Fwd: 2/5 I Love Dogs Blog

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Date: 2010/2/5
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2010/2/5 Feed My Inbox <updates@feedmyinbox.com>

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. I Love Dogs Blog Anticruelty bill for cats, dogs advances in Miss. February 4, 2010 at 9:32 PM Anticruelty bill for cats, dogs advances in Miss. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Senate has passed a bill that would make it a felony to torture or maim cats or dogs. The bill passed Thursday with bipartisan support. The bill moves to the House. Read more on WXVT 15 Greenville   Multipet Nobbly Wobbly Ball Large Dog Toy February 4, 2010 at 1:18 PM Rubber ball for dogs Tough Rubber Interwoven Ball Product Description Colorful Rubber Interwoven Ball for dogs Multipet Nobbly Wobbly Ball Large Dog Toy   When A Younger Dog Challenges An Older Dog February 4, 2010 at 1:02 PM Doggy social dynamics can be fascinating to watch in your home, but they can also make you a nervous wreck.  If you've ever had an older and younger dog at odds over who should be the Top Dog in your home, then you know that it can be a difficult situation.   If you've ever brought home a cute, adorable little puppy, you probably never imagined that one day he would be challenging your big, tough older dog to see who would be the boss.  But that situation comes up all the time in two-dog homes.  Your older dog may be the boss for years but there will come a time when he gets a little older and the younger dog will start to feel that he should be in charge.   To make matters worse, both dogs love you and want your attention.  They're probably very jealous over you.  That means that the older dog sees you as his mom or dad and he resents the younger dog for even coming to live with the two of you.  The younger dog may be the baby of the house and he thinks you're his mom or dad.  He'd like nothing better than for the older dog to get lost so you can be all his.   Of course, the two dogs may get along just fine most of the time.  You may be able to feed them together.  They may lie beside each other without any problems.  They may even play with the same toys.  But underneath it all there are tensions.  Give them something to fight about and WWIII can break out.  Older dog wants younger dog gone; and younger dog wants to take over.   You may be tempted to take sides from time to time.  Chances are that you may think that the older dog is picking on the younger dog sometimes.  This is because, in the canine social order, the older dog outranks the younger dog.  Your older dog is the so-called Alpha dog in your little pack.  Regardless of his size, your older dog is, well, older.  He's more mature.  He was, simply speaking, in your house first.  He has the stronger claim to you and your family.  That means that he has higher status.  He is supposed to get first call on treats, toys, food and all of the other goodies in the house.   When you show favoritism to the younger dog you are mixing up the signals for your dogs.  If you give the younger dog the toys and treats first, you are elevating him in status above the older dog.  In other words, you are giving the younger dog ideas above his station.  You are sending him the signal that it's okay to ignore the older dog's special position as top dog.  You're undermining the older dog's authority.  What you're really doing is promoting a fight between the two dogs because the younger dog will think its okay to attack the older dog, and the older dog will think that he has to defend his position.   If you have an older dog and a younger dog and you want to keep peace in your household the best thing to do is to respect the older dog's position as top dog.  Offer him treats and toys first.  Feed him first.  There will come a time when your older dog can no longer keep his position as top dog but he should always be treated with respect.  You can set that example for the younger dog.  When your older dog is too old to be top dog anymore the younger dog will gradually take over and it most likely won't involve any fights.  For the time being you should avoid sending mixed signals to your dogs.  Stick with the canine pack hierarchy. View full post on Dog Behavior – Dog Information   Socializing A New Dog In Your Home February 4, 2010 at 1:02 PM You've been waiting for months.  You've done all your homework.  You've chosen the perfect new puppy for your home.  You have a collar, a leash, a bag of food that the puppy has been eating.  You've even taken a day off from work so you can go get the puppy and bring him home.  He has a bed and toys waiting for him at home.  You've thought of everything, right?  Right up until the moment one of your kids asks, "Won't Rover just love the new puppy?"  Oh, no.  What about the dog you already have?  What about that sweet, beloved old guy at home who has been the center of the family's attention for years?  How is he going to feel about sharing his home with a new puppy?  Did you forget to ask him about bringing a new puppy home?  How is he going to react?  It looks like you're well on your way to having to! learn how to socialize your new puppy and your old dog.  But, don't worry too much.  It's not that hard and you can all get through the process with a little effort.   The most important thing is to ensure the safety of all concerned – you, your family the puppy and the older dog.  Make certain that the puppy will be safe and that the older dog cannot harm him.  It's a good idea to place the new puppy (or new dog) in a pet carrier or crate that will keep him from coming into physical contact with the older dog at first.  This way they can still see, smell and hear each other without anyone getting hurt.  They can get used to each other in a safe situation.  If you're dealing with a larger puppy or an adult dog you may need to leash both animals.  It helps to have an assistant on hand (a family member is fine).   Remember that rewards go a long way toward helping to ease these situations.  You will basically want to reward your older dog when he shows acceptance of the new puppy (or dog).  After the two dogs have calmed down a little give each of them a little reward, such as a bite of kibble or some other favorite treat.  Give the puppy and the older dog lots of praise and affection for not barking or showing aggression toward each other.  (It will be tempting to show more affection and praise to the puppy but you should be careful not to overlook the older dog.  You don't want to do things that will make the older dog jealous.)  Keep in mind that you are trying to show your older and the puppy that you accept the other dog's presence as part of the family and that you expect them to accept the other dog, too.  You will probably need to repeat this process several times until both dogs become accustomed to each other and any hostilit! y has subsided.  It's typical for the older dog to display more aggression than the puppy.  The puppy may be very submissive.  This is normal.  Some puppies may be frisky and something of a nuisance to older dogs.  Older dogs will put up with this behavior to varying degrees.  Some older dogs are more tolerant than others but most will respond and set limits at some point.   The next step in this process is to allow the animals a closer inspection of each other.  For this step you need an assistant to help control one of the animals.  Your assistant should leash the older dog and hold him firmly on a very short leash.  Make sure your assistant has control of the dog.  You will then open the pet carrier or crate and bring out the new puppy or dog.  Or, both animals may be on leashes.  At this point you will bring the two dogs close together.  The dogs will most likely move toward each other to sniff and meet.  They will explore the other animal so you should be sure your assistant is holding the dog tightly.  You should be careful not to let the new pet panic or escape your hold.  You can gradually bring the two dogs closer together and allow them to calmly meet.  One or both dogs may growl in warning.  Watch the dogs carefully and be prepared to separate them if necessary.  You ! can try again later if need be.  Dogs in a home typically establish a pecking order – they will establish who is boss.  Your older dog has seniority and will probably quickly let the puppy or other dog know that he is in charge in the home.  The other dog will probably accept a subordinate role for the time being.  Dogs are good at working at most squabbles on their own without human interference.   The last thing to keep in mind is that not everyone gets along.  Not with people and not with dogs.  There will be days when your dogs may not get along.  They may have disagreements about a toy or about a place to sleep or about food.  These are usually quickly resolved and your dogs will be friends again.  In other cases there are some dogs that don't like each other and may never like each other.  However, with patience and some good management on your part, you can avoid fights and keep your house peaceful most of the time.  You may have to call a time-out sometimes, or send the dogs to a separate room to cool off, but things will calm down.   If you're thinking of getting a new puppy or adult dog you can help prepare your older dog for the coming change and make things easier for him.  Start socializing your older dog more.  Take him to a dog park or a pet superstore that allows dogs to visit.  Let him begin to meet some new dogs so it's easier on him when he meets a new dog in his home.  You may even be able to arrange for him to meet your new puppy on neutral ground, such as at a dog park, where your older dog feels less territorial.  You may even wish to consider having a dog party at your home where several people bring their dogs to your house.  (Though this may be stressful for some dogs, other dogs may enjoy having dog guests in their home.  It helps to know your dog well and how he may react.)  All of these things will help your dog adjust when he meets your new puppy.   Do take your older dog's feeling into consideration when you think about bringing a new puppy or adult dog into your home.  Many dogs welcome a puppy or new dog into the household, but for dogs who have been "only dogs" their entire lives it can be somewhat threatening to have a new dog in the household.  They feel threatened both by having their living space invaded and by feeling jealous of your time and attention and love.  Everything they know is being challenged and turned upside down.  Give them time to adjust to a new puppy or dog and help them adapt by introducing the new animal slowly.  Make sure you continue to show your older dog plenty of love and affection and it will help him accept the newcomer. View full post on Dog Behavior – Dog Information   Dog Sports To Enjoy with Your Dog (Part 1) February 4, 2010 at 12:58 PM Some dogs enjoy being couch potatoes and love bugs more than anything in the world.  But, there are other dogs that seem to have a calling in life.  They can have hidden talents, or not so hidden talents.  Does your dog get a kick out of playing frisbee?  Does he live for diving and retrieving things in the water?  Is he great at jumping over objects or catching a ball on the fly?  Or maybe your dog can dance like Fred Astaire?   There are numerous sports and activities for dogs with special talents or simply for dogs and their owners who enjoying doing things together.   Agility is the fastest growing dog sport in North America with thousands of dogs and owners competing each year.  The sport calls for the dog, with on-course supervision by the handler, to complete an obstacle course.  The course is usually comprised of such obstacles as a teeter-totter, weave poles, jumps, a tunnel, and other objects.  The dog with the fastest time wins.  Penalties in handling the objects add time faults to the score.  Agility is a fast-paced, exciting sport that continues to grow in popularity.  There are several organizations that offer agility competitions from the American Kennel Club, which caters to purebred dogs, to the United States Dog Agility Association and the North American Dog Agility Council, in which mixed breed dogs are welcome to compete.   Flyball is another very popular sport for dogs and their owners.  Flyball pits relay teams of dogs racing against each other.  The dog streaks down a short course over small hurdles toward a box, touches the box and makes a ball pop out, grabs the ball and then races back toward his teammates so the next dog can set out on the course.  Fastest team wins.  The sport is fast, exciting and lots of fun for all of the dogs and team members.  In North America the sport is overseen by the North American Flyball Association (NAFA).  There are flyball teams found virtually everywhere these days or it's easy enough to start your own group with some friends.   Canine Freestyle is what many of us call dog dancing.  It is basically a choreographed performance of dog and owner with music.  It's also known as heelwork to music and this is how the training is often done for this sport.  If you can teach your dog to heel and follow basic commands then you can teach him the moves required to dance to music.  Canine Freestyle is often presented as a demonstration but the World Canine Freestyle Organization also holds events for judging so dogs can receive titles.  The Musical Dog Sports Association holds workshops and demonstrations, as does the Canine Freestyle Federation.  Canine Freestyle can be a beautiful event to watch as the dog and human move together in choreographed steps to carefully chosen music.   Schutzhund is German for "protection dog" and it refers to the training which develops and evaluates the canine traits that are important for that work.  There are three parts to Schutzhund:  obedience work, tracking and protection work such as that used by police dogs.  Schutzhund as a sport demonstrates a dog's intelligence and utility.  Schutzhund was originally developed to test German Shepherds but it is now applied to other breeds which seek to do the same kind of protection work.  Many people enjoy training their own dog in Schutzhund.  It allows them to improve their own training abilities and to bond more closely with their dog.  Schutzhund is mentally and physically challenging for both dog and owner.  It also provides owners with the chance to form friendships with other people training in Schutzhund.  In the United States most Schutzhund training is affiliated with the United Schutzhund Clubs of Am! erica (USA) or the German Shepherd Dog Club of American-Working Dog Association. View full post on Dog Miscellaneous – Dog Information   Sam the Ugliest Dog February 4, 2010 at 12:50 PM Dog photo taken by Irish Typepad.   German Shepherd Dog Characteristics February 4, 2010 at 12:50 PM Other Names of The German Shepherd Dog:  Alsatian, Deutscher Schaferhund, GSD. German Shepherd Dog Temperament The German Shepherd dog is amongst the most intelligent of dogs and its versatility and excellence in performing all manner of activities has secured its eternal position in the hall of fame when it comes to policing duties, search and rescue, military functions such as bomb sniffing and even as sight-seeing dogs for people who are blind or those with impaired eyesight. The German Shepherd is a quick study and due to their innate high intelligence are very easy to train. These dogs are active, alert and like many other animals of a high intelligence and active nature the German Shepherd needs to be constantly challenged and stimulated both physically and mentally to avoid becoming a nuisance. That said, this dog breed makes a great companion and is both brave and loyal. Though some dogs tend to be somewhat aloof and wary by and large this dog breed makes for a great family pet and they generally get on well with children. Occasionally certain dogs may become a tad domineering with children which may manifest in the form of the German Shepherd trying to herd them about; in keeping with its breeding pedigree. German Shepherd dogs have excellent watchdog ability and are typically wary of both strangers and other dogs. Early socialization is a must if your dog is going to be around other animals. As far as climate tolerance is concerned these dogs adapt fairly well to moderate cold as well as moderate heat, though extremes in either direction don't go down well. German Shepherd Dog Grooming & Exercise Requirements The German Shepherd boasts a high energy level and thus this dog breed requires plenty of exercise on a daily basis. Its grooming requirements however are not quite as demanding and its coat only requires brushing once or twice a week. The German Shepherd is a moderate to heavy shedder and thus is perhaps not the best choice of dog for allergy sufferers. German Shepherd Dog Appearance The body of the German Shepherd dog is typically longer than it is tall and in the modern variant when the animal is standing the body slopes downwards as though the dog is poised to spring off of its hind legs. This was not always the case, the early variant of the German Shepherd dog having a squarer body and less slanting haunches. The tail is usually bushy and hangs with a slight curve. This dog breed boasts an athletic build and erect ears atop a head with a pointed snout which enhances the alert appearance of the dog. Coat color may vary and includes the following: black, black and tan and sable. From a show dog perspective white-coated dogs are not allowed although of recent there is a movement for such specimens to be represented in their own sub-category. This dog breed has a double coat with a thick outer coat comprised of close lying medium-length hair that may be straight or slightly wavy. Weight:  Males:  75 – 100 pounds             Females:   60 – 80  pounds Height:    Males:  24 – 26 inches              Females:  22 – 24 inches German Shepherd Dog Health Issues/Life Expectancy This dog breed on average has a lifespan of 10 – 12 years. Due to rather intense in breeding over the years the German Shepherd dog suffers from a number of genetic disorders which include the following: Major Concerns:  CHD Elbow Dysplasia Minor Concerns: Panosteitis vWD Degenerative Myelopathy Cauda Equina Skin Allergies Hot Spots Neoplasms Pannus Cataract Gastric Torsion Perianal Fistulas Cardiomyopathy Hemangiosarcoma German Shepherd dogs are also extremely susceptible to a potentially fatal systemic infection from the fungus Aspergillus. German Shepherd Dog History The modern German Shepherd dog is the end result of a concerted effort in the late 19th century to breed the perfect German sheep herding dog. Up until that time each district boasted its own distinct herding dog. To achieve the perfect herding dog various dog breeds from the north were crossbred with those from the central district ultimately resulting with the forbearer of the modern German Shepherd. The goal of the German Shepherd dog breeding program was to produce a dog that could watch out for and control straying sheep from the rest of the flock without spooking the entire flock. Thus unlike cattle herding dogs it was undesirable for the German Shepherd dog to exhibit leg nipping and neither could it control its wards by barking at them because either one of those attributes would more than likely cause the entire flock to panic! In essence the German Shepherd dog breeding program had to come up with an extremely intelligent, versatile, swift and independent thinking breed of dog that executed its duties in a precise, swift, calm and steady manner. Between 1899 and 1901 a specialist breed club was established and was originally headquartered in Stuttgart before moving to Munich and then finally ending up in Berlin. This club was known as Der Verein Fur Schaferhunde (SV for short), and this organization's primary goal and purpose was to oversee the continued positive development of the German Shepherd dog breed. Within a decade of its breeding the German Shepherd dog had soon become one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. Its rising star in popularity was slightly marred by the occurrence of the two world wars, when it was considered prudent in both Britain and France to refer to the dog breed as either an Alsatian or simple the Shepherd Dog to avoid the inevitable backlash at the time associated with the word German incorporated in the dog breed's name. More about the dog   Canine Whisperer February 4, 2010 at 12:40 PM The Canine Whisperer with Cesar Millan (Shaun Majumder) assessed the nature of Transport Minister John Baird's (Mark Critch) aggression. Also with Fiona (Cathy Jones) and Liberal MP (Geri Hall).   Listen Up Your Dog is Talking to You! February 4, 2010 at 12:39 PM Imagine that every time you attempt to talk to your best friend their response is one of harsh scolding words. Now picture this happening not once, twice or thrice but almost every single day. I'm betting soon there won't be much of anything to call as friendship left! I'll even go out on a limb here and hazard a guess that soon the two of you won't be talking altogether. Perhaps you'd withdraw into some kinda shell or maybe the bombardment of negativity and criticism would drive you to lash out in anger one day. Okay, now let's picture this scenario a little bit differently in that you happen to be a dog and that supposed best friend of yours is your owner.  That makes it a tad more complicated doesn't it, especially if your owner is not trying to be intentionally cruel or harsh but simply doesn't understand how to communicate properly with you! Okay revert back to your human form for now. Have you ever tried communicating with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you? It isn't easy is it! There's a whole lot of arm waving, gesticulating, self-conscious grinning and facial contortions, much of which isn't actually helping you to understand one another any better…and we are talking about communication between individuals from the same species here! That pretty much puts into perspective the monumental wall standing between you and your dog communicating efficiently with one another. The very real problem here is that you don't talk dogspeak and neither does your dog speak any human language but that doesn't mean that you can't learn how to communicate effectively with one another. And seeing as you happen to be the more intelligent species in this particular partnership, the onus is on you to create that better environment of communication. However unfortunately far too often this is not the case, more often than not it being the dog owner representing the party that gets irritated and confrontational during sessions of communication. If and when a situation such as this continues for a long enough duration this in turn could make your dog to: •    Become depressed and withdraw •    Start avoiding you •    Whimper and slink about whenever you're in the vicinity •    Become aggressive and unmanageable Communication With Your Dog Starts With Understanding Your Dog Like us humans, dogs have their own standard dog etiquette that incorporates accepted proper behavior and quite naturally in the same way that we expect them to respond in a desired manner to our communication so do they expect no less from us. But as pointed out previously, being that we are two very different species, notwithstanding the fact that we have co-existed side by side for thousands of years, the inescapable fact is that dogs and us speak entirely different languages! Thus to forge a better relationship with your dog you need to have a better understanding of dog communicative signals other than the obvious ones that comprise dog language. Dog Language Dogs bark, growl, yelp, snarl, whine, howl, warble and sing as a means of communication between themselves and other species such as us. Dogs can tell pretty accurately from the tone and inflection of our voices what kind of mood and state of mind we are in, much in the same way that we can judge their intent from the type of vocalization they utter. However there is only so far such communication takes usand the plain fact of the matter is that so much of dog language exists in the form of unvocalized signals; something the average dog owner is utterly unaware of. Generally speaking all dogs no matter where they come from (thanks to their common ancestral origins, the wolf) understand what another dog is saying. However some dogs are better adapted to unvocalized signals than others. For example dogs that have docked tails cannot communicate dog signals that incorporate tail action. Also color patterns do play a part in dog language communication, and dogs that have black outline eyes with tan spots above them are better able to communicate eye-related signals because of such contrast. Completely black dogs or white ones are at a disadvantage from this perspective, which may explain why black dogs use the licking signal more often than the ones using facial expressions. Common Unvocalized Dog Signals Nose Licking:  Nose licking by dogs is one of the signals they use to show their discomfort or alternatively it used as a message to calm down other dogs or people in a situation in which the dog doing the licking evaluates as one that is too stressful. Head Turning:  The motion of head turning could be a subtle swivel or a single swift movement; sometimes the head turning could be a prolonged side to side movement. Averting their heads is another manner in which dogs can defuse potentially explosive situations between themselves because by turning their heads away they are signaling non-threatening intentions in polite doggy speak. Next time you are stooping over your dog look carefully to see if he or she turns their head away; if they do then they are evidently signaling to you that it makes them feel uncomfortable. If you pay special attention next time you'll also notice that dogs rarely look directly at one another because it is considered impolite and rife with threat. When dogs are seated in group they generally avert their heads away from one another in keeping with polite dog etiquette (much like the way civilized persons make a point of not staring directly at the person opposite them in a subway car). Eye Squinting:  Dogs narrow their eyes to express to the person or fellow canine to whom their gaze is directed that they have no ill intentions, and that there is no veiled threat implied from that gaze. Whenever a dog looks at another dog directly with no threatening intentions, the dog squints its eyes to make sure the other dog understands that no aggression is intended. Dog Bowing:  Bowing represents a number of things in doggy language but most commonly it is an invitation to play. Dogs don't only bow to other dogs they also bow to people and other animals. When a bowing dog also hops from foot to foot then unquestionably that is an invitation to play. Sometimes dogs also use bowing as a means  to calm or de-stress a situation. Yawning:  A yawning dog does not reflect a tired dog; yawning happens to be yet another de-stressing signal in doggy language. This is one dog signal you can use quite effectively to calm your dog when it is anxious or agitated. These are just a few of the many unvocalized signals dog use to communicate with other dogs and us. You can easily use some of these dog signals to communicate with your furry best friend. However I wouldn't recommend going around slobbering your tongue across your face; that may go down well in doggy world but I am not sure the same can be said in the real world! Learn More About Dog Training   Customs Finds Local Drug Sniffer Dogs As Good As Imported Ones February 4, 2010 at 9:35 AM Customs Finds Local Drug Sniffer Dogs As Good As Imported Ones PADANG BESAR, Feb 3 (Bernama) — The Customs Department is opting for locally bred drug sniffer dogs because they are cheaper but equally as good as the imported breeds, Assistant Director-General of Customs (Enforcement) Datuk Md Hassim Pardi said Wednesday. Read more on Bernama   This email was sent to sophiacomicc@gmail.com.  Manage Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.