My family has historically owned Great Danes, there are sepia-toned photographs of my mother as a child dwarfed by the gentle giants that were her best friends. My sister currently owns a Great Dane rescued from a neighbor who could not care for such a large puppy. Giant dogs do have giant needs! (You can find Great Dane puppies and adult Great Danes for adoption here.) I was reminded of this after reading an article about how living with such a large dog – or two or three – does have its special challenges and rewards. “What does it say about you if you choose to live with a giant breed dog? It certainly seems to say that you’re willing to share! Giant breed dogs need more of everything, period. They require more food and a bigger dog bed. And good training is really important – they can, after all, easily reach the food on the counter, or knock a person down with an overly-friendly greeting!”
How big is a giant breed? Here are just a few examples. The Giant Schnauzer (yes, he even has “giant” in his name), weighs in from 55 to 80 pounds. The Bernese Mountain Dog can weigh up to 110 pounds. The Newfoundland can reach 150 pounds. And the Saint Bernard? Up to 200 pounds! Since it’s very possible that these dogs will weigh more than their owners, training is very important — especially walking nicely on a leash. Most giant dogs are described as calm, agreeable and pleasant. It’s almost as if they have no idea how big they are.
Since every dog is an individual, and every breed and breed mix has individual traits you’ll want to consider if you’re looking at adopting a giant breed dog, we recommend talking to an expert before adopting a giant breed dog. That expert could be a volunteer at a breed-specific rescue, or staff at a local spca or animal shelter who knows the dogs in their care. Big dogs offer a lot to learn, and a lot to love!
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N2 is quite the cat! He’s black and smooth. He’s charming. He’s a rescued kitty! And he’s also a rap star! Check out the catchy “
Chinchillas (affectionately known in Chinchilla circles by their nickname “Chin” or “Chins”) look like a cross between a rabbit and perhaps a mouse, but they are actually more closely related to guinea pigs than to rabbits. They are a popular pet because of their quirky and unique personailities, their super plush fur – fur that is so dense that even parasites like fleas cannot live in it – and of course how incredibly cute they are! Our friends over at 
shelter dogs begin to exhibit signs of kennel stress such as barking, jumping, or being highly reactive. In many cases the longer they’re caged, the worse it gets. This can turn off adopters who often assume that’s how the dog will behave outside of the kennel and may not realize it’s usually pent up energy from being at the shelter. All of this can prolong a dog’s stay and thus a vicious cycle is born. But there are ways to improve kennel behavior and hopefully increase adoptions as a result! If you are a shelter staff member, volunteer, rescuer, or dog trainer who can spend some time helping bring out the best in kenneled dogs, it can make all the difference in speeding up the adoption process and getting more pets into happy homes! Try the following steps to help socialize some kenneled canines. If possible, revisit these pooches a few times a week and do this drill so that you can help them practice good behavior regularly.
On Sunday, July 8, 2012, 
We received another #AskKatya question on our Facebook wall! Kari wrote in to seek help with her dog’s tendency to lunge and bark at other dogs while on walks and on leash, even though he gets along great with dogs off leash. 
Does your dog ever make you laugh – on purpose? Does he know he’s being funny? An even stranger question – does your dog find things funny? There are countless stories of dog antics and behavior that are funny, but most of those you’d have to say are unintentional. Humorous behavior may be repeated because of the positive reaction received. In this case, you can’t say the dog has a sense of humor, but is acting on positive reinforcement. But dogs may be a little smarter than that. Just as some people enjoy making others laugh, it would seem, so do some dogs. Author Stanley Coren tells of his Cairn Terrier, 
Another reason to adopt a pet for your family! On top of teaching your kids compassion and providing a home for a deserving friend, we’ve got another pro-pet-adoption point! A recent 
Last month, we asked you to 
Don’t you just love hearing happy adoption stories?! Well, check out this