Writing this column is always the last thing I do before sending an issue of WDJ to press. At this moment, I’m 24 hours away from taking my desk apart and loading it and my computer – the very last things in my former home and home-based office – into my car for the trip north to my new home-based office. With my attention (and family!) scattered all over the state, please forgive the news-dispatch style of this installment.
• You may start to see products on pet store shelves boasting a new label that looks like this:
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Companies whose products we have tested and/or reviewed favorably have long lobbied for a way to publicize those good reviews – and to distinguish themselves from companies who tell consumers, falsely, that something is WDJ-approved. We’ve developed an official “seal of approval” that recipients of our positive reviews can use to promote their products. Only this seal is the real deal; if it doesn’t look like this, check your back issues.
• We love you, Chicago! For the third year in a row, the Chicago Tribune has named WDJ to its list of Top 50 Magazines. “In ranking the magazines every year, we consider whether they’re interesting, whether they have great journalism, but most importantly, whether they are successful in fulfilling their mission and accomplish what they set out to do,” said Tim Bannon, editor of Chicago Tribune’s Tempo section. We’re so pleased to be counted among publications that meet that description.
• Check out the New York Times article “Modern Love: What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage,” published on June 25 (and available online at www.nytimes.com). It’s an excerpt from author Amy Sutherland’s new book, Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers. In it, Sutherland discusses training her husband with modern behavior-altering techniques such as ignoring unwanted behavior and rewarding desired behavior – something, ahem! – that WDJ has been talking about for more than nine years. Glad to see the rest of the world catching up!
• There are some terrific articles in this issue. In our recent interview with Dr. Susan Wynn (“Building Credibility,” June 2006), the holistic veterinarian mentioned that she was very excited about recent studies touting the benefits of probiotics for dogs. In “Probing Probiotics,” CJ Puotinen offers a detailed guide to the uses and types of probiotics for dogs. Two articles on varying treatments for treating wounds and surgical incisions may come in handy this summer for many active dogs and their concerned owners. Pat Miller teaches us how men and women can work together best to train the family dog. And Dr. Randy Kidd offers compelling reasons to do what you already know you need to do: get out there and walk your dog more frequently and longer. Enjoy!
-Nancy Kerns
