Itchy Dog? Don’t Blame the Food! Get the SPOT Test! Does your dog scratch and lick and/or bite at her ears, feet, flanks or neck? Skin problems are probably the number one reason pet owners go to their vets. I get numerous emails asking for advice and suggestions about resolving skin issues like hot spots,… Read more »
Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments Dangerous for Dogs Who would have imagined that something as family-fun as decorating your home over the holidays could pose a deadly threat to your pets? No, I’m not talking about the usual seasonal dangers we’ve all heard about one time or another, which I list in my book The Dog… Read more »
Shelter Dogs Help Protect Endangered Species There is a detection-dog program called Conservation Canines (CK9), part of the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology, that is putting to a brand new use the amazing sense of smell that dogs possess. These CK9 dogs are trained to help conservationists detect the presence of endangered animals… Read more »
Adopted Pets Teach Us Patience (“Love Don’t Come Easy” for some) Sometimes you hear the story of someone who adopted from a shelter and discovered the dog or cat was really timid and shy. They might have expressed disappointment, or even made the fatalistic judgment “this animal must have been terribly abused and will never… Read more »
One Senior Springer Spaniel has Reason to Give Hearty Thanks This Thanksgiving Imagine what it feels like to be a 6-year-old doggy past the prime of life, whose owner got old, too, and couldn’t take care of you anymore? Think how lucky you would be if you were a breed of dog that happened to… Read more »
Trainer Brian Bailey wrote a fascinating, provocative new book Embracing the Wild in Your Dog. I interviewed him about his ideas about the wolf ancestry of our dogs on DOG TALK™ and also on HUMANE TALK. I hope you’ll take the time to listen to both conversations – in the meantime, take advantage of his good practical… Read more »
Fat Dogs Die Younger If you’re honest, you’ll probably admit that your beloved Labrador Retriever is overweight, right? If you had to guess you’d say she’s maybe 5 or 10 lbs. overweight? But you probably don’t think it’s such a big deal — she’s happy and what else matters, right? Wrong! Maybe you think I’m… Read more »
GUEST BLOG POST: Rabbits are unique pets that fascinate a wide range of people. Although they are usually portrayed eating carrots, not all vegetables are good for them. Jordan Walker, the lead content curator of Coops and Cages, shares what type of food isn’t suited for bunnies. Rabbits are one of the cutest pets around… Read more »
A Happy Ending for a Homeless Lady and Her Dog The recent inaugural Dog Film Festival in New York City gave me and the audience many opportunities to look at the human-canine bond from different perspectives. Many of us treasure and value our connection with our dogs and cannot imagine life without them — but… Read more »
At first I was amused when I heard about the DogStar TailTalk device — which fits on a dog’s tail and sends computerized information about a dog’s emotional state. At first I thought, “But don’t we already know a dog is happy when she wags her tail?” Then I was fascinated by the thinking behind… Read more »