The Dog Blog

Figuring out where a dog is going to sleep can turn into a needlessly complicated issue. You have your new pup at home, and while both excited and exhausted from your first day together, you lock him in his crate and you head upstairs to bed. And then the crying starts. If you are trying to crate train the pup, then you really are going to have to leave him down there. He will figure it out, but it might mean a few nights of dealing with the crying. There may even be some wake up calls in the wee-hours...

If while walking your dog, you notice that your dog barks more at people of color than lighter-skinned people, you may be mortified and feel compelled to ask, "Is my dog a racist?" Rest assured, race is not on your dog's mind. Race and racism are human constructs. Your dog does not harbor any racial-supremacy views. Your dog simply has a narrow idea of what a safe human should look like. You do not need to feel embarrassed about this, just be aware that there are ways to remedy it. With some training (using dog treats as a reinforcement) and positive...

There is no doubt about it: divorces are emotional and difficult. Nobody plans to have one, and yet statistically they are about as common as staying together is. If you have decided to end the relationship and you are pet parents, this question arises: Who get the dog during a divorce? The answer is that there is no easy answer. In most states, dogs are considered property. If a dog has been purchased from a breeder or a pet store, and only one spouse is listed as the owner, then that spouse officially can determine if he or she wants to keep...

No matter when our vacation time arrives during the year, many of us would not consider it a vacation at all unless we could travel with our pooch. Dogs are not low-maintenance traveling companions. When it comes to the safety of you, your dog, and others, as well as the regulations of either private companies or a government agency, you will need to do some planning ahead. For most of us, traveling will mean moving by plane or by car. (We definitely frown upon hitchhiking as a means of getting from point A to point B. We are pro-wormhole, and if...