Category: We Care

Warmer weather is here, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy springtime dog activities with your pup! From hiking trails to beach days and pup-friendly picnics, there are endless ways to soak up the sunshine together. Whether you’re exploring a local market or refreshing training in the park, these spring adventures will keep tails wagging and create unforgettable memories with your furry friend!

Dogs have a special way of turning strangers into friends. Whether it’s a casual chat at the dog park, a friendly nod on your daily walk, or a shared laugh over your pup’s antics, dogs make socializing effortless. They’re natural icebreakers, helping you connect with fellow dog lovers and build lasting friendships. So next time you’re out with your four-legged companion, embrace the opportunity—your dog might just lead you to your next great friendship!

From tacos to superheroes, discover cute and creative Halloween costume ideas for your dog—no matter their size or style. Plus, safe and festive options for dogs who aren’t into dressing up!

Embrace the spirit of giving this holiday season by supporting rescue organizations dedicated to providing a second chance to animals in need. From nationwide contributions to local initiatives, discover how dog lovers can become passionate advocates for animal welfare.

Rescuing a dog is an immensely rewarding journey, but it comes with its unique challenges and questions. This article explores the “3-3-3 Rule” of transitioning your new family member and what to really expect when welcoming a rescue dog into your home.

Ever wondered why your canine companion can sleep through a thunderstorm but wakes up instantly at the rustle of a treat bag? Dogs love their sleep and need it to stay healthy and happy. On average, dogs need about 12 to 14 hours of sleep each day, although this can vary depending on breed, age, and individual preferences. Puppies and older dogs need even more sleep, while some working breeds need a little less. Dogs and their sleep patterns are a fascinating subject, as unique as their wagging tails and floppy ears.

As summer gives way to the back-to-school season, our daily routines shift, creating a unique opportunity to strengthen the bond with our furry companions. Embrace the changes with intentionality and discover seven wonderful ways to enjoy quality time with your dog. From morning walks to training sessions, grooming to playdates, these tips will help you maintain a happy, healthy, and cherished relationship with your four-legged friend all year long.

Even though National Mutt Day may be over, we can continue to celebrate our non-purebred pup’s awesomeness and let them know just how much they mean to us each and every day.

It’s important to be vigilant and keep your dog away from any areas or items that could be harmful. Accidental poisoning can happen in an instant, but with a few simple precautions, we can prevent it from happening to our four-legged friends.

Knowing first aid basics will allow you to provide immediate care to your dog in case of an emergency. By properly administering first aid, you can save your dog’s life and prevent further injury!

As you build your plan to make personal progress in 2023, factor in some resolutions for your dog ownership. Investing time and energy in your animal will undoubtedly also benefit your overall well-being in the coming year!

Well-meaning gift-givers don’t always think past the exciting moment of watching someone they love open a box to find a puppy with a red bow tied around its neck! Every year, many animals wind up at local animal shelters as the holiday decorations are taken down.

Several shelters in Hawaii offer the chance for tourists to take a shelter dog for the best day of their lives. These animals spend much of their pre-adoption lives in a kennel, so this chance to get outside is a dream come true for them!

Dog ownership can run a hefty pricetag. Use this guide to save money where possible! Knowing you have the resources to pay for your pet’s needs will be a relief for you — and even allow you to splurge on a fun toy for him every now and then!

We always prefer to take our dogs with us when we travel, but for the times we can’t, read our tips to help you find the right care for your dog!

Autumn means cooler temperatures, new sights and smells, and longer cuddles! Help your dog stay healthy so can make the most of all that fall brings!

Often dogs have a hard time transitioning once summer is over. Help your dog as the kids head back to school with these helpful hints!

The holidays are here and there is no better way to spread joy and love by helping dogs in need! Give, Foster or Adopt!

Helping your dog overcome his or her aggressive tendencies is an important step toward a healthy relationship with your pet. Here is one owner’s story of how she helped his furry friend!

Start your dog off on the path to a long and happy life with the basics… good food, good health and good behavior!

Finding it difficult to get to they gym this fall? Work out with your pup! Your health, well being, and your dog, will thank you!

When you are ready to add a dog to your family, consider the temperment of the dog and the lifestyle of your family before choosing your fur-ever friend!

Chemicals often found in Halloween candy can be deadly for dogs. Learn what to keep your furry friend far away from, and what to do if he ingests something dangerous!

One dog owner’s story of how her dog’s poop helped her veterinarian identify the causes for Lulu’s illness.

The canine flu poses a low threat to people, but can make your dog seriously sick. These tips can help keep your dog healthy through any dog flu outbreaks!

Giving your pet a luxurious life doesn’t have to be time-consuming, and you can provide for your pet even if you’re short on time.

While some types of aggression can be reduced and sometimes cured, pet parents should never let down their guard.

A dog is for life . . . not just for Christmas, according to an old saying

When choosing to own a dog, you are choosing to positively impact your life by gaining a priceless bond, and you will find yourself wondering how you ever lived without a four-legged, furry friend.

Much like humans, getting your dog to exercise is necessary for their health. Your dog may get bored of just roaming the yard around your house. You may want to consider taking him on an adventure, such as hiking. Going hiking can provide several benefits – Here are some of those benefits.

Many humans mistakenly believe that dogs get plenty of exercise by running around the backyard chasing whatever bounces into their boundaries. But nothing could be further from the truth, and the majority of activities dogs do on their own are in short bursts and don’t offer any real benefits. Dogs, like humans, thrive when their bodies stay in motion. Young dogs, especially, need regular exercise to expend pent-up energy. And when you exercise with your dog, you create a bond and establish patterns of good behavior.

Dental hygiene is just as important for dogs as is for humans. In fact, according to Billings Animal Family Hospital, keeping up with your dog’s dental hygiene is not simply aesthetic; It can add two to four years to your dog’s life.

Walk into a pet store, and you will find at least one aisle dedicated to tools to walking your dog on a leash. Walk down the next aisle, and you are sure to find more equipment dedicated to training – everything from treats and clickers, to crates and pee pads, wanting a well behaved furry family member has become a huge market for the sale of a wide variety of training equipment. So how do you decide what is the best for your dog? And most importantly, what actually works?

There is no better feeling that having the confidence in your dog to be able to comfortably let them off of their leash and know, without doubt, that they will come back to you when called. It is an elusive accomplishment for many dog owners, and probably the most frequently stated goal for new clients coming in for training.

You’ve probably heard of or seen service dogs for the blind, but did you know there are also service dogs who help people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health impairments? Psychiatric service dogs (PSD’s) are trained to perform tasks that help a person who has a psychiatric illness.

Is there anything cuter than a captured moment between a young child and a dog? There is something about those interactions that melt my heart. But with all of that cuteness, comes the challenge of properly acclimating a dog to a new human to help set them both up for a successful relationship. Recently, there have been some difficult to watch videos circulating around social media with dogs being pushed past their limits and redirecting their frustration on a child. These incidents are preventable, and it is time that proper techniques for introduction and management were addressed.

The end of the year is approaching in a haze of gift wrapping and holiday merriment. Puppies in Santa hats gaze out at us from Christmas cards, and many people are inspired to leave a puppy of their own under the tree. But before you rush out, there are some important issues that need to be considered:

If you’re like most people, you choose a puppy because they’re too cute to ignore. Maybe your parents had a particular breed and you think you’d like that same sort of dog. The first tip in finding a breed that suits you, is to be bluntly honest with yourself.

When I first started undergrad at the University of Georgia, along with the hundreds of frightened freshmen wandering around with maps, I started noticing that there were dozens of clumsy little puppies on campus with students. Each wore a tiny yellow vest that read, Guide Dog Foundation.

Ticks are pesky – both for pets and humans alike. And it’s not just because their bites are itchy. Did you know that they can make you sick? Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and spotted fever. In dogs, they can lead to anemia, blood loss, tick paralysis, and skin irritation.

One of the most challenging experiences for owners and their dogs can be visits to the vet. Tension runs high, so very often, dogs will exhibit behaviors they never do anywhere else. Teaching your dog handling skills to make checkups and other vet visits less of an ordeal can make these trips much less traumatic for both the dog and their person.

Who doesn’t love summer time?! The barbeques, the beach, the long days, the vacations, and most importantly, the extra time with your pooch! While most people love the warmth of the summer, those day that are brutally hot for people are just as tough on the dogs. Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your dog cool (and safe!) during those scorching days.

Like many other hot topics in dog training, the use of a muzzle has a lot of stigma around it. For most people, seeing a muzzled dog walking down the street automatically causes feelings of panic as the dog is assumed to be unpredictable. There are many positive uses for a muzzle, and ensuring any dog is properly muzzle trained can be a huge relief should any situation arise where your dog might have to don one of these Hannibal Lecter masks.

While the term “mangy mutt” is insulting, there’s no question many rescue dogs suffer from this skin condition. Common types of mange are found in dogs, sarcoptic mange – or scabies – and demodectic mange.

Positive reinforcement isn’t just for kids, it’s ideal for dogs as well. Figure out the best reward your dog would respond to best, whether it’s a treat, playtime, a new Frisbee, or even verbal praise. Dogs love knowing their humans are approving of them and their behavior. Most dogs strive to be loyal to their owners so when praise and rewards are involved, dogs know their mission was accomplished.

Helping your dog with their fear aggression takes a lot of time and effort on your part. It’s possible to manage their behaviors, but there is no real “cure” for any aggression. But here are some things you can do to help.

We have all heard that old myth that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s. We don’t need the Mythbusters blowing something up to prove how busted this myth is.

One day you may decide to bring your favorite four legged friend on a boat ride. Maybe you will kayak or canoe around a local watering hole, or take a ferry out to a nearby island. Here are some things you should think about before hitting the water with your dog.

My wife and I adopted Louie when he was just an adorable 8-week old puppy in April 2015. From day one, he brought so much love and joy into our lives; definitely one of the best decisions we ever made! We quickly grew super attached to him (and vice versa), which made it really hard to be away from him when we had to travel. Not only did we want his boarding environment to be safe, but also one where he would be loved and cared for (just like at home).

Your beloved dog can’t stop scratching and is absolutely miserable. You know he doesn’t have fleas, so what’s wrong? Like about 15 percent of all canines, he’s probably suffering from atopic dermatitis.

Can your dog be a therapy? Research suggests having a pet helps you live a longer, healthier life.

One morning my husband and I were getting ready for work when he called out from the kitchen, “Did you spill a glass of water? The floor is wet.” Of course, I didn’t: I would never not clean it up. We dismissed it as something Chloe, our beagle, probably knocked over (her water bowl, a cup she swiped from the table, etc.).

In the past five days, Sonoma has been in two different emergency care facilities searching for the cause of her illness.

Getting old… it hurts. Even for your dogs. It’s important as a pet owner to keep up with your dog’s growing needs as he develops from an adult to a grand-dog. Just like humans, dogs will go through similar growing pains as they get older and their bones begin to lose density and joints become unbalanced. But there are ways to help your older dog feel young again.

People often think of their four-legged pals as superheroes. Who wouldn’t when we’ve seen them rescue men, help blind and older people cross the streets, save people from drowning, or even protect babies from the abusive nanny. They have been so celebrated as heroes that owners can easily forget that their stomachs are just as vulnerable to certain microbes as ours.

You get up off of the couch to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. Your dog follows you. You go into the bathroom to shower and soon hear the familiar scratch-scratch of his paws at the door. When it’s time to leave for work in the morning, your pup starts frantically barking and trying to stand between you and the doorway. While you’re gone, he might make a mess, chew up furniture or try to find a way out.

The yeast infection known as Malassezia dermatitis is responsible for many dogs ending up euthanized or surrendered to shelters or rescue groups. While this yeast is found naturally on the skin of most dogs and causes no issues, changes in the skin due to allergies or the environment cause extreme yeast proliferation.

At a recent visit to the vet for my dog’s routine vaccinations, it was recommended that my dog receive some dental work. I was not surprised that my dog should require dental work, but the price was really high for it. It led me to wondering if it was worth it.

I am writing because knowing what to feed your pet, especially your dog, is difficult. When we chose a dog to join our family – my husband and two daughters, we thought it would be simple. All we had to do was go to the pet store, get some dog food, make sure she did not eat too much, and that’s mostly it. However, our puppy got sick and we found out the dog food we were buying contained some pretty bad ingredients. Since then, we’ve learned a lot and Bonnie is much happier.

English Bulldogs are some of the most popular dogs in the world right now. Many people desire them for their adorable scrunchy faces and fat bodies. Selective breeding by humans has lent the breed towards these “smushed” faces, compact bodies, and oversized heads. Unfortunately, that cute look can actually cause a lot of health problems.

As dog owners, we all know that some foods are toxic to dogs: chocolate, raisins and grapes, garlic and onions, avocados, and macadamia nuts, just to name a few. What most dog owners don’t know, is that gum, mints and other sugar-free foods can be deadly to our canine kids.

Dogs love to jump up on us, sprint around the park and generally play around so much that it is easy to forget that they can also get sick. And just like any other animal or person that gets sick, they need help. Your dog may not be able to talk (no, dog language does not count) but they will still show you signs that they are not in the best health.

As crazy as it sounds, dogs are pretty much just like people…who just love mud a lot more! They have their happy days and their upset, whining days and just like us they need their own “pick-me-ups”.

They’re adorable and full of personality. Dachshunds, or colloquially known as Weiner dogs, are an amazing breed and a great family dog. One thing all Dachshund owners should be aware of though is the potential of back injuries.

About seven years ago after moving away from San Francisco and all of the city life, I moved into a rural area. My home was just under one acre, so I knew I would be able to finally have a few pets. Little did I know that I would end up having five wonderful dogs with their own unique personalities. Here is my story of how I ended up getting five rescue dogs.

Most dog owners want the best for their pet. They select the food they feed based on their budget and what is nutritionally best for their animal. While most of us are familiar with dry kibble and canned foods, the experts tend to agree these are not the best choices for dogs (even though the “best” tends to be more expensive).

Once upon a time there were two little puppies. Neither of them had a name. One was a boy puppy and one was a girl puppy. He was her brother and she was his sister. It has never been clear where they came from.

I got Henry from a pet store just over 9 years ago. He had been there for 4 weeks and their normal turnaround for puppies was just a few days. By the time I got him, he had been discounted three times. It was likely because he was an abnormally large Papillion, currently weighing in at 18 pounds.

I’m teaching my partner Apollo’s love language, “Play with him! Ask him to jump and play ball; he’ll go crazy and love it.”

In 2008, my husband and I purchased our first home and one of the things we were most excited about was adding a dog to our little family.

My last notice was about big changes here at Barkswell. After tonight’s post, I will be including THREE weekly posts from guest bloggers-dog lovers, dog owners, trainers, tipsters, and plainly kick-butt AMAZING people, just like you.

There was a lot of hullabaloo around Mother’s Day yesterday.

So….life is productive, the crazy beautiful kind. I have no complaints. And that is largely because my life is full of joyful beings that love with abandon.

We’ve been discussing family safety lately, having just gotten a new “family” rig and what consistently comes up is how we keep the pups safe if a car crash occurred.