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Cats and Dogs Working Together To Find Lost Pets
This story was featured on the Animal Planet Show Must Love Cats. Cheeto the cat helps train dogs to help find lost cats. Check out Karma the Pit Bull Detective…..this is a cool story!
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!)
What Do Women Want?
It seems like there are surveys for everything these days, and finding out what women want is on the list of such surveys.
A 2009 online poll showed 78% of women indicated they would choose a dog over a husband. A petside.com poll from 2010 showed that a third of the 1100 women participants felt their pets were better listeners than their husbands.
According to one of the respondents in the 2009 poll, age 29, she would much rather have a pet and just date the men. She believes overall that would be less stressful, and she really does not want to commit to getting to know someone over time, concluding that life is just too short for that sort of thing.
In a related survey by a mattress company, 55% of women noted that it would be preferable to sleep with their pet in the bed than with their partner, citing the partner as far more annoying than the pet! Overall, 67% of the respondents noted they like to sleep with their pets.
Can we get the pets to do the laundry and take out the trash?
Hmm, men, what do YOU think?
Fun Facts About Names
Did you know today is Fun Facts About Names Day? I found this article online at Vetstreet.com the other day about how and why we pick the names we do for our pets. Here’s an excerpt…..
“Pet owners nowadays are favoring more human-like monikers for their animals — Charlie and Chloe, anyone? — and even pop culture-inspired picks that pay homage to cult movie characters, including Bella from the Twilight series.
It turns out that the names we select for our pets say a lot about our culture — and the fact that we have truly come to view pets as indispensable members of the family.
Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard and creator of babynamewizard.com, explains why less-than-expected monikers, such as Zoey and Bentley, are all the rage these days.
Popular names like Lulu, Milo, Leo and Louie bear a striking resemblance to a current baby-naming trend that Wattenberg calls “Guys and Dolls–style.” These are nicknames that are short and cute but somewhat old-fashioned. “Parents are giving pets the more extreme versions of their kids’ names,” says Wattenberg. “While they’re happy to name their children Leo and Max, they aren’t quite ready for Lulu or Milo for their kids.”
The names we choose for animals also symbolize our increasing connection to pets — and this is particularly evident when it comes to female kitty names, such as Lola, Stella, Zoey and Penny. Not only do these picks have a soft, cozy sound to them, but Wattenberg also points out that “the more human names we give our pets, the more family-like a role they tend to play. These names lend a feeling of warmth and personal attachment to the pet.”
Another popular pet-naming trend that speaks to our tendency to look at pets as children: single-sex picks like Dexter and Gunner. “Classic unisex pet names used to be about physical characteristics — Spot, Midnight, Fluffy — which you might think of as objectifying today,” says Wattenberg. “Now pets are given more traditional, single-sex human names.”
As long as blockbuster books and flicks continue to hit the market, people will gravitate toward pop culture monikers. A couple of hot names for pets today: Bentley, the name of a baby on Teen Mom, and Nala, a main character in The Lion King.”
What inspired your pet’s name?
When Mere Words Are Not Enough…
Jessie, the compassionate dog (at least when Party Marty, that darned cat, is not around!): Sometimes, a picture says way more than mere words can. I just had to post this today. I don’t know to whom credit should be given for the photo, but I trust it will be appreciated by many posting it here. It warms my heart to see this. Dogs rock!
Are Your Cats and Dogs Offended When You Call Them Pets?
I read an article in the December issue of the Your Dog newsletter that left me shaking my head. Animal ethicists have objected to calling cats and dogs that live with us “pets,” stating that the term is derogatory and belittles our relationship with four-legged residents. Instead of “pet”, the ethicists propose the term “animal companion.”
The ethicists go on to state terms like “pest” , “critter”, and “vermin” should be eliminated when referring to animals. They also believe we referring to ourselves as “pet owners” indicate the animals are property or things to be used without any moral consideration. The replacement for “pet owner” would be “human caregiver.”
Cats and dogs are looking for a safe place to live where they will get the food, shelter and love they deserve. I don’t think they really care if we call them “pets” or “animal companions” as long as we give them a good home.
What do you think?
Things My Dog Taught Me: Don’t Hold A Grudge
There are so many things we could learn from our pets that I could go on with this series forever, but I’m going to stop after this third installment. Have you ever held a grudge against someone for a perceived wrong done to you, only to find that other person has moved on and is doing fine? If you think about it, does the grudge really serve any purpose? Not really, what’s done is done and can’t be replayed, so doesn’t seem to waste time dwelling on it, right?
Well, once again, our pets are so much smarter about this than we humans. Pets don’t hold grudges, at least not for more than a few minutes or maybe a day at the most because we’ve left them behind while we were gone. Dogs live in the present, they don’t waste time on the past, or worry constantly about what might happen in the future. Sometimes it seems that pets should hold a grudge, especially against a person that’s abusing them. But, cool beings that they are, pets still care for those they think will take care of them.
You’ll breathe easier once you let the bad feelings tied to the grudge go. Chronic anger has been linked to a decline in lung function, while forgiveness contributes to lower blood pressure and reduced anxiety. People who forgive also tend to have higher self-esteem.
So take it from your wise canine buddy, let the grudge go…….you’ll feel so much better as a result!
What has your dog taught you?
Pets Are Worth It
I recently started working with an elderly lady that moved here a couple of weeks ago. She is living in an assisted living community and has a canine roommate.
The lady isn’t very mobile (uses a walker), so it isn’t possible for her to walk the dog. That’s where I come in, walking the dog morning and evening. Those that aren’t “pet people” would question why she would have a pet, since she isn’t able to totally care for her dog.
What I see is that her dog is a companion, keeping her company in the quiet times when family isn’t around and there’s no one else to talk to about the day.
Pets are great company, they watch and listen, but never judge us. They can be a source of comfort in bad times, and are happy to celebrate good times with us.
“Just a dog”‘ “just a cat”……..nope, they’re a whole lot more!
This Cat is a Lifesaver
Here’s the story of Leroy, a cat that saved his person’s life, and helped saved the neighbors too!
Book Review: “One Good Dog”
I found this book reviewed in a magazine I read a few months ago, based on the review I added it to my list of ones to read, and after finishing it today I’m very glad I did!
There are many “a man and his dog” books available, I’ve read a few of them, but I haven’t read one with quite the character Susan Wilson puts into One Good Dog.
The book is told from the perspective of both man and dog. The man, Adam March, is a corporate ladder-climber that has a meltdown one day at the office and loses the posh career and lifestyle he’s become accustomed to. After the meltdown, his wife divorces him, daughter avoids him and he is forced to perform community service at a local homeless shelter.
The canine side of the story is from Chance’s perspective, a pit bull that was trained to fight but eventually finds a way to escape. Chance is quite articulate and perceptive, not traits that would commonly be applied to the breed, but it works the way Wilson tells his story.
Through a series of events, Adam and Chance meet and eventually become a pack of two. They’re both grizzled, not ones to easily trust or care for the other, but over time that does change.
Not everything in this story is pleasant, Chance speaks quite frankly of the fight experience and Adam is shocked to discover what became of his long-lost sister.
This book is a great example of the bond that can and very often does develop between dog (yes, even pit bulls!) and owner. I would very highly recommend it to anyone that is a dog lover!
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