- Does Your Cat or Dog Need a New (and Unique!) Companion? Check This Out! http://t.co/2DrScZGq
- Winner Kara Laricks is from Overland Parj..Fashion Star’ goes over the rainbow http://t.co/SRNXQftq
- Some room for improvement..Siri, Y U No Understand Me? [INFOGRAPHIC] http://t.co/oWj2mT7Y via @zite
- Finding A Groom For Dying Celebrity Dog, Lucky http://t.co/cLiUIqvS via @zite
- Diamond Pet Foods Recalls More Dry Dog Food http://t.co/spmTWAb4 via @zite
Do Your Homework Before Buying From A Breeder
I’m an advocate for adoption vs. buying when it comes to adding a new pet to your home, but for those looking for purebred puppies through a 
breeder, here are some points to check out:
- Breeder should breed puppies that are mentally, genetically and physically healthy. They should have paperwork available for you to review to show screening that’s been done to ensure health of puppy’s parents.
- The breeder should allow you to meet the puppy’s parents.
- They should stay in touch with you and follow up to ensure the puppy you purchased from them is doing well.
- Breeder should require puppy be spayed/neutered unless the puppy will participate in dog shows.
- They should thoroughly screen prospective pet parents and require that puppy be given a secure, loving home.
- Puppies should be well socialized prior to going to their permanent homes.
- The breeder should be willing to take back the dog for any reason for the life of the dog.
Information for this post from Your Dog, April 2011.
Putting a Dog’s Sniffer to the Test! We’ve Struck Oil!
Party Marty back on the scene: Hey! I am one cool and busy cat! Glad to be back on the blogging front today! I just read some intriguing news and had to share. Just when I thought dogs were good for nothing…other than for simply teasing…I heard a story about how some dogs are being successfully trained by a Norwegian company called Sintef to find sources of oil! What? Dogs instead of high-tech radar equipment? You have to be kidding me! A dog is a dog, for crying out loud. I mean, look at Jessie over there, just snoozing on the floor and doing nothing to enhance her resume!
However, I remained intrigued. Evidently, two breeds of dogs are very competent in sniffing out crude oil sources – the Border Collie and the Dachshund! Yelling over to Jessie: Hey, girl! Guess you won’t be able to apply for this job! Go back to sleep. It’s what you do best!
Sintef has been training dogs for three years to located sources of oil underground, under ice and they have even been trained to locate oil spills! They are trained much like a dog that sniffs for bombs, but the work is far more intense and the journeys are far greater. The studies have suggested that the dogs’ innate sniffing power is far superior to the fancy and expensive radar equipment they use. However, according to the company, the dogs’ happiness is what comes first! Let me guess….they pay the dogs in Milk Bones!
How about the cat’s happiness? Let’s see if they can train Jessie! Do they have an oil-sniffing boot camp for diva dogs that live in the suburbs?
Surfing the Counter Instead of the Waves
Coconut, pictured here, is a notorious counter surfer. So much so that a couple of weeks ago she grabbed an asthma inhaler from the counter and went on to eat it! That near-death experience hasn’t dampened her surfing habit, though. Why do some dogs like to counter surf?
Researchers at Hood College actually did a study with 40 dogs that had been trained not to eat food from a plate by placing before them two identical containers filled with yummy goodies. One container was decorated with noisy bells and the alarms on the second one was disabled.
With human eyes on these dogs, the dogs fearlessly went for both containers equally. When the human was not looking, but was present, the dogs went for the container that did not elicit any noise when it was touched. This study concluded that dogs have a sense for considering how humans perceive their actions.
Ever noticed in multi-pet households there’ll be one dog watching the humans that leave the kitchen with something left on the counter? As soon as they are out of sight from the kitchen, that other dog will jump up on the counter with his front paws and snatch the food away, like a thief in the night!
The first dog is happily resting on the floor when the humans reenter the room, leaving dog #2 to take the fall. I think the researchers at Hood College may be onto something with that whole perception thing!
(Thanks to asylum.com for this great information about the dog studies!)
Pets and the Elderly Make A Winning Team
Dogs provide great benefits for seniors. Here are some ways in which pets provide health benefits to the elderly:
- Reduce blood pressure
- Reduce cholesterol levels
- Enhance social activities. (Grandpa can go to the dog park and pick up some cute Grandma!)
- Ease the pain when a loved one dies
- Provide affection and unconditional love
- Encourage increased activity in seniors
- Decrease feelings of isolation and loneliness
When deciding what type of breed to get for an older person, take into consideration where he or she lives, his or her physical condition, strength, and health status and compare this to the temperament of the dog. The person needs to be able to handle the dog well. Among some good choices of breeds for seniors include Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Chin, Llasa Apso, Maltese, Miniature Poodle, Pug, and Shih Tzu.
I’ve Got Soap in My Eyes Again!
Bolt, three-year-old Yorkie-Poo guest blogger: Ugh..what a way to start the day. Just when I thought I could kick back and lounge in the sun, my human came to get me and took me to…are you ready for this?…the dreaded SHOWER! I know, I know…I admit…I feel great afterwards, but the actual process of getting wet and lathered up is just not my thing, especially when I fuss and the soap gets in my eyes.
This begs the question on all water-fearing dogs out there: How often do you get a bath? It seems around here it happens about once a month. I do all that I can to stay clean. I don’t jump in puddles or roll in the mud. I try not to work up a sweat on my daily walks. I don’t go running through the brush. However, the dirt and stuff does accumulate, so I can understand why my human does not want a filthy dog running around her house or getting on the furniture. (Wait! Scratch that last thought! She thinks I stay off the couch!)
I did a bit of research on the internet. (I was too lazy to take a poll of the neighborhood dogs!) It seems the general consensus is to bathe dogs about every 3-6 weeks, depending on how much fur they have. The more fur, the more maintenance. Dogs need grooming, too, which is separate from bathing. We have to keep our fur from becoming matted and gross. I do pride myself on my overall appearance, you know!
Fortunately, my human keeps me well-groomed. My hair is very short and so much more manageable, keeping that shower hose at bay for longer than some of my furrier counterparts may see. That other dog in the house with me also gets bathed as frequently as I do. However, for the record, I will note that we are probably cleaned just a tad bit more than other dogs as some of those little people in our home have allergies, and by keeping us routinely clean, they can enjoy our presence. I do what I can and will take one for the team in that regard! Love those little people….they usually come with treats!
Have a great day! Spring is almost here!
Is Your Pet Into Working Out?
Pets require a regular fitness regimen to keep them on the road to good health, so make an appointment with your pet’s health.
Experts tend to agree that 30 minutes a day, four times a week, is enough exercise for a dog. However, just like it is for humans, a daily workout would be better. For cats, experts suggest 15 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy. However, two 15 minute sessions for indoor cats are optimal.
Some ideas for the dog set include playing fetch with your pooch. Go for a long walk or jog. Play a wild game of chase. If your dog is a water-lover, go for a swim! Have fun! Whatever game you can drum up that will get your dog’s heart pounding is great!
Cats tend to engage in social play, such as romping, wrestling, and chasing. Or, they get into object play, such as stalking, pouncing, or chasing an object around the house. When it comes to exercising your cat, focus on the object play.
Some objects that make great fitness props include feather toys, furry toy mice, toy balls on slick floors, catnip toys, or even laser toys. (Just make sure not to beam the laser into the cat’s eyes!)
Are there some great benefits to all of this? Pets who experience regular exercise tend to act out less frequently. They will gain social skills through the constant interaction with you. You will bond with your pet. Above all, the health of your pet will be improved and he/she can most likely live a longer, healthier, and happier life!
Funny Pet Video of the Week
I filmed this the other night….Jazz has solved The Mystery of the Kong and is quite good at extracting treats from her personal Kong. Check her out..
Iditarod 2012
The race is going as I write this. Here is a video of the race kickoff, plus some neat footage from the sled point of view….enjoy!
What If They Had Opposable Thumbs Day?
One thing that sets us apart from our pets is that we have opposable thumbs and they don’t, but what if……….
Today is the day to ponder the question, What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs?
Here are some things they might do:
- Give You a Thumbs Up: If your pet had thumbs, he would be giving you a thumbs up!
- Vacuum While You’re Out: I’ve often asked Jessie and Marty to do this..Maybe he or she will vacuum while you’re out! Only fair considering much of the mess is probably the result of shedding.
- Text Their Pals: If pets ever do have thumbs, you should make sure their text messaging plan is unlimited.
- Hog the Remote: You probably never realized that the only reason your pet likes to watch the same shows as you is because he can’t change the channels without thumbs. If your pet gets thumbs, there will be a power struggle for control of the remote, for sure.
- Surf the Internet: Want to spend some quality time with your pet? Too bad! Now that she has thumbs, nights will be spent surfing the Internet.
- Open the Refrigerator: I have no doubt at all this would be a go!
Think about it, what would YOUR pet do if he or she had opposable thumbs?
Some ideas for this post from prnewswire.com
It’s The Day To Talk Spay
On National Spay Day, we wanted to give you some reasons to spay or neuter your pet:
- > A dog or cat as young as 4 months of age can get pregnant.
- > Litter mates can produce a litter!
- > Cats typically enter their first heat between 4 to 6 months. A cat will usually have 2 to 4 heat cycles a year, each about 15-25 days in length. If breeding does not occur, these heat cycles will reoccur every 15 to 20 days and it is possible for these cycles to to repeat every 3 to 4 weeks. Based on these figures, one unspayed female and one unneutered male can be responsible for 420,000 kittens during their lifetimes!
- > Dogs typically enter their first heat between 4 to 6 months. These cycles last, on average, about 3 weeks and will usually have them every 4 to 7 months.
- > Dogs/cats spayed before their first heat have less than 0.5% chance of developing breast cancer (mammary cancer)
- > At least 50% of the overpopulation problem is non-neutered males. Females can’t do it alone.
So, as Drew Carey (and Bob Barker before him) says it the end of EVERY Price Is Right episode, have your pet spayed or neutered!
Information for this post from spayorneuter.com
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