Archive for the New Commentary Alert Category

Animal Health and Behavior and the Vista Effect Several months ago I brought a new computer that came with a Vista operating system. Since then I have discovered that Vista’s development apparently is the result of linear more-is-better thinking. What that means is that, if the program didn’t address a particular user need to start [...]

Financial Hardship and the Human-Companion Animal Bond As you may have noticed, the number of articles and reports about animals being given up or put down because their owners lack the financial wherewithal to provide for them has increased as the general economic picture has become bleaker. In virtually all of those I’ve read or [...]

Companion Animals as Targets of Impolite Human Comments We all know people who have no qualms about making hurtful or boorish remarks to others. In fact, such people are common enough in our society that learning how to deal with them gracefully is just another part of becoming a mature adult. But what’s with the [...]

A (Sorta) Book Review of One Nation Under Dog Years ago a friend, who is as knowledgeable in his field as I am in mine on my better days, and I were discussing books. Our conclusion was that, relative to any particular subject, there are two kinds of books. Those written from the outside in, [...]

The Behavioral Bait and Switch If you asked a random sampling of pet owners what an animal behaviorist studied, chances are majority of them would give you a funny look. After all, what else would an animal behaviorist possibly study than animal behavior? But logical as that might sound, that’s not necessarily the case. And [...]

Full-Spectrum Animal Awareness Last month I attended one of the largest veterinary conferences in the world, the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida. While I was in the area, I also visited the Harmony Institute located about a half hour’s drive from the conference center. Between the two, I experienced the full spectrum of [...]

The Ultimate Pet-Related New Year’s Resolution Are you ready for this? The one resolution you can make that will benefit your pet’s health, behavior, and relationship with you? And that won’t cost you a cent? But might make you wish you’d vowed to do something simpler, like maybe climb Mt Everest? If so, read on.

Less Can Be More: Inexpensive Gifts to enhance human-companion animal relationships Even though the current worldwide financial turmoil might make the idea of inexpensive pet-related gifts a timely topic, I find the following items so useful and beneficial that I would recommend them even if money were no object. In addition to these being fine [...]

Day of Reckoning: Frica Louise gets spayed Last month I had Frica spayed after contemplating all the pros and cons so many times I was dizzy. I learned a lot from this experience, including that it’s a there are a lot of clichés that can be applied to this sometimes grueling process. To read more, [...]

Sorry, I made a typo when I sent out the link to the October commentary. The correct link is here. My apologies for any inconvenience. I’ll try to get my brain and fingers working together better in the future.