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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.

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.

Decades ago, a chemist named Paul Krebaum (may his name be honored forever) cracked the chemical code of the stinky, sulfur-containing substances called “thiols” that are in the musk that skunks spray to defend themselves. Krebaum harnessed the power of oxidation, formulating a solution that changes the odorous thiols into odorless acids. He shared the recipe with a workplace friend who had been complaining about the smell of his cat, who had been skunked. Soon, other scientists heard about the formula and it went viral!

Whole Dog Journal applaud any efforts made by food producers to buy and use humanely raised meat sources in their products. Do humane certifications or humane claims influence your buying decisions? Please tell us why or why not!

Halloween can also traumatize dogs, or cause them to go missing (all those open doors and distracted door-answerers!). Here are some tips to make sure your Halloween is a safe and happy day for your dog.

A couple of weeks ago, I took apart the Great Dane-sized crate that’s been living in my office and said I was taking a break from fostering. And then, as these things tend to go, I found myself putting the crate back together again.

AAHA recommends that adult dogs who have received those core puppy shots be revaccinated a year after the last puppy vaccinations, and every three years thereafter. This is a somewhat reduced schedule from decades ago, when most veterinarians would recommend giving all the core vaccines to every adult dog annually.

Keeping my book collection to only three tall shelves has taken ongoing effort. At least once a year, I’ve had to give the shelves a critical pruning, throwing away titles that contained either incomplete or poor information and donating to my local library books that were of good quality, but not something that I planned to refer to again and again.

If we’re lucky, our dogs live a long, healthy life and, when their bodies wear out, they close their eyes and make that journey to the bottom of the Rainbow Bridge. Unfortunately, a simple death like that is rarely the case leaving owners judging quality of life.

People who feed raw diets to their dogs are generally aware of the risks of pathogenic bacteria that, and handle those products and their serving dishes accordingly. Foods that have been produced via a method that absolutely kills pathogenic bacteria—that is, extruded and baked dry foods—that have tested positive for Salmon are more concerning.

Even if you don’t live in an area where natural disasters occur often, it’s a good idea to keep some kind of emergency kit on hand. I’ve only had to use mine a few times, thank goodness, but it’s been invaluable when I’ve needed it.

If you have flown anywhere lately, you are likely aware that there are many dogs flying with their owners these days