Highland Springs Pet Services, LLC

30/05/2015

Please be careful what flea and tick meds you give your dogs. http://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/trifexis-pet-owners-say-their-dogs-died-after-taking-a-popular-heartworm-preventative

A growing number of pet owners are blaming a popular flea and heartworm preventative for killing their dogs.

26/05/2015

Incredible. The US should be using these rats to help protect our Soldiers at war.

Visit the post for more.

18/05/2015

I don't think we will ever fully understand an animals' ability to transform our lives. They amaze me every day!

Caleb Howard was just 6 years old when a head-on car collision left him with broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. His heartbroken parents weren’t sure how quickly he’d be able to recover — or if he’d make it at all — as much of Caleb’s progress was nearly impossible to recognize. One day,... V…

12/05/2015

This would be amazing!

A new device is about to change the lives of children and adults living with Type 1 diabetes.

07/05/2015

He should have made her wait in her "cool" vehicle. Ridiculous!!!! Go Officer!!!!

This cop teaches a negligent pet owner a lesson she won't soon forget.

13/04/2015

You may think you know all of this already but take a moment and read over the tips offered :)
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-to-pet-a-dog

Petting a dog isn't as simple as you think. Follow trainer Mikkel Becker's tips on how to pet a dog and you'll have a canine friend for life.

13/04/2015

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/5-ways-you-are-stressing-your-dog-out

Trainer Mikkel Becker explains what you may be doing to add to your pet's anxiety — and offers advice on dealing with a stressed out dog.

27/03/2015

Put an END to Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders. EVERY SINGLE PUPPY FROM A PET STORE COMES FROM ONE OF THE ABOVE! NO responsible, respectable breeder would EVER place ANY of their puppies with a pet store...EVER. Know where your puppy comes from. Don't just ask, look for proof. Cute staged photos of a puppy with a fancy background is a MAJOR red flag in my book if that's all they have. Visit the breeder's home, see where the puppies are kept and in what condition, what condition is the mom in and the dad (if he's on site). How often are their bi***es bred beginning at what age and until what age? How many breeding dogs do they have? Can they realistically care for that many dogs providing more than just food, water, shelter? Dogs need, exercise, training, love, attention. They need to be part of a family, not left in a kennel all their lives, no matter how clean, and simply brought out for breeding, showing or what not.

AKC, UKC, CKC, ASCA, KC Registration doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. ANYONE can forge those documents and Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders are notorious for breeding dogs and using registration papers of deceased dogs and calling them purebreds.

Look into the breed you're considering and find out what health problems are of concern and what clearances are required of the breed at minimum. It's an easy search: http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/breeds.html
Does your breed have any quirks? For examples many breeds such as Australian Shepherds can produce puppies that are blind and/or deaf if both the Sire and Dam are Merles (their color). Also, many breeds carry genetic mutations that can now be tested for. Do not accept a "breeder" telling you health clearances aren't necessary for "pet" dogs.

Be Responsible and let's put an end to Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders.

17/03/2015

This, 100% sums up the importance of positive reinforcement/force free training! It's talking about humans but as you read the article keep thinking about your interactions with your dog.
"People need feedback. I am not advocating removing employee feedback at companies. In fact, just the opposite. Employees should get feedback early and often. But the feedback should be about how to improve performance instead of what that person isn't doing well. In other words, tell people what you want them to do instead of detailing what they’re doing wrong. If you want someone to do things the right way then you have to tell them what the right way is. "

Give positive feedback to bolster people's confidence... You will create an environment where people understand how to be successful, instead of just understanding that they somehow currently are not..."

https://www.kateheddleston.com/blog/criticism-and-ineffective-feedback

A friend of mine started racing motorcycles a few years back. Motorcycle racing involves having a pit person who helps you tune the motorcycle before, during, and after races—like with car racing. The first year he raced, his pit guy gave classic critical feedback, telling him all the things he was…

16/03/2015

"Just the way these elephants handle this situation, releases stress. How do animals teach - by example and encouragement. If this video doesn't help you understand what force free teaching is all about, then you aren't looking or listening. Animals do not put pain devises on, use pain, or yell. There are many examples like this in the wild. Even among predatory animals and their families. What you get is an animal who feels safe, trusts and is confident - and will teach other animals the same way."
~Diane Garrod

24/02/2015

A few chuckles to start your morning.

09/02/2015

Since I couldn't say it better myself I'll quote Victoria Stilwell, "Video has surfaced of a dolphin trainer kicking, hitting, and yelling at dolphins--and now he's a senior vice president at Georgia Aquarium. Many (including myself) are outraged by the story, but it also reminds me that we have such a long way to go before people feel the same outrage about punishment-based dog training methods. Why the double standard for two highly intelligent species?" https://positively.com/victorias-blog/dog-training-vs-dolphin-training-why-the-double-standard/

A recent dolphin training video has the public outraged. While it seems to be an accepted fact that dolphins are highly intelligent and worthy of humane training, I think the general public is still in the process of accepting the same about their dogs.