August 2001
Let Them Eat Grass!
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Taking Steps to Making Vet Visits Less Stressful for Your Pup
Let’s face it: Most dogs aren’t crazy about going to the vet. And why should they be? After all, vet visits are stressful at best. They often mean a new environment, slippery floors, and even more slippery exam tables. Vet offices are full of funny smells, scary sounds, strange people, and unknown animals. Plus, the poking and prodding they are subjected to can be uncomfortable and sometimes even painful. It may be overwhelming for even the most easygoing dog.
Best Dog Ball Brands for Playing Fetch
Subscribers Only A rousing game of fetch is a team sport; it requires a thrower and a retriever. Dog and owner work together, or the game doesn’t happen. This partnered activity helps to cement the dog/human relationship. It’s also a perfect outlet for a dog’s excess energy. The ball-fetching dog gets to satisfy his hard-wired instinct to chase and catch prey, while benefiting from the regular exercise that promotes good physical and mental health. Besides, there is something intrinsically soul-satisfying about watching a dog in hot pursuit of a ball, stretching his legs in full flight across open space, whether it’s with the lithe grace of a sighthound, the determined strides of a retriever, or the scrabbling charge of a stubby-legged terrier.
Doggie Daycare Provides Supervision, Socialization and Stimulation
Enter the rapidly growing phenomenon of commercial doggie daycare. Our ancestors would have laughed heartily at the notion, but an increasing number of dog owners are realizing the benefits of paying to provide their dogs with a day full of activity and supervision. Imagine the relief of owners who realize (often too late!) the difficulty of housetraining the new puppy when no one is home to take her outside regularly; now they can happily drop Puddles off at daycare in the morning, knowing that the staff can further the pup’s understanding of proper potty behavior. Those who have dogs with separation anxiety can stop administering tranquilizers (and stop taking them themselves), knowing that their house is not being systematically reduced to toothpicks in their absence.
Relieving Separation Anxiety Symptoms
Subscribers Only You were gone for less than an hour, and when you returned home, your dog Maxx had already destroyed your new sofa, defecated on your antique Oriental rug, and inflicted deep gouges in the just-repainted front door frame. You have tried leaving him in the backyard, but he chewed through the fence and got picked up by animal control. Maxx has separation anxiety – a behavior problem that results from a dog’s natural instincts to want to be near other members of his pack.
Pet Food Labeling Regulations – Know The Facts!
Subscribers Only Virtually every dog food on the market complies with the labeling regulations and meets the nutrient standards suggested by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO); go look at the fine print on your dog’s food label. It will have one of two statements on it, indicating which of two AAFCO standards it supposedly met: either a “feeding trial” or chemical analysis of the food. The problem is, that particular food may have passed neither test itself.
Protecting Your Dog from Tick Bites and Lyme Disease
Subscribers Only Given the potential duration and magnitude of a Lyme disease infection in your dog, we think it’s pretty important to do something to protect your dog from ticks, especially in areas where cases of Lyme are common. This is one of the instances where you have to weigh all the factors against each other – in this case, your dog’s health and vulnerability, the risk of his exposure to ticks, the prevalence of Lyme in your area, and the tick-repelling and tick-killing products available to you – to decide what you are going to do to protect your dog. It’s not an easy equation; it’s more of a complicated algorithm. Let’s look at each of these areas and how they interact.
Addicted to Fetch
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