They do because there are cases, like any medication, where there's a breakthrough infection.

Extremely effective. There are cases where dogs can spit out a heartworm preventative treat or where a topical preventative doesn't actually hit the skin. In those cases, if the preventative was purchased through a veterinary source, the heartworm preventative company will guarantee the product and cover treatment. However, almost all of the time, it is very effective.

As soon as you obtain your dog. Heartworms are something that's deadly, and it's a risk year-round in south Texas because we never get rid of mosquitoes, which is the vector for them.

It's pretty easily prevented with one of several different types of prevention. There are chewables that are given monthly, and there are also injections that can be given once every six months or once a year.

Environmental enrichment is a way to keep your pet happy and satisfied at home. It's primarily treat-motivated and toys that they can play with on their own. You don't need to buy these specific toys. If you Google it, there are tons of things that you can buy for environmental enrichment. I literally just toss some cookies under a rug, and they'll sniff it out and find it and be pretty excited about it. One of my favorite environmental enrichment toys is a kong or maybe a bone marrow stuffed with peanut butter. But if you Google it, there are some pretty cool treat hiding, environmental enrichment toys that you can get.

I don't know specifically what is needed. Each training facility will probably have its own protocol, but what Lowell Animal Hospital recommends is rabies, the distemper vaccine, which has distemper, hepatitis parvo, and parainfluenza. If you add the leptospirosis vaccine, that's fine. Then there's the Bordetella vaccine, which is very important. That's what we recommend.

That's a good question. The trainer should be asking you a lot of questions. If they're not involved in keeping you informed and getting to know your dog specifically, find one that will. Trainers should be certified and be able to give you training because you're really the one that needs to be trained the most, not just your dog. Do not expect to take your pet to a trainer and have them trained and then not have to work with them later on. It's work. If you're consistent with it, the program works, and it's fantastic, then you'll have a very obedient pet for the rest of its life that can stay safe.

They are never too old to be trained. If their brain is still working, they're so smart, and you can train them where to go to the bathroom. Unless they have some cognitive issue, they're never too old. You go ahead and train them if you want them to go potty in a different area or if you want them to stop jumping on somebody. There's always room for training and behavior modification.

I already went over that. No, they don't recognize negativity. They just don't react well to it. It breeds fear and aggression in their lives. Stick to the positive reinforcement if you can, especially if you rescued or adopted a pet. You never know what kind of history they have, and you want to take things slow. Always positive. They'll do anything for whatever treat you find out is their favorite. However, stay away from cheese because it tends to have a lot of fat in it. Some people like to use cube cheese. It's just too fattening for them. A little bit of cubed cheese is like giving them a whole cheeseburger, so stay away from that. You don't want to give them pancreatitis. That's the technician in me going down that road.

Prior to the vaccine series, have neighbors come over, kids with loud noises, any loud noise. Fireworks may be a little bit extensive, but if you've got a kid that has a drum set, have a puppy in a room with the drum set. Have somebody show up in a costume. When I did puppy classes, I literally dressed up as a giant chicken feeding all these adorable puppies hot dog treats. It was fantastic. Someone would be in the corner, banging pots and pans, and the puppies would just be wagging their tails. The same with adult dogs, but go a little bit slower. Especially if you rescued them, you don't know their history. You don't know where they came from. Loud noises may be a trigger for them, so start off slow. You don't have to dress up as a chicken or anything, but those are just some ideas. Maybe you can wear a baseball hat. Some dogs are fearful of baseball hats for some reason.