Good Dog!

The latest in pet grooming can be found in your very own driveway.

For some of us, getting our dog to and from the groomer can be challenging in the midst of a busy workday. For our dogs, it can mean long hours cooped up in a cage, waiting for their turn in the assembly line. Aussie Pet Mobile is a franchise with over 120 mobile pet grooming vans across the U.S., providing full grooming and spa treatments, flea and tick control, plus treatments to reduce shedding, in their customers' driveways. On this episode of the "Good Dog" podcast, we hear from the owner and groomer of Aussie Pet Mobile in Marin County, California and learn valuable grooming tips to keep your dog's coat clean and healthy.

Increasingly, dogs are being introduced in prisons to help inmates care for and train another living being. Larry Carson of "Pen Pals of San Quentin" explains how inmates who work in the fire department there socialize and train rescue dogs to prepare them for adoption. Sophie O'Shaunessy describes how inmates from seven east coast correctional facilities train puppies to become service dogs through the nonprofit organization Puppies Behind Bars. Many of these dogs are being placed with physically and psychologically disabled veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It has been said that the only fault of dogs is that their lives are too short. That's why many of us have wondered if it would ever be possible to create an exact duplicate of our beloved dog. In fact, the technology now exists to clone dogs and on this week's episode of "Good Dog" podcast, we hear from Lou Hawthorne, CEO of BioArts International, a firm that works in tandem with a Korean company to clone dogs. Lou began this quest in an effort to clone his dog Missy, who died in 2002. He now has three perfect clones from Missy's DNA. Hear the full story here and at www.myfriendagain.com.

If you have a question that you'd like answered about your dog, write to us at [email protected]. Today's episode was in response to a listener question.

SmarterPodcasts.com, Delivering Sound Advice.

In a 35 MPH accident, a 60-pound dog can turn into some 2700 lbs of deadly force, injuring or killing the vehicle's occupants, the dog, or both. And that's not the only reason to invest in and use a pet restraint system while driving around with your dog. When first responders try to access a vehicle that's been in an accident, a frightened dog can make entry difficult; often, the dog jumps out of the car, endangering himself and quite possibly causing another accident. Christina Selter is the founder of BarkBuckleUp, an organization that aims to educate pet owners about the dangers & consequences of letting your dog hang loose while driving. Her website offers reviews of various products and her group is teaming up with Volvo, the automaker currently leading the way in insuring pet safety in their vehicles.

In every community, there are low income people who share what little food they have with their dogs. For physically and mentally ill people, the support of a pet can mean a world of difference. In San Francisco, and in an increasing number of cities, the nonprofit organization PAWS, Pets Are Wonderful Support, provides pet food, veterinary care, and a host of other support services so that individuals in need can keep their pets. Learn about the range of services provided largely by volunteers and how you can start a similar organization in your own community.

At California's annual Big Dog Parade, in Santa Barbara, the first weekend in June, dog lovers unleash their creativity and proudly flaunt their obsession. Filmmaker Lisa Grossman was so taken by the mania that she went on to make "UNLEASHED", a dog-umentary film, that takes viewers behind-the-scenes where dog-owners dream up theatrical floats and outrageous costumes. In this episode of the "Good Dog" podcast, Lisa tells us about the contenders who compete for prizes, the incredibly lengths people go to in an effort to showcase their creativity with dogs, and the extraordinary kinship that's on display between people and their pups. One particularly touching story is of a woman and her paraplegic pug who tools around on custom-made wheels. The stories in UNLEASHED take us beyond the parade and into the heart of a nation that has clearly gone to the dogs.

Search and rescue dogs are critical in the days following a disaster as they sniff out survivors under piles of rubble and inform rescue workers. As we watch too much TV coverage of disasters, it's important to note that there aren't enough canine disaster search teams currently trained in the U.S. should disaster strike. On this week's episode of the "Good Dog" podcast, Debra Tosch, Executive Director of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, explains how these dogs work, how they're trained, and how you can help to insure that enough teams are ready to go in the event of a major earthquake, hurricane, tornado or landslide. After listening to this brief, compelling episode, visit http://www.searchdogfoundation.org for more information.

Many of us have troubling memories of being called upon in grade school to read aloud. For some kids, it can be torturous to feel that everyone is listening and judging the performance. But dogs don't judge and they're being used, increasingly, in classrooms and libraries to help young readers gain comfort and, ultimately, develop a stronger attachment to reading. Darlene Blackman coordinates the SHARE a book program at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California. She works closely with local teachers, reading specialists and librarians to create opportunities for volunteers to bring their trained dogs to children who can benefit from reading to supportive, friendly, furry, nonjudgmental listeners. In this episode of the "Good Dog" podcast, brought to you by Eukanuba, learn how this program evolved, how you can volunteer in this way, and how you can bring a similar program to your community. For more information, Darlene can be reached at [email protected].

If you have a question that you'd like answered about your dog, write to us at [email protected]. Today's episode was in response to a listener question.

SmarterPodcasts.com, Delivering Sound Advice.

While Bruce Bauer takes Bear home each night, the 7-year old Australian shepherd doesn't belong to him. She's the property of the University of California at Berkeley police department and a valued member of the explosive ordinance team. Bear and her K9 partner Morgan keep the campus safe by regularly sniffing for bombs. In this episode of the "Good Dog" podcast, Detective Bauer explains how Bear was rescued and trained for her new career. He says she lives to work and is motivated by the treat she receives, a green rope ball, when she finds one of the sixteen chemicals she's trained to search out.

If you have a question that you'd like answered about your dog, write to us at [email protected]. Today's episode was in response to a listener question.

SmarterPodcasts.com, Delivering Sound Advice.

If you admit to working full-time, you'll probably have a very tough time adopting a rescue dog or buying a puppy from a reliable breeder. Yet, of course, working people can be responsible dog owners. On this episode of the Good Dog podcast, Beverly Ulbrich, president and founder of The Pooch Coach, talks about the pros and cons of using crates and a combination of a crate and an exercise pen for keeping dogs, and puppies in particular, safe and happy while alone. Ulbrich also provides tips on how to handle a few common behaviors that dogs engage in while alone, such as emptying wastebaskets and unraveling rolls of toilet paper.

If you have a question that you'd like answered about your dog, write to us at [email protected]. Today's episode was in response to a listener question.

SmarterPodcasts.com, Delivering Sound Advice.