Blog

Enjoying the mild spring weather, I was working with all the doors and windows in my house open. So when my dogs, who had free run of the house and backyard, started to bark at something, I looked out the window and saw a stray dog wandering around the front yard. He's about 50 pounds, some sort of Kelpie/Cattle Dog-mix. I got up and went out the front door, and he ran off down the street. I almost started to look for a leash and treats, but I was busy, on deadline, so I went back to work. Ten minutes later, the barking started again, and there is the dog again.

The May 2015 issue of Whole Dog Journal contains two in-depth articles about the venomous snakes in North America that are potentially dangerous or deadly to dogs. The main article discusses the rattlesnake vaccine and antivenom treatments, as well as practical tips for avoiding snakes and emergency first-aid for snake bites. The second article discusses snake-avoidance training methods that do not involve shock collars. Subscribers to the WDJ can check out these articles and more at wholedogjournal.com -- and in the hard copy of the magazine, in their mailboxes now.

Sorry if this is the fifth time in the past year that we've run a reminder in either the magazine, the blog, or the Facebook page, but here goes: To give your dog the best chance of survival in a car accident, you really have to have him or her in a crate that is solidly fastened into the car, or seat-belted in a proper harness, one that has been independently crash-tested and approved by the Center for Pet Safety (CPS).

My stepson and daughter-in-law have a son, who will be three years old in May. Their whole family moved to my town a year ago, so I've been spending a lot of time in my new role as Nana. When my own son was about the same age as my grandson, my mother accomplished the lion's share of his potty-training over the course of a single weekend, using M&Ms as rewards for going in the potty." So I feel a certain amount of responsibility to "pay it forward" to my stepson and his wife

My friends and family members, close and extended, often ask me questions about dogs. What sort of food should we feed our dog? Where is the best place to adopt a dog? What's the best breed? How do we train her to stop barking? Should I get the rattlesnake vaccine? Oh, and what's the best food to feed our dog? (I get that last one a lot!)RARELY do my family members and friends listen all the way, or take all of my advice. And I know I'm not alone; I'm sure it's the same with doctors and lawyers and therapists and car mechanics; people hear what they want to hear and do what they want to do. But when someone I know – a civilian, not a dog person" – does listen

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....