The Pet Pundit

How to handle your dog’s leash aggression

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:33:02 +0000

Dear Cathy: I have a 3-year-old terrier mix that loves to go for walks. She is usually friendly with other dogs, but not when she is on a leash. When she meets a dog face-to-face on a leash, there is usually some ugly growling exchanged. Her ears go back and her hackles go up. How [...]

“Resident dogs” are usually the biters

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:20:26 +0000

In a sensational world, headlines about dog bites and canine aggression tend to focus on certain breeds rather than the circumstances that create these behaviors. If you really want to understand canine behavior, then you need to know there are two types of dogs living in the United State, according to the National Canine Research Council, [...]

Take the jump out of your dog

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:40:30 +0000

The other day while teaching a pets and babies class for new parents-to-be, I asked the group what their biggest concern was about their pets and babies interacting. On this day, the concerns were almost unanimous: Everyone who had dogs was concerned about their dog’s jumping behavior. Rambunctious pooches jump because they are excited and want [...]

Five ways we pick pets names

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:11:05 +0000

A few weeks ago, I asked readers to share their pets’ names. After reviewing your e-mails, I realized that a pet’s name can provide as much insight into a pet owner’s personality as it can about the pet himself. Here’s my take on the five ways we name our pets. First, there are “human names,” like [...]

Who defines humane treatment for farm animals?

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:35:40 +0000

While this column focuses on companion animals, my background includes time on Capitol Hill, where I worked on companion animal, wildlife and farm animal issues. So I am going to step off the curb and address an article by Mike Barnett, publications editor for Texas Agriculture Talks, a publication of the Texas Farm Animal Bureau, about [...]

Count your Mutt in the Mutt Census

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:18:18 +0000

After you fill out your national census form, there’s an opportunity to participate in the National Mutt Census, too. While purebreds are registered and accounted for through the American Kennel Club, there never has been a registry or census for the nation’s mixed breed dogs — until now. Mars Veterinary is conducting the National Mutt [...]

Xylitol and a major pet emergency

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:26:04 +0000

When Tarin Goodnight, a student at Texas State University, ran to the store, she didn’t expect to come back home to a pet emergency. But during the short time she was away, her then 18-month-old Chihuahua, Carmen, had jumped onto her desk and eaten four pieces of nicotine gum, leaving the paper wrappers as the [...]

Bella beats Max for six years in a row

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:49:44 +0000

Max ruled the top spot in the list of the top 10 most popular dog names. But Veterinary Pet Insurance crunched the numbers on its more than 475,000 insured pets to determine 2009’s most common pet names, and Bella beat out Max by more than 400 dogs. Max may have slipped in the polls with dog lovers, [...]

Dogs don’t listen? Here’s why

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:00:38 +0000

Letters about “stubborn dogs” that don’t seem to listen flood my e-mail. Margie G. says, “Whenever we go for walks, I say my dog’s name, but she doesn’t turn her head to look at me.” Gina says she must ask her dog to “sit” several times before her dog will even think about complying. “What am [...]

Helping children cope with pet’s death

Cathy M. Rosenthal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:35:27 +0000

When I was 7 years old, my little dog Pepper saw a cat across the street and ran out the open front door. Before I could get outside to catch him, he ran into the street and was hit by a car. I remember screaming and crying. I was overwhelmed by what I had just [...]