Top five stupid things that people say to dog foster providers
I’ve been fostering dogs and puppies for my local shelter for 15 years. Wow! Time flies – until I thought about it, I didn’t...
An Etiquette Question – How to Address Problems With Other Dog Owners
Say you are in a grocery store with your best friend and her child, and you both see the child take something, perhaps a...
Love note to a dog bed
Warning: The following is an ardent product endorsement.
Each January, we publish a feature in WDJ called “Gear of the Year,” where we tell subscribers...
Dogs Can Learn Very Quickly – With The Right Motivation!
Neither one of my dogs has ever been a beggar – haunting the kitchen or dining table, whining or nudging us in hopes of...
Must (at Least) Like Dogs
My grandson Liam doesn’t really like dogs all that much. Maybe that’s too strong; he’s more or less indifferent to dogs, though this attitude...
Many veterinary hospitals are suspending 24-hour emergency service
When was the last time you needed to take a dog to the veterinarian after regular business hours – you know, in an emergency?...
Food and Friends
My friend Leonora owns my dog Woody’s best friend, tiny Samson. Woody and Samson are the exact same age, and both are “foster fails”...
If your dog gets distressed by fireworks, take action now!
For the first 8 or so years of his life, my senior dog, Otto, was not bothered by fireworks. Honestly, he couldn’t care less,...
Pitfalls of Retractable Leashes
I know it’s low-hanging fruit to criticize people for misuse of retractable leashes – but there are an awful lot of first-time dog owners...
Keep Emergency Contact Numbers On Your Dog’s Tags or Collars Up-To-Date
Hello! Here’s a reminder to update your contact information on your dog’s tags or collars – and with your dog’s microchip registry. Have you...
“Teenage” Dogs Can Be Difficult
Dog trainers are most likely to hear from new prospective clients when the clients’ dogs are in the throes of adolescence – and it’s...
Predatory Behavior
A reader commented on my most recent blog post (about my dog, Woody, coming face-to-face with the first rattlesnake we’ve seen this year). I...
Latest Blog
No, You Can’t
Of all the “third rail” topics concerning dogs, here’s one I never could have guessed would make some people incensed: A passerby putting a bag of dog poop in their garbage can. Ack! Apparently, this makes some homeowners angry enough that they put signs on or next to their garbage cans, set up security cameras in order to identify and eventually confront the offenders, or threatening penalties for the alleged “theft of services” (using someone else’s garbage service).