I’ve written a fair amount about canine nutrition in my career. I even went to a weekend-long international conference a few years ago with a couple hundred specialists in dog
allergies. I learned a ton about the role of the digestive system in causing and treating allergies from contact, inhaled or eaten sources. I like to think I’m fairly versed in what’s good about dog
foods. …
As a special treat, I attempted some dog-friendly biscotti this weekend. It’s mostly peanut butter and whole wheat, and it looked pretty easy. I ended up making 2 batches because the
first one didn’t turn out so hot, and I’m pretty good in the kitchen, so here is my advice. …
One of the problems with boutique dog bakeries is that the food, while super wholesome, rarely comes in training treat sizes. So, imagine my joy at meeting Judy Strickland at the pet
expo over the weekend. Her treats do some in tiny pieces suitable for near-constant rewards … like what I need for Lilly. I usually make my own training food, but sometimes I get busy.
…
So, we’ve had our CD of special dog-calming music (Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion) for a couple weeks now. It’s about an hour long, and I often put it on
repeat while I work and the dogs hang out. I think it’s found a happy home in their brains because I can turn it on and see nearly instant results. …
Recently, I received a plea for help from a colleague with a dog dilemma. Just a week before her daughter’s wedding, the groom’s mother suggested putting down the couple’s disobedient
dog. A trainer had been called, and after meeting said dog, supported the idea of his death. Shake your head with me, kids, because the story gets more absurd. …
Noise of the modern world is akin to second-hand cigarette smoke. It poses a danger to us and our dogs, according to
the authors of “Through a Dog’s Ear: How to Use Sound to Improve the Health and Behavior of Your Canine Companion.” Just released March 1, the book makes the argument that many of the behavior
problems we now see in dogs (and possibly some health ones too) come from the stress of noise in their world. The collaboration between a psychoacoustics experts (Joshua Leeds), a veterinary
neurologist (Susan Wagner, DVM, MS, DACVIM), and a concert pianist (Lisa Spector, …
I originally pitched and sold this magazine article about 18 months ago. The idea sold right away. I researched and wrote it. I even got paid (quite well, actually), but it never ever
got published by the big-name magazine that bought it. So, I recently asked for and got my copyright back. Now, I could try to sell it somewhere else and maybe I will, but for now, all of you will
have to be my audience for a piece on the growth of new agility handlers 40 and 50+. I even wrote different versions of the story, using quotes …
We may never know the full circumstances that led to Meredith Emerson’s death. She’s the young woman, originally from Colorado, who went missing while hiking alone with her dog (Ella)
in Georgia. What did that creepy man do to gain her confidence? Police have since arrested someone, charged him with her death, and found her body. Ella was found safe some 40-50 miles away from the
wilderness area they were hiking. I assume that a friend of family member will keep her, but I have not heard. HOWEVER, I suspect many of you go on outings alone with your dogs, …
My grandmother’s house, which for all the usual purposes was my “childhood home,” had a round traffic pattern. As a kid, I could run from kitchen to front room to hall to den to
kitchen. When you’re little, that’s some serious fun. Well, my current house also has a couple of round-running spots. I’ve started using the carpeted one upstairs to practice high-speed heeling (and
frankly to burn off some energy). …
As a kid, I was a pretty good student. My work as a writer also means I spend a lot of time learning new things. I thought maybe my study tactics might help others sort through the many
ideas in Leslie McDevitt’s book. So, here it goes. …
