The lifestyle magazine for modern dogs and their companions WINTER 2009/10
DIY Pet Projects Healthy biscuit
Bark of the Wild Ancient Breed
recipes + cool crafts
Saved from Near Extinction
Smile! Improve your
Great Dog Stuff: $20 or less
dog’s dental health
Best in Show Junior handlers
PublicationsAgreement AgreementNumber Number40743013 40743013 Return ReturnMail MailDept, Dept,202–343 202–343Railway RailwaySt., St.,Vancouver, Vancouver,BC BCV6A V6A1A4 1A4 Publications
Supplements for Dogs
What your dog needs and why
Blind Border Collie Inspires Sweet Charity Help Dogs in Need p.144 moderndogmagazine.com Display unTil Mar 10 CDN$5.95 US$4.95
take on Westminster
+
Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexi
How to break up dog fights The Cairn Terrier PuP ProbioTiCs CanCer Care ChemiCal-free PesT ProTeCTion sToP obsessive liCking fido’s guide To The 2010 olymPiC hosT CiTy
47
Perfect Gifts
for all the dogs—and dog people—in your life
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• Promotes healing of affected areas through rest • Deters unwanted behavior Purchase Anti-Lick Strip Prevent™ TOdAy online or from a pet store nearest you!
WINTER 2009/10
vol 8
no 4
64
photo tanya king
Features 34
The Grand Saint Bernard Pass Exploring this storied route through the Alps and the dogs that traversed the dangerous pass to rescue wayward travelers. By Patricia Komar
40 Pup Potluck Party like a rock star. Celebrity event planner Jes Gordon’s tips for a fabulous dog-friendly gathering. photo the lonesome puppy (chronicle books)
44 Love is Blind A blind Border Collie with can-do spirit inspires everyone he meets. By Corey Van’t Haaff 56 The Senator and the Service Dog How a politician, an Iraq vet, and a very special dog named Tuesday are changing politics, one companion at a time. By Kaitlin Fontana 60 Buffy Loves Lieverd Tale of a small-town romance.
By Eric hemming Nelson
64 100% Pure Love The counterpoint to our fall photo editorial “Mutts Love Got To Do With It?” It’s all purebred, all adoptable, and all love. Photographed by Tanya King 84 Julianne Hough The multi-talented Dancing with the Stars’ star and her lovely little lady Lexi. by mary-jo dionne 88 Reducing Your Eco-Pawprint Reduce your dog’s carbon pawprint and save money, too. What could be better than that? 88 The Russian Prime Minister’s Dog Russia’s First Lady appears to be Koni—a black Lab. by stanley coren
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113
96 Bark of the Wild An ancient breed of Inuit sled dog is saved from nearextinction. By Matthew Kruchak 100 Best in Show The top junior handlers and their dogs battle nerves, ennui, and clouds of hairspray at the largest and most prestigious dog show in the US, Westminster.
Photographed By Stacey Pittman
105 The Modern Dog’s Guide to Vancouver, BC Where to shop, eat, play, and stay.
By Karin Sinkevicius
THE GOODS 38 Bargain Buys Cool finds under $20. 50 The Ultimutt Gift Guide Perfect suggestions for all the dogs—and dog people— on your list. 87 Spahhhh Top product picks for the happy, healthy, and well-groomed.
BreeD PrOFiLe 28
The Cairn Terrier Courage, heart, brain.
By marian BuecHert
BODY anD sOuL 70
Make those resolutions stick! Lose weight, get more exercise, and make the most of your time with your dog.
Help for the Obsessive-Compulsive Canine Stop that licking!
113 own po o
ch
es
80
The Doctor’s In The straight scoop on eye goop, plus hot spot help.
our T y
Colour Your World But Think Green Ensure a safe home makeover with dog-friendly paint.
af
Cancer Care Tumours targeted by new treatment.
Do
DIY Grooming Nail it! Easy steps for at-home pawdicures.
Te
78
cu
Supplements for Dogs? Do dogs need nutritional supplements? If so, which ones?
phoTo
74
cr
Chemical-free Pest Protection
s:
The Digital Assistant
g
72
pho To iris kü rs chn e r
Probiotics for Pups Good for the gut probiotic picks.
LivinG 12
Stuff We Love Modern Dog staffers’ picks of the litter.
23
Pup Profiles: Dog of the Week Meet this issue’s gallery of smiling dogs who share their likes and dislikes, from lasagna to long walks.
32
DIY Eat Recipes for healthy and super-tasty biscuits your hungry pup will devour.
94
DIY Pet Project Get crafty. Make your own felted wool slippers—complete with pawprint appliqué, of course.
109 Smile! Products to improve dental health.
reGuLar Features 6 8 10 14 25 26 128 141
Editor’s Letter Contributors Our Readers Write The Scoop Calendar of Events Smile! Photo Contest Marketplace Giveaways
cOver LOOk Actress, Dancing with the Stars alum, and country music sensation Julianne Hough and her sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexi. Photographed by Alison Dyer.
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111 Art Attack Profile in style: Artist J.T. Yost gets down with anthropomorphic “peculiar” portraits and traditional oils alike. 113 Connie’s Book Club Editor-in-chief Connie Wilson’s round-up of the best children’s books about dogs. 117 Ask Dog Lady Dog Lady delves into your most dogged dilemmas. 123 Mother of the Year Farm dog adopts baby pig. (Get ready for it, this is ridiculously cute.) 125 Training Help is Here! Ask an Expert Our Fab Five answer your most pressing training questions. 144 Lend a Paw to Those in Need Seven wonderful charities worthy of your support. In USA: MODERN DOG (ISSN 1703-812X) Volume 8, Issue 4. Published quarterly by Modern Dog Inc. at 142 Churchill Drive, Newington, CT 06111-4003. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and additional offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, PO Box 310402, Newington, CT 06131-0402.
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Delicious, high-protein, low-carb formula provides complete and balanced nutrition. A sensible alternative to raw diets, which are less convenient and may need additional supplementation to be nutritionally complete. Includes the finest natural ingredients and contains no chicken or poultry by-product meal†, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat or soy. Contains BLUE’s exclusive LifeSource® Bits, a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists.
Learn more at www.WildernessBlueBuff.com or look for BLUE Wilderness at leading pet specialty retailers.
Love them like family. Feed them like family.™ † As
chicken and poultry by-product meals are defined in the 2009 AAFCO Official Publication.
photo Lindsey Donovan
e ditor ’s l e t t e r
M
y dog, Kaya, recently had her 16th birthday, which means she is now well over one hundred in “people years.” Although she’s having difficulty getting up on her own and, once on her feet, totters along, looking frail, ready to fall over should she be jostled, she still enjoys getting out for walks, and mealtime continues to be a much-anticipated event. I know I don’t have that much time left with her and I struggle to get used to the idea that it won’t be long before my constant canine companion (and beloved friend) is no longer by my side. As I contemplate the life we’ve shared together, I remember my heart melting when I first saw her, an incredibly beautiful, velvety soft, chocolate-brown puppy. As adorable as she was, I was reluctant to shoulder the responsibility and commitment of a new puppy, especially with a divorce to work through. But falling prey to my daughters’ pleas to have a dog, that little velvet puppy found herself part of our family and soon wormed her way into our lives, bringing us together and helping us through a very difficult time. As she grew into an adolescent dog, her hyperactivity, separation anxiety, and boundless energy would more than try my patience while her willfulness, escape-artist tactics, and hi-jinx always kept me seemingly one step behind. I could write a book on her escapades—and, in a manner of speaking, I did. Kaya became the catalyst for the creation of Modern Dog magazine, as well as its mascot. My daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, joined me and, working together as a team, we have, over the past eight years, brought Modern Dog from a regional publication to an extremely successful, internationally distributed magazine. My Kaya is just one example of how dogs can impact and positively change lives. I’ve heard so many tender and inspiring true-life stories on this subject, I thought it time we gave our readers an opportunity to tell their “tails” via a writing contest—the best entries will be published in our Summer 2010 issue. The contest details are outlined on page 76 or online at moderndogmagazine.com/bestshortstory. I can’t wait to hear from you and read your stories.
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There’s certainly no shortage of inspirational stories in the winter issue. On page 64, we’re introduced to a spirited blind Border Collie who inspires all he meets. On page 56, find out how a politician, an Iraq vet, and a service dog named Tuesday are working to pair vets suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder with service dogs. And on page 100, we get a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at junior handlers and their dogs at Westminster, remaining poised under pressure despite the limelight. Get a peek into the busy and exciting life of our lovely and talented dancing and singing cover girl, Julianne Hough (page 84), and learn how her little dog, Lexi, is just like her. Make cute and cozy pawprint slippers (page 94) and whip up healthy (and tasty!) biscuits your dog will drool over (page 32). And that’s just the beginning. There’s loads of information on health and wellness, from supplements—what your dog needs and why—to probiotics for dogs, a solution for obsessive-compulsive licking, a space-age natural way to repel fleas and ticks, how to break up a dog fight, and so much more. We have expert advice on how to make your New Year‘s resolutions—from losing weight to getting more exercise—actually stick this time. We’ve also rounded up perfect gifts for everyone and every dog on your list (page 50). And, since the season is all about children (both human and canine), check out my selection of wonderful children’s book in which dogs are the star subjects (page 113). Plus, with the 2010 Olympics being hosted in Vancouver, BC, we’d be remiss not to include a guide to the best dog-friendly parks, hotels, shops, and stores in this beautiful and gracious westcoast city. Wishing you a very merry holiday season and much love, peace, and happiness for the New Year!
Constance Wilson Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Thought subsides when you pet your dog or you have a purring cat on your chest. Even just watching an animal can take you out of your mind. It is more deeply connected with the source of life than most humans and that rootedness in Being transmits itself to you. Millions of people who otherwise would be completely lost in the conceptual reality of their mind are kept sane by living with an animal. —Eckhart Tolle, from his Findhorn Retreat, Stillness Amidst the World
c on tribut o r s winter 2 0 0 9 / 1 0
•
vol 8
no 4
Publisher
Modern Dog Inc. Editor-in-Chief
Connie Wilson Editor
Jennifer Nosek Contributing Editor
Marian Buechert Creative Director
Jennifer Nosek
Circulation Manager
Jessica Nosek
Circulation Intern
Lauren Marghetti Design & Production
Carolyn Howse
Design & Production Assistant
Stacey Pittman is a photographer and freelance photo editor in New York City. She currently works with Men’s Fitness magazine and SPIN, and previously was the photo editor for Radar magazine. Her work was recently displayed in “Wild Things! Photography for Animal Lovers” at Stricola Gallery. Her best friend is her Pit Bull mix, Billie, who sleeps in the bed and loves belly rubs. This issue marks Stacey’s Modern Dog debut with her photo editorial of young, junior handler Westminster hopefuls (page 100). “Being backstage at the Westminster dog show is complete madness,” says Stacey. “Dogs are everywhere and I love it! The best thing about getting to know the junior handlers was seeing how much they cared for their dogs and how much time and energy they put into training them. They never seemed annoyed, even though there is a lot of sitting around, waiting, and general boredom, which is usually a bad combo for kids.” See more of Stacey’s photography at staceypictures.com.
Maxine Matishak Design Intern
Vanessa Dong Sales & Marketing
Annica Tong, Tia Mihalj, Lillian Wei Editorial Assistant
Karin Sinkevicius Editorial Intern
Kaitlin Fontana Subscription Services & Accounting Assistant
Ariel Castillo Controller
Cecilia de Roca Chan Web Consultant
Dave Egan
Administration & Circulation Assistant
Omar Duran Rojas
Donations Program Liaison
Jessica Nosek
Okanagan Representative
Jytte Wilson
Subscription inquiries call (800) 417-6289 Advertising inquiries call (866) 734-3131 In Canada: MODERN DOG (ISSN 1703-812X) Volume 8, Issue 4. Published quarterly by Modern Dog Inc. at Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4 In USA: MODERN DOG (ISSN 1703-812X) Volume 8, Issue 4. Published quarterly by Modern Dog Inc. at 142 Churchill Drive, Newington, CT 06111-4003. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and additional offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Modern Dog, PO Box 310402, Newington, CT 06131-0402. phone
(604) 734-3131 or toll free (866) 734-3131 (604) 734-3031 or toll free (866) 734-3031
fax
The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, images, photographs or other materials. By accepting and publishing advertising the publisher in no way recommends, guarantees or endorses the quality of services or products within those advertisements.
Being AmeriCanadian, west coast born and Ontario bred, has made contributor Tia Mihalj a weird balance of city-slicking womanabout-town/homeschooled homesteader/lover of tiny Dachshunds. Making her second appearance in Modern Dog for her artwork (see her illustration in this issue on page 74) and her fifth appearance in the masthead, she is a Jack/master of all trades around the office and there’s nothing she can’t do. She has been known to say her most valuable office skill is dog whispering to her little canine office buddies and using her special gift to teach them amazing tricks for treats. To see more of Tia’s work, go to her house in downtown Vancouver, BC and you’ll probably end up leaving after a bottle of wine with a armful of free drawings.
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Copyright 2009/10 by Modern Dog Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic or mechanical, including the Internet or photocopying without the written permission of the Publisher. Modern Dog and its logotype are the trademarks of Modern Dog Inc. One-year subscription prices: Canada $18CAD, U.S.A. $15USD, foreign $45USD. Subscription orders and customer service inquiries should be sent to Modern Dog Subscription Services, Suite 202–343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6A 1A4
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www.moderndogmagazine.com Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743013 PAP Registration No. 11049 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program and the Canada Magazine Fund towards our mailing and editorial costs.
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