The Dog Blog

  Years of being single soured me on the concept of Valentine's Day. Chaperoning middle school Valentine's Day dances didn't do much to help it either. Watching tween drama unfold between slow dances and attempted mosh-pit melees would give me enough of a headache that I had no desire to interact with any other people for the rest of the day. Even when in a committed relationship, the idea of forced romance made me wary. Isn't corporate America just trying to sell me something? I'd wonder cynically. Shouldn't we love with our whole hearts every day of the year? Of...

Stubbornness in dogs can be hilarious - unless it's our dog. When we have the dog who won't come when he's called, walk at heel, get into the car, or whatever, it's beyond stressful. So how do we deal with this? It's important to know that your dog is trainable. Some breeds might have a greater tendency towards independence, such as cattle dogs, or might get distracted by scents, such as pointers, but no dog is beyond help. Definitely starting training earlier in a dog's life can off-set issues, but dogs can learn at just about any age.  1. Be...

Bark - Snarl - Bark! "Sorry! She's actually friendly!"  You hear yourself saying this to other dog walkers over and over. What starts out as a calm walk turns into a stressful event for you and your pup the moment another dog shows up.  What's going on? Your dog, your baby, your angel who snuggles with you and is scared of the vacuum cleaner is leash aggressive.  Leash aggression refers to a very specific behavior, and dogs who are leash aggressive might not actually be aggressive in other contexts. They might be dogs who love going to the vet, adore the mailman,...

For senior dogs, winter can be a particularly fraught time. Cold temperatures and icy paths can make the fun of going outdoors painful for the dog and stressful for the owner. Walks are much slower and there is little canine rejoicing in freshly fallen snow. But dogs need to move, so what's the best way to handle cold weather situations for the well-seasoned dog? Here are a few tips: 1. Ease up the joint stiffness They may need extra glucosamine in the winter time. Glucosamine can be found at many pet stores in lots of different treats. It helps limber up...

Dogs do not need extra food in the winter. We all like to joke about “winter weight,” but for our pups, this has the potential to be dangerous.             Winter time is noted for fewer daylight hours and cold weather, even sub-freezing temperatures. The cold and the darkness activate our dogs’ brains into a conservation mode. Their metabolism slows down and they are much less active than usual.             While a few doggos out there might walk away from their food bowl with kibble still in it, most of us know the other type of dog: finishing every morsel in...