How do I ensure my beloved pets are treated like family members?

Hi Mhabelle! I will be glad to answer your questions :-) 1. I have wanted to be a vet since I was a child. I have always loved animals, and knew from the time I was little that I wanted to look after them. 2. Yes, I have two dogs (a Basset Hound and a Chow Chow), and four cats. 3. The best thing about being a vet is being able to help make sick animals healthy again. 4. If you get a pet, you have to be prepared to pay for their veterinary care. Pets needs regular care, just like humans, and should be vaccinated, treated for fleas, intestinal worms, and heartworms. Pets need to be looked after, and when they are sick, they have to see a vet.

Unconditional LOVE!!! this is what makes us all love them so much... Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there, I understand why it's important for Zeus to bond with your husband. German shepherds are very intelligent and tend to bond with one "master" above other family members. The best thing to do is encourage your husband to spend as much time one on one with Zeus, teaching him commands like Sit, stay, lay down, roll over, high five etc. And enforcing his potty training as well. It's good to pet him and scratch him and give positive verbal praise, but some dogs dislike big hugs as its not a natural dog behavior. A great book which will help you is called "Decoding your dog " it's sold on Amazon.

Hello. As long as you feed Hadli the best quality food you can, keep her up to date on her vaccinations, keep her on heartworm preventative there is not much else for you to do but supply plenty of love. Where people get into trouble is when they try to over-supplement a pet & thus introduce imbalances. Do not let your pet become obese, give her plenty of exercise, & follow your veterinarians recommendations for any testing that might be appropriate as she ages. Just like they recommend for you & me, eating a healthy balanced diet is far more important than any supplements you can buy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh no! So sorry to hear about Matilda. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. I am glad we were able to give you some help. Sometimes despite our best efforts they don't get well. At least she knows she was really loved by you and your wife and she is now in a better place with her brothers and sisters. Take care and please know we are here if you have any more questions in the future. Oh, and thanks for the photos! She was a doll :)

Congrats on your new dog! It's fine to keep a dog indoors when you have kids. I also have two little kids, and have two dogs as well as four cats that live in the home. Be sure to keep Pepper up to date on her flea treatments, deworming treatments, and heartworm treatments. You can take her into the vet to get those, and while there, make sure she is up to date on her vaccines. You can bathe her once a month, more if she gets really dirty. Get her a dog bed to sleep on, but it's fine to let her sleep on the bed. I may have done that myself when my husband has been out of town lol! I hope this helps!

I'd recommend starting with this free download that focuses on behavior: https://www.dogstardaily.com/storefront/after-you-get-your-puppy You also need to take Athena in for a vet visit ASAP for a general check up and determination of when she needs her next vaccines. Ask them to talk to you about socialization and check out this link: https://www.longmonthumane.org/sites/default/files/media/attachments/Puppy_handoutfinal.pdf The biggest rule, in my opinion is to never ever ever ever never leave the two alone together and separate them if you aren't actively watching. Athena is going to be a big girl soon, and if your son does something that scares her (because he's a baby and will do that as he gets bigger/more mobile), she may react with a bite, and because she's big it will be a serious bit. All dogs will bite in the right circumstance. This rule also allows you to teach your son appropriate behavior with dogs, because you'll catch every time he's too rough and be able to redirect him. I know first hand how hard this rule is, and you will eventually relax it (because we're all human), but know that you're putting your son in some risk whenever you do, so many sure you're really confident. Boys ~4-7 years old are the most likely to be bit by dogs, and it's usually in the face - they just do stupid things and dogs react normally, and it doesn't end well. Finally, be familiar with normal dog body language ( https://positively.com/dog-training/understanding-dogs/canine-body-language/ ) so you know when Athena is uncomfortable and can remove her or your son from the situation. Have so much fun with them! They will be a cute pair :)