Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
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…
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…
What are the best dog blogs to follow? People who love dogs also love reading about them and learning how to make their lives the best they can be. Considering how long we have shared our homes with dogs, there is always more that we can learn how to better understand them and care for them. The moment you figure…
A West Highland White Terrier named Sierra died last month down the road from me in Denver, CO after eating just one penny. Unfortunately, she arrived at the veterinary clinic in the final throes of zinc toxicosis. They couldn’t save her. At this point you might be confused, thinking, “What do zinc and pennies have to do with each other?”…
Many dogs tend to hide pain and discomfort. That doesn’t mean you cannot detect the signs if you observe carefully. I believe that the degree to which dogs share with us when something is bothering them is a matter of trust. If that is so, Cookie trusts us explicitly. Cookie and I have entered a new level of trust and…