Dear Doctor – Whose pack are you in, anyway?
Q In your excellent article "Words That Wound" last month, you said lack of understanding about dominance in the canine world comes into play with people's misperception that they and their dog are part of the same pack and that they think they have to show the dog who's really the alpha. But aren't the people and the dog in the household part of the same pack?
Breaking the Rules with dogs
Mary Martin (not the one in Peter Pan; the one in Pittstown, New Jersey) is really mad at me.
What a shock to read Larry Lindners News & Views about what his dogs eat in regards to the teeth brushing article [July 2016]. M&Ms ????? Really?? she e-mailed. As an editor for a newsletter from a veterinary university that claims to be for caring dog owners, its shocking and appalling to hear he actually GIVES his dog chocolate!!!
Where the Dogs Are
“No-Kill” Versus “Kill” Shelters for Dogs
Dear Doctor – Adopting a different-size dog from the one you already have
Q I have a smallish mutt - 26 pounds - who is active for her size but probably not as active as many bigger dogs. That said, I have fallen in love with a 70-pound Lab who needs a home, and I would like it to be mine. But I worry that the two dogs wont be simpatico in terms of their needs for physical activity, and I dont have the time to take them out separately. What do you think?
Michaela Borovoi
Fullerton, California
Behind Every Great Veterinarian…
When internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist and advocate Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, was eight years old and food was still being rationed in his native England post World War II, a fledgling song thrush had the misfortune to have fallen out of the nest near my grandmothers front porch, as he puts it. Though the chances of a bird thriving after being put back into a nest are low, my mother felt we needed to at least try.
The Difficulty of Removing a Dog from an Abusive Relationship
Resources for Helping Dogs and Their People Escape Domestic Abuse
Dog Care & Nutrition: Aging Dogs
Owners can take greater responsibilities in helping slow the aging process by noting early changes in their dogs' appetites, behaviors and physical conditions. Veterinarians offer these recommendations:
Reinforce basic commands. You can teach an aging dog to "Sit" before heading out the door for a walk or "Give me a paw" shake before settling down his or her food bowl. Test hearing and sight by teaching your dog to make eye contact with…
Within a Dogs Disability Often Lies a Gift
The non-slip socks you wrote about a while ago finally arrived yesterday. My dog walked funny in them, but he was more stable on the stairs. Then the stair treads I ordered arrived. OMG what a difference! He doesnt have a problem going down the stairs at all now. Whereas he was very reluctant to come upstairs over the past several days, now he has no hesitation because he knows he can get back down. In fact, he comes up to tell me its time for dinner.