EVERYDAY DOGCARE

“In the pink” isn’t just a figure of speech when it comes to your dog’s good health. Check his tongue and gums. Just about all...

We recently ran across this post on social media: “We’re thinking of getting a bichon frise, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, or a miniature...

Q. In your article about dogs and music in the March 2020 issue, you said that while our pets seem to prefer certain musical...

Dogs in combat zones can suffer hearing loss from explosions, gunfire, even helicopter engines. The hero dog Conan who was brought to the White House several months ago was no doubt subjected to a serious ear-pounding (as well as an injury) when he cornered the leader of ISIS in a tunnel and the man detonated a suicide vest. Hearing protection for military dogs exists, but how well it protects dogs ears is not clear. Furthermore, it is rigid, cumbersome, and hard to put on.

Dogs put up with a lot to accommodate themselves to our world. Yet in many ways we dont consider a world in which theyd feel more comfortable. Its not because we dont care. Its because we dont automatically consider how their senses influence their experiences. With our dogs senses in mind, here are three ways to make living with us better.

Most shelters are happy to have volunteers come and give resident dogs attention by playing with them and grooming them. Dogs warehoused in shelters need extra attention and socializing so that they will look good to potential adopters and also will adapt better to life with people once they make it to a loving home. But theres more to helping shelter dogs than interacting with them directly, and you may have just the talent required. Consider asking a local shelter if it needs help in any of these areas.

If late-night and perhaps pre-dawn walks with your dog are part of your routine, you might consider using LED collars, leashes, and toys to brighten things up. Colorfully lit dog-walking gear will make you and your pet more visible to passing motorists and to each other. At the same time, theyll help illuminate your path as well as make waste clean-up easier in the dark.

In the present climate of divided party politics, one thing agreed upon by every single member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives is that animal cruelty is unacceptable. A unanimous vote by both legislative bodies has passed a bill called the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, or PACT. Violators convicted of an animal cruelty felony will face up to 7 years in prison.

What is the difference between a guide dog and a seeing eye dog? Ive seen both terms used for dogs who help people who cant see, but does a guide dog also help people who use wheelchairs, for instance?

Some dogs seem happiest in cold weather, thrilling to a drop in the temperature and enjoying rolling on their backs in the snow to make canine snow angels. But even though most dogs are covered in fur from head to toe, not all are built for winter. The American Kennel Club says the following dogs need a coat in cold weather.

Your new diffuser emits the calming scent of lavender, your counters and floors gleam from a cleanser suffused with the uplifting odor of peppermint, and youre thinking of placing clove potpourri in the bedroom. But did you know that products like these, all made pleasing with the aromas of essential oils that have taken off in consumer use, could be toxic to your dog, and in some cases even lead to life-threatening reactions?

The unfortunate truth is that even if you use truly biodegradable poop bags proven to break down and return to nature in a relatively short period of time, they will not degrade well in a landfill, where compression and lack of oxygen get in the way of the degradation process. So instead of throwing your poop bags in the regular trash, what can you do to go the extra ecological mile?