Animals Unfolded

Play is something that we often forget about participating in as we age. We usually are reminded of how good it feels to partake in it when we have children, or for a lot of us, when we have pets. With that in mind, it's helpful to turn the tables and be mindful of how beneficial it is for our pets. As ethologists have learned from discoveries in their research, play isn't just a fun thing to do — it's vital. You see, as humans, during the process of play we learn, grow, think, reason, step outside of our comfort zone and acquire new skills in the process. We know from research that's been done that this is the case with animals, too. Learn more about how play is integral in brain development and enhancement by clicking here . And, as Jaak Panksepp, Ph.D. — an author and researcher — indicates, depriving young animals of play puts them at a disadvantage: it affects the maturation of the brain. His research showed evidence that the simple act of play increase...

It used to happen without fail: whenever I arrived to see one rather large Labrador retriever at his home for a pet sitting visit, within the first few minutes he'd run, leap up, grab ahold of me and well, for lack of a better word, hump me. Typically this sort of thing doesn't faze me too much, as I encounter all sorts of things on a given day. In this case, it's been a problem because it happens with regularity but more importantly he's a big dog -- weighing in at around 90 pounds -- and it's not fun to be pummeled by that much force. In fact, the first time that it happened, I wasn't expecting it and I face-planted into the snow. That's not something that anyone wants or needs to happen! For this particular dog, (I'll call him Sam) it's not only the notion of my being injured upon the initial contact that's a possibility, but once when he's engaged in this behavior, it can be a challenge to get him to stop (especially if I'm not e...

There's a neighborhood I walk a client in on occasion that boasts many homes with canine family members, and by and large, it's pleasurable and safe to walk in for both me and my charge, a young dachshund. There is one house that I avoid walking directly past without fail and for good reason: a potentially dangerous situation looms every time. Upon passing the home, I witness a sight that I see often on my travels (just one reason that I don't walk distracted by my phone or otherwise), and it always gives me pause. An adult German shepherd inside the home, gustily plants their body atop the back of the couch that is situated in front of a single-pane picture window, growling, vocalizing, clearly not able to control them self at the mere sight of my client and I making our way down the sidewalk. A less-out-of-control golden retriever always joins in within seconds and most definitely seems to follow the lead of their housemate. Unfortunately the location of my clien...