“I wish someone had shown me this towel wrap technique before cats had scratched my arms for 13 years,” says technician Brandy Oates, a veteran at handling pets as she practices what I call the Burrito Wrap on a stuffed cat. She’s attending the Low Stress Dog and Cat Handling Lab at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) conference in Seattle, Washington. While I have already taught this lab at a number of universities, including Colorado State University, UC Davis, and University of Wisconsin, this is the first time I’ve taught this particular lab at a national veterinary conference. Technicians

Question: I have been raising a Rottweiler puppy since she was 1 week old. I’ve worked at a small animal practice for 5 years—and a breeder came to us with a 5 day old female puppy who’s hind leg was bitten off just above the tarsal joint by another dog– the breeder wanted her euthanized, but I asked for her to sign ownership to me and thankfully she did. She is now 11 weeks and I’m getting discouraged with her behavior. She continuously bites at your hands, arms, ankles, neck, etc., when she’s getting attention/ affection and being (gently) petted;

Have you ever wondered why lions and tigers and other wild cats on T.V. can learn so many tricks while all your domesticated house cat can do is sit and meow at you for her meals? Well, not surprisingly, our domesticated felines can learn cat tricks as quickly as their flashier television counterparts, once their humans learn a few basic training secrets. In fact, once you know the secrets, you’ll be able to train cat tricks like a pro. Here is the basic approach followed by a simple cat trick you can train. General Tips and Approach to Training Cat

You know your dog is the coolest canine on the block. Want your friends and family members to know too? Whether your pooch is 7 weeks or 17 years old, he can learn flashy tricks and enjoy performing them too. Better yet, these tricks can also help train Fido to be calm. Bang (a.k.a: Lie on your side) Start with Fido lying down with his belly on the floor. The “trick” to this trick is training him to turn his head to the side so that he will shift his weight onto one hip without your having to physically position him

As every kid knows, while America is a democracy, the American family is not. It’s a dictatorship and even the youngest family members are savvy to the balance of power. One such youngster explained it to me, “In this house,” he said, “the dogs are the lowest. The kids come next. The parents are above the kids. And the cats are on top.” Indeed with over 60 million cats in the U.S., cats are at the top in more ways than one. In their insidious manner, they’ve quietly surpassed the dog as America’s number one pet. It’s easy to see

For some dogs with a more aggressive personality, this life without leadership or predictable and consistent rules creates a furry monster who aggressively claims ownership to any resource – food, toys, sleeping places, access to attention – that he wants. Once Rover gets the rules you’ve conveyed to him through your actions, the weight of trying to be in charge or wondering how he should react will be lifted off his shoulders. Furthermore, once asking politely is Rover’s new habit, you’ll only reward him when you decide he should have the reward. That way you remain the one in control, but you’re doing so in a predictable and non-threatening way that helps him understand what you want and strengthens your relationship.