While this article is old, it does have important information for pet owners to consider. According to the article adding the Budwig diet to your pets daily diet can go a long way to prevent cancer in dogs and cats.
Some of the breeds that are more susceptible to cancer are:
Bengals (cats) Boxers Great Danes Labradors and many of the Retriever breeds Persians (cats) Rottweilers Saint Bernards Scottish Terriers Siamese (cats)
According to the article the following are some of the contributors to cancer:
Over-vaccination Overuse of topical chemicals and flea and tick medications Lawn treatment Fluoridated water Obesity Certain pet food ingredients
Some of these pet food ingredients include:
Ethoxyquin By-products Dyes Molds/fungi Simple carbohydrates like corn, wheat, and soy
The diet was discovered by Dr. Johanna Budwig a German Biochemist. Dr. Budwig found that two ingredients helped prevent cancer.
Budwig Recipe:
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil, fresh, refrigerated
1/4 cup cottage cheese, organic
Mix together so that the cottage cheese is no longer oily. If it is still oily, add more cottage cheese.
Feed this mixture to your pet two or three times a day every day on an empty stomach. Wait one hour to feed a regular meal.
Every day. Feed 1-2 teaspoons for cats, up to ½ cup twice a day for large breed dogs.
Make fresh at each meal. Flax seeds can be used but should be ground fresh then mixed into cottage cheese.
Many cats do not like to travel in a vehicle of any kind. If their only trip in a car is to the veterinarian once or twice a year, they will learn to dislike the car even more. With a little bit of training, cats can learn to at least, tolerate a car ride.
The best way to train a cat to like riding in a car is to start when they are young around ten weeks old. The kitten should be bonded to you and feel safe with you.
Start by finding a special treat that your cat likes. Have an open carrier in your house that the cat can freely go in and out of. Put the treat in the carrier. When the cat accepts the carrier, close it and let the cat sit in it for a few minutes. When the cat is OK with this step, gently pick the carrier up, hold it and then put it down and let the cat out.
Once the cat is comfortable being moved in the carrier, put the cat in the carrier and close it, then walk a short distance in your home. Return to the place where the carrier stays and then let the cat out giving the cat a treat.
When you get to the point where you can walk around your home with the cat in the carrier and the cat is comfortable, walk outside of your home with the cat. Stand briefly and then go back into your home letting the cat out of the carrier when you place the carried in its usual place.
Following the same routine, work your way to your car. When you put the carrier in the car, sit with your cat, giving the cat its treat right away. After about three minutes, bring the cat back into the house. Do this as many times a day as you can. As you increase the time in the car, you can play with the cat briefly so that they associate nice things with the car.
Once the cat is comfortable with this step, increase the time you sit in the car with the cat. You do not want your cat to think that they only have to be in the car for a short period of time. Fifteen minutes seems to be the magic number. So when your cat is comfortable for fifteen minutes you can go on to the next step, which is to start the car but do not move or drive the car.
When your cat is comfortable sitting in the car in its carrier with the car running, you can drive the car slowly for a few feet. Then park the car in its original space and then bring the cat back into the house following the same routine that you have established.
When the cat is comfortable feeling the car move, you can take short, one mile or less, drives, gradually increasing the distance as the cat adjusts to riding in a moving car. If your cat is especially nervous avoid high traffic areas, lots of stop and go and car honking if you can.
The last step, which will help your cat, is to drive to your veterinarian office and with approval of your veterinarian, walk into the office with your cat in the carrier, say “Hi” to the receptionist and give your cat a treat and leave. This way the cat will associate going to the veterinarian’s with treats and no stress.
Once you have accustomed your cat to driving, you must maintain the training by taking the cat for a ride. Cats are different and you will have to judge based on your cat if your cat needs a refresher course once a week or once a month. If you get your cat used to the car and then do nothing, the cat will have to go through the training all over again to get used to the car.
Keeping your cat comfortable riding in a car is pleasant for both you and the cat. No one likes to drive to the veterinarian with their cat crying in a carrier. It adds to the stress the cat feels and makes the veterinarian visit hard on you, the cat and the veterinarian.
An added benefit to training a cat to ride comfortably is that in situations where people have to move to a new home, the trip is less stressful for the cat.
The science of odorology is different from regular scent work because it can be used to identify someone who was at the scene of a crime. How it works is that scent is collected at a crime scene and stored in a glass jar.
The dog is given the scent from the jar and must identify the person who is in a lineup that matches the scent from the jar. Although it sounds easy, it takes 24 months of training for the dog to be qualified to help solve crime cases. In training the dogs must learn to identify two scents from the same person. This is done through a series of complex tasks where they must identify the target scent from five different human odors. The human odors may be traces of scent collected from an object that someone touched or from the person directly.
Although the dogs can successfully work on criminal cases after training, they continue to be trained for the rest of their career. When working a criminal case, two dogs are used to confirm each other’s results.
Sophie Marchal, Olivier Bregeras, Didier Puaux, Rémi Gervais, Barbara Ferry. Rigorous Training of Dogs Leads to High Accuracy in Human Scent Matching-To-Sample Performance. PLOS ONE, 2016; 11 (2): e0146963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146963
When Matt Cassels, at the University of Cambridge, studied the data set from the Toddlers Up Project led by Professor Claire Hughes at the Centre for Family Research, he made some interesting discoveries. He found that children often have a closer relationship with their pet than their siblings.
This gives us new information about the depth of the human animal bond, even in children. The Toddlers Up Project has collected information over a ten-year period about the social and emotional development of children. The research included data from the children, their parents, teacher and siblings.
Cassels found that children who suffered from adversity in their lives were more likely to have a stronger relationship with their pets than their peers. The types of adversities ranged from divorce, illness, instability, and disadvantaged backgrounds.
What is interesting is that these children would turn to their pets, confiding in them instead of peers even though they knew the pets did not understand what they were saying.
The study showed that children with stronger relationships with their pets had a higher level of prosocial behavior, such as helping, sharing, and co-operating than their peers.
I personally have seen the positive impact of pets on children and would love to see more research about the role pets play for young children who do not have siblings.
Children have bonded to dogs and other animals throughout history. One famous actor got his nickname because of his Airedale, Duke, was his constant companion. That actor of course, was John Wayne.
For more information about Matt Cassels study go to:
There is an on-going debate over spaying or neutering dogs before they reach maturity. In the United States, most veterinarians, shelters and rescue groups encourage dog owners to spay or neuter their dogs before or by six months of age, before a first heat for females. The AKC Health Foundation has been researching the pro’s and con’s of early spay/neuter in Golden Retrievers.
They have compared dogs that were spay/neutered before one year of age and after one year of age. What they have found so far is that the timing of spay/neutering had a significant effect on the health of the dogs. They found that early neutering of male dogs more than doubled the risk of Hip Dysplasia but did not have the same affect on female dogs.
Early spay/neuter increased the risk of cruciat ligament tear (CCL) and lymphosarcoma (LSA) in both sexes. Late spaying in females increased the risk of hemangiosarcoma (HAS) and mast cell tumor (MCT). Intact female dogs had no mast cell tumors.
As a result of this study, the AKC CHF is extending its research to include German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Dachshunds, Rottweiler’s, Chihuahua’s, Standard and Miniature Poodles.
The question remains, what should a dog owner do? No one wants to increase the risk of health issues in their pet.
First and foremost is talk to your veterinarian and ask them if he/she is aware of the most recent studies concerning the effects of early spay/neuter. After researching the facts, the dog owner must evaluate their ability to handle a dog that is not spayed or neutered. How the dog will behave depends in part on how well it is trained and its breed as well as its individual personality.
Some considerations are:
Should I wait until my dog reaches sexual maturity and then have the dog spayed/neutered?
If I have a female dog can I keep the dog safe from being bred until it reaches or passes sexual maturity?
Can I deal with the discharge that comes with the “heat” cycle?
Do I have a prevention plan with my veterinarian to take care of an unwanted, accidental breeding with my female dog?
Do I have a plan to deal with an unwanted litter of puppies?
Can I keep my dog, male or female under control to prevent them from wandering/escaping during a heat cycle? Females will wander to spread their scent to try to lure a male and a male will run away to find a female when he picks up her scent.
Can I control my male dog to keep him from marking?
If my male dog has a tendency to be aggressive, can I handle the aggression (toward humans and other animals) that sometimes manifests itself in un-neutered male dogs?
These are just a few of the important decisions a dog owner should consider when deciding if they should have their dog spayed or neutered before sexual maturity or at all.
Sue’s Note: For many years people who own working dogs, such as Border Collies that are used for herding have said that if a dog is spayed/neutered before maturity that they do not work as well. Some people feel that the dog does not fully mature mentally if they are spayed before a first heat for females.
Dog sledding is a popular sport in many countries around the world. Competitive dog sledding can be a grueling sport, but recreational dog sledding can be a lot of fun, especially in the winter when many people are confined to indoor activities. Many years ago I had a small team of Siberian Huskies that I did sledding with.
Much to my delight, I read about a study conducted by Fédéric Sotteau who is the founder of the French non-profit group Sourire á la Vie in Canada and Dr. Nicolas André, a pediatric oncologist at the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, France, where they found that dog sledding provided positive results for children who were being treated for cancer.
There were eleven children ages ten – eighteen years old and five chaperones which included doctors and nurses who participated in the expedition.
Many people, including doctors’, think that children who are being treated for cancer are too tired, weak or sick to participate in sports or other physical activities. The children themselves lose faith in their abilities to be active as well.
After going through a program of physical conditioning and training, the children were allowed to participate in the expedition. The reason why the study group picked dog sledding was to provide a unique sport experience that included a change of scenery and bonding with the sled dogs as well as the adventuresome aspect of the event.
The study showed that adapted physical activity is very beneficial to children with cancer, their physical and mental health benefit from the program.
It would be great if more groups sponsored this type of therapy for children with pediatric cancer.
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars turning your home into a playground for your dog. The truth is, a little intention goes a long way when it comes to creating a space where your dog feels safe, engaged, and comfortable. Whether you’ve got a new puppy, an older rescue, or just a best friend who deserves better, there are plenty of smart, affordable ways to tweak your home and yard without blowing your paycheck. It’s not about fancy gadgets—it’s about small upgrades that speak your dog’s language.
A Cozy Corner Just for Them
Every dog needs a spot where they can relax and feel like it’s truly theirs. You don’t need to build a fancy indoor dog house or order custom furniture to make this happen. A cozy dog bed tucked into a quiet corner with a couple of old throw pillows and a soft blanket can go a long way. Add in a few favorite toys, and suddenly your pup has their own personal sanctuary without you spending more than twenty bucks.
DIY Dog Gates Without Breaking the Bank
Those sleek, adjustable pet gates you see online might be appealing, but you can build a perfectly functional one for a fraction of the cost. Repurpose an old baby gate, or even better—use scrap wood and a few hinges to create a simple swing gate. If you’re not too handy, tension rods and fabric panels can do the trick in smaller spaces. The goal is to create boundaries that keep your dog safe while still giving them room to move.
Freepik
Yard Patrol: Creating a Safe Outdoor Space
You don’t need a pristine backyard with a six-foot privacy fence to give your dog a good time outside. Start by checking for any gaps in your current fence—chicken wire and zip ties can help seal off escape routes on the cheap. Lay down inexpensive ground cover like mulch or pea gravel to reduce muddy paws and protect grass from turning into dirt patches. Even adding a few potted plants that are safe for dogs can create a more inviting and stimulating environment without requiring a landscaping budget.
Wiring Smarter Outdoors
If your dog loves spending time outside, exposed wiring or poorly placed outlets can quickly turn a good yard into a hazard zone. Moving outlets higher off the ground or away from chew-prone areas helps reduce risk, and rerouting exposed cables into conduit tubing adds a layer of protection your pup won’t be able to gnaw through. You can use a trusted app to hop on a video call and consult an electrician for advice who’ll walk you through your options, offering real-time solutions based on your setup. You’ll also be able to find local, background-checked pros who can handle the job in person.
Pallet Projects for Practical Pet Perks
Wood pallets are a goldmine for budget DIYers, especially when you’ve got a dog in the house. You can build everything from raised food bowls to outdoor platforms where your pup can perch or nap. Most of the time, you can find pallets for free behind grocery stores or warehouses—just be sure they haven’t been chemically treated. Sand them down, slap on some paint, and you’ve got a solid, dog-friendly project that looks good and costs next to nothing.
Keeping Them Cool in the Heat
Dogs can’t regulate heat as well as humans do, so giving them a place to cool off is key—especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors. You don’t need a fancy dog pool or air-conditioned dog house either. A kiddie pool from the dollar store works just fine for splashing around, and a cheap canopy or shade sail can keep the sun off their backs. Freeze water bottles or wet towels and place them in shaded spots to help them cool down even more when the temperature spikes.
Paw Protection Starts at the Door
If you’ve got hardwood floors or tile, your dog’s paws might take more of a beating than you realize. Rugs and runners—especially the kind with non-slip backing—can save your dog some strain and help prevent accidents. You don’t have to buy new ones; hit up thrift stores or check online marketplaces for gently used options. And for muddy days, setting up a small paw-washing station near the door with a bucket and towel can keep both paws and floors in better shape.
Entertainment Doesn’t Have to Cost a Thing
Keeping your dog mentally stimulated at home is just as important as getting them out for walks. You can make your own toys and puzzles out of things you already have—old T-shirts can be braided into tug toys, and cardboard boxes become treasure chests with a few treats hidden inside. Even simple games like hide-and-seek with treats around the house can engage their brain. It doesn’t take much money—just a little time and creativity.
You don’t need a huge budget or a brand-new home to make your space more comfortable for your dog. Most of the improvements that really matter come from understanding your dog’s needs and using what you already have to meet them. Whether it’s setting up a special nook for rest, keeping their paws safe, or giving them something to play with, the little things add up. What you’re really building is trust—and that’s more valuable to your dog than any fancy product ever could be.
Discover expert insights on animal behavior and training from Susan Bulanda, a certified consultant and author. Explore her blog for practical advice and inspiring stories that deepen your connection with pets.
There’s a gentle rebellion happening in quiet corners of cities and suburbs alike. People are building businesses that don’t bulldoze the planet, especially in the pet care space, where ethics and affection collide. You see it in the compostable poop bags, the cruelty-free shampoos, the local, low-waste doggy daycares. If you’re someone who cares about the environment and can’t help but coo at a golden retriever in booties, starting a pet care business rooted in sustainability may feel less like a career and more like a calling. But make no mistake, it still demands spreadsheets, sweat, and strategy. You can’t just wing it with good intentions and a compost bin.
Choose Your Niche
Don’t let the word “pet” fool you; it’s a wide world out there. From high-end grooming vans with solar panels to subscription boxes for gerbils, the possibilities spiral fast. Start by picking one lane and owning it. The most grounded way to do that is to look intoprofitable pet services already out there and ask yourself where your values intersect with demand. Is it organic pet treats? Low-stimulation dog walking for senior pups? Think like a caretaker, but plan like a capitalist. Even good hearts need to keep the lights on.
Sustainable Practices
This is where your ideals become infrastructure. Sustainability in pet care goes beyond tossing recyclables in the blue bin. If you’re opening a pet grooming studio, swap single-use plastics for glass or biodegradable alternatives. For in-home services, plan routes efficiently to reduce emissions or offer virtual check-ins for anxious pet parents. There’s a growing movement encouraging entrepreneurs to embrace sustainability without tanking your bottom line. Even small gestures like repurposing towels or using local suppliers can build credibility. You’re not just cutting waste, you’re creating a business with a conscience.
photo from Freepik
Licensing and Legalities
Paperwork doesn’t purr, but it keeps you out of trouble. You’ll need a business license, possibly animal-specific certifications, and maybe even zoning approvals depending on your location. Insurance is non-negotiable. And don’t forget the money—it costs to register, insure, and outfit a startup, especially one where animals are involved. A breakdown of the costs to start a pet sitting or dog walking business might open your eyes to how quickly expenses can stack up. Budget more than you think and plan for the surprises. They always come.
Build Your Business Know-How
It’s tempting to believe that passion alone will carry you, but the truth is that a little financial fluency goes a long way. If profit margins and marketing metrics make your eyes glaze over, consider going back to school—seriously. A flexiblebusiness management degree program can give you the vocabulary and structure you need to turn a dream into a functioning, ethical company. Most online programs are designed for busy people juggling work, pets, and life. Don’t mistake this as fluff education. It’s a power move for anyone who wants to play the long game.
Marketing and Community Engagement
The best customers are the ones who believe in your mission as much as your services. To reach them, get local. Partner with eco-conscious pet brands, show up at green markets, host adoption events. Most importantly, start telling stories on Instagram, via email newsletters, at meetups. You don’t need a PR firm to build a community around your business, but you do need consistency and heart. Customers notice when your messaging feels real and your mission runs deeper than the About page. Be the kind of business people root for.
Scaling Your Business
Growth should feel intentional, not like you’re getting pulled behind a runaway sled dog. Before hiring staff or expanding into new services, track what’s working and what feels clunky. Does demand justify duplication? Are you delivering at the same quality, or are you stretched too thin to care about the compost bin? Scaling can be sustainable if it follows the same ethos you started with—low impact, high integrity, human-paced. Your future team should share your values and your vision, not just your logo.
Starting a sustainable pet care business isn’t a Sunday side hustle or a cute hobby. It’s a commitment, like any real relationship. One between you, your values, your clients, and yes, the animals that make it all worth it. If you do it right, your work becomes more than just transactions and tail wags. It becomes a daily demonstration that capitalism doesn’t have to be careless. Just careful, thoughtful, and a little bit obsessed with doing things better.
Dive into the captivating world of animal behavior and pet care at Susan Bulanda’s Blog, where passion for pets meets scientific exploration!
With the use of sophisticated tools, scientists have been able to determine the life of plants. They have found that plants can perceive and respond to a changing environment.
They use their roots, leaves and flowers to take in information such as the amount of light, water, nutrients, that are available as well as the presence of predators and pathogens. Some trees will give off a chemical when attacked by a disease or an insect that signals the other trees around it to release a protective hormone.
How does something without a “brain” accomplish this? Researchers have found that plant memory involves sensory perception, intracellular signaling pathways, and molecular events that allows them to store and retrieve information. Plant metabolism is the driving force of plant memory.
To further understand plant memory and communication researchers focused on the spruce trees in the Costa Bocche forest in Italy. They attached sensors to the trees to record their reaction to a solar eclipse. Their studies showed how the trees were aware of the eclipse and responded to it. They also found that the older trees support the younger ones.
Other studies have shown that a parent tree will help its offspring survive by feeding it most of the nutrients that it gathers from its roots. That the trees recognize its relatives.
Plants can also sense and react to color and sound. Years ago people were encouraged to talk to their plants. Some nurseries sell a red mulch to put under tomato plants that increases the yield of the plants.
The next time you take a walk in a garden or the forest, feel free to talk to the plants around you. What surprises may be in store.
Many children are taught that if a dog’s tail is wagging that it is safe to approach the dog and pet him. This is one reason why children are sometimes bitten. First, a child should be taught to never approach any animal without first asking permission to do so. If the child is alone and there is no one around to ask, they should avoid all animals.
I recall being at a dog show with my young Doberman and a young girl ran up to my dog and gave him a big hug. Fortunately my dog was safe and liked all people. I did tell the child that she should always ask first since all dogs are not safe. She looked at me, thought a minute and said, “I have a way with dogs” and left. She was at the age where she should have known better, but obviously someone had told her this and she thought that she was safe from all harm. How sad. At the same show with the same dog, an adult couple approached and started to pet my dog, giving him kisses and hugs. Being a red Doberman and young, he was rather slender. They looked up with love in their eyes and asked if he was a Vizsla. I said, “No, he’s a Doberman.” They collectively gave a gasp of horror, quickly backed away saying “I’m afraid of Dobermans!” Fortunately my dog ignored their behavior.
But the fact is that many adults think that if a dog is wagging his tail, that he is safe to approach. Some behavior consultants feel that the tail is not an indicator of a dog’s mental state at all and not a reliable means of determining how a dog feels. To a point this is true. The tail should always be included with other body language. This includes the dog’s posture, facial expressions, vocalizations and spatial proximity to the object of his interest.
What makes it difficult to determine the meaning of a dog’s tail are physical factors such as a dog who has no tail or a small stubby tail like a Doberman. Dogs whose tails are naturally carried in a certain position, such as the high tail of a Beagle, or breeds that normally carry their tails low such as a Greyhound as well as those dogs who have very curly tails such as a Husky.
However, there are some general rules that a person can use to determine if the tail is a warning rather than an invitation.
1) A slow wag that is lower than the back of the dog is often a dog that is insecure. An insecure dog may fear-bite.
2) A tail tucked between the dog’s legs or even curled between the dog’s legs and tucked all the way to the dogs stomach. This means the dog is very fearful.
3) A slow high wag is often a dog that is assertive and willing to fight. If the dog is barking he could be aggressive.
4) A tail that is very high, erect, and stiff is also a sign of high alert or aggression.
With a little bit a caution and common sense, a person can avoid being bitten or being confronted by a dog that would rather be left alone.
A Blog by Susan Bulanda 