http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/business/yourmoney/05lunch.html?pagewanted=print

Interview with the president of Iams with some advice from his own
experience (so nice the exec of an animals products firm loves animals)

* Don't assume that obesity is any healthier for pets than it is for
people. For a cat, the ribs are the best indicator: if you can see them,
the cat's too skinny; if you can't put your fingers between them, it's
too fat

* Don't believe the myth that animals will naturally eat what's best for
them. Dry food, for example, is better for a dog's or cat's teeth than
wet food, and usually costs a lot less. "But wet food gets the
lip-smackin', tail-waggin' reaction, and owners give in"
(ED: had to give my guys canned because first Max then Beast needed
extra protein...I still do because someone's been trained :-) but the 4
share a small can per meal and love it, many snacks of kibble in
between, Loos and Case are too fat in spite of restrictions)

* Use Pavlov as a guide for training. If you want the pet to come
running at meal time, noisily shake something - the food itself, if it's
dry - in a container. The pet will soon learn to associate the noise
with the food, and to come whenever it hears it. But don't forget the
dark side of Pavlovian conditioning: feed a dog or cat from the table,
and it will quickly learn that annoying you at meal time brings nice
rewards.
(ED:  my guys come when I whistle, to watch Willie now Quinn come racing
from wherever they are on the property is a hoot!)

* Recognize that pets can suffer from allergies, too. If your dog or cat
licks its paws a lot, gnaws at its own skin, loses clumps of hair or
seems prone to ear infections, its diet may be to blame.

* Buy pet health insurance. Surgery and hospitalization for pets can run
into the thousands of dollars, yet Mr. Ansell said that fewer than 1
percent of American pet owners are insured against them. The cost for
insuring a kitten or puppy is in the ballpark of $25 a month - and that
includes many vaccinations.  (ED:  I don't agree but there you are)

and for dogs specifically:
* Don't get two puppies at the same time. "Dogs are by nature pack
animals, so they'll bond with each other instead of the family," Mr.
Ansell said. And do not even think of obedience school before a puppy is
at least three months old. "Better it should bond with the family before
it socializes with other dogs

* Know why you want a dog, and pick a breed accordingly. If you want a
fierce guard dog that's also a loving companion, go for a German
shepherd or even a Rottweiler. If you'd rather have big and gentle,
Leonbergers do the trick. If you are a neatnik or are allergic to pet
dander, pick a nonshedding dog like a soft-coated Wheaton terrier, a
Kerry blue or a poodle. Special alert: Mexican hairless dogs shed skin,
which can prompt allergic reactions. And avoid Newfoundlands if drooling
bothers you.

--
"The web has got me caught.  I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got."  <via Nat King Cole>