EVERYDAY DOGCARE

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?

Its no secret that dogs are intensely aware of our moods. Now its clear that our stress levels literally course through their veins. Investigators reporting in Scientific Reports found the connection upon examining hair from more than 50 people and their dogs. Hair follicles absorb cortisol, a stress hormone released into the bloodstream.

In the August issue of Your Dog, we discussed that youre never too old to enjoy sharing your life with a canine companion. But even good things can go awry if proper care is not taken to prevent falls, as was made evident in a report by University of Pennsylvania researchers drawn from nationwide data on dog-walking injuries among the 65-plus set. Injuries sending older dog walkers to emergency rooms rose more than 250 percent in the last 15 years or so, from nearly 1,700 in 2004 to just under 4,400 in 2017. Most of the injuries were said to have been caused by a loss of balance that ensued when a dog pulled too hard or suddenly on the leash.

To train your dog to follow cues and perform various tricks, youre going to need food treats - and lots of them, especially when the trick is new or when your dog is a puppy and is getting the hang of learning in general. You might need to give four or five treats in quick succession in order to solidify the follow-through in your pets mind as she repeats the move youre trying to teach. But how does that square with the standard advice not to give your pet more than 10 percent of her calories as treats, since treats are not part of a dogs healthful diet and can lead to nutrient imbalances?

So many dogs love those plastic ball chuckers, and why not? They allow a person to fling a ball faster and farther than they could with their arm, affording a pet a happy, frenetic run at top speed in order to chase the ball down and bring it back for more. Some dogs, in fact, are absolutely obsessed with the game.

Children 5 to 9 years old are more apt than any other age group to require treatment immediately after a dog bite. And most of those bites are from the family dog when the pet is resting and a child approaches, says Meghan Herron, DVM, associate professor of veterinary clinical services at Ohio State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. With that in mind, Dr. Herron advises the following:

But imagine how great your pet would feel if you showed him affection according to his rules. It becomes even more important when youre greeting a dog on the street whos not familiar with you. You dont want to make a dog feel frightened or, worse, like he has to protect himself. With dogs emotional comfort in mind, here are some tips for petting and greetings in general. Theyre standard for a dog you meet on the street, but if you try them on your own dog, youll also see very satisfied responses.

Orthodontics in dogs is never done for cosmetic reasons. Nor do dogs get those silver railroad tracks you see on kids. So why do some dogs get braces? And what kind do they get?

Coyotes are well adapted to both suburban and urban areas - theyve even been spotted in New Yorks Central Park. And you may have been seeing more of them because while coyotes tend to be born in the spring, they often spend much of the summer in and around their dens, both being protected and fed by their mothers and being taught to fend for themselves by learning to hunt.

Do dogs ever get C-sections?

While all dogs like to run to a certain degree, some make better running companions than others. Dalmatians, Doberman Pinschers, Labrador and Golden Retrievers tend to make good running partners, as well as herding dog breeds (but they can get easily bored and look for something to herd along the way, such as a car).