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137 results for “why dogs lick”
Dog Ignoring Your Commands? 90% of the Problem Is Training
When a dog 'plays deaf,' it usually hears you fine — selective obedience is canine intelligence weighing costs and benefits. Causes include too-hard commands, poor focus, a bad experience tied to the cue, or no reward. Fix it by rewarding compliance instantly, training in low-distraction settings, keeping cues consistent, and being the more interesting option.
Dog Farts a Lot and They Stink? It May Be a Gut Problem
Occasional gas is normal (10–15 times a day), but frequent, foul gas points to poor digestion, fast eating, or gut-flora imbalance. Choose an easy-to-digest food with fresh meat and no grains or legumes, feed on a schedule, use a slow-feeder bowl, and add a pet probiotic. If gas comes with vomiting, diarrhea, a hard swollen belly, or pain, it could be pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, or parasites — see a vet.
How to Stop a Dog From Jumping on People
Jumping is a dog's natural, friendly greeting—not aggression—but it can hurt people. Curb it with clear social rules, ignoring the dog until it's calm, a firm 'no' with rewards for stopping, more exercise and toys, and never rewarding the jump by giving in.
Signs Your Dog Might Not Be Very Bright
A less quick dog may fail to recognize you in new clothes, greet everyone over-enthusiastically, bark at its own mirror image, resist training, pee indoors, get bullied, not seek food when hungry, or lack self-protection. These aren't fixed verdicts — positive training and socialization can still improve behavior; every dog is unique.
How to Choose a Skin Spray for Your Dog
Skin problems flare up in warm, humid weather, and a good skin spray is one of the most practical items for a dog first-aid kit. Rather than chasing the cheapest or most advertised product, owners should judge a spray on ingredient safety, the right target for the infection, and the maker's track record. This guide explains when a spray helps, what to look for on the label, and the daily habits—dry bedding, clean toys, avoided puddles—that do more to stop recurrence than any bottle. Sprays are for mild care and prevention, not severe disease.
Goodbye Dog Smell: How to Cut Summer Odor
A dog's stronger summer smell comes from more active sebaceous glands plus humid air that speeds surface bacteria. The common "wash more when it stinks" reflex is wrong, frequent baths break the skin's oil barrier and make odor worse. Bathe every 2-3 weeks (short hair) or 1-2 weeks (long hair or active dogs), focusing on paws, groin, ears, and anal glands, using a pet shampoo with tea tree or rosemary. Brush teeth 2-3 times a week, give dental chews every few days, clean ears, feed quality protein with veggies, and wash the bed and toys while keeping the room aired. A sudden strong smell with red skin or hair loss needs a vet.
How to Show Your Dog You Love It (in a Language It Understands)
Dogs may not speak, but their emotional world is rich. Brain-imaging work at Emory University shows a dog's brain reacts to its owner's voice and scent in areas similar to where humans process emotion, so your affection is a real signal your dog can feel. You can speak its language through soft eye contact (which raises oxytocin in both of you), calm pressure-petting, high-engagement play, frequent praise, leaving a scented item in its bed, and keeping a predictable routine. These small daily acts lower stress and deepen the bond far more than words alone.
How to Repel Mosquitoes in Summer With Pets at Home
Pyrethroids are common in human mosquito products because they work and are cheap, but cats cannot metabolize them and long-term use can damage the brain and cause organ failure, even death. DEET is far less toxic to cats and the EPA rates it nearly non-toxic to mammals, though keep it away from cats in quantity. Safer still are physical methods: screens, nets, mosquito swatters, and pet-safe repellent lamps used when no one is home.
How Many Meals a Day Should Your Dog Eat, and How Much?
Feeding rhythm matters as much as the food itself. Puppies under a year need four down to three small meals a day to fuel growth without overloading the gut; adults do well on two; seniors return to three. Adjust for obesity, high activity, or sensitive stomachs. Portion size follows the bag's guide, then fine-tunes with stool quality, body size, and exercise. Match the plan to the dog, and you've got it right.
Is Dog Neutering Risky for Infection in Summer?
Neutering a dog in summer does raise the chance of wound infection, because heat, humidity, and heavier sweat and oil let bacteria multiply faster and slow healing, while mosquitoes and fleas add irritation. With good care, though, a summer surgery can still go smoothly. Keep the incision clean and dry, use an Elizabethan collar, limit activity, provide a dry clean space, feed quality food, control parasites beforehand, and check the wound often for swelling, discharge, or odor, seeing a vet for anything abnormal. Choose a reputable clinic for the procedure.