Must Carry Treats
If I’m going on a walk with dogs (my dogs or anyone else’s!) I pretty much always bring a bait bag and treats along—though I am also prone to putting freeze-dried treats in my coat, vest, and/or pants pockets, and have lost more than a few pockets and garments that way.
Dogs Should Not Be Gifts!
I’ve given a few private lessons to a client who received an 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy as a Christmas present. This man is retired, a recent graduate of cancer treatments, and lives alone. His young adult children apparently thought he needed a companion and bought him the puppy as a gift.
How to Have a Happy Retirement
A good friend recently gave notice that he wanted to retire from a job he’s had since he was just a tiny puppy. My dog Woody’s best friend Samson, who has never weighed as much as five pounds, has been going to work with my friend Leonora since he was a 3-week-old foster puppy—and recently, he started telling Leonora that he doesn’t want to go to work any more.
Take the Canine Good Citizen Test
I have been aware of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program for ages, and I always imagined that my dogs would rather...
Tips for Dog Owners Near a Disaster Zone
Could you evacuate your home 15 minutes from now, with everything you would need to live with your pets in a hotel for a few days, weeks, or months? What if you had an hour’s notice?
Spay Surgery Is Not Required to Stop Canine Reproduction
While estimated numbers for 2023 and 2024 won’t be available for another year or two, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the number of euthanized pets will be far higher than the lowest historic counts.
New Year’s Wishes for Dog People
I’ve been traveling over the holidays and am still far from my home and my dogs, so I don’t have much to write about. But I would like to send you all some well-wishes for the new year
A Fish Story
What’s worse than a skunked dog? A dog who has rolled in a long-dead, rotten salmon carcass. Rolled in it at length, luxuriously, with relish while ignoring the calls and whistles of her foster provider—even after being abandoned by the other dogs, who did heed their owners’ calls.
An Open Letter to the People with the Cat
Dear people who were out walking with their cat in the Oroville Wildlife area a week or so ago when you saw a lady and three off-leash dogs emerge from the woods. I am so sorry that we startled you
Rehoming Your Old Dog
Rehoming a dog due to loss of income, loss of a home, or another extreme circumstance is understandable. In other scenarios it's less clear if rehoming is the best option.
Grateful for Dogs on This and Every Thanksgiving
It goes without saying that on a holiday devoted to gratitude, that I am grateful for my dogs. While they are occasionally a source of concern they are daily a source of amusement and affection, companionship and comfort.
Dog Park Rules
I am a fan of dog-park rules, and I, too, have taken pictures of the posted rules at every dog park I have ever visited, in an effort to see how different communities have responded to the people and dogs there.
Latest Blog
When a Cup is Not a Cup
I’m infamous among my friends and colleagues for asking people if they are aware that their dogs are overweight. It’s because I have seen firsthand how fat dogs suffer in their senior years when they are too heavy to exercise without pain! And their burden of carrying extra pounds makes the ordinary aches and pains of arthritis even worse. AND YET, I have to give myself a stern talking-to from time to time about helping my older dog stay trim.