What Your Choice of Dog Breed Says About You

I found the studies in this sponsored post, written on behalf of Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance, very interesting. Although the conclusions don’t apply to mixed breeds, I was nevertheless happy to read what was said about the personality and brainpower of owners of small dogs. Who knew that Sir Isaac Newton had a Pomeranian? However, I…

The Dogs of War: Sergeant Stubby

In the “Devil Dog” sidebar of my post about BSL last week, I alluded to the fact that Sergeant Stubby, a pit bull mix, was the most decorated dog in military history. This being Memorial Day, it seemed fitting to devote a post to him. I’d read a little about Stubby before, but until I…

Why BSL, Not Dogs, Should Be Banned

“Dog bites man” is not news — unless the dog belongs to a breed that has been declared dangerous, in which case the media is all over the story. In turn, the public response has often been to pass laws banning or restricting the breed. But studies have shown that Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is…

Flooki the Dog, My Mother & Freud

In looking into my family history in pre-World War II Vienna, I’ve been digging around for pictures. I found some I didn’t know I had — and don’t ever remember seeing. Like this one. I always thought my mother disliked dogs and all other creatures great and small. Yet there she is, standing next to…

Vaccinating Your Dog, Part 2: Risk Assessment

Last week I gave a basic overview of vaccinations, including a discussion of why dogs need them. I made the distinction between core vaccines (those that every dog needs for public health reasons, including rabies, which is required by law) and noncore, which should be administered depending on a dog’s particular circumstances — exposure to…