a gray cat lays in a cardboard box with a black cat sitting in the background on top of the box

Ask Crystal: Two Cats are Complicated

Dear Crystal, I have two young cats. Parker is the new guy and Miles the one who was an only cat. They are getting along well generally, playing together, hanging out peacefully in the same spots, using the same litterboxes, etc. The…
silhouette of a large dog sitting facing a woman

Ask Crystal: Adopting A New Dog

Hi! I want to get another dog because I had to put down one of my dogs and my other dog is 11 years old and a female. The only other dogs she knows are neighbor dogs, but I am afraid of what she would do. Help, how can I know?  Sincerely,   Looking…
white dog with black spots and ears stands nose to nose with a short haired tan dog

Ask Crystal: Unwanted Humping Attention

Dear Crystal, Just read your article on humping in dogs. However, I have a totally opposite problem. Our 13-month-old, neutered coonhound seems to inspire other dogs into humping him. He's not particularly submissive by nature and never…
a small brown puppy licks its news

Ask Crystal: Dog Socialization in a Socially Distant World

Dear Crystal,  We got our puppy (lab x standard poodle) during lockdown (in planning for 2yrs!) We did manage a short puppy obedience course and a couple of socialization sessions (without us - puppy dropped off) which he was good at.…

Ask Crystal: Old Dog, New Tricks?

Dear Crystal,  My cockapoo Abby is 9 yrs old and was raised with our other cockapoo who passed a few years ago. She was the friendliest dog and loved other dogs and people. Abby on the other hand doesn’t like kids and other dogs…
small brown dog looks out a window

Ask Crystal: Noisy Pup

Dear Crystal,  My dog Charlie barks at dogs and people especially if he is looking out the patio door. As he has gotten older he tends to handle people better when they come to the house. I don't walk him a lot because of this. Any ideas?…
Small black dog pulls on leash

Ask Crystal: Reactive Dog 101

Dear Crystal,  My dog pulls a lot and barks at most dogs.  He is a Pomeranian/ Spitz. How do I stop this?  Sincerely,  Barky Pup    Dear Barky, Reactivity is a very common problem in dogs and even yours truly…
a small light brown puppy lays in a crate with the door open

Ask Crystal: Puppy Potty Training

Dear Crystal, Our 9-week-old Cocker Spaniel puppy stays in a crate at night. We have been getting up twice to take him outside to pee and poop. We put pee pads in his crate at night, but he still occasionally has an accident. We are sleep…
A white, brown, and black dog jumps up on hind legs against a neutral background

Ask Crystal: Excited Greeter

Dear Crystal,  How can I get my dog to stop barking and jumping on me before I go out the door and when I come home?  Sincerely,  Excited Greeter    Dear Excited, Excited greetings are an extremely common problem…
a grey cat lays on a carpet platform with a rope scratching post next to it

Ask Crystal: A Shocking Behavior

Dear Crystal,  Hi, I have a great kitten named Binx. He recently started scratching the outlets. Why?  Sincerely,  Curious Kitty    Dear Curious, What an interesting question. I have not had experience with this particular…