Care

Maybe you've heard about turmeric? It's all the rage, you know. I've recently been exploring the 4,000-year-old history of human use of this plant product and what it can do for you and your dog. Though I've had turmeric sitting in my spice cabinet for longer than I can remember, it wasn't until February of last year that I found out just how beneficial this plant-based substance can be for people and for dogs.

You thought you were doing a good thing for your mature dog when you adopted a new puppy. She'll love him!" you assured yourself. "It will keep her young and active." Rather than loving him

Giving your dog a bath is sort of like mixing a cocktail, or hitting a golf ball: It seems deceptively straightforward, but you need a lot of background knowledge to really master it. From what kind of shampoo to use to how frequently your dog should be sudsing up, there are all kinds of technical questions to consider before grabbing that spray hose and going to town. But there are also deeper issues at play: Nothing quite lays bare the state of your relationship with your dog like trying to negotiate that slippery expanse of porcelain together. Here are some tips for smooth sailing, at bathtime and beyond.

We currently have three dogs. We lost our Scottie a few months ago to cancer, and our Australian Shepherd last year to old age and failing health. This is the fewest number of dogs we've had in our family for as far back as I care to remember, and while I grieve Missy and Dubhy's absence every day, a part of me feels some guilty relief that the canine chaos and caretaking load has lightened somewhat. Still, while I know it won't be for a while yet, another part of me contemplates the next potential pup-addition to the Miller pack . . . which leads me to contemplate the complexities and challenges of bringing home a new dog.

Deworming agents are present in any number of prescription and over-the-counter treatments for dogs and puppies. If your dog shows signs of a gastrointestinal worm infestation, there are all sorts of products available that are made exclusively to rid dogs of various types of worms. But there are also deworming agents included – whether they are needed or not – in many flea and tick treatments and in most heartworm preventive drugs; in fact, it's sometimes hard to find a minimalist flea treatment or heartworm preventive drug that does not contain dewormers. The question is, is this really necessary? Are intestinal parasites that much of an ongoing threat to most dogs – and their owners?

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If you've never had to deal with that alarming moment when your beloved dog snaps at a guest in your home, you are fortunate. I hope you never do. But just in case, it's good to know that, first, you're not alone – lots of dogs have snapped at guests in their homes (or worse!). Second, it's not the end of the world; it doesn't mean you need to euthanize your dog and it doesn't mean your dog will inevitably maul someone. It is, however, an important heads-up for you. How you handle the situation can often determine if your dog's aggression toward visitors escalates or diminishes. So if it happens, here's what you need to do:

Listen to Susan Paulsen's story, and you'll never look the same way again at your dog diving into your swimming pool or a glistening lake, or biting playfully at jets of water from your lawn sprinklers or garden hose.

The ability to carry a little dog onto an airplane with you is one of the greatest advantages of owning a small dog that can't be shared by owners of medium or large dogs. Most (though not all) of the risks of flying a dog on a commercial flight are posed by the dog's handling by airport employees behind the scenes and by the dog's unattended experience in the cargo hold of the plane; in contrast, the risks to a dog who is with you at every moment of your flight are very slight – and under your control. That said, there are a lot of things you need to know and contingencies for which to prepare if you are going to subject your dog to air travel. Here's how to make the carried-on dog's flight as enjoyable and stress free (for both of you) as possible.

When my husband asked me to come to the shelter where he worked to meet the 8-year-old Australian Shepherd he had fallen in love with and wanted to adopt, of course I said yes. When Paul first met Missy, she threw herself on her back at his feet, and he was hooked. When I saw her striking red merle coat, her stunning odd eyes" (one brown

believes that learning to identify and detect the earliest stage of infection is a dog owner's best shot at preventing a serious infection and the need for veterinary attention. The switch from being normal and comfortable to infected can be subtle and fast; the ears may have no redness and then suddenly develop mild levels of redness and discomfort with minimal discharge.

"Infections are usually a secondary problem

This past summer, my niece, who was home on college break, picked up a job walking her neighbor's dog. After a few outings, she contacted me because this fairly large dog she was walking had some behavioral issues and she wanted some suggestions on how to work with him. My advice to her was that this wasn't a job for a novice dog walker; after some discussion she agreed but wanted to pass along some recommendations for other walkers to the owner. Knowing this dog had special needs and not knowing anyone in the dog's area myself to recommend, I turned to my colleague Veronica Boutelle to get the inside scoop on finding a dog walker.