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A basenji dog sniffing along a rocky beach

Essential Skills

How to Prepare Your Pet for Vacation

Vacations are supposed to feel like a break — but for a lot of pet parents, prepping for one just adds another item to an already overflowing to-do list. The good news? A little planning early on can make the whole thing feel a lot less chaotic.

Whether your pet is staying home with a sitter or coming along for the ride, this guide walks through exactly what to prepare — from routines and supplies to emergency plans and calming tools — so your trip actually feels like the break you need.

Emily Strong (she/they) July 27, 2026 No Comments

A brown dog drinking water that is falling from a spout. Text reads: Cool down, paws up: creating heat-safe spaces for your pet

Enrichment

Cool Down, Paws Up: Creating Heat-Safe Spaces for Your Pet

Not Every Day Is a Walk in the Park Y’all. It. Is. Hot. I’ve been watching heat advisories crop up all over the country, some of which are lasting a week or more. I’m lucky because both my dogs and I love the heat. When it is 80 out, we’re

Ellen Yoakum (she/her) August 11, 2025

A scruffy white and dark grey dog in a harness with a long line biting water coming out of an in-ground sprinkler. Text reads: Don’t Sweat It!? Your Dog Can’t: The Dangers of Canine Heatstroke

Essential Skills

Don’t Sweat It!? Your Dog Can’t: The Dangers of Canine Heatstroke

Special thanks to Dr. Colleen Quinn of Quinn Veterinary Clinic & Behavior Center! Content warning: Discussions of serious medical conditions that can result in death. Disclaimer: This blog is not medical advice. Read that again. If your dog exhibits behaviors that are out of the ordinary after being in the

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) August 4, 2025

Humans and dogs walking on a trail. Text reads: Things we wish our clients would tell us

Essential Skills

Things We Wish Clients Would Tell Us

You know how there’s a ton of different fireworks and each of them shoot up and explode a little differently? Some shoot up in a massive steady stream, but then just fizzle out. Some shoot up with a faint jagged line, then explode in a massive flower, a boom whose

Corinne Collier (she/her) July 28, 2025

Image of woman holding a cat in a bowtie with a dog standing next to them on a couch,. Text reads: Recognizing Your Limits: How Pet Parents and Pros Know It’s Time to Refer Out

Behavior Problems

Recognizing Your Limits: How Pet Parents and Pros Know It’s Time to Refer Out

Learning when and how to ask for help is hard. It’s not a skill that comes naturally to most people. And in an emotionally charged context like animal welfare, it can be even harder. This is especially true when dealing with intense behaviors like sound phobias around fireworks or when

Emily Strong (she/they) July 21, 2025

A picture of a human hand holding a dog paw. Text reads: Cautious But Committed: Managing Risk When the Human is Risk Averse

Essential Skills

Cautious But Committed: Managing Risk When the Human is Risk Averse

It’s Okay to Be a Little (or a Lot) Scared Ok, I’m just going to come right out and ask. Do you identify with any, some, most, or all of these statements: Your pet is exhibiting behavior that is impacting their and your quality of life.You’ve started to work with

MaryKaye Kendrick (she/her) July 14, 2025

Brown dog laying down with face on paws, looking up. Text reads: Fireworks and Fright: How to Support Your Sound-Sensitive Pet Year-Round

Behavior Problems

Fireworks and Fright: How to Support Your Sound-Sensitive Pet Year-Round

Hi, hello. How are you doing? If you’re in the US, we just had the 4th of July, and if you’re like many of my clients, you had a rough one. And realistically, it may not be over depending on where you live and the culture around fireworks. So, seriously,

Ellen Yoakum (she/her) July 7, 2025

A brindle dog looking at a fish tank. Text reads: Is Your Safe Space Actually Safe?

Behavior Problems

Is Your Safe Space Actually Safe?

Zorro the red eared slider’s former tank in front of the window. When we first adopted Oso, we knew we were bringing home a dog who was reactive to both people and other dogs. Not long after, he became reactive to loud and/or large vehicles, too. (I talk more about

Allie Bender (she/her) June 30, 2025

A fluffy cat resting inside of a cardboard box.

Enrichment

Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Space (and How to Build One That Works)

Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Space (and How to Build One That Works) Cats, like other sentient beings, can get anxious and/or overwhelmed by their environment and the other beings in it from time to time. And like other sentient beings, if they don’t have a way to escape

Emily Strong (she/they) June 23, 2025

Photo of a dog in a muzzle standing on a bridge with greenery in the background. Image text reads: Muzzles Aren't Mean: Rethinking Muzzles as Mobile Safe Spaces for Dogs

Essential Skills

Muzzles Aren’t Mean: Rethinking Muzzles as Mobile Safe Spaces for Dogs

“Wait, You Want Me to What?” “How do you feel about the idea of muzzle training?” This is a question I ask my clients a lot. And as you can imagine, because of the dog muzzle stigma that plagues us, the responses I get can vary a lot. Some families:

Ellen Yoakum (she/her) June 16, 2025

A brown dog next to a kneeling person, looking at each other, sharing a calm moment

Essential Skills

Learning to Listen: Recognizing Your Dog’s Signals in Real Time

It was a lovely, warm sunny day and I couldn’t wait to get my girl, Olivia, outside for a walk! She’s a big fan of being in the sunshine, and I thought it would be the perfect day for it.

For those unfamiliar with Olivia and her life, she

Pet Harmony Team June 9, 2025

White and dark grey dog stretches in front of a baby gate. Text reads: Protected Contact at Home: Creating Safe Spaces for Pets and People

Behavior Problems

Protected Contact at Home: Creating Safe Spaces for Pets and People

Content warning: This blog includes brief discussions of aggressive behavior toward humans. When I was a young intern during my undergrad years, my cubicle neighbor and I joked about “the walls between us.” Even though they didn’t go all the way to the ceiling, they were high and thick

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) June 2, 2025

Enrichment

Trash to Treasure: How We Use Recycled Enrichment to Support Natural Pet Behaviors

It’s a beautiful spring day and I’m sitting at the Firefly Coffee House finishing my house-made bagel with peach spice cream cheese schmear (yes, it was good). As I finish scraping the cream cheese out of the small plastic container, I think to myself “I wish Petey was here…” You

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) May 26, 2025

Recent Blog Posts

How to Prepare Your Pet for Vacation

Cool Down, Paws Up: Creating Heat-Safe Spaces for Your Pet

Don’t Sweat It!? Your Dog Can’t: The Dangers of Canine Heatstroke

Things We Wish Clients Would Tell Us

Recognizing Your Limits: How Pet Parents and Pros Know It’s Time to Refer Out

Cautious But Committed: Managing Risk When the Human is Risk Averse

Fireworks and Fright: How to Support Your Sound-Sensitive Pet Year-Round

Is Your Safe Space Actually Safe?

Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Space (and How to Build One That Works)

Muzzles Aren’t Mean: Rethinking Muzzles as Mobile Safe Spaces for Dogs

Learning to Listen: Recognizing Your Dog’s Signals in Real Time

Protected Contact at Home: Creating Safe Spaces for Pets and People

Trash to Treasure: How We Use Recycled Enrichment to Support Natural Pet Behaviors

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