Vizsla
This Hungarian hunter can be found in smooth or wire-haired varieties. Standout characteristics are grace, intelligence, friendliness, exercise addiction, a penchant for chewing things, and a strong dislike of alone time. The well-socialized Vizsla takes worship of his human family to a new level, something that has earned the breed the nickname “the Velcro dog.” […]
Pilates For Dogs
Is your dog a sports lover who relishes agility, flyball, freestyle, or disc dog competition? Or is she more of a couch potato? Perhaps she’s getting on a bit in years? Then your dog could benefit from a proactive approach to injury prevention. That’s where core conditioning—or Pilates—for dogs comes into the picture. In humans, […]
5 Tips For Cold-Weather Walks
1. Beware the Burn If you’ll be walking where the roads are being salted or treated with ice-melting chemicals, protect your dog’s footpads with booties or petroleum jelly. 2. Stay Bundled Unless your dog is a northern breed that lives for the snow, invest in a sweater or coat that covers him to the base […]
Maternal Altruism In Dogs
Human beings are capable of and often display maternal altruism well beyond our own species. We adopt other people’s children, yes, but we also adopt dogs and cats, even trees and roadways. Viewed through an evolutionary lens, this is interesting. Why aren’t we focusing on the survival of our own species—even our own tribe—instead of […]
Getting Real With Your Dog
One of the most frequent sources of frustration in dog training? Unrealistic expectations. Dogs’ intelligence shines through in so many ways that we tend to ascribe them decidedly human cognitive skills, such as the ability to understand complex sentences. It’s what some dog trainers refer to as “the Lassie syndrome.” If you often find yourself […]