Tips for Selling Your Pet-Friendly Home
Jason Feldman, Chicago Realtor

Chicago Realtor Jason Feldman specializes in selling homes to and for pet owners. If you're trying to sell your home after many years of "pet-life," he'll have tips for making it more appealing to the buyer. He says sometimes pet owners become immune to the smell, so it's advisable to bring in a third party to assess the situation.

Jason states that when it comes to selling a house where pets have lived, it all depends upon the homeowner how hard or easy it will be. In other words, if they were a responsible pet parent, it will be a lot easier.

When selling a pet home, Jason said it's like having a newborn and baby-proofing your home. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around and you will see a lot more down at your pet's level than you would standing up. This includes nose-prints on glass; slobber buildup and scratches on surfaces.

When staging your house for buyers, you should pick up all food bowls and any pee pads. Clean all litters and move them out of the way. Clean up any items that may have any kind of odors, like pet beds. People will know there are animals living there, but the sights and smells don't need to hit them as soon as they walk in the door.

If possible, you should remove all animals from your home when it is being shown. If you can't remove them, they should at least be crated.

Jason believes it's not unusual for you to become used to the smells in your home and not notice pet smells anymore. As a result, it is a good idea to have someone else (perhaps a friend or neighbor) that doesn't spend a lot of time in your home, to come in and see if they notice anything.

If you follow these tips, you shouldn't have any problems selling your home, and who knows, someone else with pets might want to move right in.

Healthy Dogs Begin With Good Nutrition
Harrison Forbes, Solid Gold Pet Food

Harrison Forbes' career consists of being a dog trainer and animal behaviorist. He's been involved in the training and importing of over 700 police service dogs and has also been called upon to train dogs for films in Hollywood, including Francis Ford Coppola's film "The Rainmaker."

When he looks back over the years, Harrison sees how much has changed with our companion animals. One such thing is training. Years ago people didn't think you would begin training until the dog was six months to a year old. Harrison states that he does a lot of work with a dog from five weeks to 20 weeks, during the "imprinting" stage. It isn't really training, but includes socialization, getting them used to different surfaces and loud noises, going out in public and getting in and out of a car.

Some key tips that Harrison provides are doing research on the breed of dog you want. Find out what makes them tick and what things they are pre-disposed to, and use that to your advantage. For example, with a herding dog, start using training games and things that will allow herding instincts. Just use all of the information you have to your advantage and try to work your training accordingly.

Lastly, you want good, solid quality nutrition and good vet care to keep them in working condition. Think about it, an athlete couldn't eat a Happy Meal every day and stay in good health, so your dog needs to have good nutrition as well to stay in top health.

Harrison Forbes worked with Solid Gold Pet Nutrition. He tells us that Sissy McGill founded Solid Gold out of necessity. She was a breeder and shower of Great Danes. She became frustrated when she learned that the same bloodlines of Great Danes in Europe were living to be 15 to 16 years old and she couldn't figure out what the difference was. She then went over to Europe and spent a lot of time and found out that she was raising them the same, they were receiving the same type of vet care, but the big difference was nutrition. Sissy then started using the formulas that they were using. As a result, one of Sissy's males ended up living until the age of 16 on this diet.

Solid Fold Pet food was started out of true love by Sissy, and what it could do to make her own animals live longer and healthier, and not just "I want to start a pet food company."

Harrison had two senior dogs. His 130-pound Beauceron ate Solid Gold Fit & Fabulous. Because his dog slept about 22 hours a day, he ate the same amount of food as his 12-pound Shih Tzu mix, because his metabolism had slowed considerably. Harrison also had a young working dog, a Dutch Shepherd that ate Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, which is a high protein dog food for active dogs.

Pet Flipping - Seven Tips to Safeguard Your Pet - Dr. Debbie

Pet lovers beware of the disturbing criminal trend called "pet flipping." This is when a person steals a pet or takes ownership of a lost pet, and then sells the animal. Pets are typically sold on the Internet to make a quick profit. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has reported a rise in pet thefts.

Pet flippers most commonly target purebred dogs because they can fetch a high price, but even mixed breed dogs are at risk. Dogs are swiped from porches, fenced in back yards, dog parks, and cars. Some pet scams involve a person advertising as a pet sitter or trainer, who then disappears with your pet. Other scams involve someone who steals a pet and then responds to the lost pet ad, making money on rewards.

Top 7 Tips to Prevent Pet Flipping:

1. Don't Leave Your Pet Unattended
Avoid leaving your pet unattended, even in your own backyard. Don't leave your pet outside of stores or coffee shops. Tying your dog's leash up while you run that quick errand can give a thief the few minutes he needs to snatch your pet while you step away. Keep a watchful eye on your dog when visiting dog parks.

2. Get Your Pet Microchipped
A microchip is one of the best tools to reunite lost pets and serves as legal proof of ownership. Be sure to keep your contact information up to date with the microchip company.

3. Use GPS Collars
A GPS collar allows you to track your dog's movement minute by minute. These units can help you find your pet quickly if lost, but are of little use if a pet flipper removes the collar. I use the Tagg Pet Tracker for my dog and like that I can locate him to a precise location with my smart phone.

4. Get Your Pet Spayed or Neutered
Dogs that aren't spayed or neutered are especially prized targets to thieves since they are perceived as a money-making opportunity. Spaying and neutering also decreases the desire to stray and is good for your pet's health.

5. Research Pet Services Carefully
Before signing on for pet sitting or dog trainer services, research the business person's reputation with the Better Business Bureau. Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a reputable pet professional. Request references before using a new pet service.

6. Buyer Beware
Be cautious when buying a pet online and only use reputable breeders. Check out a breeders standing with the AKC and breed clubs. Be wary of individuals that lack documentation of breeding or veterinary health care records.

7. Sign Up For Doggie Facial Recognition Apps
High-tech facial recognition technology is now available to identify and track down lost pets with services like Finding Rover. Use your iPhone to download the app. Upload your pet's photo in their database and promptly notify Finding Rover if your pet is ever lost.

Pet flipping is so heinous because it exploits the cherished relationship between family and a beloved pet. Share this information with fellow pet lovers to spread awareness and halt this criminal trend.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend." Dr. Debbie's books.

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The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Accessorizing Your Pet
Joey Villani reviews the latest grooming trade shows and the strange accessories including fake eyelashes for your dog, fingernail polish and wigs. Some might think this is for the hardened pet lover who may be just a little nutty for their pet, and they're probably right.

Clothing is now old hat in the pet fashion industry. There are many new things to make the fashion market for dogs.

One new item is the fake eyelash. They are not applied right on the eyelid like they are on humans, but are placed just above the eyes, using the same type of glue. This looks really cool on some dogs, while others look ridiculous.

Another new item is hair extensions and wigs.

Some people think that this is cruel to do to pets, but if you watch them, you will see that some dogs really love the idea and know that something special is going on and they love the extra attention.

Animal Radio News - Lori Brooks

Study Shows What Goes On Inside Minds of Dogs
Five hundred ordinary people/wannabe scientists from all over the world contributed data to a study of what goes on inside the minds of their dogs. They did this by playing games with their dogs at home and submitting their information and results to help researchers find out more about canine cognitive skills and problem solving. What did they learn? From one game-like test they found that dogs rely more on their memory than their sense of smell to find a hidden treat. Most of us think dogs use their sense of smell for everything, but actually dogs use a whole range of senses when solving problems The data were collected through a website called Dognition.com which was started by the same doctor who founded the Canine Cognition Center at Duke University.

Couple Makes Extra Large Bed For Them and Their Pets
Have you ever known an animal that didn't want to sleep in the bed with you? Me neither. So how lucky are this couples' five cats and two dogs? They made a gigantic 11-foot wide bed that takes up most of their bedroom, but is big enough to share with all of their pets!

Law Prohibits Animal Abusers From Adopting Or Purchasing Animals
Laws and ordinances to protect animals are popping up all over these days, like the laws that prohibit pet stores from selling animals from puppy mills in cities and counties around the country. In New York, the Niagara County Legislature created a law to create a county registry of people who are convicted of abusing animals that would prevent any pet adoption agency or store from selling animals to them. Under this law, animal abusers would have to pay a $125 fee to register much like state sex offender registries. The animal abusers' photos, names and current addresses remain on the website for 15 years.

Have You Ever Heard a Giraffe?
Elephants trumpet, horses whinny, owls screech and dogs bark. But, do you know what the giraffe does? Experts have found out that giraffes might not say anything, but recordings show that they sure do a lot of humming. What experts have learned is that as evening progresses and sunlight dims, giraffes begin to hum at a super low frequency that is so low, it cannot be heard by humans.

Study Shows Infants Who Have Pets Have Less Allergies
There's some good news on the animals and kids allergy front. A study found that infants who share a home with furry pets were found to share some of the animals' gut bacteria, which might possibly explain why exposing children to animals early in life may protect kids against some allergies. In this research, the infants' mothers had a history of allergies, so the babies were actually at an increased risk of having allergies too. It used to be thought that exposure to pets early in childhood was a risk factor for developing allergies. One of the researchers was so encouraged she said, "If a family with a pregnant mother or an infant wants to have a pet, the family can be encouraged to have one, because the development of allergic disease cannot be prevented by avoiding pets."

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#1272)