Pet Talk

The Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog for the last three decades until now. The French Bulldog has taken over the #1 spot.  Laurie cautions people to be aware of the health issues for  the flat faced breeds . Medication may not be the best answer for behavior problems. Dog training is not absolute. People need to be aware of what is necessary to make it work, especially if you choose to have someone else train your dog for you. Some people suffer from "the Emperor's New Clothes" effect when evaluating their dog's behavior.

If you have a dog breed that your homeowners insurance won't cover there are some things you can do. Would you feed your cat or dog pet food that is made out of insects? It exists and 2 callers weigh in. Laurie critiques a movie that features an unrealistic presentation of an electric dog training collar. When daylight savings time springs ahead most pets are pleased that you are getting up earlier.

A Bull Terrier mix was living with a pack of coyotes for months in Nevada. "Sniffspot" is a new website that connects people to fenced in spaces to rent their own private dog park. A caller had concerns about her 17 year old cat who wanders off and meows. Taking care of older pets needs special consideration and care. Laurie recalls why she dropped out of academia to become a dog trainer.

Arctic air prompted talk about coats, keeping pets in cars, and resurrecting the wooly mammoth. The silver lining in the blast of sub zero temperature is it might kill off ticks. A caller wanted to know what to do about her constipated Maine Coon cat. How do you judge a pet's intelligence? How important is intelligence for training and communicating, and how many types of intelligence are there? 

Today's Pet Talk covered some of the unrealistic expectations people have about their pets. Callers had questions about a labradoodle who guards objects, a 5 pound poodle who barks excessively in the car,and a man who wanted suggestions for his daughter's over-rambunctious labrador.  A man called to share his joy from getting kittens after a time with no pets. A woman wanted advice about selecting a cat that would get along with her current cat, and the last caller wanted to know what to do about a cat that is scared to get her nails clipped.