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File this under more preaching to the choir

None of my dogs have ever watched TV. So I was frankly dubious about my sister's claims that her dogs go crazy every time a certain pizza commercial comes on; she told me that when the dogs hear the pizza commercial music, they come running to the TV, and they leap in the air and whine when the close up shot of the pizza appears, where the single slice is pulled away from the sizzling hot pie and tendrils of cheese are stretched through the air. But why the pizza commercial, I asked? She said they always share pizza with their dogs, and they really like it! Hmm, I said.

Did you see this news brief? A shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area is conducting some small studies regarding breed identification and adoption rates. Like many shelters, they are often overrun with dogs of a certain type: Chihuahua-mixes. Wondering whether potential adopters might be biased against Chihuahuas, or might be biased toward a dog who had other desirable breeds in the mix

In the upcoming April issue of Whole Dog Journal, new contributor Cynthia Foley discusses 10 tips for senior dog care" - things that you can do to help your senior stay healthy longer! She quotes a couple of our favorite veterinary sources

Last weekend, I was in the San Francisco Bay Area for a quick overnight trip, taking care of some family business. I didn't have time on this trip to hang out with my son; we were both very busy and so we only had time to have breakfast together. He suggested we meet at a breakfast spot that has tables outdoors; it was a lovely morning and he wanted to bring his dog, Cole, as he wasn't going to have much time to spend with Cole later in the day.I got to the restaurant first and selected a table that is in the middle of the sunny sidewalk in front of the restaurant. A few minutes later, my son parked across the street. I watched him and his dog stroll calmly across the street, but I didn't call out to either of them; I wanted to see how long it would take Cole to recognize me. I was the one who pulled him out of my local shelter a year and a half ago, and he's spent lots of time at my house when my son has been traveling with his sports team.

My son was lucky enough to land his first job out of college working for a company that allows employees to bring their dogs to work. The company has about 140 employees, and my son tells me that on any given day, about a dozen or so dogs can be found around the office.

One of my friends has a dog, Lena, who recently tore her ACL. She's on as much crate rest as my friend can manage....

I just found the ideal dog park. It's in Grass Valley, California, in a gorgeous public park called Condon Park. It's large, and set in a forested setting, with tall pines overhead, and the footing is thick with pine needles. It has two separate areas, with a smaller section (but still quite good-sized) reserved for small and shy" dogs. I love that the folks who set it up did not specify small dogs only. What do you do when you have a dog who needs to really run and romp and get tired

ill-mannered dogs brought into stressful public spaces by unscrupulous

I often scroll through posts on the Facebook page of a rescue group that I very occasionally have the opportunity to help. It’s a...

My brother passed away a couple of weeks ago after a fairly short and intense battle against cancer. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter. It's been a very sad, hard time for my family. We held a memorial service for my brother last weekend. We rented a rustic building in a beautiful, wooded park in a Sierra town near where he had lived for many years. My sister who is a chef lovingly prepared much of the food. My sister in law's many friends and co-workers helped up set up the hall, with live lavender plants on every table, and a local musician my brother had admired played the guitar. Friends and family members traveled from all over to help us remember my brother and celebrate his life.My dog Otto and my son's dog Cole were present for the event. Every member of my family loves dogs, not least, my brother's five-year-old daughter. She absolutely adores Cole, and his eyes light up when he sees her; they get along like peanut butter and jelly. I thought, correctly, that she would enjoy having Cole at the event – and I knew Cole would enjoy socializing with all the guests. He's happy and polite and well-mannered and his coat is like silk. I thought he could be a good therapy dog for the memorial.

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