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What’s cleaner than the soles of your shoes? A recent study suggests that the answer is your dog’s paws. Researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands took samples from the paws of 50 assistance dogs and the shoe soles of their handlers. They did the same for an equal number of pet dogs and their […]

Your indoor cat spots a cat outside a window, and suddenly turns on a housemate cat or human. What’s going on? Here’s what I told a reader. Q: Why does my cat attack me when he sees a cat outdoors? A: If you’ve ever had a bad day at the office and then come home […]

It’s National Animal Poison Prevention Week. Do you know what yard and household substances put your dog or cat at risk? In the kitchen, beware of dark chocolate, grapes, mushrooms and anything moldy that your pet might snag from the trash. Your medicine cabinet holds ibuprofen, acetaminophen and your prescription medication; even without opposable thumbs, […]

A reader had a simple question: Out of all the hundreds and hundreds of dog breeds on the planet, which is the largest and which is the smallest? Here’s my response. Q: What are the largest and smallest dog breeds? A: While humans measure height to the top of our heads, a dog’s height is […]

Have you decided leptospirosis isn’t a threat to your dog? It may be time to think again. Here’s a look at the disease, which is on the rise, from the weekly syndicated feature I write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker. When you think of leptospirosis — if you think about […]