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 [...]
The Pet Pundit
Humane Education and Writings on Animal Issues
Tag Archives: Dogs
Xylitol and a major pet emergency
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 [...]
Why do dogs like squeaky things?
Does your dog go crazy every time you bring home a squeaky toy. Does he grab it and shake his head back and forth as if he is trying to kill it. After the squeaker stops working, does he drops the toy and never touch it again.
Well, once upon a time, when dogs hunted and [...]
Can dogs watch TV?
A reader says her mom’s dog Jack watches TV. “He actually follows objects as they move across the screen and loves animal shows and sports shows that my dad turns on,” she says. “Is this really possible?”
Many people say their dogs watch TV and it seems they really are following some of the action on the [...]
Common sweetener can kill pets
My veterinarian told me today that three of her canine patients had died recently from xylitol toxicity. “That’s never happened before,” she said. “I don’t have three dogs that die all year from something like that.”
Xylitol is a popular sugar substitute used in many human food products, especially in diabetic foods. It looks and tastes [...]






