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

Learn how to gently integrate a cat that's come from an under socialized situation into your house and life.

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Dogs that come from hoarding situations may have never lived with people. Learn what to expect, how to handle them and how to best ease them into their new living situation.

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Clicker training uses a precise sound (a click) to tell the cat that he has done something to earn a reward. Think of the clicker as the shutter of a camera: you click when you see the correct "picture" of the behavior you're training your cat to...

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If you allow your cat to wander around outside on her own, without your supervision, she is susceptible to any of the following tragedies:

  • Being hit by a car
  • Ingesting a deadly poison, like antifreeze or pesticide
  • Being trapped by a unhappy neighbor or picked up by animal control
  • ...

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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...

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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...

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Many people have a problem with roaming cats that attack wild birds as they feed or nest in their yards, that use their garden as a litter box, or that upset their pets by invading their territory. You certainly have the right to enjoy your yard and the birds that...

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Fearful Urination

Fearful urination occurs when a dog feels threatened. It may occur when he's being punished or verbally scolded, or when he's approached by someone he perceives to be threatening to him. It's important to remember that this response is based on the dog's perception of a threat, not...

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What does this mean?

The cat has a history of urinating or defecating outside the litter box. This behavior could be inconsistent meaning it happens once in a while or it could be consistent where it happens regularly.

What causes this type of behavior?

This behavior is a normal behavior...

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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...

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Cats are territorial animals, selecting areas of territory for survival. They let other people and animals know about their territory by marking it with a variety of methods and at many levels of intensity. For example, a cat may mark a valued object by rubbing it with her face. However...

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Urine-marking occurs when there is either instability in a dog's relationships or when a dog is feeling anxious. It is not a house soiling problem. To resolve the problem, you need to address the underlying reason for your dog's need to mark.

House Soiling or Urine Marking? How to Tell...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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