THE TRUTH ABOUT: 6 | History Defined

KCI registration on a puppy: what it tells you and what it doesn't

The Kennel Club of India certificate arrives folded inside a plastic sleeve, sometimes laminated, often presented with more ceremony than the puppy itself. First-time buyers read it as a guarantee. It is closer to a birth record, useful, narrow, and easy to misread. What KCI registration actually isKCI is India's…

Times Pets · Oct 31

Hot spots on dogs: why a small patch of wet skin spreads so fast

A hot spot starts with one itch. The dog licks or scratches a patch of skin, breaks the surface, and creates a warm, moist pocket where bacteria that normally live harmlessly on the coat suddenly have everything they need to multiply. Within hours, that pocket becomes inflamed, the inflammation intensifies…

Times Pets · Oct 31

Dog scooting on the floor? Here's when it's about the anal glands

Most dog owners see it once and either laugh or look away quickly. The dog sits, lifts both back legs slightly off the ground, and drags itself forward across the floor. It looks absurd. It is not. Scooting is a dog's only available response to persistent irritation around the rear…

Times Pets · Oct 31

Dog growls at the food bowl? Here is why it happens and what actually helps

A growl at the food bowl is one of the most common reasons owners search for training help, and one of the most misread. The dog is not being dominant, spiteful, or broken. It is communicating, clearly and honestly, that it is worried about losing something it values. That worry…

Times Pets · Oct 30

Dog won't settle in the evenings? How to teach a 'go to bed' cue in 5 steps

Most dogs do not choose to settle because they are tired. They settle because they have learned that settling pays. Without that association, an evening on the sofa becomes a negotiation, you ask, the dog wanders, you ask again, the dog sits for thirty seconds and then finds something more…

Times Pets · Oct 30

Mixed-breed Indie puppies: why looks tell you little about adult size

The puppy fit in your palm at eight weeks. By eight months, it needed its own corner of the bedroom. If you have ever adopted an Indie mixed-breed and watched it grow into a dog that looked nothing like the puppy you carried home, you are not imagining things, and…

Times Pets · Oct 30

German Shepherd hips: why the sloping back became a breed debate

Walk into any large dog show and the German Shepherd in the ring will have a back that slopes sharply from shoulder to hip, hindquarters sitting low, the dog moving in a long, ground-covering gait that judges reward with points. Walk into a police kennel or a search-and-rescue unit and…

Times Pets · Oct 30

Labrador working lines vs show lines: why two Labs can look so different

Two Labradors stand side by side at a park in Bengaluru. One is broad-chested with a thick otter tail, a wide skull, and a calm, heavy gait. The other is narrower, higher on leg, and already scanning the field before its owner has unclipped the leash. Both are registered Labradors.…

Times Pets · Oct 30

Dog dental scaling: what actually happens during a professional clean

A dog's mouth works hard, chewing, carrying, exploring, and tartar builds up on teeth the same way it does in humans, except dogs rarely sit still for a scraper while awake. By the time a vet recommends scaling, there is usually a visible yellow-brown crust along the gumline, and often…

Times Pets · Oct 30

Dog eye discharge, tear stains and redness: when to call the vet

The gunk in the corner of your dog's eye in the morning is not all the same thing. Colour, texture, which eye, and whether the dog is bothered by it, these four details separate a normal biological process from an infection, a blocked duct, or the start of something that…

Times Pets · Oct 30