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Measuring bacteria levels on 32 household surfaces, researchers have found that pet food dishes have the ninth highest level of contamination. The good news: taking the proper precautions can reduce bacterial counts by 90 to 99 percent. The main precautions:

Yelling is probably one of the most common training techniques people use on their dogs. We (and no doubt you) have seen people yell at their dog to stop barking, to “leave that dog alone,” to “get back here now,” and, in any and all situations, “What did I tell you?”

Two years ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug for arthritis in dogs called Librela (bedinvetmab). Given by injection, the medicine reduces arthritis pain by binding to a protein called canine nerve growth factor (NGF). That prevents pain signals from reaching the brain.

You notice that the pupils—the black circles in the center of your dog’s eyes—are no longer the same size. One has become significantly larger than the other, blocking out much of the iris (the colored part). Or one has become significantly smaller. Either way, it’s not normal. Both pupils are supposed to enlarge to the same degree to allow more light in when the ambient light has dimmed, and they’re supposed to shrink to the same degree to let in less light when the surrounding light has brightened. The condition of one pupil remaining a different size from the other no matter what is called anisocoria, from the Greek aniso, meaning “unequal,” kore, meaning “pupil,” and the Latin suffix ia, signifying “abnormal.”

In cultures throughout the world, food is currency for love, for close feelings, and so it goes in the cultural space we inhabit with our dogs. Treats in particular are rife with affectionate meaning and intention, perhaps precisely because they are not necessary for a dog’s optimal nutrition. They’re solely about expressing warm feelings. Indeed, Tufts board-certified veterinary nutritionist Deborah Linder, DVM, once wrote in the journal Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice that “Providing treats is a central component of many pet owners’ relationships with their…dogs.” Unfortunately, excess treats often contribute to unhealthful weight gain in our pets.

Q: I am fostering a dog from the local shelter with a skin infection. Her name is Dakota Johnson, and she looks like an American hairless terrier crossed with fossilized stone. Circular, crusty, sometimes oozing spots are all over her body. And some areas have what look like little pimples. The first two weeks of oral antibiotics, topical antibacterials, and anti-fungal treatment didn’t help. The next two weeks of allergy meds and steroids seemed to be be clearing up the situation. She was scratching less and became interested in eating, and her skin was seeming to heal. But on the third week of giving the steroids every other day things went downhill. New spots have formed, some of them sticky, and a weird smell she had is back. The shelter had a biopsy done and said she had allergies but gave no indication of what she is allergic to. Is there a blood or skin test to find out?

Q: I am getting married in June. I have the sweetest dog who could serve as a ring bearer, walking down the aisle with the rings tied to his collar. I’ve seen it in pictures, and it looks adorable. At the same time, as cooperative as my dog is, I think it might be a lot for him to deal with many unfamiliar eyes on him in a strange setting. Is there a yes or no on this, or does it depend on the dog?

You’ve probably heard of or seen videos of dogs pushing buttons on a board to get the desired outcome: “Go outside”; “Treat”; “Cuddle.” Is it real? Can dogs be trained to push buttons that say in human language what they desire? Preliminary research appears to be pointing in that direction.

Is your dog one of those who likes to run off with your dirty undergarments, or perhaps nap on a sweatshirt that you wore to the gym? Take it as a compliment. It appears that when dogs smell our malodorous residue, they feel wonderfully reminded of us. It’s perhaps similar to the way people feel “seeing pictures of loved ones who are not physically present,” say researchers writing in the journal Behavioral Processes. The hypothesis makes sense in light of the fact that while people process so much of their emotions with their vision, dogs depend much more on their sense of smell.

• Do You Look Like Your Dog?
• Short Takes
• Dog Dandruff: It’s Not Normal
• Between Dying and Death, There’s Hospice
• Which Dogs Should Have Regular Breast Exams?
• Bringing in the Expertise of a Veterinary Cardiologist Without Actually Having to Bring in the Expert
• More Fiber for Fido?
• Dear Doctor

Twenty years ago, sociologist Gini Graham Scott, PhD, wrote a book called Do You Look Like Your Dog? She got the idea for it when she was at a dog show and observed dogs and their owners sitting next to each other. Since then, another book has come out with the same title. Which begs the question: Do you? Research suggests you very well might.

Your perfectly healthy dog with no pain in his limbs or other parts of his body suddenly resists going for walks. It’s now an unhappy struggle every time you want to get him outside. What’s going on?