EVERYDAY DOGCARE

Neighbors had been seeing signs of abuse for a while. Just a couple of nights before the arrest, in fact, one man had witnessed the Everett, Massachusetts, resident hitting his 10-month-old pit bull with a stick. Others had seen him kicking the puppy and stomping on him. Some had tried to step in at times, asking if the dog was okay, only to be shooed away.

Its no secret that former President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush are dog people, as evidenced by Mrs. Bushs ghostwriting of her dog Millies autobiography. So it only makes sense that the couple lives in the very dog-friendly coastal Maine town of Kennebunkport, where shops, outdoor recreation, and events are designed for the enjoyment of dogs and people alike.

The 147 homes and penthouses of Scarlett Place Condominiums on Baltimores Inner Harbor offer fabulous views, 24-hour front desk staff, a pool, fitness center, and rents for a two-bedroom unit climbing to nearly $3,000 a month. What they dont want to be offering any longer are grounds dotted with dog waste. The condo board is serious enough about the infractions that it is considering replacing surveillance cameras with DNA tests.

Tufts professor emeritus and animal behaviorist Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, was once at a professional meeting of veterinarians and other dog professionals, when one of the speakers asked how many of the 200 or so people in the room let their dogs sleep in their bedroom with them. Every single hand went up. When the speaker went on to ask how many let their dogs onto the bed with them, 75 percent of the hands remained raised.

In the best of all possible worlds, if you have a dog at home, you will be home, too. Or a second dog will be there so the two can keep each other company. Granted, a lot of adult dogs can deal with the boredom, loneliness, and frustration of having no one to interact with all day, but it doesnt mean they like it. And it certainly isnt good for their physical or mental health to lie around with no outlet for their considerable energy or mental acuity and curiosity. As The Pets Hotel, an Australian doggie daycare business explains, dogs are not nocturnal animals. While they are naturally crepuscular, meaning that they have a penchant for activity at dawn and dusk, they also like to spend a fair amount of daylight hours engaged in physical activity and exploration and interaction with their environment - and with other living beings.

Like you, Dr. Stephanie Borns-Weil, the Head of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic, will find out by reaching the end of this sentence that she has won a prestigious award from the Dog Writers Association of America. Its for an article we published in the September 2016 issue. If you go to our website, www.tuftsyourdog.com, and type Words That Wound into the search bar, it will come up as one of the choices.

My 11-year-old retriever-Bernese mix, Charlie, always used to walk forward in a normal fashion. But lately, Ive been noticing that he waddles from side to side as he moves forward, kind of swinging his back in the process. It looks cute, to tell you the truth, and he doesnt seem distressed in any way. Is this a normal part of aging? Ive seen other dogs waddle, too.

California has become the first state that will no longer allow pet stores to sell dogs from large-scale pet breeding businesses, aka puppy mills. Instead, stores will have to get dogs (and cats and rabbits) to sell from rescue groups and animal shelters. The law will take effect January 1, 2019.

Q Our dog, B.B. Mantis, has a fungal problem. His vet said to cut his hair down to his skin to help keep the skin dry. We would like to know what you think because as a Great Pyrenees/old English sheepdog, he has a thick double coat. Cutting down to the skin would not be that simple. …

Youve no doubt heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge, in which people throw a bucket of ice and cold water over their heads (or have it thrown over them) to increase donations for research into a cure for Lou Gherigs disease, scientifically referred to as ALS. But did you know that when you make a contribution to ALS research, youre helping dogs with that paralyzing disease, too? Thats right. Dogs as well as people lose mobility because of a degradation of certain tissue in their spinal cords, eventually succumbing to the illness. And scientific investigators who are looking for effective treatments are in effect helping both species. Their findings across the animal kingdom (including us) are called comparative medicine, and they facilitate the advancement of translational medicine - the quicker translation of basic science knowledge into clinical applications that can help living beings across the world of animals.

I have recently heard about a deadly canine disease called Alabama Rot. My understanding is that its spreading. Im kind of freaking out because I live with my dogs very near Alabama in the Florida panhandle. Can you tell me how I can make sure my pets avoid this illness?

10 Ways to Include Your Dog in the Wedding, was the way one headline read in a recent issue of a bridal magazine. Tip number 2 in the article: Dress your furry friend up in a tuxedo and/or cuffs to serve as a handsome ring bearer. The suggestion was accompanied by a photo of a little boy in his own tux pulling on a nattily dressed dogs white collar. The dog did not look particularly happy.