On October 3, 2009, Diamond Pet Foods announced that they had voluntarily withdrawn from distribution two brands of cat food Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat. The recalled bags are those with the following date codes. RAF0501A22X 18lb    RAF0501A2X 6 lb.,   RAH0501A22X 18 lb.    RAH0501A2X 6lb.    SO far, based on calls from pet owners and veterinarians, the problem appears to be centered in the Rochester, NY, area. The company has contacted all retailers and outlets to which these lots were shipped and asked them to pull the product from the store shelves. The retailers

Puffy’s biggest behavioral issue as a puppy is that she loves to jump on people and nip on their feet. In Indonesia, since most people go shoeless in the house, this can become a big issue early on. Luckily, both behaviors are simple to fix with one solution.

For more information on pet diseases check out the following veterinary-sponsored web page: http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com For dog owners check out “Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life” by veterinarian, Dr. Nancy Kay”.      

For more information on the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center, go to http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/. To consult with a veterinarian at the Center’s emergency hotline for a $65.00 fee call (888) 426-4435.      

Anyone who hangs out with dogs and their owners has probably heard this or similar comments a million times-“My dog is dominant, he ignores our commands and plays too rough with other dogs.” To the general dog owner, this statement seems pretty normal. But, to researchers studying social hierarchies in animals ranging from lions to macaque monkeys to bulls, the statement is likely to solicit a pause followed by a “Huh?” That’s because while an individual in a group can have a high dominance rank, dominance in dogs, and in any animal for that matter, is not a personality trait.

It takes about 5 minutes to train a puppy to learn most new behaviors but how long does it take for that behavior to become a habit? When I started training Lucy, my Dad’s 8 week old Australian Cattle Dog I was hoping that not long. By then I had been training her for a week through the puppy learn to earn program (a.k.a. Creating the Perfect Pup in 7 Days) and she seemed virtually perfect. She would automatically sit to get petted, to get her leash on, to go out the door and come back in, and even when she greeted guests, including a