Care

trailing awns that are covered with microscopic "scales" that permit movement in one direction only. This makes them dig ever deeper into flesh

You've got a new puppy and are about to start puppy classes (or are planning ahead for your new pup – even better!). You know good puppy classes are an integral part of helping you and your dog invest in a long and harmonious future. Puppy classes aren't magic. Just signing up, paying, and attending aren't enough. You have to train and practice and build your relationship with your puppy. It will last a lifetime and the effort you put in now will pay off multifold. But keep in mind that the bad habits that you and your puppy develop now will also give you payback many times over! So let's assume you have really committed yourself to rearing a puppy well, and talk about how to get the most out of your puppy classes

Things you never thought you’d do an internet search for, right? But if your dog keeps licking his butt, he’s going to need a...

Dogs do sweat through sweat glands in their paws.

Can you imagine a food so easy to assimilate that even the most impaired digestive tract absorbs it on contact? Originally developed to combat world hunger, this amazing protein supplement is now saving dogs. Seacure, which is made from Pacific whiting caught in the Pacific Northwest, contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and other fish nutrients, but its amino acids and peptides (the fundamental constituents of protein) are its primary healing ingredients.

Dogs find summer's high temperatures challenging. That's largely because they don't sweat. Sure, you've read that dogs have sweat glands in their paws, but veterinarians agree that's not much help. A dog's primary means of cooling himself is through panting – and our goal is to make this process more efficient.

There are many easy-to-grow herbs that are also good medicine for dogs (and their people). But first, a disclaimer: When I say “easy to grow,” in my case I mean that they are easy for my wife, Sue, to grow. It is Sue’s “paws in the dirt” concept that I think is perhaps the most important when we are thinking about gardening for the health and healing of our dogs. I believe that all of us (two- and four-leggeds) absolutely need to “ground” ourselves with Mother Earth.

Gertrude Stein might have thought that a rose is a rose is a rose, but with over a hundred species and more than a thousand named cultivars, the genus Rosa has been among the world's most appreciated plants for millennia. And they can be appreciated by dogs, too, with numerous applications for medical, emotional, and behavioral afflictions. Roses grow, with and without thorns, as compact or miniature varieties, trailing vines, climbing plants over 20 feet tall, and impenetrable shrubs. Their flowers range from large to small in white, pink, yellow, orange, and every shade of red. Most roses are native to Asia, while some originated in Europe, Africa, or North America.

meant to help the vestibular apparatus develop properly. This is thought to help prevent vestibular disease and motion sickness later in the puppy's life."

The term “physical therapist” is reserved for practitioners who treat human patients, but canine rehabilitation therapists (that’s the correct term) provide the same assistance for dogs.

Whole Dog Journal readers often try many of the techniques and products described in its pages. But sometimes years go by before we need something we read about, or it disappears from the market, or we have trouble finding it, or we simply forget all about it. Here we take a look at Willard Water, Green Tripe and Seacure, three products that might now be perfect for you and your dog.

Finding the best dog brush or grooming tool depends on your dog’s breed, coat type, and hair length.