💖 Tiny Blind Puppy Finds Home

💗 Blind Puppy Finds His Home

🐩 How Well Do You Understand Your Dog’s Emotions?

🙀 Can Anxious Dogs Really Get Better?

💸 Lotto Winner (at Bottom)

✍🏻 Submit poll to enter into lotto

^Heartwarmers
Tiny Blind Puppy Finally Finds His Home
 

• Allyson thought she just had a two-week foster on her hands when she brought Levi home, but as you’ll see, this tiny blind puppy is so adorable and lovable that there was no way she could ever give him up.

• Levi is a wonderful, loving pit bull who has been blind from birth. He struggled to find adoption due to his condition.

• Then, once Levi was a little grown up, a family approached Allyson with ANOTHER blind pittie puppy. So, Levi now gets to spend life with another dog who experiences the same things he does.

• Click below to meet Levi and his baby brother, Jax.

 Weekly Reads 📖 🐾

Take a look at some of our newest pet health articles below:

• What Does it Mean if Your Dog Struggles with Stairs?

• Key Causes of Joint Injuries in Dogs & How to Prevent Them

• What to do if Your Dog Starts Limping

^{Front Page Pets}
Research Questions Whether We Understand Our Dogs’ Emotions

• 🐶 Think you understand your dog? Think again! ASU research shows that humans often misread their dogs' emotions, projecting their own feelings onto their pets.

• 🎥 Experiments reveal a surprising truth—people judge a dog's emotions based on the situation, not the dog's actual behavior. Could you be making the same mistake?

• 🧐 Your dog’s "guilty" face might not mean what you think—learn why human biases make it harder to truly understand your pet’s emotions.

• 🐕 Want a stronger bond with your dog? Discover expert-backed tips on how to see beyond human assumptions and truly understand your furry friend.

Can Anxious Dogs Really Get Better? Let’s Find Out.

Watching your dog struggle with anxiety—whether it’s pacing, whining, trembling, or hiding—can be frustrating and heartbreaking. Many pet owners want to help but don’t know where to start, and while prescription medications can be an option, they often come with side effects that dull a dog’s personality. The good news? There are effective ways to manage and even improve anxiety in dogs without compromising who they are. Let’s break down what works, what to avoid, and how to measure progress so you can truly help your dog feel better.

Proven Techniques for Managing Stress in Dogs

Addressing anxiety requires a combination of behavioral techniques, lifestyle adjustments, and sometimes natural supplements. Here’s where to focus your efforts:

• Consistent Routine: Dogs thrive on predictability. Feeding, walking, and bedtime schedules should remain as stable as possible to provide security.

• Desensitization & Counterconditioning: Gradually exposing your dog to anxiety triggers in a controlled way—while pairing them with positive experiences—can help reframe their response.

• Physical & Mental Enrichment: Exercise, puzzle toys, and scent games help burn off nervous energy and provide mental stimulation, making a calmer dog overall.

• Calm, Confident Leadership: Dogs pick up on human emotions. If you remain calm and confident, it helps reinforce their sense of security.

• Safe Spaces & Comfort Tools: Creating a designated “safe zone” with a comfy bed, soft lighting, and familiar scents can help your dog decompress. Weighted blankets and pheromone diffusers can also provide additional comfort.

Key Options for Different forms of Anxiety

Different types of anxiety require different approaches. Here’s how natural solutions can help in various situations:

Situational Anxiety (Thunderstorms, Fireworks, Vet Visits)

• Pheromone Diffusers: Products like Adaptil mimic a mother dog’s calming pheromones, providing a sense of security.

• Weighted Anxiety Wraps: Similar to a weighted blanket, wraps like the ThunderShirt apply gentle pressure to help dogs feel more secure.

• Herbal Calming Treats: Formulas containing chamomile, passionflower, and valerian root can help take the edge off without sedation.

General Anxiety (Nervousness, Restlessness, Overstimulation)

• Daily CBD Supplementation: Low-dose CBD can provide ongoing support for dogs prone to anxiety.

• L-Theanine and Tryptophan: These amino acids help regulate mood and encourage relaxation in anxious dogs.

• Consistent Routine & Enrichment: Anxiety-prone dogs benefit from regular schedules and stimulating activities like puzzle toys and scent games.

Separation Anxiety (Distress When Left Alone)

• Desensitization Training: Gradually getting your dog used to alone time in small increments can help reduce distress.

• Interactive Toys & Treat Dispensers: Keeping your dog engaged with long-lasting treats or puzzle toys can distract them from your absence.

• Calming Supplements: CBD, L-theanine, and passionflower may help ease separation stress when combined with behavioral training.

Signs of Progress, and What to Expect

Improvement won’t happen overnight, but here’s what to look for as signs that your efforts are working:

• More Relaxed Body Language: Less trembling, lip licking, or tail tucking.

• Shorter Recovery Times: If your dog recovers from a stressful event faster than before, you’re making progress.

• More Confidence in Triggers: A previously anxious dog may begin showing curiosity rather than fear in situations that once caused distress.

• Increased Engagement: A dog that was once withdrawn due to anxiety may begin showing more playfulness and affection.

Every dog progresses at a different pace, but consistency is key. Some may show improvement in weeks, while others may take months to fully adjust.

Even with the best intentions, certain actions can backfire and make anxiety worse:

• Reinforcing Fear Responses: Comforting a scared dog too much (like excessive petting or baby talk) can unintentionally reinforce their fearful behavior.

• Skipping Behavioral Training: Relying only on supplements or calming products without addressing the root cause can delay progress.

• Overexposure to Triggers: Pushing a dog too quickly into stressful situations without proper desensitization can make anxiety worse.

• Inconsistent Responses: If one family member comforts an anxious dog while another ignores or scolds them, it creates confusion and prevents improvement.

Final Thoughts: A Balanced Approach to Anxiety Relief

Helping an anxious dog requires a mix of structure, patience, and the right support tools. By focusing on routine, behavioral training, and enrichment while avoiding common pitfalls, you can make a real difference in your dog’s quality of life. Progress may take time, but with consistent effort, most dogs can learn to navigate their world with greater confidence and ease.

If your dog struggles with anxiety, start small, stay patient, and celebrate each step forward. The bond you build through this process will make the journey worth it—for both of you.

^{Best Friend Moments}
“Scary” Rescue Dog Actually Just Wants Kisses

^{_{The Tail Wag Tribune}}
This Week’s Key Pet News

Vineyard Owner Clones Grapevine Dog

• World’s First Cloned Winery Dog – Flambeaux Winery in Sonoma County has introduced Mella, believed to be the first cloned winery dog. She is a genetic twin of their beloved Maremma dog, Stella, born nine years later, sparking fascination and debate.

• The Science and Cost of Cloning – Texas-based ViaGen Pets & Equine, which has cloned hundreds of pets since 2014, created Mella for $50,000. While cloning offers a way to preserve a pet’s genetics, it remains controversial and financially out of reach for most owners.

• Nature vs. Nurture – Though Mella and Stella are genetically identical, their personalities are already showing differences. Mella plays with toys and responds to music—behaviors Stella never exhibited—highlighting how environment shapes an animal, even when DNA is the same.

82-Year-Old Woman Reunites with Cat After Wildfires

• Incredible Feline Survival Story – After the Palisades wildfire destroyed her home, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer feared her beloved Maine coon cat, Aggie, was lost forever. Two months later, a call from a Los Angeles animal shelter brought an emotional reunion that quickly went viral.

• Aggie’s Miraculous Recovery – Found in a state of severe starvation, Aggie has undergone multiple blood transfusions and is still receiving medical care. A GoFundMe campaign to cover her veterinary bills has already raised over $21,000, demonstrating the outpouring of support from animal lovers worldwide.

• A Message of Hope for Pet Owners – Kiefer encourages pet owners not to lose faith in their missing animals, emphasizing the resilience of cats. As Aggie prepares to come home, her story serves as a testament to the strength of the human-animal bond and the power of hope.

Snowmobiler Hailed as Hero for Finding Lost Dog

• Rescue Dogs Take on the Iditarod – Unlike most mushers who race with purpose-bred sled dogs, Justin Olnes is competing in the Iditarod with a team largely made up of rescues from Alaska shelters, proving that these dogs have the heart and capability to tackle the grueling race.

• The Gamble and Reward of Racing with Rescues – Adopting dogs from shelters for mushing comes with uncertainties, but Olnes embraces the challenge, finding that a diverse kennel brings unexpected strengths and adaptability to the team.

• More Than Just Racing – Even if some rescues don’t make the cut for long-distance racing, they still find meaningful roles in Olnes’ kennel—whether running shorter distances or helping socialize foster dogs. His goal is not just to finish the race but to highlight the hidden potential of shelter dogs.