Animals Unfolded

Seeing the world through the lenses I’ve developed in working with dogs is interesting, especially when walking them. I’ve grown accustomed to assessing things by rote before I hitch a dog up to their harness and as we step out the door, with necessary tools aboard to enhance the experience and keep the adventure a safe one.  It’s rare that there isn’t an adjustment that’s needed at some point on a dog walk—pivoting direction when there’s another dog and handler approaching who aren’t handling themselves well, steering clear of a yard where kids are playing—you get the idea. It can be a minefield at times.  I’m all about dogs getting the most out of their adventures, with an emphasis on having a chance to sniff the heck out of everything along the way, regardless of their age or ability. It’s probably more important than the physical movement that is the aim of most people when dog walking. A dog’s nose is their most powerful sense, providing the most enrichment and it’s ...

Being out on an adventure with our dogs is a fun way to engage with them and is great for our mutual well-being. As a professional, I've had the opportunity to try out different leashes and other pieces of equipment, for example, harnesses—my requisite choice—to enhance the experience for myself and the dog I'm with. Comfort and safety are paramount for both of us, and since I'm in the driver's seat so to speak, it's up to me to ensure that and to gauge if my 'passenger' is having trouble.  Safety and ethics There are things that, for safety, ethical and professional reasons, I unable to use: choke, prong and shock collars and retractable leashes—the latter being my focus here—are off limits. Many families love them, and it's not hard to see why. They offer dogs more space to roam while still being tethered, the lead itself retracts back into the handset as the dog moves closer and further away. Some models have lights and even a dog waste d...

Each year at this time, just as many other people here in Michigan, I delight in the arrival of the extended daylight hours; the warmer weather; not worrying about ice-covered roads; outdoor gatherings. Fireworks isn’t included on that list, and though I can appreciate other’s enthusiasm for them, they are the bane of those who share life with pets. The noise is the chief offender when it comes to frightening pets, but I've no doubt that if the light and smell resulting from them are within a detectable distance of a pet, they’re contributors, too. It’s understandable; the loud pops and bangs are confusing and occur without any sense of place. Though it need not be a precursor, for a pet that already has some level of anxiety or fearfulness, the things that make fireworks enjoyable to humans only feed the behaviors that signal to us that our pet is having even more trouble coping.  Over the years, I’ve had more companion animals in my care that find themselves in this situ...

I run up against a lot of carelessness in my day-to-day adventures with dogs. That has nothing to do with the dogs themselves, mind you. It’s always the humans: the unnecessary distractions on the biped’s part (usually because of mobile phones, and more on that in a minute), people who insist on interacting with my charges , dogs off-leash, the ‘ my dog is friendly !’ folks and most of all, the guardians that insist on using retractable leashes. Yes, that last one, oh, so annoying. And dangerous. I’ve written about retractables in the past ; while they seem like the perfect solution when walking a dog, the dangers are numerous and aren’t limited to the dog. Admittedly, I use them in some situations, but they are extremely rare. When my dog, Bruiser had been diagnosed with cancer, his sleep and potty schedule was off kilter. I found a retractable (one with an LED flashlight attached!) quite useful so that he could have some autonomy to go potty at any hour of the day/night, ...

Cats love to have fun, and it's nice to indulge them in their quest to seek opportunities to engage in play, no matter their play style.  As I've previously discussed , felines are pretty good at playing independently or getting another pet or a human on board to interact. Though they'd be ecstatic if we were available 24/7 to entertain them, it's just not possible.  One new product, the Obi, is a toy designed to help keep cats happy by satiating their love of chasing lasers, and no humans need be in the room. With a sleek, minimalist design, Obi can easily notch into any decor seamlessly – and can fit on a shelf or even a small table.  The compact unit transmits a red laser, which can be activated and then controlled via iPhone in the manual mode, or it can be programmed to turn on at a specified time (when a sound will emit from the unit to let your cat know it's time to play). In the latter case, a boundary can be programmed in to restrict ...