News

My quote of the month is from journalist Franklin P Jones...

Old Dog is a documentary about Paul Sorenson, a NZ sheep dog trainer who broke with tradition and treated his dogs with kindness. This documentary is available on the Doc Play platform.

Well Groomed is a documentary film made in 2019 which follows several groomers as they compete in the USA in the field of creative dog grooming. It's hard for me to approve the use of dyes and nail polishes - all which expose these poodles to unnecessary chemicals - in the name of art.

In the Spring edition of Pet Life NZ, I discuss the diagnosis of a cranial cruciate ligament injury and the treatment options available. It's important to match your dog's activity level and your expectations of quality of life when choosing treatment.

In this post, I share research from the University of Finland which covered the first group of laboratory Beagles that were re-homed in that country. In my opinion, the researchers under-state the importance of caring for the animals. For example, the first recommendation is "We recommend that all institutions and research facilities seriously consider the possibility of rehoming dogs. Based on our findings, this process could be feasible even for older or shy dogs." (Seriously consider????)

Izzy made a visit to our vet this week - just a routine visit with a mat to keep her happy and comfortable. It's all about Fear Free care.

Molly and John Chester started on a journey to create and live on a sustainable farm because their dog, Todd, wasn't suited to city living. Here's my review of the documentary film The Biggest Little Farm, available in NZ on DocPlay. I hope it will inspire you to garden more sustainably this year and in the years to come.

Earlier this week, pet retailer Petco announced that it would stop selling shock collars which are a painful aversive used in dog training. In this blog post, I include the statement - in full - by the Pet Professional Guild which endorses and praises the decision. Please: if you are on a Facebook group or with a dog training club where a shock collar is recommended, speak up against their use. Studies show that positive reinforcement is the better option for dog training.

In the October edition of NZ Dog World, I speak with famous integrative veterinarian Dr Marty Goldstein who features in the documentary The Dog Doc. See page 2 of the column for a special offer to subscribe to Doc Play where you can watch the The Dog Doc and other interesting documentaries.

“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.“

– Charles M. Schulz