Pour yourself a cup of tea and settle in to read our biggest issue of the year. The November/December Bark is a treasure chest filled to the top with stories that will touch your heart and make you laugh, as well as a cornucopia of ideas to think about and crafty projects to make. Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen talks to us about a writer’s life with dogs and kids, and Marion Nestle (What to Eat, Food Politics) answers questions about canine nutrition and her new project, What Pets Eat, which she and her partner, Malden Nesheim, are now researching. We find out that scholars around the world are tapping into the world of canines, and that dogs are playing a role in our understanding of genetic links of anxiety, phobias and fears. On a lighter note, there’s a new installment of “Rex and the City” and a smile-inducing Christmas Eve conversation between two Beagles. Add to the mix reflections on the ways dogs help us see the world differently, Pit Bull crime fighters, an amazing surgical technique that helps dogs stand on their own, an organization that works with the Houston animal shelter to find homes for homeless pets, poetry by Gary Soto, in-home training for assistance dogs, and of course, insights on behavior, activities, health, books and more, and it becomes clear: Like an overstuffed recliner, this issue is one you’ll really enjoy sinking into!

APPEARING IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES
Believe It or Not [3]Ripley was crazy about dogs. By Greg Daugherty
Maggie Mayhem Border Collie herds couple toward a new way of life. By Mike Land
The Dog Project [4]An investigation into the genetics of canine anxiety, phobias and fears. By Karen B. London, PhD
The Near and Far of Dogness [5] A friendly pack is scaling ivory towers worldwide. By D.L Pughe

ESSAYS AND HOWLS
A Healing Heart Lab with a wise old soul helps family navigate loss. By Emily Alexander Strong
Going to the Dogs Nepalese celebration lures a reluctant traveler halfway around the world. By Gerry Gomez Pearlberg
Rex in the City XXV To stay at home or not to stay at home, that is the question. By Lee Harrington
The Cattle May Be Lowing [6] But two hounds get it said. By Jeff Steinbrink
Poetry: For Nelson, My Dog By Gary Soto

DEPARTMENTS
[Sport] The Joy of Joring All-season dog-powered fun. By Peter Bronski
[Nutrition Perspectives] In Conversation with Marion Nestle & Malden Nesheim [7].
[Assistance Dogs] Insider Training In-home assistance-dog training programs offer valuable option. By Beth Finke
[Organizations That Matter] A Stellar Breed Nonprofit groups step up for the Houston city animal shelter. By Bliss Foster
[Behavior] Both Ends of the Leash From free-living dogs to homebodies—what’s been lost, what’s been gained. By Patricia B. McConnell, PhD
[DIY] Crafts Folding feeding stand [8], crocheted dog bed [9], felted wool balls [10], leash bags [11].
[Health] A Leg to Stand On Pioneering surgical technique offers new hope for dogs and people. By Martha Schindler Connors
[Working Dogs] Crime Fighters [12] Pit Bulls have the right stuff for bomb- and drug-detection work. By Allie Johnson
[Artful Books] Traer Scott’s Street Dogs & Mary Lundington’s The Nature of Dogs
[Masterwork] Emanuel de Witte’s Interior of the Old Church in Delft
[Nifty Products] Deck the hall, the dogs and yourself.
[Science] Notes on Research Dog vs. Bird By Mark Derr
[Training] Accentuate the Positive [13] Research validates positive reinforcement By Pat Miller
[Vet Advice] Do Try This at Home [14] Common canine ailment responds to home care and familiar remedies. By Robert J. Silver, DVM
[Reviews] And Baby Makes Four [15]; A Pack of Good Dog Books for Children; Control Unleashed: Creating a Focused and Confident Dog; When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs; Merle’s Door [16]
[Endpiece] The Winter Baby [17] By Suzanne Strempek Shea

DOGPATCH
Body Talk [18]—Dogs’ special language.
Postal Pups—First-class fun.
Dog-Friendly Carmel—City’s calendar celebrates its canine citizens.
A Perk That Works—Dog parks make a difference in new housing developments.
Progressive Thinking [19]—Riding in cars with dogs is covered.
Dining Dogs—Cities make it legal.