Welcome to Bay Woof, December 2022

Furry and Festive!

Happy Howlidays, Dear Readers! 

December is a festive month, full of gatherings with friends and families and, of course, lots of time with our own merry pups. There’s something special about that last hurrah before the calendar flips to a new year, and Bay Woof is in the holiday spirit, bringing warmth and cheer to your reading device.

Kicking it off is Cydni True, of True Training 101, offering tips for a dog-friendly holiday to get everyone through the season unscathed. If you’re wondering how to keep Fido from jumping on holiday guests, Ren Volpe of GoDogPro gives you the lowdown on how to find the best dog trainer in a wholly unregulated industry. Are your dogs having trouble sharing their new presents? Trainer Sara Scott discusses resource-guarding, including insights about what causes it and what you can do to keep everyone safe. 

Sadly, the holidays can be a challenging time for those who’ve lost a beloved furry companion this past year. December’s Monthly Woof by PetCloud’s Kevin Ringstaff offers compassionate, practical advice for making it through the first holiday without that special friend - a piece worth passing on to anyone you know in that situation.

This month’s Good Dog! column by trainer Angela Gardner shares the inside scoop about what it takes to train your own service dog, an amazing gift of help for both humans and canines alike. Commission Tails features a must-read report by Commissioner Jane Tobin on the proposal to ban shock collars in San Francisco. Learn more about the proposed ordinance, including when and where you can voice your opinion about this surprisingly controversial issue.  

Remember how the shelters were empty at the start of the pandemic and everyone was suddenly a dog parent? Many of those animals are now being surrendered, causing massive overflows and unprecedented euthanasia rates at shelters in the Bay Area and across the country. December’s Shelter Zone, penned by Milo Foundation founder Lynne Tingle, provides an inside look at current shelter conditions and what you can do to help. 

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Bay Woof without the usual suspects. Nose for News wraps up the latest canine headlines, Mr. Smarty Pants gifts us with clever party-worthy chatter, and Red and Howling warms our hearts with Amy Luwis’s artful dog-themed cartoons.

On a final note, we’re so grateful to everyone who has donated and shared our end-of-year fundraiser. If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll consider a tax deductible donation to the nonprofit Bay Woof Foundation. Your gift will help support our mission of providing resources for responsible dog ownership and advocacy, free to everyone who needs them (there are also many other ways to support Bay Woof as you’ll find on this page). We want to keep delivering the best dog news we can, and we need your help to do that.

As 2022 draws to a close, Bay Woof sends special thanks to you, dear reader, for supporting Bay Woof and each other in these challenging times.  May your 2023 be filled with good health, more wags than you can handle, and plenty of peace and joy to light the coming nights!

M Rocket
Publisher

About the cover: photo courtesy of the Milo Foundation; “Holy Mother Gemma and her Pup” digital illustration by M Rocket