Denise Flaim
Animal House
The 'Dog Whisperer's' style speaks volumes
November 15, 2007
If anyone is considered the demon boy of dog behavior by the professional training community, it would be Cesar Millan, whose "Dog Whisperer" show on the National Geographic Channel has made him a household name.
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Animal house: Rescuing turtles, finding them homes
November 8, 2007
Julie Maguire is looking for a few good ponds.
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Giving rabies vaccine is sure way to protect pets
October 29, 2007
Rabies has been eradicated.
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ANIMAL HOUSE: A vote against DeGeneres' antics
October 22, 2007
Everyone's siding with Ellen. Except maybe me.
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The Degeneres dog flap from the other side
October 19, 2007
Everyone's siding with Ellen. Except maybe me.
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Trendy puggles lose their appeal all too soon
October 15, 2007
Remember that old "Star Trek" episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles"?
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Pets: Vick's pit bulls can be reformed?
October 8, 2007
For months, the media have been chronicling every divot in the Michael Vick dog-fighting case, from the suspended NFL star's flunked drug tests to his recent completion of an eight-hour "empathy course" at the Norfolk, Va., headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
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Pet mailbag: Hair loss, dog shows, all the poop
October 1, 2007
It's been a while since we dipped into the mailbag. Here's a sampling of missives. Those who are fond of snacking while they read should take a pause before launching into the final question.
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No time for pets by the hour
September 24, 2007
The FlexPetz are here.
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Flaim: Weigh the risks of microchipping pets
September 17, 2007
Microchipping is sort of the pet world's equivalent of Mom and apple pie - what's not to like?
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Ruffling feathers on whether to clip birds' wings
September 10, 2007
In regular human company, certain subjects - like those usual suspects, politics and religion - are just better left unplumbed.
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The fallout from China recalls
September 3, 2007
If you think moms, dads and assorted grandparents are in a dither over Mattel's recall of
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Taking dogs natural, with a little dietary help
August 27, 2007
The tremors from the pet-food recalls of this spring are still being felt: Last month, Wal-Mart stopped selling two brands of its made-in-China dog treats after customers reported concerns that their animals had fallen ill, though the store chain did not formally announce a recall.
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ANIMAL HOUSE: Humane Society in the hot seat
August 20, 2007
The cat writers got their hackles up, if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor.
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Animal rescuer or scammer? You should be the judge
June 21, 2007
Independent animal rescuers do a wonderful service, saving unwanted dogs and cats from kill shelters or homes where they are no longer wanted.
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Attacks are not the bulldog norm
May 22, 2006
When I first heard about last month's mauling of 4-year-old Matthew Henriques of East Meadow - who received 250 stitches to his face, torso and legs after he encountered two roaming Rottweilers and an English bulldog - I had two gut reactions.
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Duo on scent of a no-show dog
March 16, 2006
They are the Thelma and Louise of the Vivi vigil. And they're not giving up any time soon.
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Are Pets at Risk to West Nile? Owners Take Precautions
May 27, 2003
Memorial Day weekend means summer, which means warm weather, which means mosquitoes. And that - for the worriers among us - means renewed concerns about the West Nile virus.
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A Tough Tortoise to Live With
March 4, 2003
'An elephant in a shell."
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Noisy Lovebird Seeks Attention
January 28, 2003
Q. My sister has a 6-year-old male lovebird who is peppy and very bright. I have come to live with her and the bird remembers me because I taught him how to talk and gave him a lot of my attention in the past. From the moment he hears me in the morning, he screams constantly. If I don't go let him out or give him the attention he craves, he will scream and flap his wings every six seconds for hours! It has left us with migraines.
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Reacting to an Allergic Reaction
January 21, 2003
Q. Our future son-in-law is highly allergic to cats and has asthma. He's tried lots of things, to no avail, and has decided that the best thing is just to avoid cats and houses where they live. Unfortunately, ours is one of them.
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Facing Up to a Pug's Personality
January 14, 2003
Q. We have a 3-year-old Pug named Latke, because our son thinks her face looks like a potato pancake.
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What Shots Does a Cat Need?
January 7, 2003
In previous columns, I've talked about concerns about overvaccination, especially for dogs.
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Turning a Cat Into a Companion
November 5, 2002
Cats are complicated creatures, with an innate independence that makes connecting to the humans in their lives very much a matter of choice.
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Sorting Natural Diet Options
October 29, 2002
I've finally found the missing link.
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The Other Tick-Borne Ailments
October 22, 2002
In these parts, there's one tick-borne disease that most dog owners have on their radar screen.
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Pet Care Is a Two-Way Street
September 17, 2002
We could all use a Chet.
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In the Company of Friends
August 27, 2002
'There's the cat lady."
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FIV Vaccine Isn't a Sure Shot
August 20, 2002
In recent weeks, vets and cat owners alike have been abuzz over the newest vaccine to hit the market: Fel-O-Vax FIV, the first-ever vaccine for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV.
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Worth Their Weight in Gold
July 16, 2002
In 1997, Deb Rogstad pulled over at a rest stop in Missouri with Quaid, her 3-year-old collie. The two were returning home to Denton, Texas, completing what would turn out to be a 2,000-mile trip to Indiana and back.
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A Seal of Approval for Fish?
July 2, 2002
You'll never UPS a blue tang to Joseph Caparatta.
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Training My Favorite Martian
June 11, 2002
My dog is possessed by aliens.
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Not Much Fire in These Dragons
May 28, 2002
Move over, Iggy.
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Animal Lovers vs. Landlords
April 30, 2002
SOME TRADITIONALLY incompatible pairings - such as oil and vinegar, or cats and dogs - can actually integrate quite nicely, whether you're talking about a vinaigrette or a household.
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Punish Deed, Not the Breed
April 16, 2002
THE "KILLER DOG" headlines have faded. But their impact ripples.
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Pet Care After You're Gone
April 2, 2002
A PIANO LANDS on you tomorrow. Who will take care of your cat?
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It's an Itty Bitty Kitty
March 5, 2002
ABOUT EIGHT years ago, Beth Fillman rescued Zoey, a funny-looking cat with legs so short and stumpy that the vet, predicting she would be crippled, recommended euthanasia.
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Making a Big Adjustment
February 26, 2002
START TALKING about chiropractic and animals, and you soon stumble on a knot of controversy as stubborn as any backache.
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Local Rabbits' New Risk
January 29, 2002
THE WORLD is a scary place, filled with plenty of things to worry about.
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The Power of a Pet
January 16, 2002
THEY WERE among the four-footed heroes of Sept. 11, but they were worlds away from the sooty search-and- rescue dogs that climbed the downtown wreckage, nosing pile after smoldering pile for someone, anyone.
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New Spin on Forecasting
January 15, 2002
A SELF-PROCLAIMED "weather nut," Gary Stone of Centerport is obsessed with The Next Big Storm.
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One Couple's Reptile Rapture
December 11, 2001
LOVE ME, love my turtles.
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Engendering Responsibility
December 4, 2001
IN MOST CASES, the question isn't if a companion animal should be spayed or neutered. It's a matter of when.
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Thinking Out of the Box
November 27, 2001
CATS TAKE TO litter boxes like ducks to water.
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Giving Your Pet Some Class
November 13, 2001
MY FRIEND LIZ was describing the obedience class she had joined with her new puppy - and the moment she knew she had signed on for trouble.
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A Healer of a Special Flock
November 6, 2001
YOU WOULDN'T THINK a flirt named CieCie would be living in a convent full of retired Dominican nuns, but then again, stranger things have happened.
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Of Copy Cats and Ditto Dogs
October 16, 2001
IF IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, then some of veterinarian A.J. Kallet's clients want to pay their companions the ultimate compliment.
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Louise to the Rescue
October 2, 2001
THE SAD stories seem endless, just like the mountains of rubble strewn over what was, little less than a month ago, the World Trade Center.
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Outfoxed by a Special Love
August 28, 2001
MOST NIGHTS, you'll find Meg and Bruce Seifert of Huntington Station in a local park walking Kody.
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Cost of Animal Care
August 7, 2001
AS STORIES GO, it was a heartstring tugger.
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Little Dog Lost? Not Always
July 24, 2001
THE BACKYARD GATE is ajar, Fluffy is nowhere to be found, and all of a sudden you feel like a Scud missile is doing the macarena in your stomach.
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Relief in Times of Disaster
July 10, 2001
YOU'VE SEEN THE pictures umpteen times - flood survivors, clutching kittens to their sodden chests; earthquake victims, picking over the plywood pieces that were once a home, their forlorn dog trailing behind them.
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'Pet' Peeve Worth Pondering
June 5, 2001
LOOK AT THE "P" word at the very top of this page.
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Having a Run of Good Luck
May 8, 2001
WHAT'S NOT TO love about dog parks?
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Lending Rabbit Owners an Ear
March 27, 2001
MARY ANN MAIER looks down at the issue of Victoria magazine spread open on her kitchen counter.
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Looking for the Best Defense
February 27, 2001
YOU PROBABLY TAKE a shower every day, whether you need it or not, and change the oil on your car every 3,000 miles, just as the owner's manual recommends. And in all likelihood you vaccinate your dog and cat every year, as soon as that little postcard from the vet arrives in the mailbox.
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Go for Massage, Hands Down
January 30, 2001
YOU SCRATCH my back, and I'll scratch yours.
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The Unexpected Face of Grief
November 7, 2000
BLITZ WAS acting weird.
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Where Guppies Are Yuppies
October 3, 2000
MOVE OVER, little ceramic castle: The neighborhood's gentrifying.
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Housebreaking: Get a Leg Up
September 19, 2000
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE between housebreaking and housewrecking?
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From the Tunnel of Love?
September 12, 2000
TO RANCHERS IN TEXAS and other parts of the cattle-obsessed West, they are pesky varmints who can overrun an expanse of land faster than any suburban developer.
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Natural Born Winners
September 5, 2000
WHILE THERE'S nothing wrong with being a couch potato-no matter what your species-most dogs benefit from flexing their muscles, both physically and mentally.
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The Best Policy? Comparison
August 22, 2000
JASMINE recently underwent a hysterectomy, and she's currently battling congestive heart failure.
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A Specter That Stalks Dogs
August 15, 2000
WE SMELL a rat-or maybe a squirrel, or a red fox, or a raccoon.
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Collaring Key Training Tools
August 8, 2000
DOG TRAINING can be a pain in the neck.
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A Pet of a Different Color
August 1, 2000
MOVE OVER, goldfish.
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Heavenly Companionship
July 18, 2000
EUGENE O'NEILL'S "Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog" is making the rounds of pet lovers' e-mails again.
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Flowers Soothe Savage Beasts
June 27, 2000
ASPEN IS for calmness, impatiens is for cooperation. Clematis is for focus, mimulus for courage.
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A Dog's Crate Expectations
June 6, 2000
WHEN I GOT my first dog, my idea of setting boundaries was to barricade her in the kitchen. I figured the chewed cabinets and clawed baseboards were simply the price I had to pay.
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It's Rah-Rah-Rah for Raw
May 30, 2000
'TALKING ABOUT dog food these days is like talking about politics and religion," wrote Jen, a friend and dog breeder, in a recent e- mail to me. "I try to stay clear."
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Want a Ferret? Go for It
May 23, 2000
LOVE HURTS. Especially if you're a ferret.
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They're Spotted on the Street
May 16, 2000
TAKE A WALK on the wild side-and if you're a cat lover, you just might come home with a Bengal.
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Making It the Perfect Match
May 9, 2000
READ A BOOK about purebred dogs, and you'll come across this sentence: "Buy from a reputable breeder."
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A Deadlier Breed of Business
May 2, 2000
HOW MUCH is that doggy in the window?
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Now, Just Point and Click
April 24, 2000
THIS SUMMER, Andrea Arden is going to chicken camp.
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