September 2025

Bone Appétit!

This month’s issue is supported in part by SF Animal Medical Center and dog lovers like you.

Welcome to Bay Woof, September 2025

Bone Appétit!

“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
— Julia Child

Julia might not have had her Airedale, Eric, in mind when she said that, but she definitely understood a universal truth for all species: providing good food for our beloveds is essential to a good life. And while our dogs may not be gourmet chefs, they sure know that something yummy means “Good dog!” (that’s why teaching them with treats is our love language).

Welcome to Bay Woof’s annual Food issue! Graze on tasty entrees like Dr. Ian Dunbar’s “101 Uses for a Piece of Kibble” and Sara Scott’s “Simple Ways to Boost Your Pup's Food Rewards.” Or check out Yvette Skinner’s “How to Feed Your Active Dog Without Breaking the Bank,” featuring key ingredients to help your athletic pup rise to the next level. And be sure to have your tissues handy for Dr. Ken Gorczyca’s “Last Taste of Love” about the poignant joys of treating an aging pal to a final meal.

Elsewhere in the issue, we’ve got a delicious buffet of small bites including September’s Nose for News, The Monthly Woof, Good Dog!, Commission Tails, and Shelter Zone. Add a side dish of Mr. Smarty Pants plus Red and Howling for dessert and you’ve got a meal fit for the most discerning puppy palate.

Here’s hoping your September is full of your favorite snacks and treats - as always, best served with a furry friend at your side.

Cheers!

M Rocket
Publisher, Bay Woof

cover photo: © 2025 Bay woof; AdobeStock

This Month’s Bones to Chew

September’s Feature Stories

Featured Articles
Beyond the Bowl: Simple Ways to Boost Your Pup’s Food Rewards
Sara Scott
Beyond the Bowl: Simple Ways to Boost Your Pup’s Food Rewards
Sara Scott

Like most dog folks, you probably use food rewards as part of your pup’s training. And of course, you can always simply hand your dog a little treat, but what’s the fun in that?

Sara Scott
Fueling the Working K9 on a Budget: How to Feed Your Active Dog Without Breaking the Bank
Yvette Skinner
Fueling the Working K9 on a Budget: How to Feed Your Active Dog Without Breaking the Bank
Yvette Skinner

As a Search and Rescue K9 handler, I need to feed my dog like the canine athlete he is. 

Yvette Skinner
101 Uses for a Piece of Kibble
Dr. Ian Dunbar
101 Uses for a Piece of Kibble
Dr. Ian Dunbar

It’s been over 40 years since I first started teaching off-leash puppy socialization and training classes and introduced the use of food lures and food rewards to the world of dog training.

Dr. Ian Dunbar
Save the Date, Save a Life! Get Ready for SFAfA’s Annual Penthouse Pawty
Dr. Alan Stewart
Save the Date, Save a Life! Get Ready for SFAfA’s Annual Penthouse Pawty
Dr. Alan Stewart

Sixty percent of adults in the U.S. do not have $1,000 set aside for an emergency of any kind, let alone a vet bill.

Dr. Alan Stewart

Columns from the September Pack

Nose for News
Ugliest/Cutest Canine Contests, Bear Dogs on the Job, Service Pups Seek Federal Funding, and More!
S. Emerson Moffat
Ugliest/Cutest Canine Contests, Bear Dogs on the Job, Service Pups Seek Federal Funding, and More!
S. Emerson Moffat

Here at Bay Woof, we think all dogs are beautiful so it's with mixed feelings that we announce this year's winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

S. Emerson Moffat
Shelter Zone
Every Dog Has Its Day (or Month?) Enter Your Pup Now in Napa Humane’s Photo Contest
Laticia Sahs
Every Dog Has Its Day (or Month?) Enter Your Pup Now in Napa Humane’s Photo Contest
Laticia Sahs

Napa Humane’s annual Pet Photo Contest is a joyful way to honor the bond with your pup - a community tradition that celebrates canine charm while raising vital funds for programs that keep local pets healthy and families together.

Laticia Sahs
Good Dog!
Why Does My Dog Do That? Dealing with Fearful Curiosity 
Trish King
Why Does My Dog Do That? Dealing with Fearful Curiosity 
Trish King

The caretaker’s role is to provide security: consistent rules, guidance, and the assurance that their human is managing the situation.

Trish King
Ask Dr. Dog
Last Taste of Love: A Thank You Without Words
Dr. Ken Gorczyca
Last Taste of Love: A Thank You Without Words
Dr. Ken Gorczyca

On her favorite blanket, Daisy, a wise old Labrador, lifts her head while her family pulls meat from the bone.

Dr. Ken Gorczyca
The Monthly Woof
The 70s Mom Game: Raising Resilient Dogs
Kirsten Wojcik
The 70s Mom Game: Raising Resilient Dogs
Kirsten Wojcik

I’m only half-joking when I tell clients that in the 1970s, my mom would walk out of the grocery store without my sister and me. So how does this relate to dog behavior modification? Great question.

Kirsten Wojcik
Commission Tails
A September to Remember: Astroturf, Glue Traps, and More
Michael Angelo Torres
A September to Remember: Astroturf, Glue Traps, and More
Michael Angelo Torres

Hello September! Time to wave good-bye to the lazy days of summer and start fresh with a crisp fall schedule.

Michael Angelo Torres
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
September 2025
R.U. Steinberg
September 2025
R.U. Steinberg

Don't feed chicken skin, turkey skin, or fatty cuts of meat to your dog as it could lead to pancreatitis, according to Stephanie Dwilson of Pets Best and veterinarian dermatologist Dr. Fiona Lee.

R.U. Steinberg

SF Bay Area Dog Park Map

adventures await