Dog care

Understanding Scar Tissue: Is it Too Much of a Good Thing?

You may think your dog is the peace-loving sort of pet, but I can assure you that its body is designed for war! Similar to the human, a dog’s body reacts to trauma or disease with an all-out fight! At the onset of any injury, the “troops” are sent in. White blood cells saturate the area, especially in cases of…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Large Breed Dog Fencing: Humane and Effective Vinyl Panels

Dog owners are always on a quest for information on how to contain their dogs. Did you consider vinyl panel fencing? Vinyl panel fencing meets my two criteria of of it being effective and humane. Effective Effectiveness is essential for the proud owner of a confirmed four-footed escape artist otherwise known as Bridget. If there is a way to get…

by Leslie McGavin Clifton, PMCT, CPDT-KA

Preventing Dog Reactivity: Don’t Let Them Run That Fenceline

Dogs can be reactive for a variety of reasons, including a conditioned response to feeling frustrated. When your dog is racing up and down the fence-line, nose to nose with the dog next door, hair standing up, barking and growling, do you see a problem, or do you love the fact that Rover is getting some exercise? If the latter…

by Leslie McGavin Clifton, PMCT, CPDT-KA

My Dog Won’t Play: How to Facilitate Playful Behavior in Your Dog

What could be a reason for a dog to not engage in play? When Doobie joined my household, this 5-year-old lab knew only fear. Play was a totally foreign concept to this frightened creature. Dobie’s immediate concerns were how to cope in a new and frightening environment. The latter is really what I wish to communicate, to all those who…

by Leslie McGavin Clifton, PMCT, CPDT-KA

Scent Games Enrichment for Dogs: Nose Games

I include nose games in the curriculum of my dog training classes. Why? Dogs possess this incredible organ that we seldom encourage them to employ for daily enrichment—the nose. Teaching our dogs how to search for treats and items by scent is genuinely enriching and is a behavior that dogs engage in daily, being dogs. When we teach and encourage…

by Leslie McGavin Clifton, PMCT, CPDT-KA

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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