Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: More fun with GSDs
Hi Tom,
I have a 2-year-old German shepherd. She really enjoys romping around playing with her tennis ball, but the game turns from fetch into catch, as in “catch me if you can” as she...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: The virtues of Patience
Updated on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 10:00 am.
Hi Tom!
We have a German shepherd named Patience who has arthritis of the back, possibly hips, and a misformed hip joint, and is unable to run,...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: Emotional support animals
I am in need of an emotional support animal. I suffer from anxiety and am prescribed quite a lot of drugs to help me with certain situations. If I had a trained ESA dog,...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: To leash or not to leash
Dear Tom:
Charlotte is a border collie cross. That is a guess, because she was a rescue dog. She is quite obedient off-leash, so she is usually free. When we encounter a distraction, she will...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: No sleep for the weary
Dear Tom,
Our 13-year-old Australian Shepherd has become nocturnal. And demanding. He has gotten into the habit of waking up around 2 am, walking to the front door, and barking. My bleary-eyed husband or I...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: Making Nina feel at home
Dear Dogcharmer,
My husband and I are ready to adopt our first dog together. We decided on a Lab mix coming from Florida. This sweet 6½-year-old, named Nina, ended up at the shelter twice, first...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: Nico is a punk
Dear Dogfather,
Nico, my 5-month-old Spinone Italiano, is a brilliant charmer 99 percent of the time. He seems to be able to control some natural instincts, and his training gets better and better every day....
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: Snowshoes for Millie.
Dear Tom,
Millie is a 10-year-old golden with a thick, coarse coat. She's used to walking in all weather. Her furry paws collect painful snow balls, and if she stops to chew on them, they...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer
Hi Tom,
We have a happy and healthy 10-year-old female golden retriever, Ginger, and are considering the addition of another golden to our family. At present we have the opportunity of adopting an 18-month-old male...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: In defense of toenails
Dear Dogcharmer,
I am having an awful time trying to cut my 7-month-old terrier puppy's nails. Becham seems to have an innate fear/terror surrounding the defense of his nails. He will not cooperate at all,...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer
Dear Dogfather,
I have a beautiful, sweet Leonberger named Argo. He is a rescue, and has come very far in the past year that he has lived with us.
I find that no matter what I...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer
Dear Dogcharmer,
I have a shiba inu named Pilot. He is smart and totally adorable, but he is a challenge when it comes to training because he not food-motivated. He is usually more interested in...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: How do I approach a neighbor who’s neglecting her dog?
Dear Tom,
I have a neighbor who has a young dog — maybe a year old — that she has had for about eight months.
The woman works all the time, crating the dog for four...
Ask Tom, the Dogcharmer: Dogs and radios
Dear Dogcharmer,
When I leave my dog alone to go to work, I leave the radio on NPR, so it's people talking and intelligent programming. I'm assuming leaving the radio on is more comforting to...
Ask Tom, aka The Dogcharmer: For the love of a bulldog
Dear Dogfather,
I have fallen in love with a 60-pound male English bulldog. He is a beautiful big boy with the face of a mastiff. He spent most of his three years in California in...
Ask the Dogfather: Ziggy is afraid of new places
Dear Dogfather,
I have a question regarding my 6-month-old collie mix, Ziggy. I got Ziggy from the local shelter about two weeks ago, and have been very happy to have him so far. However, he...
Ask the Dogfather: How young is too young (to train a dog)?
Dear Dogfather,
I have a 10-week-old pug named Menemsha. I was teaching him to sit when my neighbor told me I shouldn't start training until he was 6 months old. My neighbor worked with military...
Henry and the crabby old man, and BMax, LC, and ticks
Dear Dogfather,
Henry and I live together in a single-family home. Henry is a 3-year-old wire fox terrier, and I am a crabby old man. We get along very well as long as we follow...
Ask the Dogfather: Mr. Z needs a pro
Dear Dogfather,
My husband and I are enjoying your dog column. We have a question and need your advice, and perhaps a visit by you with our cockapoo Mr. Z. Z is 6 years old....