Category: Dogs

What should we be looking for? When it comes to giving a dog a pill, a tasty disguise is often in order—trickery helps deliver the goods. But what if the dog isn’t the only one being fooled? Sales of pet supplements are soaring, prescription drugs (“no prescription required”) are just a click away, and pharmacies are creating compounds tailored to a dog’s individual needs. Yet, tests keep proving that remedies aren’t always what their labels

“Calming signals” is a term coined by Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas to group a large number of behavior patterns that she says dogs use to avoid conflict, to prevent aggression, to calm other dogs down and to communicate information to other dogs and to people. Since the publication of Rugaas’ 2006 book On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals, it has been a popular idea that actions such as lip-licking, sniffing the ground, yawning,

A vet’s-eye view of the new-puppy appointment Many people think that veterinarians have a dream job. Snuggling adorable puppies and kittens—what’s not to love? Fortunately, the public is beginning to understand that our job can also be quite grueling, with life-and-death decisions being made on a daily basis. So, with such a stressful job, a new-puppy appointment should be a ray of sunshine, right? For many veterinarians, this may be the case, but not for

A pandemic means more dogs on trails and more waste left behind. Douglas firs line the popular trails up to Spencer Butte in Eugene, Ore. Hikers making their way to the rocky pinnacle can glimpse the bright-red heads of pileated woodpeckers hammering tree trunks in search of insects, and tiny golden mushrooms spreading across fallen logs. They’re also likely to see dozens of plastic dog-poop bags lining the trails, and sometimes, even dangling from tree

Are dogs born knowing how to interpret our gestures? Research explores links between genetics and dogs’ ability to learn. Dogs’ ability to understand us and to respond to our attempts to communicate with them has long been considered a fundamental part of the close relationship we share. More than two decades ago, researchers first provided evidence that dogs can follow human pointing gestures. Many studies have since shown that when humans point at one of

Boykin Spaniels lend a nose to box turtle conservation. Noses to the ground, seven Boykin Spaniels range across open grassland and into a forest of oak and hickory trees. They’re followed by a rangy guy in an orange high-viz vest and a pack of researchers in green vests. As one of the dogs nears a find—in this case, a three-toed box turtle—her tail begins wagging wildly. Once she locates the turtle, she carefully picks it up

Counteracting bad puppy-socialization advice. I don’t claim to be psychic, but I have a feeling that Puppy Socialization: What It Is and How to Do It by Marge Rogers, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, CCUI, and Eileen Anderson, MM, MS, is going to be read and recommended by heaps of dog professionals and dog lovers who will be eager to spread the word. The authors had me at “Remember: It’s a human tendency to want to show the

Editor’s Note With a heavy heart, I must tell you that, after 23 years, we are ceasing publication of The Bark. There are oh-so-many reasons for this decision. In the last decade, many corporate-owned magazines have folded following precipitous declines in both readership and advertising. As an indie magazine, we have found this larger trend to be insurmountable. Tags:  news blog The Bark