Welcome to the Good Pet Parent Blog!
Do you ever feel like you’re in information overload? Like whenever you type something into the search function of Google, you hold your breath and tense up, anticipating having to wade through what feels like hundreds of sites and a torrent of information before you find a satisfactory answer to your question?
Maybe it’s just me. But it’s exactly for this reason that I started Good Pet Parent. As a former veterinary professional, I know there is SO much information out there for pet Moms and Dads who have questions about the best ways to keep their pets healthy and happy. Much of it is credible, but unfortunately, some of it isn’t. My goal is to create one central place for pet guardians to find answers to all their questions on health, veterinary terminology, animal behavior, nutrition, safe pet products, training and communication.
And I can’t wait to get started!
How Did I Get Here?
I grew up in a quiet Ohio suburb with a passionate love for animals that has been with me ever since I can remember. I also had a fascination with medicine, which came in handy whenever I brought home the occasional wounded bird or orphaned baby bunny (our kitchen table made a great makeshift triage unit!)
I graduated with a degree in Sociology from the Ohio State University. Four years later, I followed my true calling and went back to school to earn an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology from Columbus State. After graduation, I joined an excellent group of veterinarians in a small-animal practice just outside of Columbus, where I worked for several years as a Registered Veterinary Technician, getting to do all the fascinating things that I had only dreamed of doing while I was growing up.
But then I had another fantastic opportunity… this time to escape the brutal midwestern winters and move to Phoenix, Arizona. It was during this time that I unofficially “retired” from veterinary medicine and began working in a different industry, which eventually led me to a company that seemed like the perfect fit for me.
Then in 2012, this company that I loved and had been a part of for almost 7 years was acquired. Over 200 people were laid off immediately. Although I was one of a small few who were asked to stay on and help integrate our business into the new company, after the first few weeks, it became apparent to those of us who remained that what was left of our company was probably not long for this world.
During this time, my thoughts repeatedly kept coming back to veterinary medicine. One perceptive colleague suggested I write a veterinary ebook, an idea that I’ll admit I didn’t take too seriously at first. But after careful reconsideration, I thought, Why not? Even after being away from clinical practice for years, I still received calls from family, friends, and colleagues asking for advice on veterinary and animal behavior topics. I realized how helpful (and fun!) it might be to try to take the information and experience inside my head and share it with other people. So I started writing my first book, a guide for better understanding veterinary terminology.
It’s a good thing I did, because I was laid off several months later when our company was shut down for good. I finished the final draft of the book and made another important decision: to start a blog site for pet owners who truly want the best for their pets.
Ready to Get Started?
So what can you expect from the Good Pet Parent blog?
- Relevant information in the areas of veterinary medicine, pet health and wellness, nutrition, communication, animal behavior, training, and breaking news in animal health.
- Information presented in a way that is not overly technical and is easy to understand.
- Posts filled with useful, credible content without distractions.
- My personal promise that I will do everything I can to bring you high-quality, interesting, helpful information that can be incorporated into daily life with the pets you love.
I know how precious time is, and I thank you for taking yours to read this! If you would like to join me, and receive a copy of my free ebook, “10 Ways to Better Communicate With Your Pet”, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter by signing up below.
And if you have any comments or suggestions, I would love to hear from you…please stop by and introduce yourself below!
Thank you, and I hope to see you on the blog again soon!
Happy Tails,
~Camille
Hi Camille. We have a mutual friend, JLK, who told me about your blog. She can attest to this problem that I’m facing with my 5 month old mix breed puppy. Do you have suggestions on what to do about poop eating? She is in love with her poo. Sometimes she just admires it, and other times she… well, you know… before I can pick it up. As JLK says, it’s “grody to the max”. Do you have any advice?
Hi Laura,
It’s nice to meet you! The official term for the distasteful behavior you’re referring to (well, distasteful to us, but obviously not to your puppy!) is called “coprophagia”. No one is exactly sure what causes this behavior, although there are several theories.
The good news is, coprophagia is actually quite common in puppies. Many experts agree that it may be just another way for a puppy to explore her environment. Luckily, most puppies grow out of this behavior.
Until your puppy discovers that there are more interesting things out there than her own poop, there are several things you can do. Be sure not to punish her whenever she starts the offending behavior. Instead, say “Leave it!” and immediately distract her with a favorite toy, using your happiest voice. You can also teach her to come to you right after she eliminates and reward her with a treat she really likes. Eventually your puppy will learn that her poop is not all that interesting, and you won’t have to spend any more time suppressing your gag reflex.
While you’re teaching these behavioral modifications, the easiest thing to do is to pick up after her every time she goes so that you’re immediately removing temptation. Eventually, she should learn to leave things alone, but for now, carrying a plastic bag with you is probably one of the simplest ways to help teach her that eating poop is not what the cool kids do. 🙂
Hope this helps…please let me know how it goes!
~Camille
Hi Camille, I was so excited to see this blog you have for the good of all animal lovers, your excellent knowledge is so helpful to people, thank you!
I am a preschool teacher who recently babysat for a family who has what looks to me as a wonderful black Giant Schnoodle. I literally fell in love with this dog he was so well behaved!! I was asked to take him for a walk with the 2 children one day & the older child held his leash. I was a little nervous at first hoping the dog would cooperate & not pull or run but he walked right along with us & even stayed behind a little bit. My question to you is this… do all dogs have to get trained to walk cooperatively or do some just have a more mellow, laid back personality and not necessarily trained to be cooperative? I have walked other dogs that stop every 5 feet to mark the territory but this dog only did this 3 or 4 times in the 3 walks I experienced. I was amazed!
Hi Jill,
Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m happy to be of help!
Regarding your question, it’s true that some dogs have a more mellow personality than others. Some of this depends on their breed, and some on the innate personality of the dogs themselves.
That being said, for almost all dogs, walking calmly on a leash is not usually something that comes naturally to them. Since dogs depend so heavily on their senses (especially their sense of smell), every time they go outside they are bombarded with stimuli, which immediately excites them. I imagine it would feel a lot like us stepping outside into Disneyland every day!
Dogs also love to explore, and we humans must walk frustratingly slowly to them. This is why almost every dog needs to be shown how to behave calmly when walking on a leash outside. I would imagine the dog you were taking care of was probably well-trained at an early age, since walking next to, or slightly behind you, would not be his first instinct.
So I would credit his owners for teaching him his good manners…which hopefully also extends to his human siblings! 🙂
~Camille