Frequently Asked Questions

A: Ulric is Britain's fattest cat and weighs as much as an average three year old child. The Norwegian forest cat has been placed on strict diets and even entered a pet slimming competition where everything he ate was weighed. He still didn't lose any weight.  When his owner realized Ulric was quite good at stealing his sister's food she tried to take him for walks to lose some weight, but he refused to go along with that. What is a cat lover to do? Uric's owner enrolled help from a dog. Dennis is a five month old pug-cross who has turned into Ulric's personal trainer. The puppy chases the cat around the yard, plays, and wrestles, and after three months with the dog, Ulric has lost more weight than in 16 months of dieting. //youtu.be/iJYgo1a-rhc

A: If you have an energetic dog that loves balls, Flyball might be an ideal sport. It's a team sport, and a form of controlled chaos that involves a lot of running and jumping. The dog needs to be able to focus around distractions and in good enough shape to run and jump. Flyball is played in teams with four dogs in each team. One end of the course holds a starting line, and the other a specialized box where the dog will release and catch a tennis ball that is to be carried back to the starting line. In between are four jumps. Each dog in the team must complete the course. That is, run over the jumps, trigger the box to release a ball, catch the ball, and return with it, going over all four jumps. The next dog in line can't cross the line before the dog currently on the course returns. If a dog would run on the side of a jump, or return without the ball, he or she must run the course again. The height of the jumps are based on the team's shortest dog, so everyone wants to have a small dog on the team. Flyball is one of the most athletic dog sports. At a flyball tournament, a team might run between 18 and 24 heats in a day. Add in reruns for starting too early, missing a jump, or some other error, and a dog can easily run 40 times during a weekend. To start training, your dog needs to get used to noisy and busy places. At a competition there will be dogs running around, barking, people running back and forth, balls, and other distractions. Train to stay calm around distractions, and train recall with distractions. You can also train jumping, chasing you, tugging, and building the dog's general strength through swimming and jogging. Search for a club and classes in your area. This is a great sport with a lot of fun, and an opportunity for both humans and dogs to make friends.

A: There are many stray dogs in Ecuador, and up until recently, Arthur was one of them. No home, no family, no name. That is, until he ran into Team Peak Performance - a Swedish team competing in Adventure Racing World Championship.  One of the theme members gave Arthur a meatball. Being a smart pooch, Arthur figure out that if there's one meatball there are probably many, and he decided to tag along on the team's trek. To start with the team tried to shoo him away, because a 430 mile endurance race in the rainforest is not for the faint of heart, and it is no place for a dog. Arthur didn't give up. He followed the team all the way to the finish line. Sweden is located on a peninsula and free from many animal diseases that plague other countries. There is a strong legislation meant to keep harmful diseases away, and bringing an animal there is easier said than done. Luckily for Arthur, his loyalty moved his new teammate into falling in love with him, and they arranged for him to travel to Sweden. Miraculously, the vets gave him a clean bill of health, and he can now enjoy the spoils of Scandinavia.

A: The big eating holiday is finally here, and odds are tempting smells are pulling both humans and pets towards the kitchen. Yesterday we shared some tips of Thanksgiving foods that are okay for dogs and cats to eat, and some they shouldn't have. Today we'll share some recipes of special Thanksgiving foods for dogs. If you really want to share the holiday spirit and make your furry friends something special, we have a couple of ideas. Pumpkin Smoothie for dogs This is really easy to make, and most dogs love it. Mix equal parts plain nonfat yogurt and canned pumpkin puree. (Make sure it's not pie filling - the cans look quiet similar.) Serve as  a liquid, or freeze for handy, cool treats. Turkey Meatballs for dogs 6 ounces ground turkey 0.5 cup finely chopped carrots 0.5 cup quinoa or oatmeal A pinch of kelp powder Place the carrots and turkey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add quinoa/oatmeal and the kelp powder and blend some more. Roll into meatballs (it's easier if you wet your hands with cold water) and bake in 400 F on a non-stick cookie sheet. They need around 15 minutes in the oven.

A: Dog owners know their pooches understand language, and past research has shown that dogs respond to different parts of human speech, making a difference between content and emotional tone. New research shows that dogs process speech in a way similar to humans. Naturally, this doesn't mean that all dogs understand all human words. Dogs must learn our language, and different individuals can retain different amounts of words. The study shows that dogs process words with the brain's left hemisphere - just like humans do. This part of the brain processes syntax and words. Dogs and humans both process emotional tone with the brain's right hemisphere. Does this matter? It helps explain how dogs became man's best friend - they can truly tell the difference between meaningless sounds and words that are important to them. They love us back, see us as their family, listen to what we say, and understand.

A: When working with a load-bearing wall, it is important not to compromise the structural integrity of the wall. You can still install a PlexiDor through a loading bearing wall, but the way to do it will differ with the pet door size. PlexiDor sizes up to and including the large door will fit between the studs in a wall, so the framing structure won't change. Just removing insulation will not weaken your wall. If you're installing an Extra Large PlexiDor, it's wider than the space between studs and you you will need to cut one. Add a cross member support to the framing to even the load - this will ensure the weight is still distributed evenly. If you have any questions, call our customer service at 1-800-749-9609.

A: If you find you cant program a new collar key for PlexiDor Dog Doors, it may be a simple answer. The most common issue with programming new keys for the PlexiDor Electronic is that too many keys are already in use. The circuit board can handle up to ten keys. If for instance a couple have been lost and need to be replaced, the 11th key will not be programmed. The solution is to first delete all the collar keys and then re-program them. If no key opens the pet door, not even the ones that were delivered with it, the antenna might not be connected. Read this article for help on troubleshooting the antenna.    

A: The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention recently presented their latest survey with sobering numbers. 54 percent of US pets are overweight. 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats have been classified as overweight or obese, and that equals 88.4 million pets. To make the news even more disturbing, 15 percent of cat owners and 22 percent of dog owners think their overweight pets are within normal range. The additional weight comes from a lack of exercise, and overfeeding. It is easy to forget how small a pet is compared to a human. A typical dog biscuit fed to a 20 lbs dog is the equivalent of a person eating two double-stuffed fudge cookies. Giving a pig ear to a  40 lbs dog is the same as a person drinking six cans of soda. Excess weight in pets often shorten the life span. It can lead to joint disease, diabetes, heart conditions, and skin disease. Good ideas to keep the pet's weight under control include: * Exercise * Use a smaller food bowl - it's easier to overfeed a pet when the bowl looks empty * Use a measuring cup * Follow feeding instructions, and check every time you change foods, because the calorie  contents might be different * Limit the treats

A: In May last year, Ms Navarro's two dogs Maggie and Blue were stolen from her back yard in Galveston Texas. Blue was just a few weeks old at the time, and after searching for months Ms Navarro thought she'd never see either dog again. Maggie still hasn't been found, but Blue turned up at a shelter in Indiana a few days ago, and the shelter tracked down Ms Navarro from Blue's microchip. The joy of Blue being found was soon clouded by an everyday problem; Ms Navarro didn't have the funds to travel over a thousand miles to go get her dog. Fortunately, dozens of people offered to help. It didn't take long before retired deputy Ricky Mitchell set off for Indiana together with his brother and one more retired Sheriff's office employee. The three drove all the way, and posted photos of state signs they passed along the way. The men drove through the night to get Blue home as quickly as possible. You can read more about this story in the Galveston County Daily News - the paper has a series of articles about Blue and her journey home.

A: February 14th was the annual pet theft awareness day in the USA. Pets are stolen every day around the year, but there are some easy safety measures to take that will reduce the risk, and some tips that might help with retrieving a lost pet.  Make sure that your pet is microchipped and that your information is updated. This will aid in returning a lost or stolen pet to you. Never leave your pet unattended in a car or public area. Keep an accurate identification file for your pet. This should include a detailed description and several photos. If your pet is lost or stolen Visit your local animal shelters at once, and keep checking back with them every day. It is also a good idea to visit veterinarians in the area, contact animal services, and the police. Search everywhere. Pets can hide in strange places. Use the power of social media. Post pictures on your Facebook page and ask people to share. Distribute flyers, talk to neighbors, and chat with delivery men, postal workers, and others that move around your area on a daily basis.