Storm Watch & Success, Part 3 – Desensitization & Counter-Conditioning

The Cell Block Tango - relevant to storm phobia?
This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Storm Watch

So you’re ready to get started combating storm fear, right? Of all the various tools we’ll cover, these will be the most generally useful for the most cases. Desensitization and counter-conditioning are often confused, and indeed they can be similar. Both involve starting at a very low level of exposure… Continue reading

Storm Watch & Storm Success, Part 2 – Carry-on Allowances & Emotional Baggage

This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series Storm Watch

Before we start with the nuts and bolts of helping pets with storm fear or phobia, we really have to discuss the emotional aspects of  fears and phobias. No matter how much has been written or described on this, I still encounter an amazing amount of misinformation which slows or… Continue reading

Storm Watch & Storm Success, Part 1

Protecting our dogs from storm phobia (and bad Photoshop)
This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series Storm Watch

Storm fear or sound phobia doesn’t have to be the end of the world for your pets or the end of sanity for you. There are many options now to help fearful or sensitive dogs (and cats!), and no reason to tolerate unnecessary suffering in animals or humans. Continue reading

An Easy Pill to Swallow: Training Dogs to Take Pills the Easy Way

from "How To Live With A Calculating Cat"
This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series An Easy Pill to Swallow

There’s a fabulous cartoon series on how to get a cat to swallow a pill, in which the feckless humans tried to plead with the cat,  ratchet the defiant jaws open, disguise the pill in delicious food, etc., all without success.* I have to give the dogs pills occasionally, and… Continue reading