle the training.

Consistency is key.

Everything needs to be done at the same time each day, on the same schedule. If you can't get the breaks off work to come home and do it, you need someone else who can do it for you. If it means setting an alarm for every couple of hours throughout the night, so be it.

When I say everything, I do actually mean everything. Get up at the same time each day and take them out. Feed them at the same time each day. Take them on walks at the same time each day. Consistency is absolutely critical for successful potty training, especially if you want to do it as quickly as possible.

Use praise.

A key part of training any dog is praising them when they do the behavior you want them to do. It's called positive reinforcement, and it's really the only way you can successfully train an animal. Primarily, that means praising them when they do their doo outside appropriately.

This may also mean praise indoors if you see them go to mark, and they stop. It's all about rewarding them for their actions in the right environment.

Add a verbal component.

While it's often not strictly necessary for a dog to have a command to do their business once their training is in place, it can be helpful to reinforce what you want them to do in a given environment.

This is helpful, especially if you have different kinds of outings. Taking them out to play, taking them out for recall training, taking them out for an exercise walk; these can all have different purposes, and you may not want them to potty just anywhere. So, saying "go potty" when you want them to potty – and saying it again when they're actually doing it – helps build that association.

Use confinement.

It can feel bad, but any time you aren't around to directly supervise your dog and make sure you're enforcing the rules of potty training, they need to be confined to a crate or other small, enclosed space.

One fact about dogs is that, unless it's an extreme emergency, they will be very averse to relieving themselves too close to where they are spending their time. Fear, anxiety, and illness can all cause it, but if they're just not trained, they won't do it because it's unpleasant.

Step 5: Putting it All Together

Once you have all of the ground rules down, for yourself and your dog, all you need to do is put it together.

While regulating their time and behavior, watch what they do. Praise them when they do what you want them to do. Don't punish them when they act up – it doesn't work and it can make behaviors, anxiety, and fear worse.

If there's an accident, clean it up. It's going to happen, and that's unfortunate, but there's not a lot you can do about it after it happens. Again, punishment doesn't work. You just need to figure out why it happened and adjust your training to account for it.

That might mean taking your pup out more often, changing their diet or medication, or working with them to feel safer so they don't fear the unknown as much. Whatever the case may be, it takes time and dedication, but it can be done.

Housebreaking a Rescue Dog FAQ

Now, let's go over some of the questions that come up when talking about housebreaking a rescue dog.

Can you housetrain a rescue dog?

Of course! Rescue dogs are almost never a "lost cause," but you need to be prepared for accidents, smelly cleanups, and a lot more difficulty in training than you would have with a brand-new puppy.

Once you get the ball rolling, though, it can be extremely rewarding to see an unruly dog start to take commands and learn to be a better companion. Just like any other difficult but ultimately satisfying endeavor, it takes time and dedication, but you can definitely do it if you put your mind to it.

Is there a difference between housebreaking and housetraining?

Not really!

Some people claim that there is a difference and that housetraining still includes things like using a puppy pad, whereas housebreaking means never going inside the house at all. Other people don't recognize the difference.

Personally, I'm pretty sure the only reason we use housetraining instead of housebreaking is the connotations. "Breaking" is such an aggressive word, isn't it? It implies things like punishment, animal abuse, and a broken pup, and even if the results are very different, it's not the kind of impression we want to give as animal lovers.

How important is diet to potty training?

Somewhat! Diet on its own isn't going to have a huge impact, and as long as their diet is healthy enough that it's not causing problems, you're fine.

The issue comes when your rescue dog is eating something that upsets their stomach and leads to unpleasant side effects and accidents.

What are the most common reasons for a potty accident?

There are a handful of reasons why your pup might be relieving themselves where they shouldn't.

You'll want to consider the context and situation when an accident happens.

• Lack of training. A completely untrained dog won't have the foundation to know where they shouldn't go and might just find a corner in the living room as good as a corner of the yard.
• Submission. Some dogs are habitually submissive and may release their bladder a bit when they get too excited or as a form of submission to another dog they're greeting. It's only urine, and it's not much, but it's still a habit to fix.
• Territorial marking. When your pup leaves urine on the furniture, door frames, or anywhere around the home – and sometimes feces, as well – it's because they're scent-marking their territory.
• Fear and anxiety. Separation anxiety, loud noises, and threats – perceived or otherwise – can lead your dog to lose bowel control.

Depending on the cause of the accident, you may need to focus your training on different ways to solve the issue.

I just took my dog out, but they had an accident as soon as I got back inside!

This isn't a question, but that's okay. This happens a lot if you're trying to rush the process. Dogs often need to spend a bit of time investigating the area to make sure it feels safe for them to go. If you're impatient – and especially if you're trying to use a command and they're ignoring you – it feels like they don't need to go and are just messing around.

Then, you bring them back inside, where they know it's safe, and they immediately find a place to go.

The key is two things. First, make sure you give them plenty of experiences in your yard to make sure they feel safe there. Second, give them plenty of time to investigate before they do their deed. They probably do have to go; they just aren't quite comfortable yet.

So, there you have it: a guide to housetraining a rescue dog. Do you have any questions? If so, leave them in the comments, and I might be able to add them to the FAQ! Meanwhile, do you have any experience housetraining a rescue dog? Do you have tips or advice I haven't covered? Let me know!

A lot of the time, this won't be an issue. After all, you're there, and you're keeping them safe and secure, training them to come when called, sit and stay, or seek out specific objects (all of which are part of the 20 essential puppy commands.)

Other times, though, your puppy will feel the loneliness and isolation that comes with not being part of a pack. Even if you have other dogs, they may not take on a parental role, and your new pup might spend their evenings anxious and crying.

"Night crying" is a common problem with young dogs, and it's honestly heartbreaking. Few of us can go to sleep and rest peacefully when our new puppies are crying and whining and begging for attention and comfort in the dead of night from their crate in another room, where they can't see you. And all of that is just the tip of the iceberg; an anxious puppy is more likely to have a night accident or hurt themselves pawing or chewing at their crate.

How can you help your puppy make it through the night and deal with night crying? Fortunately, there are several things you can try.

Night Crying vs. Night Barking

In the past, I covered night barking in dogs. Night barking and night crying are similar! Puppies whine more than they bark, while older dogs are more likely to bark because they know it's louder and gets more attention. Some of the same causes are behind the issue, too, though it's not entirely the same.

In adult dogs, night barking can be caused by:

• Separation Anxiety
• Fear or Alarm
• Boredom
• Pain or Hunger
• Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome
• Responding to Other Dogs

When you're thinking of a new puppy specifically, several of these aren't going to apply. CCDS, for example, is primarily a disease affecting elderly dogs, so it's not something your puppy is likely to experience. Others, though, like separation anxiety, can be primary drivers.

It's important that you recognize the difference between night crying in puppies and night barking in dogs because the same techniques aren't going to work between the two.

What Causes Night Crying in Puppies?

A new puppy crying at night is going to be, primarily, whining, grunting, and maybe some growling. In certain breeds, you may get some barking, yipping, and baby howling, but whining is the most common vocalization.

The biggest question is, why is your puppy crying at night? You can't treat the issue without first knowing the cause.

Fortunately, there aren't many reasons, so it's fairly easy to diagnose:

• They need to go potty. New puppies don't have a lot of control over their bowels and bladder, so they're more likely to need to go in the middle of the night, where an adult dog will be able to hold it longer.
• They're seeking comfort. Being isolated and contained in a crate is anxiety-inducing for a new puppy. They're probably used to sleeping with a parent and a pile of littermates, so being kept alone in a cold, dark box isn't comfortable for them.
• They have too much energy. When you're stuck indoors with a bunch of energy on a rainy day, you can go a little stir-crazy; your puppy is the same way. They have energy, they took their nap, and now they want to do something, but you're trying to sleep, and it's dark out, and they're stuck in that crate, and HELP!
• They're uncomfortable. Your puppy doesn't have a lot of ways to problem-solve and may not even be able to recognize why they're feeling uncomfortable. Even something as simple as a draft chilling them out in a colder house in the evening can be enough to make them whine all night.

There are always a few other possible issues, like something scaring them, an illness or injury causing them pain, or something distracting them all night, but these are less common.

Priority #1: Don't Give In!

Alright, before we get into the nitty-gritty, we need to discuss the biggest point of contention: do you suffer through it and ignore the problem, or do you provide comfort and aid to your puppy? There are arguments in both directions.

For one thing, the "cry it out" method has been used throughout history for both animals and people. Studies have shown that it doesn't really work for human babies and can lead to emotional trauma and anxiety as they get older.

It's similar in dogs; when they're seeking comfort and reassurance in the evening, and they don't get it, they fail to build trust in you, and that can mean they keep crying all night, every night.

On the other hand, training is training. If your puppy cries at night and it gets you to get up and give them comfort, play with them a little, or otherwise engage with them and make them feel happy and loved… you're effectively rewarding them for their crying, and that just further encourages them to cry at night.

So which is it?

Truthfully, it's both. It comes down to why your puppy is crying. If they're having toilet issues and need to go, ignoring them all night is going to be miserable for everyone involved. On the other hand, if they just have some anxiety and they're trying to fish for comfort, providing that comfort reinforces the fact that it works.

Here are some of the things I'm going to cover:

Fortunately, a couple of the solutions will help you address both points at once without conflicting signals.

Embark on Proper Crate Training

Proper crate training requires a lot of work, effort, and setup. You can't just put a crate in a corner, put your puppy in it, and close it up. How would you feel being closed in a room with no bed, no carpet, and nothing to keep you entertained?

I have a whole guide to proper crate training, which you can read over here. It goes through all of the major elements of crate training, including routines and more. Give it a look!

Beyond that, it's important to make sure the crate is a comfortable, safe place for your pooch. You want them to feel at ease, safe, and happy in that space, and you want it to be a place just for them.

A blanket, a favorite comfort toy, and even using treats to encourage them to enjoy their time in the crate are all good ideas. Of course, you can't exactly give them treats to stop them from whining unless you want to be whined at any time they want a treat.

Also, one of the biggest issues with being stuck in a crate all night is temperature. We people tend to like our houses a little cooler in the evening than during the day, but that can lead to a drafty, cold, and uncomfortable space in a crate, and since it's closed up, your puppy can't simply find a nicer place to be.

This is why the bed and blankets are a good idea, and you might also consider a cover or a blanket to drape over the crate for more insulation.

Make Sure They're Potty Trained

Young puppies need potty training, and the younger they are, the more frequently you'll need to escort them to the yard where they can do their business. For very young puppies, expect to have to do this every couple of hours.

Part of the key here is to make sure that, when you get up and give them attention for potty purposes in the middle of the night, that's all you do.

Don't talk at or coo at them, don't play with them, don't praise them unless they go, don't pet and engage with them. Give them praise and rewards when they go, then return them to their crate and leave them until the next time it needs to happen.

You want this to be brief and entirely potty-focused because otherwise, you're encouraging them to act like they need to go so they can get rewards. That's why it's critical to make sure they're actually doing their business before rewarding them and why you can't play or otherwise engage with them.

Consider the Crate's Location

If the main reason your puppy is crying is because they want to know you're nearby and have the reassurance that they're safe and cared-for, you have a few options.

One of the easiest is to put the crate in your room with you. Sometimes, your pooch doesn't need to be right there with you, in your lap or in your bed; they just need to be able to see, hear, and smell you.

Putting the crate in your room gives them the opportunity to know you're nearby, and they'll likely be able to sleep better.

If you don't want their crate to be in your bedroom, for allergy, odor, or noise reasons, you can gradually move it further from your bed every night, eventually moving it outside of your bedroom and towards its final space.

They'll be more used to knowing you're there, and can handle greater distances.

Give Them a Piece of You

Dogs are very scent-driven, and your new puppy might not be as comfortable as you'd want them to be without some element of you nearby.

One of the easiest options you have is to put a shirt or other item you've worn in their crate with them so they have a nearby scent source to snuggle with and feel comforted by.

There are also training aids you can use. One of the more effective options is a heartbeat toy. These are plush dog toys that include a small device that puts out a nearly inaudible heartbeat noise.

They can also have a way for you to stuff a shirt or something into them for the scent and even a heat pack for warmth. All of this tells your puppy they aren't alone and gives them that added comforting presence when you're not there with them.

Wear Them Out

A big part of crate training is making sure your pupper is all tuckered out at the end of the day. The more exhausted they are when they go to their crate for bed, the more likely they are to sleep without issue and sleep through the night. That means plenty of play and activity throughout the day, especially a little while before bed.

Just make sure you don't work them too hard right before sleep because they'll want to drink to recover, and then they'll need to go. That's not terrible, but if you want to avoid nighttime interruptions, it's a reasonable concern.

Make Sure They're Healthy

Everything above assumes that your pooch is in good health and is just crying for attention, bathroom needs, or out of anxiety and discomfort. Once you solve those issues through training and habits, you're good to go.

If you address those concerns and your puppy still won't sleep through the night without whining, you may need to look for underlying causes.

Young puppies aren't immune to health issues, so if they're sick or uncomfortable from some kind of internal pain (be it teething, an injury, or an illness), they'll have a hard time at night. If you suspect anything strange, talk to your vet.

With luck, consistent training, and good behaviors, you can help make sure your fur baby sleeps through the night in their crate without issue. Ideally, it will only take a couple of weeks at the most to get them trained for their bedtime. Just make sure everyone is on the same page with the training and you're good to go.

Have you ever had to help your puppy with their night crying problem? If so, what did you do in your particular situation? I'd love to hear all your stories, so be sure to leave those in the comments section!

Discover a Higher Level of Health Nurturing Dog Wellness Supplies with Toe Beans.

At Toe Beans, we’re devoted to supplying dog parents with high-quality health and planet nurturing dog wellness products.

That’s why we don’t simply sell, distribute or curate dog supplies from overseas manufacturers and then slap our brand labels on them. Rather, we research, develop and manufacture 98% of the products on toe beans at our privately owned facility in northern Virginia.

We own the supply chains of the products we manufacture from source to your doorstep. That is, we establish and manage direct strategic relationships with every supplier of every raw material that goes into making every product across all our proprietary registered brands.

We believe the happiness, good health and long living of our beloved dogs can only be achieved when the dog supplies they consume are free of toxins, heavy metals and other contaminants common in dog supplies manufactured overseas.

Our dedication to quality, safety, raw material integrity, supply chain strategic management, visibility and, transparency allows us to bring to market a unique range of dog wellness products that improve the lives of our furry children.

From USDA organic treats to USDA organic dog paw balms to USDA Biobased certified dog toys to chrome-free leather collars and leashes, we’ve got you covered. Stay tuned as our research and development team continues to work full steam to accomplish our mission. In the meantime, check out our online store today to discover a higher level of health nurturing wellness supplies for your pup.

Read More Dog Behavior Guides

• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog
• FAQ: Is It Ever “Too Late” to Socialize an Adult Dog?
• [Guide] How to Train Your Dog to Let You Clip Their Nails

It's one thing if they're digging in the garbage or getting into some hidden treats you've kept in a cupboard. It's quite another experience altogether if they're getting into something much less savory, like your cat's litter box.

Cats and dogs? Cohabitating? It'll never work! The truth is, though, cats and dogs can get along great. They have different instinctual body language and interpret each other's behaviors in different ways, but that doesn't mean they have to be aggressive to one another. They can be friends and love each other just as much as we love them.

The biggest issue comes with the territory of caring for animals. While you can take your dog outside to go potty, cats generally should stay indoors, and that's what the litter box is for. So when your pooch decides to investigate that litter box and finds some tasty treats, well, not only is it gross, but you might wonder if it's dangerous.

Is cat litter dangerous to your dog if they eat it, or is it more or less harmless? The answer is a firm "it depends."

Cat Litter and the Differences Between Cats and Dogs

Many pet products are designed to be harmless to their respective creatures, but different kinds of animals have different needs. Something harmless to dogs might cause digestive distress or other damage to cats, and vice versa. They have different nutritional needs, after all, and can be sensitive to different kinds of chemicals.

A big example is xylitol. Xylitol is fine – even beneficial – in humans. It's used as a sugar substitute that doesn't rot your teeth, so it's increasingly found in everything from candies to peanut butter.

As any responsible dog parent knows, though, xylitol is toxic to dogs. It lowers their blood sugar to potentially dangerous levels and can cause organ damage, especially if your pooch gets into a tub of xylitol-infused peanut butter and has no self-control.

Cats, though, don't much care about the ingredient. Xylitol doesn't seem to have much of an impact on cats at all.

So, it just goes to show that different substances have different impacts on different pets, and it's not always clear or obvious what does and doesn't have an impact.

Cat litter is explicitly made to serve three goals.

• It serves as a substrate media for cats to bury their waste, since cats prefer to find some place they can dig and bury their leavings to help avoid detection or contamination where they hang out.
• It absorbs moisture and, more importantly, the odors that develop from your cat's waste, so you don't have to smell it throughout your house.
• It often (though not always) has material properties that allow it to clump up when moistened to make it easy to clean a litter box without wasting excessive amounts of cat litter.

You might notice that the safety of the cat isn't on this list. In fact, one of the most common kinds of cat litter – bentonite clay litter – is actually toxic to cats, because sodium bentonite is dangerous.

Not only can it be toxic, it can also clump up inside your fur baby, hardening into an impossible-to-pass lump that causes an impacted bowel.

Not great!

So why is this allowed? Well, the simple answer is that cats have zero desire to eat their refuse or their litter. It's simply not a problem outside of extreme circumstances, and if your cat is suffering in such an extreme circumstance, there are much bigger problems to address as well.

What about dogs, though? Is cat litter harmful to dogs? There are two factors to consider.

Factor 1: What Kind of Litter Did Your Dog Eat?

The first question is, what kind of litter are you using? Different kinds of cat litter have different material and chemical properties.

There are actually a bunch of different kinds of cat litter. They come in two categories: clumping and non-clumping. Within each category, there are a bunch of different types of materials available as well. You can read a bigger breakdown of these types of cat litter in my guide to litters, here.

Paper product litter is generally made from recycled paper products. It's sterilized and cleaned, so there aren't things like toxic inks in the pellets.

It's generally non-toxic to animals, but if your dog eats too much of it, it can cause an intestinal blockage, which can be serious. More on the repercussions later, by the way.

Silica or "crystal" cat litter is made with a silica gel kind of product. Silica gel is used as a desiccant, which means it absorbs moisture. This is useful in cat litter for absorbing urine and for odor control. But, if your dog eats it, the moisture inside them can be absorbed into it.

Those silica gel packets say "do not eat" on them, after all. Fortunately, in small amounts, silica gel can be passed just like anything else your dog eats. It doesn't clump up, so it won't form a blockage. All you need to do is make sure your pooch drinks plenty of water.

Clay cat litter is made from bentonite clay. This is the archetypal clumping cat litter; the clay pellets, when they get wet, get sticky, and stick to both waste and one another.

This means they absorb moisture and turn into blockages, making it one of the more dangerous kinds of cat litter for dogs. Some bentonite clay can also include trace amounts of quartz, which can be carcinogenic when inhaled (causing silicosis), which is bad for everyone and everything.

Grain cat litter, like corn litter, or wood litter, like pine litter, are all generally safer. They aren't typically going to be as good at their jobs as the main clay or silica litters, but they'll also be less dangerous if your dog eats a mouthful.

Factor 2: How Much Litter Did Your Dog Eat?

Here's the thing: your dog isn't going after the litter. You know that, I know that, and as much as we don't like to think about it, it's simply a fact.

Your dog is after those little nuggets of leavings your cat buries; the litter they eat along the way just happens because it's stuck to those nuggets.

That means that when your dog is eating cat litter, they're doing it with very little in the way of actual litter as their goal.

They might take a mouthful while they find a turd to eat, but they're generally not just chowing down on the litter box unless it hasn't been cleaned in a long time, and again, in that case, you have bigger problems.

In general terms, if your dog has only eaten a small amount of cat litter, they're fine. A tiny amount of cat litter probably won't be toxic to any but the smallest dogs, and the issues with dehydration and internal clumping generally only happen if a lot of litter is eaten at once.

What Are the Problems with Your Dog Eating Cat Litter?

So, if your dog has decided to dig into the litter box for a snack, what are the primary risks?

Toxicity. As mentioned above, cat litter is usually not toxic to dogs. That said, if you get scented cat litter, perfumed litter, or litter with some kind of additive to it, it's possible that your fur baby can be sensitive to that ingredient, or it could include a chemical that is toxic to your pooch. This is why unscented litters are generally better.

Allergies. Similar to toxicity, your dog might have an allergic reaction to some component of the litter. This is, again, most common with scented litters and perfume compounds, which are usually chemicals that can cause various problems, even in people or cats as well as dogs.

You can also identify if your dog is going to have a reaction through a skin test, and if so, change litters ASAP to avoid a problem down the road.

Intestinal blockages. Clumping litters in particular can cause blockages internally when they clump up and get stuck in the bowels. Depending on where in the system they get stuck, this can range from simple constipation all the way to an impacted bowel that might require surgery to correct. Usually, small amounts of litter won't cause this, and non-clumping litters usually won't either.

Dehydration. Cat litter is almost always designed to absorb moisture because moisture is what allows bacteria to grow and what causes the stench of waste. Moisture is also what keeps every living thing alive and is what allows the bowels to work properly.

Dehydration causes all kinds of problems, and if litter in the gut is absorbing too much moisture from the surrounding digestive system, your dog is going to suffer from it. Fortunately, in all but the most extreme cases, all you need to do is get your pooch to drink more, and it'll be fine.

Infections. This one doesn't have anything to do with the litter, but rather with your cat's refuse. Cats can carry parasites, including worms, and bacteria like salmonella.

If your dog eats their droppings, then your dog can contract one of those infections as well. Now, ideally you have antiparasitic treatments for all of your animals and the only risk is bacteria, but it's still something that can crop up at any time.

Other than extreme levels of internal blockage, dehydration, or allergic reaction, none of these are going to be life-threatening, at least not right away. Still, it's something you need to watch for.

Signs Your Dog is Suffering from Eating Cat Litter

Normally, it should be fairly easy to determine if your dog is eating cat litter. Dogs aren't the most subtle or crafty of God's creatures, after all. Still, you should pay attention to their behavior and keep an eye out for symptoms of impending problems.

Look for:

• Irregular bowel movements or constipation that can indicate an internal blockage or problem.
• Lethargy and other signs of dehydration.
• Symptoms of intestinal parasites and worms.

Your dog may also vomit, and that vomit might contain litter and can be a sign that they ate more than what came up and that you may want to get them checked out.

As mentioned, the majority of the time, your dog won't be in an immediately life-threatening condition, and you can call your vet and schedule an appointment in the next few days to have them checked over.

If they seem to be struggling with dehydration, lethargy, or a complete inability to potty, then you should be more concerned and consider the emergency vet.

Stopping Your Dog from Eating Cat Litter

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if you want your fur baby to stay away from the litter, your best option is physical separation.

You have a few options here.

• Buy an enclosed litter box with a small door that your dog can't get in through, but your cat can. Cats also tend to prefer more protected and enclosed spaces for their litter needs, so this serves double duty.
• Use a baby gate or other barrier that your cat can bypass, but your dog can't, to separate the area where you keep your litter.
• Make sure your dog has enough activity and engagement so they don't get bored and start getting into things they shouldn't.
• Consider training your cat to use the toilet instead of a litter box and, eventually, get rid of litter entirely.

These are some of the most common options. You may also just be able to train your dog well enough to stay away from the enticing litter box treasures. In rare cases, you might even be able to train your cat to go outside on a harness to do their business, just like your dog.

Really, there are plenty of options for you to explore. Which one has worked best for you? Be sure to let me know in the comments section, down below! I always love hearing from you all!

There's a whole range of training, too. Some people train their fur babies for the bare minimum – the commands like sit, heel, come, and stay – so they can keep control over their unruly pup and maybe give them a few tricks they can perform.

Other people have very well-trained doggos who faithfully stay at the side of their designated pet parent, seemingly unconcerned with the cool smells, squirrels to chase, or distractions in the world around them. We think of these pups as well-trained, but even they aren't as trained as they could be.

The extreme end of training is service dogs. Whether they're the local K-9 unit, trained to sniff out drugs and catch bad guys, or they're disability service dogs who can do everything from fetch a beverage to perform specific kinds of first aid. It's crazy what you can teach a dog with some dedicated effort and training!

If you want your fur baby to be able to do just about everything short of holding down a paying job, it's all about the training. Training requires consistency, a keen understanding of how dogs work and what their reward system encourages, and patience. It also helps to start when they're young, but you can keep adding more commands over time. You can actually teach an old(er) dog new tricks if you do it right.

So, let's talk about the 20 best commands you can teach your pup. This encompasses everything from the most basic, common commands to more complex and nuanced commands, but once you have the full roster down, you'll have a dog that is better-behaved and more capable than a lot of people you and I know.

Before we dig in, though, I'll note that these are commands, not necessarily generalized behaviors. As such, things like training your dog to let you clip their nails aren't on the list because they are not commands. What are commands? Let's get started.

1: Come!

One of the most important commands to teach a dog, and often one of the first you teach them, is how to come when you call them.

This is such an important behavior that it's the foundation of recall training, and I wrote a whole guide on just this one command. You can read that guide to dog recall training here.

2: Sit!

Sit is an essential command that ensures your pup can stay in one place calmly enough to avoid being a disruption while keeping themselves planted on the floor.

It's a good way to keep them from jumping up or onto people, and it's useful in a ton of different situations. Here's how to teach it.

3: Stay!

Teaching a dog to stay where they are is one of the most important commands you can teach.

It keeps them out of trouble while you do something they shouldn't be part of, whether that's stepping into the bathroom, waiting to cross the road, or just testing their self-control before giving them a reward.

4: Potty

Potty training is important for every pooch, but relatively few people actually teach a potty command.

I recommend it, though; it can be a good way to make the distinction between "we're going out for a walk" and "we're going out for potty," which can be a pretty significant difference, especially when you're waking up at three in the morning to deal with your pooch.

5: Lay Down

Often, "lay down" is the follow-up command for sitting, and it's a way to get your dog to get themselves comfortable where they are. It also often forms part of a trick chain, where you get them to sit, lay down, roll over, shake, speak, and more, all to show off how well-behaved they are.

Laying down is relatively easy to teach, though getting them to stay laid down is another matter.

6: Drop It!

Dogs investigate the world around them with their faces. Since they don't have hands, there are only so many ways they can interact with an object, and the most common is with their mouth. That's why they chew on pretty much anything, after all.

Well, if you want to keep them from chewing on something valuable or important – or, critically, something potentially harmful to them – teaching them to drop it is critical.

7: Go To Bed

The "go to bed" command can be a very useful one, and not just for the evening when you want to go to sleep. It's also a good way to get your fur baby to settle in when you and the family are having a meal, or when a guest comes over and you want your pooch out of the way until they're settled in.

It's part of crate training and definitely something you should teach.

8: Find Your X

Sure, an entire breed is called the "retriever," but that doesn't mean retrieval is limited just to our dopey goldens.

Retrieving an item can be useful for any number of circumstances, such as:

• Grabbing a toy or pillow to present to a guest to keep them calmer.
• Grabbing a specific toy to play with.
• Grabbing designated household items as part of service training.

The key is to make sure every distinct item you want them to get has a specific name they can attach to it in their adorable doggy minds.

9: Heel

Heel is another very important command when you and your fur baby are out on the town. The goal isn't just to get them to come to you but to keep them at your side as you walk.

A well-trained pooch sticking to their parents' side while they walk, even without a leash, can be impressive to witness. Fortunately, it's just like any other trick and isn't all that hard to train.

10: Down

Some dogs are extremely excitable and love to hop or stand up, especially if they're trying to get a closer look and closer sniff of whatever it is you have in your hands. Or maybe they just love you and want to lick your face, but your face is all the way up there and they're down here and just let me up!!!

Many people don't enjoy being jumped on, though, so teaching your furry child to stay down is always a good option.

11: Leave It

Similar to "drop it," "leave it" is the command you give to your pooch when you see them about to get into trouble.

Whether they're about to try to steal another dog's toy, take a nibble of that delightful roadkill, or just pick up a big gross stick you don't want them carrying around, getting them to leave it alone is a great command to teach.

12: Paw

Another great command you should teach your fur baby is to hand you their paws. It's sort of like "shake," except that instead of just being a parlor trick, it's a useful command for grooming.

You need to check paw health and trim nails, and if you have to fight your pooch to do it, it's going to be worse for everyone involved.

13: Speak

Interestingly, a lot of the time we pet parents try to teach our pooches not to bark. So, teaching them to speak on command seems like it runs counter to the plan, right?

Well, it actually works together with keeping quiet. You can even teach them different volumes of barking for different commands, like whispering. Sadly, no matter how much you try, you aren't going to be able to teach them English words; they still only speak their native canine!

14: Hush

Dogs bark all the time for just about anything. Teaching them to bark on command doesn't necessarily teach them not to bark at other times. That's a whole other process and one I've written about before.

The goal of teaching a hush or quiet command is to try to get your fur baby to be quiet when their barking is otherwise disruptive. They still might let out some boofs when they see a squirrel they'd love to chase or an unexpected visitor shows up at the door, but

15: Under

Unlike the tricks above, Under is a service dog command. It's not one you're likely to be using in casual life with a dog, but if you have a service dog that accompanies you when you're out shopping, going to restaurants, or otherwise engaging with the world around you, it can be very useful. The main use is to instruct your fur baby to position themselves under something, usually the chair you're sitting in, so they're out of the way and as minimally disruptive as possible. Unfortunately, despite society allowing and normalizing service dogs, plenty of people still find them disruptive even when they aren't.

Your pooch doesn't need to be a service dog to learn service dog commands, though, so if you find that this behavior would be useful to train, there's no reason not to give it a shot!

16: Find Todd

Another potentially useful command is teaching your dog to go to another member of the household. Maybe it's "go find daddy" or "go find mommy," or maybe it's a more robust list of people you know that you can teach them to find.

You can even accompany this with another command to get them to bring an object to someone else. It's a more complex command, though, so you'll likely want to teach this one after a lot of the rest on this list are already learned.

17: Open

This is perhaps one of the riskiest commands you can teach a dog. It's essential for service dogs, but if your dog isn't extremely well-behaved, it can be very dangerous.

Open is the command you teach to get your dog to open a door. It's usually accompanied by special tools to help your pooch open a door, and it's a very useful service command if your hands are full or you have trouble opening doors on your own, but left to their own devices, a dog with freedom of movement can be risky.

18: Back Up

Another potentially useful command is to train your dog to walk backward.

Taking a few steps back is useful for a bunch of different situations, including keeping your pooch away from something dangerous, from another dog, or from a person who is afraid of dogs. Teaching them to walk longer distances backward, meanwhile, is a fancy trick you can use to show off.

19: Sit Pretty

Sitting pretty is another word for beg and is just an advanced form of sitting.

You're not actually teaching your dog to beg – they're more than happy to do that without training – but it's a fun display command.

20: Car

Car can be a useful command to get your doggo to hop up into the car when it's time to go somewhere, like to the park or to the vet.

It's tricky, though; you need to use it all the time and avoid poisoning the command by only using it when you're taking them somewhere unpleasant. You may also have a unique command specifically for longer car trips where they'll be chilling in the back seat for a long time.

21: Post It

Did you know that with a little dedication, you can teach your dog to write whole blog posts? It's true!

Well, okay, it's not actually true. As much as I love my fur babies, their command over the written word leaves much to be desired. Kind of everything to be desired, actually. They can't even write their own names. Wouldn't it be cool if they could?

On that note, there are tons of different commands and variations you can teach, and dedicated service or working dogs have specialized commands as well. You really can teach a dog just about any behavior, as long as you find a way to reward them for doing it in a way that associates the behavior with both a command and a reward.

What are your favorite dog commands? Have you taught any of your fur babies anything particularly unique or useful that I didn't cover here? If so, tell me all about it in the comments below! There's nothing I love more than hearing the stories of adorable fur babies and their antics.

Dogs like to get into things they shouldn't. And, since they have a limited number of ways they can interact with the world, they often just put things in their mouths. Often, that means they're licking, chewing on, or even eating things they shouldn't be. Sometimes, it's fine, even if it's a little gross. Sometimes, it can lead to an upset stomach. In worse cases, it can cause something worse, like an infection, an intestinal blockage, or another dangerous problem.

Fortunately, there are ways you can tell what's going wrong and how concerned you need to be, and whether you can just sigh, clean up, and move on, or if you need to rush your poor pooch to the vet. Unfortunately, it involves inspecting the vomit that comes out of your pup to interpret what it means. It's not like reading tea leaves or palms, but luckily, it's a lot more useful.

Vomiting vs. Regurgitation vs. Coughing

One of the first things to learn is that, though we use the terms to mean the same thing in general, vomiting and regurgitation are actually different things.

Have you ever had a case where your dog is so happy to be fed, possibly after a long play session, that they absolutely go to town on that bowl of food? It feels like a cup of kibble disappears in the time it takes you to blink.

Then, seconds later, it's back; a little chewed, a little damp, but right there on your floor, your pooch having barely gotten it all down before it comes right back up.

While unpleasant for you – and possibly just as attractive as the first time around to your doggo – this is regurgitation. Your dog ate their food much too quickly, and their body wasn't prepared for it, so it just pushed it right back up.

Regurgitation almost always happens pretty much immediately after eating, with little or no delay. It also comes with little or no warning, no retching, heaving, or contractions indicating they're trying to purge their stomach. That's because regurgitation usually happens when the stomach isn't even open for business, at least not for the sudden burst of food coming its way.

Regurgitation is not vomiting, and it's usually not dangerous unless it's happening every time your fur baby tries to eat. If it is, they may have something wrong that is preventing them from keeping food down, and it's a good idea to call your vet about it if it happens more than a couple of times in a row. A little regurgitation from an excitable pup is nothing to be too worried about, though. It just means you should get a slow feeder.

How about a second scenario? Have you ever had a time when your dog starts hacking and retching, like a chain smoker trying to clear their lungs, until something gross and gooey comes up? Often, it's white or clear, foamy, maybe a little yellow, and has the same sort of consistency as whatever you hack up when you're sick.

This is phlegm and spit more than anything, and it's not vomiting, it's coughing. It's more coming from the sinuses, throat, and lungs, rather than the digestive system. It can be a sign of a respiratory illness, like kennel cough, so if it happens frequently you should call your vet. Otherwise, though, it's not much different from you clearing your throat.

Vomiting is different from either of the above. Vomiting happens when your dog starts retching and hacking, clearly trying to expel something. You have a bit of warning to put something in front of them or take them away from the nice carpets, but probably not a lot of warning. Vomiting is expelling the contents of the stomach, which means it will contain whatever your fur baby has swallowed, whether it's food, bile, roadkill, parts of a toy or bone, or whatever else they've gotten into.

Vomiting is the most dangerous of the three, in general. It's a natural process where the body expels something causing it problems, but that means something is causing problems, and it's not always directly something your fur baby ate. If, for example, they end up with an impacted bowel, they won't be able to defecate, and food will get backed up in their system. Eventually, trying to eat more simply won't work, and if they try, they'll vomit.

When a dog vomits, it can be caused by a wide range of different problems, and those problems can be partially diagnosed through an inspection of the vomit itself. It's gross and unpleasant, but it has to be done.

Interpreting Dog Vomit

Knowing what vomit means can be the difference between taking your time cleaning up and rushing your fur baby to the vet before something terrible happens. So, let's talk about it, unpleasant though it may be.

Color and texture are generally related, so we'll cover them both as we go.

Before diving in, though, it's worth saying one thing: vomiting, while natural, is a sign of something wrong. Sometimes, something is as minor as a bit of an upset stomach and resolves itself immediately. Other times, it can be caused by an infection, a parasite like worms, poisoning from eating something toxic, or an injury.

Vomiting more than once in a day and more than a couple of days in a row is almost always something you need to talk to your vet about. At the very least, give them a call, describe the issue, and they'll ask you questions about what's going on and can tell you if you need to bring your dog in right away. Sometimes it's a clear emergency, of course, but if you're at all unsure, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

White Vomit

If your dog's vomit is white, it's either smooth or foamy in consistency. This can be regurgitation, but it can also be a sign that your fur baby ate something mildly toxic to them and they're purging it. It can also be a symptom of digestive upset, acid reflux, or an intestinal blockage, though the latter is less common.

White vomit tends to happen the most because your fur baby had an upset stomach and tried to eat some grass to soothe it. It often doesn't work and, worse, since grass often has chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides on it, it can be dangerous.

White foamy vomit can also be caused by bloating or other gastrointestinal issues. If they're trying to vomit repeatedly and can't seem to get up anything more than white foam, call your vet ASAP because they may have an intestinal blockage. If, on the other hand, it resolves itself after a few attempts, contact your vet for an appointment when you can, but you usually don't need the emergency trip.

Green Vomit

Green vomit is almost, but not always, caused by your fur baby just eating way too much grass. It can also be caused by them eating something that contains green food coloring, probably something they shouldn't have been getting into, which is why they're vomiting it up.

Green is also the color of bile, which can indicate some minor illnesses or food allergies. You should usually be able to tell whether or not there's grass in the vomit, and if there isn't, it may be slightly more of a cause for concern. That said, pretty much all of the causes of green vomit – except for poisoning, which will have other symptoms as well – are minor, so it's not something you need to be too concerned with.

As always, though, if your dog keeps vomiting repeatedly throughout the day or across several days, it's more likely to be an illness or emergency, and you should contact your vet right away.

Yellow Vomit

Yellow is one of the most common and least dangerous colors for vomit. It's tinted with bile, but not a lot of it. Yellow vomit is usually just a case of an empty stomach disliking something that hit it or a case of acid reflux. It's unpleasant, but it's not dangerous.

The exception is if it happens regularly. That can be a sign of a stomach disease, a consistent food allergy, or some kind of gut inflammation that is causing an imbalance in their system. All of these are non-emergency problems, but they should still be addressed as soon as you can get a standard appointment.

Brown Vomit

Brown is one of the trickier colors to diagnose, because it's either virtually harmless, or quite dangerous. Why? Basically, brown vomit can be caused by three things.

First, it can be partially digested food. This is most common if your fur baby has some kind of upset stomach after eating, and vomits up their food partially digested. This usually has a chunkier texture, more like wet and chewed food, and while it's certainly disgusting, it's actually the least bad of the three causes.

Second, it can be feces. Dogs love to get into things they shouldn't, and you've almost definitely had to stop them from eating both their own excrement and whatever piles they find from other creatures out on their walks. Unfortunately, you probably can't keep them under your watchful eye 100% of the time, and they may have slipped the net and found something to eat that they shouldn't have. Then, when it comes back up, it's brown like it was when they first ate it. This, while disgusting, isn't dangerous at all unless the feces they ate had something like worms in it that have gotten into your dog.

The third is the more dangerous of the three, and it's blood. Usually, blood in vomit is more obvious. But, blood further down the digestive tract is partially digested, and that oxidizes it, just like how blood dries brown, basically. If there's a little blood in their vomit, it can look brown. How can you tell? Basically, just use something white when you clean it up, like paper towels. The redness will be more obvious against something white. If you see red, then you should call your vet.

Red Vomit

Red or pink vomit is one of two things. It could be red food coloring or dye from something they are, whether it's a human candy or even kibble that has dye in it. That's distressing but not really dangerous beyond the fact that they were eating something they shouldn't have.

The more common cause is blood. The "good" news is that if the blood is red, it's fresher blood. That means it could be coming from something like a cut in their mouth, a scratch in their throat, or a gastrointestinal problem.

I put good in quotes because any blood in the vomit, especially if you don't see an obvious mouth wound, is dangerous. It's definitely emergency vet time, so don't delay.

Black Vomit

Black vomit is one of the worst kinds of vomit. It usually has the appearance sort of like coffee grounds. Unless your dog, well, ate and vomited up actual coffee grounds, this is a sign of a very serious problem. It's blood, again, but it's blood that was digested, so it's deeper in their system and probably more dangerous. Definitely take them to your emergency vet ASAP, as this can indicate a life-threatening problem like a gut puncture, among other things.

None of us like to see our fur babies in distress, and definitely none of us like to be cleaning up piles of vomit on the carpet, furniture, crate, or other floors. While cleanup is important, you can't just close your eyes and mop it up; it's critical to know what you're dealing with to make sure there isn't a worse problem at hand.

Hopefully, your fur baby is okay, and you don't have to worry. I'm rooting for you!

Now, after reading this article, if you have any non-medically-urgent questions, be sure to let me know in the comments section down below. I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can!

If your fluffy doggo is having a hard time maintaining that fluff, there might be something wrong. So, let's talk about the causes, severity, and treatment of bald patches in our fur babies. While they can be dramatic, they have a lot of possible causes, and a range of different severities. So, while a bald patch is cause for some concern, you should hold off on the emergency trip to the vet E.R. until you're sure there's something worth the rush.

Are Dog Bald Spots Dangerous?

Before we dive into the specific causes for bald patches in dogs, let's address the elephant in the room: how dangerous are they? It's obviously distressing to see a patch of that lustrous fur coat disappear, or to be brushing your pooch and have much larger clumps of fur than normal come away with each stroke. How bad is it?

The answer here depends on the cause of the issue. Unfortunately, it's never a simple answer, because there are many different reasons why your fur baby might be losing some of their fur. Fortunately, most of the time you don't need an emergency appointment, and when you do, there are usually other more concerning symptoms – like difficulty breathing – that warrant the trip.

My recommendation is this:

• Check for serious symptoms that might make an ER trip a good idea.
• If no symptoms exist, call your vet and explain the situation.
• Your vet will ask you questions, which can help you determine whether you need an urgent appointment or a normal appointment.
• At your vet's recommendation, do any home treatments that may help in the meantime.

Bald patches can turn into lesions, sores, and infections if they're left untreated, and they can return if you don't know the cause and address it. Plus, they're often pretty uncomfortable, not to mention unsightly. While your pooch may be just as happy as ever despite the spot, deep down, they may not be comfortable, and we don't want that.

What Are the Causes of Bald Spots on Dogs?

As with cats, there are a variety of different possible causes that can lead to bald spots. Many of the causes are the same, but there are a few differences we'll talk about as well.

To determine what the issue is, your vet will ask you about symptoms and probably run some tests. They'll look for where the hair loss is, how big and how it's shaped, and can inspect the area with a trained eye. As for tests, they can check a blood panel, a biopsy if there's a suspicion of a tumor, and skin smears that can show bacteria or other infections. If nothing else comes up, you may have to go through an elimination diet to check for allergens in food.

Allergies

One of the most common reasons why a dog ends up with bald spots is allergies. Dogs can have allergies or sensitivities to things like mold, dust mites, pollen, household chemicals, and even foods. While allergies present differently, especially depending on how the allergen is exposed, bald spots are not uncommon.

Basically, it works in pretty much the same way as dermatitis does in humans. Your dog either brushes up against something that they're allergic to, or they eat it, and it causes a flood of histamines in the affected area. This leads to inflammation and a whole bunch of symptoms, including itching, scratching, biting and nibbling, sneezing, irritated and watery eyes, eye discharge, runny nose, and, of course, bald patches.

Allergic reactions are also part of the other causes of bald patches, as well. I'll mention those when we get to them.

So, how bad is an allergic reaction? Well, just like in people, it can range from a minor and temporary irritation all the way up to an emergency situation. A person who is allergic to peanuts, for example, might get itchy and red when exposed, or they might break out in hives and run a fever, or they might go into anaphylactic shock. The same can happen with dogs; it can be a minor irritation, a significant problem, or a life-threatening ailment.

Fortunately, if the main symptom you're seeing is hair loss, it's probably not immediately life-threatening. Most allergens, if they're in the system long enough to cause hair loss, are a low-level, long-term kind of reaction. If it's life-threatening, it's going to be abrupt and cause respiratory problems first and foremost.

Parasites or Infections

Pretty much any nasty little gribbly that gets into or onto your fur baby can cause bald spots. Infestations – like fleas, ticks, ringworms, mites, or other kinds of parasites – occur because they bite or live in or on the skin. The skin, of course, doesn't like that and reacts with inflammation, irritation, and other symptoms.

Flea infestations are honestly one of the most common causes of bald spots on dogs, especially when those spots show up in areas like around the collar and behind the ears, where fleas can hang out without the dog getting at them.

The most extreme cases of this are things like mange, which is a type of mite infestation that can go wildly out of control, especially in stray dogs or dogs that get lost for an extended period.

Infections, meanwhile, are similar but inside the dog. Things like worms, skin infections, or bacterial infections can all present with a variety of symptoms, including hair loss. This is often more general, but a localized infection – like if your dog ran through a thornbush, got scraped, and had a cut that got infected – will have more localized bald spots.

Generally, with these kinds of issues, you want to look for other symptoms. Things like mites, fleas, and ticks are all pretty obvious. Other infections might have characteristic looks, like roundworms. Also, keep an eye out for things like thickened skin, itching, oily skin, or circular patches of hair loss.

All of these are pretty well treatable. You're generally going to need your vet to identify what the infection is and give you the appropriate treatment, which might be antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, or something else. You'll also likely be given something like a soothing cream or a medicated shampoo to use, and in some cases, steroids to help with the inflammation. It's rare that anything but the most unchecked, antibiotic-resistant infection is dangerous, at least.

Pressure Sores

Another relatively common cause for bald spots is pressure. In humans, we get bedsores and pressure ulcers. Dogs, with their fur coats, have that insulative layer to take the brunt of the pressure first.

Basically, pressure and friction rub at the fur and skin, and that damages the fur and skin over time. The more pressure and friction, and the longer it happens, the more damage builds up. Eventually, it can wear away enough at the fur to cause a bald spot, and eventually can start to cause skin irritation, and even scarring or calluses over time.

This is most common in large, heavy dogs and in older dogs. It's also characteristic of places where your dog's skin contacts some object. It's usually in elbows, hips, and other joints. It can also happen with dogs that have very low activity levels.

There are a few ways you can handle this issue. An orthopedic bed can reduce pressure and friction if your dog finds it comfortable enough to use. You can also use baby clothing and bandages to cover the areas that are seeing hair loss, allowing the fur to regrow because the fabric takes the friction instead. In some dogs, you might use compression sleeves as well.

It's also a good idea to get your pooch moving from time to time, so they get up and aren't laying in one position for hours at a time. Of course, for elderly dogs, you might just want to let them sleep. Either way, this isn't a terribly dangerous cause for bald spots unless it's starting to cause ulcers and infections, and you generally won't let it get that far, right?

Cushing's Disease

Hair growth is governed by hormones, and one of those hormones – the stress hormone cortisol, also known as adrenaline – can cause hair loss when it's present in excessive amounts. This is why people and animals lose hair when they're stressed.

Cushing's Disease is the name for hyperadrenocorticism, which is when your dog's hormonal system goes wild and produces too much cortisol. This can be caused by anything from age to a tumor on some part of the hormonal system and is most common in older dogs.

Other symptoms of Cushing's Disease include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, panting, thin skin, lethargy, reduced activity, a pot-belly appearance, and a higher chance of skin infections.

How bad is it? Moderate. Cushing's Disease is manageable with medication, and in the case of something like a tumor, it may be treatable with surgery. However, it's something that you're going to have to actively manage and pay attention to for the rest of their life.

Stress

Cushing's Disease is when the body produces too much cortisol, but it's not the only reason why the body might produce more cortisol than normal. Stress, ranging from a major move or rearranging of the house to a bad encounter with another dog to general anxiety, can all lead to increased cortisol levels. This can, in turn, lead to hair loss. Unfortunately, this is often delayed – it takes time for the hormones to affect the hair follicles and longer for those hair follicles to grow out or die off – so the actual stressful event may have been weeks or months in the past. Fortunately, as long as the stress is temporary, so is the hair loss.

Boredom can also cause hair loss in some cases. Separation anxiety, boredom causing excess grooming, and other issues can all relate.

Genetic Hair Loss

Just like how we people – men, mostly – lose hair as they get older, so too can dogs. Genetics can play a role in hair loss, and it's not always graceful. It is, however, generally related to breed and age. Dogs like Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, Whippets, and Greyhounds can end up with patchy hair loss when they hit around 1-2 years old; other breeds lose hair as they get into their final years.

There's nothing you can really do about genetic hair loss, but you still might want to check with your vet to make sure it's not a different problem.

Other Causes

There are a few other potential causes for bald patches. An injury, especially one that scars over, can leave a bald patch behind. Post-surgical healing can do it, too. Cancer can wreak havoc on your fur baby's system, too, and cause hair loss both from having weird bulges from tumors and from disrupting hormones.

All of these have different levels of severity and different kinds of treatments. As usual, talk to your vet at your next appointment.

Have you ever had to deal with a dog with bald patches or spots? What did it turn out to be, and how did you fix it? We never like to imagine our poor fur babies suffering, so it's always helpful to share the signs and symptoms with fellow pet parents so we can all be prepared.

Fortunately, at least, most of these causes are pretty minor and easily treatable. Whether it's a simple prescription medication, a medicated shampoo, a changed diet, or a fancy outfit, dogs can adapt to anything, and we can keep our fur babies happy and healthy as long as possible. So, tell me your story below!

The reality is that while the use of crates can be inhumane, it's all in how you use them. Properly training a puppy to make use of a crate is a huge step towards having a well-behaved and obedient pup. You just need to do it right and avoid the pitfalls that make a crate more of a punishment than a home.

Dog Crate Training Basics: What You Need to Know

One of the biggest factors in how well you can use a crate, how well your doggo can get used to it, and how humane it is comes down to having a crate of the right size. Far too often, people buy a crate that fits a given range of dog, but don't account for comfort, or don't account for their puppy growing larger as they get older. Sometimes, people even buy crates to fit in a particular place in a room rather than a crate sized for their dog.

How do you make sure your dog crate is the right size for your pooch?

• They should be able to fit in and out through the door easily without having to contort, crouch, or otherwise squeeze into it.
• They should be able to stand up easily inside the crate; it should not restrict their ability to stand comfortably.
• They should be able to turn around easily inside the crate.
• They should be able to sit comfortably in the crate with at least two inches of clearance over their heads so they aren't forced to duck awkwardly.
• When they lie down, including lying on their side, they should have plenty of room to sprawl out.

Basically, the crate should never restrict or compress them. This is easy for small dogs, but larger breeds – and particularly the giant breeds – are going to be a lot more difficult to find a properly sized crate for them.

At the same time, the crate can't be too big. If it's so big that they can wander around it almost as freely as if they were loose in the room, it leaves them room for things like potty accidents. If your pup can find a corner to go in, then curl up comfortably in the opposite corner and not feel too enclosed with their leavings, it isn't a disincentive to using that corner to go, and that's unpleasant for everyone involved.

You can find general ideas of what size of crate you should get, based on the measurements and breed of your pupper, on resource guides like this one from PetMD. Some of the odder sizes for dog crates are probably going to be harder to find locally, and you may need to order them.

What about a growing pooch? Puppies go from tiny potatoes to full-size dogs in a relatively short amount of time, but to properly size a crate for them at each stage of their growth means buying a new crate every other month! The solution here is a removable divider, which many dog crate brands offer as an accessory. You buy a crate sized for your dog's full expected size and divide it down to be smaller while they're still young. If your crate doesn't have dividers that fit, you can stuff part of the crate with bedding and pillows to effectively make the crate smaller.

Some dogs prefer enclosed crates, while others want to be able to see and breathe freely. Most dog crates are a simple coated wire that is strong and durable enough to be secure but safe for a dog that paws and chews at the wires. If they need to be enclosed, a crate cover is a great option. Fully enclosed doghouse-style crates are harder to clean and manage and don't generally collapse for storage or travel as well.

Crate Training and Canine Psychology

A lot of people feel like a dog crate is a prison for dogs and should only be used as a punishment or containment for unruly dogs. If that's the situation you've reached, you've failed with crate training, and there's no easier way to phrase it.

A crate, with proper training, is a safe haven. It's a comfortable bed and a place to lounge, a place to sleep, and a place to hang out when company is over. Some dogs are excitable and can't help but jump up, but if they're well-trained and can go lay down in their crate, you can keep them there while company is over and the initial excitement dies down.

The crate is not a punishment. The crate is not containment. The crate is a safe haven, a comfort zone, and even a place to go to calm down anxiety. A well-trained dog will use a crate much the same way you might use your bedroom or bathroom when you need to de-stress from an over-stimulating situation.

A huge part of your goal with crate training, whether you're focusing on a new puppy or trying to crate-break an older dog, is to build a positive association with the crate. If you're at all familiar with other forms of dog training, you know the number one thing to do to build this association is to use treats. I'll go into more on how to do that in a moment.

You'll also need to associate the crate with relaxation and even sleep. The crate is where their bed is and where they sleep at night. It's where they relax during the day. Don't try to put them in the crate when they're excited and playing because they'll just want to come back out and keep playing, that sort of thing. It's all about the mindset.

How long will crate training take? It depends. Generally, you should be prepared for around six months of consistent effort before you can confidently say your dog is trained to their crate. Young puppies can learn a little faster, especially if they haven't had time to build up bad habits, and you're working on other forms of training as well. Conversely, older dogs or dogs with a learned aversion to crates from past abuse will take much longer.

Don't leave your dog in their crate for too long. For young puppies, that might mean no more than 3-4 hours at a time; for older dogs, it means no more than six or eight. When your dog is old enough, you might not need to close them in at all, but when they're still being trained, closing the door is an important part of ensuring compliance. But, if you leave them closed up too long, they might get anxious or need to go potty, and that causes problems.

Don't forget to train your humans, too. When you've properly trained your dog to treat the crate as a safe space they can go to be calm and cozy, it's important that it's treated that way by the people in your home as well. No one – other adults, kids, or otherwise – should try to engage the dog when they're in their crate. Make sure everyone respects the training!

Building a Dog Crate Training Routine

Now, let's get down to the details. What does the actual training process look like?

Start with introductions.

The first step is to introduce your dog to the crate. This is a new large object you've put in your home, and while a young puppy might not see anything odd about yet another new experience in their life, an older dog might be skeptical.

Generally, you want to put the crate somewhere you and your family spend a lot of time so it's a comfortable and familiar place for them. Put something soft, like a blanket or a dog bed, in the crate, and keep the door off; you aren't going to be closing them in there one way or the other, and you don't want them to accidentally do it to themselves.

Let your dog explore the crate at their leisure, sniffing it and looking it over. Some dogs will take to it immediately and find it a good place to sleep; others will avoid it. For the avoidant dogs, bring them to it and encourage them with happy talk and praise.

For further encouragement, use small treats your pup likes. Start by dropping a couple near the crate, and once they're used to it, put some near and just inside the entrance. If they refuse to go in, keep at it; once they do, you can put treats further in. Eventually, your pup should be more comfortable going all the way in the crate for their treats.

Keep this up until your dog is comfortable going inside the crate (with the door secured open or removed entirely). This might take a few minutes or a few days, depending on how avoidant your fur baby is.

During this process, you can add voice cues you want for in and out of the crate. Something as simple as a "crate" for stepping in can be good enough. Just pick a distinct phrase you will use for this purpose and unlikely for others.

Mealtime in the crate.

Once your pooch is more willing to at least step inside the crate, if not get all the way in, you can up the ante by feeding them their meals in the crate. If they won't go all the way in, put their food bowl just far enough inside that they can reach it at about their limit of comfort. If they're willing to go all-in, put it in the back of the crate for them. They'll be more comfortable getting inside and distracted by food.

Your goal here is that once they're comfortable eating inside the crate, you start closing the door behind them. Start by just closing it for a minute while they eat, opening it once they're done eating. For each meal, keep it closed for a little bit longer. Your goal is to reach about ten minutes after they're done eating with the door closed.

Keep an eye on their behavior. If they're anxious, fearful, or whine to get out, you may be trying to go too long, too soon. You want them to be comfortable, not anxious about being trapped.

Extend the timer.

Now, your goal is to extend the timer for them being in the crate and come up with times when you can put them in the crate without a meal as the main driver.

For example, you might give them the cue to enter and encourage them to step inside, give them a treat, and close the door. Then, just sit there with them, being a comforting presence but trying not to rile them up for 5-10 minutes.

Over time, you'll add other steps, like stepping outside of the room for 5-10 minutes while they're in the crate. Your goal is to teach them that the crate is a safe space; they'll be let out, but you won't always be there to comfort them while they're in it. This is how you can train them to be in their crate while you're asleep at night or when you're at work during the day. Expand this to errands and other reasons why you need to leave them unsupervised.

Nighttime is the hardest part. Combined with potty training for a new puppy, you'll probably need to get up and let them out periodically. Once they're old enough for full bowel control, though, a full overnight can be achieved.

Specific Schedules for Crate Training

It's difficult to pin down a specific schedule because dogs of different ages, breeds, and attitudes will all respond to crates and training differently. You can find schedules online – this one from Care is a good example – but keep in mind that your dog very likely won't adhere to it.

They learn at their own pace, and your job isn't to enforce a specific schedule; it's to respond to their attitudes and behaviors appropriately. When done right, you'll have a well-trained dog that is comfortable with their crate! It just might take a little time, that's all.

Have you ever established a crate training routine for your dog? If so, what was your experience like? Did your canine companion take to it well, or was it a bit of a challenge? Let me know in the comments section! I love hearing about all your stories and experiences!

Generally used for aromatherapy and adding scents to items, essential oils can have a variety of effects on our bodies and minds, usually in the realm of stress relief and overall calm. Plus, they just smell nice!

A topic that comes up pretty frequently is how these essential oils work with dogs. Are they safe or dangerous? Are they effective or meaningless? How can you make the best use of them? Let's talk about it.

What Are Essential Oils?

What even is an essential oil?

Every plant is made up of a wide variety of chemicals when you break it down into its component parts. Among the many different organic chemicals, some of them come in the form of oils.

These oils are what give plants their distinct aromas and flavors. Sometimes, it's a brilliant scent like sandalwood or lavender. Sometimes, it's a pungent combination of scent and flavor like those of garlic and onion.

Sometimes, it's harsh and acrid, and the oils are more often used in other preparations rather than as oils.

Essential oil is what you get when you take a plant, strip out every part of it that isn't one of these oils, and concentrate it down.

Have you ever held a sprig of mint or a bunch of lavender in your hands and smelled the fragrance that comes from it when you lightly crush or break the plant? That's a minuscule amount of essential oil being released.

A true essential oil is vastly more concentrated and extremely potent. Just a single drop of essential oil can be enough to infuse something like a blanket or plushie with scent for days or weeks, and just a few drops can scent an entire candle.

How Do Essential Oils Work?

Physically and chemically, essential oils are oil-based compounds that carry the molecules that are themselves the scent and flavor components of a plant. For some plants, you're after the scent, and for others, both scent and flavor are important. Chemicals like monoterpenes, terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids are the most common, though every essential oil has a different set of compounds.

As for medicinal uses, there's more questioning involved. Essential oils are used as part of aromatherapy, which means it's all about the smell. When you smell an essential oil, some of those compounds are making their way into your system and can react chemically with other compounds in your body.

Some essential oils can promote calmness, fight stress, and, in some cases, possibly even help alleviate minor pain and fight the effects of depression.

Disclaimer: Modern medical science is still studying how aromatherapy works and what therapeutic benefits it has on both people and animals. Essential oils aren't going to do something extreme like fight off illness or cure disease, but stress is a core contributing factor to many illnesses, so stress reduction can be very beneficial in conjunction with other treatments. At the very least, when used properly, essential oils aren't going to be harmful.

To use an essential oil, you generally use a diffuser of some sort. These are often similar to humidifiers but can also be as simple as reeds that wick up oil and diffuse it into the air via passive evaporation. There are many different kinds of diffusers, and you can always directly apply essential oil to something like a pillow or plush toy as well.

Are Essential Oils Safe for Dogs?

Yes and no.

One thing we all know about dogs is that they have an incredibly powerful sense of smell. Most dogs are at least 10,000 times keener than human senses, and some of the more scent-focused breeds can be as much as 100,000 times stronger in their sense of smell than we are.

What this means is that a single drop of a powerful essential oil, which is enough to flood your room with a strong scent, can be overwhelming to even the least sensitive of our fur babies. Even a scent that isn't dangerous to dogs can still be unpleasant until it fades.

Moreover, dogs have different kinds of physiologies than we people do. You know this well, right? Things we enjoy, like chocolate and garlic, are toxic to dogs. It's why we should always avoid giving dogs human food, especially things like spiced meats, because we love cooking with compounds that other creatures can't eat safely. And, sure, while a dog eating a bit of meat that was cooked using garlic powder is unlikely to die from it, even that digestive distress isn't something any of us want to deal with, let alone our poor fur babies.

What Are the Benefits of Essential Oils for Dogs?

If you're considering using essential oils for your dog, the question is, for what? What can an essential oil do, and how can it benefit your fuzzball?

Relaxation and anti-anxiety effects. For much the same reason as why we people use essential oils, they can have some impact on relaxing our furry friends and helping calm down their anxiety.

Skin benefits. Some essential oils have antibacterial properties and can help soothe dry and irritated skin, along with fighting off rashes, skin infections, and parasites. It's not as effective as a prescription treatment, but in cases where you don't need something that strong, an essential oil concoction might be a good idea.

Joint health. Dogs with joint problems, especially older dogs with arthritis, may benefit from certain essential oils that are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and can potentially soothe joint pain.

Respiratory support. Have you ever tried Vicks Vapo-Rub? That pungent menthol scent suffusing your sinuses helps to clear them out when you're feeling under the weather. Some essential oils can have a similar effect on both you and your pooch when you're suffering from congestion or a cold.

Bug repellant. Nobody likes bug bites, and while our fur babies have thick fur coats that can ward off many bugs, a dab of certain essential oils can repel those bugs from even getting close.

Deodorizing. If your fur baby rolled in something or just has a scent about them and you can't seem to get rid of it with a bath, a bit of essential oil can at least help mask it while it fades.

It's all about picking the right essential oils and using them safely and properly. So, let's get into that discussion next.

Which Essential Oils Should You Avoid?

First, let's talk about the essential oils you absolutely should never use on your fur baby or even in the same household as them. These essential oils are toxic and dangerous to dogs, so no matter how good they smell to you, avoid them.

You can divide the dangerous oils into two groups. One group is the "never use" group; these are dangerous enough that no matter how well you use them, you risk doing serious harm to your fur baby. The second group is the "dangerous" oils; these can be used sparingly and carefully to good effect but need to be very carefully controlled to avoid doing harm.

First, the Never Use list:

• Tea Tree. While it's commonly used in people for skin issues, it can cause extreme skin irritation, respiratory issues, lethargy, and even organ damage in dogs.
• Cinnamon. Thoroughly toxic to dogs, this essential oil can lead to vomiting, intestinal distress, and liver damage.
• Pennyroyal. A less common essential oil, this one can cause serious liver damage and damage to the nervous system and should be avoided entirely.
• Clove. A powerful oil for numbing pain, particularly dental pain, this should never be used for dogs because of the risk of serious organ damage.
• Wintergreen. Similar to peppermint, wintergreen is more dangerous and less beneficial than its cousin. In particular, one of the chemicals giving it the characteristic smooth mint scent is closely related to aspirin, which can cause aspirin toxicity. Avoid it.

Next, the Use with Caution list:

• Peppermint. Peppermint has a lot of benefits and smells great, but it's very, very easy to overdo it because of how strong it is. It can also be toxic to dogs in larger quantities, so if you use it, use it very sparingly.
• Thyme. While it's not deadly toxic to dogs, it can be irritating if not diluted or used properly, so it is best to use with caution. We use it in our repel & revive paw balm to help with bacterial and yeast overgrowth in dogs with skin folds.

"Oregano oil, thyme oil, carvacrol and thymol exhibited antibacterial activity against all bacterial and fungal isolates tested." - Vet Dermatol Study Published on NIH

There are some other oils that could be added to these lists, but you aren't likely to find them in common use. Either way, always check for specific oils and their effects on dogs before you choose to use them, just to be safe.

Which Essential Oils Should You Use?

So, what are the safest essential oils to use on dogs? Here's my list.

1. Lavender

2. Cedarwood

3. Rosemary

4. Cornmint (Wild Mint)

5. Frankincense

6. Chamomile

7. Bergamot

8. Geranium

9. Ginger

10. Citronella

11. Myrrh

12. Lemongrass

13. Helichrysum

14. Spearmint

15. Jasmine

16. Neroli

17. Patchouli

18. Cypress

19. Palmarosa

20. Petitgrain

21. Valerian

22. Marjoram

23. Clary Sage

You'll want to look up what each oil can treat and how it can benefit your fur baby before picking one, and read my tips on using them effectively if you're going to get started with essential oils.

How Can You Use Essential Oils Safely for Your Pooch?

Picking an essential oil is only the first step. You also need to know how to use them safely. A discussed some essential tips on how to safely use essential oils in the home in a previous post, here are additional tips.

Start Small.

Use a very diluted essential oil, and only use it for a short time. While you do, keep an eye on your pooch and make sure they aren't showing any signs of illness or distress. Lethargy, trouble breathing, and signs of nervous system issues are all reasons to stop and consult your vet immediately.

Remember, even if an oil isn't toxic to all dogs, your dog might be allergic or sensitive to it, so it could irritate them specifically. Allergic reactions can be very serious and require veterinary attention, so don't set and forget your essential oils.

Never Use an Essential Oil Directly on Your Fur Baby.

There are two big reasons for this. The first is that you almost never need to; essential oils are all about the scent, and there are much better ways to address skin issues than applying an oil.

Moreover, a concentrated essential oil can cause chemical burns; you need to make sure it's properly diluted to even consider topical use, and at that point, you've reduced the effectiveness of the oil enough that it's more for scent than effect anyway.

The second and more important reason is that dogs are dogs. They groom themselves, and the way they do that is by licking themselves. If you wouldn't feed your dog something, you shouldn't put it on their skin or fur either because when they lick themselves, they may as well be eating it. The only exception to this is if they're in a cone or e-collar to prevent licking, but you shouldn't put them in a cone just for an essential oil.

Next, Limit Your Use of Essential Oils and Rotate Them.

You don't want to saturate an area with scent. You'll get used to it and start to use it more, even unconsciously, and that can be irritating. Moreover, since the scent is the important part, getting used to the scent will start to remove the impact of the oil.

The best way to use an essential oil is either with a basic diffuser and a very dilute oil or to put a drop or two into something like a pillow or other object that your fur baby doesn't chew on. Again, you don't want them ingesting the oil, just smelling it. There are plenty of objects designed just for this; you can always make your own, too.

Finally, Never Use Essential Oils In Place of Real Veterinary Treatment.

Essential oils should be complementary and supplementary, not in replacement of effective medicines. You don't want your fur baby to suffer unnecessarily, right? Trust that your vet cares for animals as much as you do and won't steer you wrong.

So, after reading this article, do you have any questions about essential oils or how to use them around your canine companions? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Let's consider a scenario. You have a happy household with a pair of rambunctious dogs. You love every minute with these furballs, all the ups and all the downs, and you've never really thought about adding more to your household.

Then, one day, you're out doing some yard work, and you hear a plaintive cry from the bushes. A single, cartoonishly long, high-pitched whine. Then, from out of the leaf litter and debris comes a cat. She's clearly young, a runt maybe, and she's not doing well. One eye is a little crusty, her fur is matted, and she's all skin and bones.

You can't just leave her there, right? Of course not. This cat, who has been through so much, nevertheless worked up the courage to come into your life and ask you for help. Despite her ills, she's purring as she rubs your legs.

So, obviously, of course, you bring this poor creature to your vet. You get her cleaned up, fed, checked for a chip (none, of course), and vaccinated. Now you're just left with one big issue:

What will the doggos think?

Alright, so this is a bit of an emergency situation. You don't have a lot of time to prepare, but you can still introduce a cat to your dog-first household without too much issue. With a little care, attention, training, and watchfulness, you can introduce a cat to a dog family and end up with a happy family in no time.

Set Up a Safe Room

The first thing you need to know is that there's essentially zero chance that this is going to go well if you just put the cat in your living room and let things sort themselves out.

Cats and dogs have different kinds of body language, different ways of interacting with one another, and different kinds of signs to back off. They don't necessarily understand one another, and one creature's curious investigation might be coming on a little too strong.

It's also important to remember that our animals have much better senses of smell, taste, and hearing than we do. That's why our dogs can get up and bark at the sounds of a raccoon in the yard in the middle of the night or why they can smell that one gross pile of garbage half a mile away and make a beeline for it when you let them out of your sight.

So, here's what you do. Your dogs have the run of the house, but you need to pick a room to designate as your cat safe room. This should be a place with a door that closes and that your dogs can't open (and yes, some of those little Houdinis can get into all sorts of places they shouldn't, so you need this to be secure.) A baby gate won't do the trick. At most, you want the barest gap under the door.

Before you bring the cat into your home, pull your dogs aside and put them in, oh, anywhere. A garage, a closet, another bedroom, the basement; the point is, somewhere they aren't going to be at your feet and trying to investigate the now-terrified cat in your arms.

You can let your dogs back out in a few minutes. You just want to bring the cat to the safe room without your dogs catching sight of her – and without her seeing the dogs. They'll definitely know one another are there, from the scents and the sounds, but keep sight out of the picture for now.

Make sure the cat safe room has everything your cat will need.

• A cozy spot to hide.
• A litter box.
• Food and water bowls.
• A bed and bedding with several blankets or other objects.
• A toy or two.

You're going to be spending some time in this room, both helping the cat feel more comfortable and making sure your dogs don't bother her too much.

You will be keeping your animals out of sight of one another for at least three days, and more likely closer to a week. Remember, cats are creatures of habit, and you've massively disrupted the habits of this poor suffering stray (or, you know, a fresh new adoption you found, or a friend's cat they can no longer care for, or whatever.) Your goal is to shrink her world to something she can feel safe in, something she can control. If you just let her have the run of the house, there's a decent chance she'll bolt out the door the first chance she gets.

Exchange Scents

Now, you're going to be spending time with both the cat and the dogs, but that's not really enough of what you need here. This is where the bedding comes in. Your goal is to get both creatures used to each others' scents.

So, after a day or two of using the bedding, take one or two of the blankets from the cat safe room and put them out in the wider house for the dogs to explore and investigate. At the same time, bring something from the dogs – a stray toy, a blanket, a pillow – and put it in the cat's safe room. Make sure the cat still has their own bedding to use, and don't put the dog's object in the cat's safe space; just make it part of the room.

Open the Door

Once the cat is a little more used to this situation and is doing less hiding and more exploration, you can move on to the next phase of introduction. Your next step is visual introductions. You need the safe room to still be a safe space, but you want to introduce the animals to each other visually. A baby gate is usually ideal, but if you have dogs that are likely to try to jump it or push past it, you'll need to keep them close and supervised.

Basically, your goal is to let the animals see each other. They already know each other by scent, but now they can "put a face to the name," so to speak. Unless all parties are very friendly and used to other animals, chances are there's going to be a good amount of anxiety and staring.

This is one of the primary differences in body language and why cats and dogs sometimes don't seem to get along. In cat language, staring is a challenge. The "slow blink" and look away works on cats because it's the body language they use when they're comfortable with one another. Dogs, meanwhile, are just curious and will stare at that cat like there's no tomorrow. Your dogs don't mean anything by it – certainly not a challenge – but it will probably make the cat wary and uncomfortable.

This is why supervision is important. Make sure the two are still separate but can see each other. If there's hissing and barking, try to calm your dogs or end the session and try again in another day or so.

Explore the Floor

Once the critters are more accepting of each others' presence, it's time to let the cat explore more of your home. After all, it's going to be her home, too, right?

You want to set aside some time, like half an hour, for the cat to explore. Close off some of the trickier rooms or places where she could get into trouble (for example, if you have a basement with crawl space access, just keep the basement door closed.)

What do you do with the doggos during this time? Put them somewhere else. You can close them in a different room (not the cat's safe room), or you can put them outside if you have a yard, or even have a friend or partner take them for a nice long walk. This is the cat's introduction to the house, not to the dogs.

You'll probably want to do this a couple of times, and when the cat seems to have had enough, bring them back to the safe room and bring the dogs back in. Remember, this can be a long process, particularly if your furry children don't quite know how to get along yet.

Full Introductions

At this point, your cat is very likely hoping to get out of that tiny enclosed space and is much more willing to brave the presence of dogs to explore. Meanwhile, your dogs are still excited and curious, but they aren't going ape trying to get a glimpse of this elusive feline.

Basically, you want to leash up your pups and keep them at your side, but arm yourself with a bag of treats. Meanwhile, let the cat out of her safe room and let her roam. She's going to explore, but this time, the dogs are there to watch.

This is where training on the part of your doggos comes in very important. If they aren't very well-behaved, this is going to be a long and tricky process. If they're obedient, though, you can sit them by your side and let them watch as she explores. Reward them when they relax and look away, and if they get a little too curious and start to get up and go, sit them back down.

Now, you're just gradually removing barriers between them. As your new cat family member starts to get more comfortable around the dogs, and the dogs get a little less curious about the cat, you can start giving them a longer lead, letting the cat get closer, and eventually removing the leashes entirely.

This might take a few days with friendly and calm animals, or it might take a couple of weeks with a nervous cat and excitable dogs. Over time, the barriers will be completely removed, and within a month or so, they'll be able to coexist without more than the occasional scuffle. Your cat might still need her place to go and hide and will probably want to keep her personal space dog-free, but she'll let them get closer.

What if They Don't Get Along?

There are two cases where a new cat won't get along with your dogs.

The first is if you've proceeded too fast and are trying to rush the introductions faster than your cat is willing to accept. She'll be anxious and scared, will hide, and will likely hiss and possibly even bat at the dogs. This is a sign that you're pushing things too hard and too fast and will need to back off, reestablish barriers and the safe zone for the cat, keep the dogs further away, and generally slow down the pace of introductions. The better you do with introductions, the happier your household will be.

The second case is where you have a cat that is very frightened of dogs, or vice versa; dogs that are either very scared of or very aggressive towards a cat. For one reason or another, your animals aren't going to get along, and while it's potentially possible for them to eventually feel comfortable in one another's presence, it might take a very long time, and it could be dangerous in the interim.

You can try to redirect aggression between the two and keep going with treats and training to try to supersede the aggression with discipline, but it's occasionally just an irreconcilable difference. In these cases, unfortunately, you either have your work cut out for you, or you might just not be able to keep the two together. You can still find a loving home for this poor feline fur baby, but it might not be viable to keep her in your home. It's a tough decision, but it's one you'll need to make.

Fortunately, nearly all anxiety and aversion short of true, unchecked, unrestrained aggression can be trained away, and your animals will get along with one another when it's all said and done. Just be prepared to take the time you need to get them off on the right paws together.

Have you ever had to introduce a new cat to your dog or vice versa? If so, what was your experience like? Was it a challenge, or was it actually quite easy? Let me know in the comments section down below! I'd love to hear all your stories!

While none of us want to be miserable, it's even worse to see something we love be miserable and know there isn't a whole lot we can do about it.

When our beloved puppies fall ill, whether it's a kennel cough, canine cold, or something a little worse, they're not going to be their usual energetic, happy selves. Among the many side effects of illness is a loss of appetite.

We've all been there, right? It's hard to think about food when we don't have the energy to get out of bed, when we're chilled and tired and sore, or worse, when even the barest sips of water make us want to vomit.

Dogs can feel the same way, but since they don't have the high cognition required to know they need to eat, even if it's unpleasant, it's even more miserable for them.

When your precious fur baby is having a hard time getting and keeping food down, what can you do to help? Are there ways you can stimulate their appetites and get them to eat more? And when should you be concerned enough to take them to the vet? Let's dig in.

When Food Aversion is Concerning

Let's start with the most worrisome part: when is food aversion bad enough to warrant a trip to the vet?

A lot of different things can cause your pooch to avoid eating, even if they're normally voracious eaters who you practically have to stop before they eat the bowl, too.

• Stomach distress is the most common. This can be caused by a stomach bug like the flu, or it can be because they ate something they shouldn't, and it's irritating them. In extreme cases, it can cause something more dangerous, like a bowel obstruction that needs medical attention to address.
• Dehydration. If it's hot out and your furry child won't stop running around, no matter how much they pant and need to collapse in the shade, it's possible they end up dehydrated. In these cases, your pooch might not be interested in food because their primary desire is water. Make sure they have enough water in them to be able to handle and have an interest in food.
• Picky eating. Some dogs turn their noses up at certain kinds of food. Some will even change their preferences over time, especially as they get older. If they've been used to one food and you're trying to give them something else, the change might be enough to put them off, at least for a few hours.
• Dental issues. A sore tooth, abscess, or other issue with the jaw can make it unpleasant to eat. Sometimes, they'll eat despite the pain, and you'll notice whining while they chew. Other times, they'll simply refuse; it hurts too much to consider it.
• Stress. In stressful situations, the body does all kinds of things, including pumping in a bunch of hormones that skew behavior. For a dog, stress can be anything from a major life-altering event to just a new schedule for their day, and it can throw them off that they might not eat at their regular time.
• Medications. Some medications have appetite reduction as a side effect. It may or may not happen, and if it does, it may or may not be significant, but any time your dog is put on a new medication, your vet should warn you if they might have a lack of appetite because of it.
• Systemic diseases. Things like pancreatitis, cancer, kidney disease, and other diseases can have wide-reaching effects, including appetite suppression. Obviously, these are the worst-case scenarios and should be addressed by a vet ASAP.
• Aging. Older dogs likely aren't going to eat as much as younger dogs, regardless of whether or not they're ill. They're also sore and tired old friends, and they're not spending as much energy, so it's not as much of a cause for concern as long as they're eating some, occasionally.

So, when should you take your poor, hungry fur baby to the vet?

If your pooch simply doesn't want to eat at dinnertime and skips the meal, it means there's something to watch for and a few things to check, but it's probably not concerning. If they wolf down breakfast like they haven't eaten in a week, whatever was bothering them has passed, and they're fine.

If they skip meals for a day, and especially if they look a little lethargic or under the weather, they may be coming down with an illness. Check for the signs of more dangerous illnesses, but if it's just for a day, all you really need to do is monitor them and see if they feel better the next day.

If your fur baby is skipping meals for two days, then you should be concerned enough to bring them in to the vet. You can often identify the broad category of why they aren't eating – whether from pain, from obvious illness or from something else – and can determine when to take them in accordingly.

How to Get a Sick Pup to Eat

If your fur baby doesn't want to eat but clearly needs to, there are ways you might be able to make food more attractive to them or more palatable and help them get it down. Even a little bit of food is better than nothing and can help hold you and your fur baby over until a vet appointment. Here are some options you can try.

Mix in a high-value food.

When your fur baby is sick, they probably don't find their usual kibble to be very attractive at all. And really, who would blame them? Hard little pellets of nondescript food material aren't very interesting. One of the most common ways to help your furry child eat is to mix in a little bit of something more attractive to them. We're talking flavorful, with an incredible aroma, something they'll love. Chicken, beef, and even a bit of bacon can be perfect here.

Ideally, you want to avoid something too fatty because fat can cause digestive issues. If you go with bacon, cook it well and drain the fat before mixing it in. Same with beef, get a lean cut or drain the fat first. Chicken is fine on its own, but a flavorful rotisserie chicken is often better than plain old chicken. Just make sure to pull off the skin and don't leave bones in the bowl.

Ideally, the more potent and attractive treat mixed into their food will get them to eat it. If they still turn their nose up at it, you should definitely be considering that emergency vet trip.

Relatedly, you can also try a treat. If you aren't ready or willing to give them a whole bowl of high-value food, giving them a treat or two might be enough to stimulate them into eating. It's more about the reminder that food is good than it is about the flavors and scents. Just be careful; you don't want to accidentally train your pooch to avoid eating in favor of treats.

Try a softer food.

If your fur baby isn't eating because of some kind of pain in their mouth or teeth, the idea of chewing through hard little kibbles will be enough to dissuade them from even trying to eat. If you've ever had a bad toothache, you probably know exactly what's going through their heads.

The obvious solution here is to try soft foods. You have a few ways to do this. First, you can soften their kibble by mixing in some water or a simple broth and letting it soak in. A softer kibble is an easier-to-eat kibble. Second, you can use a softer base food, like ground or minced beef or chicken. In a pinch, you can even try something like cooked and mashed carrots or even baby food if you want to buy some or have it on hand.

Warning: if you want to use broth to help stimulate your fur baby's appetite, make sure you get a healthy kind of broth. Many broths are made for humans and include ingredients like high sodium, onions, garlic, and some spices that can be dangerous for dogs. Try to get a broth without these, or in a pinch, make your own.

Similarly, you can heat up their food a bit. Warming up their food can make it more aromatic, which might not be pleasant for you or your microwave but can make it more appealing to their furry senses. Pouring some warm water or broth into their kibble to soften it can get you the best of both worlds.

If your fur baby goes for it, this can also give you a good idea of why they're averse to food, and you can get them in for a dental check-up ASAP. You don't want a dental injury to fester, after all.

Try a bit of exercise.

Illness feeds back into itself. When you're sick, you don't feel good, you don't have energy, and it can even hurt to move. But, the less you move around, the more stagnant you get, the less healthy your overall system is, and the more an illness can fester. The same, of course, holds true for our canine companions as well.

So, try to take your fur baby on a walk. Even something as simple as a slow meander around the yard can be enough to get them up and moving, circulate their blood, get their juices flowing, get them to go potty, and generally encourage their system to move. There's a reasonable chance that a walk – and the longer, the better – can stimulate their appetite enough to get them to eat, even if it's just half their usual meal.

Give hand-feeding a try.

Another option is to turn the illness into a bit of comfort and bonding by curling up on the floor with your pooch and a bowl of food and hand-feeding them a couple of kibbles at a time. The process of hand-feeding can be comforting enough to get them to try to eat, and once they get a little food in them, their hunger may come back and they'll get to eating out of the bowl there with you.

In more extreme cases, you may need to get a liquid kind of food and hand-feed your fur baby with a syringe. Usually, though, if you've reached this point, you should be taking them to the vet (an IV with nutrients will be more effective) rather than trying to manage such a severe issue at home.

Vet-prescribed appetite stimulants can help.

If your fur baby won't eat and is clearly ill, you may want to take them to the vet regardless. Your vet can prescribe certain medicinal appetite stimulants. This can also work to counteract the appetite suppressant effects of other medications, as necessary. Specific medications can include mirtazapine, meclizine, and ghrelin receptor agonists.

Another more medicinal option is trying some CBD drops. CBD has the potential to both ease pain and stimulate the appetite of your fur baby.

Canine CBD is made from hemp, is safe and non-toxic, and can be found in peanut butter-flavored tinctures for maximum attractiveness to your fur baby. Make sure you give them the proper dosage, and see if it helps make them hungrier. With luck, an application or two might be all you need to get the ball rolling, and the infusion of nutrients will then help them fight off whatever is making them ill.

Whatever options you choose, there are a lot of different ways to help encourage your furry companion to eat. It's only if they continually resist all efforts to feed them, or they can't keep food down at all, or if they have signs of more serious illness that you should rush them to the vet. Hopefully, that's not the case for you.

After reading today's article, do you have any questions? If you do, please feel free to let me know in the comments section! I'm always more than happy to help you all out however I can!

We tend to take it for granted that dogs are potty trained and only go outside on their walks, but it takes work to get a new puppy to that point. They don't do it naturally, after all; an animal's instincts are just to go where they are, to scent mark, and to keep away from sources of food and water at most. Even cats, with their instinct to bury, are better about it than our brand-new puppies.

That said, potty training a puppy is completely doable and in a very short amount of time. Here's my guide on doing it so you can enjoy the antics of your puppy without worrying about where they've hidden their waste this time.

Patience is a Virtue

First and foremost, it's worth remembering that you're trying to train a relatively arbitrary behavior into an animal that has a relatively limited capacity to understand your goals, your intentions, or the reasoning behind what you want them to do.

As another site put it:

"When you think about it, it's astonishing how high our standards for dogs are.

Protect me from a burglar, but not from the mailman. Leave that delicious roast on the counter alone and eat those dry, bland, uniform kibbles in your bowl with gusto. Walk within a couple of feet of me, wherever I want to go, at whatever speed I'm walking at, only when I want to walk, every time I want to walk, and regardless of what sort of interesting things are in the environment.

Potty training is on that list. Pee here, not there. Also, "hold it" for hours for the opportunity to do so. And do it quickly when I want you to. And do it in all types of weather without complaint. Oh, and by the way, you need to do this 100% of the time, with no mistakes for the rest of your life."

It's a lot! You can't expect your puppy to understand why you want them to do one thing and not do another, only that you can reinforce their behaviors in the way you want them.

Potty training is all about giving your dog a place where they can do their business consistently and with a reward. That reward, when they're young, should be something of higher value, like a treat; later on, it can be simple praise. As an adult, a dog's "reward" for doing their business is relief, but it never hurts to praise them for a job well done.

Set Them Up For Success

One of the biggest pieces of advice you can get for potty training a new puppy is setting them up for success, and the biggest driving factor for success is limits.

The American Kennel Club recommends using crates as a key tool for potty training a puppy. While crates may not seem like the most humane thing – putting the puppy in puppy jail is a common representation – the reality is that the more freedom your puppy has and the less supervision they have, the harder it will be to properly train their behavior, especially when they're very young.

The main reason you want to use a crate is to limit the amount of space your puppy has to wander and explore, particularly when you aren't directly supervising them. You need a crate that's the right size, something large enough for them to move around in but not so large that they can designate one corner as the potty spot.

This works because dogs don't like their waste sharing their space any more than you do. While that might seem counter to the puppies you know and love – you know, the ones who seem to seek out the grossest stuff to go rolling in outside at the first opportunity – that's all about exploration and new things. Their own waste isn't nearly so attractive to them.

Essentially, you want to make sure that your puppy is in one of three states of being at all times:

• In a place where they can go potty without issues, like your yard.
• Under the supervision of you or someone who is also working on training them and who can give them permission.
• In a confined space like their crate where they're unlikely to do their business outside of an extreme need or circumstance, like being sick.

Now, you aren't going to be leaving your puppy unattended in their crate for long hours, or at least you should avoid letting that be the case. Young puppies are a lot of work and need a lot of supervision, so if you can't do it – like if you have a job you can't leave – make sure a spouse, partner, friend, or even a local dogsitter can come and take your place.

Get the Timing Right

Puppies are small, and while they can naturally hold their bladders and bowels for some amount of time, there really isn't much space in them to hold water or solid waste. The American Kennel Club says the general rule of thumb is that puppies can hold their waste for a number of hours equal to their age in months. So a three-month-old puppy can at most hit around three hours without doing their business, while an eight-month-old puppy can reach closer to eight hours. This also caps out at around nine hours/nine months. Adult dogs can sometimes last 10-12 hours, but it's not going to be pleasant for anyone involved.

Of course, you'll never let them hold it that long. Nobody likes the feeling of needing to go but being unable to, and you generally want to avoid putting that burden on your young puppy.

There are two schools of thought for timing with potty training. The first is to use activity milestones. For example, you can have your puppy take a potty break:

• As soon as you get up in the morning.
• Any time after playing indoors.
• Any time after spending more than an hour in a crate.
• After waking up from a nap.
• After eating or drinking.
• After spending time chewing on a toy or bone (as this works up saliva they swallow).
• Last thing before bed at night.
• For young puppies, at least once in the middle of the night.
• Any time your puppy is whining and pawing to get out of their crate, which is a prime sign they need to go.

This is a decent option. It is, essentially, any time your puppy has consumed food or water or taken part in an activity that distracts them or increases their digestion. That is, any time they've done something that isn't going potty, and they're likely to need to next.

Of course, this isn't always consistent, especially with variable human work schedules and the wild swings in temperament and energy in a puppy as they grow. Another option is to use the timer method.

The timer method is simple. Set a timer, and every time the timer goes off, day or night, no matter what you're doing, take your puppy for a potty break.

How long do you set the timer for? It depends on how old the puppy is.

• 8 weeks: 45 minutes, but be generous; your puppy is still spending most of their time with their litter and won't be receptive to much training yet. Many times, you won't even be able to adopt a puppy this young, and this stage of training is handled by the foster or breeder who cares for the pup.
• 8-10 weeks: 60 minutes. They will be a little more independent but still can't hold it for long.
• 10-12 weeks: 90 minutes.
• 12+ weeks: 2 hours.

In all cases except the earliest, you'll be able to set the timer for 3-4 hours overnight. Your puppy will be spending a good portion of that time sleeping, and so will you. Get used to the broken sleep; at least you can get through this stage with a puppy in a matter of weeks and months, not years, like if you had a baby!

What Goes On Outside

When you take your puppy out to do their business, you can't just push them out the door and stay on the porch while they wander and do their thing. No, it requires more active supervision and guidance than that.

First, designate a space in your yard as the potty zone. This should be around a ten-foot area where they do their business consistently. It's where you take them when it's time to go out. If you don't have a yard to yourself, like you live in an apartment, find local green space or curb lawn you can use for the purpose. Don't forget to clean up after!

When you bring your puppy out to go, it's with purpose. You aren't giving them the freedom of the yard because the yard is for all kinds of things: socializing, playing, exploring, and having fun. You need to leash them up and guide them to the potty zone with the express purpose of doing their business.

When they're done, then they can play, or go back inside, or have whatever reward you want to give them. No playing, no treats, no toys, no exploring before they've done their business.

So, here's how it goes.

Your timer goes off, so you leash up your puppy, grab the stash of treats you use for training, and bring them outside. You bring them to the potty zone, and now you wait. You don't do anything, you don't say anything (no encouragement; that's distracting!), nothing. Just hold the leash, wait, watch them, and wait for them to go.

Rewarding a Job Well Done

While the relief of not having to hold it in anymore is reward enough for older dogs, puppies need additional feedback for just about everything. When your puppy has done the deed, it's time for the reward. Critically, you need to wait for them to finish, but don't wait so long that they don't connect the behavior with the coming reward.

Start with quick praise. "Yes, good job!" and some happy praise is a great start. Reward them with several rapid-fire bits of treat, like nibbles of cheese or sausage. Keep the praise up, but put the treats away for several minutes.

Once they've been properly rewarded, you can go about your business. Let them play, bring them back inside, and go back to bed, whatever it is you were otherwise planning on doing. Set the timer for another interval and get ready to repeat the process.

What If My Puppy Doesn't Go?

As a general rule of thumb, when you take your puppy to the potty zone, you stay there with them for ten minutes. Ten whole, long minutes waiting for them to do their business. Often, they will, but what happens if they don't?

At this point, you enter crisis mode. Bring your puppy back inside, and while you can do a little of what you were going to do, you need to be vigilant. Your puppy didn't go, but that doesn't mean they didn't need to go. Chances are very good that they'll need to soon; they just didn't realize it ten minutes ago. This is the number one most common time for accidents to occur, and you want to avoid that as much as you can.

To help reinforce that this isn't time to go, put your puppy somewhere they won't want to go. On your lap might be a good idea. After ten minutes of supervision – or when your puppy starts wanting to go back out to the potty zone – bring them back out. Same routine: on the leash, to the zone, and wait.

If they go? Great! Reward time. If they don't? Repeat: ten minutes inside of waiting and watching, then back out.

You want them to have no options beyond "go where it's allowed" and "be watched where it isn't."

Monitor and Improve

Once you have this routine down, and your puppy is getting older and can hold it longer, it's time to work on increasing the timer until you can fully remove it.

Keep a log of when your puppy does their business and if they have any accidents. Each time they can go a week without an accident, you can increase the timer by about half an hour. If they have two (or more) accidents in a week, cut it shorter and go back.

Don't Punish

I know I've labored this point before elsewhere in several different posts, but punishment doesn't work with training. Yelling, spanking, rubbing their nose in it, the spray bottle; everyone has stories of these things working, but none of them actually work. More importantly, if you're handling training right, the lack of reward and praise is punishment enough.

If your puppy does have an accident, what you do depends on whether or not you're watching it happen. If you are, interrupt them in the act – a single sharp clap usually does the trick – then leash them up, bring them to the potty zone, and proceed as normal (before going back in to clean up.)

If you don't notice it, well, there's nothing you can do. You can't punish your puppy for something you don't know when it happened, and they won't build any associations.

The goal is to make it so the reward is so good that your puppy doesn't even consider other options. If you do it right, your potty training will be successful and mostly accident-free, and other people will look at your strategy in awe at how easy it was for you.

Have you ever successfully potty-trained a puppy before? If so, what was your experience like? Was training your young canine companion a challenge, or was it relatively simple? I'd love to hear all your stories, so be sure to share them in the comments section down below!

Many of you, though, have another question: do they work for our doggos as well? It's a complicated question, so let's go through it together.

What Are Probiotics and Why Are They Good?

First of all, what even are probiotics? You've probably heard of them in terms of food, like probiotic drinks or yogurt. You might also have seen them on pharmacy shelves as probiotic supplements. Well, the answer is pretty simple: probiotics are bacteria.

Before you get worried about infections or anything, it's worth remembering that bacteria are everywhere. They're on every surface, in the air, on our skin, and even inside us. Especially inside us, really. Our guts – from the stomach to the intestines to the colon – are packed full of bacteria.

The thing is, most of the bacteria in our bodies are good for us. They help break down the things we eat so we can get energy and nutrients from things we otherwise wouldn't be able to digest. There's also a lot that medical science doesn't even know about how they work. There's evidence to suggest that the bacteria in our gut – also known as gut flora or our gut microbiome – can impact things like mental health and much more. One thing's for sure: these bacteria are friends.

Of course, the gut is also full of bad bacteria. Normally, bad bacteria are kept in check through a few different ways. They're outcompeted by the good bacteria; we don't feed them as much as we feed the good bacteria, and our immune systems can fight them off, too.

Sometimes, though, things go out of whack. If you get sick, your immune system might be busy elsewhere, allowing bad gut bacteria to flourish. If you eat a diet of heavily processed garbage and tons of sugar rather than vegetables and fiber, you're feeding the bad bacteria more than the good bacteria. Taking antibiotics as part of a medical treatment can also wipe out everything in the gut, and the bad bacteria might come back faster than the good bacteria.

That's where probiotics come in. Probiotics come in two forms: food and supplements.

Probiotic food is food that contains these good bacteria. They're usually fermented foods, like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. They're tasty, they're healthy to eat, and they add more good bacteria to your gut to help promote those good colonies while getting rid of the bad bacteria.

Probiotic supplements are just capsules filled with the bacteria. If you can't handle the food or don't like the taste, a probiotic supplement can work just as well, if not better. They're also a great way to help combat the purging effects of antibiotics, bolster the good bacteria, and let the bad bacteria die off.

In humans, probiotics are generally two kinds of bacteria: lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There are a bunch of species within these two types, but that's not really important right now.

What About Prebiotics?

A related term you may have heard is "prebiotics." If antibiotics kill off bacteria, and probiotics contain and promote those bacteria, what are prebiotics? Well, they're the things that come before the bacteria. That is, it's the food for the bacteria.

In humans, good bacteria generally thrive on fiber, which is why doctors often tell us to get more fiber in our diets. In dogs, that's not quite the case. Prebiotics for dogs include many of the nutrients dogs normally need, which works out great! They're already there in good dog food.

You generally shouldn't need to go out of your way to give your dog special prebiotics unless you've been feeding them food that doesn't have everything they need in it.

Can Your Dog Take Your Probiotics?

So, if probiotics are good for you, are they good for your dog too?

Unfortunately, not really.

Dogs are living creatures with digestive systems that work in more or less the same way as humans. They eat food. Digestive enzymes, stomach acid, and bacteria in the gut all process that food, breaking it down into nutrients their bodies can use and other stuff they can't. The stuff they use is absorbed and used or stored for later, and the stuff they can't is expelled. So far, so good.

The difference is, well, dogs aren't human. Their bodies need different sets of nutrients and different balances of vitamins and minerals. Things that are toxic to us are fine for them, and things that are fine for us are toxic to them. They don't work the same way.

Humans evolved to have a symbiotic relationship with the good bacteria I listed above. Dogs, though, didn't. They DO have good bacteria in their guts, but they have different good bacteria.

Dog gut bacteria – the good ones – include enterococcus faecium and bacillus coagulans. The first helps with coat health and digestive troubles, while the second helps eliminate diarrhea and IBS.

These aren't the only good bacteria that call your fur baby home; they're just some of the more common species.

Are Probiotics Harmful to Dogs?

Not really.

Bacteria can be tricky. The truth is that human probiotics thrive off the things we humans generally eat. Meanwhile, dog probiotics thrive off of the things dogs normally eat. If you feed a dog human probiotics, those probiotics aren't going to live for very long because they don't have much in the way of food.

Dog stomachs are also more acidic than ours, and their guts are shorter from end to end, so the bacteria don't have as much time to flourish; they'll just be digested and expelled.

So, if you give your fur baby some of your probiotics – or they get into a tub of yogurt or sauerkraut and gulp it down – it isn't really going to hurt them. It just won't do them any good, and it might cause them some mild digestive distress.

Important note: be sure to check the ingredients of any probiotic your dog eats when they shouldn't. For example, some yogurts swap out added sugar for xylitol as a sweetener. Xylitol, as you likely know, is toxic to dogs, so while the probiotic yogurt isn't harmful, the xylitol is.

Are There Canine Probiotics?

Yes!

As I mentioned above, there are specific bacteria that have been isolated as the probiotics of the dog world.

The biggest difference is that they're generally only available in the form of supplements. There's no "dog yogurt" made with dog-friendly gut bacteria because those bacteria don't eat the same kinds of things and won't have the same effect on fermentation.

Supplements are the best way to get these probiotics for a dog.

Note: there are a handful of foods and treats on the market that claim to be probiotics and may even list the bacteria they contain as part of their ingredients. While they may include those bacteria, they may not actually be probiotics.

The reason is processing. Bacteria need to be alive to reproduce and thrive. Cooking a food into a shelf-stable kibble or processing it into a treat is likely to kill off that bacteria, simply as part of the process of preventing bad bacteria from reproducing in the same environment.

If you want food or treats with probiotics in them, you need something that isn't baked or processed, which can be harder to find. Some exist, but you should check for independent lab verification of the probiotics they contain, not just trust a label.

Fortunately, canine probiotics are both generally inexpensive and are available over the counter. You don't need a vet's prescription to get them.

What Are the Benefits of Probiotics for Dogs?

So, now that you know what probiotics are (and more or less how they can be beneficial in broad strokes), what are the actual specific benefits of probiotics for dogs?

Truthfully, there are a lot, but they all come down to one thing: digestion.

Probiotics help smooth out the digestive process. In dogs, that means they'll be more regular and have more consistent bowel movements, and they'll be less likely to have diarrhea or other digestive upsets.

There are also a bunch of secondary benefits. With healthy, beneficial bacteria dominating their digestive systems, their immune systems don't have to worry so much about bad bacteria in the gut and can take it easier, and be stronger if something else comes along. They'll be a bit more resistant to getting sick.

You can also consider a secondary benefit related to stress. If their tummy doesn't hurt, they aren't going to be as stressed out, right? Stress relief and anxiety relief are both great benefits of probiotics.

Finally, probiotics counteract antibiotic side effects. So, if your fur baby is sick with an infection and needs systemic antibiotics (as opposed to antibiotic creams or ointments), then probiotics can help them recover that much faster.

Does Your Fur Baby Need Probiotics?

So, does your fur baby even need probiotics? There are two schools of thought on this question.

The first is that probiotics should be a passive supplement. They aren't harmful, and if a dog gets too much of them, they'll just excrete them. So, there's no real harm that can be done from having too many probiotics, but having too few bacteria can be harmful. Why not include a probiotic supplement as part of your fur baby's daily routine?

While this is a reasonable school of thought, it's not strictly necessary. If your dog is healthy and isn't stressed out, chances are they'll be fine with their digestive system the way it is. You can give them a supplement, but that supplement isn't going to do much, and you're spending money on it. While probiotics aren't terribly expensive, they also aren't free; that added cost can tally up over time.

The other school of thought is to watch for signs that your fur baby might need probiotics and give them when necessary. So, when might that be?

• When they're stressed, or likely to become stressed, such as in the days leading up to the 4th of July or after a big move that uproots their daily patterns.
• When they're suffering from some sort of digestive upset, whether they ate something they shouldn't have and it's going through them with a little difficulty, or they've got the canine equivalent of the stomach flu.
• When they have signs of something wrong in their digestive system, like foul breath, bad gas, or bloating. Even if it's not terribly bad, it can be a sign of something operating at less than 100%.

All of these are good causes for giving your fur baby some probiotics. You can give them some each day according to the dosage instructions on whatever kind of probiotic you get and keep going until they're no longer suffering from the ill effects of whatever befell them.

The final reason to give a dog probiotics is, of course, when they're on or finishing up a course of antibiotics. It's not likely necessary if you're just giving them antibiotic eyedrops, eardrops, or a cream for a skin infection, but if they're getting systemic antibiotics, it's going to wipe out their gut flora entirely. In that case, giving them probiotics to counteract that negative side effect can help their recovery go much quicker.

There's a third school of thought, which is that probiotics should only be given on a vet's recommendations. Truthfully, this is basically going to limit them to just that final reason, as a post-hoc treatment for antibiotic side effects. If you're concerned, though, make sure to talk to your vet about whether or not probiotics are a good choice for your doggo.

What about you? What's your school of thought? Do you give your fur baby probiotics, and if so, what kind? Have you noticed a positive effect? How often do you give them? I want to know all about your experiences, so you can share them with me and everyone else right here in the comments!

Puppies are very receptive to training, and it's often only a matter of a few weeks to teach them tricks that they'll use to wow crowds, solicit a chorus of "aww!" from your friends and family, and help you keep them under control when times are a little tougher.

Tricks are really just commands your puppy has learned to follow, and with time you can start building on learned commands to make them more impressive to friends and family.

What You Need to Teach a Puppy a Trick

If you want to teach a dog any trick, you need four things.

First, a high-value treat. This should be something they're very interested in, usually a bite of some kind of tasty snack or treat they aren't usually able to get. It can be a bit of cheese, a bit of meat, or a specially designed dog treat is just fine. Other dogs respond better to toys than to treats, so find out which your puppy prefers and stick with it during training sessions.

Second, you need to pay attention. Yep, I said you. The key to any dog training is to watch for when they perform the specific behavior that you're looking for and to reward them immediately upon performing it so they associate the performance of that behavior with the treat they're given.

Third, you need a distinct command. We tend to think of dog commands as fixed – that "sit" works on any dog that has been trained to sit – but that's not actually true. You could, if you wanted, use a completely different command for any trick. You could say "barrel roll" for roll over, or "perch" for sit, or pick a funny German or Finnish word, or whatever you like.

With that said, I don’t recommend picking unusual words for the basics. In the event that someone else needs to control your dog when you're not available, common commands are important.

The good news is common terms aren’t as important for performative tricks like shake or roll over, but it's very useful to use common commands like "sit" and "heel" for commonly expected actions.

Fourth and finally, you need consistency. You're basically trying to create an association in your puppy's mind between the behavior (the trick), the reward (the treat), and the command. Eventually, you remove the treat from the equation, so they are simply responding positively to the command because they know it's a good, rewarded behavior.

Consistency is especially important for training away bad behaviors, like constant barking, that you would want to address before they become problems. Having a dog that obeys and is under control is not actually difficult or unattainable; it just requires consistent effort.

While your pup is a sponge waiting to learn new things, it’s important to master one trick before moving on to the next. Once each trick is performed with command and no treat, move on to the next while continuing to reinforce the earlier trick.

Sit

"Sit" is probably one of the single most important tricks to teach a puppy. It's extremely useful for keeping them in place, whether they're being a hyperactive nuisance to the neighbors or a visitor, or they're chasing critters and smells outside, and you want to keep them safe when a car passes by. Thankfully, it's also very easy to teach and is one of the simplest tricks for a new puppy to learn.

How do you teach a dog to sit?

Start with your high-value treat in hand. Get your puppy's attention and hold it in front of them but out of their reach. Slowly move the treat up and over their head toward their rump. Your puppy will naturally look up to follow the treat and try to get at it.

Here's the cool part: as part of lifting and moving the treat back, your puppy will try to go for it, and most of the time, they'll sit for more stability while they do. When they sit down, say "sit" (or whatever command you want to use) and give them the treat and some praise.

Repeat this periodically until you eventually no longer need the treat. You can initially start by still moving a finger above them in the same way, and eventually, you can stop the motion entirely and just tell them to sit. It won't take long at all!

Stay

Second to Sit, Stay is probably one of the most important tricks any dog can learn. Often accompanied by the Sit command, Stay ensures that they'll stick to one spot rather than following their impulses to be distracted and run off, follow you, or do something they shouldn't.

Stay is a very important trick for two reasons. The first is impulse control. It helps you keep control over your dog when a visitor, a mailman, a distracting animal, or something else is around, and you don't want your dog raising a ruckus over it. Second, it's for safety; by ensuring that they aren't going to run off at the drop of a hat, you can keep them sitting next to you before you cross a busy street. It's also useful if you need to step away for a moment, somewhere your dog shouldn't follow.

How do you teach a dog to stay?

As I mentioned early, you’ll need to build on previously mastered tricks, in this case sit. This is because sitting can prime your pup for other training; they'll be more receptive when they're sitting and know they shouldn't just maintain their location but also their position.

Next, leave them sitting for a few moments, or a bit longer, if you can. Young puppies are easily distracted, so they won't stay in place for long; when they stand, say their release word and reward them. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave them sitting before giving the release command and reward, and they'll learn that they can stay for a longer amount of time and be rewarded for it.

"Expert dog trainers often use release words to let dogs out of a command. Introduce a release word to tell your dog they are finished with the trick. Common release words for dog tricks include:

"O.K." "Release" "Go" "Break" "Free"

Your release word can be whatever you want. Be sure to practice the full "stay" command until your dog perfects it. Then, introduce the release word. Repeat this process until your dog stays put until you say their release word." - Petfriendly.

Once you believe your puppy has mastered the art of sitting in place, you can start to make it harder on them. Wave a toy around, add distractions, or even leave the room for a few moments and reward them when you return, that is, if they stayed.

Potty

While evacuating waste is a natural process every puppy is going to do, training them to focus is actually a good idea. You aren't actually training them to pee or poo on command, though; rather, you're helping provide context for their late-night trips around the block or out to the yard. Since a big part of potty training a dog is teaching them when not to potty, it's very helpful to train them when it's okay to go, as well.

This is a great skill for your pup to have to understand when you’re going for a leisurely walk and sniffing everything in sight is permitted vs when time is limited and when s/he needs to do the deed and head right back inside.

As you might expect, training this is pretty easy. All you need to do is, on your normal walks, just add the "potty" command when they go, and reward and praise them when they're done. Over time, they'll associate the command and action, and they're more likely to restrain themselves in situations when you haven't given it – and be more free when you have.

Come/Heel

Another extremely important trick is to teach your pup to come to you when you need their attention or presence – or want them to stay away from someone or something else. It's extremely useful if they get distracted and run off, especially if they're off-leash, and it's one of the most "impressive" tricks you can have. If you want friends, family, and neighbors to remark about how well-behaved your fur baby is, teaching them to come and stay by your side is an easy and effective way to do it.

Fortunately, this is also one of the easiest possible tricks to teach a dog. All you need to do is be some distance away from them, with a treat in hand. Get their attention and show them the treat, and chances are, they'll come rocketing right up to you for it. As soon as they start moving in your direction, say your command word and reward them when they arrive.

You can expand this trick over time. Start from further away, add on a sit or stay command, or start from a sit/stay and call them over. The more complex you make the chain, the more you test how well your fur baby is obeying your commands.

Lay Down

A natural extension of sitting, laying down is another useful trick to keep a dog from begging, jumping up at you, or otherwise bugging you or a guest.

Teaching "lay down" or just "down" starts with sitting and is trained the same way. Once your pup can sit, use the same treat to lure their head to the ground. Make sure they keep their rump down, lower their head, and lie down to follow the treat. When they do, give the command, and the reward and praise.

Bonus trick: Once they can lay down, you can pull the treat further away from them and encourage them to crawl towards you. This "army crawl" can be another fun trick to teach, but it's more advanced and less practically useful than other tricks, though adorable to watch.

Drop It

Another very useful trick to teach a puppy is to drop or let go of whatever they're holding in their mouth. Whether they're getting into some garbage, holding an item like a toy that you don't want them to have, or just playing fetch poorly, having a command to get them to let go of whatever they're trying to hold onto can be useful for both play and for their health.

This is also a good command in the hopefully rare instance where they pick up something valuable or important that they really shouldn't, like a fragile item, someone's wallet, or a kitten they don't know how to interact with. Getting them to let it go immediately is very critical.

If you've ever tried to get a puppy to let go of something, you know they can be very obstinate; that's why you need those high-value treats. The key here is to have something they can swap to and enjoy; they need to drop whatever they're holding to get at the treat, after all.

Find X

A variation on fetch, Find X, or "Go Get X," or some other variation is a great way to distract a dog that is otherwise getting into trouble. It’s also a great enrichment exercise to get them thinking.

You can make X anything you want and, over time, build up a library of different things for them to go get. This can be toys (go get your stuffy, go get your blankie, go get your bear), or it can even be people (go get mommy!)

This is a two-part training. First, you need to associate specific names with specific items or people. Having a selection of items is important, so you know they can pick the right one and aren't just grabbing the only item present. After that, you need to teach them to retrieve it and drop it for you, which can itself be a two-part trick. Reward them when they identify the item at first and later when they bring it to you.

To teach a dog to go to a particular person, have that person reward them, rather than rewarding them on returning to you; that way, they won't try to drag the person to you every time.

This is a trick you'll keep building up over time and will change as you get and replace items.

Bedtime

Another great trick to teach a puppy is to know where their bed is and to go to it. This is particularly useful in those early months where you might be doing crate training until your pup is fully potty trained. It's also useful for getting them to settle down at night, but it can also be great for giving them a place to go when you don't want them disrupting some other event, like dinner or a party.

Just like the other tricks, it's all about creating the association between the word and the behavior: go to a specific place identified by name and sit/lay/stay in that place.

What are your favorite tricks to teach a puppy? I picked these because they're useful and practical, but there are a bunch of cute tricks you can teach as well. Let me know all about them!

Sure, they aren't worried about the same things – bills, the kids' soccer schedule, what's for dinner – but they still have their worries. And, for a puppy with weeks or months of life experience, their fears could very well be the worst things to ever happen to them in their entire tiny lives.

Why Do Puppies Get Anxious?

Why do puppies, some of the world's most carefree creatures, get anxiety? Well, consider life from their perspective.

They're tiny new bundles of joy introduced to the world, and they're soaking up everything. Anything they encounter could be a new source of joy and fun… or it could be a terror, a hazard, a source of pain and fear.

Sometimes, it's that buzzy bug in the sky that suddenly hurts a whole lot when a stray snap catches it. Sometimes, it's a sudden loud noise in their space, which you're using to clean up their messes. Sometimes, it's strange people, and they don't know how those people are going to act around them.

Sometimes, it's just loneliness; it's been MINUTES since they last saw their parents – canine or human – and that's an un-fur-givable amount of time.

They don't have the life experience to know what's minor and what's major, what's safe and what's dangerous, what's normal and what's abnormal. They yelp and yip and whine at anything, for any reason, but when that anxiety starts to get to them, they might take to more detrimental behaviors.

And, in cases where separation anxiety is in play, you might not be around to teach them that everything's alright and that they shouldn't be gnawing on that pillow.

Why is Anxiety Dangerous in Puppies?

Puppies, especially young puppies, are still learning, growing, and building up their experiences. Those experiences will become the foundation of their entire lives. You've heard that you can't teach an old dog new tricks – and you've heard that you actually can, of course – but it can be quite difficult to change two things about a dog: their breed predilections and their early learned behaviors.

Anxious puppies start to do things, either out of fear, worry, or an attempt to soothe themselves. Behaviors that you don't want, like:

• Chewing on things they shouldn't chew on, like furniture, cushions, electronics, books, or other household items. Sure, they're already probably chewing on everything, but anxious chewing is altogether more thorough and destructive.
• Constant barking. Whether they're calling for a parent, calling out to hear something other than the silence of a house they've been left alone in, or just barking because it gives them some kind of way to express themselves and they're out of other options, incessant barking is a sure sign of anxiety for many dogs.
• Having accidents. Whether it's a puddle of piddle on the rug or an altogether smellier pile left under a couch or in the middle of the carpet, puppies often have trouble controlling themselves early on, and anxiety makes it worse.
• Health issues. Just like in people, anxiety can cascade through their system and affect other bodily processes; they can end up with gastrointestinal problems, reduced immunity, sensitivity, and even allergies.
• Distraction and sadness. An anxious puppy isn't the carefree bundle of joy you want it to be, and that's really just the saddest possible thing.

While a dog is unlikely to perish or otherwise suffer extremely from anxiety, it's still not good for them, and it's not good for you. So, you want to do anything in your power to assuage the anxiety and help your puppy grow up to be a strong, confident, and self-fulfilled doggo. I've put together five options to help you calm down an anxious dog, no matter their age.

1: Training Away the Bad Behaviors

No matter the age, condition, or severity of the reaction, usually, the number one thing you can do for any behavioral problem in a dog is to work on training with them.

When it comes to anxiety, though, training isn't necessarily a solution. Training exists to help redirect your dog's behaviors away from negative, destructive behaviors and towards positive or neutral behaviors.

For example, instead of chewing on the furniture, you might train them to cuddle and chew on a specific anxiety toy.

"Mild cases of separation anxiety can be addressed with a counter-conditioning program, where, over time and through positive reinforcement, we change the dog's negative reaction to a situation (being left alone) to a positive one," says Erin Katribe, DVM and medical director for Best Friends Animal Society. "This is usually achieved through associating the situation with something really positive that the dog enjoys, like really delicious food or engaging toys. It's also helpful to start the training process by providing these positive items while you're gone for only a short period of time — the goal is to avoid the fear and negative association all together." - HGTV.

Training puppies is a lot easier than training older dogs, but dogs of nearly any age can be trained. The older a dog is, the harder it can be to train them, but it's still possible right up until they reach a point where they're no longer capable of retaining new information, which is usually end-of-life.

It's important to remember that training is only part of a solution. You should still try to figure out what is causing your fur baby to be anxious and remove or mitigate that cause. Sometimes, it's easy, like removing a stressor; other times, it's hard, like dealing with separation anxiety.

2: Too Tired to Worry

One of the solutions to anxiety in people is exercise. Exercise serves two purposes. First, exercise releases endorphins in dogs that can help counteract things like cortisol, the stress hormone, and fight off the bad brain chemicals that make a dog anxious in the first place. Secondly, it wears them out; a tired dog is more likely to be able to calmly go to sleep or relax rather than worry about whatever was bothering them before.

Some dog breeds are trickier to wear out than others. Some dogs seem to have endless energy, and you have to do more than just play fetch with them for an hour. Most dogs can benefit from an exercise that involves both physical and mental stimulation, some kind of enrichment that engages them so they get mentally tired as well as physically tired.

If your dog only sleeps for a few hours and wakes up with hyperactivity and anxiety at night, you may need to adjust schedules to wear them out more during the day. Every dog is different, so you'll want to experiment to see what works best with your furry child.

3: Try Calming Treats

Just like we might reach for a bit of chocolate or a soothing cup of tea when we're feeling stressed, you might be able to give your dog a treat that can help calm them down. Not chocolate, though, never chocolate.

Calming treats for dogs are generally going to include ingredients like hemp oil, valerian root, chamomile, or CBD. It's always tricky to use herbal remedies properly, though, so be careful not to go overboard with dosages; if your dog gets sleepy or bleary after a treat, there's probably too much in it. All you want is to help take the edge off, ideally while you're doing other things to help them calm down and learn that whatever is making them anxious really isn't all that bad.

Some people also recommend aromatherapy. Aromatherapy makes sense – dogs experience the world largely through their noses, after all – but you have to be very careful with it. Their sense of smell is a lot better than ours, so something we can barely detect might be nearly overpowering to them. Moreover, certain scents – certain essential oils, that is – are toxic to dogs. Do your research before starting any kind of aromatherapy, and consult with your vet if your pooch shows any side effects other than being calmer.

4: Use Other Calming Products

Depending on the dog and the source of the anxiety, you may be able to use one of a variety of different products to try to combat it.

You may want to consider trying:

• Contact and massage. Close contact with your fur baby can help calm them down, which is good if their anxiety stems from something like fireworks or a thunderstorm that they'll live through and that isn't always present.
• Music. Some studies have shown that calming music at a low volume can be beneficial and relaxing for both people and dogs. Harps, classical music, and "new age" soundscapes can all be good options. There are even dog-focused albums made for just this purpose.
• Safe spaces. If you have the space in your home, give your dog a place they can go where they'll never be bothered, and they'll always be comfortable. If you don't have room to have a dedicated space, you can also try products like the ZenCrate, a sturdy, enclosed, thick-walled crate container that provides protection and a cozy spot for your pooch.
• Shirts. Similar to both a safe space and contact, a calming shirt, coat, or sweater can be a sort of mild pressure that helps your fur baby feel like they're being held, even when they aren't. One of the most popular brands is the ThunderShirt, made specifically for thunderstorms, but there are other options out there as well.

Most of these options are best in cases where you're traveling, when you're bringing your dog somewhere unfamiliar, or when you're bringing someone unfamiliar to your home; in other words, ways that you can react to the anxiety. They aren't as useful for things like separation anxiety since, by definition, you won't be there to swaddle them.

5: Desensitization Training for the Anxiety Trigger

To wrap this back around to training, one of the most long-term solutions to anxiety in your dog is to work with them to figure out what is causing them anxiety and to desensitize them from it. This can only be done with certain kinds of anxiety triggers, so be careful with what you're trying to work on. You should also start slow, progress slow, and only do one trigger at a time.

For example, if your dog is afraid of car rides (maybe because every time they end up in the car, they end up at the vet, and they're scared of the vet), you can start by playing out and around your car. Exposure to the car when it's off can help get them used to the sight and scent of the vehicle. From there, you can open the car up and play with them inside and out of it, so they're more used to being in it without going anywhere. Rewarding them all along helps them associate it with good times.

Eventually, you can work up to riding in the car. Take them around the block or to a dog park, somewhere they can enjoy, so there's no dread or negative end result.

"Lead by example throughout the process. Use body language to show your furry friend that everything is ok. Your pup is a loyal friend, so he or she will follow your lead and react to the trigger with less anxiety." – Pet Honesty.

You can also take them on trips to the vet even when there's no vet treatment, and they don't even need to see the vet. In fact, many vets even offer puppy wellness visits when they're young specifically just to bring the dog to them, get a few treats and some affection, and send them home, solely so they don't develop vet anxiety.

Often, the hardest part of dealing with anxiety for dogs is simply figuring out why they're anxious. Sometimes, it might be something you don't even notice or recognize – a strange smell from an animal nearby outside, a beeping you can't even hear, but they can, or even a bad vibe they get from a neighbor. In these cases, you may even consider hiring a professional to help diagnose the issue so you can handle it. Good luck!

As always, if you ever have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can! Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

This change of coat has an important role in keeping your fur baby happy and healthy. The winter coat helps keep them warm against the cold weather outside, while the lighter summer coat is perfect for keeping cool under the hot sun of summer.

That doesn't mean we have to like it, though.

As anyone who has had to brush a dog's worth of hair out of their dog about once a day for a month knows, it's incredible how much fur these little puppers shed every year! Where do they even keep it all?

Well, that's beside the point.

The main point is, if you want to avoid getting shed fur on everything you own, piled up thicker than the snow of the past winter, you should try to give your pooch a helping hand to clean out that hair. Here are my top tips for making shedding season easier.

Keep an Eye Out for Skin Issues

Though it doesn't really help you with the shedding itself, this is a prime time to keep an eye out and examine your fur baby's skin. Their winter coat will be shedding away, and their summer coat will be thinner, especially before it fully grows. This gives you a chance to look for patchy fur, blotches or sores on the skin, bald patches, or other signs of problems.

This is also a time when you might notice if your fur baby has any lumps or lesions that are normally hidden by fur, and that means it's a good time for a vet check-up.

"If the spring shedding is much greater or much less than previous years, you notice bald patches in your dog's coat, you see open sores or skin irritation, or you notice licking or scratching, there may be some medical issues to address.

The excess or lack of shedding could be caused by poor diet, parasites, infections, allergies, reaction to medication, sunburn, contact with dangerous substances, immune disease, cancer, or problems with the liver, kidneys, thyroid, or adrenal gland, among other things." - DogTime.

Most of the time, shedding is just shedding, and while it can be a bit unnerving to see such a huge amount of fur falling out all at once, it's perfectly natural and isn't a cause for concern. But, if you spot anything concerning under all that fur, then you might consider that trip to the vet after all.

Hold Off on the Groomer

Groomers play an important role in keeping our fur babies happy and healthy, but you're probably going to want to hold off on giving them a visit while the winter coat is still in the process of falling out. If they're groomed now, some of what gets groomed is just going to fall out, and some of what would need to be groomed later isn't done growing yet.

In other words, it's just bad timing.

Hold off until a little ways into spring or early summer, when the tidal wave of fur is tapered off, and you're down to a normal amount of shedding. That way, you can bring them to the groomer with a lot more confidence that you'll get a long-lasting grooming out of the deal.

Brush Brush Brush

The key – the single biggest piece of advice I can give you, and the one you've probably been given a thousand times before and also already knew – is to brush your fur baby out. Brush them long, brush them carefully, brush them every single day as long as they still have massive amounts of fur coming out of that coat of theirs. Trust me, there'll be more fur where that came from, pretty much always.

Note that it's even more important to regularly brush dogs with double coats.

This is because the lighter outer coat can trap shedding fur from the denser inner coat, and that trapped fur makes it even harder for more fur to shed, and it all gets tangled up into huge terrible mats that are awful to deal with, are hugely unpleasant to your fur baby, and can even lead to skin infections, irritation, and other problems.

Remember, brushing isn't going to prevent your dog from shedding. They're going to shed one way or another. Brushing helps with two things: removing the shed fur from their coat so they're more comfortable, healthier, and more able to shed more fur, and containing the shed fur in one place so you can more easily dispose of it.

So, what kind of brushes should you use? A lot of it depends on the kind of coat your pooch has.

• A simple grooming brush is going to be one of the better brushes for denser or longer-haired dogs, and it'll be fine for dogs with shorter coats and as a finishing brush after the other brushing is complete for the day. If you only get one brush, get this one.
• A pin brush is better for longer and denser coats, but it may not be strong enough to get out all the fur you want to remove at a time. While it's fine, it's slow, and you're going to feel like you're brushing for hours. Use it, again, after the main brushing or as a secondary brushing throughout the day to catch anything that has built up in the past few hours.
• A shedding rake is more like a comb and will be good for long-haired dogs with an undercoat that needs to be brushed out. More multi-layered brushes will get more tangled up in their coats, so a comb-like rake is better.
• A slicker brush can be useful for a finishing run. Once you've used a stiffer bristle brush on your fur baby, you can use this one to smooth out their coat, minimize mats, and make them feel more comfortable.

Pretty much no matter how you go about it, you're going to need an arsenal of brushes for various purposes, so get a handful of options and see what works best for different situations.

If you want some tips on bathing and grooming your dog at home like a professional, this blog post has got you covered!

Watch Out for Mats

Matting fur is one of the worst parts of shedding for a dog. Mats are tangled and don't fall out on their own, and they can be painful to try to get rid of, especially when the only tools your pooch has are their paws and their teeth.

Some dogs are also much more prone to matting than others, particularly breeds like Goldendoodles.

"One of the best things to do to keep matting at bay is frequent bathing and brushing. Some breeds, like Doodles, Cocker Spaniels, and Poodles, will need more attention while others can go up to a month between thorough brushes. Keeping your dog clean and dry also majorly assists in mat prevention. Ensure complete dryness after every bath and swim–your dog and your future self will thank you." – Hound Therapy.

There are a few things you can do to make matting less likely and to deal with them if it happens.

Firstly, treat mats with care during the grooming process. Using an anti-mat brush and starting from an edge while working inwards can help extract them bit by bit. Be prepared for this process to be time-consuming and meticulous.

Another option to consider is using an anti-matting conditioner or lubricant. These products can make the fur slippery, facilitating the untangling of knots. Ideally, applying these conditioners before the fur becomes matted will prevent tangles from forming altogether. However, if mats do occur, saturating them with such products may aid in their removal.

Most mats can be removed through careful work, but in extreme cases, there's nothing much you can do. In those cases, your vet, a groomer, or a pair of clippers may be the way to go. You want to take care of it before it becomes a problem, to the skin beneath, after all.

And, of course, brushing regularly will reduce the amount of shed fur that can get matted up, so don't forget the daily brushies.

Consider the Blow Dryer Method

You may have seen videos like this one of a groomer using a blow dryer or other air source to blast away shed hair, usually from a dog with a thick winter coat like a husky. Is this a good idea?

Actually, it's not bad.

The biggest risks of a blow dryer are heat and noise, and since this is for shedding and not drying, you aren't using heat. That's why people use things like leaf blowers or lightly compressed air sources, and not just hair dryers, to perform the task. You aren't going to hurt your dog doing this.

However, some dogs aren't fond of the noise or the feeling of air blowing on them. Make sure to know whether or not your dog will tolerate it first, and if they don't, consider seeing whether or not you can train them to be more accepting of it or if it's something they absolutely refuse to handle.

One tip is to use a couple of cotton balls to lightly pack in their ears as a sort of earmuff/earplug to prevent the noise from irritating your fur baby.

When blowing out their fur, make sure to also use a brush to smooth their coat back down. You're not getting out of brushing entirely, you know. You're just blasting out a lot of the fur that would otherwise need to be brushed out and then brushing their coat back into place to prevent mats and tangles.

You should also probably wear a mask to avoid inhaling hair, dander, skin particles, dirt, and all the other stuff that gets caught in a dog's coat. Even if they just had a bath, you still want to protect yourself.

Similarly, consider doing this outside if at all possible. If your goal with helping your dog with their winter coat is shedding control, the last thing you want to do is blast it into the air so it settles on every surface of your house. There's a reason why groomers do it in a room they can easily sweep up later.

"Shedding makes a mess, no doubt about it. As a dog owner, you have probably come to terms with the fact that regular house cleaning is the norm, especially during shedding season. The key is to remove hair before it has a chance to embed itself into your carpet and upholstery. Keeping a pet hair tape roller around for touch-ups throughout the day is an excellent idea. For deeper cleaning of upholstery and small areas, consider using a handheld vacuum designed to pick up pet hair." – The Spruce Pets.

Should You Shave a Winter Coat?

Almost always, the answer is no. Shaving a coat is best reserved for medically necessary reasons, like surgery or skin problems. Shaving a winter coat can be quite a thermal shock, so your fur baby will probably need to wear a sweater for a while until the summer coat grows in. It can also make them self-conscious and embarrassed, and you don't want to do that to your poor pooch, right?

This is not to say a trim is out of place. A trim and a shave are very different things, after all. Again, though, a trim might be best left for when the winter coat is fully gone and the summer coat is fully in place.

Shedding season is a fact of life for our fur babies, but think of it this way: if they didn't have us, how would they handle it at all? We're here to make it a lot easier on our fuzzy children, and all it takes is a daily routine of brushing and careful consideration. And really, who doesn't want to spend time enjoying the presence of their fur baby? It's bonding time!

Do you have any questions about these tips I've shared or just about shedding season in general? If so, please feel free to leave me a comment down below, and I'll gladly help you out however I can!

So, what happens if you find a tick on your poor pupper?

Chances are, they haven't even really noticed, so it's up to you to do something about it. Here's a five-step process on how to deal with a tick on your dog.

Inspecting Your Pup for Ticks

Often times pet parents will find a tick when they feel a mysterious bump that wasn’t previously there.

It’s recommended that you inspect your pup after each walk. I get it, that’s a lot to ask. A more reasonable recommendation is to inspect your pup anytime they are romping around in tall grass, and after hikes through wooded areas.

Ticks that transmit disease do so after different periods of time. Diseases such as Lyme usually require a tick to be attached for more than 24 hours, so time is of the essence in locating those little buggers.

There are several spots ticks will likely take up residence, so pay particularly close attention to the following locations when inspecting your pup for ticks:

Step 1: Gather Materials

Removing a tick is generally pretty easy, but you want to have some items on hand to make it easier, safer, and faster. The key here is having supplies on hand before you actually need them. Think of it like a first aid kit for your pup.

First, you want something to remove a tick. There are a bunch of different tools to do this, which I'll talk about in the next step, but if you don’t have one, you can just use tweezers.

You'll also want something to protect yourself from potential tick-borne illnesses. Inexpensive disposable latex gloves are great to have on hand for all sorts of reasons, and in this case they can protect you from touching the tick or from it biting you after you remove it.

You'll want a resealable baggy you can seal up, along with some damp paper towel. This will help you preserve the tick so you can bring it to your vet for testing and to identify whether or not it's carrying diseases.

Finally, you'll want some aftercare materials, like soap or an antiseptic, to help make sure the bite doesn't get infected. If you go the antiseptic route, make sure it’s made for dogs.

You may also want to have a treat on hand in case your fur baby doesn't want to sit still or is stressed out by you messing with that irritating bite on their skin. A little bribe or distraction can go a long way to getting your pup to stay still.

Step 2: Remove the Tick

There are a lot of different ways to remove ticks.

I'll talk about a few different options here, as well as some things you should avoid doing.

The Tweezer Method

Perhaps the most common way to remove a tick from your fur baby is to use tweezers. We all have tweezers floating around for the stray splinter, bee stinger, or other object caught in the skin, and a tick is not so different.

It’s important to note that you should use fine tipped tweezers, not the wider versions that are often used to pluck eye brows or remove splinters.

To use tweezers to remove a tick, follow this process.

• Pull fur back and away from the tick so you have as clear a view of it as possible. It's not going to try to run and hide; it's latched onto the skin where it sits. You want to avoid pulling fur along with the tick.
• Place the tweezers around the tick’s head as close to the skin as possible. 
• Grasp firmly, but don't squeeze too hard. You don't want to squish or rupture the tick.
• Pull straight out and away from the skin to remove the tick.

Do not twist as you pull. You want to remove the tick as completely and cleanly as possible, and you want to avoid forcing it to vomit it’s stomach contents back into the bite, which is a primary vector for transmitting disease.

If the tick breaks and leaves the head or mouthparts behind, you can try to remove them as well, or you can leave them where they are. As the bite heals, your fur baby's skin will push the remaining bits out, and pulling and picking at them might cause irritation and infection.

The Tick Remover Method

The tick remover method is similar to the tweezers method, except it dramatically reduces the risk of squeezing or breaking the tick when you remove it. That's because they're designed to slide under the tick and use leverage to pull it up and away without needing to squeeze or grasp it.

Here are some examples of designs:

• Tick Twisters, which resemble the claw side of a hammer. They slide under the tick and with a few twists they remove them. Yep, I said twist. Because this tool doesn’t put pressure on the mouth or body, the twisting motion appears to be a safe option.
• Tick Keys, which work in more or less the same way but with a smaller form factor, designed to easily hang on a keychain so you always have it with you. Note that the narrow end is the leverage end and can push into your dog's skin and cause irritation if you need to use it a lot.
• Tick Checks, which are more like a fancy set of tweezers with easy-to-use handles for more leverage.

I don’t personally have experience with any of these tools, so read verified reviews and ask friends and family what’s work best for them.

What Not to Do

There are a lot of different instructions on how to remove ticks, but a lot of them are actually dangerous to your fur baby.

I already mentioned twisting up above, but here are a couple of others. Note that some products, like the Tick Tornado, tell you to twist to remove ticks; this is actually dangerous and, while it certainly removes the ticks, increases the chance of disease spreading to your fur baby. Just don't do it.

Don't use chemicals to smother the tick. Things like gasoline, Vaseline, rubbing alcohol, or other chemicals are meant to smother the tick and make it back out and away from a hazardous environment. The problem is, in their struggle to get away, they almost always vomit back into the bite, which dramatically increases the chance of disease spreading to your fur baby.

Don't use a match. There's a piece of folk wisdom that says using a match to scald the back end of a tick will make it back out and flee. For the same reasons as above, this can spew disease back into your dog, and it also makes the tick less recognizable and harder to identify if you bring it to the vet.

In addition to the risk of spreading disease, these methods also can hurt your fur baby. Anything like this that irritates the skin, especially around an already-irritated spot like a tick bite, can be rough for your pup.

Check out this great video on the dos and don’ts of removing a tick:

Step 3: Save the Tick

Your damp paper towel is used to wrap up the tick to keep it hydrated and identifiable when you bring it to the vet. The zippered baggy is there to contain it so it doesn't crawl away and hide (or bite something else) before you can bring it in. If the tick dies, that's fine; you just don't want it to dissolve or rot, and you want to bring it to the vet as soon as you can for testing and identification.

Why should you save the tick? After all, the vet probably knows all about ticks in the area, right?

Well, two reasons. The first is that ticks aren't static. They can migrate, move, and spread, and their areas are always changing. It's entirely possible you live on a border of a kind of tick, and seeing that it's there can help a vet spread the word and report back to central health authorities for more accurate information.

The second and most important reason is so that your vet can run tests on the tick. These tests will identify whether or not the tick is carrying diseases. Tick-borne diseases can be dangerous and include:

• Lyme Disease, which can cause lethargy, muscle and joint aches, and enlarged lymph nodes.
• Canine Bartonellosis, which is rare but can cause lameness, fever, liver disease, and heart disease.
• Rickettsial Diseases, which are bacterial parasites that are spread by ticks.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which causes symptoms like lethargy, fever, and a poor appetite, and can even cause neurological problems.

Different ticks can transmit different types of diseases, and the list above is just  a few of them; here's a list of many other tick borne diseases. Tick diseases can be dangerous, but they're also generally treatable, especially if you catch them early. By testing the tick, the vet can tell you what, if anything, you need to watch out for and how it may present.

Step 4: Clean the Wound

The next step is to clean the bite wound. You want to do this to help prevent it from getting infected, which will cause a whole host of problems for your pup.

Once you've removed the tick and, if necessary, any remaining mouthparts, you'll want to wash the area with soap and water or an antiseptic solution. These will help kill off anything like bacteria in the area and can promote the healing of the skin.

After this, keep an eye on your pup and watch for symptoms. Similarly, keep an eye on the bite site to make sure it doesn't get red, inflamed, or show other signs of infection. 

Finally, make sure you clean all of your tools  so they are ready for the next use.

Step 5: Call Your Vet

Finally, when all is said and done, you should call your vet. You don't need to rush your fur baby to an emergency appointment, but you may need to stop in to hand over the tick for testing and may or may not want to bring your fur baby in to have them looked at as well. Just listen to what the vet says when you tell them you pulled a tick off your dog, and they'll tell you what to do next.

Other than that, unless your vet gives you specific instructions, you're probably good to go. Just keep an eye on your fur baby for any potential signs of a tick-borne disease, keep an eye out for other ticks, and go on about your life.

Preventing Ticks on Your Dog

If you landed on this post because you found a tick, you’re at least armed with the information you need to remove it. And while it’s difficult to 100% avoid ticks there are some things you can do to lower the chances of your pup picking one up.

Use a Flea & Tick Preventative

Believe it or not, not all monthly flea treatments include tick prevention, so check the brand you’re using to ensure you’re covered.

You’ll also want to check which species of ticks it covers, and which ones are common in your area to ensure your pup is getting the protection they need. Also consider what life stages they cover. For full coverage, you need larva, nymph, and adult.

Check out the chart below for some examples of tick coverage in common preventatives.

Ticks obviously aren’t the only concern when it comes to prevention, so talk with your vet to see what’s best for your pup.

Ticks obviously aren’t the only concern when it comes to prevention, so talk with your vet to see what’s best for your pup.

Another key factor here is ensuring you keep up with regular treatment. Set a reminder to ensure there is no lapse in coverage, and use caution if you stop in winter months as some ticks can survive colder temps.

Make Your Yard Less Tick Friendly

If you have a yard, odds are your pup spends a lot of time running around enjoying the space. The key here is trying to make it as safe as possible, and there are several steps you can take to improve your pup’s safety.

• Cut your grass regularly and remove any tall grass along the tree lines where your pup has access.
• Remove leaves.
• Discourage wild animals from visiting your yard.
  • Do not leave out food.
  • Secure trash cans.
  • Consider plants/flowers that are less desirable to deer.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ticks on Dogs

There's a lot to know about ticks on dogs, so let's talk about some of the more common questions I receive about it.

Where are you most likely to find ticks?

Ticks tend to like small, cramped, out-of-the-way places, like folds in skin, joints, and even between the toes. They want to be harder to get to, out of the way of being brushed off, and near where blood is close to the surface of the skin. Check under joints, around the groin, around the face, and between the toes.

Can a tick that bit my dog also bite me?

Yes! If a tick naturally falls off or is brushed off but survives, it can find its way to another source of food, and ticks aren't picky. Anything with blood is something they'll try to bite, and that can include you.

How long do ticks hang around?

This one depends. A tick that's feeding might stay between 3-7 days before detaching and going somewhere to lay eggs. However, if your dog has an active anti-tick treatment or an immune reaction to the tick, it might actually stick around longer trying to feed.

How can I prevent ticks in the first place?

As I mentioned above, you can make your yard less friendly to ticks, but unfortunately, it's almost impossible to completely prevent them. Any time you take your dog for a walk, and they can encounter external plants, there's a possibility of a tick showing up. I wrote a guide on repelling ticks here.

When are ticks most active?

Ticks can show up any time of the year, though places where it freezes and snows are less likely to have ticks show up in those winter months. In contrast, warmer and moist summer months are the peak times for ticks.

Are there natural ways to remove and prevent ticks?

Yes! In fact, I wrote a whole guide to natural remedies to help prevent ticks from sticking around and to remove them if they show up anyway. You can read it here.

Do you have any other questions I haven't covered? If so, please leave them in the comments below so I can answer. I look forward to it!

Puppies, from the time they're born to the time they reach adulthood, are rambunctious balls of energy and insatiable curiosity that get into just about everything. Of course, that leaves them dirty and smelly as often as not, so there's always going to be something going on with that fur coat, right?

Well, the question is, how often do you need to bathe a puppy? Should you give them regular baths, or wash them only when they're dirty, or somewhere in between?

Let's find out!

Do Dogs Need Regular Baths?

First of all, while animals live just fine in the wild without bathing, it's not always a good thing. Real talk here: there are a lot of people who idolize "the way nature does it" as some ideal to live up to, but that's not always what's best. You can see it in the life expectancies of just about everything, and how being loved and cared for will extend a fur baby's lifespans by 1.5x or more.

Wild, stray dogs often only live 5-7 years, while our home-kept and cared-for fur babies live 10-13 years.

When animals in the wild get dirty, they can't do a whole lot to get clean. They can get rained on, they can take a swim in a lake or a river, or they can use their tongues to give themselves a rinse, but none of that is exactly clean, nor does it have the cleaning power of soap and shampoo. Dirt, grime, bacteria, and other kinds of nastiness end up throughout their fur, trapped against their skin, and elsewhere.

What people forget is that evolution and nature aren't some shining ideals; they're a minimum level necessary to complete one goal, which is to reproduce and continue the species. Anything beyond that is often unnecessary.

So, while dogs can survive a little dirt, they may not be happy about it. Skin infections, irritations, rashes, dermatitis, and all sorts of other problems can crop up, and that's not to mention things like fleas, worms, mange, and other more serious issues.

So, to put it lightly, yes, dogs can use regular baths. You don't need to give them a bath every day, but you should bathe them regularly.

Why Bathing Your Puppy is Important

Bathing is important for dogs in general, but it's especially important for puppies.

Why, you ask? For a bunch of reasons including:

• Removing dirt and other grossness helps protect their skin, avoiding skin problems, rashes, and other issues that can crop up when there's a bunch of dirt pressed up against it.
• Puppies like to get into things they shouldn't, and not only does that mean gross things, it means things that can hurt them. Cuts and scrapes are common, but when there's dirty fur involved, those can easily get infected.
• Some dogs develop skin sensitivities or even allergies as puppies, and having all kinds of dirt pressed up against the skin can irritate them.
• All the dirt, grime, and skin oils can absolutely reek, and that's before any of the more gross things they can roll in. Keeping them clean makes spending time with them a lot more pleasurable.

There's also something on the other end of the spectrum: bathing is good bonding! You're playing with your puppy in some warm, comfortable water, you're getting them used to being washed and dried, and you're coddling and cuddling them during and after the process. It's part training, part bonding, and all benefit.

What Happens if You Bathe Your Puppy Too Often?

Bathing a dog too often can have some negative side effects, but truth be told, they're often over-blown.

Years ago, you were pretty limited in what you could use to bathe your fur baby. The shampoos and soaps available were generally pretty harsh on the skin, and they would leave a dog's fur dry and brittle. Pups would shed more, their skin could flake, and all the natural protective oils secreted by follicles would be stripped away.

Stripping away the protective barrier could lead to dry skin that is more prone to cracking and subsequent infections.

"You should bathe your puppy about no more than once a month unless necessary. Puppies and adult dogs have natural oils in their coat to prevent their fur from getting brittle or damaged and to keep it soft and silky. Bathing your dog too often can strip away those oils." - Purina.

The good news is, many of the shampoos available today are made without the harsh chemicals of shampoo’s past and contain gentle ingredients like oatmeal that can help soothe a puppy’s skin.

Remember, all pups are individuals, and there’s a spectrum of shampoos available on the market. When your pup does need a bath, look for natural ingredient based shampoos that get your pup clean and remove the stink, but leave their skin and coat moisturized.

How Soon Can You Bathe a New Puppy?

Bathing a puppy comes with a lot of specific concerns that I'll get to in a moment, but the first question is how soon you can bathe a new puppy. By this, I mean a brand-new puppy, not just a puppy new to you.

Newborn puppies are still figuring out things like how to walk, how to open their eyes, and how to communicate. More than their behaviors, though, puppies are still learning how to do things like regulate body temperature and handle water getting near their faces. So, the younger they are, the less likely it is you should bathe them.

Moreover, really young pups should remain with their mother, so she’ll take care of bathing them as needed. If you’re caring for an orphaned pup or litter or pups, spot cleaning is a safer option if they soil themselves.

"Puppies should not be bathed until around eight weeks old. Older dogs' body temperature self-regulates, but young puppies don't have that ability yet. A puppy less than eight weeks old might get overheated or too cold during the bathing process. Prior to them being old enough to bathe, try wiping them down with a warm, wet cloth when needed." – Purina.

So, until two months, you should avoid bathing your puppy. After that, bathe them as needed, which, as I'm about to discuss, can vary a lot.

How Often Should You Bathe a Puppy?

Now, let's get into general recommendations and how to determine how often you should bathe your dog.

First of all, you're going to see a lot of people saying once a month is an appropriate time for bathing a dog. That's broadly true, but some dogs may need bathing more often, while others will need it less often.

The truth is, frequency can range from once a week to once every few months.

So, what factors should you consider when determining the frequency in which you wash your pup?

How old they are.

Puppies that are younger than a year or so old generally need bathing more often, both because of all of the sources of dirt they can get into and because of how much more sensitive to illness they are. Weekly bathing is most appropriate for young puppies between 8 weeks and a year.

The length of their coats.

Longer-haired dogs tend to need bathing more often than shorter-haired dogs as their coat tends to trap more grime, and it's more likely to get tangled and matted when it isn't properly being cared for.

Short-haired pups  can usually get away with less bathing and just a little wipe down if they pick up some dirt.

The type of coat.

Hairless dogs aren't generally actually hairless; they have very thin, short coats, sort of like how we people have body hair, even when it's mostly invisible for many people. These pups tend to need more frequent bathing, which is actually for skin health, not coat health.

Doggies with double coats like the German Shepard or Labrador tend to do better with more brushing than more bathing.

Time of year.

Breeds with double coats, like huskies, may benefit from more or less bathing at different times of year to help deal with their winter coat either growing in or shedding away. As I just mentioned, these pups can generally benefit from a good regular brushing as opposed to a more frequent bath.

When it comes to warmer months, pups tend to spend more time outdoors and that means more run ins with fleas, ticks, mud puddles, and pollen. All of these things may warrant a more frequent bath. On the flip side, during winter pups tend to spend more time indoors and in general will need less frequent bathing. With that said, the lack of humidity in the winter can dry out your pup’s skin so a bath with a moisturizing shampoo can help soothe dry skin.

Allergies of people around you.

Many people think that pet fur is the cause of allergies, but it's actually not; it's a protein in their saliva and skin, which gets all throughout their coats as they groom themselves and is carried on shed fur. Bathing a dog regularly can cut down on the amount of that protein that makes it into your environment and can thus make anyone suffering from allergies have an easier time of things.

Allergies and sensitivities of the dog.

Dogs can have allergies, and they can be sensitive to things in the environment without being allergic to them. Usually, this results in itchy skin, and that often means they can benefit from a bath using medicated shampoos. Depending on the condition, your vet may recommend more or less frequent bathing.

Their lifestyle.

Lapdogs don't get into as much trouble as active working dogs. Predominately indoor dogs don't get as dirty as mostly outdoor dogs. Dogs that love water often need bathing or at least a good rinse more often than dogs that don't.

There's also one more factor I didn't list above: how dirty they are!

If your precious little fur baby has been spending most of their time indoors, hanging around with you on the couch, getting into a bit of roughhousing with their siblings, or enacting adorable antics around the living room, then they're probably fine to just go about their lives and get a bath whenever you have penciled in on your calendar.

On the other hand, if you took your fur baby for a walk and they rolled in something unspeakable that – to them – smells fantastic, or they are a little sick, had some kind of unfortunately runny discharge from one end or the other, and it got all over them, or… well, you get the idea. If they're gross and smelly, they need a bath, whatever the schedule says about it.

"Jorge Bendersky, groomer and author, offers this advice: 'At the end of the day, we should wash our dogs when they are no longer huggable.'" – American Kennel Club.

If you’re not sure about where your pup falls in the spectrum of coat type and skin sensitivities, talk with your vet to get a recommendation on frequency.

How to Make Puppy Bath Time Better

Bath time for a puppy can be a challenge. If they aren't trained to sit still and let you wash them, they may find parts of the process unpleasant, they may squirm, shake, or generally just want to wander off, and it can be difficult to keep their attention.

Training them will take time, but until they're trained, you can do a few things to make it easier.

• Use treats to reward them for good behavior. Consider using a lick mat with some peanut butter stuck to the shower wall to distract them during bathing.
• Place a towel in the bottom of the tub to give them a sense of stability within the water.
• Be very careful with water around their face and especially their ears, which are hard to dry.
• Always use pet shampoo designed for dogs; human shampoo is often inappropriate.
• If your dog doesn't dry off quickly, consider a hair dryer.

I have a whole guide on pet grooming here you can read. It's not aimed specifically at puppies but at dogs in general. Even so, there's a lot to learn.

Once you get your precious fur baby trained and willing to sit for a bath, it'll all be a lot easier. Until then, do what you can to keep your adorable puppy clean and happy, and revel in the joys of their growth and new experiences. They grow up so fast!

Alternatives to Bathing Your Puppy

If your puppy has managed to get muddy paws, but isn’t covered in dirt, consider passing on the bath and seeking an alternative cleaning method.

Depending on how dirty they are you can simply use a warm damp wash cloth to wipe down the area.

You can also purchase pet wipes to do small wipe downs. I’ll caution you though, there are a lot on the market that are full of dangerous chemicals, so do your research. You can learn more about choosing safe pet wipes in this post.

Dry shampoos are also a good option when your pup is a little smelly, but you need to buy some time before you can get to bathing them. I’ll caution you here, dry shampoos should not be used on pups younger than 8 weeks. Check the instructions on the container and look for options with natural ingredients and not laden with chemicals.

If you’re looking for alternatives to a traditional store bought shampoo, check out these natural shampoo options.

Before we wrap up this article, I think it’s important to mention that puppies can get stinky for reasons besides needing a bath. If your pup has an odor that’s much stronger by their ears for example, they may have an infection that needs to be treated by your vet.

Do you have any memorable puppy bath time stories? If so, I'd absolutely love to hear them! Was your young fur baby accepting of bath time, or did they try their best to get out of it? Be sure to leave all your stories in the comments section down below!