Part of potty training a puppy is teaching them to go outside — and to tell you when they need to. It doesn’t matter if you’re potty training with a crate (like we did) or without one. The only exceptions are mobility issues that make it hard for a dog to get outdoors, or health…
Finding the best dog boots — or any type of paw protection — comes down to why you need them and how you’ll use them. Different styles and materials solve very different problems — and choosing the wrong type is often what leads to discomfort, returns, or boots that never get used. When our senior…
Our two dogs share a big stainless-steel water bowl. When I noticed green patches starting to form — and both dogs had the runs — I suspected the stagnant water was to blame. That’s what pushed me to dig into the question: should you leave water out for your dog all day? It turns out…
The cliff notes: For dogs that struggle to settle alone, the biggest improvements come from calm departures, gentle desensitisation to your leaving cues, and slowly practising short absences. Comfort, enrichment, and steady routines help support the process. A behaviourist or vet can step in if things feel too big to handle alone. When your dog’s…
Short-haired dogs do shed. Coat length does not determine whether a dog loses hair — it only affects how noticeable that shedding may be. Short coats are often assumed to mean low maintenance, but shedding is influenced more by breed and coat type than by hair length alone. In most cases, hair loss in short-haired…
You brush your dog and more hair than usual comes away. The house needs vacuumed again. Nothing about the coat looks wrong — yet winter makes loose hair feel constant. Most heavy coat changes happen in spring and autumn. Dogs shed old layers to adjust to light and temperature. When shedding feels constant in winter,…
Managing shedding isn’t just about brushing loose hair away. Dog brushes are useful tools, but shedding itself is driven by what’s happening under the coat. Understanding that process makes it much easier to manage. A dog’s coat exists for a reason. Hair provides insulation and protection, and shedding is part of how the coat renews…
As I was laying out the dog training tools and equipment I’ve come to rely on, it dawned on me that many of them weren’t planned — they were picked up in response to challenges. Some of those tools I once thought were debatable, or even unethical, led me down a rabbit hole of different…
I’ve had over two years of hands-on experience with mobility aids while caring for our senior Staffy. When his hind legs first began to weaken, we started with boots — great for preventing grazed paws, but they didn’t do much to help him walk. Slings and support harnesses were far more effective early on. By…