Chicago River Ride 2025 Cruise for Dogs is coming up, The Great American Dog Show returns in September, and more

Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Theresa DePorter talks pheromones to fish. Dr. DePorter is responsible for one of the definitive studies on the consequences of punishment-based dog training and the use of equipment, such as shock collars. And we also talk about the language of cats. Are cats really from another planet? She has two pet owner […]

We have more senior pets in the U.S. than ever before. How do you even define senior pets? That’s where Dr. Heidi Lobprise, author Small Animal Senior Care: Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion begins. I was honored to author two chapters in this having to do with the importance of enrichment in aging pets. We also […]

By using buttons, Christina Hunger says you can communicate with your dog in ways never previously thought possible. She’s the author of, Your Dog Can Talk: A Step-by-Step Guide to Button Training and explains it all, step-by-step. It’s called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and increasingly in the U.S., this is a cause of early death […]

Dr. Michael Lappin, Professor of Internal Medicine at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine discusses an upcoming symposium on Feline Infectious Peritonitis: Has Purrsistence Cured FIP: What We Know So Far, co-hosted by the EveryCat Health Foundation. And also, if you are allergic to cats, how by feeding a specific cat food that sneezing may […]

It’s a dog show like none other – the Great American Dog Show will be held in Cantigy Park in Wheaton, September 5 to 7. Scott Pfeil, president of the Great American Dog Show explains how this show is so different, and welcoming of pet dogs, perhaps your dog.  And the show is outdoors, and hugely family […]

Wayne Pacelle, founder Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action, has fueled the effort to stop using millions of kangaroos for making the athletic shoes. He launched the #kangaroos are not skins campaign. Today, most major manufacturers, as he explains, are no longer supporting killing kangaroos. He also makes an announcement, that he’s working – in a […]

It’s one of the tougher issues to deal with, reactive or aggressive dogs. Increasingly some might sooner or later seek out a trainer who says, “I will help by using a shock collar.” Dr. Zazie Todd states that is the exact wrong approach. She is the author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful […]

Dot Baisly, Executive Director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) talks about why this organization stands strongly behind their science-based positive reinforcement approaches to dog training, and against the use of devices like shock collars. She also explains that IAABC certification isn’t only about dogs, there are also certified experts in equine and […]

Jenny Schlueter is the Executive Director of Heartland Animal Shelter in Wheeling. And the comeback story there is quite incredible. After suffering from a devastating flood (all animals were heroically rescued but the facility suffered serious damage); this is a comeback story of perseverance featuring record adoption numbers.   Anti Cruelty is the most established animal shelter in Chicago […]

Dr. Patricia McConnell is the GOAT of dog training. Among her books, the classic, The Other End of the Leash. She discusses the state of dog training today, and her feelings about a movement among a vocal and perhaps increasing minority to use shock and prong collars.  She also talks about the magic relationship we have with dogs. […]