Easy Ways to Stop the Bark
Dogs communicate using a variety of vocal signals including howling, whining, growling, yelping and barking. While most of this language is easy for humans to understand, constant barking can make even the most informed of caregivers tear their hair out in frustration. Dogs who bark excessively cause their families such distress that some resort to using equipment like anti-bark collars just to get some peace. While these devices might promise a quick-fix cure, they are highly aversive and generally cause dogs more distress, putting a...
Eyes on Peas in Grain-Free Diets
Jackie Brown Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet...
Shih Tzu
Quick Facts Weight: 9 – 16 pounds (4.08 – 7.26 kg) Height: 10 – 11 inches (25.40 – 27.94 cm) The Look of a Shih Tzu Shih Tzu are covered in flowing long hair, including a tuft above the nose which provides its trademark “chrysanthemum” (i.e., floral) face. On a typical Shih Tzu, the rounded head has a long beard and moustache, a short muzzle and a black nose (except in reddish brown dogs which have a reddish-brown nose). Most Shih Tzu have round, dark, wide-set eyes with pendant (hanging) ears that are...
Cirneco dell’ Etna
Quick Facts Weight: 18 – 26 pounds Height: 16.5 – 19.5 inches The Look of a Cirneco Cirnechi (plural of Cirneco) are beautiful, elegant and muscular hounds. Smaller than their cousins, the Pharoah Hound, their short coat color ranges from light tan to chestnut but its their large, upright ears that grab attention. Eyes are amber or ochre and may change colors as puppies become adults. ©Melissa Kauffman Traits energetic independent mischievous sweet tempered sensitive joyful athletic stubborn Ideal Human Companion Active...
Aid for Acute Pancreatitis
The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with our furry friends. It can be tempting to not only share the love but to share the wonderful holiday food, too. But be warned! Veterinarians know this time of a year as a bad one for pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is a common condition in all dogs, although some dog breeds, like the Miniature Schnauzer and Cocker Spaniel, are particularly prone. It occurs when the pancreas, the digestive organ that lies alongside the stomach and small intestine, becomes inflamed. This is a problem because the...
Separation Anxiety Goes Both Ways
Jackie Brown Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet...
Bring on the Treats
Visit any dog supply shop, and you’ll be inundated with dozens of varieties of dog treats: chewy treats, soft treats, crunchy treats, treats made from fancy cuts of meat and custom-created doggie cakes. The options can be overwhelming! Dog treats are big business. Americans are estimated to have spent 38.4 billion dollars on pet food and treats in 2020, according to the American Pet Products Association. The increased spending on treats is driven by dog lovers’ awareness and demand for higher quality ingredients and attention to...
How to Get That Pill Down
“Told you she wouldn’t take it!” There I was, sprawled on my exam room floor, desperately trying to coax a capsule into the maw of a beast known to many as Sugar Bottoms. I was losing this clash between canine and human that threatened to dethrone me as the Tamer of Tablet Takers. But this champion wasn’t giving up yet. I had yet to reach inside my left coat pocket. The best medicine can’t help if your dog won’t take it. As Honey Princess (aka Sugar Bottoms) was proving, giving a dog a pill, tablet or...
Do Dogs Get Jealous?
Jackie Brown Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet...
Dug Up at Dogster: October 2021 Dog Events and Dog Holidays
Say hello to pumpkins, falling leaves and Dogster’s list of tail-wagging October 2021 dog events and holidays. Don’t worry, if you don’t see your dog event on the list, just email us at dogstermag@belvoir.com to include your dog event. October Dog Holidays All month long: It’s Pit Bull awareness month! 1: national fire pup day 1: national black dog day 2: poodle day 13: pet obesity awareness day ALL-MONTH-LONG September 2021 DOG EVENTS Through January 2, 2022: AKC Museum of the Dog exhibit: 9/11 Remembered: Search...
