Info, Tips, Health
From the mail bag: Allie asks: Just wondering. What do you think of Jon Katz? As a person, a writer, and now a trainer?
Dear Allie, I can’t comment on Katz as a person; I’ve never met the man. And I know all too well how it can be hazardous to draw conclusions about someone who writes about pieces of his or her life. As a reader, it’s easy to think you know the whole person, when you really … Read More
Last night the wolves called my name.
Not the name I now carry,
but the one I was known by,
a million winters ago.
How they knew it was me I am not sure,
for I knew it not myself,
but part of me knew,
and part of me answered,
“Come, my brothers, let us run together,
Let us weave the patches of moonlight
into a story, written on
the fresh fallen snow.
For the world in sunlight to know… Read More
In the midst of the holiday season, with lots of cooking and entertaining going on, I thought I’d share some foods that can be potentially poisonous for your dogs. Perhaps you’re already aware of most or all of them. I found a few that surprised me.
Here’s to safe and happy Holidays for you and your pets.
Foods and Substances That Could be Deadly for Your Dog:
Seems Cesar has a way of stirring things up wherever he goes. He’s attracted a fair amount of attention here in Shanleyville. Irma, a thoughtful reader, left a comment on why she found Cesar’s approach useful for certain situations. She brings up some valid points.
Different trainers become popular with different people for different reasons. Obviously, the Dog Whisperer show has struck a nerve. I don’t find that surprising; there are a lot of dogs who need more training. And … Read More
Watching Kiera and Graidy playing with each other this morning, I’m more keenly aware than usual of the benefits of having two dogs.
I’ve just come back from a visit to my mother’s. She has one dog, Zoe; a beautiful, 4 yr old German Shepherd, who’s a ball nut.
Because Zoe is a high energy dog, and doesn’t have another dog to help tire her out, she is constantly looking for someone to throw her ball. My mother does her … Read More
A pet-loving friend sent this to me and cc’d a copy to Andrew. There’ve been several versions that have made the rounds. It still cracks me up.
… Read MoreDear Dogs,
When I say to move, it means to go someplace else, not switch positions with each other so there are still two dogs in the way.
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a
Okay, I have to say it. I don’t like Cesar Millan’s training methods. He’s set dog training back about 20 years.
The Alpha Roll?! Come on, really. And I don’t know of any good trainer who would EVER say, “Don’t try this at home.” Then what’s the point, I ask you? Showmanship, ego, and money. That’s the point.
It’s not that Millan is wholly without merit. There are some training techniques that even Millan doesn’t have to turn into an … Read More
I’ve been following Marc Bekoff’s work on Ethology (the scientific study of animal behavior) for years. He’s written and edited a number of books on the subject, including The Smile of a Dolphin: Remarkable Accounts of Animal Emotions, a collection of short essays on animal behavior.
One of his recent articles asks the question of animal research scientists, “Would you do it to your dog?”, in an attempt to address the question of animal experimentation in general, while highlighting … Read More
