Dog Training & Care Archives

CAT & DOG SHEDDING? 6 TIPS FOR WHEN THE FUR FLIES

by Amy Shojai | Apr 9, 2025

Pets shed in both the spring and fall. Shadow-Pup leaves mini-drifts of fuzz I sweep up daily, all summer long. Karma-Kat’s URK-factor (hairballs) increases with pet shedding season. Yuck! The fur flies about the same time as allergy season begins. If you suffer from allergic reactions to your cat or dog, check out these pet allergy tips.

Dog Shedding Time!

Cat and dog shedding may be a big hairy deal—but it is normal. Magical-Dawg used to leave drifts of black fur everywhere. Although Shadow-Pup’s medium-coarse fur, and Karma-Kat’s short light fur isn’t nearly as noticeable, they also shed.

Year-round floating fur increases the challenge of keeping dry cleaned apparel in a Fido-free zone. You can’t stop pet shedding. Unless you’re a passionate pet lover who considers pet hair to be a condiment, understanding how to tame the hairy mess will keep your pet’s coat and skin healthy and simplify housecleaning…

Dog Hairball Prevention, Not Just For Cats!

by Amy Shojai | Apr 8, 2025

Dog Hairball Prevention, Not Just For Cats!

Hairballs are the bane of cat owners but hairballs can also affect dogs. Yes, dogs can get hairballs, too! How many of y’all have discovered Fluffy’s “gift” by walking barefoot late at night? That cigar-shaped slick nasty “squish” disgusts pet owners, and though it’s quite common for cats to urk up the occasional hairball–it is NOT normal. Dog hairballs happen, too. Learn all about dog hairballs and ways to prevent them…

Do Dogs Laugh? Keeping Us Happy With More Than Wags

by Amy Shojai | Apr 5, 2025

In these days of uncertainty and frustration, we all could use a few laughs. You might wonder, do dogs laugh like humans? In a word, sorta. Dog laughter comes in different forms, but I’m fortunate to live with three furry comedians. Bravo especially used to enjoy making me laugh, while Shadow-Pup is a hopeless tease. Karma-Kat and Trinity-Kitten watch from their cat tree, aloof and above it all (literally).

Dog Allergies & Soothing Itchy Dogs

by Amy Shojai | Apr 3, 2025

Spring is the SNEEZE season for humans, complete with runny eyes and sinus issues. (Learn about dealing with pet allergies here). For dog allergies, itchy skin is the more common sign of discomfort. And it can hit in the fall, too. Shadow-Pup (and the other furries)...

Allergic to Cats and Dogs? Deal with The Achoo!

by Amy Shojai | Apr 1, 2025

About 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from allergies to pets. Cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies, and nearly 30 percent of cat owners are allergic to their cats. What can you do if you’re allergic to the pet you love? Read on for some tips on how to build immunity to cat allergies and deal with the sneeze!

Can Pets Get Insomnia? Foiling Furry Insomnia

by Amy Shojai | Mar 26, 2025

Can animals get insomnia? Maybe you also need tips for foiling furry insomnia with your pets won’t sleep.

Last night, I couldn’t sleep, suffering from insomnia. So, I got up, climbed the stairs to my office, and worked on the latest thriller. While I typed, Trinity-Kitten kept me company and decided it was the purr-fect time to play. She woke up Shadow-Pup, who had been snoozing at the foot of the stairs. So even once I was ready to sleep, the “fur-kids” had lost the urge. Here’s what to do…

Cat or Dog Tail Injury? When Wags Hurt

by Amy Shojai | Mar 20, 2025

We love it when our happy dogs wag-wag-wag with joy. Dogs and cats talk with their tails, but too much wagging (or a tail getting caught) can result in tail injury. Tail talk expresses emotion and communicates so much, but what do you do when wags hurt? Labradors are notorious for dog tail injury. Here’s how to deal with tail wag trauma…

Pet Insurance: What You Need to Know To Choose Insurance For Pets

by Amy Shojai | Mar 5, 2025

Do you have pet insurance for your cats and dogs? After what we’ve gone through with Bravo’s health challenges, it seemed a good time to revisit insurance for pets. September is National Pet Health Insurance Month. If you have an aging cat or a dog that’s a golden oldie, it may be a good idea to look into insurance for pets.

A heart-wrenching dilemma arises when treatment is possible, but the owner can’t afford the expense. According to the most recent American Pet Products Association (ABBA) National Pet Owners Survey, the U.S. spent an estimated $123 billion on veterinary care. According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 million in homes.

Jack Stephens, DVM founded the first insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) in 1980. He had the support of 750 independent veterinarians. Pet insurance has been slow to be adopted in the US and Canada, but the number of insured pets has slowly increased. A survey showed 3.45 million pets were insured by the end of 2020, according to NAPHIA, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. Here’s what to look for when shopping for pet insurance…

Today, that’s a great option for many folks, but insurance for pets works a bit differently than human health insurance. Owners of pets must make health care decisions that often are based on financial limitations. Even if it takes ten or fifteen years for you to use pet insurance, you will.

Why Does My Dog Eat Cat Poop?

by Amy Shojai | Mar 4, 2025

Do you often ask, Why does my dog eat poop? This disgusting habit drives humans nuts, and even cats get upset with dogs eating cat poop. So when you ask, How can I stop my dog from eating poop?” you’ll find the answers here.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Recent Posts

Liver Disease In Cats: Know The Signs

Liver disease is any condition which impairs that organ’s normal function. The liver is the body’s metabolic headquarters. It serves a dual role both as a kind of factory, and as a filter. That makes the liver the first line of defense–and at risk from damage–when filtering out toxins and more. Here’s what you need to know.

Dog Ticks: All About Ehrlichiosis

This disease has been reported worldwide wherever these ticks are found. Most cases in the United States occur in dogs living in the Texas Gulf coast regions and other southern states. All dogs are susceptible, but those with greater exposure to ticks. Outdoor dogs, working dogs and hunting dogs are at highest risk. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Homeopathy? Can Homeopathic Nosodes Replace Vaccines?

In the past I’ve received messages from pet lovers anxious to protect their cats and dogs from disease using homeopathic nosodes. In one case, the dogs had bad experiences in the past with pharmaceutical vaccinations and had dog vaccine side effects. With plans for a new puppy or two in the works, she asked for advice about alternatives to vaccinations for the new pups, to protect them from the most common canine illnesses: distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies.

More specifically, she asked for recommendations for where to obtain homeopathic nosodes for each of these pathogens.

Stressed Cats Overgrooming? Your Guide to Cat Hair Loss

Tabby doesn’t deal with office politics and gets to sleep 16 hours a day, but cats still suffer from feline stress. In fact, upset feelings can leave them biting their nails and pulling their hair. Literally…

Fake Service Dogs: Scammers Hurt Legit Animal Partnerships

Recently, I received another request from an online company to post an article here about their service. I declined–as I have no way to vet such things to sift through legitimate services versus bogus ones. I wrote this post several years ago and am re-posting as the information remains valid.

Online companies are getting very good at meeting the letter of the law, if not the intent. They promote themselves as a way to relieve pet owners of unfair expenses (pet deposits, airline fees, no-pets-allowed housing or other services) — oh, and sometimes as an afterthought, they add in the emotional aspect, too (insert #sarcasm).

How To Keep Outside Cats Safe

Do your cats get to go outside? How do you keep them safe from harm, especially if they door dash and escape? How would you go about transitioning an exclusively INDOOR ONLY cat to life on the outside? What can you do to make certain your kitties are always safe? If you’re concerned about indoor vs outdoor cats, read on to learn options for how to keep outside cats safe!

How to Keep Cats from Dashing Outside

There is a saying, that a cat is “always on the wrong side of a door.” My cat Seren(dipity) faithfully adhered to this principle, although with age, her dash-for-the-door became more like a stroll. Karma-Kat these days waits for the dog’s potty time, and makes a bee-line for the door. When you live with a cat, chances are you’ll have a door dashing cat escape now and then. Here’s what to do…

Dog Bite Prevention: 9 Tips to Keep Everyone Safe

In March 2011, I served as an expert witness in a dog bite case in which a child was mauled, and the child’s grandmother who owned the home where the Pit Bull mix lived was prosecuted as responsible. I learned a lot during this trial, one of the biggest lessons having to do with the many misconceptions regarding dogs, dog language, and dog bites…

The Soft Chew Shadow-Pup Kept Pestering For (Our PetLab Co. Review)

Being loving pawrents, we do all we can to keep Shadow’s coat shiny, his gut well-balanced, and his immune system functioning well. So, as Shadow grows into his middle years (where did that adorable itty bitty puppy go?!), we’ve been exploring the benefits of adding daily probiotics to his routine. Cue PetLab Co. Probiotic Chews…

Pets Are Family: What Are the Most Important Relationships in Your Pet’s Life?

Your relationship with your pet may be one of the most important bonds in your life. They have an incredible influence on our health and wellbeing. Pets are family, and we can’t say that enough. Mine inspire my work daily, and keep me grounded.

But what about the relationships our pets have with people or other pets outside of our home? Here are 5 stars in your pets’ relationship constellation.

Visit Amy’s Website

Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author. You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website.

Visit the website

On Demand Writer Coaching

AmyShojai.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com http://amazon.com/.