It's a New Year's tradition around my home, one that has outlived a generation of dogs, but it still works to help ensure the safety of the animals I live with now.... more
Baby, 80 pounds of yellow-eyed dog with a decidedly wolfish look to him, eyed me with the barely concealed contempt that people whose livelihoods depend on tourists would love to affect but don't dare... more
The image of a beribboned puppy and delighted children on Christmas morning is one a lot of parents can't get out of their heads -- and one that sells a lot of puppies every year at this time.... more
Few negotiations are as complex and delicate as those between cats living together in a crowded house. Cats are by nature solitary, contemplative beings, and although we now know they are more social ... more
Fur mice, big black ones, crowd the corners of my home. The vacuum cleaner is afraid of them, and with good reason: I've been through three of these expensive appliances since I moved into my home a d... more
Cat lovers are notoriously resistant to putting collars on their cats. Some just get tired of replacing the ones their cats keep slipping off; other people are convinced their roaming darlings will ge... more
If you're going to have a healthy pet, you'll need the help of a veterinarian. And while some people believe these health-care professionals are virtually interchangeable, distinguished only by conven... more
Heather, the youngest of my three dogs, is "show quality." I am coming to realize this means not so much that she is free of faults that would disqualify her in the dog-show ring, but rather that she ... more
Adult dogs make great pets, and there's certainly no shortage of them. Purebreds or mixed, dogs beyond the puppy stages can fit more easily into your household with less time and training than a young... more
Solid, tabby or tuxedo, longhaired or short, a cat's coat is one of the most beautiful things about this special pet. It's also one of the most annoying, if you're fussy about fur.... more
The sun's rays were still new and struggling through the mist when the "sighthounds" came to play on a breathtaking piece of land overlooking the ocean an hour or so south of San Francisco. Lure cours... more
As much as I hate foxtails, I have to admit that their design is nothing short of amazing. And besides, admiring them is much better than swearing when I'm gripping a comb and easing dozens of them ou... more
No matter how much you may enjoy company, there's something wonderful about having your house for your own family again. That's true even when the guests are animals. Much as I enjoy having a "guest d... more
Anyone who has ever pulled out a credit card at the emergency clinic for something that wasn't an emergency comes away wishing for a better knowledge of what constitutes an urgent situation -- and wha... more
Can a dozen years have possibly passed since the day when I first held Andy, an hours-old pup with beautiful markings and the beginnings, even then, of an attitude?... more
As adorable as puppies can be, anyone who's raising one will also tell you that they can drive you crazy. To get through those trying months and come out with the dog you want, always remember two thi... more
The mechanics of dog training aren't that hard to understand. But to get your dog to mind you consistently and happily, you're going to need dedication and, most of all, a positive attitude.... more
One of the miracles of the crazy place that is my home, California, is how in a couple hours you can go from a spot where the heat is so oppressive you can barely breathe to another where you get out ... more
If you want to thank someone for the pleasure of your indoor cat, thank the late Edward Lowe, the creator of Kitty Litter. In one of those fabled American success stories, Lowe was looking for new use... more
For most cats, one of the most stressful events of their lives is a distracting time for their owners as well: changing addresses. Combine traveling with suddenly being in unfamiliar surroundings, and... more
If you've been thinking about adding a kitten to your household, this is the time to do it. From now until the early fall, it's kitten season at the shelters. While the situation is sad proof that edu... more
Owning a dog is expensive, no doubt about it. Food, veterinary expenses, vacation care, equipment and toys -- they all add up, sometimes to more than you'd like to think about.... more
For the oldest of my dogs, 12-year-old Andy, one of the problems of advancing age will turn out to be a benefit in the days to come. His hearing failing, Andy won't be bothered by the sound of firewor... more
While I know it's a little unusual, the fact remains: I met two of my three dogs for the first time at the baggage counter of my local airport. One had flown from East Coast to West and changed planes... more
Chalk one more thing up to El Nino: All the water it has brought our way is contributing to what will be a bumper crop of mosquitoes in many parts of the country. And while those pests mean lots of sc... more
Biting, destructiveness, noisiness, house-soiling -- these problems can be more of a threat to a pet than a disease such as cancer. That's because too often behavior problems are eventually "solved" b... more