Dear Inquisitive Canine, How do I handle the situation when I am walking my boxer on her leash and we are confronted by an off leash dog or two? It happens a lot in my neighborhood and my former street dog (she was rescued from a neglectful life of living on the streets of East Dallas) goes crazy and barks and lunges at the … Read More
Dear Inquisitive Canine, Our new Shih Tzu puppy hides from us, only coming out when no one is around. She also lowers her head when we pet her. I know it takes time, but I’ve heard some dogs will start interacting with their new environment after 1-3 days, and tomorrow will be her third day here. I just want her to be a happy … Read More
Dear Poncho, My dog barks enthusiastically, very loudly, over and over. He does it at many different times, including the morning when I’m taking him outside, when I come home from being away, or when we arrive home together from a car ride. He barks in the car, out of the car, and everywhere between! I don’t know how to stop him. I tell him “No,” … Read More
Dear Inquisitive Dog Parents, The new year is officially here. For many, this means creating lists of resolutions with intentions of modifying one’s behavior. In honor of this tradition, my sidekick, Poncho, and I have decided to join in, talking about resolutions to help dogs stay in their homes and out of animal shelters. We encourage you to team up with us and add … Read More
Dear Inquisitive (& Expectant) Dog Parents, If you or someone you know intends on spending the pawliday season giving or receiving the gift of a puppy or adult dog, then yippee and woohoo! As a dog mom, I know how meaningful the human-animal bond is. I’m truly thankful each and day for the relationship my sidekick (Ringo) and I have. Speaking as a certified … Read More
Dear Inquisitive Canine: I have two male Yorkshire terriers, Smokey and Charlie. They are about 2 years old, half-brothers (same father), and up until four months ago they slept together, played with each other and even ate and drank from the same bowls. After breeding Smokey (in our home), we noticed that he started to become upset at various times toward Charlie — especially … Read More
Dear Inquisitive Canine, Several years ago, I brought a new puppy into the family “to keep my older dog company.” The older dog was a male Yorkie, and the puppy was a female Cockapoo. I intentionally bought a female because I knew that the male was territorial and thought he wouldn’t be threatened by a female. Wrong! I fed them separately. I gave lots of attention to the older dog, … Read More
Dear Inquisitive Dog Parents, My sidekick Poncho and I are fortunate enough to work together, and we enjoy sharing our office while writing and educating others about the dog-human relationship. We wanted to encourage others to share in the same experience, so we decided to devote this month’s Dear Inquisitive Canine article to Take Your Dog to Work Day, which takes place on June … Read More
My trusty sidekick Poncho and I received a dog behavior question for Dear Inquisitive Canine column about a fun-loving lab mix that enjoys eating all of the homegrown tomatoes in his yard. The dog guardian who wrote in was a little annoyed with this hunting activity, I believe more so because she didn’t have any to eat herself! Hmm, that would be annoying – … Read More
Dear Poncho, Could you tell me why my 13-year-old lab, who has never had an accident in the house, will sometimes pee when my parents watch her. They have a female lab and so she likes to stay there, I just don’t know why she discreetly pees when she’s there. It has happened only four or five times over many years, but it is … Read More