By Mikkel Becker, vetstreet.com

Q. My dog hates to be in her crate. Do you have any tips for getting her to go inside and stay in the kennel?


A. Crate training can be challenging for dogs who already have negative associations with kennels. The trauma of being left alone in a confined area often outweighs the lure of treats. There may even be a component of separation anxiety tied to their distress.

Related: See Video on How to Crate Train Your Dog

Step 1: Address Separation Anxiety

Start by talking to your veterinarian about the possibility of separation anxiety. If you have the option, take a video recording of your pet when she's home alone and show it to your veterinarian. In many cases, canines with separation anxiety do better when they're not crated.

Once you've received guidance from your veterinarian about how to properly address separation anxiety - or rule it out altogether - you can proceed with retraining your pet to go inside the kennel. A vet may re

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This is completely crazy for me to say, but I think I want to get a dog. I blame the recent Westminster Dog Show on my sudden infatuation with getting a dog. There's no actual science behind this, but I suspect that I'm not alone and that after seeing prize-winning Pekingese and Chinese Shar-Peis, dog adoptions will rise.

For years we have vowed that we wouldn't get a dog again, at least not for a very, very long time. Between the shedding, slobber, vet bills, kennel bills, and dog poop, Tate and I both agreed that we didn't need a dog.

Yet last night I found myself googling "best family dogs" and "family dogs that don't shed." We still definitely don't need a dog, but I'm starting to get that itch - sort of like I did when we decided to start our family - that we want to add another little soul to our mix. A dog would be cheaper than a baby, though, right?

Related: The most popular pet names of 2011

My husband and I are dog people, but after having kids the romance of having a

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By Linda Merrill, Networx

Several years ago, I had a design client who owned eight rescue cats and two large Labrador retrievers. One of the rooms I decorated included a large formal portrait of the two dogs sitting side by side. Since the painting held so much meaning for her, it became the focal point of the space off of which all other items were set. In the painting, the dogs were sober and composed - which was not at all how they behaved in real life. The experience led me to investigate who paints dog portraits, and who buys them.

Christine Merrill (no relation to me) is a world-renowned artist whose work is represented by the William Secord Gallery in New York City. She has specialized in pet portraits since 1975. Dogs comprise about 99.99% of her commissions, with the majority being Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as well as Westies, Pugs and specialty breeds, aka "one-of-a-kind designer dogs".

Other pet portrait artists experience generally the same level of pop

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By David Aaron Moore, Networx

The thought of a feline urinating on a ceramic bowl generally reserved for the passing of human waste seems to conjure up endless reams of laughter among most individuals - both cat lovers and non.

Call it toilet humor if you like and throw in a joke or two about scatology if you feel so inclined, but for many cat lovers, teaching their four-legged friend how to use a toilet like us humans is serious business. "There are issues to consider when you have a kitty that uses a traditional litter box," says Richard Johnson, a cat owner who lives in Houston, Texas. "It's important to stay on top of it constantly. That's why I chose to toilet train my cat."

Feline fecal matter, especially when mixed with moisture from cat urine and traditional clay-based cat litter can potentially become a veritable breeding ground for bacteria. It's easily tracked out of the litter box, throughout the house and can ultimately be harmful to humans and other pets.

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By WebVet.com

Spoiling your dog doesn't have to mean spending lots of money. With a little love and creativity, you can ensure that your dog stays healthy and happy.

Diane Levy lives in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains of eastern Tennessee and shares her 50-year-old farm house with two cats and a dog. Self-employed, Levy knows how to manage work and life on a tight budget. She makes practical decisions influenced by a caring heart.

"I treat my animals the same way that I treat myself," Levy said. "We all eat well and get plenty of exercise. By spending my money on a quality diet today, I am saving myself money in the long run - fewer health problems and fewer vet bills."

Pay attention

Levy physically inspects her animals every day, running her hands from head to toe and tail, making sure they're OK. From her pets' point-of-view, they are being stroked, petted and loved. And they are.

"By being this connected to my animals I can respond quickly to them if

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By WebVet.com

Jeremy Lin is up for adoption! No, not the NBA sensation -- a seven-month-old puppy in New York City.

A good Samaritan dropped the 38-pound tan-colored shepherd-pit bull mix at the Animal Care & Control of New York City last week at the height of Linsanity. The pup was hit by a car, but survived without a scratch.

A shelter employee who played college basketball and is described by co-workers as "a huge Knicks fan" bestowed the raging moniker upon the pup after noticing the dog's affinity for a toy basketball.

"Obviously, because Jeremy Lin has been so popular and been in the news so much, the staff decided to give that name to the dog; we have a lot of sports fans that work for us," said shelter director Richard Gentles.

The New York Post reported that families interested in adopting the dog can visit the shelter beginning February 18th, but have to specifically ask to see Jeremy Lin, since he has not yet been neutered.

Jeremy Lin:

Photo credit: New York P

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The newest member of the royal family has been named. All hail Lupo, the 3-month-old Cocker Spaniel, Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William adopted a few months back. The puppy was part of a litter bred by Middleton's mom, Carole.

Read more about Kate and Will's favorite breed.

Like much of Kate and Will's personal life, the puppy's name remained under wraps for some time.

"He is a private pet and they do not want his name to be made public although the couple are happy to confirm that they do, indeed, have a new dog," a spokesman at St. James's Palace told the Daily Mail.

But during a visit to an Oxford elementary school this week, Middleton let Lupo's name slip to a classroom full of kids. Before you could say "doggy steps," the pet was making international headlines.

It's not exactly royal baby news, but with the couple reportedly taking their time on the road to parenthood, Lupo's introduction is like a soft launch. If the dog's name makes worldwide news, the annou

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By Lisa Flam, CNBC.com

If you believe everything a pet owner could ever want or need has already been dreamed up, think again. Americans shell out more than $40 billion a year to make their beloved pets happy. And if they can't find just the right product to do the trick? Well, some entrepreneurial pet owners roll up their sleeves and create the product themselves. The result is a crop of small businesses that has sprung up around these products, and others that have expanded their offerings to meet pet-related interests. We asked the owners of innovative and quirky pet products about their inspiration, and the growing appeal of their products.

See the full slideshow: 11 Cutting-Edge Products for Your Pet

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Love thy neighbor? Sure. Love thy neighbor's cats sneaking into your home and causing a ruckus? Well, that's another story.

Nick Hill, a British physicist, was frustrated that neighborhood cats were entering through his cat door and

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Dog walking offers excellent exercise and stress relief for pet owners and their furry friends, but a simple stroll can be pleasant or positively perilous. Scary street crossings, stranger dangers, and pugnacious pooches can ruin a sweet stroll.

How can dog walkers keep themselves and their canine charges safe and secure during these outdoor excursions? A few simple, but essential, safeguards can help make this pleasing form of pet exercise more trouble-free for everyone. Some of these steps may seem like common sense for dog lovers, but they are often overlooked.

1. Dress for the part.

This sounds simple in theory, but far too many dog walkers don't practice safety in this area. Comfortable, non-restricting, weather-appropriate wear is essential for humans strolling with dogs outdoors. Athletic-type shoes are a must, as dog walkers never know when they may have to stand their ground firmly or run to keep up with an overexcited pet.

For night walks, light-colored ref

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The father of our country is also, according to legend, the father of the American Foxhound. George Washington bred his own hounds; knowing this, the Marquis de Lafayette – American ally during the Revolutionary War, and Washington's close friend – sent Washington several hounds. (Future president John Quincy Adams was detailed to escort them by sea from France, and got into Washington's doghouse – excuse the pun – when he ditched them in New York harbor after the ship docked.)

We can't say we blame him; the hounds were apparently so keyed up that Washington had to assign a servant to watch them during mealtimes, lest they rip each other to shreds over their food. But enough of the stock survived these combative suppers for Washington to breed them with his own hounds – and create the American Foxhound.

Washington also bred mules, sometimes using donkey stock sent to him by King Charles III of Spain.

John Adams kept, among other pets a mixed-breed dog named Satan; some sources say his wif...Read More »