Weekly article archive

The following questions and answers have appeared in my weekly column in the Albuquerque Journal since July, 1996. Each week a new one is added. You'll find information on the physical and behavioral maladies of dogs and cats and a few other species too. I invite you to use the search feature to find the specific answer that you and your pet need.

If it’s hard it will take a while

Last in a series Rather than indulging in frivolous ego-driven jealousy, like humans, our dogs live in the moment. They compete because they’re programmed to worry that food or proximity…

Painful Pets – Find Out How to Help

Chronic arthritis, surgery, bad teeth, back and neck pain – lots of cats and dogs suffer. There are safe, modern treatments that can make a big difference. Know what to…

Gimme a break

Third in a series Polly and Holly, our canine pugilist protagonists, were first brought to me for help several years earlier. Their hostility had already become dangerous. Holly the victim…

Puppy crying, chewing, scratching the door

Crying, scratching at the door, chewing furniture and woodwork – these are not the behaviors you were looking for when you fell in love with that cute, wriggling puppy. You’ll…

Dog fights are dangerous

Second in a series We want our pets to have peaceful lives, getting along well with others in our home. Dog fights are deeply disturbing. Everybody wants these conflicts solved…

Crate your Dog: OK or Cruel & Unusual?

Dogs need a place of their own. That makes crate training valuable. And you don’t want your stuff damaged. Can they stay in there for a few hours? All day?

Fighting between well-loved dogs

First in a series The brain is considered the most complex organ in the body. No one is perfect because, with 86 billion active neurons in the human mind (only…

Jumping Up – Get Down!

Does your dog fling himself at you? At visitors? Is he all over you like a cheap suit when you’re trying to relax? Establish boundaries with kindness – and get…

Highly anxious dog needs choices

Question I have a 2 year old intact female Weimaraner with severe anxiety and reactive behavior. She chews bark, material, paper, nuts, plastics, and her crate. She barks in her…