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:
helpline for a dog helpline for a cat Other Resource links Have General Questions?
See our FAQ

Congratulations! We are excited that you have decided to adopt a bunny. We want this to be a positive experience so that you and your bunny can live happily together for a long time. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Housing

  • Bigger is better! A rabbit's...

    Read More

  • It is easier to train rabbits if you understand that their behavior is usually motivated by one of three things:

    1. Their natural need and inclination to chew and dig
    2. Their need to communicate and our tendency to require words for understanding communication
    3. The social structure as seen...

      Read More

    Housetraining a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment. By following the procedures outlined below, you can minimize house soiling incidents, but virtually every puppy will have an accident in the house (more likely several). This is part of raising a puppy and should be expected. The more consistent you...

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, equine trainer Well, it's that time of year when we're all excited to get out and enjoy the great outdoors on our horses! Some of us ride around our neighborhoods, some of us trailer to horse shows and various events, and others pack up and hit the...

    Read More

    There are many ways of teaching loose leash walking and you may want to use several of the methods below. The most important thing is that, while you are teaching this skill, you must NEVER allow the dog to pull on the leash. We understand that this is hard because...

    Read More

    The signs of spring are everywhere, which means it's high time to start working with your horse before you begin riding. Any work is better than no work, and it will help your horse get in shape physically and mentally.

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, equine trainer With summer officially behind us, I hope everyone enjoyed the nice weather and long days with their horses as much as I did. Just because we have entered a different time of year doesn't mean we can't still enjoy our horses. We might just need...

    Read More

    Does your cat demand to be petted or played with? Ignore you when you call him? Wake you up to be fed in the middle of the night? "Nothing in life is free" (NILIF) can help. NILIF is not a magic pill that will solve a specific behavior problem; rather...

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, head trainer People often ask me about a training issue they're having with their horse or wonder how to get their horse to perform a certain task. Without being able to see the horse or coach the rider through the task, it can be difficult to answer....

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, equine trainer Wow, what a start to the year! With the unseasonably warm weather and longer days, many of us are getting the urge to take our horses out and ride through the beautiful Colorado landscape. However, many of our horses have been not doing much all...

    Read More

    Positive reinforcement is the presentation of something pleasant or rewarding immediately following a behavior. It makes that behavior more likely to occur in the future, and it is a powerful tool for shaping or changing your cat's behavior. Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement. The reward must occur...

    Read More

    Conditioning your dog to the clicker:

    Work with your dog in several short sessions over the course of about two days. Click (once) and give your dog a treat. Repeat 10 to 12 times. Make sure you vary the amount of time between clicks and that both you and your...

    Read More

    As a trainer, I often get the question, "How do I get my horse to do this?" or the statement, "My horse won't do that." Many times, as I'm offering advice about what I would do in a given situation, people tell me, "I tried that, and it didn't work."...

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, equine trainer As we are being teased with warmer weather, many of us are anxious to get out and enjoy our horses with some trail-ride therapy. Maybe we haven't had time to ride during the winter because it's too dark by the time we get home or...

    Read More

    by Brent Winston, trainer, Harmony Equine Center As I have been out riding this summer, I have noticed that a lot of people struggle with some of the same issues I used to struggle with. One of those issues is standing tied. It's not uncommon for horses to pull back...

    Read More