Cultural differences (and what are we doing wrong?)
Last month, my sister-in-law and my almost-13-year-old niece, Ava, spent two weeks in France, visiting my sister-in-law’s mother and stepfather, who live in Paris....
The New Dog and “Youngest Child Syndrome”
I’m the youngest in my family of origin. My siblings are seven, six, and five years older than me. When I became an adult,...
Ode to a Senior Dog
Not one but two friends said goodbye to their beloved senior dogs in the past week. I read their tributes to their beautiful dogs...
How Do You Keep Dogs Cool in the Summer?
It’s officially HOT in the northern Sacramento Valley where I live. These are more or less normal temperatures for July in this part of...
What should you do when you see someone mistreating their dog?
My 10-year-old grandson is visiting from Boston and we went for a bike ride today at midday, to a local park. We were riding...
The Worst Sound a Dog Owner Can Hear
This is the time of year that all dog owners who live in any of the western states, particularly in any part of California,...
Concerns about Seresto Collars, Continued
On March 2, 2021, USA Today published an article about the Seresto collar, originally developed and brought to the market by Bayer Animal Health...
Leaving town? Make sure a “go bag” is available to your pets’ caretaker before...
Last week I attended a conference out of town (it was put on by the Shelter Playgroup Alliance, very cool stuff). For several reasons,...
Keeping the puppy: The new normal
The news that I’m keeping my former foster puppy is leaking out. I loved him from the get-go, when I agreed to foster him...
Please, use pet-related social media for good, not blame and slander
I follow three or four local “lost and found pet” groups on Facebook. These are places where people in the community can post photos...
Don’t wait to teach your dog cooperative care procedures!
I’ve taught both of my grown-up dogs several positions where they will be rewarded for holding still while I – or, importantly, a stranger...
Drug Ads for Veterinary Products
Something I noticed while on the elliptical machine at the gym (while trying to notice anything but my heart and respiration rate): There are...
Latest Blog
No Balls in the House!
Boone lunged toward the ball first – but he’s not a good catcher – so the ball bounced past me toward a steel and stone side-table, with Boone in pursuit. He pursued so hard, he smashed his face right into the edge of the steel table.