10 Commandments
June 7, 2008
My brother sent me this list of the Pet’s 10 Commandments - very touching!
Tank the Wonder Dog
June 6, 2008
From New Zealand: Tank, a four-month old terrier mix began jumping on the bed of his guardians early in the morning. Just another one of the “joys” of having a puppy, perhaps?
Sex and the City
June 4, 2008
Have you seen Gidget Gormley in the Sex and the City movie?
My dog’s English skills
June 3, 2008
You know, The Dog Whisperer has made an entire living off the concept that dogs and humans need an interpreter. Turns out my dog, at least, understands good old-fashioned English.
Who Gets the Dog?
May 28, 2008
The latest trend in pre-nuptual agreements? Pup-nups! That’s right, deciding before you get married who will get the dogs in case of divorce.
Miss Kitty
May 28, 2008
Mom lives out in the country with two English Springer Spaniels named Rosie and Rochester. After a bad thunderstorm brought down several large branches, she and the dogs were outside cleaning up.
Dog Bite Prevention Week
May 19, 2008
May 18 - 23 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 4.7 million people are bitten each year. In about half of the cases serious enough to warrant medical attention, the victim is a child.
What can you do to prevent dog bites?
- Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
- Don’t pet a dog without permission.
- Report loose dogs to the proper authorities.
- Stand still if an unfamiliar dog approaches you. If you run, the dog will chase you and may knock you down. If the dog does knock you down, roll into a tight ball & put your hands over your ears.
- Avoid direct eye contact with dogs - they see it as an attempt to dominate them.
- If a dog tries to attack you, “feed” it something else - a book, an umbrella, or your jacket.
- Don’t disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
If you are bitten, wash the wound with soap and water immediately. If the bite breaks the skin, seek medical attention. Report all dog bites to the health department or animal control office so the dog can be quarantined until the danger of your catching rabies has passed.
If you own a dog, have him/her neutered or spayed - hard to believe, but this actually reduces aggression. Take your dog to obedience classes and make sure he obeys your basic commands. Don’t chain your dog, if possible - this increases aggression. If your dog has bitten before or is aggressive, don’t let him be around people without a muzzle!
Working together, we can all reduce the risk of another child having to face life permanently scarred.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
More Life with Jake
May 8, 2008
My friend Wendy’s dog, Jake, has a habit of taking something outside with him. At first, it was just dog toys. Then, he started grabbing shoes on his way out the door.
Soon, he began grabbing things from the living room - the TV remote control, throw pillows from the couch, and blankets. The last straw was when he laid claim to Wendy’s bra out of the laundry basket. The neighborhood really got a free show that time!
Doggie Profiling
May 8, 2008
Looking for a new member for your family, but not sure what breed to choose? A controversial study from the American Veterinary Association shows that breeds can be placed in seven groups based on three general traits:
- Reactivity (described as showing a need for affection, excessive barking, snapping at children, being excitable, or having a high activity level)
- Aggressiveness (showing dominance or being territorial)
- Trainability (easy to train)
You can use this these groups to narrow down your search, based on what you are looking for in a dog.
Dog trumps dad in some families, study reveals
May 6, 2008
Shannon Proudfoot of Canwest News Service reports that while plenty of people describe their pets as members of the family, a new study shows that for the most devoted dog owners, Fido outranks some two-legged loved ones.
Dog lovers report being as attached to their pooches on a series of standard relationship measures as they are to their mothers, siblings, best friends and significant others, and even closer to them than they are to their fathers. The most striking results came from those most attached to their pets, but even among a general sample of 111 college students living with dogs, people say they crave their dog’s company as much as some human family members. [Read more]
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