How to Raise Puppies & Kittens and Foster
Raising a litter of puppies can be difficult and stressful. Add to that the enhanced stress of the last few years and many of us are at our breaking point. In 2020, I discovered the Wim Hof Method and it has changed my life for the better and made life for my puppies better too.
Read MoreWhelping is stressful. This guide will tell you how to prepare for and predict when your dog will go into labor, what is normal, what is not normal and what you can do to help.
Read MoreWhelping or to whelp means to give birth and a whelping box is a space designed for dogs to give birth and raise their puppies until their eyes and ears open around 2-3 weeks old. There’s a wide range of whelping box options from cheap and disposable to stylish and reusable.
Read MoreWhen raising a litter, desensitizing your puppies to crates is one of the best things you can do for them and their new owners. Plus, the first stages of crate training are easy! Just put a few crates in your puppies' play area and let them explore on their own. Remove the doors or secure them open so they don't bang around and scare the puppies. That's it!
Read MoreIan is an O.G. when it comes to puppy socialization and dog training. He shares his thoughts on simple things we can do with our puppies to reduce behavior problems as adults and more.
Read MoreNew owners are seeking out and finding tons of videos, articles, books and classes to help integrate their new pet into their home, and the world at large. Properly socializing puppies through their first year of life will drastically reduce the kinds of behavior problems that often lead to dogs being surrendered to shelters.
Read MoreFostering a homeless animal involves providing them with love and daily care, usually in your home (but not always), until they are ready to be adopted. Most shelters and rescues provide supplies such as food, toys, bedding, cages and vet care and you take care of feeding, cleaning, affection, exercise, socializing, medicating, transporting and a little training, if you like.
Read MoreThe secret to successful fostering is to pick a foster that fits your household. We cover all your options, time commitments, skills required, whether it’s good for kids, how fostering benefits you, the animals and more.
Read MoreWhen you foster for an animal shelter or rescue, you are helping to save lives, reduce heartache, find purpose, create joy and save non-profits loads of money.
Read MoreNeonatal handling helps to stimulate a puppy or kitten’s neurological, endocrine and circulatory systems at a point when their brain’s are undergoing massive development. Studies have shown that exposing neonatal mammals to small, brief amounts of stress effectively inoculates them to future stress, meaning that they will be more stable, calm and able to deal with stress as adults.
Read MoreIf an animal is going into foster care it is usually because they’ve been uprooted and need a safe place to land. Some animals are happy to see you no matter what they’ve been through but the rest are usually stunned, scared and want to hide. They don’t know what is happening to them when you pick them up and they have no idea how good they are about to have it living with you. Creating a calm, comforting experience from the beginning will make your foster’s transition into your home much easier for everyone.
Read MorePuppies whine to communicate that they want or need something. Our first line of defense is to meet their needs so there is little reason to whine. But, inevitably, we will miss something, forget or wait too long and have a whining puppy. It’s bound to happen.
If your puppy is whining and under 4 weeks old, sick, injured or very distraught, attend to them immediately. But in most other cases, your best long term solution is to only respond when your puppy is quiet. Fortunately, puppies learn very quickly so it should only require a few instances before they learn that whining doesn’t work.
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