Dogcharmer: Barking Bessie
Dear Dogcharmer,
When we have visitors over, Bessie, our Aussie, barks incessantly, and follows them barking if they move about. She's not aggressive, but nonetheless her constant barking makes it virtually impossible to have company...
Visiting Vet: Dog behavior
“When you walk your dog, you are on a date with him,” the speaker said in his charming Italian accent. “You wouldn’t like it if you had a date and the person ignored you.”...
Dogcharmer: Meeting the cousins
Trainer Tom,
Our female 4-month-old puppy toy poodle, Cutie, is soon to meet our daughter's 4-year-old male Doberman, named Spoiler. My daughter says he's friendly with other dogs. How would you suggest we introduce them?
Judy
Dear...
Visiting Vet: Helping Geezer get around
My recent articles have been about depressing topics. Sudden death. Home burials. Constipation. I promised my editor I would write something more cheerful soon. So here it is. There is a new medication now...
Dogcharmer: Tricks and costumes?
To my readers,
When people find out I'm a dog trainer, many of them will invariably throw in a couple of questions in the course of our conversation. "Is it OK to teach my dogs...
Visiting Vet: The last call
It’s raining. And cold. I was on call last night. I was tired from a busy day of appointments. When the phone rang, I had already shed my scrubs, and was parked on the...
Visiting Vet: Beach tummy
“What a sweet face,” I thought as Havilah, a 2-year-old golden retriever, bounded into my office. Havi’s family had been here on vacation for a while, but were heading back to the Midwest by...
Dogcharmer: Kisses don’t cause bleeding
Dear Dogcharmer,
Mona is our 3-year-old Boston terrier, and jumps on people to try to kiss them, which often results in them getting slightly nipped. (She uses her teeth when she kisses.) She’s also ripped...
Visiting Vet: Constipation in cats
Lavender, a sweet middle-aged cat, has lived an idyllic life. Pampered by her people. Far from the road. Acres of woods to explore. But something went awry recently. Lavender didn’t come home one night....
Dogcharmer: Cosmo in the car
Dear Tom,
I have a question for you regarding my dog, Cosmo. He is a 1½ year old German shepherd. I have been working on getting him socialized, and taking him into town for walks....
Visiting Vet: The ball is all
“One last question,” the client said at the end of her dog’s visit. Rafa, a big, goofy, good-natured, golden-retriever-poodle-and-maybe-something-else mix, had just been in for his annual physical examination and vaccinations. His person and...
Visiting Vet: Legg-Perthes disease
When Flash, a sweet little Yorkshire terrier, was less than a year old, he started limping one day. Now, when young dogs get too rambunctious, it’s not particularly unusual for them to strain or...
Dogcharmer: New pup in an old pack
Dear Tom,
Jeanette and I were hoping that you could help us. We are very much in need of assistance in integrating our new 5-month-old puppy, Baxter, a male bassett-beagle mix, with our existing 4-year-old...
Visiting Vet: Porch histories
Lately I’m trying to go out on the porch whenever I can, to talk to clients in person. That’s right, I’m still practicing curbside. I have one staff member recently exposed to COVID whom...
Visiting Vet: Urgent-care day
“There’s a sick Bernese Mountain Dog coming in with a bloody discharge from her vulva,” my assistant told me first thing that morning. My blood pressure went up. In intact female dogs, this can...
Visiting Vet: Neutering your cat
Achilles, an 18-month-old male cat, was asleep on my exam table. Well, not really asleep. He was anesthetized, and being prepped for neutering. “When does Maddy get here?” I asked my assistant Fawn. After...
Visiting Vet: Late-onset dirt eating
When my first child was a year and a half old, we traveled with dear friends to the Caribbean island of Culebra. Our companions had been there many times, and showed us all the...
Dogcharmer: Anxious and aggressive?
Dear Tom,
Our sweet furry family member, Bruno, is a 6-year-old French bulldog. He is a loving and beloved member of our family, and great with kids. However, he is anxious, and at times aggressive...
Dogcharmer: The nose knows
Dear Readers,
I was at a dinner the other night, and one of the guests evidently heard that I'm a dog trainer, and did K-9 SAR (search and rescue) for many years. She has a...
Visiting Vet: Geriatric care
Next week I am going for my first bone density scan. I think that officially makes me old. This screening is recommended for most women over the age of 65. Although I take after...