We start off this year with a wide-ranging assortment of informative and inspiring articles. Behaviorist Karen London, starts a new column, “Good Dog: Behavior Matters.” In this issue, she explains what the canine teen years are all about, and assures us that, as with young humans, it does get better! We also welcome aboard a new columnist, behavior researcher Julie Hecht. For her first topic, she examines the ins and outs of doggie daycare and how you can find the right one for your dog—and if, in fact, your dog is a good candidate. This installment of Lee Harrington’s “Chloe Chronicles” tackles cures for the wintertime blues (as you might guess, dogs play a central role in her prescriptions). For those of you who like trail running—and have dogs who really like to pull—you might try dryland mushing.

See why our editor’s picked Palm Springs, Calif. as one of the coolest, dog-friendly hot spots. Senior dogs have a set of needs all their own and we’ve developed a helpful set of tips to make health and hygiene more manageable for you and comfortable for your elder dog. Interested in improving the overall health of your dog? Check out our probiotics primer.

We take a look at how Costa Rica’s The McKee Project has achieved their success as one of the best examples of how programs that help street dogs can make a huge difference. Another innovative program, Abilities Through Agility, is happening in an Iowa rehabilitative-services facility; kids, therapy dogs and an agility course are an award-winning combination. Rand Cooper presents a touching personal essay, in which he considers how a young child learns about the impermanence of a dog’s life. And in the Endpiece, a dog’s love is addressed by John Stark, who wonders if dogs ever forget their “first” loves.

Finally, along with this selection of great dog articles, we have a Bark first: a feature about cats! Many of you have cats in your domestic pack, or might be considering getting one, so we thought this branching-out would be of interest. For now, we kick off the new year with two important resolutions in mind: always be kind and loving to animals, and adopt more dogs!

FEATURES
Daycare Dilemma: Making the right choice for your dog. By Julie Hecht
Chloe Chronicles: The canine cure for winter blahs. By Lee Harrington
McKee Project helping Costa Rican dogs. By Twig Mowatt
Abilities Through Agility: The kids and canines of agility. By Andrea Thomson Viner
Master “Doodler ”: The lost art of William Steig.
The Primal Howl: Imparting hard lessons of loss to a child. By Rand Richards Cooper
Endpiece: Twice bitten. By John Stark
Poems from Anna Catone and Abby Arthur Johnson

DEPARTMENTS
[Second Opinion] Spinal surgeon’s wake-up call. By Nick Trout, DVM
[Sketchbook] Dogs of Occupy Wall Street. By Robert Grossman & Anna Jane Grossman
[Safety] Car travel with dogs. By Lisa McCormick
[Humane] Reprieve from the shelter gas chamber. By Barbara Tunick
[Health] Educate yourself about canine vertigo. By Rebecca Wallick
[Fitness] Canines and the sport of canicross. By TC Wait
[Behavior ] Dog adolescence: only a phase. By Karen B. London, PhD
[Interspecies] Introducing cats & dogs. By Jennifer Martin
[Media] Meet the dog star of The Artist.
[Aging] Tips for senior dog care. By Kathy Ewing
[Nutrition] DIY probiotics for your dog. By Elizabeth Kennedy
[Book Reviews] Unleashed Fury; Walking Back to Happiness; The Dog Who Knew Too
Much; The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide; Defending the Defenseless.
[Destination] Soak up the sun in Palm Springs. By Lisa Wogan

DOGPATCH
Anthropomorphizing Our Dogs
Love Letter to Dogs
Big Number; Theater That’s for the Dogs
Home Works
Smiling Dogs
Kit’s Corner: Recipe from The Culinary Canine