Pet Peeves - hot-button pet issues that make owners growl, wag and purr, or bare their teeth - Pets & Animals on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

I love pets. I love reading. But it really hisses me off when authors relegate animals to window dressing. Best-selling thriller author James Rollins never makes that mistake, and brings the animals to life in his latest veterinary medical thriller. In this fascinating interview, learn about his research and writing routine, how he transitioned from a veterinary career to novelist, and more. Ever wondered what cloning, parrot behavior, DNA, animal intelligence, fractals, magnetite, and the Baghdad zoo have in common? Read "Altar of Eden" to find out!

In recent shows week, I’ve talked with ATF canine handlers partnered with accelerant detection, explosives detection, and tactical dogs. I’ve been impressed by the dedication of the handlers, and applaud the ATF’s position on positive dog training. Today we’re completing the series with a canine trainer for the ATF, Shawn Crawford. And while the ATF embraces positive training techniques, hopefully Mr. Crawford can shed some light on the puzzling issue of why the ATF hires "contract trainers" who may use less than positive methods to train tactical dogs and handlers.

While I hate the thought of guns, I understand how hunters and sports-folk have a passion for them. And I also recognize the need for firearms in law enforcement to counter all the bad guys out there using deadly force. But I really like the idea of canine officers trained to assist their human partners. Because once that trigger’s pulled, there’s no calling the bullet back-- not so, with a tactical canine officer. Recent shows featured arson and bomb detection canines, and today I talk with Special Agent Mark Murray about his tactical canine partner, Barron. I had the privilege to see Barron and SA Murray give a demonstration at Thrillerfest 2009 in New York and am delighted to share some insights into this special partnership.

Television CSI programs rely on scientific techniques to uncover evidence of a crime. But some of the most effective crime fighting detectives have four feet and fur, and sniff their way through the workload. Explosives detection dogs can identify guns, bombs, a huge array of bomb components, and do so with a happy wag. Join today’s show and learn how these ATF canines are trained. Special Agent Chris Bombardiere and his explosives detection canine Ithaca join Pet Peeves, and it’s a blast!

Wildfires decimate thousands of acres each year, destroying homes and lives. Many are deemed acts of nature, but 25 percent of fires in the United States result from arson. Join Lt. Arthur Czajkowski and his arson-detection canine Porche to learn how dogs are trained, and the work they do as part of the ATF Federal Task Force and National Response Team.

Last week was all about understanding our canine family members better. This week, cats get equal time. Did you know that cats need brain-candy as much as dogs--or people? It’s not just a treat, it’s a necessity--and our felines are starving for intellectual enrichment. Too often, Kitty ends up getting in trouble because she has no legal outlet for her normal energy-- or becomes a feline couch potato getting pudgy in her nether regions and her brain. Cat behavior counselor Ingrid Johnson offers great suggestions for keeping your cats healthy both emotionally and physically, and preventing potential problems at the same time. Are your cats and dogs puzzling you? Need pet info-tainment and behavior tips? Wonder about links to past and future Pet Peeves radio episodes?

Animals communicate with us constantly--and misunderstanding can have dire consequences. A dog wagging his tail means he’s friendly so you can pet him-- right or wrong? He licks his lips to say--what? Every dog wants to be dominant, correct? Alpha-rolling a dog shows you’re the boss--true or false? Misunderstandings can mean a damaged relationship or worse. What do those doggy signals really mean? Join Barbara Handelman as she describes her stunning new book, CANINE BEHAVIOR, A PHOTO ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK, and debunks some common misconceptions about what your dog is telling you.

Pet lovers enjoy novels that include dogs and cats, but the author better get the facts right! Misspelling breed names, calling the cat an "it" or (horrors!) showing the supposedly savvy heroine doctoring the doggy hero with human medication toxic to pets brings out readers’ claws. We purr with delight when authors include real-life characters and their pets-- and bestselling author John Gilstrap’s latest thriller, No Mercy includes a tribute to his own furry muse. John also shares his take on author responsibility, and whether writers should worry about giving bad guys dangerous ideas.

Most cases of animal abuse are never reported, because the victims can’t cry out for help. Animal cruelty is against the law-- but can’t be stopped if offenders aren’t identified and prosecuted, and existing laws enforced. Dr. Melinda D. Merck pioneered veterinary forensics and joined the ASPCA in 2007 as a Forensic Veterinarian. Her work has been instrumental in nailing notorious abusers, including Michael Vick. Learn how Dr. Merck’s career evolved, what she does, how she’s teaching others to be a voice for abused animals, and ways you can make a positive difference in your own community.

Hurting animals is not only unethical, society agrees it’s sick. Appalling news reports of children torturing and killing cats and dogs makes pet lovers’ blood run cold. Such crimes demand more than a slap on the wrist, and not just to protect animals. Because abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people. Cat lover Dr. D.P. Lyle, the Macavity Award winning and Edgar Award nominated author of many how-to writing books including Forensics for Dummies discusses the link between animal abuse and serial killers. We also discuss why more pets are being included in recent fiction, and what rules authors might want to heed.

Some pets make our hearts take wing-- literally. There are 350 species of parrot, and people who share their lives with companion birds understand they’re more than mere decorations. But the normal behavior of these lovely companions can frustrate owners. What do you do when your parrot bites, screams nonstop, or pulls out his feathers? Parrot behavior consultant Kashmir Csaky, a breeder of the mellow-fellow indigo-colored Hyacinth and the flying-rainbow Scarlet Macaw, offers answers to all your must-know parrot questions.

When an animal companion is "bad" we just want the behavior to stop. But waving a wand that makes the critter "act nice" could be compared to inserting a cork when diarrhea develops, without addressing the "why" of the symptom. We short-change our pets by not looking deeper into why they misbehave. Dr. Susan Friedman says we all behave for an effect, and it’s important to understand what prompts an action in order to address it. She’ll explain all this and more-- including some fascinating insights about parrots-- in this episode.

When your parrot, cat, dog or horse acts up, who ya gonna call? These days, every Tom, Dick and Jane claims to be an expert, and frankly, they can "whisper" all they want but it doesn’t mean your pets will listen. Finding qualified behavior help can be a challenge, especially if you don’t want to make a bad situation worse with bad advice. Join Margie Alonso, a certified dog behavior consultant and president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, for a down-and-dirty discussion of what to look for (and avoid) when seeking behavior help for your pets.

Cats can’t be trained! Everybody knows that-- never mind that cats they learn to use the litter box, scratch the right object, come running when the can opener whirrs, and and and-- Wait a minute! Does that really count as training? You betcha! Before your cat gets his claws into your brain and turns it to mush training you, tune into this episode of Pet Peeves to learn how to train your cat. Syndicated columnist and behavior consultant Steve Dale not only explains some step-by-step training tips for your special purr-kid, he offers some pretty nifty reasons why you’d want to explore the world of kitty training.

Communicating with our companion animals takes more than a shout-out. In fact, cats and dogs (and other critters) talk back to us all the time. If we’d just shut up and listen, our relationship would be so much richer. Animal trainer Kayce Cover says true two-way communication with our pets isn’t just a dream; she’s turned it into a reality. Listen and learn in this unique Pet Peeves episode how to teach your animals ways to speak so you can understand what they’re saying!