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I'm the owner of two middle-aged dogs. I'm also a friend to many people with senior dogs with serious medical conditions. I've started worrying about my middle-aged dogs, especially Otto, my 70-pound wonder mutt / heart dog." (Small dogs live longer

This summer is FLYING by. There is so much to do. But there's one task right under my nose that hasn't been getting done, that HAS to get rolling: socializing Mommy

It's very difficult for those of us who always scoop our dogs' poop to understand those who don't. I honestly have never heard anyone defend their habit of looking the other way (and then walking the other way!) when their dog defecates somewhere he or she shouldn't - such as on a public sidewalk, on someone else's lawn, or outside of a hotel - and I really just can't imagine what such a person is thinking when they do this.

One shouldn't watch the latest videos from the Center for Pet Safety (CPS) on a full stomach. Even though NO ACTUAL DOGS ARE HARMED in the videos, watching a few of them may make you feel ill. The videos are the product of the CPS's latest round of testing safety restraint systems for dogs who are passengers in our cars. The CPS, you may remember, is the nonprofit organization prominently featured in WDJ's January 2015 article, Restraining Order

I've said it before and I will say it again: There is nothing as valuable as a best dog friend" (BDF?) for your dog – particularly when you have a young

I own two dogs. One is Otto, my heart dog. He's a largish mutt, about 7 years old, well-trained, well-behaved, and well-socialized. He serves very effectively as a watchdog, letting us know when anyone enters our front gate – and when UPS has a package for us. Or anyone else on our street. Barring his suspicion of UPS, he's a joy to live with.The second dog I own is Tito, also about 7 years old. He's a probable Chihuahua-mix, having been purchased (by a relative) as a purported purebred puppy from a likely puppy mill. His start in life was a little rough, and he bounced from one relative's home to another, picking up issues" along the way. But he's an astute observer of behavior

The dog shown here is half Bloodhound, half Border Collie. I was skeptical, too. Bloodhound I can see. But I don't see a trace of Border Collie. Then I learned her story. Indy was an accident" – the product of two purebreds owned by a family who actually breeds and shows Border Collies and Bloodhounds. I wouldn't have guessed that a fan of one of those breeds would also possess the other

It's that time of year again: when rising temperatures lure dogs and dog owners to bodies of water, intent on cooling off, and when the water itself becomes dangerous to drink or swim in. The dangerous element, a toxic substance often called blue-green algae

Have you ever met a dog who is fun, smart, and friendly ¬– but who seemed to have no real interest in humans, or at least, you in particular? Perhaps this sort of dog is right for some occupations, and perfect for some people, but for me, a dog with affiliative" behaviors is a must. I like dogs who like people! I'm not alone

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the highly unusual (for me) position of being in a strange city and ready for my flight home more than an hour before I needed to go to the airport. So I killed time by asking my phone to direct me to a nearby pet supply store. Some national chain stores populated the list, but then I recognized the name of a small, regional chain, Centinela Feed. I hadn't been to one of those stores before, but I knew that the folks who own the chain are also behind Lotus Pet Food. They had invited me a few years ago to tour and take pictures and video of the canning facility they built, where they make Lotus's canned foods. But I hadn't had time on that trip to visit any of their stores.

A short blog post today, to remind myself (and perhaps others) of something so simple I forget it all the time: When a dog is having trouble learning something, pose the question" differently!Case in point: I'm fostering a puppy

Many of us feel sorry for the animals" when we visit a shelter's adoption row and look upon the faces of the dogs who desperately need homes. But those are the lucky ones – the ones who have been assessed and deemed "adoptable." There are many other dogs in shelters who may not be so fortunate."