This issue is packed with useful information!
We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about two newer features in Whole Dog Journal. The first is “Action Plan” – the column that appears opposite this page, which features five things that an owner can do to solve any given dog behavior problem. The second is “Canine News You Can Use.” Our annual dry dog food review, published each February, is such a monster that it ate the space for these two columns in last month’s issue, but they have reappeared this month. We did give the “Good Sports” column this month off, but author/trainer Terry Long will be back in the next issue with an installment on the sport of competitive herding.
The feature articles in this issue include:
• Regular contributor Lisa Rodier interviews veterinarian Sophia Yin about her new book (which comes with three hours of video on a DVD), Low Stress Handling, Restraint, and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats. Anyone whose dog has been handled poorly or roughly at a veterinarian’s office will appreciate Dr. Yin’s suggestions.
• Training Editor Pat Miller discusses the issue of where dogs sleep at night. Most owners have a strong preference about this, with some embracing their dogs’ presence on their own beds at night, and others preferring that dogs sleep only on a dog bed, perhaps in another room or part of the house. As Pat makes clear, there is no wrong answer; sleeping arrangements are up to you! What’s more, she offers support for any problems you may have in convincing your dog to sleep in his or her designated snooze spot.
• Lisa Rodier does double-duty in this issue, with the second in a series of articles about caring for dogs at the end of their lives. In “Moving From Cure to Care,” she describes the challenges of providing hospice care for a dying dog. In the article, she shares advice from (among others) veterinarian Nancy Kay, who hosts a support group for grieving owners at her practice in Rohnert Park, California, and who, coincidentally, has contributed . . .
• . . . this issue’s final feature article, which offers information about finding reliable canine health-related information on the Internet. Dr. Kay also shares strategies for then discussing the information you find with your veterinarian -an often-tricky proposition.
Speaking of the Internet, if you’re on Facebook, search for the Whole Dog Journal. “Fans” of Whole Dog Journal can enjoy previews of upcoming articles, links to (free!) articles from our past, and occasional discounts for trial and gift subscriptions. And, of course, interaction with other Whole Dog Journal fans!
