by Lindsay Stordahl on December 22nd, 2009
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Dogs’ needs are often overlooked during holiday road trips, so I thought I’d list a few reminders if your dog is lucky enough to come along. Dogs are usually extra naughty when visiting somewhere new, right? 1. Hide the chocolate from your dog. When the car is stuffed with goodies, keep all the tempting presents in the trunk if your dog will be alone in the car. Wrapping paper and boxes will not stop a ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 20th, 2009
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Note: It’s interesting how many people tell me my dog is too thin. Ace is at his ideal weight, but people are used to looking at fat dogs. The following is a guest post by Matt Papa, a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University School of Medicine. Matt’s medical research includes ways in which the human-animal bond can help dogs and their owners maintain a healthy weight. As people around the world str ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 16th, 2009
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The back seat of my car has more than a slight dog odor issue, and I spend a lot of time in my car. Sprays and fragrances used to hide pet smells often smell worse to me than the original odor. My lungs are sensitive to chemicals found in most cleaning supplies and “deodorizers,” so I avoid cleaning products when I can.  When Bill Vaughan from Earth Care Products contacted me about a natural pet odor ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 9th, 2009
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Just wanted to mention that a documentary called “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” is on at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. (CST) on BBC America Thursday night (Dec. 10). The documentary investigates the genetic diseases and other health problems in pedigree dogs, according to bbcamerica.com. I expect the documentary to be quite graphic, sickening and sad, but well worth the watch if you call yourself a dog lover. One of the ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 7th, 2009
22 Comments »
Dogs pick up on more words than we give them credit for. They are very capable of learning 100 to 200 words and some learn more. In the book “The Loved Dog” Tamar Geller encourages dog owners to teach their dogs as many words as possible by saying words like “walk,” “drink,” “cat” or “play” over and over. I made a list of every word I know my mutt Ace recogn ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 5th, 2009
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Note: This is a guest post from FlexPet, a natural pet vitamin supplement with the cetyl myristoleate ingredient (CM8) used as an arthritis treatment. Holistic pet care is gaining popularity by the droves. Holistic medicine involves everything from homeopathic treatments to acupuncture for dogs and other pets. Holistic veterinarians say these treatments can successfully treat and cure many chronic and acute disease ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 3rd, 2009
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Last week I began switching my dog’s food from Purina One lamb and rice to Nature’s Variety Instinct duck and turkey. Nature’s Variety Instinct is a grain-free dog food with no by-products. I chose this food because I like that it has a raw option. Eventually I plan to feed Ace raw food several times per week. My two cats are also eating Nature’s Variety Instinct. It is my responsibility ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 26th, 2009
13 Comments »
Thank you, Ace … I’m glad I was patient enough to wait two months to find you, the “perfect” dog for me. I’m not sure I could do that today, now that I’m involved (obsessed) with rescue dogs. I have about five picked out I would adopt in an instant if I could. I’m thankful you have the endurance to hike all day, but you are also lazy and will sleep till late morning wheneve ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 24th, 2009
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A Jack Russell terrier type dog (not pictured) was euthanized in a local pound last week because of his extremely aggressive behavior, according to 4LuvofDog.com, a Fargo dog rescue. Because of the dog’s aggression, he was considered by the pound to be ”unadoptable.” My immediate reaction was shock. Was there really no one in the area capable of helping this dog? How can a group call themselves a r ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 17th, 2009
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Elli the Pomeranian mix was adopted last week, but I have more to say about small dog training. In addition to exercise, small dogs need training. If I won’t tolerate the behavior from a lab-sized dog, I won’t tolerate it from a Pomeranian. When I adopted my mutt Ace, he was immediately expected to follow rules. The first six months and especially the first two weeks set the scene for what I expected from ...