Most of us can remember a special school teacher who had a profound influence on our lives during those formative years. In our lives breeding and showing dogs, a great mentor can have an equally powerful influence: teaching us, guiding us, and inspiring us. Talk to the iconic figures in our sport and they will […]

It's kind of fitting that a dog named "Snowhill’s Zygmund Marley" is a Polski Owczarek Nizinny (PON in the United States) who answers to a name like Ziggy. Chances are, this is a breed (Polish Lowland Sheepdog) many of you have never heard of. In 2019, the breed ranked 173 out of 193 in popularity. […]

All dog breeds hit different developmental and growth milestones at various times, and Poodles are no exception to this rule. A big part of Poodle development depends on the variety of your Poodle. Poodles come in three different varieties: Toy Poodles, Miniature Poodles, and Standard Poodles. Standards are 15 inches and taller, at the shoulder, […]

Breeding dogs and producing puppies is a rewarding experience. Every litter is unique in some ways, and it takes many years to gain the experience to recognize signs of potential problems and know what steps can be taken to intervene and potentially save the lives of puppies. Breeders should be present when a dam delivers […]

Christina Merten is a wildlife rehabilitation technician at the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, Oregon. Here, she recounts the story of her "once-in-a-lifetime dog", Jay the Papillon. A chance encounter with an old, sick, smelly dog turned out to be an unexpected gift. I was on my way to work as a […]

When your dog is showing signs of illness or injury, you become a first responder, assessing your patient and determining what type of care—if any—he requires. For a vomiting dog, ask the following questions: Does he look sick? If your dog is—on one extreme—lying down and uninterested in the surroundings as well as vomiting, it’s […]

By Mary Fish ArangoWhen you add a pet fish to family life, you’re pretty much guaranteeing lessons about changing the water, life’s need for oxygen, and the daily responsibility of feeding and caring for another living being. A little later, you step up the game and get a pet guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, or rat. […]

Writer James Thurber called it “this most inconsolable of sorrows,” the grief that comes with the loss of a beloved four-legged companion. In the months leading up to end for my 15-year-old Labrador Retriever, Maggie, I braced myself for a deep paralyzing misery. I had pulled her from a shelter 14 years earlier. She was […]

What are roundworms? Roundworms are extremely common parasites in dogs. Almost all dogs have roundworms at some point in their lives—most often in puppyhood. There are two main species of roundworms affecting dogs: Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonine. Toxocara canis causes more serious disease and can be transmitted to humans. The canine roundworm Toxocara canis […]

There is probably nothing more alarming than seeing your dog have a seizure. Legs flailing in the air, lips tightened in a sardonic grin, and the neck arched like it might break — it illustrates the horror the dog is going through. But that classic convulsion is only one of many variations of seizures in […]