Welcome to Bay Woof, July 2023

Hot Dog - It’s Summer!

Summer is in full swing by now and the 4th of July fireworks have come and gone  (“Good riddance,” your pup might say). In fact, few of our animal companions are fans of bombs bursting in air, and this time of year shelters are often bursting with beasts who tried to escape the noisy onslaught, poor dears. We hope that you and yours are safe and sound and reading this peacefully at your leisure. 

With that in mind, our July Bay Woof digs into safety and resilience, including tips to help your reactive dog cope with anything from squirrels to delivery drivers. Trainer Althea Karwowski of SitStaySF offers tools to deal with the barker who finds everything worth shouting about. Ren Volpe of GoDogPro fame discusses how to rethink neighborhood walks if they seem to be reinforcing anxious behavior in a reactive pup. And July’s Good Dog! column by Mara Velez with the Shelter Playgroup Alliance offers ways to balance your dog’s high-arousal activities by reinforcing good play skills. 

Still on the safety beat, Dr. Kate Kuzminski at Guide Dogs for the Blind reviews important tips for keeping our furry friends safe and healthy as the temperatures rise. And for a breath of fresh air, Dawn Kovell of Marin Humane shares the unique challenges of training a solid recall amid the tempting distractions of ranch life. 

Elsewhere in the issue, the San Francisco Animal Commission celebrates 50 years of caring for our city’s animals, both domestic and wild, and welcomes three new colleagues to help keep up the good work; read all about it in this month’s Commission Tails by Irina Ozernoy. And speaking of good work, you won’t want to miss the update from Family Dog Rescue founder Angela Padilla about the organization’s new digs in Sonoma, where, among other things, they’ve started a program for rescued farm animals and have dreams of building an affordable vet clinic. 

Rounding out the July issue, Nose for News brings you top dog headlines from near and far, Mr. Smarty Pants stands ready to boost your summer barbecue banter, and Red and Howling offers a comic take on prepping for the season’s sweltering heat. 

So grab your fan, your lemonade, and some space in the shade, and be sure to save a hot dog for those hot dogs of yours. Thanks, as always, for reading Bay Woof - and for fanning a pup near you.

M Rocket
Publisher

About the cover: Summer time is swim time. photo: AdobeStock