Laura Ojeda Melchor

Back when I was a kid, our German shepherds stayed outside a lot. They had a huge, grassy backyard and each other for company, and we played with them all the time. When it rained, they curled up in their dog houses. When the blizzards and sub-zero temperatures hit Montana, they came inside — but only …

Back when I was ten years old, I begged my parents for a dog. I know millions of other kids did the same thing, imagining the sweet balls of fur and drool that would become beloved members of the family for years to come. In my case, my parents told me they’d need a week …

I’ve always walked past the Benebone section in the store without paying it much interest. The bones aren’t flashy or exciting, like Nylabones (which we love), and they’re a little more expensive than the typical synthetic dog bone. But there they were, those humble bones, when I walked by them the other day. I finally …

It’s an extra-hot, extra-dry summer in Alaska. Where last August it rained almost every day (5 inches total), this August it hasn’t rained at all. The leaves are turning brown and falling off the trees early. Dust is everywhere. Smoke from dozens of fires dims the views we usually have of the surrounding mountains. It …

Dogs don’t mind getting wet — right? They’ve got that fur that repels water, so when they’re out walking in the rain they don’t feel much. Right? Wrong! Dogs do get wet, especially if they have short fur. But eventually any dog will get soaked under a downpour — and how would you feel if …

Have you ever leaned over your food — and eaten it in that hunched position, too? It’s not comfortable. The food goes down, but your body has to work harder. That’s why most people eat in an upright position. Yet we feed our dogs in bowls on the floor, and for bigger dogs especially, this …

Dogs are often hailed as great stress-relievers for humans. Along with getting lots of sleep, good food, regular exercise, and the occasional massage or spa therapy, we humans get all kinds of advice on how to keep our stress levels down. Add dogs to the mix and you get a super-relaxed human: research shows that …

Even though I was only ten years old when we got my German shepherd dog, Clancy, back in the early 2000s, I knew early on that you could NOT leave Clancy’s food bag open. Even though we stored her food in the garage, a place she rarely went, we had to be careful because Clancy …

We all know that dogs don’t like Band-Aids. I mean, how can you even keep one on a furry pup? You can’t! That’s why wound sprays are such a genius invention — especially the ones tailored specifically for canines. There are two reasons I started looking into wound sprays for Eira: first, it’s summertime in …

There’s nothing like a soft, green lawn for you and your pups to relax on together on warm summer days. You can spread your picnic blanket on the grass, settle your pooch in next to you, and enjoy a meal together. Say you did this and one day you noticed unsightly yellow spots on your …

When I was a teenager, all I wanted was a CHI straightening iron. All my friends had one, but they cost a hundred bucks — a lot of money for a teenager who worked at McDonald’s to pay her enormous texting bill. So, I never got a CHI iron, and as the years slipped by, …

Because I’ve always had big dogs, I’m well versed in how to handle heavy, energetic dogs who love going on multiple walks a day. But this week, I’m visiting my in-laws in California. They have two toy dogs: Walter, a Maltese; and Rosemary, a Yorkshire terrier. These dogs are tiny—Rosemary only weighs 3 pounds! And …

On the car ride to pick up my new puppy from the city of Anchorage, Alaska last November, I played soft Christmas tunes over the radio. “We’re going to get our new puppy!” I told my toddler, barely able to contain my joy. I’d picked out a special name for our Alaskan malamute/German shepherd puppy: …

Let me make a confession first: I never even knew dog diapers were a thing before this week. Puppy training pads? Yes. Fresh patches of grass for dogs to pee on? Yes. But after recently finishing two and a half years of diaper-changing days with my toddler, I thought diapers were out of my life …

Have you ever found yourself out on a walk or hike with your dog, only to suddenly realize you brought plenty of water for your dog—but nothing for them to drink it out of? For the longest time, I relied on cupping my hands and pouring water into them. My German shepherds, Clancy and Bella, …

Back when I lived in Montana, I used to go jogging early in the winter mornings, long before the sun came up. I often took my one-year-old German shepherd, Bella, with me, and I wore a reflective vest and a headlamp. Bella didn’t have a vest. One morning, we were running in the darkness past …