Author Archives: mpet3

Testimonial Thursday

by

Eliza, 11 years old, listening to Music My Pet’s CD

Today a story of soothing intense separation anxiety with music. Karin Carson writes on Music My Pet’s website:

“Eliza is 11 years old and has always been a nervious Nellie. She is particularly bad these days since our other Dalmatian died a year ago. When we are all out of the house she shakes, rips up the sofa, and is generally miserable. So we got her a kitten, but that hasn’t helped. In these photos she is listening to Music My Pet. She fell asleep very quickly! It’s extremely soothing.”

Related articles

Dog TV?

by

ht_dog_tv_ll_120214_wblog

So here’s a pretty stunning idea for dealing with your dog’s separation anxiety: Dog TV.

Yeah, you heard it right. There is a new TV channel out there developed specifically for Fido! The creators have put in years of research and consulted multiple pet experts: vets, behaviourists, trainers, you name it.

DOGTV is recognized by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and uses concepts widely supported by leading organizations including The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as a valuable product that contributes to the enrichment and quality of dogs’ lives.

dogtv

Not only did the authors choose special music to play in the background – which is what obviously spiked my interest – but also adjusted the colours of the video to appeal to your dog. They have three content types: something to relax your dog, something to stimulate him and even some learning programmes. The primary objective: to not let your pooch get bored while you’re away. They will be rolling out the channel nation-wide to all major providers real soon, and in the meantime, if you don’t happen to live in San Diego, you can try it out with online streaming for just $9.99 a month.

I have to say, at first I wasn’t convinced. Despite my encouragement, Vadim never seemed to enjoy TV. However, I try and keep an open mind – after all who would’ve expected “special pet music” to work so well? – and having reviewed all the materials presented on the website, I think I’d be quite keen to try. After all, we do always leave the radio on for Vadim while we’re gone and perhaps it is part of the reason he has been so great about staying home alone. It does make me wonder how much it is the sounds that are of importance in the TV concept and how much the actual images. Especially since they warn you shouldn’t expect our dog to just sit there and watch, rather he’s supposed to come along and stare for a bit every now and then.

Anyway, I chose three videos that I felt best explain the whole concept, so that you guys don’t have to plough through the entire DOG TV website (though if you are curious, I’d recommend it). First up, prof. Nicholas Dodman – Program Director of the Animal Behavior Department of Clinical Sciences at Tufts University, MA; one of the world’s most noted and celebrated veterinary behaviorists; author of best sellers about animal behavior and their sensory perception – talks about the science behind Dog TV and gives an overview of the idea.

Next, a short sample of Dog TV content. I chose the relaxation part, since this is what I’m most interested in. Note the music playing in the background!

Finally, a testimonial from one of the shelters that joined the programme already.

Playing with Pinterest

by

I know this is seemingly unrelated to my core topics of storms, pet anxieties and music… But, I fell pray to the awesomeness that is Pinterest and really wanted to share some finds. I wouldn’t have made these if I hadn’t been searching for materials to write my next posts on MPet3. So, in a way it is all related. Also, what better way to distract a scared pet than with some new toys?

Vadim is pretty great at destroying whatever new toy I get him in record times. By now he will have probably demolished any Christmas present I may have gotten him. I was therefore always faced with two choices: spend a fortune on dog toys or abandon the idea of toys for extended periods of time. Now, I discovered I had a third way out: DIY pet toys! Pinterest is full of quick, neat and easy tutorials for all sorts of animal play needs. Here’s a few of my favourites:

And for my cat-owning readers:

For more ideas and other great pins:

Follow me on Pinterest!

Your favourite party tunes – pet style!

by

Start your New Year partying early with the most popular songs of late, in awesome pet style!

I came across PetCollective a few weeks ago and love their Youtube channel. Especially the pet music videos 🙂  Here’s 3 of my favourite so far:


Calm your dog on New Years Eve

by

New Years Eve is coming up! To us – dog owners – this translates to: stress, anxiety, panting, fidgeting, hiding, squirming, shaking and following the human everywhere…

But, as I mentioned, I’ve been preparing a little Christmas present for you all 🙂

To help with the stressful days to come, I’ve put together a playlist of all the pet relaxing music that I came across thus far. It’s a whooping almost-3-hours-long, ultimate weapon against firework frenzy! Just place an iPad, a phone, your laptop (or really any internet-connectible device with speakers) somewhere near your dog’s favourite hiding spot, open this page and hit play. To navigate the playlist, use the playlist button in the bottom right corner of the video.

Your dog should be noticeably calmer within minutes.

Can’t believe it? Read my story and check out some testimonials. But really, just give it a go!

And make sure you spread the joy – let no pet suffer this New Years Eve! All the sharing buttons you may need should be under the post 🙂 Also, I would very much appreciate comments on how the playlist worked for you.

The featured music comes from composers such as: