Taking It Personally At-Home Dental Care Chicken-Free Dog Food Locate the Lymph Glands Dog Pain Medications Waist Belts for Walking Dog-Aggressive Dogs Large-Breed Puppy Food Vaccination for Lyme To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in Subscribe Subscribe to Whole Dog Journal With your Whole Dog Journal order you’ll get: Immediate access to this article and 20+ years of archives. Recommendations for the best dog food for your dog. Dry food, homemade diets and recipes, dehydrated and raw options, canned food and more. Brands, formulations and ingre ..read more

When dog behavior doesn’t make sense to us, it’s easy to just shrug and say our dogs are stubborn or crazy. But often a productive answer is right there in front of us, if only we’re willing to look at dog body language—and our own. The way we humans move matters. For example, do you stand tall and walk toward your dog when you’re calling him? That may be why he doesn’t come to you. On Planet Dog, that direct-facing approach sends a message to stop or back up. (Much better to angle to the side and start moving back a bit as you call—that tells your dog to come along.) But it’s not just our hum ..read more

Reactivity in dogs is an abnormal level of arousal in response to a normal stimulus. “Reactive” doesn’t necessarily imply aggression, although some dogs with reactive behaviors certainly can be aggressive. It just means a dog who gets way too excited over something in her environment—and not just excited as in, “Oh hi, I’m so happy to see you!” Rather, it’s way too excited as in an alarmingly aroused “Bark, bark, bark, lunge,” and maybe even a canine scream or two and possible escalation to biting. Note that I use the phrase, “a dog with reactive behavior” rather than “reactive dog.” While a d ..read more

A puppy may have diarrhea for many reasons and usually is not reason to immediately overreact unless you’re seeing additional symptoms. Start with simple reasons for your new puppy’s diarrhea first: He has had major life changes. He is leaving the only home he has known, leaving his canine family, and moving to a new place with new people and maybe new animal friends. Diarrhea is a common stress reaction. Hold off on friends visiting your new puppy. Give him some time to settle in with quiet time and rest. Diet change. Most breeders send you home with a bag of the same food your pup has been ..read more

If you, like me, have posted photos of your dogs on social media for a long time, there’s every chance that you, like me, get regularly smacked in the face by a Facebook “memory” – a picture of your beloved heart dog who passed some time ago. And the longer you have been online, the more dogs you have loved and lost will appear there – sometimes in a group shot! It’s bittersweet, isn’t it? When you unexpectedly see a photo of a small happy or funny moment that you may have forgotten about without the photo’s resurfacing, it’s just as likely to make you smile as bring tears to your eyes. Well ..read more

Approximately 100 grams – about a half cup – of onion can be toxic to a 45-lb. dog. Onion powder is more concentrated, and therefore worse, but most dogs only get powder in small amounts in cooked foods. A dog who ate an onion may vomit or have diarrhea, refuse to eat, and may have oral or gastric pain. You may notice difficulty breathing, lethargy, and/or feel a rapid heartbeat. Be aware, however: “Signs may not occur until several days after ingestion,” according to the American College of Apothecaries. The toxic compound in onions is N-propyl disulphide. This substance destroys red blood ce ..read more

Babesiosis is a tickborne disease that can affect dogs. Although the disease is seen worldwide, including in the United States, much of the what we know about babesiosis is from Europe. Babesiosis is primarily transmitted through a tick bite but can infect puppies in utero and be spread by dog bites through saliva. The tiny parasite that causes babesiosis attacks and destroys red blood cell, causing anemia. While most dogs develop a slowly progressing illness with minimal symptoms, some dogs show an acute, aggressive illness. An important consideration with babesiosis is that infected dogs nev ..read more

Your dog can safely eat most forms of oatmeal, but avoid those packets of flavored oatmeal, as they may contain other ingredients that are harmful to your dog, including the deadly sweetener xylitol. Stick with plain oats. You have likely seen dog foods and treats that include oatmeal as an ingredient. That’s because it is nutritious. Beneficial nutrients in oatmeal for dogs include: Fiber Vitamin B Omega-6 fatty acids Magnesium Zinc Antioxidants These qualities can help to support heart and gastro-intestinal tract health for your dog. Oatmeal also can help promote healthy weight and stable ..read more

Dogs who spend a lot of time licking near the base of his tail are often suffering from anal gland issues, allergies, or both. Allergies, especially a food allergy, can cause inflammation of the anal glands, which is irritating to the dog. Other potential causes of a dog licking the base of the tail include fleas in the area, hot spots, perianal fistulas, and perianal tumors. If your dog is licking back there a lot, take a good look at the general area yourself. The dog’s licking implies something is uncomfortable. The sooner you get a veterinary diagnosis and appropriate treatment the sooner ..read more

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