by Lindsay Stordahl on October 7th, 2009
9 Comments »
A slip lead works like a choke collar and will help with training the dog to walk on a loose leash. It also puts the owner in control rather than the dog. One of the easiest ways to make an emergency slip lead is to loop the handle of the leash through itself and put it around the dog’s neck. The “clip” end of the leash will already be attached to the dog’s collar like normal. This trick has c ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on October 2nd, 2009
13 Comments »
In our community of Fargo, N.D., West Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn., 85 impounded dogs were euthanized in 2008, along with 698 cats (not a typo). Giant breed dogs, “bad rap” breeds, senior dogs, sick dogs and injured dogs are the least likely to be pulled from pounds because it is more difficult to find homes for them. Without foster homes, dogs cannot be saved because there is nowhere for them to go. ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 29th, 2009
9 Comments »
Xander the pitbull and Neco the husky love their sugar cookie shampoo. They also love their Between Baths Spritz. “I’ve also never heard them complain about their Maverick collars or Ombre beds,” said their owner Jammie White. Pet boutiques are not just for small dogs. Jammie’s Fancy Paws Boutique carries collars, leashes, dog coats, dog shampoo and dozens of other products. “A lot of people are under t ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 27th, 2009
20 Comments »
How could the local or federal government possibly regulate every so-called dog breeder? The federal Animal Welfare Act requires commercial breeders to be licensed and inspected annually by the United States Department of Agriculture, according to a Sept. 27 article in The Forum newspaper. “Commercial breeders” are breeders who sell to pet stores instead of directly to owners. Some Minnesota legislators such as R ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 24th, 2009
5 Comments »
Note: This is a guest post by Stephanie Feldstein. Stephanie is the author of “Downward Dog,” a novel inspired by her experience as a pitbull advocate. She recently launched Patient Pup Training, a dog behavior consulting and in-home dog training business. We’ve had a lot of scares in recent years with pet food recalls, but at least the Food and Drug Administration makes a small effort with some bas ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 22nd, 2009
18 Comments »
Ace’s tennis ball obsession was at its worst recently. We were on a 45-minute road trip, and he whined the entire time in the car because he knew there was a ball in my bag. When I finally took the ball out, he was so fixated it appeared he was having a seizure (he wasn’t). His head shook to the point where his teeth were chattering. He was drooling, staring and trembling. Once we reached our destination, my dog ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 20th, 2009
13 Comments »
I was about to head out when my cat Scout ran across the room, dragged his butt across the carpet and left a streak mark. Not only that but he also left a turd on the floor at the end of the streak mark. My mutt Ace did not waste any time to run over and try to eat the fresh dropping. We do not call Ace The Turd Burglar for nothing. He reacted so quickly to the situation that I pictured him wearing a mask and cape wi ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 18th, 2009
4 Comments »
Note: This is a guest post by Mary Ward. Mary is a freelance writer and likes writing about animal-related career topics such as how to obtain an online Vet Tech degree, job and education tips and more. There is a dog lover in all of us. But then, some of us are more aware of that love than others; and for us — there are excellent forums where we can share and learn from each other. These forums pertain to all the ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 16th, 2009
8 Comments »
Note: This is a guest post by Sean Green of  PetCareEducation.com where you can find information on everything about dog care from training to grooming to nutrition. With the thousands of different dog food formulas available, it can be extremely difficult to choose the right type of dog food. A dietary trend for dogs increasing in popularity is grain-free dog food. Research by pet nutritional experts shows that do ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on September 14th, 2009
12 Comments »
I realized yesterday that I am my dog’s entire world. This thought made me a little sad. Ace gets out if I choose to invite him. But I leave whenever I want, with or without my dog. Ace knows and learns what I teach. His behavior depends on me. His energy depends on me. Even his ability to make choices depends on me. Ace eats the food I choose to buy. He eats when I decide to feed him, and therefore his weight ...