Dogs have a way of constantly entertaining us, but some of their habits can seem downright weird. From licking their paws, licking their humans, and digging, to tilting their head when you talk to them, we discuss what may be driving these silly but decidedly canine behaviors. Everyone has a specific way that they prefer to clean themselves, whether that be by showering, by bath, or… by licking? Many animals, although usually not humans, get rid of dust and debris found in their fur by licking themselves spotless. Specifically, house cats and other felines are renowned for their constant self-bathing. But, are cats the only pets that lick away until they feel squeaky clean? Most can likely recall seeing a dog, likely an older one, licking their legs and paws, so the answer has to be “no”… right?

Well, the answer is a lot more complex than that. Occasionally, yes, dogs do lick some dust and dirt off of their fur, however, there are other more significant reasons for said licking. Oftentimes, dogs partake in “compulsive licking” which is their way of subtly communicating fear and nervousness. This type of licking does help relieve stress, serving as a stimulating activity, but only to a certain extent. However, obsessive licking reinforces anxiety and only escalates these negative emotions. 

1. "Kissing"

Another habit that dogs have that involves licking, is giving us humans a boatload of “kisses”. This affectionate gesture that leaves most absolutely overwhelmed with joy is a lot more complex than meets the eye. While yes, dogs do lick people in order to show their love, there are a couple of other reasons behind their actions. One of these reasons is a somewhat obscure idea.  According to an article published by the American Kennel Club, sometimes, a dog may lick someone because they like how they taste (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/why-is-my-dog-licking-me/) . However This should not be taken the wrong way, your dog does not want to eat you, they may just enjoy the taste of salt on your skin. This is a common occurrence in the animal kingdom, most popularly observed in mountain goats, who lick the sides of mountains because of the salt reserves within them.

2. Digging

Another thing that some dogs do that confuse pet owners, is dig while inside. On occasion, you may find your furry friend pawing and scratching away at the couch, rug, or floor, with no clear explanation. The reason behind this is similar to their licking habit, which is to release frustration, stress, and energy. The digging serves as physical stimulation and helps them deal with their emotions, similar to how humans have a tendency to fidget with random objects. Also, according to studies documented by authors at Rescue Dogs 101, digging may also be a result of anxiety and other negative factors (https://www.rescuedogs101.com/how-to-stop-my-dog-from-digging/).

3. Head Tilting

As stated in the previous entries, dogs have many similar habits to humans, including some when it comes to communication. While humans who are engaged in a conversation nod their heads to signal that they are paying attention, dogs tilt their heads to show interest and intrigue. This non-verbal way of communicating encourages the continuation of the “conversation” as well as human attention and care. Another reason that dogs tilt their heads, is because of their relatively limited directional hearing, meaning they have to turn towards some sounds to more clearly interpret and register them correctly.

Top 3 places to find and adopt dogs

As we all know, finding the right breed of dog that fits your lifestyle can be a very intricate process, consisting of hours upon hours of research and seemingly endless discussions with one’s family. One of the most important aspects of selecting which furry friend you will bring into the household is being conscious of your financial situation. Theoretically, with enough money, almost any dog can be purchased and placed in an ideal living situation; However, not everyone can afford a purely bred canine, nor can they afford to sustain the lifestyle of a more demanding breed. Aside from the financial portion of bringing a pet into the household, adoption of rescue animals is a much more humane alternative to selective breeding for a specific puppy. Many of the animals that you may find on adoption websites are in dire need of a new home, often finding themselves in a life or death situation.

Local animal shelter (aka- the pound), and Nearby Humane Society Center

Almost every large city in the United States has an animal shelter, if not multiple. These locations offer temporary housing to less fortunate animals, who have been neglected and abandoned in the past. One of the benefits of adopting an animal shelter is that the workers are required to provide you with all they know regarding the dog in question, whereas other websites may not list everything. For example, shelters often list the previous living conditions if available, aggression levels, age, health information, and breed. The two biggest reasons for why we highly advise anyone looking for a pet to check out their local animal shelter are as follows. Primarily, many animals at shelters will be euthanized (put down) if not adopted in a certain amount of time, which means that they are in desperate need of a home. Secondly, adoption is a very inexpensive option (could be as low as $50 dollars according to an article by animal expert Ashley Davidson at https://be.chewy.com/pet-parenting-pet-lovers-dog-adoption-fees-explained/)  in comparison to outright purchasing a new animal. 

The only issue with this however, is that because of how busy these organizations are, their websites may be difficult to navigate and likely require you to visit in person.

Adoptapet.com 

The website “Adopt a pet” is a very optimal way of finding a dog to rescue, with there being multiple filters to make searching for your ideal fur baby significantly easier. Some of these filters include, area limitations, breed, age, color, sex, size, and other additional details. The website is also very easy to navigate, and free to use! Another benefit of this website is that it works closely with animal shelters all over the country in order to find homes for as many animals as possible.

Petfinder.com

“Petfinder.com” has the most family friendly, easy to navigate interface among all adoption and rescue websites. This website provides numerous filters to help you find an animal (not limited to just dogs and cats!) from one of the 11,500 nation-wide shelters in its network. Along with the extensive amount of information provided at face value, the website also provides free articles regarding adoption and animal care. 

Looking for inspiration for a new furbaby you are about to welcome into your home? We here at House of FurBaby, see thousands of names each year. This list is full of inspiration in names we saw in 2022, that are sure to be a hit for 2023. With unique dog names, cute puppy names, and popular dog names that will be a sure fit for your new bundle of joy, enjoy and you might just spot a winner.

In no particular order, here are our very favorites!

1. Rosie
2. Watson
3. Hazel
4. Dixie
5. Lucy
6. Suki
7. Pepper
8. Luna
9. Reina
10. Penny
11. Carmella
12. Toby
13. Gracie
14. Bella
15. Dolly
16. Izzy
17. Mila
18. Gia
19. Stella
20. Delilah
21. Ryder
22. Boo
23. Koda
24. Charlie
25. Cricket
26. Wednesday
27. Midnight
28. Kitty
29. Bear
30. Concha
31. Star
32. Leo
33. Pinky
34. Ginger
35. Dooley
36. Shelby
37. Piper
38. Annie
39. Otis
40. Sunny
41. Sadie
42. Rudy
43. Phoenix
44. Muffin
45. Daisy
46. Lulu
47. Dinah
48. Kennedy
49. Coco
50. Bentley
51. Snuggles
52. Boss
53. Lily
54. Klondike
55. Pootie
56. Amara
57. Deuce
58. Stetson
59. Peanut
60. Winnie
61. Savannah
62. Morris
63. Chanel
64. Cash
65. Cleo
66. Gus
67. Harley
68. Rocky
69. Timber
70. Bosco
71. Phoebe
72. Polly
73. Baxter
74. Dash
75. Elvis
76. Nelson
77. Maya
78. Nova
79. Diesel
80. Jasmine
81. Lulu
82. Chico
83. Mira
84. Greta
85. Chewie
86. Stormy
87. Harlow
88. Odin
89. Gemma
90. Fendi
91. Jojo
92. Eva
93. Buffy
94. PJ
95. Olive
96. Teddy
97. Louie
98. Pongo
99. Tiaka
100. Neo

How cold is too cold for your pet to be outside?

Kael Laselva- Contributor for House of FurBaby
11.12.22

It’s about the time of year where the weather dictates whether or not you want to leave your cozy residence. Although, at the end of the day, even if it is below freezing, you still have your brand new winter coat! We all know that thinner jackets aren’t necessarily comfortable when going outside in the latter months of the year, so we tend to wear our big, fluffy coats to make sure that we don’t freeze out in this frigid weather. Much like our winter accessories, the size and thickness of our furry friends’ “clothing” determines the temperature that they can comfortably be outside at. By this I mean, depending on the type of fur that a dog has, they may be able to resist weather that other dogs could not. 

For example, bigger dogs with thick hair, such as huskies, can withstand much lower temperatures than a smaller dog could. There are two central reasons for this. The first being that the thicker the fur of an animal, the more insulation it provides, keeping body heat from escaping. Secondly, the size of the dog matters because of the amount of heat it produces. According to research articles about why the size of a pet matters in regard to temperature control (https://www.npr.org/2018/01/03/575321841/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-pets), a bigger dog will always generate more internal heat than a smaller one due to it having larger organs. Also, the age and health of a dog may also impact their tolerance to the cold.

As a basic guideline, medium and small dogs should be kept inside when temperatures are below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If walking is required to maintain your fur baby’s fitness level, make sure to limit them to 10 minutes or less out in the cold. Whereas larger dogs (according to an article titled “The 10 Best Dog Breeds for Cold Weather”), such as Huskies, Newfoundlands, and Saint Bernards, thrive in colder weather, being able to tolerate around 30 minute walks in any weather above 20 degrees. Although, each dog has a unique personality and hereditary traits, so make sure that they are comfortable when going on those merry winter strolls down your neighborhood.

Kael Laselva 
10.17.2022

As pet owners, we all love to play with our furry best friends whenever possible, yet sometimes when our availability waivers, some animal toys are required to help keep our pet content and occupied. There are many options to choose from, coming in all shapes and sizes, but there can only be a few gadgets that can truly be considered the cream of the crop. In order to identify which toys are truly the best of the best, multiple factors must be taken into account. These variables include popularity, practicality, durability, affordability, and creativity. Based on this criteria, at the end of each entry, there will be a rough estimate rating ranging from 1-10. So without further ado, here are 5 of the best toys/gadgets to keep your fur baby happy and occupied.

5. Squeaky Plush Toys

In the latter part of our list, comes the generic plush dog toy. Nearly every dog goes bananas whenever the first squeak is released from the toy, yet tends to lose interest after a short period of time. These plushies do earn points for their creative designs, as well as being very affordable compared to their competitors, yet to lose some credibility in regards to practicality and durability. Anyone who has ever owned a plush dog toy is aware of the mess that they make, or should I say, the mess that is made… of them. We would like to give it a 7/10.

4. Interactive ball launchers

From the outside looking in, an automatic ball launcher seems like the perfect gadget to keep your dog busy for hours at a time, the only issue being the excessive price for the machine itself (ranging from $90-$110 dollars on Amazon.com). Although, if you are willing to spend a little bit more on your furry friend, this may be one of the best options out there. This machine is very durable, creative, and popular, and only loses brownie points because of its affordability and practicality. We would rate it a 7.5/10

3. Laser Pointer

Ah, the good ol’ reliable. The laser pointer is one of the most well known and effective pet toys out there. This absolute rockstar of the toy world is a great option in keeping your pet busy for hours on end. Laser pointers can be VERY inexpensive, insanely portable, and perfectly effective, so why is it only 3rd on our list you ask? Well, although everything seems to be perfect with this gadget, the biggest knock on it is practicality. It requires a person to maneuver the laser around in order to keep your pet entertained, which goes against the initial problem erected in the introduction. Because it checks all but one box on our criteria, we shall deem it a 8.9/10 as a measure of keeping your pal entertained.

2. Bones/ Artificial Bones

This is as natural as a pastime can get for your furry friend. Large, strong bones provide a consistent chewing and teething tool, preventing plaque buildup, while also providing the dog with nutrients. Dogs who chew on bones are a lot less likely to scratch or bite at other things around the house, because the flavor in the bone is a lot more enticing for them to gnaw on. The only issue with bones, is that sometimes, owners purchase a bone not fit for their dog, rather that be because of size or sturdiness, which may end up harming the dog as a result. Although, as long as the owner looks into what bone will suit their fur baby the best, there should be no issues whatsoever. Authors at American Kennel Club go into more details regarding this in an article titled, “Can Dogs Eat Bones?” (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/exercise-caution-when-giving-your-dog-a-bone/). Overall, because this is a naturally sourced form of entertainment, our rating system doesn’t really apply here, but if we had to put it somewhere, it would be here at the number 2 spot.

1. A durable ball

The original, effective, and most popular pet toy in history. According to an article put together by authors at Pet Age, the ball has been reigning over its competition since the early 1950s/(https://www.petage.com/the-evolution-of-the-pet-toy/). Nothing can top one of the most basic, well known, and inexpensive contraptions ever introduced into the realm of pet owners. There are many websites that sell cheap, “indestructible” dog balls, including Chewy.com. Because of its pure originality and ingenuity, the ball receives, an almost perfect 9.9/10

The only thing holding the ball back from it’s true 10/10 potential, is the fact that oftentimes, your pet will give you the puppy eyes, ball in mouth, in an attempt to distract you from your menial tasks. Remember, no matter what toy you purchase for your pet, nothing can ever surpass the enjoyment they will receive from playing with their owner.