Lifestyle

A dog scratch board or scratch pad is usually a wooden or plastic board with an abrasive material like sandpaper adhered to one side. They can be used to train dogs to file down their own nails, without the anxiety that may come from using a nail tool. They make great cooperative care options for dogs who don’t like having their feet touched.

The ability to carry a little dog onto an airplane with you is one of the greatest advantages of owning a small dog that can't be shared by owners of medium or large dogs. Most (though not all) of the risks of flying a dog on a commercial flight are posed by the dog's handling by airport employees behind the scenes and by the dog's unattended experience in the cargo hold of the plane; in contrast, the risks to a dog who is with you at every moment of your flight are very slight – and under your control. That said, there are a lot of things you need to know and contingencies for which to prepare if you are going to subject your dog to air travel. Here's how to make the carried-on dog's flight as enjoyable and stress free (for both of you) as possible.

Moe has been Steve Killips' service dog for 81/2 years. The handsome Labrador, who was trained by Paws With a Cause in Wayland, Michigan, often helps pull Steve's wheelchair, vastly increasing Steve's ability to enjoy the outdoors.üPaul Vaughn of Kennesaw, Georgia, purchased Hunter as a puppy. Paul and his wife trained Hunter to be Paul's service dog. Hunter's primary duties are to help Paul around the house, picking up and giving Paul items as needed. And when Paul's arm falls off his armrest, preventing him from driving his power chair, Hunter pushes Paul's arm back up on the armrest.üBri Benton is a Florida dog trainer who trained her own service dog, Dallas. Bri's disability is invisible. She suffers from vasovagal syncope and severe allergies that can cause anaphylaxis. Dallas has been trained to detect changes in Bri's chemistry and consciousness and alert Bri in time to summon help.

Committing to a dog should never be taken lightly; before you do, ask yourself some critical questions about your lifestyle. Though there are no guarantees, dogs with certain traits may show promise to be good family dogs with the proper training and care.

The Whole Dog Journal staff and contributors provide their top picks for the best dog gear to take care of your canine companion this year.

When Erin Sullivan’s employer offered her a promotion and relocation to Orlando from Baltimore, she jumped at the chance to leave the cold behind in favor of the Sunshine State. Little did she know that her excitement would soon be quashed as she attempted to find a rental home – and subsequently, renter’s insurance – that would accept her, her Pit Bull, and two Pit Bull-mixes. Stories of breed discrimination by insurance companies (and rental property owners) abound as insurance companies increasingly refuse to write homeowner’s and renter’s policies for people who own breeds of dogs that the insurance industry considers to be “dangerous.” Many opponents argue that the industry’s decisions are based on faulty assumptions and improper use of dog bite statistics.

If you’ve ever dreamed of your dog pulling you while you run, ski, or bike, there are dog sports for all of those activities. For winter sport lovers, skijoring is an excellent way to get out and enjoy the snow with dogs.

The natural thing to do when someone complains about your dog is to get defensive. My dog? Causing a problem? How dare you?!" Don't go there. Defensiveness exacerbates hostilities

Looking to plan an event that could raise a substantial amount of money to help animals in need? A large, elaborate event is not something to take on as a first-time fundraiser. Big fundraising events require event-planning experience, a lot of support from the community and from volunteers, and often take a year or more to plan and execute. But if you have that experience and are thinking big, think creative as well. The more fun you make your event, the more people will want to be involved or attend, and the more money you take in to help the animals.

Summer is here! Whether you are packing your bags for a luxury cruise or making a glass of lemonade and heading for the chaise lounge in the back yard, it’s a great time to grab a couple of good books and catch up on your reading. As we all know, dogs are hot – and not just in the panting-in-the-sun sense. An excess of books about dogs have been published in the last year, with numerous titles on dog training, care, psychology, and more. But while you can find something interesting in almost any dog book you read, we prefer to spend our precious free time reading those that have lots of useful information.

The first time I ever noticed booties for dogs advertised in my pet supply catalogs, I laughed out loud. How frou-frou can you get? I have since realized that there are some very legitimate purposes for dog boots, and have revised my opinion of their usefulness. In fact, the dog boot industry is a highly specialized one, with different styles of boots produced for different purposes.

According to that book that everyone has been talking about for over a year (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), we're all supposed to get rid of stuff that doesn't bring us joy. You may have been working on that, or not. That's your business. Our business is telling you about stuff that will bring you and your dog joy! Or, at the very least, keep him safer and more comfortable. That's something to be joyous about, in our book!