The Perfect Resource for Healthy Dogs - The Whole Dog Journal

For about a year now, I’ve been reading a monthly magazine called The Whole Dog Journal. Their mission statement is “…to provide dog guardians with in-depth information of effective holistic healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training.” This magazine is for the serious reader who has an interest in health and training issues that are not necessarily presented in a detailed format in more popular publications.


Subject Matter

Running in the neighborhood of 24 pages, the journal offers 4 to 6 major articles each month. Each runs 4 to 6 pages in length, which indicates the type of detail that is presented. Each month, the magazine usually highlights a minimum of one food article, one health article, and one training article, so the contents are well-balanced.

I can’t stress enough the variety of topics covered. One visit to the website to search for past articles reveals hundreds of subjects. Here is a partial sampling from the last 12 months:
• Treatments for osteoarthritis
• Brushing teeth
• Multi-species households
• Rescuing and adopting older dogs
• Fatty tumors
• Dealing with resource (food, toys, etc.) guarding
• Accupressure
• Reducing vaccinations
• Car safety
• Mistakes in positive training
• Skin problems
• Managing puppy chewing


Regular Features

A regular feature is a monthly article by Pat Miller, a well-know and respected dog trainer. She champions the cause of positive reinforcement training and provides practical training ideas that are supported by research. In the February 2008 edition, she debunks 10 common myths, including: dogs jump because they’re dominant, you know that dogs know when they do something bad because they look guilty, feeding dogs people food causes begging. In her typical style, she not only explains why these aren’t true, but discusses what IS true.

There is usually a series on a topic that continues through several issues, such as these from 2007:
• Home-prepared diets – 6 articles on the virtues and pitfalls of home diets, as well as healthy recipes
• Energy medicine – 4 in-depth articles describing the benefits of alternative treatments, such as homeopathy, energy balancing, and kinesiology.

Each February, The Whole Dog Journal prints their list of approved dry foods. Brands only make the list if they meet certain rigid standards (including no meat by-products or added sweeteners, among other factors.) This year, the publication refused to endorse any company that would not list the location of its manufacturing plant and answer questions related to the production of the food. This was in direct response to the rash of food that caused pet illnesses and deaths in 2007.


Style

Information in articles is well-documented, with sources cited. The articles often quote experts or recent research studies, or present new findings and theories, accompanied by bibliographies.

The publication has no commercial advertising, which makes it a joy to read. All the articles are continued on consecutive pages, so there’s no jumping around. There is nothing glitzy about this publication. Some of the pages do have diagrams or photos, but the text carries the magazine.

That is not to say that this is a stodgy journal. On the contrary, it is quite readable and easy to follow. There’s little “industry jargon,” and ideas are explained in a concise and clear manner. It uses bold print and bullet points as well as text boxes to highlight important concepts.


Subscriptions

Subscriptions run $20 (US) for 12 issues. That’s quite reasonable. Copies of the journal are mailed, but with a subscription, you also have access to the subscriber area on the company’s website (www.whole-dog-journal.com). Subscribers can download and print the current month’s copy of the journal.

In addition, you can download copies of hundreds of articles relating to more than 60 broad categories. This method is a bit pricey, thought, running $10 an article! You can also order back copies of entire issues for $7.50each plus $2 postage/handling.


Final Thoughts

I look forward to my copies of The Whole Dog Journal. The title is so appropriate, because the journal deals with all of the aspects of the dog. Articles on medicine, holistic approaches, food, and training and behavior issues are all addressed in thoughtful and in-depth ways.

The journal is a good one for dog owners as well as people in the dog industry. The well-rounded articles offer a great deal of insight into solid dog care and changing trends. I always learn something new - or at least something that makes me think.