Modern Dog Winter 2012 by Modern Dog Magazine

VOL 11

NO 4

WINTER 2012/13

Living the Sweet Life To the rescue, a food truck bringing natural sweets to the street. BY OLIVIA FELLOWS

Food Rules How dinnertime for your dog affects behaviour.

BY STEVE DUNO

Pay It Forward 5 million very good reasons to get on the rescue train.

Funny Business 45 Cartoonist Hilary Price on capturing truth—which, where our pets are concerned, means distilling the universal, oftentimes hilarious weirdness of sharing one’s life with animals. BY ROSE FROSEK

Mutts, Glorious Mutts! Mixed-breed cuties have their day. 74

THE GOODS

BODY AND SOUL

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TANYA KING

Behind the Scenes: “Mutts, Glorious Mutts!” A peek behind the camera, plus meet the cuties from the shoot. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TANYA KING

Baby’s Best Friend; Turmeric: The Super Spice; The Find

How To Keep Your Dog Off The Couch; Armchair Vet Advice;

78 Country Strong Exclusive! Carrie Underwood on four-legged 80 groupies, stealing hotdogs, and not eating her friends.

Study Shows Dogs Have Empathy; Lose it!; The Modern Dog Poll

BY MARY-JO DIONNE

100

The Ultimate Gift Guide Perfect gifts for everyone on your list.

Which Emotions Do Dogs Actually Experience? Are you anthropomorphizing? The feelings dogs actually experience—and those we project. BY STANLEY COREN

DIY Pup Power Smoothie; A Shout Out for Social Change Golden Oldies Pep up your senior dog with supplements the specifically tackle health concerns associated with aging. BY ELIZABETH PASK AND LAURA SCOTT

106

The Down & Dirty On Humping Sex, status, and beyond. BY JENNIFER MESSER

114

Follow Your Passion Three entrepreneurs trade their day jobs to live their 24 dreams of self-employment.

Ask a Vet Constipation; the limping hound.

BREED PROFILE

BY COREY VAN’T HAAFF

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The Siberian Husky More than meets the eye. BY KELLY CALDWELL

P H OTO TA N YA K I N G

FEATURES

127

LIVING 28

We’re Giving It Away! We’ve got three month’s of groovy giveaways, from cool t-shirts to travel carriers, and winners every week!

How I Met My Dog: Meeting My Match BY NAOMI FUJIMOTO

De-dog Your Home 104 Whether you have 20 minutes or just five, we have tips to help you reign in the mess so you can move on to more amusing pursuits, like weaving all the dog hair you’ve swept up into a sweater. BY ROSE FROSEK

The Newbie: Meet 17-year-old Photographer Jessica Trihn This young photog’s sun-filtered style, effusive personality, and undeniable passion for all things dog have us charmed. BY ROSE FROSEK

DIY Craft: The 5 Minute Valentine Forget service station flowers. We’re here to rescue February 14th with this wonderfully quick and superadorable project. BY SERENA FABER NELSON

How I Met My Dog: Seven Pounds & Wormy

DIY Craft: Paw Print Wall Art Get the how-to for making beautiful, personalized prints for your home. Dog required. BY SARAH DICKERSON

DIY Eat: Grain-free GoodBites Grain-free, egg-free duck deliciousness your dog will adore. BY JEN MITCHELL ODDI

110

BY AMANDA PAGE

112

Dogs and Babies Cute overload! Reader-submitted photos of their wee ones.

118

Ask a Trainer: Separation Barking Dealing with coffee-shop barking. BY COLLEEN SAFFORD

120

Ask a Trainer: Encouraging Play Instigating playtime. BY NICOLE WILDE

122

Ask a Trainer: Building Confidence Helping a rescue dog that’s hand-shy.

REGULAR FEATURES

6 8 10 12 14 22 34 137

Editor’s Letter Contributors Our Readers Write Stuff We Love The Scoop Smile! Photo Contest Dog Trick Marketplace

COVER LOOK Country superstar and serious rescue proponent Carrie Underwood and her adorable rescue dog, Ace, a Rat Terrier. For our exclusive interview with Carrie, turn to page 92. Photographed by Jeremy Cowart.

BY INGER MARTENS

122

Ask a Trainer: Resource Guarding Three’s a crowd for this dog. BY TEOTI ANDERSON

127

Art Attack In marrying the canine visage to traditional portraiture, artist Carol Lew delights us with her dapper dogs in regimental dress. BY NASTASHA SARTORE

129

Connie’s Book Club Curl up with a good dog and a good book. Editor-inChief Connie Wilson’s round-up of this winter’s must-reads.

132

Ask Dog Lady Bothered and bewildered? Crazed and confused? Dog Lady delves into your most dogged dilemmas. BY MONICA COLLINS

144

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Last Lick: Mister Pazu One love. BY DIANA THUNG

I L LU S T R AT I O N K I M S M I T H ; PA I N T I N G © C A R O L L E W

100

istening to the radio while driving home from work a few days ago, I learned about the passing of a remarkable man, the scientist/activist, Dr. Barry Commoner. Commoner’s concern over rampant pollution resulting from the technology boom following the Second World War prompted him to raise national debate about society’s right to know and understand environmental risks in order to make informed decisions about them. Because of his ahead-of-the-curve environmental activism, he is known as a founder of modern ecology. One point in the discussion of his life’s work particularly caught my attention, the subject being the first of his Four Laws of Ecology wherein he states that: Everything is connected to everything else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all. This struck a chord of recognition with me; I had come to a similar conclusion of undeniable interconnectedness through communing and connecting with nature on countless dog walks over the years. I think our dogs give us many gifts, one of the greatest of which is an excuse/obligation to unplug for a moment and drag ourselves outside, where we are invariably reminded of the world beyond our computer screen and the magic and beauty of nature. Our co-habitation with this other species— in itself a remarkable thing, really, though we forget that in it’s everydayness—provides an opportunity for us to witness a consciousness that is more finely tuned into Mother Nature than ours. Watching and taking part in our dogs’ joy and unbridled enthusiasm for the great outdoors helps us forge a deeper connection

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ourselves. Does this make dog lovers more sensitive to the environment and more caring of how we treat it? Generally, I believe that the answer to that question is yes. Although at times I feel there is little hope for our world—I fear we’ll continue to plunder its resources until there’s nothing left, and rationalize that it’s our right to do so—perhaps the combined voices of enlightened dog lovers will be instrumental in bringing a gentler and more caring approach to how we treat other species and the world’s dwindling resources. We can certainly hope. Our dogs definitely inspire us in myriad ways. This issue features a passel of entrepreneurs who traded in their day jobs to pursue their passion, from a couple that started a food truck to raise money for their Chihuahua rescue (p 20) to a woman who was inspired by her own insanely energetic puppy to leave her bank job and start a dog daycare. And then there’s the story of Mike Armstrong (p 36), president of Helen Woodward Animal Center, who, lying in the street bleeding following an attack, was licked awake by a injured puppy, herself grievously injured, prompting Armstrong to dedicate his life of service to animals. He is now credited with saving more animals than any other person, ever. Talk about amazing. On page 58, cartoonist Hilary Price tells us about getting down to (funny) business, and on page 92 this issue’s cover girl, sweetas-apple-pie pop sensation Carrie Underwood opens up about celebrity, her dogs, and starting a shelter in her hometown—and that’s not the half of it! We’ve got super-cool projects, like how to make beautiful, personalized paw print wall art for your home (p 54), as well as tasty recipes you’ll definitely want to try. Plus, anyone with a senior dog will definitely want to read our article on perking up your golden oldie with the right foods and supplements. Top all that off with our “ultimutt” gift guide (p 45), training advice, must-read books, and tons of photos of smiling dogs, and we think we’ve put together a pretty swell winter issue, one intended to lift your spirits and inspire. We hope you agree. Wishing you a magical holiday season and the happiest of New Years!

Connie Wilson, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO KHAREN HILL

E D ITO R ’S LE T T E R

C ON TRIBU TOR S WINTER 2012/13

•

VOL 11

NO 4

Publisher

Modern Dog Inc. Editor-in-Chief

Serena Faber Nelson is an awardwinning television producer, writer, and fluffy dog owner who lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband, Andy, and her own “pretty fluffy,” Soda. Obsessed with home décor, fashion, lifestyle, and dogs, Serena set about creating the totally fun, wonderful, and inspiring site prettyfluffy.com as a go-to guide for the modern pet owner. Featuring a range of stylish products, celebrity pooches, and DIY projects, Pretty Fluffy is a daily stop for smiles and inspiration. In this issue, we’re thrilled to share not one but two very cool Pretty Fluffy projects. Check them out on page 52 and 54.

Connie Wilson Editor & Creative Director

Jennifer Nosek Circulation Manager & Marketing Director

Jessica Nosek Circulation Supervisor

Jane Hope Design & Production

Maxine Matishak Design & Production Assistant

Vanessa Dong Sales & Marketing

Sara Lima, Mary Liu Editorial Intern

Shannon Church Accounting and Subscription Services Assistant

Celine Benipayo Controller

Cecilia de Roca Chan Donations Program Liaison

Jessica Nosek Honourary Editor-at-Large

Jytte Wilson

Deborah Samuel is a Canadian photographer currently living the life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her photographs reside in many public, corporate, and private collections and her work has been widely exhibited internationally. After working extensively as a commercial artist and winning numerous awards, she now focuses exclusively on fine art projects. See Deborah’s enigmatic photos of the Siberian Husky in this issue’s Breed Profile on page 24.

Subscription inquiries call (800) 417-6289 Advertising inquiries call (866) 734-3131 In Canada: MODERN DOG (ISSN 1703-812X) Volume 11, Issue 4. Published quarterly by Modern Dog Inc. at Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 In USA: MODERN DOG (ISSN 1703-812X) Volume 11, Issue 4. Published quarterly by Modern Dog Inc. at 142 Churchill Drive, Newington, CT 06111-4003. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and additional offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, PO Box 310402, Newington, CT 06131-0402.

604) 734-3131 OR TOLL FREE (866) 734-3131

PHONE (

FAX (604) 734-3031 OR TOLL FREE (866) 734-3031

The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, images, photographs or other materials. By accepting and publishing advertising the publisher in no way recommends, guarantees or endorses the quality of services or products within those advertisements.

Tanya King has been passionately photographing dogs for the last seven years, in both her previous photography-life with the Dog & Hydrant, and now as Tanya King Photography. Her main goal is to have fun with what she is doing, and photographing dogs is what does it for her, especially photographing homeless ones for groups like HugaBull, Cross Your Paws Rescue, and the Vancouver Animal Shelter. She is taking it easy with her dog, Daisy, loving life, and driving around in her new Fiat! Check out Tanya’s photos in “Mutts, Glorious Mutts!” on page 64.

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Copyright 2012/13 by Modern Dog Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic or mechanical, including the Internet or photocopying without the written permission of the Publisher. Modern Dog and its logotype are the trademarks of Modern Dog Inc. One-year subscription prices: Canada $18CAD, U.S.A. $15USD, foreign $45USD. Subscription orders and customer service inquiries should be sent to Modern Dog Subscription Services, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4

PRINTED IN CANADA

www.moderndogmagazine.com Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743013 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Bark Back! OUR R EA D ER S W R I T E “I got my 10th anniversary magazine today! Connie looks GORGEOUS on the cover. I’m so excited to dive in!”—Annie Colson F ACEBO OK FR IEN D S An amazing magazine—great stories, informative, wonderful pictures! The best dog magazine out there, and I read them all. —Donalee Clarke What a great magazine! Always has so much great information for our customers. Great finds, too.—Emily Salsbury at The Grooming Studio Just finished reading the new issue. I came across the article “Remembering a ‘Heart’ Dog” and instantly burst into tears. My Borias the Heart Dog just passed of cancer a few weeks ago. I got a tattoo of his paw print over my heart, using a little of his ashes. I’m also looking for a reliquary and a better urn and there were great suggestions [in the article]. He was such a great dog. Thank you for your magazine.—Tamandra Michaels

YOU’VE G OT M A IL Subject: A big thank you to Modern Dog! I just wanted to write and let you know that your magazine helped save my dog’s life. I recently subscribed to Modern Dog and my first issue was the summer 2012 issue. In it, I read about how to perform the Heimlich on a dog and thought to myself, this is great information that may come in handy! Little did I know I would need it little more than a month later. I had given my Leopard Catahoula mix, Ruthie, two small strips of duck jerky for a treat and sat down. I noticed she looked like she was trying to cough but not having any luck. I was able to use the information I had learned from your article and with one swift jerk the jerky came out. She was so happy afterwards that she was wagging her tail and bouncing up and down. A huge thank you from Ruthie and myself to Modern Dog magazine for helping us avert what could have been a tragedy. I am so happy that I have subscribed to your magazine and am looking forward to the issues to come!—Andrea and Ruthie

Subject: Love, love, love this magazine Thanks for such a great dog magazine. It’s one of the only magazines I read from cover to cover. My only wish is for you to do a feature on the fact that there is a rescue group for almost every breed. A proud fur parent, I have rescued two Jack Russell Terriers, a senior and, once she passed, a youngster. With all the dogs that are in the different rescues and on PetFinder.com, a feature may help people find a dog in need of a forever home. Thanks for such a wonderful magazine!—Lorri Najbor, volunteer, Jack Russell Rescue of Ontario Canada [Great suggestion, we couldn’t agree more. Breed-specific rescues abound and, for anyone with a particular breed in mind, they are an absolutely wonderful place to start the search for a new companion.—Ed.] My fur-niece, Sweedie (at right), from Boston, MA enjoying her subscription to Modern Dog I got her for Christmas. —Roberta Glennon

REALLY SWEET TWEETS @SugaryBulldogs Just bought my first copy of @moderndogmag Loving the articles on dog-friendly wineries and dog blogging! @dogster Huge Congrats to our friends at @moderndogmag on their 10th (!!!) anniversary. It’s a great dog magazine. Congrats Connie from @tedr & pack.

For a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re up to in the MD offices, the latest breaking stories and videos, cool contests, events, and exclusive giveaways, become a fan of Modern Dog on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Pinterest. Go to facebook.com/moderndogmagazine, twitter.com/moderndogmag & http://pinterest.com/moderndogmag.

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# @ $

STUFF WE LOVE Modern Dog staffers’ picks of the litter

1 My Springer Spaniel Wellie already spends the whole day sleeping, but his new Isotonic

Memory Foam Mattress lets him really enjoy it, comforting his injured knees and letting him get into that deep squirrel-chasing dream we find so amusing.—Shannon ($130, bowsers.com)

2 Dog hair, dirt, and cobwebs begone! My new Dyson DC44 Animal cordless vacuum cleaner is light (easy to use), compact (perfect for limited storage space), and gets into any place (high, low, hard to reach, and in-between) that dog hair does (or whatever else is lurking in the corners). I have never been so impressed by a vacuum.—Maxine “So Clean” Matishak ($399, dyson.com)

3 I love my new blanket from Bella Bark and Meow. It’s velvety soft with its faux mink texture. I will be fighting with the dog over who gets to snuggle up with it!—Mary (From $25, bellabarkandmeow.com)

4 Finally, my very own sheepskin! Nothing spells super-cuddly awesomeness like

one’s own luxurious sheepskin rug (available in beautiful white, black or chocolate brown) to cradle a weary dog-body and soothe aches and pain. Now that I’m nine-yearsyoung, my long Dachshund back deserves the best. Naptime!—Dachshund Esther ($80, sheepskinstuff.com)

5 Wherever I go, my dog Cash must follow, so this handcrafted “Mama’s Boy” collar from

Sweet Bird Studio was an obvious choice. Best of all, it coordinates beautifully with the pewter “Forever” tag that he sports to signify the love and devotion we’ll always share. —Sara (collar $78, tag $25, sweetbirdstudio.com)

6 There’s a certain doggie aroma that comes with the wet season. But not in my home. It’ll be smelling delightful the whole year round thanks to this awesome Green Leaf reed diffuser.—Jessica ($30, greenleafgifts.com)

7 Arm & Hammer’s Dental Mints are a tasty way to deal with a stinky problem (that would

be my pooch’s bad breath). He loves the chicken taste and it keeps his teeth clean and healthy between brushings.—Jane ($6, armandhammer.com)

8 No more drips and water rings on my coffee table, thanks to my adorably Pug-tastic

coasters! The cuteness level of my living room just shot up to sky-high!—Celine ($11, dogbreedstore.com)

9 I love my new Zhao feeder with its bold Ming-red color and low Eastern inspired design.

It fits my stature perfectly which is also bold and low! Comes in small and medium, starting at $65.—Dachshund Penny (from $65, unleashedlife.com)

10 I don’t much like eating veggies, but playing with them is another matter! Pet Play’s Garden Fresh plush toys are eco-friendly, washable, and, most importantly, squeaky. Pick your favourite or bag the whole veggie garden!—Dachshund Rose ($40/set, petplay.com)

11 I love Cece Kent’s Sante Fe collar with its intricately woven, soft Italian leather. The

hand-stitching and antique brass buckle make a stylish and distinctive fashion statement for my dog, Penny. Available in six gorgeous colours.—Connie ($95; cecekent.com)

12 Save dollars spent at the groomer! The Andis clipper is equipped with a quiet motor

and detachable ceramic blades which stay sharper longer and remain 75% cooler than steel blades. My dog Molly is now looking better than ever!—Vanessa ($133, andis.com)

13 The term revolutionary gets bandied about, but with this little gadget it might not

be overstating things. With two dogs constantly tracking the outdoors in, the Mint Plus robotic cleaner for hard floor surfaces is nothing short of game changing. Using a navigation system akin to indoor GPS, Mint works its way around your house, sweeping, light mopping, and cleaning edges while avoiding obstacles and area rugs—it even gets under tables and couches! Seriously, Mint, where have you been all my life?—Jennifer ($299, irobot.com)

(

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CANINE NEWS AND REVIEWS

Winningly Weird

ParaNorman’s ghost dogs and zombies delight We don’t know what it is about stop-motion animated 3D dogs, but they’re definitely having their moment—and for that we couldn’t be happier. Another charming entry in the children’s horror genre (keeping company with Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie) is ParaNorman, the gorgeously weird and wonderful animated oddball tale of Norman, an 11-year-old who makes friends with the dead and saves his small town when it comes under siege from zombies. But, of course, what had us captivated was the ghostly presence of Norman’s friend’s beloved dog, Bub. Though passed on, Bub still gets up to all sorts of trouble, like stealing zombie limbs from the cemetery—you know, regular ghost-dog stuff. With its lovely handmade detail and story line celebrating the oddballs and outcasts out there, this is one for the whole family in which, as the film’s tag line proclaims, “weird wins.” Out on DVD now. Bub’s design was based mostly on the Brussels Griffin, but also partly inspired by Story/Edit Coordinator Kevin Smith’s dog, Mr. Business, a Shih Tzu/Pomeranian cross. (If ever there was a great name for a dog in the movie biz, this is it.)

POLL RESULT

75% of readers ask to speak to their dogs when they call home while away.

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Lucky Dog, Indeed

Cornelius, NC residents never again have to choose between spending time with their dogs or joining friends for a drink If this isn’t the coolest new business venture, we don’t know what is. Lucky Dog Bark and Brew, a Cornelius, NC business started by Randy and Kelly Waugh, is a members-only sports bar that also functions as an indoor/outdoor dog park, allowing for both human and canine socialization. Sit back and enjoy a cold one while you decide which game you want to watch; fetch or a sporting event playing on one of the 13 TV’s—or the 120-inch big screen. And why not multi-task while you enjoy your brew? Lucky Dog also features a grooming salon, daycare, and boutique. Annual membership to Bark and Brew is $10 with 50 percent donated directly to the Cornelius Animal Shelter. We’re only wondering why these don’t exist in every city.—JN

PHOTO WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB

HERO DOGS

THE GRANDE DAME OF DOGS:

The 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Set your PVR: the venerable Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show, held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, takes place February 11-12. Once again, the Empire State Building will be bathed in the Westminster colours, purple and gold, in honour of the event. Just how much of an institution is the Westminster Kennel Club dog show? Established in 1877, it is America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs and America’s second longest continuously held sporting event, behind only the Kentucky Derby. Westminster pre-dates the invention of the light bulb and the automobile, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Washington Monument, the invention of basketball and the establishment of the World Series. Don’t miss this year’s continuance of this historic event. CNBC and USA have live television coverage Monday 8pm-11pm ET and Tuesday 8pm-11pm ET. Or go to westminsterkennelclub.org for streaming video same day coverage of breed judging highlights. If you’re lucky enough to be in town for the event, Hotel Pennsylvania (hotelpenn.com), itself a New York institution, is where all the action is, the hotel a temporary home to many of the competitors. Situated directly across from Madison Square Garden, guests of the hotel have the privilege of getting an up close peek at the coiffed competitors en route to and from the show.

There’s a New Cat in Town

There’s a reason “cool” and “cat” go together Modern Dog’s sister, Modern Cat, is finally here! We’re posting tons of cool cat-related stories, finds, giveaways, inspiring DIY’s and much more! From fab finds to fun contests, Modern Cat brings you the best, latest, and most interesting of what’s happening in the cat world. Let Modern Cat be your guide to a happier, healthier cat! Check us out and order your copy of the premiere issue at moderncat.com. facebook.com/moderncatmagazine twitter.com/moderncatmag pinterest.com/moderncatmag

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For most of us, “all in a day’s work” chiefly involves running out the door somehow already slightly behind schedule, putting in a marathon day at the office, attempting to get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour, and somewhere squeezing in a couple dog walks between the myriad other demands of our day. “Heroic” relates to our attempts at keeping our eyes open past 10 pm. For the inspiring nominees in the second annual Hero Dog Awards, though, their day’s work more accurately reflects the true meaning of the word. It was for these exceptional canines, dogs that perform exceptional tasks with unwavering dedication, that The American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards was created. (Unfortunately, eating dinner really fast does not count or our dogs would be a shoo in.) 2012’s winner was definitely deserved of the title “hero.” From humble beginnings in a Texas pound to his deployment as a Specialized Search Dog in Iraq, Gabe rocked the vote with support from his thousands of fans and strong social media presence. During his impressive career with his handler Charles Shuck by his side, Gabe completed over 210 combat missions, visited wounded troops, and toured schools. Now retired, this heroic canine continues to spread goodwill and promote the importance of staying in school, while demonstrating that there are absolutely amazing dogs sitting in shelters waiting to show you what they’re capable of. Way to go, Gabe. 2013’s Hero Dog has some big shoes to fill. We can’t wait to see who it’s going to be.—JN

PHOTO RYAN MILLER/CAPTURE IMAGING

THE SCOOP

Exercise your funny bone. Create a caption for this cartoon and submit your entry at moderndogmagazine.com/cartooncaption. The most comic captions will be published in the next issue.

The message: why shop when you can adopt?

AND THE WINNER FROM THE FALL ISSUE IS... “What do you mean you’re not really the new delivery guy?” SUBMITTED BY MARIA GUYAN

RUNNER-UP CAPTIONS “You ate all of the biscuits in the back of the truck and then pooped on the off ramp?! I’m not even mad… that’s amazing!” SUBMITTED BY KATE SMITH

“No, we cannot make a pit stop at your storage unit.” SUBMITTED BY RYAN CASSIDY

“This is a heist! Give me all your Snausages, Pupperonis, and Scooby Snacks!” SUBMITTED BY TAYLOR A.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to drive the truck with your head out the window? Now how are we going to get ourselves out of this ticket? You better hope it’s the K9 Unit pulling us over.” SUBMITTED BY HERETA CERVANTES

“Where did you get your license?!? Out of a Milk Bone box?”

Many families bring new pets into their homes over the holidays, more than at any other time of year. Helping to ensure a large number of those are shelter animals finally finding their “forever homes” is the laudable Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH) campaign, one of the world’s largest and most successful pet-adoption and shelter support campaigns in the world. The 14th annual event runs until January 2nd, encouraging adopting rather than buying and providing assistance and guidance to animal organizations striving to find animals adoptive homes. To say the initiative has been a huge success is an enormous understatement. The program started in 1999 at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego with 2,563 orphaned animals finding families that first year and Iams sending each adoptee home with a holiday meal. Since then, IH4TH has grown rapidly—to say the least. Last year, IH4TH helped a whopping 1,267,531 animals find forever homes through over 4,000 animal organizations around the world—all in only 95 days over the holiday season. To date, seven million pets have found homes through IH4TH and they don’t plan on stopping there. This year their goal is to help place an even greater number of orphaned pets into loving homes and to donate five million meals directly to rescues and shelters; for every person that signs up for Iams Lifelong Rewards, shares the Iams Rescue Pet of the Day on Facebook or uploads a video in the pet video contest, Iams will donate food to shelters. So spread the word: rescue dogs rock!—SC

SUBMITTED BY BECKIE MAC

moderndogmagazine.com

THE SCOOP

SURF

Ain’t Misbehavin’

Burton At His Best

Director/Producer Tim Burton studies a model of Sparky during the making of Frankenweenie.

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Tim Burton is back and at his best with Frankenweenie, his heartwarmingly macabre, Nightmare Before Christmas-esque featurelength 3D stop-motion film. Combine Tim Burton’s signature aesthetic with the touching story of a boy and his (reanimated) dog, and you’ve got us hooked. “It just tries to keep that idea of a very simple, pure relationship,” Burton says of the film, which is based on Burton’s own experiences with his first dog. “Mix that with the Frankenstein myth and it causes problems.” We’re eagerly awaiting the January 2013 DVD release.—RF

Burton’s back and at the top of his game with Frankenweenie

Dogshaming.tumblr.com, a hilarious new Tumblr blog that went viral within just days of its creation, features photos of dogs with written descriptions of things they have to be ashamed of. You’ll meet retrievers that don’t like to swim, a Dachshund who can’t seem to keep his paws (and his snoot!) out of his human’s underwear drawer, and a whole bunch of pups that love to eat the yuckiest/oddest things, from cat poop, to vomit to TV remotes (two of them in one sitting). Guaranteed to make you feel better about your own dog’s peccadilloes.—NS

The name of this Tumblr says it all. There is something inexplicably hilarious about this collection of photos of dogs caught in outrageously humanlike attitudes, from the obviously-upto-no-good thug Boxers occupying both the passenger and the driver’s seat of their car to the Shih Tzu just chillin’, arm draped over the couch. Dogs-looking-like-people.tumblr. com offers a compilation of photos of dogs lounging, attending birthday parties (the glee! The excitement!), relaxing with a drink, “driving” cars, and so much more. You’re guaranteed to come upon at least a couple photos that will make you laugh aloud.—RF

INSPIRE

Living the Sweet Life To the rescue, a food truck bringing natural sweets to the street By Olivia Fellows

rom the corrugated metal belly of a restored World War II Quonset Hut, La Dolce Vita Animal Rescue was born. The unusual place of genesis, home to La Dolce Vita’s founders, Michael Valentine and his fiancé, Joanna Fiore, offers a not inaccurate notion of the rescue’s free-thinking founders, a pair that does things their own way. And thank goodness for that, for this forge-aheaddespite-the-obstacles mentality is exactly what gets ventures like La Dolce Vita, the non-profit they started with the aim to find abandoned Chihuahuas forever homes, off the ground. Why Chihuahuas? Though Pit Bulls, with their undeserved bad rep, hold the heartbreaking distinction of being the number one breed put down across the United States, in Los Angeles in particular, there are legion miniature breeds urgently in need of rescue, and Chihuahuas top the list. As Michael explains, “Here in L.A., Chihuahuas and Chi-mixes became the number one dog put down in shelters after the breed became trendy due to popular movies and certain celebrities using them as accessories.” But that wasn’t the only reason why the couple decided to focus on saving Chihuahuas. “We also fell in love with the breed through our own Chi named Vinnie,” admits Michael. Running a rescue, though, is no easy feat. “The rescue business,” Michael says, “is a hard one.” Finding themselves strapped for cash due to veterinary and maintenance expenses from the dogs, who often come to them abused or neglected and in need of surgery, the couple cooked up an idea to support their rescue efforts: La Dolce Vita Gourmet, a food truck from which 100 percent of the proceeds would go to their nonprofit organization of the same name. The idea came out of the blue one day when discussing the current food truck craze, and the couple took the leap, tapping Joanna’s kitchen skills to start the first charity-owned mobile food truck with the sole purpose of raising funds for dogs. It’s a venture that makes the most of their talents; on top of their rescue work, Michael is a interior designer while Joanna is a chef, nutritionist, and celebrity trainer. From a retrofitted 1947 Airstream trailer, the couple fashioned a mobile café, serving a variety of gourmet nut butter sandwiches, coffees, gelatos, and other goodies. Among the natural nutty spreads, La Dolce Vita’s star offering is their cashew butter. Joanna

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“Here in L.A., Chihuahuas and Chi-mixes became the number one dog put down in shelters after the breed became trendy.”

developed the recipe herself and realized she had a winner after introducing the treat to her celebrity clients and generating an overwhelmingly positive response. There are now 17 addictive nut-butter flavours available, from Caramel & Pretzel to Upside Down Pineapple Cake. To find the pair on their sweet mission, track their food truck’s location by following @ladolcevgourmet on Twitter; they’re out on the streets of LA everyday. Busy folks that they are, they also frequently hold adoption events throughout the L.A.-area. If you’re lucky enough to be in sunny Los Angeles, be sure to stop on by for a taste of the sweet life.

Meet two of the wonderful dogs up for adoption through La Dolce Vita Rescue Milania is an 11-pound, twoyear-old female Chihuahua mix in perfect health. She is very sweet and shy. She was abused and is afraid of men so she needs a patient and nurturing environment. Little Emma is a three-pound, two-year-old female Chihuahua. She has luxating patella (dislocating kneecaps) but that doesn’t slow her down. She is very sweet and loving. Due to her tiny size, a home with children is not suitable. Red-listed at the shelter, she is now living the sweet life and ready for her forever home.

For more information on the adoptable dogs—and the delicious nut butters, check out ladolcevitarescue.com and ladolcevitagourmet.com.

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! e l i Sm Goldie

Modern Dog’s Photo Contest Winners! Keiko + Taz

Bella

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Karma 22 moderndog WI NTER 2012/ 13

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Think your dog ought to grace the pages of Modern Dog? Send us photos of your picture-perfect pooch! The winning entries will be published in Modern Dog magazine. Send photos to: Modern Dog Photo Contest, Suite 202, 343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4. Submitted photographs are property of Modern Dog and will not be returned. Please include your name, dog’s name and breed, address and contact info, including telephone number. Please send 4 x 6 print photographs or enter online at moderndogmagazine.com. Assignment of rights applies; see full details at moderndogmagazine.com/photosubmission.

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BREED PROFILE

The Siberian Husky More than meets the eye By Kelly Caldwell

MARY BLOOM © AKC

Photographed by Deborah Samuel

ith its intense eyes, soulful howl, and seemingly endless endurance, the Siberian Husky has earned its reputation as a tough working breed. But there’s more than meets the eye, because the Siberian has a softer side— a sweet disposition and affectionate nature. It’s an uncommon combination, but this breed is anything but average. The Siberian Husky was bred as a sled dog and developed by the Chukchi, an indigenous people of northeastern Asia who reside just north of the Bering Strait, where Russia and Alaska almost meet. In the early 1900s, the Chukchi dogs were brought to Alaska by a Russian fur trader named William Goosak, who used them to compete in sled races, including the All-Alaska Sweepstakes. Alaskan sled dog enthusiasts were so impressed with the Chukchi dogs they continued to develop the line, resulting in the breed we know today as the Siberian Husky. The Siberian Huskies bred from the Chukchi canines worked as sled dogs in the far north and remained relatively unknown to the general public until the winter of 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic broke out in the remote town of Nome, Alaska. A serum was available, but with extreme ice-bound conditions complicating travel, getting it there seemed impossible. Enter the Siberian Huskies, who travelled by relay teams and brought the life-saving medicine to Nome. For their role in what was dubbed the Great Race of Mercy, Siberian Huskies became national heroes almost overnight. Leonhard Seppala was one of the Nome relay’s lead drivers, having taken the harshest and longest leg of the journey. He brought his dogs on an American tour, showcasing the breed and proving in challenge after challenge the Siberian’s superiority as a sled dog. Seppala was instrumental in the development of the Siberian and in efforts to create a uniform breed standard. In 1938, the Siberian Husky Club of America (SHCA) was founded. But what of today? Can a tough working breed also thrive as a family pet? In a word, yes. The Siberian was ranked by the AKC as the 16th most popular breed registered in 2011. Is it the right breed for you? You’ll have to consider the following. First things first: these dogs need exercise. The Siberian’s natural instinct is to run. And run. And run! Providing a daily outlet for physical exercise is an absolute must and the SHCA strongly advises owners to fence in yards and keep their Siberians on leash or under control at all times.

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Profile:

The Siberian Husky AKC Ranking: Size: Medium. The AKC breed standard allows for a size from 20 to 23 ½ inches tall at the shoulder and a weight between 35 to 60 pounds. Grooming: High The Siberian keeps himself fastidiously clean, but fur is a factor. The breed’s thick double coat requires weekly brushing. A thorough shedding will occur at least once a year.

Like most working breeds, the Siberian is likely to be happiest when he has a job to do. These dogs revel in activities like sledding and skijoring, but obedience training can also provide both physical and mental outlets—which brings us to the subject of training. If you happen to be drawn to breeds that are intelligent but independent-minded, a Siberian might fit the bill. This is a spirited and naturally-inquisitive breed. Keen and alert, the Siberian is a thinker. Biddable and easy to train? Perhaps not, but with patience and a commitment to training you will be rewarded with a dog that is not only beautiful, but also well-mannered. Quiet, they are not. Many know of the breed’s wolf-like howl, but the Siberian’s symphony of sounds Most Popular extends to barks, yodels, and what Dogs in the U.S. some describe as a type of singing. According to AKC 2011 Grooming requirements, though a registration statistics DIY affair, are also a consideration. [1] Labrador Retriever The Siberian keeps himself fastidiously [2] German Shepherd Dog clean, but fur is a factor. The breed’s [3] Beagle thick double coat requires weekly [4] Golden Retriever brushing. A thorough shedding will [5] Yorkshire Terrier occur at least once a year. [6] Bulldog Lastly, a few notes about breed [7] Boxer health. Although generally a very [8] Poodle healthy breed, SHCA identifies two [9] Dachshund health concerns for Siberians: hip dys[10] Rottweiler plasia and inheritable eye disease. In [16] Siberian Husky both cases, much progress has been made through responsible breeding practices. The national breed club advises people to seek out reputable breeders who will provide Orthopedic Foundation for Animals registry papers as well as eye examination reports for both the sire and dam of the litter. The Siberian Husky is, in a word, special. He answers the call of the wild, but also serves as an affectionate companion. Who could ask for anything more? n

If you like Siberian Huskies, give some consideration to:

Activity level: High The Siberian is an endurance athlete and requires both daily exercise and mental stimulation. Heritage: A working breed, the Siberian was prized for its endurance as a sled dog in harsh northern climates. US and Canadian Rescue: siberianrescue.com

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Alaskan Malamute

American Eskimo Dog

Samoyed

For more breed profiles, go to moderndogmagazine.com/breeds

s y a w a e v i G t a e r G

ENTER TO WIN

We’re giving it away! Enter to win fabulous giveaways each and every week in December, January, and February. Go to moderndogmagazine.com/giveaway to enter! Lucky readers will win every week.

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Win one of five fabulous Sofa City Sweethearts QR Tags/PetHub Gold Subscription bundles including shelter alerts, EmergencyFirst medical insurance, and found pet email notifications to keep your pet safe!

Win one of 3 five-bag gift sets of GumBone, a dental chew that reduces tartar and freshens breath. GumBone, a taste dogs love and a price owners adore!

Win one of 10 Bliss Paws collapsible pet bowls, adjustable to 4 different sizes—it’s like having four bowls in one! Perfect for on-the-go dogs.

Win a weekend for two in a petfriendly room at any one of the five Accent Inn locations in BC. Because a family vacation should include the WHOLE family.

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Win one of four gift baskets filled with Whole Life Pet Products’ freeze-dried, single ingredient treats! USA-sourced and manufactured, Whole Life is the world’s first farm-to-friend treat.

Win one of five new Petmate Portion Right food dispensers, which provide a time saving and convenient way to store and serve precisely portioned meals for pets.

Win one of two soft and snuggly premium beds from Petlinks. Dogs love the Deluxe Dreamer’s longlasting, therapeutic comfort and memory foam cushion.

Win one of four Be Your Own Spot t-shirt combo packs including a Rescue Spot tee, logo hat, and decals! Everybody’s got a Spot…where’s yours?

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Win one of four Popware For Pets Prize Packs, including collapsible feeder bowl, Grippmat, travel cup with bottle holder, food lids, and the one-cup, collapsible Klip Scoop for dry food bags.

Win one of two Sherpa Original Deluxe Soft Sided Dog Carriers filled with toys, including goDog toys featuring Chew Guard Technology and Hear Doggy toys with ultrasonic squeakers.

Win one of six BooBooLoon Pet Recovery Collars, the inflatable alternative to that hard plastic cone. Allows your pet to move freely post surgery!

Win one of 14 The Fifth Paw, the leash attachment that keeps your hands doody-free. No more juggling bags of poop! Made in the USA.

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No purchase necessary to enter or win. Beginning December 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM (PST) through February 28, 2013 at 11:59 PM (PST), enter each day at moderndogmagazine.com/giveaways. Each week’s giveaway ends at 11:59 PM (PST). Each week, the specified number of winners for that week’s giveaway will win the prize featured in the giveaway calendar (ARV: $200). Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Contest is open to legal Canadian and US residents 18 and older as of date of entry. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Giveaway subject to complete official rules available at moderndogmagazine.com/giveaway.

Food Rules

How dinnertime for your dog affects behaviour By Steve Duno

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omino, Nancy’s five-year-old sweet-tempered spaniel mix, seemed elated by the arrival of Eddie, a new Boxer puppy, into the home. But that evening, when the playful ten-week-old made the mistake of sticking his nose into Domino’s dinner bowl, the easygoing spaniel turned into a snapping turtle. Poor little Eddie learned the hard way just how sacred a dog’s dinner bowl is, even to the nicest of dogs.

Chow Power Dogs revere food. They think about it, anticipate it, revel in it, search for it. Even their anatomy, designed for catching and killing prey, cries out, “show me the food!” When they have those cute little running dreams, they are in truth chasing something they want to eat. Unlike we humans, who usually reach a point of satiation, most dogs will eat until they reach the bursting point, and then eat a bit more. It’s an instinct passed down from wolves, who, if lucky enough to kill a deer or moose, would gorge themselves, knowing that the next meal might be days off. And so most dogs, if given the chance, will eat whenever food comes their way.

That’s mine! The dog’s obsession with all things food can sometimes cause behavioural problems, even among the sweetest of pooches. For instance, feeding an insatiable young dog beside an older, slower-eating pet can often provoke an aggressive altercation, when the pushy youngster turns to the elder’s dish for “seconds.” Or, if the older dog doesn’t object, the youngster will scarf the senior’s food down too, resulting in eventual obesity for one, and malnutrition and emotional strain for the other. As amazing as it may seem, many owners with one chubby dog and one emaciated pooch never notice what’s really going on. Some food-crazy dogs will become protective over their bowl to the point that they’ll literally bite the hand that feeds them, if it comes too close during the meal. Many owners won’t even be aware of this until they are occasioned to reach into the dog’s bowl or move it during the meal. When a snarl or nip ensues, the shocked guardian either does nothing or else overreacts physically or emotionally, compounding the problem.

The Cost of Free-Feeding Though most dogs will do anything for a meal, if food is made available to them all the time, their food drive will actually dwindle, often to the point where it becomes difficult to use food as a motivator for training. Additionally, this practice of “free-feeding” often results in a finicky eater, whose guardians, in an attempt to stimulate the dog’s appetite, will begin offering all manner of tidbits and

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Like wolves, domestic dogs are designed to eat a full, healthy meal, rather than to “graze” all day, like a ruminant.

human foods as incentives. This results in pushy, begging behaviour, a placating relationship, and a spoiled dog. An ironic side effect of free-feeding is that the dog, instead of enthusiastically eating her meals at prescribed times, instead picks at the food in her bowl all day, which the guardian keeps refilling and refilling. The free-fed dog often ends up eating twice what it needs to, resulting in obesity.

Timing and Frequency When a dog eats can be as important as what it eats. If you feed your dog too late in the evening, you might increase the odds of her having a housetraining accident in the middle of the night. Or, if you feed your dog at random times, you won’t be allowing her digestive tract to develop its own “rhythm,” again resulting in an unpredictable elimination schedule. Feed your dog too early in the morning, and you could encourage her to become a foodcrazed maniac later that evening. How often you feed can affect behaviour too. Take a dog with a high food drive and feed her only once a day and you could create a stressed-out pet that’s constantly searching for handouts or one that tries to break into the cupboards or garbage. Feed a picky eater two or three times per day and you could lower her food drive even more, compounding the dog’s culinary disinterest. Keep an adult dog on a puppy’s feeding schedule (three times per day), and you’ll most likely invite obesity and unpredictable elimination habits.

Where’s Dinner? The location of your dog’s bowl can affect her day-to-day behaviour, for the good or bad. For instance, feeding your dog in the kitchen teaches her to consider that room as an acceptable place to loiter. As it’s the place where you keep and prepare your own meals, this often results in pesky begging

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behaviour, garbage or cupboard raiding, or at the very least, creates a floor licker. As mentioned before, feeding two or more dogs in the same room can result in aggression, obesity, malnutrition, and a level of stress that has no place in such an important part of a dog’s day. Instead of being a dog’s favourite event, it can become a competitive, worrisome contest. The ensuing tension will often be redirected into misbehaviours such as destruction, barking, fighting, marking or even a breakdown of housetraining.

The Joy of Food Feeding time shouldn’t be troublesome, tense, confrontational, or cause for misbehaviour. Instead, it should be a happy, exciting event for the dog, and an affirmation of your love and authority. Here are some basic rules that, if followed, should minimize foodrelated behavioural issues, and bring the joy back into dinnertime. Respect the sanctity of feeding time. Feed your dog in low-traffic areas, away from other pets, kids, or activity. Be sure to separate multiple dogs to prevent theft and fights. If need be, feed in crates or separate rooms. Keep bowls out of the kitchen to prevent begging and confusion with human food preparation.

r Feed on a regular schedule. Doing so helps to stabilize a dog’s housetraining habits and create a healthy food drive, required for training, which initially relies on food rewards. Though most adult dogs do fine on a once a day feeding schedule, dogs with a high food drive may need to eat twice per day to quell misbehaviours related to their unfulfilled, voracious appetites. Though puppies do need to eat more often than adults, be sure to cut back from three times a day to twice a day by six months of age, or even sooner for giant breeds, who need to avoid growing too fast. Feeding to much to a large

Take a dog with a high food drive and feed her only once a day and you could create a stressed-out pet that’s constantly searching for handouts. breed puppy can cause debilitating joint problems that might shorten a big dog’s life. Try not to feed your dog too early or too late, as both can affect housetraining.

t Don’t free-feed. It encourages finicky eating, lowers a dog’s food drive (affecting training effectiveness), and can lead to obesity. Like wolves, domestic dogs are designed to eat a full, healthy meal, rather than to “graze” all day, like a ruminant.

u Pay attention to your dog’s weight and appetite. Weight gain can occur so slowly that an owner might not even notice, so consider weighing your dog at least once each month. Steady weight gain can be indicative of food theft from another pet, the feeding of excessive amounts, or even too many treats in between meals. Remember, keeping your dog’s appetite keen is crucial to behaviour modification and to your ability to focus her on you, the food provider.

i Train your dog to welcome people touching her bowl. Though dinnertime should be free of distraction for your pooch, it’s vital that you or other persons be able to touch her bowl whenever necessary without fear of aggression. To do so, get into the habit of picking up your dog’s empty bowl, right in front of her, and then dropping a delicious treat into it. Place it down, wait for it to be eaten then repeat a few more times. Then do the same during dinner time: walk over with a piece of turkey meat, let her see it, then pick up the food-laden bowl and drop the turkey in. Place the bowl down, let her eat, then repeat a few times throughout the meal. Very quickly, your dog will learn to welcome you touching her bowl! Understanding the importance of food to a dog is crucial to maintaining predictable behaviour, and a calm, relaxed demeanor. By regulating and, if need be, adjusting how and when you feed her, you’ll take a big step in minimizing bad behaviours and making life for everyone happier and healthier. n

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GOOD DOG

D.I.Y.

train

DOG TRICK: “SAY YOUR PRAYERS” By Niki Perry

You’ll need some treats and a chair for this trick. Remember to keep each training session short and sweet to keep it fun for you and your dog.

Niki’s dog, Isabelle, a Siberian Husky, says her prayers.

Teach “Paws Up” Start by sitting on the floor with your dog on your left side. Hold your left arm out in front of you like a crossing guard would. With a treat in your right hand, lure your dog’s head up above your arm. Keep the treat just out of her reach so she has to stretch to get it. When your dog places one or both paws on your outstretched arm to get the treat, say, “yes” in a cheerful voice and give the treat. If she doesn’t put her paws up, you can encourage her with verbal coaxing or tap your arm with your right hand. Repeat this at least 10 times or until your dog can perform the behaviour easily, then begin to add the verbal cue, “paws up” just before you raise your arm.

2 3 4

Teach “Bow Your Head” Count out 10 treats and kneel in front of your dog. Have her put her paws up on your arm, but this time deliver the treat between her paws so she has to bow her head through her paws to get the treat. Say, “yes” in a cheerful voice when she lowers her head to take her treat. After 10 repetitions, repeat this step but add the verbal cue, “say your prayers” just before you lure her head through her paws.

Transfer to a Chair Count out 10 more treats and have your dog sit in front of a chair. Ask her to put her paws up on the chair just like we did on your arm in step 1, cue her to “say your prayers” and pause for 1 to 3 seconds to see if she will perform the behaviour without the lure. As soon as she lowers her head, mark the behaviour with a happy, “yes!” but if she doesn’t do it right away that’s okay! Just continue to pause and deliver the treat low between her paws until she associates the cue with the action. The pause is the key to ascertaining whether or not she understands, so be sure to give her the chance to perform her new trick. Increase Duration and Phase out Prompts As your dog improves, you can phase out “paws up” and just use the cue, “say your prayers” to indicate your request for this behaviour. To really impress your friends, have your dog hold the position a little longer and eventually hold it until she is released. Have fun generalizing this behaviour by using different furniture props and maybe even make your release word, “amen!” Keep giving the treats low, otherwise your dog will start to pop her head up to look at you. n

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INSPIRE

PAY IT FORWARD

Five million very good reasons to get on the rescue train

eet the man credited with saving the lives of more orphaned animals than anyone else in the history of the planet. Mike Arms came to animal welfare in a most unusual way. He arrived in New York in the 1960s ready to take on the world with an accounting degree and the desire to make it big. An employment agency suggested that he might take a position at the ASPCA because it would look good on his resumé. Mike didn’t even know what an ASPCA was at that time, but thought it would be a good experience to manage the finances of such a large organization. It turned out though that the stress of seeing the horrors that mankind perpetrated against the animals of New York quickly became too much for Mike. He gave his resignation and was running away from animal welfare. With just six days to go until his last day, Mike got a call that there was a dog hit by a car on Davidson Avenue in the Bronx. There were no ambulance drivers available, so he took off his suit jacket and put on an ambulance driver jacket and drove out to the accident scene. Upon his arrival he saw a black and tan shepherd/terrier mix lying in the street. The dog had been hit with such force that his back was broken—he was literally bent in half. As Mike approached the injured dog, two men came out of a nearby doorway and asked him what he was doing. Arms calmly explained that the little dog was dying and he was taking him to the hospital. The men told him that he wasn’t taking the dog anywhere. Mike inquired as to whether it was their dog, and they said, “No, but we are taking bets on how long it is going to live.” Arms, disgusted, told them they were sick and turned to lift the dog into the ambulance. As he bent to lift the injured puppy, the men attacked him with a bottle to the head, followed by the smack of a baseball bat and the sharp pain of a knife thrust into his hip and shoulder. Mike was knocked unconscious. As

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he lay in the street bleeding, the little dog who should not have been able to move crawled to Mike’s side to lick him awake. It was a true epiphany for Arms. He spoke to God and said, “Let me live, and I promise you, I will do everything in my lifetime to protect them.” Mike has remained true to his word; he is credited with saving more animals than any other person, living or dead, in animal welfare history. Mike is now the president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center, a renowned non-profit, no-kill animal shelter and center in San Diego County providing an array of medical, educational, and therapeutic services to animals and their people. Mike is also the creative force behind the widely successful adoption events International Pet Adoptathon and Iams Home 4 the Holidays. He is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in the animal welfare industry. We asked Mike to for some tips on how regular folks can contribute to the cause and help make a difference. Though much

Mike was knocked unconscious. As he lay in the street bleeding, the little dog who should not have been able to move crawled to Mike’s side to lick him awake.

progress has been made, the sad reality is that there are still more than 5 million pets in the U.S alone who are euthanized every year in shelters. The good news is that collectively we can make a big, big difference. Austin, Texas, has become the largest American city to go “no-kill” with a 90 percent save rate, proving it can be done. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Mike Arm’s top 5 things you can do to help animals 1. Adopt. People considering bringing a new pet into their home should visit their local animal facility to see if their perfect pet is waiting for them. If not, they can discover many rescue organizations in their area through Petfinder.com to learn where pets of their choice might be. 2. Volunteer! Volunteers are needed at most animal facilities to walk orphan dogs, foster newborn puppies, and to help socialize dogs that unfortunately do not get all the attention they need because the shelter employees are too busy cleaning, feeding, and caring for all the dogs at their facility. 3. Spread the word to friends, neighbours, and coworkers about the benefits of having a dog and encourage these folks to visit their local animal facility. 4. Food drive. If time permits, groups can get together and do food drives, collecting pet food and delivering it to their local animal facility. Animal facilities can always benefit from donations of pet toys and blankets or towels as well. 5. Donate. If you don’t have time to lend to your local animal shelter and the orphan dogs in their care, you can make a donation to your local organization so they can better afford to give the quality care that is needed to look after the pets in their care. n

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DE-DOG YOUR HOME De-dog your home in 20 minutes flat! by Rose Frosek

problem #1

she has out every two weeks to keep them fresh and interesting. You have TONS of toys? Take a selection of gently loved ones and donate them to your local animal shelter. Good karma!

If you are combating an existing fur build-up on your upholstery, buy a squeegee with a rubber edge and squeegee your furniture. The fur will literally roll off the material. It even pulls ultra short fur, such as that of Dobermans and Dachshunds, that weaves itself into the fabric.

problem #2 You’re over-run with dog toys, tripping over them en route to the bathroom and almost wiping out on that under-foot tennis ball while serving dinner. Sort through those toys, throwing away all the hopelessly destroyed/completely hideous ones and saving the ones requiring a quick bit of re-stuffing/stitching up. But be realistic here—only save them if you will actually fix them. That done, leave out your dog’s current five favourites in a neat small bin (Ikea to the rescue!) and stash the rest of her toys in a small basket in the closet. Rotate the toys

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problem #3 The dirty couch. Again, prevention. If your dog is allowed on the couch (or not allowed but you don’t seem able to deter her), make life easy on yourself. Procure a nice throw and drape it over the area your dog favours. Then simply toss in the wash once a week. Much easier than cleaning upholstery!

Clutter. Now that you’ve dealt with the dog toys, let’s tackle the stray papers. Label a single file folder for all of your dog’s documents, vaccination papers, etc., and store in a drawer or filing cabinet. A moment’s work for clear counter space!

If you are combating an existing fur build-up on your upholstery, buy a squeegee. problem #4

vacuums except the DC24 and cordless models. Or, let Roomba do the vacuuming for you. For a cool $329 (or $699, if you choose the top of the line model), this little robotic vacuum will make the rounds for you, navigating the house via its internal sensors and software. Never vacuuming again for a mere $329? Sounds like a steal to us. It’s a brave new world.

Dog hair in the carpet. If your dog has longer fur, buy a small plastic garden rake and quickly rake your carpet before vacuuming. A quick rake will get up the bulk of the fur, making vacuuming faster and prolonging the life of your vacuum by reducing the amount of long fur wrapping around the roller bar and causing belt breakage. If you’re in possession of a Dyson vacuum cleaner (a girl can dream!), consider getting the Dyson Mini Turbine Head attachment ($80), designed specifically to remove pet hair. It rolls the dirt and hair into balls for easy removal—more amazing than it sounds when you see it in action. It attaches to all upright and canister Dyson

problem #5

as at most hardware stores). Turn your regular lights off, and shine the black light over your carpeted areas. Stains will quite literally jump out at you (yikes). Mark the spots in need of cleaning by placing a shoe or other object on top or demarcating with a piece of string, so you can locate the spots once you turn the lights back on. Treat with the eco- and pet-friendly stain remover of your choice—we like the

Go! Your 20 Minute Game Plan If you have 5 minutes. Light a

Stains and smells. Go CSI on your carpets. Eliminate old accidents—purchase an ultraviolet light, also known as a black light (available at Walmart for just under $20, as well

scented candle—we dig the lovely, dog-odourhiding scents of Baxter and Bailey soy candles—and pick up all the dog toys scattered about. Oh, and dim the lights.

If you have 10 minutes. Also lintroller the couch and wash out your dog’s food and water dishes.

If you have 20 minutes. Give the

dog beds a quick shake off out of doors and sprinkle the carpets with baking soda before quickly running the vacuum over them. Hardwood floors? Speed sweep and spot clean using a non-toxic, eco-friendly formula especially for hardwood floors. Formulations like Bona hardwood floor cleaner ($8, bona.com) are pet-safe and won’t dull your floor.

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With the Roomba on the scene, your dog just might have to fight to maintain his best friend designation. Dirty floors. non-toxic and biodegradable Get Serious! Pet Stain, Odour, and Pheromone Extractor that works in just three minutes flat—and reclaim the floor as a non-scary place to practice yoga. For all non-carpeted surfaces, Little Germs Organics (sleepypod.com) are effective, 100 percent organic, naturally antiseptic and antibacterial deodorizing cleansers that are safe to use around pets and children. Natural essential oils, like lavender, mint, and grapefruit mean they smell great, too.

It’s all about prevention. Keep a dog towel by the front door to wipe off wet or muddy paws. Microfiber dogs towels made specifically for this purpose, such as the Soggy Doggy Super Shammy (sogproblem gydoggydoormat.com), are the bomb. Also take this opportunity to remove #7 any dry leaves and twigs from your dog’s coat before they are tracked inside.

The Future is Now

With the Roomba robotic vacuum on the scene, your dog just might have to fight to maintain his best friend designation

problem #6

The foyer. That tangle of leashes by the front door? Pare down to your favourites. The smelly frayed one? Throw it out. The one that’s not long enough for your liking and thus practically brand new? Donate it to your local shelter along with those surplus dog toys. That accomplished, screw a nice looking leash hook into the wall and hang the few remaining leashes there. For cool entryway solutions, check out These Creatures’ leash wall-hooks (thesecreatures.com), shown in inset.

Forget dragging a vacuum about. The Roomba 780 robotic vacuum ($599) runs around your house tackling all floor surfaces using high-tech software and sensors to choose from dozens of behaviours over 60 times per second (!), adapting to the room and dirt around it and cleaning every part of the floor. Using optical and acoustic sensors, the Roomba detects dirt so that it can focus its cleaning on the dirtiest spots, following walls to clean to the edge of the room and navigating around furniture and clutter. It has sensors to keep it from falling off stairs and other cliffs and can even tell the difference between hard barriers (walls) and soft barriers (curtains, bed skirts) so that it can go under beds and couches—yes!—and is able to avoid getting stuck on chairs, cords, and carpet fringe. Not only that, but you can schedule it to operate while you are at work; it will do its business and return to its docking station for charging—it’s like Cinderella’s fairy Godmother. But what of the muddy paw prints on your hardwood? Don’t worry, there is a robot for that, too. The newest member of the family, the whisper-quiet Mint Plus ($299), is designed to sweep and lightly mop uncarpeted floors with the same ease and efficiency. Welcome to the future. Check them out at iRobot.com.

The Mint Plus (left) and Roomba (at right) in action.

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Also available for digital platforms through zinio.com and the Apple newsstand

Our Ultimate 2012/13

Perfect gifts for all the dogs and dog-lovers on your list

$15 Set your dog loose on this cute moose! The simply irresistible Simply Fido Moose is stuffing-less, made from organic cotton and crinkle paper for lasting fun. simplyfido.com

$17 There’s no hole in this bucket! The Chalk-aDoodle retro dog bucket/ bowl has a chalkboard label so you can personalize it for your pup. Makes a great toy storage container! oreoriginals.com

$100 With its stylish, clean lines, overstuffed bolsters, and comfy tufted cushion, Bowser’s Dutchie dog bed is a sure winner. bowsers.com or allmodern.com

$44 Designed by illustrator Lucie Sheridan, this melamine Sausage Dog Tray is handcrafted in Sweden from sustainable, pressed Scandinavian birch. A quirky, playful addition to happy hour proceedings. howkapow.com

$9 The classic crowd pleaser, finally available in mini-size for small dogs. Who knew a ball with an attached twirly moustache could prove so hilarious? (Actually, we probably could have guessed.) muttropolis.com

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GIFT GUIDE

$10 - $12 Springtime in Paris? Mais oui, with this Eiffel Tower cotton canvas squeaky toy you don’t even need to book flights. Comes in two sizes. harrybarker.com $14 Polka Dog Bakery’s fun “Twist Me” Holiday Treat Canisters (twist the can and the dog’s hat changes) are a can’t-miss gift for all the snack-happy dogs on your list. The all-natural treats inside come in two holiday flavours, Gingersnap and Pumpkin Pie. polkadog.com

$14 After years of watching squirrels scamper over power lines and tease them from the treetops, our dogs will finally get the chance to exact their vengeance thanks to Squirrels in a Log! Equal parts squirrel toy and tennis ball, this hilarious tube of squeakfree, rodent filled fun will keep your squirrel-hating dog entertained for hours. pouncypets.com

$12 For the ULTIMATE dog lover. “We HAD to give the children away… Mr. Puddingstone was allergic.” dogisgood.com

From $98 This supercushy square bed from Waggo is an irresistible resting place for tired dogs. Get it in blush pink, chambray, cherry, or indigo. waggo.com

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$28 Dog-eared has never been so chic. Hand-screened in Philadelphia on super-soft cotton, these dog-ear-silhouette pillowcases are perfect in their cool minimalism with a sense of humour. xenotees.com

GIFT GUIDE

$40 This hand-painted magenta chevron-patterned dog bowl is bright, cheery, and right on trend. shopfurbish.com

$12 This lovable Bulldog from Urban Outfitters will happily hold your things. Perfect for leashes, keys, or jackets. urbanoutfitters.com

$5 This little brass ID tube unscrews to reveal a piece of paper on which you can write a message or your contact info. Yet another cool find from Found My Animal, makers of awesome dog stuff and passionate supporters of rescue. foundmyanimal.com

From $16 We’re loving Creature Comforts’ white “Woof” ceramic bowls and treat jars, perfect in their minimal, all-white palette. frontgate.com

$127 (collar) & $143 (lead) Stylish and modern, Mungo & Maud’s Bauhaus collars and leads will have your dog looking every bit as fashionable as you do. Available in four gorgeous tones like this rosewater and tan combo. mungoandmaud.com

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GIFT GUIDE $19-$37 Flower power! This fuchsia and lime green leather collar, available in sizes for every dog, makes a bright and cheery statement that’s cute on all pups. collarsandmore.com

$18 Discover the ancient wisdom of the Major and Minor Barkana. Ever wonder what your dog is really thinking? Ask Divine the Canine Mind! The Original Dog Tarot by Heidi Schulman comes with a fortune-telling deck and book for illuminating fun and fortunes all around. thedogtarot.com

$70 Handmade in San Francisco from soft, durable, and cozy fleece and flannel with a cotton canvas backing, the washable Meadow Pet Rug makes a beautiful, original nap spot that dogs love. wildebeest.co

$120 Canvas’ round dog beds make the perfect napping spots for sleepy pups. Made of hand-woven, hand-dyed linen and finished with a running stitch and hidden zipper, they come in six signature sun-washed colours to suit your home. canvashomestore.com

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$146 Where we’re concerned, this season’s must-have shoes are Mandarina’s Dachshund or Dalmatian-printed linen flats. We want a pair of each. mandarinashoes.co.uk

GIFT GUIDE

$32 Urban dogs 3 - 50 pounds in need of an extra layer this winter can throw on this New York City Transit Hoodie that’s cool on the outside, warm on the inside. fabdog.com

$50 Paint your own masterpiece. With a paint-bynumbers-kit, the process is fun--just submit a colour photo and await your custom kit containing paints and a detailed paint-by-number outline. Rex’s likeness (noble head, silly grin) can now be captured for all posterity by none other than your very own self. easy123art.com $7/$9 Power chewers rejoice! These flexible, fun Jolly Bones are super-durable but far from stiff. They stretch, twist, bounce, and float for loads of indoor/outdoor fun. jollypets.com

$35 What better way to start your morning than with a happy little canine silhouette toasted right into your morning repast! Pangea Brand’s two slice toasters, available in an array of breeds. pangeabrands.com

$39 - $85 Sized to fit standard crates, Luca For Dogs’ Studio Mats are comfy cozy resting places that come in an array of delicious colours, from berry to chocolate to lime. lucafordogs.com

$16 Free your hands and pockets! This sporty and convenient multi-compartmental pouch attaches to your dog’s leash at two points, securely holding all you need—bags, keys, cash, treats—in one place. paww.com

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GIFT GUIDE

$50 When the days get dark early, a glowing collar is a must. German-engineered Glowdoggie LED Safety Collars are totally waterproof and give off nice, bright light, keeping you safe and seen en route to the dog park. glowdoggie.ca

$8 PrankPacks hilarious fake gift box conceals the real gift you’ve put inside. Worth the $8: the recipient’s feigned enthusiasm for the miniature snow shovels for their dog’s paws. (The foot mops aren’t actually a bad idea.) prankpack.com

$15 What could be better than Walkers famous shortbread in a Scottie Dog Tin? Answer: nothing, especially when 10 cents from every purchase goes to the ASPCA. A delicious gift that gives back! walkersus.com

$64 A four pack of seasonal, machine-washable Belly Bands from Oscar Newman keeps your male dog’s accidents or marking habits under control. Perfect for providing peace of mind, particularly when visiting. shoposcarnewman.com

$50 Have your dog looking (and smelling) her best with M&J Dog’s Three Step Essentials. We can’t get enough of their pre-bath treatment with mango butter, Purely Clean shampoo and conditioner with honeysuckle extract, and Show Dog Shine leave-in conditioner with avocado and karanja oils. The all-natural line is free of nasties and ph-balanced just for dogs or we’d be tempted to use it ourselves! mjdog.com

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$129 - $169 Practical gifts sometimes, just sometimes, trump the frivolous, and this is definitely the case with a Booster Bath. This shower tub saves your back, eliminates slipping and sliding, and provides 360° access for easy cleaning of dirty dogs. A godsend post rainy season visit to the muddy dog park. boosterbath.com

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PET PROJECT

craft D.I.Y.

5 Minute Valentine By Serena Faber Nelson

Ever had one of those Valentine’s Day when you’ve completely forgotten to organize anything? Yep, me too. So to save you tears on February 14th, here is my favourite quick fix that doesn’t involve flowers from the service station—the FIVE MINUTE VALENTINE! Grab your favourite fourlegged friend and lets get started!

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

• 1 large sheet red (or pink!) cardstock • 1 ruler • 1 pencil or white marker • A pair of scissors or X-Acto knife • 1 round cake tin or other round object approximately the size of your dog’s head

STEP 1 Trace two circles using the cake tin to make the top of the heart.

HANDY PREPPING TIPS • If you don’t have a cake tin, use a vase or similar circular object. Try to get something close to your dog’s head size. • When cutting out the heart, feel free to cut slightly rounded lines to make a more organic heart shape. • If you don’t have an X-Acto knife, gently fold the heart to cut the cross in the centre with scissors.

Step 1 + 2

STEP 2 Rule two lines to complete heart shape. STEP 3 Cut out the heart using scissors or an X-Acto knife STEP 4 Cut a cross in the centre of the heart shape.

Step 4

STEP 5 Slip safely over your dog’s head. Ensure it causes no discomfort to your dog.

Creative Ways to Use Your 5 Minute Doggie Valentine Use your photo to create a personalized e-card, or better yet print it out and make your own real card. Take a photo of your pooch with your phone and send a surprise Doggie Valentine text! Forgo the photos and cards and simply have your dog greet your main squeeze, friends, and/or family wearing his face-framing paper heart. What could be cuter than a living, breathing, wagging, smiling reallife doggie valentine?

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PET PROJECT

craft D.I.Y.

MATERIALS • Paper of your choice (I recommend a thicker weight) • Paintbrush • Non-toxic washable paint (I used Martha Stewart’s Craft Paint) • Fine tip ink pen • Frame • And, of course, your dog!

HANDY PREPPING TIPS

Paw Print Wall Art By Sarah Dickerson Photographed by Chic Sprinkles Design and Photography A fresh and modern studio space has been in the works at my apartment, and I am happy to say that everything is starting to fall into place, slowly but beautifully. I have been taking my time and trying not to rush the process too much because I want to ensure that the end result looks fantastic and feels cheerful and cozy. Even though I would love nothing more than to do a little Bewitched nose wiggle and have the entire room polished up and magazine ready! Who wouldn’t though, right? I’ve turned to lots of other blogs and magazine features for inspiration and have fallen in love with so many of them. Of course I want to be “in” with the current trends, but for me, it’s also important that the items in my new workspace have meaning, memories, and represent who I am and who my little family is as well. The space can’t all be one big clone of a room found on Pinterest! So my dog, Coco Bean, and I had a little painting party and designed some of our own custom prints for the walls. I’m thrilled to share our project with you today. Let’s get started!

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Paint and dogs… Who else can see a mess coming from a mile away? To prevent a Doggie-Picasso painted apartment, it would be wise to spread out an old sheet to protect your floors and furniture, or opt to do this project in the grassy outdoors. Have a bowl filled with a hint of dish soap and warm water at the ready to wash off those little paws. The Martha Stewart paint washed off of Coco’s paw in seconds, making for an easy clean up. Having a towel handy to dry off the clean paws was helpful. If you’re outside, air-drying is always an option too.

DIRECTIONS STEP 1 Choose the paint colour you want your paw print to be. I had a hard time deciding, so Coco and I practiced with a few different colours before we landed on black. That is what is great about this DIY—the options are endless! STEP 2 Take the paintbrush and carefully paint your dog’s paw pad. If your dog has ticklish paws, you may need an extra set of hands! STEP 4 Gently press you dogs paw onto the designated paper. Press and hold for a couple of seconds and try to lift the paw straight up to ensure zero smudging. Let the paw print dry for about 10 minutes. STEP 5 While the print is drying, wash your dog’s paw in the soapy water, then towel dry. STEP 6 Once the paw-print is dry, you can use a fine tip ink pen to write your dog’s name and age underneath. STEP 7 Frame and hang! For families with young puppies, this would be a great project to revisit throughout the year. It would be an extraspecial keepsake to have your puppy’s first year of growing documented into a work of art with their age written under each paw print.

Not every paw print will turn out perfectly, but I think that is what makes it special and unique. You can see that in Coco’s paw print her hair also made some ink marks, making it look like the paw print of a wild animal, which is kind of awesome. She’s pretty wild sometimes, so it’s a perfect reflection! The end result is a wonderful touch in any room in your house and something you can cherish forever.

If you haven’t yet, check out prettyfluffy.com, a super-wonderful site all about life, style, and fluffy dogs. They’ve got all sorts of inspiring posts and loads of other cool projects like this one and the 5 Minute Valentine. We’re sure you’ll want to bookmark it.

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NUTRITION

eat D.I.Y.

Grain-free GoodBites By Jen Mitchell Oddi

Jen Mitchell Oddi, a Toronto-based television producer/director by day and dog-chef by night, created this winning recipe. Jen shares her passion for home-cooked dog food and treats at mydogsbreakfast.com, a blog charting her experiments in the kitchen, along with the resultant recipes, and photos of the lucky dogs that enjoy the fruits of her labour. There are a whole bunch of things we (and, of course, our dogs!) dig about Jen’s Grain-free GoodBites recipe. It’s simple, low on potential allergens— no eggs, for one—and it’s grain-free. In place of eggs, Jen uses no-sugar-added applesauce as a binding agent. Without egg or flour, it’s a sticky, wet dough, but the results are worth it, especially if your little one can’t handle grains. Let’s get cooking with Jen!

INGREDIENTS • 1 duck breast • 1/4 cup unsweetened (no sugar added) applesauce • 3/4 cup instant potatoes. I prefer to use a granulated instant potato (such as the Paradise Valley brand available at Costco) rather than flaked, but either will work. • 1 tsp rosemary • 1 tsp parsley • 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of chicken broth or water

DIRECTIONS STEP 1 Preheat your oven to 400°. If you have a food processor, roughly chop the duck breast before putting it in the processor.

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I lived a full and happy life without a food processor, but bought one six months ago, and man, I wish I had gotten one a long time ago! If you’re going manual all the way, chop the duck breast into little bitty bites. STEP 2 Either in the food processor or in a big mixing bowl, add the chopped duck, the instant potato, the applesauce, rosemary, and parsley. Pulse or mix together. As you go along, slowly add as much water or broth as you need to get the dough to a spreadable consistency. My preference, to keep the treats lower in fat and sodium, is water, but use broth if that’s what you think your dog would prefer. This is a wet dough—it’s without flour, after all—so don’t worry if it looks like a big brown blob—it’s supposed to! STEP 3 Spread the dough onto a parchment-lined baking tray. I get right in there with my hands rather than using a spatula. Use

a knife to cut squares in the raw dough. I cut big squares for my boys, but you should make them the appropriate size for your dogs. STEP 4 Bake them at 400° for 40 minutes then turn the oven off, but leave the treats in for an extra hour or so to dry out even more as the oven cools down. When you take the treats out, flip them over on the parchment to let the bottom dry out a bit more as they cool on the counter. STEP 5 Store an immediate-consumption portion of GoodBites in your fridge for three to five days, and freeze the rest. Or keep them all in the freezer and serve them frozen. I’ve taken to keeping all of my treats in the freezer because this way my piglets have to eat them in two bites rather than gulp them right down the hatch!

Think outside the bag. For more of Jen’s home-cooked dog food and treat recipes, check out mydogsbreakfast.com.

More DIY Eat Online Golden Koi Cookies Cancer fighting tumeric and fish treats These golden cookies don’t just have the flavour of fish—they are fish. This recipe was developed for dogs fighting cancer, combining ingredients higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than regular wheat-based cookies. The turmeric and fish will aid dogs in fighting the big C. The garbanzo flour also creates a cookie that is safe for dogs with gluten allergies. moderndogmagazine.com/ goldenkoicookies

The Baconator The five-ingredient treat dogs adore Homemade deliciousness your dog will devour (just don’t spoil it by telling him how

inexpensive and easy this recipe is). Only five ingredients (eggs, milk, water or stock, bacon fat— save your bacon grease!—and whole wheat flour) and you’re ready to roll. moderndogmagazine. com/baconator

Puppy Pesto Freshen your dog's breath and enliven her dinner with this tasty topper Do you ever buy a bunch of parsley for a recipe that only requires a couple of tablespoons and then put the remaining parsley back in the fridge and a week later it’s a wilted mess? Instead of letting your extra parsley go to waste, put it to use in freshening your dog’s breath by sprinkling this Puppy Pesto over her dry food. The Brazil nut is a good source of selenium, and the cheese makes the combination irresistible. moderndogmagazine.com/puppypesto

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Funny Business Getting to the heart of the matter: Cartoonist Hilary Price on capturing truth—which, where our pets are concerned, is synonymous with distilling the universal, oftentimes hilarious weirdness of sharing one’s life with animals By Rose Frosek

haha

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artoonist Hilary Price has been putting animals on the funny pages for more than 15 years. Chances are you’ve laughed aloud perusing her daily comic strip, “Rhymes with Orange,” currently syndicated in 175 US newspapers, and with good reason. With cartoons, the magic lies in capturing that thing, that instantly recognizable, near-universally relatable truth, and this is where Price succeeds in spades. Her overarching aim is to relate something real, and this she does splendidly, particularly where pets are concerned. What is immediately clear is that Price is an animal lover, for only one whose life is enmeshed with the animals they share a home with, from the cat who has colonized the bed to the dog getting a very good night’s sleep sprawled in the middle, head on the pillow, eyes just slightly open whilst snoring while you cling to the outer 1/8 inch of your TempurPedic mattress contemplating the tumbleweeds of pet hair blowing through the house, could nail it so accurately. We asked her some questions about her enviable career trajectory and the inspiration behind her very funny strip.

MD: Did you grow up with pets? If so, how did that shape your love for animals and the role they play in your cartoons today? HP: Oh absolutely. I grew up with three dogs. They were of primary importance in our family. My parents loved a sob story. My dad came home with a Basset Hound that was on sale that had over grown her cage. This was the ‘70s. And my mom, she went to the Cumberland Farms—fudge ripple was on sale—and she came back with an abandoned Wirehaired Fox Terrier. That’s the kind of household I grew up in. The Wirehaired Fox Terrier was just a nutcase but completely loveable. My dad had this thing for cars so he had this Datsun 280Z in the driveway, and the terrier, he could get the best view of the yard and the house from the very top of the 280Z. There were all these scratches on top of the car. My mom used to order us at around 5:45 pm to go get the dog off the top of the car before my dad came home from work so that he wouldn’t drive up and find the dog there.

Dogs have really been in the fabric of my life—and also in the fabric of my sweater—since I was a child.

MD: I’m guessing your evident love for animals started around this time. HP: Oh yeah, I was the third in the family. In the pecking order I was behind my brother, my sister, and then the dogs. I was called every name before they got to mine. Dogs have really been in the fabric of my life—and also in the fabric of my sweater—since I was a child. MD: When did you start drawing cartoons and how did your career take off? HP: Cartooning is something that I always did but never something that I expected that I would do [as a career]. It wasn’t until after my junior year in college when I was in

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A lot of stuff is autobiographical, and I feel like this is where my pets really contribute.

Ireland and my folks came over to visit [that it happened]. We were in Dublin and James Joyce is kind of the darling of Dublin with his signature round glasses. My mom and dad and I are walking down the main promenade of Dublin and we see this giant bronze sculpture of James Joyce and my mom sees the glasses. She goes, “Oh my god, it’s Elton John!” And so I drew it up and submitted it to a magazine and I got paid for it. I was able to buy a train ticket with a cartoon and it was at that moment that I felt like, ‘Oh, this could be my job, not just my hobby!’ MD: What were your earliest cartoons of? HP: It’s kind of the same thing that I’m doing today, a panoply of different topics. Largely, you know, thinly veiled autobiography. MD: What’s your creative process like in creating a cartoon? HP: Well, a lot of stuff is autobiographical, and I feel like this is where my pets really contribute. One of the things that I love about having animals is they have a different agenda than you or I. When I walk down the pavement, I am using the pavement to get to the car. My dog spends a good minute deciding that the pavement must be sniffed.

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MD: Do you write before you draw, or vice versa? HP: I would say there are artists who write and writers who draw, and I am one of the writers who draw. I always start with the writing first. MD: Is there a story behind the title? HP: My aunt once told me when I was a kid that no word rhymed with the word orange. That just stuck with me and when it came time to name the strip, I remembered, “rhymes with orange,” and the publishers liked it, which was great because I didn’t have any second or third options. MD: Did you ever find a word that rhymes with orange? HP: Well, there are some people that say “door hinge” does, and there’s a medical plant term called sporinge. But there’s nothing that plagues me.

MD: Could you distill Rhymes with Orange for us? HP: It’s something different every day. One day might be dogs, the next day might be cats, the next day might be relationships, the next day might be therapy, the next day might be aliens, and the next day might be pirates. But I would say that the goal of my strip—the biggest compliment that I get on my strip—would be “oh that is so true.” The actual players of the strip, whoever they may be, are cast to hopefully tell some kind of emotional truth. I’d say that it’s New Yorker-esque, but it doesn’t tend toward the abstract; you can “get” them. MD: What have your most popular pet strips been about? HP: One is called The Cat’s Map of the Bed and it is a picture of a bed and you’ve got the meditation area, the launch pad to the dresser, the grooming salon, the heaving spot… MD: Tell us a little about your cat, Seltzer, and your dog, Rocky? How do they inspire your work? HP: They are wonderful inspirations. I feel like so many of my cartoons relate to ideas I get from Rocky and Seltzer. Rocky is a 90-pound Bernese Mountain Dog/Smooth-coated Collie mix. He is a gentle giant; I have a huge love for big dogs. All dogs, but I love a big dog. I

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I feel like it’s one of the best compliments when a dog leans in next to your leg and steps on your foot simultaneously.

started the strip in San Francisco and moved to North Hampton, Massachusetts, which is a neat college town in a rural part of Massachusetts, because I wanted to be able to have a large dog, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have one in San Francisco. Seltzer is a shelter cat and he runs the roost. He’s white and fluffy and he’s the alpha cat but he looks like a Webkinz. He’s fluffy and cute, belying his alpha nature. And then I babysit three times a week for—I’m looking at them all as I talk to you—a Jack Russell/ Rat Terrier mix who was a Katrina dog. Friends of mine just had a baby so I’m in charge of watching the dog during the day. So that’s today’s menagerie. MD: Do they have any particular peccadilloes that have been fodder for your strips? HP: They certainly provide excitement. My house right now smells like skunk because Rocky got sprayed in the mouth. At this point in our lives together, I keep a quart of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish detergent on hand. MD: Things you’ve learned from your dog? HP: Rocky has taught me to appreciate all kinds of weather. We go out no matter what. I heard this Danish saying once that goes, “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” I can thank my long underwear to Rocky. And as a result I get to enjoy this beautiful place I live in even when it doesn’t seem so beautiful outside. When I’m at the studio, Rocky will get his snout underneath my hand and push it up to let me know it’s time to stop my busy work and go outside. I feel like it’s one of the best compliments when a dog leans in next to your leg and steps on your foot simultaneously. Even though it kills that he’s stepping on your foot, it’s such a sweet gesture that you just have to sit there and pet him while your foot gets squashed. MD: Things you’ve learned from your cat? HP: To be very tolerant of barf. I’ve learned a lot from my cat that way. And he’s a hunter, so I think he’s given me a stronger stomach because I’ve gotten more used to his gifts. But that’s probably not something you want to put in the article. n

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Mutts, Glorious Mutts! Photographed by Tanya King

Bella Bella wears a See Scout Sleep brass-buckled vermillion and cream “Out Of My Box” collar (seescoutsleep.com).

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Bentley Bentley wears a Kiss My Mutt orange and grey striped collar (kissmymutt.com).

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sophie Sophie wears a Gwen Gear pink and orange striped “South Beach” collar (gwengear.com).

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Molly Molly wears a Mimi Green oilcloth “Petunia” laminated cotton collar (shopmimigreen.com).

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Foxy Foxy wears a Hartman and Rose yellow Italian leather collar (hartmanandrose.com).

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Finnegan Finnegan wears a Chief Furry Officer “Manhattan Beach” collar (chieffurryofficer.com). moderndogmagazine.com

MUTTS

GLORIOUS MUTTS

BEHIND THE SCENES

he very involved discussion we had regarding the theme for this issue’s photo-editorial went something like this: At our last editorial meeting, an event that always takes place over pizza lunch,* the following query was put forth: “What about a shoot celebrating the awesome mixedbreed dogs out there?” As the suggestion was met with enthusiasm and the immediate approbation of all, it was thus easily decided—mutts would have their day. We got the very talented photographer Tanya King on board, set a date, and posted an open casting call on our Facebook and Twitter pages. (If you’re not following us already, you ought to rectify that!) The hard part was choosing the dogs to take part in the shoot, for all respondents were definite Top Dog Model contenders. After much consideration, our line up and direction was decided, collars were chosen, and the dogs were brought in. A cuter, smarter, more photogenic group couldn’t have been hoped for. * The delicious “Modern Dog Special” pizza, for those interested, is pineapple, feta, mushroom, and banana pepper.

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10 AM Our day started off on the right paw with the arrival of

mixed-breed cutie Bentley. Bentley’s person, Naomi Robertson, drove fourplus hours to squire Bentley to the shoot and, despite the journey, Bentley knocked it out of the park. We kinda wanted to steal him. Bentley was listed simply as a terrier-cross at the Penticton, BC SPCA Naomi adopted him from, but Naomi theorizes there is Schnauzer, Fox Terrier, and Wirehaired Jack Russell Terrier in the mix. At any rate, he is lively, comical, intelligent, and mischievous. Naomi says, “I recommend adopting shelter dogs because they are so unique; you’ll never find a dog that looks or acts the same.”

PHOTOS TANYA KING

10:45 AM Our second dog of the day, the adorable, smart,

and affectionate Sophie, thought to be Chihuahua/Border Terrier mix, was adopted by Tracy Armstrong through Dhana Metta Rescue Society (dhanamettarescuesociety.org). Tracy tells us, “I saw Sophie’s profile and fell in love. I instantly filled out the adoption form, had a home visit within a couple of days and then one (very long) week later she was mine! We’ve been best friends since December 2009.” Tracy describes her as a “clever little monster,” noting Sophie is happy to snooze on the couch or go for a walk outside along the seawall. “For me, adopting a rescue dog was a no brainer,” says Tracy. “Thousands of animals are abandoned and euthanized each year and even if I could help just one I felt it was freeing up space so that one more could be saved.”

11:30 AM There are certain perks to working at Modern Dog magazine. One of them is getting your dog in photo shoots. Vanessa Dong, Modern Dog’s talented design and production assistant, emailed a picture to photoshoot@moderndogmagazine.com with the subject line “Number One Contender;” there was something verrrry familiar about the dog in question. As counted on, we were entirely unable to say no to Vanessa’s dog, Molly, who, on her days in the office, gets all the other dogs riled up before napping on an office chair pulled up next to Vanessa’s. Vanessa’s family fell in love with sweet, lively, and playful Molly, thought to be a Papillion/Chihuahua cross, at the Burnaby SPCA, where she had been brought in as a stray. Why rescue? “You’re giving a dog a second chance,” Vanessa notes. “And we all are deserving of second chances.”

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12:15 PM Calm yet gregarious and eager to please—despite being a puppy

still, six-month-old Finnegan, a cross between a Chocolate Lab and a mini Phantom Poodle, was an absolute dream to photograph. Jamie and Nick Osborne hadn’t sought out Finnegan—a friend had a litter and asked them if they would like a puppy—but Jamie tells us, “after seeing what a fantastic dog he is, we would most definitely pick this mix of dog again. He has the loyalty, gentleness, and kindness of the Labrador, with the quick intelligence of the Poodle. He is the ideal family pet, which is good, seeing as he lives in a family of eight humans. But best of all is the way he looks: with the mix of the two breeds, he looks like a Black Lab that has yellow feet, a red beard and a mohawk running down his back!” Why get a mixed breed? “Mixed breeds are unique dogs for unique people,” Jamie says. “With a purebred dog, you generally know exactly what kind of dog you will get in personality and appearance, but a mixed-breed dog presents a bit of a wild card—who knows what the particular mix of genes will bring forth?”

and the über-cute and curious Foxy. A close friend of the Fraser’s recently travelled to Utah to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, in honour of a beloved Pug who recently passed away, and sent back photos and updates of her time there, including stories and pictures of little Foxy, a solo puppy who had been found as a stray. “Within a couple of short weeks, Foxy was on a flight to Vancouver to join us, and we’ve never looked back!” Janice tells us. Foxy’s breed mix is a mystery, but they’re pretty sure she’s a terrier mix (some Westie, perhaps?). Other common guesses including Schnauzer and German Shepherd (those perky ears!). Janice says, “It’s very fulfilling to know that the happiness our dog has brought to us is reciprocated by the happiness we’ve brought to our dog.”

1:45 PM Krissy Nordstrom-Young and her dog, Bella, were our last pair of the day and another duo that traveled over four hours to join us. After a quick jaunt to the nearby dog park to work off some energy, goofy, loving, and motivated Bella settled right down to business. Krissy figures Bella is comprised of Border Collie, Labrador, and German Shepherd, her parents two farm dogs in a small farming community, allegedly Border Collie/Black Lab and Border Collie/German Shepherd mixes. Krissy tells us, “Bella came from a litter of 14 puppies, believe it or not. The day we took her home we were not intending to come home with a dog. The litter was unplanned for on the owner’s part so they were pretty overwhelmed by the extra 14 dogs in their house. The mom had stopped feeding the puppies so the owner told us it was now or never... we of course could not walk away without Bella!” Best part of this particular mix? “Bella is extremely loyal and loving, super energetic, and yet she has the ability to be calm and quiet when needed,” Krissy says. “We have the best of both worlds with her.” n

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PHOTOS TANYA KING

1:00 PM Occupying the one pm time slot were Janice and Scott Fraser

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body &soul TURMERIC: the Super Spice

BABY’S BEST FRIEND

Having a dog in the house improves infant health A recent study conducted by Dr. Eija Bergroth found having pets in the house during a baby’s first year of life can help bolster the infant’s immune system and decrease the number of respiratory infections and colds experienced. The study, conducted in Finland, followed 397 babies through their first year of life. For 44 weeks, the new moms recorded how often their babies had fevers, ear infections, rhinitis, coughs, wheezing, and if they needed antibiotics. The reports of those with a cat or dog in the house were then compared to the reports of those without. Analysis found babies from households with dogs were healthy for 72 – 76 percent of the first year, whereas babies who had no contact with dogs were healthy for only 65 percent of the year; having a dog made the infant’s up to 11 percent healthier. Improved health was also experienced by babies who kept company with cats, but with a lesser margin of improvement. The results are considered statistically significant. Bergroth and her colleagues speculate that having dogs and cats around exposes newborns to more pathogens and helps them build a more mature immune system. This study is one of the first to find cats and dogs have protective factors in infant health.—LE

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The key ingredient in curries may also be one of the secrets to better canine health. Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, has been found to have positive effects on the circulatory and digestive systems, as well as act as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. Distinguished by its yellow colour and active ingredient, curcumin, the super herb promotes healthy bile production, which aids in the digestion of dietary fats. It can also stave off the risk of stroke and heart attacks by keeping cholesterol levels in check and acting as a blood thinner to prevent clots. By boosting antioxidant levels, turmeric also helps fight off free radicals, making it a powerful agent in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. And there’s more. It can ease even arthritis pain and heal skin abrasions when mixed into a paste with honey, making it an alternative musthave in your medicine cabinet.

THE FIND

Elevate your dog’s dinner. Sprinkle one of Lincoln Bark’s tasty nutritional supplements in flavours like shrimp, duck and pea, or chicken liver. $8, lincolnbark.com

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body &soul Armchair Vet Advice

How to Keep Your Dog Off the Couch When You’re Not Home So, your dog has more comfy dog beds than you can count on two hands, but she still gets up on your new white sofa the minute you’ve stepped out? We’ve got some low-tech ways to save your new seating from a coating of dog hair. OPTION A: Make the furniture inaccessible when you’re not at home by upending some chairs on the sofa. OPTION B: Set a booby trap. Make a pyramid of empty soda cans perched precariously on the back of a chair, so when your dog jumps up, the cans fall down around her. (If your dog is nervous or easily traumatized, this is not your solution. This is good only for imperturbable dogs.) OPTION C: Make the couch unappealing. Put a layer of crinkly aluminum foil over the cushions or get a plastic carpet runner and drape it over your sofa upside down, so the plastic points on its underside are instead pointed up, effectually rendering your dog’s chosen nap spot uninhabitable. If that seems unwieldy, get a Mammoth X-Mat. It functions in a similar manner but comes in a 18″x 18″inch square for easy employment and storage when not in use. Another solution is a PetzOFF (petzoff.com) throw for your couch. One side is covered in a beautiful fabric, the other in a backing that has similar qualities to aluminum foil. Simply switch sides when you step out. OPTION D: Give in and get a removable, washable slip-cover for your couch. Recovering the whole thing with Crypton’s beautiful, patented, stain repelling fabric would work too, of course. Just the redecorating excuse you were looking for, right?

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Dr. Barbara Royal, the favoured veterinarian of Oprah Winfrey, has marked out a holistic path to pet health and happiness that integrates both Western and Eastern medicine. In her first book, The Royal Treatment: a Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets, Royal combines her experience in veterinary care, emergency medicine, pathology, and alternative treatments with the compassion of an animal-lover, providing an all encompassing natural approach to healthy living. From recipes to exam room etiquette and canine massage howto, The Royal Treatment helps guardians of dogs and cats make the right decisions when it comes to their pet’s wellness and healthcare. Royal details the benefits of a holistic approach, which includes herbal medicine, functional nutrition, and even the benefits of acupuncture for animals of all kind. Helpful and comprehensive, Dr. Royal’s guide to healthy living offers practical tips and tricks to make sure your pooch leads a long and happy life. Highly recommended.—NS

“No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation.” —Fran Lebowitz

body &soul

Study Shows Dogs Have Empathy Scientists at the University of Porto in Portugal have discovered more evidence to prove what we dog people have known all along: our dogs not only can tell what we’re feeling, but they respond accordingly. The study, designed to demonstrate whether dogs can empathize, used yawning as a medium for measuring canine empathy. The study found that dogs react in the same way people do when they see others yawning—they yawn in return. Rather remarkably, dogs don’t even need to see us yawning; just the sound of a yawn is likely to elicit an empathetic canine yawn in return. Moreover, like their human counterparts, dogs are more likely to yawn if the person they hear yawning is someone they recognize. After measuring the number of yawns elicited by yawns coming from people the dogs knew versus those they didn’t, researchers found that the dogs would yawn five times more often when they heard familiar people yawning as opposed to strangers. The study results led the researchers to conclude that dogs do empathize and that it guides their behaviour.—OF

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LOSE IT! Did you know? According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 54 percent dogs and cats in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese. In addition to a decreased life-expectancy, animals that are overweight are at risk for cranial cruciate ligament injury, heart and respiratory disease, insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, as well as osteoarthritis.

MODERN DOG POLL Do you buy your dog holiday gifts? CAST YOUR VOTE AT MODERNDOGMAGAZINE.COM

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body &soul

yum!

DIY Power Smoothie The Power Up Pup Smoothie You Can Share With Your Dog Make this a part of your pre-dog-park Saturday morning ritual. Your whole household will benefit from the deliciously healthy start to their day.

INGREDIENTS •

1 cup plain yogurt

•

1 cup blueberries or raspberries or 5 - 6 strawberries, hulled

•

1 mango, sliced (optional)

•

1 ripe banana

•

1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup

•

1 cup cold water

•

2 or 3 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour yourself a glass, pour your pup a small serving as a treat, and then freeze the rest in small bowls or an ice cube tray for frozen dogs treats at the ready. Now to the park!

TIP

That over-ripe banana on your counter? Pop it in the freezer until you’re ready to blend it into a delish, dog-approved smoothie.

A Shout Out for Social Change Spurred by a desire to affect social change and empower women, Paul Armstrong, CEO of SheaPet, a company making natural pet grooming products, travelled deep into the Ugandan countryside to visit The Northern Uganda Shea Processors Association (NUSPA), a women’s Fair Trade co-op which produces organic shea butter, the key ingredient in SheaPet products. The result? All of SheaPets shea butter is now sourced from NUSPA. “The social value to the co-op transcends tribe, clan, and physical location to organize people to a common goal: improved living standards,” says Armstrong. Now that’s something we can get behind. How inspiring to see an increasing number of companies intent on making a difference.

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PEP UP YOUR SENIOR DOG WITH SUPPLEMENTS THAT SPECIFICALLY TACKLE HEALTH CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH AGING.

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Want your senior pal to be the Betty White of dogs, the toast of the town, all sparkling longevity? Tailor your senior dog’s diet to ensure she’s spry and sprightly well into her golden years. By Elizabeth Pask and Laura Scott

hough it is bittersweet watching our dogs grow older, the senior years can be a wonderful time for our best friends, especially if we give them a leg up by maximizing their health. If your senior is starting to show some of the common signs of aging, perhaps experiencing challenges surrounding mobility, appetite, skin and coat, obesity, or mental alertness, give your dog a little nutritional boost by tailoring her diet and supplements to her specific needs.

Changes in Body Weight: Gain vs. Loss Obesity is the single biggest factor that can affect the health of your dog, and, luckily, it’s one of the few things we as guardians have total control over. You make the choices as to what your dog eats and how much. As your senior starts to slow down, you may find that he doesn’t need as much food as he once did. Keep an eye on your dog’s body condition and adjust his portion size as needed. As dogs age, their digestive tracts can lose some of their function. As a result, food that your dog was once doing well on can prove less digestible now that she is older. For starters, avoid foods containing by-product meals as they can be less digestible. Also, senior dogs also require more protein than younger dogs, so choose a senior dog food with high quality digestible protein sources, such as chicken meal, turkey meal or beef meal. The food’s protein amount should be 25 - 40 percent. Though there has been some concern that geriatric dogs should not consume high protein dog foods because of the theoretical risk of high dietary protein causing kidney damage, there is no evidence to support this concern in healthy older dogs. For dogs with suspected kidney problems, consult your veterinarian before switching to a higher protein diet as a high protein diet could exacerbate an existing condition.

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Omega-3’s are a wonder supplement because they reduce inflammation. Inflammation is what causes pain and swelling, which in turn reduces mobility for our dogs.

Carnitine & Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Carnitine is an amino acid that is required for fat metabolism. Under normal conditions, dogs do not require carnitine, but, as they age or if they are prone to obesity, they may develop a requirement for this amino acid. As such, many dog foods already have carnitine in their formulations. If you are feeding a homemade diet, you can add carnitine to your dog’s diet (250 mg capsule for every 30 pounds of body weight). Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA is an additional supplement that may provide some benefit to obese animals, however, there have been no studies examining whether the beneficial effects are seen in geriatric dogs. CLA supplementation is unlikely to cause harm, but discuss with your vet first; appropriate dosages are approximately 1000 mg per day for large breed dogs (those over 50 pounds), 500 mg per day for dogs 25 – 50 pounds, and 250 mg per day for dogs less than 25 pounds.

Mobility, Arthritis, and Pain Relief A big challenge facing geriatric dogs is a loss of mobility. And it can prove a vicious cycle: loss of mobility leads to weight gain which then results in greater loss of mobility. This is a very difficult cycle to break. The loss in mobility could be due to joint pain, loss of muscle mass or increased body fat. If your dog has arthritis there are several things that you can do to help. The

It’s best to start with a visit to your vet before changing your dog’s diet for medical reasons. Informing your vet of changes that you see in your aging dog can help to catch problems early and allow for treatment. A dog who stops eating her food may be suffering from dental problems, and a poor coat can be a symptom of hypothyroidism. Ruling out the medical issues first is always a good practice.

first step is a pain management consultation with your veterinarian; there are many veterinary arthritis pain management options available to our dogs that can help greatly. The second

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step is to look at the many nutritional supplements that have been shown to help reduce pain and increase mobility. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3’s are a wonder supplement because they reduce inflammation. Inflammation is what causes

Many of the supplements mentioned are available in a palatable treat form, but read the label carefully to check that any functional treats contain an appropriate amount of the active ingredient. Treats or food may contain some of the above mentioned supplements at levels that are much lower than needed in order to benefit from them.

pain and swelling, which in turn reduces mobility for our dogs. There are some joint supplements that contain high omega-3 fatty acids but you can also supplement your dog’s diet directly with fish oil capsules or sustainable marine algae-derived omega-3s, such as DHA Gold (dhagold.com). Glucosamine & chondroitin - Glucosamine and chondroitin were thought to be very good supplements for relieving arthritis pain and increasing mobility, however, over the test of time research has suggested that they are very poorly bioavailable to the body. As a result, glucosamine and chondroitin are better used as injectable rather than dietary supplements. There are injectable products on the market that have been proven to be very beneficial in increasing mobility in dogs; your veterinarian should be able to advise you on what is available in your area. Green Lipped Mussel (GLM) GLM is a natural product that has been clinically proven to

improve mobility in dogs. GLM contains omega-3 fatty acids and is thought to contain other antioxidants as well as glucosamine. The dose of GLM should be 0.3 percent of the dog’s normal food (approximately 0.3 g GLM/cup of dog food).

Skin & Coat Health and Hair Loss Hair loss or other changes in skin and coat can be signs of disease. One of the more common reasons for this is hypothyroidism; rule this out with a simple blood test. To keep your senior’s skin and coat in top condition, make sure that your dog consumes enough omega-3 fatty acids, which help improve the integrity of skin and reduce inflammation. Omega-3 fat can be found in trout and salmon (mackerel and herring are very good sources but they are higher in mercury than farm-raised fish). Other sources of omega-3 fat include fish oil capsules or marine algaederived omega-3 capsules, flax oil or flax meal and walnuts. Vitamin E can also be very beneficial to skin health. The body can store large amounts of Vitamin E so it is important not to over supplement. Wheat germ and corn have the highest sources of vitamin E but other sources include peanuts, eggs, fish (many fish oil capsules contain added vitamin E), and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Canine Cognition One of the most common issues for our senior canines is canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), a disorder strikingly similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. As they age, dogs may forget how to do things and seem disoriented or forgetful. They may start to have accidents in the house, wake up at night, seem restless or bark without cause. These can all be signs of CDS. A typical antioxidant enriched diet for humans

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contains vitamin E, vitamin C, L-carnitine, DL-lipoic acid, and fruit and vegetable extracts. A similar diet for dogs made by Hills Pet Nutrition is available through your veterinarian, but if you’d like to add some extra brain-boosters at home, here are a couple you can try. Vitamin E: Add supplemental vitamin E at up to 100 IU per day for a small-breed dog and 400 IU per day for a large dog. If your dog’s diet already contains large amounts of vitamin E, you may not need to add any extra. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a very safe vitamin, usually requiring very large doses before side effects are seen, however, there is little benefit to providing mega doses of it. Try adding 50 - 100 mg per day depending on the size of your dog.

Cold Laser: Tackling Aches and Pains and Increasing Mobility Veterinary use of cold laser is becoming increasingly common. Cold laser reduces inflammation and improves blood flow to the area. This in turn improves mobility and decreases pain. Talk to your veterinarian about whether they have cold laser available.

Eyesight A change in your dog’s vision may be another sign you notice as they age, and you can battle this, too, with supplements aimed at helping to maintain your dog’s vision. Look for one that contains antioxidants and carotenoid pigments such as lutein. Another helpful ingredient is lycopene, found in tomatoes. If you prepare your dog’s food yourself and your dog tolerates tomatoes (the fruit, not the plant), you can try adding tomato into the mix. Only a small amount is needed for the beneficial effects.

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Colourful fruits and veggies are likely to have the most benefits, so try giving your dog blueberries, raspberries, spinach, carrots, and tomatoes.

Lack of Appetite/Stimulating the Appetite A sudden change in appetite is always a warning sign with dogs. If your chow hound is suddenly turning his nose up at his bowl, it warrants further investigation. It can be very difficult to watch your pet turn their nose up at once favoured foods and it can be very tempting to try and make different treats to stimulate the appetite. Remember, though, that treats and snacks ought not to take up more than 10 percent of your dog’s caloric intake. If your dog is filling up on snacks, he is not going to eat his dinner, which can result in an imbalance in his diet. For a dog with a diminished appetite, try low calorie but tasty snacks like low fat cheese (cheddar or ricotta), lean chicken, beef or other meat (trimmed of excess fat), apples, berries, watermelon, or cantaloupe. You may have to think outside the box if your pet’s preferences have changed. Provided your dog is not ill, a decrease in his appetite may be the result of bad teeth. Broken, worn down, or infected teeth, or gum disease can make eating unpleasant for dogs. Veterinary dentistry is quite

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advanced and can help to make your dog more comfortable. A change in diet may also be necessary. Try switching to a softer food, such as a canned food or a home prepared diet that can be served soft. If kibble is your preference, adding enough water so that the kibble floats and letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes will help to soften it and make it easier for older dogs to chew. Once your dog has seen the vet, if you still need to help stimulate his appetite, you can try adding a bit of broth or gravy to his regular food. Or spike your dog’s food with a few pieces of his favourite treats, such as chicken, liver, peanut butter or cheese. You do run the risk of your dog turning into a bit of diva who refuses to eat without the extras, but for a senior it can be worth it to ensure they are getting the nutrition they need. In general, you can’t go wrong with adding omega fatty acids and antioxidants to your senior dog’s diet. An omega-3 supplement and the addition of fruits and vegetables can definitely have a favourable effect on your senior pooch, as can the addition of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and veggies. Colourful fruits and veggies are likely to have the most benefits, so try things like blueberries, raspberries, spinach, carrots, and tomatoes. Just be careful that you don’t upset your dog’s stomach with these; go slowly, adding just a bit at a time until the fruits and vegetables make up to 10 percent of your dog’s diet. For a small dog it may not feel like you are adding any significant amount, but that’s okay. Remember it doesn’t take much to make a difference for them. Diet plays an important role in keeping your senior dog healthy, but so do a number of other things. Regular medical care and attention will help you catch changes before they become a big problem and research has shown that keeping your dog mentally and physically stimulated through exercise and training—even just teaching them tricks—also contributes to keeping them in top physical shape. Combining these strategies with a good diet and appropriate supplements will help keep that puppy bounce in your senior dog’s step. n

SPECIAL PROMOTION

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A charcoal filter removes bad tastes and odours, making the water taste more appealing, while a patented free-falling stream aerates the water for freshness. The stainless design looks stylish in the home and ensures your pets always have a good supply of clean water! petsafe.net

Scooting is really funny… when it’s not happening on your rug! Scoot Bars are a tasty,

along with ice, salt, and extreme winter weather conditions can damage your dog’s paws and lead to pain and limping. The extracts of Neem and Propolis provide excellent antiseptic and antifungal properties that speed up the healing process. Keep your dog comfortable with NaturPet’s Paw Repair! naturpet.com

natural fiber product for dogs designed to support fecal volume and healthy anal gland function. These delicious, convenient bars feature three types of fiber to support immune, digestive, and colonic function. Save your rug. Stop the scoot! petnaturals.com

Reduce shedding, itching, and odours. Epi-Pet’s Skin Enrichment Sprays are an excellent

Topically applied Eye Envy tear stain remover utilizes a combination of natural ingredients to eradicate pesky tear stains, safely, and effectively. No bleach, peroxide or antibiotics. Safe for eyes. eyeenvy.com

CocoTherapy Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Chips for pets are certified USDA organic and 100 percent natural. Coconut oil is comprised primarily of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs). MCFAs build a healthy immune system, prevent infection, promote healthy skin and coat and normal thyroid function, and help reduce weight. CocoTherapy Coconut Chips also provide beneficial fiber to promote a healthy digestive system. It’s a wonder supplement! cocotherapy.com

topical treatment for pets with dry, flaky, itchy, irritated, oily, or smelly skin and coats. They also treat hot spots and rashes, as well as naturally repelling fleas and ticks. Available in calming Lavender, Cedar/ Mint, or Unscented for those with allergies. Great for cats, too! epi-pet.com

The Doctor is

Dr. Betsy Brevitz tackles common veterinary vexations

LIMPING HOUND Q THE A limp or skip in a dog’s gait is caused

by pain or restricted motion somewhere in the foot, leg, or back. The pain could be from a new injury, or it could be from a flare-up of a chronic condition, such as arthritis. If your dog develops a limp, look for a simple, obvious cause before calling your vet.

A: First, think about the onset of the problem. What was your dog doing when you first noticed the limp? Did he jump or yelp as if he had a sudden injury? Can you tell at a glance what part of the foot, leg, or back is bothering him? Has he injured or shown signs of a problem in that area before? Next, do a systematic physical exam to hone in on the problem. Start with a close look at your dog’s overall posture. When he’s standing still, is his weight balanced on both hind legs, or is he resting one leg? Does his back look level? Is he hunching his back, extending his neck stiffly, or otherwise holding himself any differently than usual? Does the affected leg have any obvious lumps or bumps the other leg doesn’t have? If your dog is in so much pain that he may snap at you if you touch his feet or legs, stop there, call your vet, report your findings, and arrange to bring your dog in for an exam. If your dog is not so uncomfortable that you’re at risk of getting bitten, you can take a closer look yourself. Start with the foot of the affected leg. Common foot problems include a broken toenail, something sharp stuck between the pads, sores between the toes, or a broken toe. Do any of his toes look swollen? Any of these injuries require first aid. Does he have anything stuck between his toes (on top) or between his pads (underneath)? If so, remove the object and check closely for cuts or sores. If there are cuts or sores, soak the foot for five minutes in warm water with a drop of mild soap or shampoo added, then dry the foot carefully, especially between the toes. If the foot continues to bother your dog, call the vet. If your dog has a swollen toe or other signs of a possible broken bone, call your vet. If there’s nothing wrong with the foot, place one hand on the ankle of that leg and your other hand on the ankle of the opposite leg, and gently run your hands up the front of the legs all the way

to the top feeling for a bump, swelling, warmth, or pain in a specific location. Repeat while running your hands up the back of the legs. If your dog doesn’t flinch and you don’t feel any difference between one leg and its opposite, then very gently flex and extend the joints in the leg, starting with the foot and working your way up. Stop immediately if your dog growls, snaps, or otherwise acts distressed, and call your vet to tell him where the problem seems to be. The most common problems in the knee are a ligament tear or a dislocated kneecap. The most common problem in the hip is hip dysplasia. The most common problems in the elbow and shoulder are elbow dysplasia and osteochondrosis dissecans. If you think your dog’s neck or back is painful, do not bend the neck or prod the back to try to locate the problem; if your dog has a spinal disk problem or wobbler syndrome, such pressure could be excruciating and might even damage the spinal cord. Call your vet instead.

Common foot problems include a broken toenail, something sharp stuck between the pads, sores between the toes, or a broken toe.

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Q WHAT ABOUT CONSTIPATION? Constipation almost never strikes dogs that have adequate exercise and water and are given at least three opportunities per day to relieve themselves outside.

A: Dogs get diarrhea at the drop of a chicken bone, but do they get constipated? Only rarely. True constipation means extremely hard stools that are painful to pass. It has nothing to do with how often a dog has a bowel movement. Constipation almost never strikes dogs that have adequate exercise and water and are given at least three opportunities per day to relieve themselves outside. One thing that can cause big time constipation in a dog, however, is chewing up and eating a large bone or bones. The minerals from the bone can form an almost concrete-like stool that can be very painful to pass. In such cases, an enema can be helpful—call your vet. Other factors that can make a dog strain or feel pain when attempting a bowel movement are inflamed anal sacs, an object

blocking the colon, a tumor or mass blocking the colon, an enlarged or infected prostate, or a hernia. If your dog seems to be in pain when he tries to defecate, call your vet. If your dog vomits or has diarrhea for a couple of days and then doesn’t defecate at all for a couple of days that is not constipation. The most likely explanation is that he’s emptied his digestive tract and won’t need to defecate again until he has eaten normally for a couple of days. If your dog has diarrhea and sometimes strains to defecate but nothing comes out, he may simply have intestinal cramps that makes him feel like he needs to go, but he might also have an object blocking the colon. Call your vet immediately if you think your dog may have swallowed something that could be blocking the colon. n

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PHOTO JEFF LIPSKY/CPI SYNDICATION

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Country Strong Exclusive! Carrie Underwood on four-legged groupies, stealing hot dogs, and not eating her friends. By Mary-Jo Dionne

couple years ago, my husband and I headed to Los Angeles to attend an animal rescue fundraising gala. While there, we did what any self-respecting gala-attendees would: we partook of the champagne. In truth, we imbibed too much champagne. If you’re anything like my husband and me, you know there’s only one thing you get when you cross animal advocacy with a good flute of bubbly. And that is an uncensored slapping down of the plastic the split second the Silent Auction opens. Sure enough, light headed and giddy, we bid on everything from yoga classes in Malibu (so what if we live in Vancouver; it’s for a good cause!) to tickets for the filming of various daytime talk shows (so what if we live in Vancouver; it’s for a good cause!). Alas, by night’s end, when we headed back to our hotel room, our arms were filled with an eclectic mix of auction buys while our heads were filled with champagne bubbles. It was only the next morning when I perused the details of my stash that I noticed—according to one of my newly acquired sets of tickets—that I, along with one lucky friend, would be attending the live season finale of American Idol. (So what if I live in Vancouver; it’s for a good cause!) Then in its tenth season, the reality television series intent on launching the career of the next pop sensation had long won the devoted hearts of millions of voting fans who plan evenings around the show’s air-time. Well, millions of voting fans minus one. Admittedly, I’d never really sipped the American Idol Kool-Aid before. Not because I felt any form of disdain for its premise, but rather because it felt like an awful big time commitment. (I hadn’t been a member of a Book Club for years because the idea of promising to meet once a month made me break into a cold sweat.) Now the bearer of tickets to the hottest finale in town, I made the decision to meet weekly— me on my couch, they on screen—with the cast of the series’ twenty-something hopefuls and three judges I’d only ever heard scary things about. I was determined to come back to LA in just a few short months, equipped with not only enthusiasm for the process and familiarity with the contestants’ and their back-story, but an opinion. And sure enough, only weeks into my self-given assignment, I was hooked. (An I-didn’t-see-it-coming crush on judge Steven Tyler didn’t hurt either.) Surprisingly, I was remorseful not that I’d taken the American Idol pledge, but rather that I hadn’t jumped on the American Idol train years before. Like, for instance, during 2005’s season four, when a soft-spoken country girl from rural Oklahoma stepped in front of judges for the first time and belted out the lyrics to Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” This was the on-camera debut of Carrie Underwood who, when she learned had made it to the next qualifying round, rendered herself all the more endearing by exclaiming with an innocence that could melt farm-fresh butter: “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited! I’m going to get to fly on a plane!” But if this contestant thought that reaching cruising altitude on a jumbo jet would be the extent of her rise, she was grossly mistaken. For at season four’s close, Carrie would become the fourth official American Idol and ultimately the series’ most successful Idol to date, selling more than 15 mil-

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“My family is super normal and all my friends are very normal people and we do normal things. I usually don’t feel like a celebrity.”

MD: Where are you from originally? And where are you based now? CU: I’m from Oklahoma. A small town called Checotah. And I live now just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

lion albums and more than 22.5 million digital tracks. In June of last year, Carrie became the female country artist with the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, breaking a record she had temporarily co-held with none other than Reba McEntire. Her life of down-home pleasures, bottle-feeding cows on the farm, singing at her church, and playing football (flag, not tackle) for her local team, swiftly swung to the other end of the spectrum at dizzying speeds. The insta-superstardom that followed her win and has only grown over the last eight years has seen her topping charts and breaking records like nobody’s business. Yet, even in the face of having released Blown Away, her fourth album, and a tour schedule that can only be called grueling, this five-time Grammy Award-winner insists on making the time to give back in ways that extend far beyond catchy lyrics and endearing vocals. While the gamut of her public support for worthy endeavours includes charities for sick children, disaster relief funding for victims of the 2010 Tennessee flooding, and speaking up for the human rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, it is her perhaps her commitment to animal welfare that most astounds. From appearing in Public Service Announcements for the Humane Society of the United States to being the official spokesperson for the Pedigree adoption drive, Carrie took things a giant step further when she opened her own pet rescue organization, Happy Paws Animal Shelter, in her hometown. In short, Carrie Underwood doesn’t just talk the talk—or, in her case, sing the words—she walks the walk. Like the song Carrie selected to perform for American Idol

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MD: When you watched the first three seasons of American Idol, did you ever truly see yourself winning the fourth season? CU: I really didn’t. I mean, I always watched the show and was always in admiration of all the people who were really going out and laying it all out there for the world to see. So I was always thinking: “Wow, that would be so cool.” But that’s the kind of stuff that happens to other people—not me. I never really had plans to try out, but when the opportunity presented itself, I just went for it. MD: You sure did. Before American Idol, you admitted you’d never been on a plane before. In fact, when you found out you’d made it to the Hollywood round, that was one of the first things you acknowledged… that you’d actually be going on a plane. Today, does it feel surreal to you to be seen as an international superstar or are you still the girl next door on the inside? CU: I still consider myself a lot to be the same person. I feel like my circumstances have changed a lot, [but] my family is super normal and all my friends are very normal people and we do normal things. I usually don’t feel like a celebrity. MD: In addition to being a pop sensation, you still manage to promote animal rights. This is most obvious in your support of the Humane Society of the United States (having done several Public Service Announcements for them), the Pedigree Adoption Drive (as the drive’s official spokesperson), and the opening of your own rescue group, Happy Paws Animal Shelter in Checotah, Oklahoma. What is it that motivates you to do work of this nature? CU: I’ve always been an animal lover. I grew up on a farm and we unfortunately lived in a place where a lot of people would

PHOTO MATTHEW SPERLING

judges during her audition says, no, maybe Carrie can’t make us love her. Yet, somehow, she most certainly has. Here’s what she had to say about her incredible journey—and the animals she’s loved along the way—when we recently spoke.

Carrie with Ace (left) and Penny (right)

“People tell me all the time how cute my dogs are, and they’re shelter dogs.” dump their unwanted animals. And you know, I never broke rules; I never had a curfew because I never came home late. I was that kind of kid. But I would sneak out of the house with hot dogs—because no one would notice if hot dogs were missing but they might if a steak was gone from the freezer—to go and find whatever strays were outside. My parents would be in bed, and I would sneak out. Over the years, I feel I have really changed my parents. I mean, when I was younger we weren’t even allowed animals in the house. But today, my mom helps run the animal shelter—Happy Paws—in my hometown. My parents are completely different people now; they have two cats and a dog. They’ve really seen the light. Animals have just always been a big passion of mine. I lived in a dorm room in college and found a cat and I actually moved out of the dorm because I couldn’t find a home for the cat. I was like: “What else am I supposed to do with this cat?!” So I moved. MD: What animals do you and your husband, NHL player Mike Fisher, have of your own today? CU: Currently we have two dogs. With our lifestyle, we’d never

want to have too many that we couldn’t properly take care of. But we have great plans at some point, for when we get to move out to the country, to have anything and everything. Until then, I have a Rat Terrier and his name is Ace and I have a mixed breed dog that I actually got from my shelter and her name is Penny. MD: You’re in the beginning stages of your 55-city North American Blown Away tour. What do you do with your fourlegged kids when you’re on tour? CU: They come with me! MD: For real? That is the best! I love hearing that. CU: That’s one of the great things about having small dogs. They’re pretty portable. My husband travels a lot, too, with hockey. So the dogs got really used to being on the road with me and they’ve really become Tour Dogs. Everybody loves them and plays with them and people take them out for walks when I’m on stage. They just kind of make life for all of us on tour better.

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MD: It’s rumoured you became a vegan when you were only 13 years old, which is very young to make that decision. What led you to that decision so early in life? CU: I quit eating red meat when I was that young. I grew up on a farm with cows, and, I mean, I bottle-fed those cows when they were calves. At the time, I never really stopped to think about why we had them—I know that sounds ridiculous—because everybody had cows and sheep and chickens and everything. And I never thought: “Why?” Then, eventually, I realized: I can’t eat my friends. So I quit eating red meat and then as I got older, in college, it became less and less and less [meat in general] because I was buying my own food and didn’t have my mom there to get mad at me for not eating what the family was eating. So when I went out on my own, I became vegetarian. And then going vegan came last year. MD: So you don’t eat or buy any animal products at all now? CU: I make it a point to do my best. There are certain things when I’m traveling that make it hard, but I definitely make it a point to do my best. I have a giant shoe collection and I can’t remember the last time I bought a pair of leather shoes.

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PHOTO JEREMY COWART

“I am very proud of the work that I do with animals and I hope in the future that I get to do a lot more. It’s that kind of stuff that changes the world.”

MD: In the years since American Idol, we’ve seen you on SNL, Sesame Street, and even sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother. Professionally, what have you not yet tackled that you would like to? CU: I’m really up for opportunities. I never thought I’d be in a movie or get to do things like How I Met Your Mother, but they just kind of came up and I thought they sounded fun and I was totally into it. I’m up for anything. MD: If you overheard two people talking, and one of them admitted they were on their way to buy a dog, would you feel comfortable interjecting on why they may want to consider adopting? CU: Definitely. Especially since I do have a shelter and I see the volume of animals that come in. I’m all about shelter dogs. People tell me all the time how cute my dogs are, and they’re shelter dogs. Ace actually was originally a pet store dog owned by another family who later decided they no longer wanted him. I think it’s around 25 percent of the dogs brought into shelters that are purebred. We get a lot that are just gorgeous and they come with papers and everything from the people who surrender them. MD: With a long list of accolades and achievements already under your belt, what are you most proud of as a woman today? CU: I’m proud of my family and my friends and my life. Success in whatever you do is wonderful. That’s why people get out and work hard. They want to move forward and move up and get better. But it’s the real-life things that are most important. Being able to influence people and meet people and touch their lives in some way. And I am very proud of the work that I do with animals and I hope in the future that I get to do a lot more. It’s that kind of stuff that changes the world. n

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HOW I MET MY DOG

meet papaya !

Meeting My Match By Naomi Fujimoto

doubted this dog would be a good fit. Not like Ginger, who had run to the window when she saw me at the Wisconsin Humane Society. Ginger, who snuggled next to me while I talked to the adoption counselor. Ginger, my first dog. But two weeks ago, Ginger had collapsed. She was 10 when I adopted her and 15 when she died. Still, her death caught me by surprise; my daily routines were so tied to hers. There could only be one first dog. My friend Kristin is as much of a dog person as I. In her sympathy card, she gave me the poem she wrote about the death of her childhood dog. A few days later, she asked, gingerly, if I’d be interested in dogsitting. Her sister Jessica was pregnant and also had a husband, two young children, two dogs, and a cat. She was looking for new homes for the dogs. Kristin thought I might like Maiah, their eight-year-old Border Collie/ Labrador mix. Jessica described her as “tan and white… very smart and a bit neurotic.” No pressure. I agreed, if only for the distraction. Every sunny July day reminded me of all the walks I wasn’t taking. On a Saturday morning, Kristin arrived at my house, along with Jessica’s family and their dog. They gave me a faded blue flying disk. “She loves Frisbee,” Jessica said. It didn’t seem like

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Maiah played much: at 60 pounds, her body looked overstuffed, a mismatch with her sleek head. After a few minutes of fetch, everyone left. Maiah and I kept playing, more for my comfort than hers. I had no idea what else she might enjoy. The day of dogsititing loomed ahead. My friend Keith and I walked to the grocery store, bringing Maiah along. At one point, he asked, “Are you gonna pick that up?” He pointed at the brown lumps on the sidewalk. I hadn’t noticed; I’d never seen a dog that walked while pooping. After getting home, I was exhausted and got in bed for a nap. Maiah lay next to my bed, panting. “It’s OK,” I said. She panted and I didn’t sleep. Instead I took her for another walk. We ran into Mike, the mailman. He said, “I loved her,” when I told him Ginger was gone. I tried not to cry. Maiah sat. “But this one looks nice, too,” he said. Maiah and I walked a few more blocks and said hello to our neighbor Meg. Maiah lay down on the lawn, unafraid of Mickey, Meg’s grumbling Sheltie. “You two already look like a pair,” Meg said. I didn’t feel like we were a pair. But at least Maiah could relax; I wasn’t sure I could handle a Border Collie’s energy. My parents came over for dinner. Even though I was 37 years old, they still weighed in with their opinions, which I couldn’t

“My parents came over for dinner. Even though I was 37 years old, they still weighed in with their opinions, which I couldn’t totally ignore.” totally ignore—they’d be the ones stopping by during the week to feed and water the dog while I was at work. Maiah lay on the floor, panting. “It’s too soon,” my dad said. “And she’s too fat.” “Well, we have control of that. We can walk her.” “So hyper,” my mom said. True. She had a big personality. And she peed on the floor. Keith asked, “Do you have enough Resolve?” He meant the carpet cleaner, but I was thinking more literally. Still. All the panting and peeing, they seemed like things a dog might do when she was trying to figure out her place, when she craved the attention of an owner. Though our bond hadn’t been instant, I felt the hint of an attachment. I wasn’t ready to say no. A few weeks later, she visited me once more. And stayed. I named her Papaya; it rhymed with Maiah but was a sign that she was truly mine now. We all deserved a second chance (or more). She’s challenging. I give her stability, and she rewards me with crazy antics. She helps herself to cookies, strudels, and donuts, removes a cactus from its pot, sprinkles paprika on my carpet, pulls bookmarks from my nightstand reading. But she’s no longer incontinent, and she pants less. Our walks have slimmed her down to 46 pounds. So even though Ginger was irreplaceable, I still had room to love another dog. We’re a pair now, sticky Papaya and me: She curls up against my back when I sleep, kisses my chin when I wipe her feet, and “shakes” by curling her paw around my arm. She leans against me as I brush my teeth, reminding me of our bond. It’s the gratitude of an old dog that has finally found her home. n Email submissions for How I Met My Dog to lastlick@moderndogmagazine.com. Because of the volume of email, the magazine cannot respond to every submission. Share comments on this essay at moderndogmagazine.com/lastlick.

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Which Emotions Do Dogs Actually Experience? Are you anthropomorphizing? The feelings dogs actually experience— and those we project By Stanley Coren Illustration Kim Smith

ost people can read emotions in their dog quite easily. For example, you come home and your dog dances around wagging her tail, and you think to yourself, “Lady is happy to see me,” or “Lady really loves me.” Or perhaps you’re out on a walk and, at the approach of another canine, your dog freezes in place, his hackles raised, and gives a low throaty growl. We interpret this as “Rex does not like that dog. Seeing him makes Rex angry.” In such situations the emotional state of our dogs seems quite obvious. For this reason it is difficult for many people to understand that the existence of emotions in dogs was—and in some places still is—a point of scientific controversy. In the dim, distant past it was presumed that dogs had very rich mental lives, with feelings much like those of humans and even the ability to understand human language almost as well as people. However, with the rise of science things began to change. Mankind was now beginning to understand enough about the principles of physics and mechanics that we could build complex machines. In addition, we were learning that living things were also governed by systems that followed mechanical rules and chemical processes. In the face of such discoveries, religions stepped in to suggest that there must be more to human beings than simply mechanical and chemical events. Church scholars insisted that people have souls, and the evidence they gave for this was the fact that humans have consciousness and feelings; animals might have the same mechanical systems, they argued, but they did not have a divine spark and, therefore, did not have the ability to experience “true” feelings. Since much of the science of the time was sponsored by church-related schools and universities, it is not surprising to find that the researchers would not assert the existence of higher levels of mental functioning such as emotions in animals. To do so might have caused the church authorities to feel that the scientists were suggesting that an animal such as a dog might have a soul and consciousness, and flying in the face of church doctrine could lead to a lot of problems. The most prominent person to adopt this line was the French philosopher and scientist René Descartes. In a highly influential set of

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Dogs do not experience the more complex emotions like guilt, pride, and shame.

analyses, Descartes suggested that animals like dogs were simply some kind of machine. He would thus describe my Beagle, Darby, as simply being a dog-shaped chassis, filled with the biological equivalent of gears and pulleys. This machine doesn’t think, but it can be programmed to do certain things. Nicholas de Malebranche, who extended Descartes’ ideas, summed up the idea when he claimed that animals “eat without pleasure, cry without pain, act without knowing it: they desire nothing, fear nothing, know nothing.” You might argue against this by noting that if you challenge a dog it clearly becomes angry, and this is proven by the fact that it snarls or snaps. Alternatively, it might become afraid, and this is proven by the fact that it whimpers and runs away. Those classical scientists and their successors would say that the dog is simply acting, not feeling. It is programmed to snap at things that threaten it, or if the threat is too great, it is programmed to run away. You might point out that if you kicked a dog it would yelp in pain and fear. These researchers might respond that if you kicked a toaster it would make a sound. Is this a yelp of pain indicating that the toaster is afraid? Their argument would be that dogs simply act and do not feel. Science has clearly progressed a long, long way beyond the thinking of Descartes and Malebranche. We have now come to understand that dogs possess all of the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans. Dogs have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes that humans do during emotional states. Dogs even have the hormone oxytocin, which, in humans, is involved with feeling love and affection for others. With the same

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neurology and chemistry that people have, it seems reasonable to suggest that dogs also have emotions that are similar to ours. However, it is important to not go overboard and immediately assume that the emotional ranges of dogs and humans are the same. To understand what dogs feel, we must turn to research done to explore the emotions of humans. It is the case that not all people have the full range of all possible emotions, and, in fact, at some points in your life you did not have the full complement of emotions that you feel and express today. There is much research to demonstrate that infants and very young children have a more limited range of emotions. It is over time that the infant’s emotions begin to differentiate and develop and, by the time they’ve reached adulthood, their range of emotional experiences is quite broad. Why is such data important to understanding emotional lives of our dogs? Researchers have now come to believe that the mind of a dog is roughly equivalent to that of a human who is two to two-and-a-half years old. This conclusion holds for most mental abilities as well as emotions. Thus, we can look to the human research to see what we might expect of our dogs. Just like a two-year-old child, our dogs clearly have emotions, but many fewer kinds of emotions than found in adult humans. At birth, a human infant only has an emotion that we might call excitement. This indicates how excited he is, ranging from very calm up to a state of frenzy. Within the first weeks of life the excitement state comes to take on a varying positive or a negative

flavour, so we can now detect the general emotions of contentment and distress. In the next couple of months, disgust, fear, and anger become detectable in the infant. Joy often does not appear until the infant is nearly six months of age and it is followed by the emergence of shyness or suspicion. True affection, the sort that it makes sense to use the label “love” for, does not fully emerge until nine or ten months of age. The complex social emotions—those which have elements that must be learned—don’t appear until much later. Shame and pride take nearly three years to appear, while guilt appears around six months after that. A child is nearly four years of age before she feels contempt. This developmental sequence is the golden key to understanding the emotions of dogs. Dogs go through their developmental stages much more quickly than humans do and have all of the emotional range that they will ever achieve by the time they are four to six months of age (depending on the rate of maturation in their breed). The important fact is that we know that the assortment of emotions available to the dog will not exceed that which is available to a human who is two to two-and-a-half years old. This means that a dog will have all of the basic emotions: joy, fear, anger, disgust, and, yes, love, but the dog does not experience the more complex emotions like guilt, pride, and shame. Many would argue that they have seen evidence indicating their dog is capable of experiencing guilt. The usual situation recounted is one in which you’ve come home and your dog starts slinking around showing discomfort, and you then find that he has left a smelly brown deposit on your kitchen floor. It is natural to conclude that the dog was acting in a way that shows that he is feeling guilty about his transgression. Despite appearances, this is not guilt, but simply a display of the more basic emotion of fear. Your dog has learned that when you appear and his droppings are visible on the floor, bad things happen to him. What you see is his fear of punishment; he will never feel guilt because he is not capable of experiencing it. So what does this mean for those of us who live with and interact with dogs? The good news is that you can feel free to dress your dog in that silly costume for a party. He will not feel shame, regardless of how ridiculous he looks. He will also not feel pride at taking home the top prize in a dog show or an obedience competition. But your dog can indisputably feel love for you and derive contentment from your company, and that’s really the crux of the matter, isn’t it? Like the Beatles sang, “all you need is love.” Thank goodness our dogs provide it in spades. n

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THE NEWBIE:

Photographer Jessica Trihn

few months ago, 17-year-old high school student and photographer Jessica Trihn sent us a link to her photography and an email that sang of her passion for dogs and taking pictures. Despite the landslide of emails we receive daily, we clicked through—and were charmed by the unique, sun-filtered style that she’s already developed, an aesthetic that seems to sum up her effusive personality, her undeniable love of dogs, and her California locale. Inspired by her talent and go-get‘em attitude, we decided right then and there to give Jessica a debut in Modern Dog. We asked her a few questions about how she got started and what’s next for her. MD: How old were you when you first picked up a camera? JT: I was 13. I thought it would be fun to take some photos, but never expected to get this far. I got it as a Christmas present…it was a big PowerShot camera that I thought was just beautiful. MD: Why are dogs your chosen subject matter? JT: I love dogs. I wanted to take photos because of my dog, Chuppy; he is my true inspiration and the one that started it all. I do take photos of people now and then but, in a funny kind of way, I believe it is easier to take photos of dogs than of people. I am more natural with dogs and I actually think they take direction better than most people! MD: What are your other loves/hobbies? JT: Music, nature walks, my dogs, Christmas, holiday fam-

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ily gatherings, snow, autumn, winter, and sweaters. I play piano in my spare time, occasionally singing along. MD: What is it you try and capture in your photos? JT: I try to capture different concepts I have floating in my head… love, magic, sadness, joy. I keep a list on my desk of ideas I want to capture in photos, and every day, when a new concept pops into my head, I write it down. I want each photo to be different from anything anyone has ever seen in pet photography. Props help me get creative. I also look out for specific expressions on the dogs that relate to the concept I want. MD: Future dreams and ambitions? JT: When I started photography, I wanted to be featured in a magazine. I guess that dream has come true! And ever since I was small, I wanted to be a veterinarian. My dream is to be able to afford a beautiful house in Canada, have a family, have a joy-

PHOTOS JESSICA TRIHN

ful career, loving husband, have Christmas and Thanksgiving parties, and just enjoy life and be happy. MD: Any message for our readers? JT: Notice the way you see your breath in the cold, crisp air and the light dancing through the clouds. Or maybe how warm the sun is or the sound of trees in the wind. Be amazed and enjoy the magic of nature. MD: What’s next for you? JT: College. I’ll be going to college to become a veterinarian. Even though the field is especially competitive, I will try my best to be the best I can. n

Jessica’s Top 3 Tips for Photographing Dogs #1. Know what makes the dog you are photographing special. This is different for every dog. If the dog is in his senior year, you want to capture a photo that reflects his life and the very essence of being a soulful, puppy at heart dog. This relates to breed and colour as well. For example, is the dog a Dalmatian? Because Dalmatians are great against anything involving patterns. Is the dog black and white? Imagine a photo of it converted to black and white. Be creative with each dog you take photos of because they are ALL different and capable of many things. #2. Lighting. Always, always use natural lighting. Harsh lighting is a big no in my book. #3. Capture their attention. Always have something that will make the dog pay attention to you. Especially if you want the dog to do a certain pose or look at you. This can be treats or a squeaky toy.

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The Down & Dirty on Humping: Sex, Status, and Beyond

By Jennifer Messer

umping is primarily a sexual behaviour. This is pretty obvious given its role in reproduction, and is generally accepted right across the spectrum of training philosophies. What is less agreed upon, and sometimes even quite hotly debated, is why dogs hump in what looks like non-hanky-panky situations, when humping should be considered problematic, and what to do when the behaviour is unwelcome.

HUMPING AS A HARD-WIRED BEHAVIOUR PATTERN Humping is one of several pre-programmed behaviour scripts that most dogs are born with called fixed action patterns (FAPs). What makes FAPs unique is that they are triggered by the dog’s environment without requiring any prior learning. No wonder some threemonth-old prepubescent tykes hump a littermate or a pillow for the very first time like an old pro! These FAPs come pre-installed for good reason—they all relate to essential survival skills: fighting; escaping danger; reproducing; and eating. Necessary stuff indeed, however, today’s domesticated dogs rely much less on these survival skills than their wild counterparts. This, combined with strong selection for certain behaviours in certain breeds, is the reason why there is so much variation in the number and strength of these behaviour patterns. This explains why not ALL domestic dogs are humpamaniacs, car stalkers, or Frisbee fanatics. One of the interesting things about humping, and other FAPs, is the way they tend to pop up outside of their primary context. For example, most dogs are triggered to chase by a quickly retreating object or animal. The primary role of this FAP is clearly to enable feeding through predation. However, there are oodles of situations where this FAP is triggered that do not actually involve hunting down lunch, such as chasing a retreating dog, the household cat, or a tennis ball. The most logical explanations for why FAPs pop up outside of the situation they were designed for are: 1) better to have too many than too few triggers for these survival scripts in the doggie DNA. So in the case of humping, better to create a dog that gets turned on by too many things than too few and who might otherwise be slack at reproducing. And 2) why not practice these key behaviours when opportunity arises, to keep them well honed for when they really are needed for their primary function?

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Humping can also occur in conflict situations, settings in which a dog wants to do something, but isn’t allowed to.

AROUSAL TRIGGERS: PLAY, EXCITEMENT, AND CONFLICT Play seems to be a very common trigger for humping, probably because it is both a good opportunity for practicing important behaviours, as mentioned above, and also because it creates an exciting, stimulating atmosphere—a sexual trigger in many species, not just dogs! This notion that general arousal can tip over into sexual arousal is supported by the fact that humping seems to be triggered by other stimulating experiences besides play. For example, my Pit Bull, Charlotte, will often begin pelvic thrusting as she digs in to the wax feast of my Beagle Bender’s ears. Not my idea of excitement, but to each her own! Humping can also occur in conflict situations that cause mild frustration or anxiety, settings in which a dog wants to do something, but isn’t allowed to, so funnels the energy into another totally unrelated behaviour. I knew a Lab who would hump the cat only when told to stop begging at the dinner table. We humans tend to do more “civilized” things when we are conflicted or a bit anxious, like tap our feet or twiddle with our hair since humping is considered a very private behaviour in most societies.

CONCERNS ABOUT HUMPING AS A SIGN OF DOMINANCE When dogs hump an object—usually the most expensive pillow in the house—humans generally find it either annoying or funny, but not deeply upsetting. By contrast, humping people or other dogs often raises serious concerns about the possibility of a relationship problem if the humping is interpreted as a display of dominance. There is no question that humping is sometimes performed in the context of dominance displays, ranking maneuvers, posturing, or whatever term you want to use for the

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symbolic behaviours that dogs use to vie for controlling access to a given resource: owner; bone; dish; space; whatever. When dogs hump each other, some owners are quite laissez-faire about the behaviour, while others are more interfering. However, when it comes to humping people, most humans find the behaviour annoying and embarrassing at best, and, at worst, as a very scary tip of the iceberg indicating that the dog is en route to trying to take over the relationship, house, and even the universe. It may well be that some humping of people is motivated by attempts at control. However, given that the primary function of humping is clearly sexual, and the frequency with which it pops up within play and other stimulating situations, jumping to the conclusion that a dog who humps a person or another dog is displaying dominance is faulty.

BUT WHY DO SOME FEMALE DOGS HUMP IF THE MAIN ROLE IS REPRODUCTION? Probably for the same reason males have nipples: nature overshot a bit. Truth is, we don’t know for sure, but our best guess is that reproduction is such an important drive that Mother Nature was more concerned with making sure males hump than worrying about females humping too. In other words, she didn’t bother making the humping genes entirely male specific. There is logic to this strategy: if the cost of some gals wasting a bit of effort now and then is outweighed by the benefit of making sure no boy will miss out on rock-solid humping genes, then it is in Dogdom’s best interest to have a few butch femmes. That explains the adaptive significance of having the capability in females. As for it’s expression, variation in individual hormones, personality, and environment play their part in how likely it is for the behaviour to actually surface.

Jumping to the conclusion that a dog who humps a person or another dog is displaying dominance is faulty.

TRAINING A DOG NOT TO HUMP Fortunately, it is often unnecessary to establish the reason for humping in order to curb it, since the very same technique works quite well across the board (minus trying to discourage a male from humping a female in heat!). 1) Teach an “Off” or “Leave it” command 2) Instruct Fido “Off” AS SOON AS Fido commits to the dirty deed 3) If Fido proceeds despite the warning then advise him/her, “Too bad,” you’ve just earned yourself five minutes in the sin-bin (utility room, car, or other available time-out zone) or a trip straight home from the dog park The advantage of non-violent punishment to discourage unwanted behaviour, as opposed to any hitting or other scare tactics, is that you will not risk creating a fearaggression problem. Being marched home from the dog park for a dog-dog humping offence, or being sent to the utility room for a dog-human humping offence are a bummer worth sulking over, not a trauma worthy of aggression. And for those concerned about dominance-related humping, being relegated to the penalty box sure sends a clear message about who is calling the shots! Violent punishers like hitting and shock collars can sometimes eliminate the problem they are used for but run the risk of leaving you with an even bigger problem instead. For example, if you used a shock collar on a dog that humps young children, you could successfully eliminate the humping but at the same time cause a phobia of children by creating an association in your dog’s mind between young children and pain—a much bigger and more dangerous problem than humping was!

WHEN TO INTERVENE It is my opinion that human intervention in the interest of the welfare of the humpee is appropriate in any situation where humping is non-consensual. Consent is easily tested in dog-dog situations by removing the humper mid-action and seeing whether or not the humpee takes the opportunity to flee. If he or she sticks around for more, you can assume it is consensual. In the case of dog-human humping, I think it is reasonable to curb the behaviour if either the owner of the dog or the person being humped doesn’t like it, or if the humpee is a child. It also seems appropriate to intervene if it is decided that the humping behaviour itself is problematic, regardless of who or what is on the receiving end. In other words, if you find it embarrassing, frightening, or worrisome, then go ahead and curb it. Other than an intact male pursuing a female in heat, we can teach our feisty friends to control their natural impulses, but we ought to do so using only non-violent methods. n

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HOW I MET MY DOG

Seven Pounds & Wormy

Meet Brodie

By Amanda Page

hen I moved from a studio apartment in Los Angeles to a farmhouse on the Ohio River, I knew I’d have a dog before I had a job. One Saturday evening, a month before I started teaching at the local college, my roommate and I took a leisurely drive along the local country roads. My roommate said, “I think the dog shelter is up ahead.” We stopped by, knowing full well that it was closed. As we drove down the gravel road to the shelter, we slowed down to pass a little girl walking along. She waved to us. “Are you going to see the doggies?” she asked. Her name was Lydia. She was nineyears-old and an obvious expert at afterhours dog canoodling. She ran around the side of the building and showed us where the dogs could come outside from their pens. Each dog had a concrete patio, secured by cinder block and chain link. All the dogs ran to their fences. They barked in unison. Lydia pulled us by our hands around the building to the drop box where people could leave unwanted dogs and cats without consequence. There was a lone puppy in the little enclosed cage. He was a quiet guy. Lydia leaned in and scooped him out. She set him on the ground and went back to the other dogs in their half inside/half outside pens. My roommate went with her. I was alone with the drop-box pup. He stood, alert, ears up, tail up, and looked at me without fear. He was sizing me up. Like my family’s dog before him, he was the color of rust. He

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had a black muzzle and a black stripe down his back that led to his little rat-tail. It looked like it had been dipped in paint. His legs were long. His ears were too big for his head. His rib cage was the most prominent feature on his scrawny little body. Lydia left and my roommate and I stood there with the puppy at our feet. I picked him up and climbed back into the car. “Well, I guess you’re it,” I said to the puppy in my lap. We stopped at a pet supply store to pick up the essentials: food, collar, toys. The customer service associate, in a slow, southern drawl, said, “That dog is all leg.” I knew to look at his paws to predict his size. They weren’t large. At least, they weren’t disproportionate, like his ears. We didn’t sleep that first night. He raced around the living room and peed on the carpet. I followed him around with a roll of paper towels and begged him to lie down. We weren’t yet speaking the same language. He was light enough for me to hold like rag doll. I carried him around by his belly, my hand wrapped around it, holding his back to my chest. We faced the world together. I brought him into the vet’s office and set him on the scale. He was seven pounds. The vet found worms in his little belly, which we fought for those first few months. He had worms while he learned to go potty outside. He had worms while I figured out what to name him. He had worms as he grew into those ears.

I followed him around with a roll of paper towels and begged him to lie down. We weren’t yet speaking the same language

He was thirty pounds in no time. He was forty pounds by the time he was one-year-old. There was another ten-pound growth spurt soon after that. By then, he’d discovered the Frisbee. He was strong and solid from his twice-daily game of catch. He’d grown from a seven-pound puppy into a fifty-pound athlete, prompting me to often imitate that pet supply store customer service associate’s accent and say, “That dog is all muscle.” But that muscle came a lot later in our life together. During that first year, he grew accustomed to the name “Seven pounds and wormy.” Over those first few months together, he started coming to me, or, at least, looking at me, when I said it. I said it a lot. I said it in baby talk when I would coo at him and I said it to strangers at the dog park when they told me he was a good-looking dog. When people asked me his breed, I said, “Whatever breed starts out seven pounds and wormy.” I still say it a lot. Anytime anyone compliments me on his good behaviour or his Frisbee skills, I always say, “He was seven pounds and wormy.” I’ve said it enough times while looking at him or pointing toward him, or even while holding him when he was still small enough to hold by the belly, that he understands that quick descriptive phrase as well as he understands his own name. It took me a week or two to find the right name. In the meantime, he learned to come to me when I called for, “Baby Puppy,” “Sweet Boy,” and, of course, “Seven Pounds and Wormy.” The first two nicknames eventually fell away as he grew accustomed to “Brodie.” The name seemed to suit him somehow—the handsome boy, the bourgeoning athlete. His name doesn’t eclipse what he was when I found him, though: seven pounds, wormy, and ready to be loved. n Email submissions for How I Met My Dog to lastlick@moderndogmagazine.com. Because of the volume of email, the magazine cannot respond to every submission. Share comments on this essay at moderndogmagazine.com/lastlick.

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lil rascals

cutead! lo r e v o

reader-submitted photos of their adorable wee ones er

Madeline + Park

Jake + Jazzy

o + Carmella

Nick, Lena, Prim

Cookie + Logan

Lyla + Dylan

Baily + Avery

Jed + Milo

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Milana + Porkchop

Vivienne + Quincy

Will + Ranger

Owen + Oscar

Kianny + Taquito

Levi + Kona

Jack + Piper

rshey

isy + He

Cash, Da

ailee

Tork + K

very

Cash + A

Molly + Sophie

Trotter + Connor

Penny + Alison moderndogmagazine.com

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INSPIRE

Follow Your Passion D

ream of chucking the 9-5 in favour of self-employment? Three entrepreneurs prove passion and dogged determination are key to making those dreams an actuality.

By Corey Van’t Haaff

Sniffing out a business opportunity isn’t for the faint of heart. Working for yourself often means long hours, sleepless nights, maddening amounts of multi-tasking, and struggling to get your name out there while simultaneously fretting over making ends meet. But for these three entrepreneurs, the rewards of self-employment far outweigh the risks. For them, opening a canine-centered business was a labour of love, and they’re not looking back.

KISS MY MUTT Santa Barbara, CA For Jennifer Beinke, success is all in a name. Like many recent university grads, Beinke was torn between two careers. Energetic and unsure of which direction to follow, she decided that rather than choose she would simply pursue both until forging ahead with one or the other made financial sense. Though

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her work in broadcasting was interesting, her love of dogs and design had led her to create Kiss My Mutt, a line of eco-friendly dog beds and boutique-y collars, leashes, and harnesses. It turns out the path forward announced itself sooner than Beinke could have possibly predicted. Being young, she says, meant it was difficult at first to get people to take her seriously, but she knew in her heart the dog business was for her. “I realized what I wanted to do…I got one store to carry my products; now I have 200. It happened quickly. People responded well to the products and the name. They all get a chuckle out of Kiss My Mutt,” she says. She says she would set small business goals weekly and monthly and when she reached them, would feel rewarded, so she started setting much bigger goals. “I enjoy the freedom of making my own decisions and my favourite part is being able to make my products come to life. I don’t know if I could do that somewhere else,” she says, adding that seeing

her designs in store windows is hugely fulfilling. “The catch-22,” she adds, “is that I have to make all the decisions on my own. I do have associates and work closely with my sister so [I can] bounce ideas but I still sometimes wonder, ‘am I making the right decision?’ So I go with my gut. If I make a mistake, I pick myself up and try again.” As a wholesaler and online retailer, she is surprised how close she feels to many of her clients, most of whom she has never met. But the recognition Kiss My Mutt gets is parlayed into something even greater than just business success— through Kiss My Mutt, Beinke regularly holds charity events to benefit rescue dogs and organizations. “It’s great to use the name to get people together to raise money for shelter dogs. I found a way to reach a large audience to help dogs.”

HOT BOWS Long Beach, CA

Dara Samson knew, beyond any doubt, that she could sell pretty much anything. In fact, her belief in her own sales ability led her to sell one thriving business and start another. In 1999, Samson started a high-end dog grooming shop. She had been working in

the fast-paced fashion industry and really needed a break, so she began helping a friend who had a pet-sitting business. She loved the dogs, but wasn’t comfortable in strangers’ homes. “It wasn’t my thing. So I looked around and asked questions and decided on pet grooming. I like clean dogs and taking care of and nurturing the dogs.” Her successful business, Hot Bows, sprung from that love and her experience as a groomer. When it came to hair accessories, the only two options available were cheap imported hair bows or very expensive, proper bows for show dogs. Her clients deserved the best of both worlds: gorgeous hair accessories at an affordable price, so she got down to business and created them. The stiffened hair bows (to allow for extended wear) proved so popular, she sold the grooming shop and now sells the bows through groomers as well as through her own website, hotbows.com. Samson loves working from home, designing and creating each Hot Bow by hand, and being with her pets all day. And she gets a thrill from knowing that her business success lives and dies with her. She also jokes that being self-employed, no one gets mad when she takes a three-hour lunch. Though long lunches are the exception not the rule, sometimes the possibility is more important than the practice. “I rarely get a three-hour lunch, but I have the luxury of doing it. There’s no backup for anything; no vacation—but there’s also not the daily pressure of being at a job,” she says. moderndogmagazine.com

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“You pour your heart and soul into it and the money comes later.”

Like many small business owners, she finds budgeting and financing challenging. There are particular hurdles that only smaller operations face, like being unable to take advantage of the price breaks wholesale suppliers offer only for very large quantity purchases. And there are definitely stresses that don’t exist for someone on payroll. That’s why, she says, entrepreneurs need to be passionate about what they do. “If you’re not passionate, your business will not be successful because you will come up against every problem in the first six to 12 months that you can think of. It can be so difficult and trying that you have to love what you do. There are so many little things to learn each time you do something.”

K9 CLUB Edmonton, Alberta Though no longer immersed in syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics, it’s possible Shawna Magnan’s degree in linguistics helped her to speak dog. Magnan says the idea for K9 Club, a dog daycare that focuses on socialization and caters to multi-dog families, started when she got her dog Leo, an “insane” nine-month-old puppy some eight years ago. The dog had so much energy he would rip through her yard. “I was at the park and saw some ladies with a group of dogs so I talked to them and they had a dog daycare. I thought that was an interesting idea and called them a few weeks later thinking maybe that’s what Leo needed. I took him and saw the improvement right away. He was tired when he came home; he listened better. He was a different dog.” She volunteered there during summer break. The daycare ultimately closed and Shawna went on with her life until a summer 2009 leave from her bank job left her time to think about opening her own daycare. “I always had the idea of a daycare in the back of my head. The perfect building came up for lease so I took the plunge.” She says she is still trying to figure out where the courage came from to make the decision to be self-employed. It was,

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she says, definitely scary but she felt she had found her calling working with dogs. “My husband has a fulltime job and I run the business without a paycheck. I am still working out how to pay myself. You pour your heart and soul into it and the money comes later.” She is all about her customers, which now number close to 400 according to her Christmas card list. She likes that she can quickly implement any new ideas, and if they don’t work, she tries something new. “If I change something, there are no hoops to jump through. I can tell right away if it will work or I instantly change it.” Although she still remembers her sole customer the second day she was open, she is surprised by how quickly her business grew. She had a five-year plan to establish her business but the daycare grew so much, that she had to jump ahead, hiring her first employee only six months in. It was a huge accomplishment for her. “Leo was the inspiration for my dog daycare. I love every single dog that walks through that door. People often come to check out the facility and they ask how I got into this business and I tell them about Leo. That’s why I do this—to care for dogs.” n

ASK A TRAINER Colleen Safford Trial Separations If my husband and I are walking our dog together and one of us steps into a store, the dog gets nervous and barks and cries. This behaviour only happens when we are all three together. What gives? —Three’s Company in Colorado

I could theorize about your dog’s behaviour all day long. Maybe he doesn’t want the group to break up. Maybe it’s a grass is greener complex and he’s convinced they’re serving up fresh deer poop (instead of coffee) where you are headed! Getting caught up in the WHY means we just spend a lot of time thinking instead of doing. Let’s address the behaviour that comes to surface. Clearly this situation causes your dog some concern. In dog training, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is an easy situation to avoid, and there is something to be said for not putting your dog through this. A stronger habit is developed each time your dog has the opportunity to experience and display the nervous behaviour. Practiced enough, it can trickle over into other situations too, so I would avoid putting your dog through this until you have the foundational training below to help your dog with the separation. We need to develop Fido’s ability to perform three behaviours: Sit, Stay and Watch Me The idea is that instead of becoming anxious about the person leaving, Fido learns to remain calm and focused on the person who is with him. In order for this to work in the situation that makes him nervous, we need for him to master this in all other contexts of his daily life. From now on, in order to get anything he wants in life, be it food, attention, a walk, or a toy, he needs sit and stare CALMLY at you while receiving handsome rewards for doing so. Start off short and gradually build upon your dog’s ability to sit and gaze into your eyes.

e Let your dog sniff a tiny morsel of a high value treat (chicken, turkey, cheese), while asking him to sit.

r Swiftly raise the treat up towards your face and wait for your dog to look up towards your eyes.

t The instant your dog looks up towards your eyes, say “yes” and give your dog the reward.

ity to stare patiently for 15-30 seconds before you say “yes” and reward with that tasty food bit. If your dog breaks eye contact several times in a session, your expectations are too high. Only progress to longer stares as your dog proves successful at the previous step. After developing a 15-second stare for food rewards, begin to ask him for shorter stares for exciting things like his food bowl, walks, or for each toss of a toy. You are looking for CALM behavior. Take this “on the road” only once you have developed a true reliability in daily life. To work towards this, start easy.

e Take Fido to the street and ask him to sit, stay, and watch the person holding his leash, as the other takes a few steps away.

r While the other person is walking away, reward Fido profusely every few seconds for remaining calm and staring at you.

t The other person should return immediately and together you walk away.

u When the other person returns, stop treating Fido. He will learn that good things happen when he and his partner are left on their own.

i Build out the “away” time based on Fido’s ability to remain relaxed and calm during the other person’s absence.

o Gradually decrease the number of rewards as Fido becomes more relaxed with the idea of the separation. Drop the frequency and number of rewards very slowly based on Fido’s ability to remain relaxed for longer periods of time. With consistency, soon the person leaving will be wondering why Fido doesn’t care where he is headed! n

u Over the course of a week, gradually extend the time that your dog maintains his stare up towards you. Begin by counting to one before rewarding, then two, then three, and so on. After several sessions, you should be able to increase your dog’s abil-

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Trainer Colleen Safford raises awareness on pet-child safety, and understanding dog body language. Colleen’s companies, NY Walk & Train and Far Fetched Acres, have been voted “Best of NY” by New York magazine. Colleen receives daily training from her children and is proudly owned by her rescued Boxer(ish).

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ASK A TRAINER Nicole Wilde No Fun For New Dog I just adopted a dog and would like him to play with my other dog. I know it will take time, but is there anything I can do to encourage it along? —Playtime in Pasadena When we adopted Bodhi, a Malamute mix, we brought Sierra, our female Husky mix, with us to the shelter to meet him. The dogs were introduced and immediately began to play. We were so relieved that they liked each other and were getting along! Once home, however, these two northern breeds played so roughly that it boiled over into aggression again and again. This happened for the first ten days or so, with me supervising and separating them when I saw things were heading toward becoming problematic. It took a bit of time until they learned each other’s play styles and how far they could push things. After that, the wrestling and chasing games were fine. My point in sharing this story is to relate that although we’d all love for our dogs to romp and play together right away, it’s not necessarily a good thing to encourage it. It may be that your dogs need to take the time to get to know each other better and to learn each others’ body language and behaviour before they engage in play. You can try introducing items such as rope tug toys in the hopes that each dog will take an end and tug, or leave other toys around that the dogs can share, but if one or both of the dogs becomes possessive of the toys, be sure to remove them before it escalates to a fight.

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Once the dogs begin to have bouts of play, supervise to make sure things don’t escalate into aggression. Some growling and vocalizing is normal; if you phoned me when Sierra and Bodhi are playing in their usual rough and tumble manner, you’d probably say, “Umm...do you need to go separate your dogs?” But if you see that one dog is getting overwhelmed or that the interaction is getting too rough, calmly separate the dogs and redirect them to another activity. By allowing short, supervised rounds of play, you’ll ensure that everyone stays safe and wants to play again the next time. And lastly, know that there is a chance the dogs simply won’t choose to play with each other. That might disappoint you, but so long as they continue to get along well, it’s all good! n Nicole Wilde is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who lectures worldwide on canine behaviour. She is the author of nine books, including Help for Your Fearful Dog and Don’t Leave Me! She can be found at facebook.com/ NicoleWildeAuthor and twitter.com/NicoleWilde.

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ASK A TRAINER Inger Martins & Teoti Anderson

Cowering Foster What can you do to help a dog that is hand shy? My new foster Pit Bull, Blue, will flatten himself on the floor and cower if you raise a hand or your voice. How do I build back his confidence?—Getting Handsy in Houston Dogs that cower from voice inflections and hand gestures often never had any structure (which equals security) and were most likely negatively and incorrectly reprimanded (or worse) for “bad” behaviour. Yelling, hitting or even simply shooing the dog outside may have created the submissive reactions to sounds and gestures. The good news is that most shy, scared, or submissive dogs will gain self-confidence when their guardians apply some positive structure to their dog’s daily routine. A fun way to do this is to practice basic obedience commands while on leash. It’s a fabulous way to couple hand movements with loving praise to form a positive association with gestures. Teaching a vocabulary of words, such as heel, sit, stay, down, come, and okay builds a sense of security for any dog, while the use of a leash assists in establishing eye contact and creating a bond, which will help your dog to feel safe. This is especially helpful with submissive pups who don’t like to give eye contact. Using a leash when teaching basic obedience encourages focus and allows the owner to use voice inflection and hand gestures all in a happy and consistent way. Here’s how to do build confidence in just five minutes a day

Submissive dogs will gain selfconfidence when their guardians apply some positive structure to their dog’s daily routine.

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through teaching “sit” and “stay.” Put Blue on a leash in the house. Gently lift up on the leash while saying, “sit” until he does so. The gentle assist with the leash will help him to understand how to approach the command and please you. When he sits, praise him by saying, “good sit!” Next, put the leash in your left hand and say the word, “stay.” Gesture a stop sign with your right hand. If he cowers or moves, gently lean down and give a gently tug on the leash while saying “no,” in a low, neutral voice, then immediately redirect him back up into a sit and repeat the “stay” command using a really upbeat, positive voice. Keep slowly repeating the word “stay” while you walk to the end of the leash and back to him, all the while making your “stay” hand signal. You can have a treat in the hand that’s gesturing the hand signal “stay.” Once next to him, end the command by saying “watch me” and the word “okay!” Give him the treat and some love for accomplishing the command. This exercise, repeated a few times a week in the house, will help Blue become interested in the hand signal and focus more on pleasing you than being afraid. The process will help change the reference of a raised hand from bad to good! Inger Martens is a celebrity dog trainer and behavioral expert. An author, television and radio personality, she has been dubbed “Best Dog Trainer in LA” by Los Angeles magazine. She is currently excited to announce her new online resource for dog owners, pawsforaminute.com.

Resource Guarding I’d love to know how to get my dog to stop resource guarding me! My boyfriend can’t lean over to give me a kiss goodbye without Zuko jumping in front and growling/showing his teeth. Help!—Kissing Kerfuffle in Kansas When a dog growls over toys, food or people and won’t let other dogs or people approach, this is called resource guarding. Some people get flattered when their dogs do this to them, thinking the dog is “protecting” them. Yes, the dog is “saving” you…for himself! He considers you to be a high-value resource, and he doesn’t want someone else to have you. This is not cute or funny, so you are right to be concerned. Zuko doesn’t want to share you with your boyfriend and that can certainly put a damper on a relationship! What we don’t want to do is punish Zuko for growling. Growling is communication. He’s telling you he’s upset about something, and this is valuable information. When you punish a dog for growling, you’re not addressing the real problem. Zuko’s issue is the approach of your boyfriend. If you were to punish him

for growling, he may stop, but it wouldn’t make him like your boyfriend coming close to you any better. He would continue to be stressed when your boyfriend approached and since he would have been punished for growling, could go straight to a bite. Growling is a good thing—he’s giving you a warning! With any aggression issue, it’s best to work with a local, rewardbased professional trainer who can properly assess the situation and help you one-on-one, but here is a general suggestion. You need to associate your boyfriend’s approach with something Zuko really likes. Get a special treat, like grilled chicken or steak and use it only for this exercise. Find the closest spot your boyfriend can approach without Zuko looking stressed. Stress signals include licking his lips and turning his head away. Then your boyfriend should take a few steps farther away from that point. From this vantage, have your boyfriend take two steps towards you. As he moves towards you, feed Zuko the treats. After the two steps, your boyfriend should stop and then retreat back to his starting point. As he moves away from you, the treats stop. Repeat, with your boyfriend coming one step closer each time, as long as Zuko is not growling. If at any time he growls, you pushed him too far. This should not all be done in one session, but several, short sessions. You will be teaching Zuko that your boyfriend’s approach means something good, but when your boyfriend leaves the fun stops. Resource guarding usually isn’t personal. A dog will do it to anyone in the family. It could help build some harmony, however, if your boyfriend fed Zuko his meals, played with him, took him for walks and spent time teaching him something fun they can do together, like some cute tricks. A guy who is willing to win your dog in order to win your heart is definitely a keeper!

Zuko doesn’t want to share you with your boyfriend.

Teoti Anderson, CPDT, owns Pawsitive Results (getpawsitiveresults.com), and is the past president of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She is the author of Your Outta Control Puppy, Super Simple Guide to Housetraining, Quick and Easy Crate Training, and Puppy Care and Training.

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Fluff & Tuff’s durable dog toys are original true-to-life designs. Their ultra-plush fabrics, full mesh liner, concealed double stitched seams, and embroidered eyes promise quality, service, and longevity. fluffandtuff.com

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Watch your pup on any smartphone or tablet with the Belkin NetCam WiFi Camera with Night Vision. Keep an eye on what matters most, from anywhere. $100, belkin.com H2FidO is a new, portable dog hydration system available in eight choices of modern graphics. System includes a re-usable, collapsible 20-ounce bottle, two collapsible re-sealable bowls, and carrying clip. modgy.com

Chic and modern, Kooldog Houses are comfortable for your pet and fashionable for your home décor. Available in a variety of finishes fitting your style. Crate door option available. kooldog.ca

Personalize the perfect present for your pup by mixing and matching collars, leashes, and harnesses by Kiss My Mutt! Shown here: City Dwellers Braided Collection by Kiss My Mutt. kissmymutt.com

Celebrate the life and honour the spirit of the special pets and people in your life with portraits from Smiling Blue Skies Jewelry. Proceeds benefit The Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund. smilingblueskies.com Super-absorbent microfiber chenille Soggy Doggy Doormat® soaks up winter’s water, dirt, and snow like a sponge! Five times more absorbent than regular doormats, it’s velvetysoft and makes a cozy crate-liner, too. soggydoggydoormat.com

Stop your puppy’s embarrassing indoor accidents at family and friends’ homes this holiday season! PuppyBellyBands are reusable, fashionable, and festive male dog diapers that curb your puppy’s indoor accidents. pawlicity.com

Dog Door Chimes are an easy and beautiful way for your dog to say, “I need to go out.” You and your dog will enjoy their artistry, music, and lasting quality. dogdoorchimes.com

Fozzy Dog leashes are designed to hold your phone, keys, poop bags, and more! Stretch-fabric pockets fit anything you need on a walk, hike or run with your pooch. fozzydoginc.com

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art attack

hat do 17th century Dutch masters, Elizabethan ruffs, formal portraiture, and our canine pals have in common? Answer: a woman to unite them all in masterfully rendered and totally disarming paintings that combine the techniques and style of historical portraiture—topped with the visage of a dog. As one might guess, for oil painter Carol Lew, creating art is about making people smile. Lew graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art, but took a lengthy break from her practice. Years later, when she started painting again, she cast about for a subject that would not only show off her considerable talent, but her sense of humour as well. It turns out animals were the perfect fit. When Lew happened upon the work of Thierry Poncelet, a painter, art dealer, and restorer of fine paintings who is renowned for replacing the heads in old paintings and forgotten family portraits with those of dogs—portraits that he calls “Aristochiens”— something just clicked. After completing her first portrait of a Great Dane in the style of an 18th century portrait, she “was hooked on the theme.” For her, the style “[elevates] the stature of animals and [pokes] a little fun at humans at the same time.” Among her inspirations are painters John Singer Sargent, Anthony van Dyck, and the 17th century Dutch masters, whose

by Nastasha Sartore

Carol Lew

understanding of light and shadows is something that Lew strives to achieve in her own work. Lew works with oil paints, traditionally used by the portrait artists she admires. Their richness and slow drying time allow her to build and blend the layers of paint to desired effect. As for capturing just the right expression, Lew has plenty of inspiration at home. An ardent supporter of animal rescue, she shares her home with her two dogs and two cats, all adopted from shelters as seniors. Lew purposely chooses to take in older pets having seen they have a much harder time finding permanent homes. She is also a volunteer at her local shelter, Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and a frequent foster “mom” for kittens. (Carol, we adore you.) “It’s the way I try to make a difference,” Lew says. “Pets are completely reliant on people but they don’t all have happy homes, so I enjoy helping the less fortunate ones.” Lew accepts commissions for portraits, which begin at $450. She has painted dogs, cats, pigs, and even a dapper hamster. She also sells her favourites as prints in her Etsy shop, Old World Pet Portraits (etsy.com/shop/OldWorldPetPortraits). If anyone’s inquiring, we’re dying for a custom portrait. MD office Dachshund Esther would look just dandy in regimental attire. n

After completing her first portrait of a Great Dane in the style of an 18th century portrait she was hooked.

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From: Dog Dreams (Gingko Press, 2011); The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs (Random House, 2012)

Connie’s Book Club Curl up with a good dog and a good book

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CONNIE WILSON’S SELECTION OF WINTER MUST-READS.

A Fistful of Collars By Spencer Quinn (Atria Books, 2012) From New York Times bestselling author Spencer Quinn comes A Fistful of Collars, the fifth installment in Quinn’s highly regarded Chet and Bernie Mystery Series. In this comical whodunit, canine extraordinaire Chet and human Private Investigator Bernie are back at it, this time seeking out up-to-no-good Chad Perry, a movie star with a questionable past. Assigned to follow Chad’s every move while he’s in town filming a Hollywood movie, they track the star’s dark past back further than they would have expected. The human-canine duo never fails to captivate readers while they sniff out clues and stake out culprits. Adding a humorous feline twist is Chad’s cat, who has taken a liking to disturbing the pair’s every move and goes about complicating the investigative process. A mesmerizing mystery and as entertaining as the last, A Fistful of Collars is the perfect page-turner for any mystery lover looking for a fun, suspenseful read.—SI Do Dogs Dream? By Stanley Coren (W.W. Norton & Company, 2012) Ever wonder why your dog barks, or whether he feels afraid, depressed, or proud? Stanley Coren, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia, dog aficionado, and acclaimed author of numerous best-selling titles such as The Intelligence of Dogs, explores these and other queries in this comprehensive guide to our canine companions’ behaviour. Coren’s 50-year career as a dog researcher makes him uniquely positioned to offer unique insight and answers questions on topics such as how dogs perceive the world and communicate, if they really think and have feelings, and how they learn, while dispelling commonly held myths. Written in an enjoyable, moderndogmagazine.com

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comes alive through the travails of the young Chukchi woman at the center of this tale. Thalasinos paints a vivid picture of stark Wisconsin and Alaskan winterscapes, and in doing so draws surprising parallels between the two. The poetry of the landscapes, the interwoven stories, and the rich emotional connection between Rosalie and her Huskies make the novel a historic, inspiring and uplifting race to the finish.–SI

The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs (Random House, 2012)

From The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs (Random House, 2012)

easy-to-read Q & A format, Coren’s newest book uncovers the answers to dog owners’ most frequently asked questions in a way that we can all understand and enjoy, giving valuable and entertaining insight into a dog’s social, emotional, and mental life. A compelling must-read for all dog owners and an excellent gift.—NS

An Echo Through the Snow Andrea Thalasinos (2012, Forge Books) Get lost in Andrea Thalasinos’ debut novel, An Echo Through the Snow, a story of survival, healing, and the transformative bond of love that can be formed between dog and guardian. Switching between two stories, one past and one present, Thalasinos weaves together two transfixing tales of the overcoming of hardship and loss. In the present-day story, set in rural Wisconsin, a desperate and lost Rosalie Mackenzie comes across Smokey, a Siberian Husky who is in desperate need of a home and companionship. Recognizing broken pieces of herself in Smokey, Rosalie rescues the dog, setting in motion a series of events that effectively change her life. The second narrative neatly dovetails with the first when Rosalie discovers the tragic history and sufferings of the little known Chukchi people of Siberia circa the early 1900s, a story that

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This gorgeous anthology of essays, short pieces, poems, fiction, and cartoons published in The New Yorker is the ideal gift for any dog lover. The book begins with a foreword by New Yorker staff writer, best-selling author, and speaker Malcolm Gladwell, followed by four categorized sections: Good Dogs, Bad Dogs, Top Dogs, and Underdogs. An impressive number of talented contributors have made this collection varied and complete. Highlights include a fascinating look at canine police on Long Island, a retrospective piece on the life and work of canine star Rin Tin Tin, and a moving story by Roddy Doyle. From dog images and illustrations to essays and poetry, there is so much to enjoy in this must-have for your coffee table. Absolutely loved it!—NS

Dog Dreams Michael Wertz (Gingko Press, 2011) Known for his bold, bright use of colour and his work with the Oakland Museum, Converse, and the New York Times, among many others, multi-media artist Michael Wertz puts his unique style to great effect in his fun illustrated board-book, Dog Dreams. In it, Wertz imagines what dogs dream, from Scooby’s wish of a shoe shop for cats to Tracy’s rooftop tap dancing reverie, bringing the canine dog-naps to life with graphics that pop in a 1960s-hued blue and red palette. Originally printed in a limited letterpress edition at the San Francisco Center for the Book and now available through Gingko Press, Dog Dreams is an imaginative and funny book inspired by Wertz’s own dog, Olive. Sure to please kids and adults alike.—RF

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BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED? CRAZED AND CONFUSED? IF YOUR DOGGIE DILEMMA HAS YOU DOWN IN THE DUMPS…

ask dog lady by Monica Collins

Dear Dog Lady,

My longtime girlfriend moved out (at my request), but took the dog and cat while I was out. I rescued Clio the cat from a dumpster in the park and adopted Corki (a Corgi mix) from a rescue group. I thought that we had an agreement for sharing them, but now she says no! She won’t even let me see them. Any suggestions on how can I get them back? I will consult a lawyer soon, but I hate to see it come to that.—Stan, Chicago, IL

You get your pets back through sheer persistence and by knocking your head against a wall because you never worked out an agreement signed by both parties and witnessed by a notary public to share custody of the animals if you ever broke up. Such a contract should have been a top priority. Pets are still considered property in the eyes of the law. Your situation is the same as if your ex moved out and took the coffee pot and Panini maker. Since both of these animals are rescues, you don’t have bills of sale for them, which would be evidence of your ownership. Right now,

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a court would see such a property case as a nuisance small claim. Until you hire a lawyer, appeal to your ex-girlfriend to allow you visitation with your dog and cat. Remind her politely (remember you want to win) that these innocents should not be pawns in the game.

Dear Dog Lady, What would cause my four-year-old mix breed rescue dog to pee on someone?— Meg, Cambridge, MA Your dog wants to put a mark on “someone” and own it. “Someone” is a large vertical object and could be a tree—or a fire hydrant, fence post, telephone pole. Hey, “someone” is there and why the heck not?

Dear Dog Lady, I am having issues when it comes to my dog and boyfriend. It’s been a constant struggle in our relationship. I adopted my Jack Russell Terrier-mix eight years ago from our local humane society. She is the sweetest dog with the biggest heart to please anyone and everyone. However, before ending up at the humane society, she was obviously abused by a

man because she’s nervous and jumpy around any new male. She usually ends up loving most men. But my boyfriend of two years has been a different story. When he comes around, she pees on herself. She snaps at him if he tries to sit on the couch by me. He yells at her constantly. He bans her from chairs, couches, and rooms. Sometimes I come home early and he has locked her in the bathroom. When I open the door, she’s in the corner just shivering. I love my dog very much and I’m honestly bothered by the way she reacts to him and how he treats her. Another issue is that he always is getting mad at me because she sheds. Today he just said that he was “sick of the dog hair” and my dog “is not normal.” He was mad to the point of not even talking to me. I told him we wouldn’t be coming over anymore and he just said “OK.” I don’t know if I’m overreacting, or even if there is something more I can do to help this situation and our relationship?—Sarah, Pittsburgh, PA This tender query goes to the heart of “Ask Dog Lady.” Obviously, a serious problem exists here—a difficult conundrum of communication, love, and

ask dog lady tolerance—involving a woman, a man and a dog. Dog Lady is always quick to leap to the defense of the dog because an innocent animal has no dog in the fight (so to speak). Your boyfriend has every right to a dog-free zone. Yet, he chose a relationship with a woman and her dog. And you have every right to quiet enjoyment with your her beloved pet. Dog Lady never wants to tell anyone whom to love or not. In this case, however, the dog seems a better bet than the boyfriend. This relationship is on the edge. Better to move on.

Dear Dog Lady, I’ve been reading your column for years and it’s my favorite one in Modern Dog. It’s very interesting and I always admire you for you good sense concerning dogs and also your expertise, but you disillusioned me when you did not chide one writer who boasted she “cooks for” and “kisses” and “sleeps” with her two dogs. I suppose the cooking and sleeping parts aren’t harmful or silly, but what about the kissing part? Doesn’t that person know that dogs use their tongues in lieu of toilet paper? Ugh! How could you, the sensible expert, let such a thing go by without comment? I’ve even heard of some delusional dog owners encouraging their dogs to “kiss” their babies and toddlers because they consider their dogs the actual siblings of their children! They confuse animals with humans. They anthropomorphize their dogs. I hope you print something like a retraction.—Gloria, Toronto, CN OK, here’s something like a retraction: Folks, that one slipped by. Please do not kiss your dogs on or around the mouth. Regular readers of this column know “Ask Dog Lady” is a stickler on this issue. Why? Well, there is some medical evidence suggesting that if a disease does pass between humans and canines, it would most likely happen through mouth to mouth contact. Also, why would you want to kiss your dog on the mouth and then kiss your partner or your child? There are lots of fun ways to show your dog the love—petting, massage, food, walks, play, and on and on. Recently, Dog Lady was at a party and announced her stand against kissing dogs on or around the mouth and the room went silent until someone adamantly piped up: “Well, I can kiss my dog if I want to.” Of course, swap saliva to your hearts’ content with any critter. Just don’t say you learned it from “Ask Dog Lady.”

Dear Dog Lady, A group of us take our dogs to a city park where we let them off-leash. One day, a friend of mine saw a pile on the field and moderndogmagazine.com

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ask dog lady she picked it up even though it did not come from her dog. She said she did this because she wanted “poop karma.” Please explain.—Anne, Los Angeles, CA Your friend sounds like a wise monk in the mutt world. To those who do not keep dogs, this phrase may sound grossly scatological. But dog people understand. “Poop karma” comes back to you in the form of good will and clean shoes. If you clean up, you get good poop karma, which makes the world safe for dogs and clean for humans.

Dear Dog Lady, I love your sensible advice. Could you educate dogs’ humans that some dogs are afraid of and therefore aggressive to other dogs? I adopted my dog, Cassie, when she was four years old. Her lazy humans had never socialized her to anything and hadn’t even taught her to walk on a leash. She was (and is) good with all humans including non-aggressive children, but does not like other dogs and will snap and lunge if another dog gets too close. After being rejected by three trainers, I finally brought her to a trainer where we were able to manage her fear and dog aggression and walk nicely on a leash. I do not force her to interact with other dogs on the street but other humans with their dogs force the issue. They cannot believe that their precious Moppet would be threatening to a big girl like Cassie. They call out, “He’s friendly!” to which I respond, “She is not!” Sometimes they persist in dragging their dogs over to meet Cassie. This never goes well. We live in a crowded city. Rules of the sidewalk are guided by what the other dog’s human tells you about her dog. Why don’t people listen when I tell them my dog doesn’t want to meet their dog?—Martha, New York, NY Some people can be in denial about their dog’s behaviour—with good reason. It’s easy to become infatuated by our pets. Have you seen the incredibly funny Tumblr, “Dog Shaming” (dogshaming.com)? This is an entire blog dedicated to people celebrating their dog’s bad behaviour. And it’s become an Internet phenom. This proves once and for all that dog keepers happily indulge their pet’s indiscretions. You only have to worry about yourself and Cassie when you two are out on walks. You are in control of Cassie; nobody else. If others come forward dragging their dogs, let them feel foolish for ignoring your warning. Visit askdoglady.com to ask a question or make a comment. Fan the “Ask Dog Lady” page on Facebook and see cool pictures, links, comments and questions.

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LAST LICK

Mister Pazu One love. Comics by Diana Thung

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