BIZARRE: 4 - What They Never Told You

Dog nipping at 6 months? Why adolescent mouthiness returns and how to stop it

Around five to seven months, many owners notice their dog's mouth is back in business. The puppy biting they managed in the first weeks seemed to settle, then returned with more force and less predictability. This is adolescent mouthiness, and it is one of the most common reasons dogs this…

Times Pets · Nov 4

Sniff walks: why letting your dog smell makes training easier

A dog's nose has roughly 300 million olfactory receptors. A human's has about six million. That gap isn't trivia, it shapes everything about how a dog experiences a walk, and why a dog that hasn't been allowed to sniff is a harder dog to train. What the nose is actually…

Times Pets · Nov 4

Burmese cats: why owners call them dog-like companions

Most cats will tolerate your company. A Burmese will seek it out, announce its arrival, and stay annoyed if you do not respond. That gap, between tolerated and wanted, is what owners mean when they reach for the word dog-like, and it is not a casual comparison. Where the breed…

Times Pets · Nov 4

Why older dogs sleep more, and when it's a sign something's wrong

The dog who used to demand a walk before you'd finished your first cup of chai now sleeps through it. If your dog is seven or older, this is probably not cause for alarm, but it is worth understanding what is actually changing, and what would make the extra sleep…

Times Pets · Nov 4

Cat showing you its rear end? Here's what it actually means

The first time a cat does it, most owners pull back or nudge the animal away. That reaction makes sense from a human perspective, but from the cat's side of things, the gesture was a compliment. What cats do with each otherCats greet familiar cats by approaching nose-first and then…

Times Pets · Nov 3

Why does your cat headbutt you? What bunting actually means

The first time a cat headbutts a person, the instinct is to treat it as a nuzzle, a purely affectionate gesture with no further meaning. It is affectionate, but it is also functional in a way that tells you something precise about how your cat reads its world. What bunting…

Times Pets · Nov 3

Cat chattering at birds through the window: what that strange sound actually means

Watch a cat locked onto a bird on the other side of the glass and you will see the whole body tighten, tail low, pupils wide, ears forward, and then the jaw starts moving in that rapid, stuttering chatter. It sounds like a small machine misfiring. It looks involuntary. It…

Times Pets · Nov 3

Training a senior dog: what actually changes when your dog gets older

Most dogs are considered senior from around seven years old, though larger breeds age faster and a Great Dane is geriatric at six while a Beagle is still middle-aged. What changes is not willingness, older dogs are often calmer and more focused than puppies, but the physical and cognitive context…

Times Pets · Nov 3

Deaf dog at home? 7 hand signals to start training today

Deafness in dogs, whether congenital, age-related, or from chronic ear infection, changes the medium, not the method. The learning principles are identical: a clear signal, a marker the dog can see, and a reward that arrives within a second or two of the right behaviour. What shifts is how you…

Times Pets · Nov 3

Birman cat: the white-gloved breed with a gentle, affectionate temperament

A Birman walks into a room and settles beside you, not on top of you. It is one of the quieter ways a cat can make its preference for company known, and it is one of the clearest things that separates this breed from most others. Where the Birman comes…

Times Pets · Nov 3