Last week, in How Dogs Read Us, Part 1, I discussed some studies that explore the way dogs decode our signals, an ability that is passed along genetically. This second section, adapted from the same article for Your Dog newsletter, addresses the fact that not all dogs are equally skilled at reading signals and not…
How Dogs Read Us, Part I
You pretend to throw a Frisbee in one direction, then toss it in the other. Your dog swiftly shifts gears to catch the disk in mid-air. Or you’re in a bad mood and your pup intuits that a sloppy kiss will cheer you right up. All dog owners have experienced, and likely marveled at, such…
In the Company of Animals (except Frankie): Report from New York
Ah, New York. I had a wonderful visit earlier this month, seeing old friends, going to museums and restaurants, and walking, walking, walking. I was in my element in my hometown, negotiating crowded streets, dodging people and cars. It’s in my DNA. But Manhattan is no place for small, fearful dogs from Arizona. When I…
Freud & Dogs: The Family Heritage
After my recent, rather gloomy post about Sigmund Freud and his last dogs, I promised something more cheery. I’m delivering with an exploration of the prominent role that dogs played in the lives of two of Freud’s grandsons, Clement and Lucian, brothers who didn’t speak to each other for at least 50 — some say…
Diseases of the Dog’s Anal Area
Let’s face it: Dog owners spend a lot of time discussing dog butts and what emerges from them. Puppy bums lend themselves to lots of joking. But this article, adapted from one I wrote for Your Dog, the Tufts University veterinary school newsletter, deals with some medical problems that are no laughing matter. That doesn’t…
If a dog barks in the blogosphere….
If a dog barks in the blogosphere and no one hears him, did he make a sound? Not writing regularly about Frankie feels odd, especially since I’ve been having continuing problems with his insulin and I’ve been crazy worried. But without real solutions except tweaking the dose continually — it needs to be low enough…
Psychoanalysis & Dogs, Part 3: Freud’s Last Dog
I hesitated to tell this final chapter of the Freud-and-dogs story because of its difficult ending, but the truth isn’t always uplifting. As an antidote, I promise to continue this series with more cheering segments. In Part 1, I discussed Freud’s late life arrival at puppy love, including how my great uncle’s butcher shop provided…
Do Dogs Need Professional Teeth Cleanings? Yes!
Maybe you’ve seen a sign for “Teeth cleaning without anesthesia” in your groomer’s shop or on a pet store bulletin board. And you’ve wondered: Would your dog benefit from some quick tartar removal, free from the perceived dangers — and costs — of a professional cleaning under anesthesia at a veterinarian’s office? “Definitely not,” says…
Dogs & Psychoanalysis, Part 2: The Barking Cure
Ok, so the title of this post is a tad deceptive: Sigmund Freud’s talking cure never went entirely to the dogs. (Update: And, as has been called to my attention, it’s also a tad confusing: this post has nothing to do with curing barking in dogs.) But the father of psychoanalysis’s close relationship with the…
Shelter Medicine: Veterinary Challenges & Solutions
I recently did a series about how the Shelter Pet Project is working to change the image of shelter pets. As discussed in the final installment — see Shelter Pet Project Pt. 3: The Future — that’s only one part of the equation: In order to promote adoption and end the killing of healthy animals,…