Fresh Start Pet Coaching

FSPC is expanding! Now serving the Temple, Belton, and Waco areas.

Stephanie Russell — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:21:23 +0000

Image by pt via Flickr I am very excited to announce that Fresh Start Pet Coaching is expanding our service area for our in person consultations. We already offer in person behavior consultations to the Austin and Georgetown areas. We will now also be offering in home consultations to the Temple, Belton, and Waco areas. Essentially, we [...]

Behavior Q & A: How often should I feed my dog?

Stephanie Russell — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:21:55 +0000

Image by basykes via Flickr Question: Is it OK to feed my dog only once a day? I know twice/day is probably ideal, but is once a day OK? We adopted a boxer several months ago, and are having trouble getting/keeping her on a good eating schedule. My husband and I both work outside the home, [...]

Kitten socialization: What does it mean and why does it matter?

Stephanie Russell — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:45:33 +0000

In my years of fostering I have had the opportunity to foster litters of bottle baby kittens twice. The term “bottle babies” is used to describe any unweaned animal and that has lost it’s mother for whatever reason and is being raised by humans with the help of a bottle. The black ball of fur you [...]

Cat Breed Spotlight: Is a Russian Blue for You?

Stephanie Russell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:31:24 +0000

Image via Wikipedia Most likely, if you are considering bringing home a Russian Blue, it is because Russian Blue’s are stunningly beautiful cats. But there is more to owning a cat than just looks and it’s important to determine whether or not your life style will meet the needs of this particular breed of cat. History: The [...]

Product Review: Petmate Litterlocker Plus

Stephanie Russell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:36:35 +0000

So, as a cat owner myself and as a professional animal behaviorist I am always looking for ways to make cleaning the litter box easier. Let’s face it. No one wants to scoop the litterbox, but it’s just something you have to do. Particularly, if you want to keep your cat from developing the habit [...]

Are you thinking about getting a kitten? You might consider getting two.

Stephanie Russell — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:20 +0000

Kittens are, in my opinion, one of the most playful animals on earth. A few months ago I fostered a couple of kittens for Austin Pets Alive! and I was reminded just how much trouble and fun a kitten can be. Not only do kittens have a very high play drive, but the get into [...]

Is your dog spending too much time in his crate?

Stephanie Russell — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:09 +0000

I recently attended a webinar titled “The Use and Misuse of Crates” by Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr Dan Estep, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists, based out of Colorado. Now I recommend the use of crates frequently to my clients, particular to the owners of dogs under 1 year of age. These pups are going through a [...]

Establishing the rules: setting house rules for your dog to follow.

Stephanie Russell — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:32 +0000

Image by cornfusion via Flickr Not long after I adopted Rusty I injured my back. I was on bed rest for a month and I was on strict orders not to do any bending. This meant that in order to pet my dog he had to jump up on my legs. Well that was ok when [...]

Can dogs learn from watching other dogs?

Stephanie Russell — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:00:15 +0000

Image via Wikipedia The short answer to this question is yes. In fact, yesterday our dog Torchy learned to go find his Frisbee by watching our other dog Zoe find her ball. “Go find it” is the command Zoe gets when I’ve thrown her ball for her and she looses it. Let’s face it, I threw the [...]

Dealing with the loss of a pet

Stephanie Russell — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:49 +0000

I write to you now, not from the objective viewpoint of a professional animal behaviorist, but from the perspective of someone who has been there and is there now. On Thursday December 3, 2009 our dog Cassidy passed away. I’m hoping by telling her story I will offer myself a productive and therapeutic way to [...]