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  I walk my dogs every day, usually first thing in the morning. Though sometimes I am reluctant to leave my cozy house—especially when it’s cold out—I rarely regret it once I’m out there. Besides giving myself and the dogs much needed daily exercise, my walks are a time for my mind to wander and ponder, to settle, to move over what’s puzzling and tugging at my brain. The pace of my breath quickly matches that of my feet. Something about that rhythm and the movement is soothing, allowing my swirling thoughts, wonderings and uncertainties to achieve a coherence. I’d...

We’ve known for years that dogs, with their floppy ears, slobbery tongues, and faithful dispositions, were good for our mental and physical health. But now scientists believe those health benefits go even deeper. Researchers are examining dog and people germs and finding that bacteria living on and within dogs may be one more way that man’s best friend is guarding human health. Over the past 5 years, many studies have looked at dog ownership, human health, and the human microbiome -- the billions of healthy bacteria that live in and on the body. None of the research is has the...

The demand for domestically manufactured products is expanding beyond food into other product categories. KEITH LORIA Consumer demand for U.S.-made pet foods produced with domestically sourced ingredients has been an ongoing trend for more than a decade. Now, demand is on the rise for made in the U.S. hard goods and nonedibles, as pet owners seek out toys, collars, leashes, beds and other products bearing that distinction, pet specialty retailers and manufacturers assert. Alisha Navarro, president of Indian Trail, N.C.-based 2 Hounds Design, which offers American-made collars, leashes and harnesses, remembers a time not too long ago when made in...