Healthy Pets, Healthy Lives !
When we consider a dog’s intelligence, we are usually thinking about how obedient or trainable it is. Although being intelligent does impact how a dog learns, the genetics of each breed can determine personality and how likely the dog is to obey its owner. Some working breeds are notoriously obedient, such as the border collie. Other types of dog, such as terriers or hounds, were bred to be independent and…
Three very harmful myths that have been negatively impacting so many dogs. I love meeting new puppy “owners” because most of them are not unlike “human baby” parents. They worry about their firstborn because everything is new and exciting, but also a little scary. First time parents also have a difficult time distinguishing between good and bad advice. One piece of bad advice that drives me crazy is that people…
A tip to the Turlock Police Department’s Animal Services unit led to the discovery of 49 dogs living outdoors at a Turlock residence on Tuesday. The Turlock resident told animal services the dogs were believed to be strays that were found around town and brought back to the residence. Many of the dogs were not spayed or neutered and the pack began to grow as puppies were born. The Turlock…
Dogs are not only our emotional co-pilots, they’re often our actual co-pilots as well, going along for the ride as we run errands or head out for longer excursions. But if they erupt in frenzied barking in response to everything they see on the other side of the car window, their trips are likely to be few and far between. Here’s how to change that behavior. Many dogs bark at…
Show Off Your Dog’s Style And Tricks At This Virtual Talent Show To Benefit Local Rescue Shelters You need to enable JavaScript to view this site.
We buried Russell out at the end of the dunes, where he always headed when off-leash. The digging was good, all sand, a bit damp, which helped avoid cave-ins. I got him good and deep, well away from any critters who might dig for him and succumb to the drugs that had been used to euthanize him. I took his collar off to free him on his journey, but replaced…
Dogs are special. Every dog owner knows that. And most dog owners feel their dog understands every word they say and every move they make. Research over the last two decades shows dogs really can understand human communication in ways no other species can. But a new study confirms that if you want to train your new puppy, you should be speaking to it in a certain way to maximise…
Dear Bark: My dog is getting older, he likes playing with other dogs and he doesn’t like to be left alone. I want him to have the best life possible, and I’ve heard a dog buddy is the key. Should I get a second dog? The thing is, I don’t know how I feel about having two dogs. Your goal of giving your dog the best life possible is lovely,…
Why I would never use a retractable leash In the past, I wrote blogs about why you shouldn’t tie a dog to a chair and why prong, shock and choke chain collars can cause a lot of damage. By now, you’re probably asking why I focus so much on leashes and collars? The reason is simple. Collars and leashes are a frequent source of neck injuries, front leg lameness and hypothyroidism, but also a decline…
Lincoln Bourne is a German/English/Scottish mix who lives in San Jose, Calif. He is best friends with Shasta, an energetic part German Shepherd. When not spending time with Shasta, he’s a senior engineer/scientist at IBM, with a PhD in experimental solid-state physics and 31 papers in refereed physics journals to his credit.