February 2006
Letters: 02/06
Subscribers Only Cosmetic or Not? I read with some interest and frank dismay your article on cropping and docking (“To Crop and Dock? Or Not?” December 2005). While I do agree that ear cropping is purely cosmetic, and should probably be banned, I strongly disagree about your position on dewclaw removal. It is ridiculous to assume that a vestigial toe could affect a dog’s balance, except possibly detrimentally. I have had several litters of AKC registered dogs and…
The Canine Shock Collar Debate
Subscribers Only The chasm between those who abhor the electronic/shock collars as an abusive dog training tool and those who support and promote it as an exceptionally effective and humane training tool is so huge it will probably never be bridged. In more moderate positions in the middle of that chasm are those who believe that the collar can be an effective training tool for very limited circumstances in the hands of skilled professionals, and those who prefer not to use them but feel compelled to educate clients who insist on using them on how to use them properly.
What Are the Alternatives for Treating Cancer in Dogs?
Subscribers Only The high-tech world of modern medicine has so many weapons that its “war on cancer” arsenal promises something for everyone. But all along, there have been patients, physicians, veterinarians, and animal caregivers who refuse chemotherapy, radiation treatments, surgery, prescription drugs, and other oncology protocols.
Dog Obedience Training through Targeting
During the two-plus decades that I trained my dogs in old-fashioned obedience classes, I never learned the pervasively useful and versatile behavior of targeting. The closest I came was the narrow application to “go-outs” in advanced level competition classes – not really the same thing at all. Even today, despite its usefulness, targeting is not a widely known behavior outside positive professional training and competition circles. When I introduce the concept in my basic good manners classes I get a sea of blank stares in response, as if each human client is thinking, “Why on earth would I want to teach my dog to do that?”
Whole Dog Journal's 2006 Dry Dog Food Review
Subscribers Only As we have described in our annual food reviews since 1998, this task starts with top-quality ingredients. To mix a metaphor, you really can’t make a silk purse out of sows’ ears, chicken heads, bovine tumors, restaurant grease, rendered fat from animals that died on farms, and cheap grain by-products left over from the human food manufacturing industry.
Self-Taught?
Subscribers Only Our goal for WDJ is to give our readers information they can put to use immediately to help improve the health and behavior of their dogs. Of course, I consider the magazine a success when I receive letters from readers thanking us for helping save their dogs’ lives, but I also feel a deep satisfaction when I realize me and my dog benefit from things I’ve…
