Pet Resource Center
Getting help for your pet
Regardless of your dog or cat's behavior, we offer several free options to help!
Our team of behavior specialists provides enrichment, daily training, and when necessary, additional behavior support to pets in our shelters so that they become the best possible candidates for adoption.
Other resources
Schedule a Behavior Help Line appointment:
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Many adult dogs adopted from animal shelters were housetrained by their previous homes. While at the shelter, however, they may not have gotten enough opportunities to eliminate outside, and consequently, they may have soiled their kennel areas. This tends to weaken their housetraining habits. Additionally, scents and odors from other...
Your new dog has a history of guarding food or other resources in the home. This means he (or she) may have frozen up, growled or even bitten!
There is no guarantee that your dog will never guard again, but there are ways you can reduce the chances of it...
Pets bring a joy to your family that is unmeasurable. They are known to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and provide companionship. Selecting the right pet for your family is easy to do when you first consider the following…
What type of pet is best?
There are many different types...Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit behavior problems when they're left alone. Typically, they'll have a dramatic anxiety response within a short time (20-45 minutes) after their owners leave them. The most common of these behaviors are:
- Digging, chewing, and scratching at door or windows in an attempt to escape...
What stresses your pet? A trip to the veterinarian? Overnight guests? Thunder and firecrackers? Leaving him alone? Clipping his toenails? Stress and anxiety often cause behavior problems in our pets. Stressed-out cats may have litter-box problems or begin fighting with other pets. Anxious dogs may be destructive, escape, urine mark,...
The Downtown Animal Care Center
Phone: 303.595.3561 downtownanimalcarecenter.com A for-profit veterinary hospital which provides low-cost veterinarian care to the general public. The Center works in conjunction with the Downtown Animal Care Foundation, which provides funding in the form of matching funds and grants to assist low...
How to Teach:
Choosing a harness: Choose an H-type harness or a walking jacket (http://www.catwalkingjacket.com). Figure-eight type harnesses are not secure. Adjust the harness so when it is on the cat you can place two fingers between the cat and the harness. For a larger cat, you may need to...
Definition:
"Come to me."Practical uses:
Coming when called is one of the most important and useful commands you can teach your dog. In an emergency, a reliable "come" or recall can save your dog's life, but most of the time it's just convenient to be able to get your...
Definition:
"Lie Down." (We recommend using the cue word "off" rather than "down" for "Get off of me" or for "Get off the bed.")Practical uses:
Down is the best, most comfortable position for your dog to stay in for any length of time. Down (and especially down-stay) is a...
Definition:
"Drop whatever is in your mouth, and I'll give you something even better!"Practical uses:
"Drop it" is useful when your dog picks up something in his mouth that he shouldn't have – your shoe, your child's favorite toy, or a chicken bone, for example. It's also useful for...
Definition:
"Leave whatever you are doing and look at me!"Practical uses:
"Leave it" is useful when you want your dog to stop doing something, whether that is sniffing at someone or something, barking or licking. The dog should immediately stop whatever she is doing and look to you for...
Definition:
Rather than teach the dog to "not" do something, we will ask him to do something he knows how to do that is incompatible with jumping up on you or someone else. You may use "sit" or "touch" or some other behavior as your alternate incompatible behavior. Your dog...
Definition:
"Relax, be calm."Practical uses:
"Settle" should be more relaxed than a "Down-stay" or "Sit-stay"; the dog need not maintain a specific position. You can use it in the waiting room at the veterinarian, or when you are out on a walk and stop to chat with a neighbor....
Definition:
"Sit where you are."Practical uses:
Have your dog sit before you set down his food dish, put on his leash, let him out the door, pet him, etc. This concept is called "say please" and can help to prevent many common problems such as door-darting, jumping up on...