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.
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Here are some FAQs about cosmetic procedures in animals.
Congratulations on adopting your new family member! Here are some important resources and information that will help keep your pet healthy and happy.
Living with a dog can be beneficial to children. Dogs can enhance children's self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. However, children and dogs may not always automatically start off with a wonderful relationship. Parents must be willing to teach the dog and the child acceptable limits...
Crate training your dog may take some time and effort, but can be useful in a variety of situations. If you have a new dog or puppy, you can use the crate to limit his access to the house until he learns all the house rules, such as what he...
Puppies explore their world by putting things in their mouths. In addition, puppies are teething until they're about 6 months old, which usually causes them some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better. While it is perfectly normal for puppies to chew on furniture,...
Although feeding time is important, it's also vital to include petting, talking, and playing, in order to help your puppy build good "people-skills." Well-socialized mothers are more likely to have well-socialized puppies. Puppies "feed" off their mothers' calm or fearful attitude toward people. Puppies are usually weaned at six or...
Many behavior problems in dogs are the result of boredom or excess energy. Toys offer mental and physical stimulation and enrichment. Directing your dog's energy into play with toys can prevent or help resolve such problems as digging and chewing on furniture, shoes or shrubbery.
Toys We Recommend
Interactive Toys:
...The easiest way to start clicker training is to teach your dog to hand target. During this process your dog will learn that the click sound ALWAYS means a treat is coming, and he'll learn that offering a specific behavior earns a click/treat. This will become the foundation for teaching...
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...
Some dog owners believe that dogs, especially large ones, should be "outdoor only" pets. At the Dumb Friends League, we believe that dogs of all sizes are happier, healthier and safer when they can be indoors with their people the majority of the time. Dogs have a need to be...
Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish relationships, through which the individuals involved interact and live together. The roles that the individuals play within the relationship can change with each new day or situation. These relationships also take time to build, so proper introductions are important to help the...
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...
When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or "mouth" hands during play or when being petted. This behavior is rarely aggressive and, therefore, not intended to cause harm. Because puppies are highly motivated to exhibit this type of behavior, attempts to...
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…