Pet Wellness Advocate
Dogs, the Christmas spirit and Tracy of Batavia, Ohio – an “Ordinary Hero” Look out, St. Francis: we’ve got a new contender for the “patron saint of animals!” For a very special holiday episode of Dog Talk I interviewed Tracy, a listener from Batavia, Ohio. Her story exemplifies the very best of the holiday spirit... Read more »
Tracie Hotchner’s year-end list of happy tales. Need a last-minute gift? From adorable photos, to laugh-out-loud humor, plus helpful tips: these delightful reads will capture your coffee table. Happy holidays from my pack, to yours! Neville Jacobs: I'm Marc's Dog, by Nicholas Newbold The world as seen through the eyes of fashion icon Marc Jacobs'... Read more »
Curcumin and Omega 3 Fatty Acids are Brain Food for Pets and People! Watching 60 Minutes recently, I saw an episode on the health value of curcumin, which is derived from the spice turmeric, a member of the ginger family. It turns out that curcumin has been historically appreciated in many cultures as a powerful... Read more »
How Smart is Your Mutt? Brandon McMillan, star of the television show Lucky Dog, and author of the book Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days, recently contributed to an article about the smartest top 10 breeds of dogs. But have you ever wondered whether mutts are smarter than purebred dogs? Though the... Read more »
Stella’s Bed of Roses [Guest Post by Kristy Davis (Tracie's executive assistant, who also happens to have an MFA from Bennington College (and an MA from Columbia School of Journalism, too!) in case you're wondering why this is so uber-charming)] Dog beds are a hot commodity in our house. With two dogs---Stella, our seven-year-old retriever-German... Read more »
Happy Anniversary from DOG TALK (and Kitties, Too!) as it reaches its 500th show! Last weekend the 500th show of Dog Talk (and Kitties Too!) aired on Peconic Public Broadcasting --- over 9 years of consecutive weekly shows celebrating the human-animal bond in all its permutations. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to... Read more »
Embracing #GivingTuesday Today on my show Humane Talk I heard from Kim Alboum, the director of the Emergency Placement Partners program for the Humane Society of the United States. I wanted to know more about how she and HSUS were celebrating #GivingTuesday. This day is the ultimate antidote to the rampant consumerism of Black Friday,... Read more »
STRAY GARDENS Photographer Julie McGuire on Dog Talk When British-born photographer Julie McGuire moved to India 11 years ago, she was shocked to find some 250,000 stray dogs living on the streets of Bangalore. The melee of homeless hounds inspired her to focus on a long-term project documenting the roles of dogs in societies around... Read more »
Do You Have to Bribe Your Dog? Or Do You Reward Her? There’s a general misunderstanding floating around about what “positive reinforcement” means in training, and the use of food rewards that often accompanies it. There are some “old fashioned” trainers who dismiss reward-based learning concepts as being “bribery” and think a dog should do... Read more »
Madonna leaves the Dog Film Festival in New York City to go… home! The 2nd Annual Dog Film Festival, held at Symphony Space in New York City on October 15, was a howling success in many ways. I returned home happy, but exhausted, and then I received the fantastic news that Madonna, a 22-month-old rescued... Read more »