DOG OWNERSHIP

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

The statistics speak for themselves. Seventy-two percent of pet-owning women who find safety in a womens shelter report that their abuser had also injured, maimed, killed, or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control. Furthermore, 32 percent of the children who end up in shelters to escape domestic abuse have themselves harmed or even killed dogs or other animals; the lessons modeled by the offending adult seep in insidiously.

Resources for Helping Dogs and Their People Escape Domestic Abuse

Resources for Helping Dogs and Their People Escape Domestic Abuse Whether youre a victim of domestic abuse who needs to escape with a dog or suspect that someone you know is, you might feel paralyzed by the thought that theres nowhere to turn. There is. And knowing what to do can make all the difference for victims of domestic abuse who are reluctant to leave because of fears for their pet's safety.

Dog Care & Nutrition: Aging Dogs

Keeping Your Dog Engaged

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.

Dear Doctor – Squeamish about giving my dog needle injections

Q My dog has entered an advanced stage of kidney disease and can no longer drink enough water to make up for the amount he urinates. My vet said that to keep him comfortable for as long as possible, I have to start giving him daily injections of fluid. I love my pet and will do anything to help him, but just the thought of sticking him with a needle makes my knees wobbly. I cant…

A Number One Public Enemy: Dog Poop

Taking sides in a presidential election happens only once every four years, but loving or loathing dogs is forever. And while all readers of Your Dog lean decidedly one way, theres a whole universe on the other side that we tend to dismiss out of hand; we put our hands over our ears, so to speak, when they talk.But this is what theyre saying. They dont like our canine friends. In fact, in a LawnStarter…

Adopting a Special Needs Dog May Turn Out To Be More Special Than...

Jane Derosiers of Weymouth, Massachuetts, usually avoids the busy front entrance of her local dog park. It's not that she minds the rollicking meet-up of dogs glad to see each other for their nightly romp, accompanied by their biscuit-toting parents. It's because her double merle, Lawson, is blind and cannot easily navigate the many barks and bumps of their greetings. Thats why Ms. Derosiers enters by the quieter side entrance, where fewer dogs make the raucous hellos more manageable.

If the special need is age

Amputee Callie Mae died on Easter Sunday this year after attending church with her family, the Easterbrooks. After allowing themselves time to grieve their...