In an exchange about our own dogs, Susan Tasaki—an editor and writer for The Bark—and I periodically used dog names from long deceased pets instead of the names belonging to the dogs currently in our lives. We both have a tendency to revert to our “default” dogs. In my case, I regularly refer to other dogs as “Bugsy”, a dog of mine who died in 2004, and she automatically pulls up the name “Emma” from time to time, even though Emma died about 6 years ago at the age of 15. (Miraculously, we still managed to understand each other perfectly, which may help explain the successful nature of our long-term collaboration as writer and editor.)

This recipe will make approximately 15 lbs. of food, enough to feed a 40 lb. dog two meals per day for a week. It contains 1,200 Kcal/kg or 34 Kcal/oz. More nutrition details and feeding instructions are discussed later in the article.

Directions reference the use of an electric pressure cooker, but a variety of other methods, from slow cookers (aka crock pots) to poaching, roasting or steaming are also options (tips will be available online). However, it is much easier and faster to use an electric pressure cooker.

The ingredients are fresh and uncooked unless otherwise noted. The amounts must be followed closely, but there is leeway in the choice of fruits and vegetables that can be used, and you can use thawed-out frozen varieties too. The supplements are specific brands, and provide a unique mix. It is important to use a kitchen scale to weigh each ingredient.

Maybe you’ve heard the news about all the pet food recalls recently. But you might not be aware that a high percentage of dogs are suffering from serious health issues—even if their owners don’t know it.

According to reports from CNN, Fox News, and the New York Times dog food may be one of the main culprits. These reports show that many brands of dog food contain harmful chemicals that could be silently harming your dog and shortening its lifespan.

Congratulations to all the young people who are marching in cities around the world today to support action to solve the climate change crisis. It is inspiring that it is students—including Greta Thunberg—who are leading this movement to help save our planet. We provide this profile of Thunberg in our spring issue.

Greta Thunberg, a dog-loving 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist, is on a mission for the good of humankind and for our planet. As she described in her 2018 TED^XStockholm talk, she learned about climate change when she was only eight and saw that no one was really doing much about it. After going into a deep depression at age 11, she says, she was “diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, OCD and selective mutism.”

Changes in sperm motility and damage to the DNA in the sperm are issues for males of both the human and the canine species. Over roughly the last 75 years (from 1938 to 2011), researchers have documented a 50-percent reduction in sperm quality in humans and the trend occurs worldwide. Similarly, dogs that live in homes with people have exhibited a sperm quality decline of about 30 percent over a 26-year period. These changes over time suggest that the declines are due to environmental factors.

Dog’s name and age: Loki, 2 years

Adoption Story: I spotted Loki on a Korean rescue organization’s Facebook page. In a video clip, a volunteer was walking Loki and gave him a pat on the head. Loki started rubbing his head into the volunteer’s hand and “purring” excitedly. It broke my heart to see how this dog was yearning for love so much that a simple pat on the head gave him such happiness.

After submitting our application and passing the interview process, the challenge was to bring him to the United States. The rescue relied on volunteers to lower costs and finding a volunteer whose destination was Seattle was very hard.

They found a flight volunteer going to San Francisco who was bringing another dog for a couple in Oregon. The other couple drove Loki from San Francisco to Oregon, and we picked him up from Oregon and drove the rest of the way back home to Seattle. This all happened in 3 days.

Dog’s name and age: Riley, 1 year

Adoption Story: Riley was adopted from the Canine Connections program at Echo Glen Children’s Center, a youth correctional facility in Snoqualmie, Wash. This long running program pairs the at-risk youth at Echo Glen with local shelter dogs who are looking for a leg up in getting adopted. During this class, the students learn how to use positive reinforcement to train the dogs in basic obedience and manners.

Riley is very social and loves playing chase with other dogs — and outruns most of them. She is affectionate and loves to meet people so she enjoys going to the office to greet everyone with her big smile.

I love dogs, I love running, and I love dessert, so any time that two or more of them come together is a source of joy for me. Newly crowned national champion and 2016 Olympian Colleen Quigley beautifully combined all three. In much of the press about her new title on the track as the country’s top miler, there were mentions of her new Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. His name is Pie, which means that he is worth celebrating this Pi Day, Thursday, March 14. (The date can be written as 3-14 and it is also Albert Einstein’s Birthday, so it’s the perfect day for math-themed festivities.)

Truth be told, Quigley’s dog Pie is named after a pizza place where she and her boyfriend went on their first date nearly a decade ago, but I don’t care. His name is Pie, his guardian is one of our country’s best track and field athletes, and he is as cute as a puppy can be. That makes him the perfect trifecta.