EVERYDAY DOGCARE

Okay, I admit it. Franklin has been banished from the dog-friendly park closest to my house. Or, to put it more accurately, I promised the animal control offer I wouldnt take him there off leash anymore. One too many people tired of his yelling at them when he smelled treats in their pockets. One too many people lost patience with him jumping all over their cars as they crawled to a halt. And quite frankly, one too many dog owners - me - never cottoned to writing checks to fellow park goers to have Franklins nail scratches buffed out of their vehicles. (The big, goofy - all right, obnoxious - idiot is yelling out the window downstairs as I type this, no doubt from the couch where he stands sentry. Some interloper is probably passing the house with another dog.)

Rosie hates having her harness put on before we get in the car for the drive to the dog park. I literally have to chase her around the house to get the thing around her. One of the things she probably resents most is that Franklin, my other dog, gets to roam freely once we reach the park while she must remain tethered to me the entire time. Franklin, a border collie, is a…

Dandruff is a complex topic. If you see dandruff, something is abnormal. You are not supposed to be able to observe it on your dogs body. Very mild dandruff on black dogs can be acceptable because white flecks on black hair can be a little more prominent. But thats it. In general, dandruff scales are not seen on healthy dogs.

If your dog has dandruff and the cause is not a skin condition or a nutrient deficiency but rather simply a genetic predisposition, more frequent bathing will not get rid of the problem.

Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's good for you - or your dog. For better or worse, the trend never went away. Here are some natural remedies touted as beneficial to your dog that you should run by your veterinarian before considering administering, just like any other pharmaceutical.

In certain ways, Franklin and Rosie are dainty sorts. They both hate the water and will step around even the most shallow of puddles to avoid wetting their paws. But Franklin in particular, even way past puppyhood at the age of five, still likes to roll around in God knows what. Just the other day he came back to me after running off near a cove, happy-eyed and clearly reeking of - I kid…

Heres the simple truth: dogs dont actually need to be bathed. The oils on their skin and hair help retain moisture, and the scents they accumulate in their day-to-day excursions alert other dogs to where they have been and what they have seen. Its an important aspect of the canine communication process. …

While bathing a dog with a normal, healthy coat of skin is not strictly necessary, if your dog has skin disease, bathing can be a very important part of treatment. Indeed, says Andrea Lam, DVM, a veterinary dermatologist at the Cummings School, dogs with most skin diseases absolutely do need to be bathed to help maintain healthy skin function. …

Okay, so vacuuming Rosie didnt go so well. Dont blame me. Tufts veterinary dermatologist Lluis Ferrer, DVM, suggested it as a way of helping to keep the house free of all the hairs that come from shedding. (See the story that starts on page 11.) I knew Franklin the border collie, an even bigger shedder than Rosie, wouldnt go for it. He always dives for cover the second he hears the motor. But I…

Fortunately, the problems arising from a dogs shedding are all the owners, not the dogs. Shedding is not an indicator of health issues, Dr. Ferrer says. Even with a lot of shedding, if your dog retains a normal coat and you dont see areas of hair loss that lead to bald patches, you dont need to consult a vet.

Part of the reason it is difficult to pin down which dogs will shed more - and when - is that dogs coats are not like those of wild animals after thousands of years of natural evolution, which could conceivably lead to predictable shedding patterns. They have been selected by man through controlled breeding only over the last couple of centuries. Specifically, humans have intensely bred dogs with particular types of coats to suit their…

During these dog days of summer, advice youve heard before bears repeating: never just run into the store for a few minutes while your dog waits in the car with the windows closed. When its 80 degrees outside, not a terribly hot day at all, the temperature inside the vehicle rises to …