We have restocked our Patricia McConnell book collection. Dr. McConnell, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals. One of her new books Love Has No Age Limit, is for those of us adopting adult dogs. Her helpful advice includes information on how to handle the first few days and what to do as you get to know each other. Advice on training and on solving common behavioral problems that people encounter when adopting a new dog is invaluable. Remember, you can teach an old dog new tricks. For those that fall in love with a puppy, The Puppy Primer is a great place to start. This book is packed with positive reinforcement training tips and tricks. This would be a good compliment to any class taught by our friends at Spot and Company.

She is also author of the wildly popular The Other End of the Leash. “Ever wondered why your dog doesn’t always do what you want? Sometimes the answer lies in the mirror!” These are just a few of the McConnell books we have available. Even if you have a dog that has lived with you for years, we are sure she has a book you will find interesting.

Love Has No Age Limit is the perfect fit in our house. Two weeks ago we adopted Cooper from Hounds Haven Basset Rescue. He is an adult basset and has been a great addition to our home and Leash on Life. Please stop in to visit Cooper, he will be crazy happy to meet you. We think he is a Super Duper Cooper. We have not had the need to call him Cooper Pooper!

Nylabone has some fun chew options made just for puppies. All puppies need to satisfy that chewing instinct and to have non-destructive chewing encouraged. The various texture of the colorful toys will help keep junior occupied so you can take a moment to regroup for the next round of boundless puppy play. These chews are designed for teething puppies that do not yet have their permanent teeth.

We talk often of dogs with storm anxiety, but every pet owner should be prepared if a severe storm strikes their home. A 2011 poll by the ASPCA revealed that 35 % of cat and dog owners don’t have a disaster preparedness plan. Living in Iowa’s “if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes” climate, having a few basics in ready position this time of year ensures that you AND your pets are ready for anything. To get started, consider having:

• extra ID tags
• an extra copy of vaccination records
• a current laminated photo of you and your pets that can serve as proof of ownership
• extra medications, heartworm and flea/tick treatment in a waterproof container
• extra leashes and collars
• food and water
• disposable or collapsible bowls
• pet toys to alleviate stress (yours and theirs!)
• A kennel for cats and small dogs with their name and your contact information attached

Want to know more? Vicky DiBona, the owner of The Pet Sitters, is an excellent resource. She is an instructor for Emergency Care and Safety Institute’s Pet First Aid and Disaster Preparedness classes.

If your cat is like ours he sure seems to scratch where ever he pleases. We have just added an assortment of sitting, climbing and scratching options for your feline. The Kitty Tunnel and Lounge has a corrugated top, carpet and wood for clawing variety. The corrugated top is replaceable and makes a great perch. All of these purr-niture pieces are made is U.S.

Yes indeed, we should all wag more and bark less. But, the new soft training treats and crunchy treats from the makers of Buddy Biscuits are worth both a Wag and a Bark. They are wheat, corn and soy free with no artificial color, flavors or preservatives. Simple ingredients are simply good, with four flavors to try.

Groom your cat regularly. The more fur you remove from your cat, the less fur that will end up as fodder for hairballs in her stomach. Two great products to accomplish this are the Zoom Groom and the Furminator.

High fiber food. These formulas encourage hairballs in cats to pass through the digestive system.

Use a hairball product or laxative. There are a number of different hairball products on the market today, most of which are mild laxatives that help hairballs pass through the digestive tract.We have a couple options including treats and food additives. Cats that cough up hairballs more than twice a month should be checked by your veterinarian. Cat hairball becomes dangerous if the hairball causes intestinal blockage.

On any recent trip to Leash on Life you may have participated in or overheard a conversation on nutrition. Whether it is food, treats or chews, what makes up the diet of our four-legged friends is essentially up to us, as their supreme hunters and gatherers. One misconception we hear is about the word “meal”. Sometimes conscientious pet parents have wanted to stay away from anything that contains the word meal. There is no need for concern so let’s break it down.

For cat and dog food, high quality animal proteins should be specified on the label and listed as one of the first ingredients. Salmon, duck, chicken or lamb are examples of these proteins. Ingredients on the package are listed by their weight before cooking. So fresh chicken is an excellent ingredient, but once cooked that fresh chicken losses 60-75 percent of its weight to water and may no longer be the top ingredient. However, chicken meal is the meat, skin, fat and bone that is cooked down, fat skimmed and moisture evaporated. This meal is then added to the food. By weight, the meal contains a much higher percentage of protein than fresh meat. A chicken meal is only 10 percent water, so the meal provides greater protein content and is a quality source as opposed to using corn filler which you will see on lower quality foods. Look for foods that contain some lamb, duck or turkey meal, it provides more meat proteins for Fluffy after cooking. The rub comes when you read “by product meal” as opposed to a named meat meal. By-products include the heads, feathers and feet. Often “meat by-product meal” is indicative of lower quality meats and may not have been stored as carefully. Please stay away from the un-specified “meat” ingredient in general. If you wouldn’t eat “mystery meat” in the high school cafeteria, why feed it to your dog/cat now?