Change is in the air, and in the new issue, we look at a few: A charming French Bulldog who wants a “real dog’s nose.” A woman who takes on LA’s mean streets to improve the life of the city’s underdogs. A Katrina survivor who’s considered too unpredictable to be rehomed (but, with the right approach, shapes up!). Be sure to read about Rudy, our newest cover dog. Adopted from a New Jersey shelter, Rudy now rules the roost in a home of his own, and we couldn’t be happier to showcase this quintessential pooch. D.L. Pughe digs deeper into literary dogs, and Lisa Wogan profiles people whose love for dogs is literally skin deep.

Our nutrition editors, Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim, take a trip to the library and discover facts about the 2007 pet food recall’s infamous melamine that government regulators and scientists apparently missed. Veterinary surgeon Nick Trout gives us an inside view of irresistible indigestibles, and we also find out more about the signs and symptoms of valley fever.

And, as always, we have a whole new lineup of good advice from our columnists, best meat loaf recipe for dogs ever, good art from the Louvre, well-chosen words about our relationships with our dogs, new smilers, Ladybird from “King of the Hill,” and more—a veritable garden of springtime delights!
 

APPEARING IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES
People Who Matter [3] Downtown Dog Rescue helps LA’s underdogs. By Sheila Pell
Indelible Dogs [4] Canine co-pilots inspire a range of tattoo tributes. By Lisa Wogan
Alfred’s Nose A charming tale of a dog with beguiling habits. Q&A with Vivienne Flesher
Literary Dogs Writers imagine the world from a canine point of view. By D.L. Pughe

ESSAYS AND HOWLS
Separation Anxiety It’s not always the dog who has the problem. By Bruce Goldstein
Pogo Eats Strangers [5] The taming of a pugnacious pup. By Melody Coulter
Daisy and Pumpkin Giving new meaning to the term “assisted living.” By Dana Standish

DEPARTMENTS
[Family Matters] Kids & Dogs Turning promises into practice. By Amy Robinson, CPDT
[Postcard from LA] “King of the Hill” John Altschuler Q&A with Alysia Gray Painter
[Masterwork] Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin’s Le Buffet
[Nutrition] Who Knew? Revisiting the pet food recall’s mystery ingredient. By Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, Malden Nesheim, PhD
[Career Change] Heidi Hill From corporate finance to retail with a holistic focus.
[Outdoors] Out and About Day-tripping dogs and their people take to the trails. By Alison Pace
[Health] A Fungus Among Us [6] Valley fever defies easy diagnosis. By Shannon Fitzgerald
[Good Eats] Meatloaf [7] A tasty—and easy—recipe. By Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich
[Behavior] Both Ends of the Leash [8] Walking the Talk By Patricia B. McConnell
[Home Safety] Indigestibles Tasty, disgusting, edible or not—everything’s fair game. By Nick Trout, MA, VET MB
[Perspectives] The Wolf in Your Dog [9]Canine evolution and human needs. By Michael W. Fox, DVM, PhD
[Dog Law] Talk to Your Vet [10] By Geordie Duckler, JD, PhD
[Ask the Behaviorist] Double Time [11] Are two puppies a good idea? By Karen B. London, PhD
[Reviews] Paws and Effect, Your Adopted Dog, Fighting Dominance in a Dog Whispering World (DVD), The Agility Advantage
[Endpiece] Watered Down By Michelle Massie

DOGPATCH
Andy Warhol—Dogs and the Pop Art icon.
Cover Dog [12]—Rudy rules.
Lie Down with Dogs—Floor art.
Canines in Kevlar [13]—Helping law dogs.
What’s New—Useful products.
Artful Dogs—Public art enhances dog park.
Dogs Welcome [14]—Oregon Botanical Garden.
Dispatch from London—Beware of the talking dog.
Rent a Dog? [15]—A look at dogs by the hour.
Show & Tell—Windsurfing, remote-hugging, cow-kissing: these dogs do it all.
The Family Dog—Jake’s day of beauty.
Smiling Dogs—All new, all smiles.