DOG OWNERSHIP

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It seemed Franklin had a problem down there, as my Aunt Ceil would have put it. At first we - and his veterinarian - thought it was just an infection. There was swelling in the area near his penis, and the doctor put him on antibiotics. That cleared up the swelling around the edges, but the doctor said he still had a mass that didnt look right. She took a needle aspirate and examined the contents under a microscope. There were no cancer cells. But she said that alone couldnt rule out cancer. (Let the sweating and yes, tears, begin.)

Many pet owners love to consult Dr. Google, says Tufts veterinarian Alicia Karas, DVM, facetiously. Not that she doesnt understand the allure.

Its tempting, she comments, right there at your fingertips. Its free, she adds. And it seems spot on. My dog is limping - how can I get her through this without a visit to the vet? Ah, heres the answer.

The problem, Dr. Karas says, is that not even the best pet-related sites on the Internet can walk you through how to take care of your own particular dog with his own particular circumstances. There are just too many variables. The issue gets particularly serious when it comes to dispensing drugs.

Q: When I talk to my dog, Charlie, he usually cocks his head, as if he is really listening and understanding what Im telling him. Do dogs know words, or is he just listening to the tone of my voice?

A: Dogs read your voice tone more than the actual words to gauge if youre delivering praise or discipline. Try this test with Charlie. Stiffen your muscles, grab a telephone book, and begin to call out the names alphabetically in a stern, low tone in

The game of Tug has an undeserved bad rap in some training circles, while others, most notably the Agility world, have fully embraced it as an excellent activity to create focus and high arousal. Those two extremes aside, its a great game just because its fun, many dogs adore it, its the perfect play activity for human family members who might otherwise want to get in appropriately physical with the dog and its a terrific energy-burner.

One of the most commonly-heard myths about playing Tug is that it makes the dog dominant. Theres so much misinformation passed around about hierarchy in dogs - this is just another log on the fire. If you are concerned about what Tug might do to your relationship with your dog, just remember that the definition of leader is the one who controls the good stuff, and orchestrate your Tug-play accordingly.

Your best option for finding compatible playmates for your dog is to identify your dogs play style and select dogs of similar size, energy level, and play style preference.Size matters. No doubt there are dogs of significant size disparity who can play well together, but as a general rule, its wise to keep the difference in the realm of 25 pounds or less. A playful dog can easily injure a little dog, even

Everyone in the family, including children, should play with their dogs. Even young children can be suitable playmates for many dogs, with some important caveats. Assuming your dog likes to play, the more humans she gets to play with, the more humans shell think are wonderful because they make good stuff happen, and the better socialized shell be. Dogs who are will-socialized are far less likely to bite or otherwise engage in behaviors that are…

Sooner or later, your dog will get chewing gum, tar, tree sap, burrs, or some other sticky or tenacious substance in her fur. To get rid of sticky stuff without cutting the hair, work some vegetable oil into the goo with your fingers. The oil will help break up the goo into smaller pieces, which you can gently pull out of the fur. When youre done, bathe your dog with a mild dog shampoo to…

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I was not thrilled. Our border collie Franklin had an infection that, after blood tests and medications and the requisite cone around his head so he wouldn't lick the affected spot, cost us almost $500. But then I read an article that demonstrated Franklin and the other 80 million or so dogs in the United States (along with other pets) are helping to save …

Any reader of this newsletter has got to like a woman who writes a book about animals in general but entitles a chapter near the beginning, The Dog: I Have to Admit, Hands Down My Favorite. That woman is Tracey Stewart, who followed her heart more than 15 years ago and left the field of design to become a veterinary technician, or animal nurse. Her love of animals started with dogs - well, one dog in…