If 60 is the new 40 and 30 the new 21, what is 10 now in dog years? That’s the age of the pup who won “best in show” at this year’s Woodminster Kennel Club Dog Show. It seems that working a dog - physically and mentally - can prolong life and keep a dog feeling and acting younger. No surprise given that it works that way for many humans. On this episode of “Good Dog”, Joanne interviews Ted Kerasote, author of of “Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog,” “Out There” and the forthcoming “Why Dogs Die Young and What We Can Do About It.” Kerasote talks about factors that shorten dogs lives including inbreeding, environmental pollutants, commercial dog foods, and unnecessary vaccinations.
Most of us don’t just love dogs; we love animals in general. We understand the potential for animals to bond to one another, even in the most unlikely of match-ups.
Odds are that you, too, will be touched by this story of this dog-elephant combo:
If you do everything by the book, expect that housebreaking your puppy will take at least a few weeks. Generally, according to Pooch Coach Beverly Ulbrich, it can take up to a couple of months to insure that your dog understands where and when to go. On this episode of the “Good Dog” podcast, we learn how to reward appropriate behavior, how to handle mistakes, and how to reinforce what you’ve taught your puppy or dog.
Courthouse Dogs are calming witnesses, reducing stress for defendants and their families, and greeting members of the jury. In this episode of “Good Dog” podcast Courthouse Dogs founder, prosecuting attorney Ellen O’Neill-Stephens, explains how the organization began, how the dogs are trained, and shares inspirational success stories.
Sure, dogs eat raw food in the wild. But most of our dogs live in homes with carpeting and pillows. Plenty of experts say raw food is still the best diet to feed your dog while others warn of the risk of bacteria. On this week’s episode of “Good Dog” podcast we hear from a very balanced thinker on the subject, nutritionist Kymythy Schultze, author of “Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.”
We’ve all heard about the conditions in puppy mills but were you aware that most pet stores buy their puppies from these sorts of enterprises? On this week’s “Good Dog”, we hear from Stephanie Shain, director of the Stop Puppy Mills Campaign for the Humane Society of the United States. They’ve just completed an 8-month investigation and the results are grim.
To see images of the puppy mills that sell to Petland, Inc., check out this video:
When our dogs develop disabling illnesses or injuries, we often have a decision to make. For Vicki Tiernan, it wasn’t too difficult. It was figuring out how to help Ruby get around that was the challenge. Soon, with the help of a special harness with wheels, Ruby was running on the trails, inspiring all sorts of people.
Every now and then you hear about a project that really works. Check this out. Lynn Loar got a 3-year grant to bring shelter dogs to tough SF neighborhood apartment buildings to (more…)
Now, on to today’s Good Dog episode, about being a medical advocate for your pup. Veterinarian Dr. Nancy Kay, author of “Speaking for Spot,” is sensible, articulate and definitely worthy of your time. We discuss some of the basic medical issues that dogs face and what we as pet owners can do to provide the best possible care.
This week’s show is about dog parks which are great, but not for all dogs. Cheryl Smith, author of “Visiting the Dog Park” explains how to determine if your dog is ready for the dog park and if the local dog park is right for your dog.
