Medically Treat Any Burn on Your Dog to Avoid Infection Due to the potential for secondary infection and other harmful complications, all burns should be taken seriously. Burns from fire, smoldering materials, hot water, grease, tar, and smoke are among the most painful of injuries. (Burns can also stem from electrical sources—as in when a […]

Your Dog’s Hair Loss Could be a Sign of Demodex Most dogs can tolerate a small number of mites. However, a mite infestation can pose serious health problems for puppies. Demodex mites live in the hair follicles of most dogs. Most dogs have a small number of mites. Usually, the mites are harmless and are […]

A collapsed trachea in your dog is a serious condition, but it something that they can live with. Here's how to best support your dog with this condition.

Canine Flu: the nasty but treatable virusCanine influenza, or “canine flu,” is a highly contagious respiratory infection in dogs. Like a human head cold, there is no cure, but a vaccine has been developed that can lessen the severity of the flu symptoms. The canine flu virus can be in aerosol form, inhaled by a […]

Bathing Your Dog Needn’t Be a Chore It was once believed that dogs should be bathed only when dirty. But that attitude has changed with the advent of shampoos formulated specifically for dogs. If a gentle shampoo is used, a dog can usually be bathed weekly without drying out his coat. Though your typical puppy […]

Dog skin allergies can cause your dog to scratch nonstop. Here are potential causes and types of skin allergies in dogs, as well as ways your vet may treat these issues.

When you breed, keep a close eye on the puppies for unexpected issues that may need intervention and professional help. I had never had more than four puppies in a litter in my many years of breeding Japanese Chin, and then there was a litter of five. The dam had a C-section when she stopped having […]

We can only make informed decisions if we glean information from our experiences as breeders—including some that are heartbreaking. The most important dog you own is not the one who won the most ribbons, produced the most champions, or sleeps in your bed. It’s the one who just died of something other than old age, […]

Strategies for socializing the litter help ensure each puppy a bright future — whether as a show dog, performance competitor, or pet. Whether home companion, show dog, or performance dog, early socialization and mental conditioning is a must for puppies. Socialization methods and advice abound in books and on the Internet. Many studies have shown […]

We can help to educate prospective owners before they get a new puppy or dog—likewise, breeders can be educated too about ways they can properly screen their buyers. We must help spread the word to the public about responsible dog ownership—and that message includes educating people about the homework that should be done before they […]