Q:Whenever I'm walking my dog and he hears a motorcycle or any type of vehicle with a loud, rumbling engine, he goes berserk and tries to chase after it. At 80 pounds, he's a large dog, and I'm afraid one day I won't have the strength to hold him and he'll break loose and run into the street. What can I do to break him of this habit? A: Whether your dog's behavior is triggered by an underlying fear of these sounds or he's just learned that it's rewarding to go berserk, the way to break this habit is to teach him a more appropriate one. One method is to teach him that focusing on you is more fun or interesting than environmental noises and distractions.
September 16, 2009. The Huffington Post The case of vaccines versus socializations may seem confusing at first, but it turns out that both recommendations are right and once you know the reasoning behind, you can better assess the relative risks.
August 29, 2009. The Huffington Post While many of you already know that chocolate can make your cat or dog sick, did you know that onions can kill? I learned this my second year in veterinary school. But I didn't really appreciate it until the big onion incident that occurred during my senior year. [link to original article]
Every year, when badly behaved dogs become the object of media focus someone asks me, " Do you think pitbulls should be banned as pets?" To which I usually answer, "No, but some owners should be banned from owning pitbulls, or for that matter, Jack Russell Terriers, Basenji's, Border terriers, Bengal cats and even Budgies. [link to original article]
August 19, 2009. The Huffington Post Many of my friends may have wondered why I have disappeared over the last two months. No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Rather, I bought my dad a puppy. Which means that, although it's his, I'm the one who's busy. [link to original article]
These are photo-illustrated instructions to my dad on how to train his new puppy. I've worked with this puppy for about a week starting at 8 weeks of age and she's "perfect." She sits to be petted, to go out the door, for attention, to get her leash on. She's great with dogs and loves all new people. She loves being held and handled. And she even walks well on leash. How she continues to develop depends on my dad's ability to continue the training. [read more] (PDF)
Debunking the Myths of Dominance Training By Sophia Yin From Veterinary Forum Clinical Update March 2009 When dealing with difficult dogs in the hospital do you just have to dominate them and teach them who’s boss to get them to behave? If your dog barks or growls or misbehaves should you throw him on his back in an alpha roll and reprimand him face to face? [link to original article]
May 19, 2009.The Huffington Post As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, the Center for Disease Control reports that 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly 20% of those bitten seek medical attention and approximately 1000 victims per day require a visit to the hospital emergency room. Not surprisingly, one group at risk is animal care professionals -- veterinarians, groomers, shelter workers and people who work or volunteer in the animal care field. [link to original article]
May 18, 2009.The Huffington Post As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, experts agree that one of the contributing factors to the 4.7 million dog bites that occur each year may be owners mimicking what they see on T.V. [link to original article]
April 26, 2009. The Huffington Post Bo and the First Family have just survived their first 10 days together in the White House. Now that the Obamas have gotten to know Bo, what do they say he's like? [link to original article]
August 2, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle It sounds like a plot from a cheap made-for-TV movie. Two siblings raised together for years. Competition suddenly drives a deadly rift between them. Trapped together under one roof they are forced to fight it out. No, it's not ripped from the headlines, it's happening in a home near you. It doesn't involve people rather it's a story about their pooches. These dogs fight primarily in their owners presence. [read more]
March 1, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle
The problem with speaking English instead of using made-up words is that we assume our pets know what we mean. [read more]
April 2002, San Francisco Chronicle
With 750,000 reported and many more unreported dog bites in the United States each year, do you ever wonder who all those Bowsers are biting? Is it postal workers, trespassers, or men wearing suspicious-looking hats?
March 21, 2001, San Francisco Chronicle
Over 750,000 dog bites are reported in the U.S. annually and even more go unreported. Is your dog or your neighbor's dog at risk of biting? [read more]
Jan 17, 2001, San Francisco Chronicle "Six week old girl dies after mauled by family dog" the headlines blared on a Monday last October. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department reported the familiar scenario. A family member had left the baby unattended on a bed for a few minutes and returned to find her head encased in the dog's mouth.
June 21, 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle
You've owned dogs for ages, you have pets galore. You know all the stories, they're now just a bore. But have you heard the one about Dennis? Dennis, the Dog Park Menace? Rumor has it he's at every park. [read more]
March 1, 2000, San Francisco Chronicle
Every March, a little race for dogs up in the white of the Alaska wilderness makes all the hype. It's the Iditarod, a 1,049-mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. At temperatures that could freeze a hot pepper and winds that exalt the cold, it may well be the most demanding race known to humankind. [read more]
February 1999, The San Francisco Chronicle A reader asks, "How can a dog bark for great lenghts of time. If I holler and scream for long, I lose my voice. But seriously, I live between two houses with a dog on each property. Dog A barks at anyone who makes the slightest noise and continues to bark long after people (me) go into our houses." [read more]
June 2000x, The San Francisco Chronicle
You've probably heard that medical students are hypochondriacs. Well veterinary students have a similar malady but their anxiety is over their pet's health. I guess I never really outgrew this trait because last Wednesday, when my dog Rudy vomited his entire breakfast and then dinner, I thought for sure he had stomach cancer. [read more]
While Fido might be carefree and confident with you alongside, outside alone can be another story. Find out why Fido might learn to be aggressive when in this lonely situation and what owners and pet lovers should do to avoid this problem. [read more]
to anyone who owns or lives near dogs, one fact is clear - dogs bark a lot. So much that it's considered a nuisance behavior by many. Given that dogs bark so much, it makes one wonder, what's the function? Is it actually a form of communication? [read more]
While we humans think we know a lot about dog and our other domestic pets, we know little compared to what's known in other less familiar species. Find out what we don't know about dogs but do know about other animals. [read more]
March X, 2002,The San Francisco Chronicle
There comes a time in every dog's life when he can no longer do any wrong. Raid the trashcan, grumble at the other family dogs, leave accidents in the house, it's all suddenly okay. My dog Roody hit this level of sainthood on March 22, 2002. [read more]
Sophia Yin, DVM San Francisco Chronicle September 2000
In Jack London's Classic White Fang, the main mutt of the same name (W.F. for short) developed one strong bond with his man. So tight was this bond that when master departed temporarily [read more]
February 2002, www.SFgate.com
When I retire from veterinary practice, I'm going to open a Fat Farm for dogs. Let me tell you why. It all started nearly a decade ago during my first week in practice. [read more]
