In this April issue, we look at “journeys.” We report on the race for a cure for pet overpopulation: an alternative to traditional surgical procedures. Then our attention is on the Galapagos Islands and why their unique ecology is under great stress! We discover organizations that are helping by relocating dogs, sponsoring clinics and working to raise public awareness.

From there we move to Africa, where a lovely, Ugandan dog staves off loneliness for a medical volunteer and helps her with community outreach. In this “Chloe Chronicles,” Lee finally finds her new canine soulmate, who arrives, sight unseen. The opening story pays homage to a singular thinker, Gene Sharp, who has helped oppressed people throughout the world plan their journey to freedom. Our endpiece is an evocative story of a dog's adventure to the wild side. And, we survey the dog-infused art of one of the world’s most famous “journeyers,” Paul Gauguin.

On the canine-behavior front, Barbara Smuts and Camille Ward share important findings on the ways dogs navigate their conflicts and how to know when to intervene. Janis Bradley checks assumptions about breed behavioral characteristics—herding, pointing, retrieving and so on—and why they might not always be expressed quite the way we expect.

We also have a pack of delightful and revelatory stories: Katie Fallon writes about dogs bringing comfort to grieving students, farmer Kristen Castrataro tells us about her reluctant goose-dog, and Jon Billman takes to the trails with newfangled “shoes” and a very fit senior dog. All this and our columnists, behaviorist Patricia McConnell, trainer Victoria Stilwell and vet Nick Trout—plus recipes, nutrition tips and “Me & My Dog,” our latest, for and from you, round out the offerings in our spring issue. Enjoy.

DogPatch
Cover Dog: Bayou [3]
Dog-Friendly Food Trucks [4]
Crochet Dogs; Walk on the Wine Side; Harvey [5]
Pointer Brand
Dog-Friendly Boston
Donald Strombeck [6]: Make Your Dog’s Dinner
Smiling Dogs
Show + Tell; Family Dog; Me & My Dog
Home Works [7]
Freedom Tails; [8]United They Thrive [9]
Kit’s Corner

FEATURES
Gene Sharp [10]: Wagging for Freedom. By Claudia Kawczynska
Blue-Footed Boobies and Siberian Huskies: The Galapagos nobody knows. By Ketzel Levine
Magical Thinking: The quest for nonsurgical canine birth control. By Twig Mowatt
Fighting Without Biting: Dogs have many ways to resolve conflicts. By Camille Ward, PhD, and Barbara Smuts, PhD
Gauguin: The Ultimate World Traveler: [11] A mythic life in painting. By Claudia Kawczynska
Breeds and Behavior: [12]“They’re not like other dogs”—or are they? By Janis Bradley
An African Dog: Home is where the dog is. By Donna Hicks Myers
How to Train a Goose-Dog: The chaser in the rye. By Kristen M. Castrataro
The Chloe Chronicles: Part I: Sight Unseen. By Lee Harrington
Endpiece: [13] What We Don’t Know. By Judith Harway

DEPARTMENTS
[Vet Pet Peeves] What not to do at the vet’s office. By Kathy Ewing
[Art] [14] Bill Plympton animates a cartoon dog on an endless quest for love. By Lauren Davis
[Nutrition] [15] Homecooking with Barbara Laino. By JoAnna Lou
[Reflections] Throwaway dogs provide comfort in frightening times. By Katie Fallon
[Talking Training] Shelter Adoptions. By Victoria Stilwell
[Second Opinion] New or Tried & True? By Nick Trout, DVM
[Behavior] All puppy classes are not created equal. By Patricia B. McConnell, PhD
[Training] [16] The top eight cues to teach your dog. By Karen B. London, PhD
[Fitness] [17]The surprising pleasures of running barefoot. By Jon Billman
[Sketchbook] San Francisco Dog Walkers. By Wendy MacNaughton
[Activities] [18] Dog sports keep everyone on their toes. By Jennifer Blood
[Howl] [19]The Maven: A poem from Edgar Allan Pug. By Jessica Swaim
[Book Reviews] Do Border Collies Dream of Sheep? [20], Tea and Dog Biscuits [21], Dog Sense, Colter [22]