My Friendly Pets

We would love to think that all dogs are attractive and loveable. But the reality is that some dogs don’t receive an equal amount of recognition or attention. In fact, some dogs are discriminated against, simply for the color of their coat. Yes, its true. There is a phenomenon in rescue circles that is known as “black dog syndrome” Meaning that dogs with black coats have a harder time being adopted or even noticed. And while no statistics exist to prove this fact, according to Kim Intino, director of animal sheltering issues for the Humane Society of the United States, people who work in shelters are aware of the disparity in the adoption numbers as they relate to black coat dogs.

According to Madeline Bernstein, the President of the SPCA of Los Angeles,”They’re the hardest to adopt out, they’re in the shelters the longest and therefore, they’re most likely to be euthanized if nothing happens,” That is a pretty sad reality. Bernstein feels that the snub to dogs with black coats is basically an unconscious thing from the public, as black cats seem to have some of the same problems. There is evidence in history that also gives black dogs a bad reputation. According to British folklore, stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Walter Scott used black dogs as figures that haunt cemeteries and serve as an omen of death. Winston Churchill suffered from serious episodes of depression and he referred to these episodes as “the black dog”.

Others just think that black dogs don’t stand out or they look older than they really are, so it detracts from the puppy appeal, making it harder for them to be adopted. Many shelter managers have been using techniques to make black dogs stand out either by dressing them in colored collars and bandanas or making the adoption more cost effective by cutting the fees on black coat dogs. It seems to work and crosses the mental line that people have with black dogs. So next time you want to adopt and see a black dog….take a second look…you might save that dog’s life!!! Beware of the black dog syndrome.

I don’t mean to date myself…but I strongly recommend reading the blog on reveiwing toys, Eliza Ferree…as it will bring back some pleasant memories!

Puppies are adorable..we love them. They are cute and cuddly, but puppies also have to go to the bathroom!!! One of the most important aspects of puppy training is house training, so your puppy, (soon to be dog) learns not to soil in the house. Like any type of dog training…it is not difficult, but it does require patience and consistency.

Dogs are by nature pack animals and do not want to soil in the area where they sleep and live. This area should be identified as their den. The puppy, when being trained should learn where their den is located. Many people use an animal crate for this and establish the crate as the dog’s den. The dog will not want to soil their den and will learn to hold themselves until they are provided an opportunity to go. The training moment occurs when you let the dog out of the crate and get him to an area where he/she is allowed to relieve themselves. (outside)!!

Another important aspect of house training a dog is scheduling. That is why it is so important to have the time to stay on a consistent schedule with the dog including feeding times and potty times. Make sure you feed the dog the same amount each day and watch how long it takes until you feel the dog needs to potty. Then take the dog outside. When the dog goes, reinforce that behavior with much praise and a treat. After a while the dog will be able to “go” on command as you have trained them with goodie rewards for their excellent potty behavior.

I mentioned feeding up above in terms of timing, but if you give your pup unlimited access to food and water, they will eat and dring all day and want to eliminate all day as well. Puppies under 3-4 months of age should eat 3 times a day. Older dogs need only eat about 2x a day. Puppies between the ages of 6-14 weeks should be allowed unlimited access to water, but you should learn how long it takes for your dog to “have” to go after they drink a large amount and insure that you are around to make that happen…outside!!!!

It is important for your dog to be able to let you know when he/she has to go out. If you teach your dog to sit prior to taking him/her out to eliminate, they will eventually use that behavior as a signal to tell you they have to go. I have a friend who taught their dog to put her paw on the door when she has to go out.
Whatever works for you is the type of behavior that you should instill in your dog. Always give praise and treats never hurt. Before long, your dog will be happy to take their business outside, because they don’t want to disappoint the pack leader.

If you missed Survivor this week, check out the blog entry by fellow blogger, Lessa.

Two stories to bring to you today come out of Australia. One is quite entertaining and the other is a bit sad. I’ll start with the entertainment first.

The video you can see from clicking here is from a roadhouse in Alice Springs, Australia. It appears that a dingo(relative of a wild dog) named Dinky hangs around a local bar and when someone goes to play the piano, Dinky can’t resist joining in. He howls along with the tune being played and has a grand old time.

Jim Coteriell, says he has had nothing to do with Dinky’s love for music or his talent. He never had to coax the dog to sing for the patrons. According to Coteriell, it was all Dinky’s idea. Is there a record deal in the works?

The second story from Australia is a bit sad, but definitely noteworthy. In a home in northeastern Australia, a giant python slithered into one of the homes of a local resident. In the home, was the family’s pet, their beloved Chihuahua. The snake attacked the small dog and began to swallow it. The family watched in horror. They began to throw chairs and whatever else they could find to stop the snake from taking their dog, but unfortunately, it was too late. Their pet could not be saved. Over the past several weeks, there have been several other missing pets, including a cat and the family’s guinea pigs. There is little doubt that the snake found a home where he could eat plentifully and kept returning to satisfy his hunger.

The woman of the home where the dog was eaten contacted the staff at the Australian Venom Zoo. Stuart Douglas, owner of the zoo said they were anxious to see the 16 foot snake that ate the family’s dog. They captured the snake and brought it back to their zoo. The snake will remain there until the unfortunate pooch is totally digested, according to Douglas. Then the snake will be released into a nature reserve, where hopefully it will eat the prey in the reserve rather than attacking the pets of shocked residents in the Australian town.

Check out some other parts of the world by reading the blog of Andrea Crome who writes about world travels and trips!!!

Man with Dog, 1989
Perhaps there are some dog lovers out there who have a better eye for art than I do. I hope so, because my eye for art is virtually nonexistent!!! So if you do enjoy dog art, whether or not you have an eye for it, you need to check out this website:http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/

In addition to looking at it, I thought it would be cool if I told you about the site in this entry. This site is basically a blog devoted totally to dog art. In fact, the title of the blog is Dog Art Today: Modern Dog Art and More. According to the author, the site is devoted to any and all art forms related to dogs. This includes contemporary dog art, the history of dogs in art, dog art auctions, books about dog art, posters and basically anything else artistically devoted to our four legged best friends. I think it is extremely interesting to see how the author set up the blog and the categories she uses. For example, she has categories specifically related to dog art through various centuries. There is also a specific category devoted to contemporary dog art, dog art gift guide (that would have been great to have at Christmas), dog decor, dog art politics, dog sculptures and even dog memorials.

I also found the blogsite to be particularly interesting because of the author. I am always curious as to why people do the things they do, whether it is art, music, finance, writing…etc. Fortunately, this blogger was kind enough to tell us about herself and how she became a blogger about dog art. The author’s name is Moira McLaughlin and she resides in Los Angeles, California. She began her career as an artist when she created dog collages for family members one Christmas. She still makes specialty collages and other items of art as well. she began this blog in March of 2007 and I suppose, as they say, “the rest is history”. It is obvious that Ms. McLaughlin is an extrememly talented woman as the artistry of her blog indicates that. Her site is extensive and well put together and has had me look at dog art in a way I have never done before. Please take a look at her site and see if there is a dog or dogs in your life that you can see in one form of art form or another. If you are anything like me, just looking at dogs in their various contexts and artistic mediums put a smile on my face. Enjoy!!!

How many of you have friends that are expecting a baby? I do and I have checked out fellow blogger, Erinn’s blog about reviewing baby gear and I’m going to forward it directly to my friend!!!

UGH!!!! Bedbugs!!! What can be more disgusting than laying down to relax in your hotel room only to be woken up by the bite of nasty critters in your bed, or worse yet, to wake up in the morning covered with mini welts from the bites of these menacing insects?! There is an explosion of bedbug infestation in New York City where the Department of Housing Preservation and Development had almost 7000 complaints of bedbugs in hotels and furnished apartments just in the past year!!! Over 2008 building owners were issued summonses for the infestation problem in their establishments.

But, there is no need to fear as Radar and Taz(both shelter rescue dogs) are part of a team of bedbug sniffing dogs that are hoping to rid the city of these pesky bugs. These dogs, Radar, a beagle and Taz an Australian kelpie were trained with techniqes similar to training bomb sniffing dogs. Carl Massicott is the owner of Advanced K9 Detectives and he currently has six dogs working in various city hotels and apartments to sniff out the culprits and two additional dogs are now in training for this increasingly important task.

What makes the use of dogs in this task such a good idea? According to Massicott, “A dog’s nose is cutting-edge technology,” Massicott said. “Our animals are 100% honest, and trained to work for food and love instead of profits.” Massicott’s firm does not handle extermination of the bedbugs, but they will come back to insure that a complete job of ridding the building of these pests has been accomplished. Massicott says they have confidentiality contracts with their customers, so that word of the insects and the bugs themselves don’t spread!!! There are many high end hotels in the city that have utilized Advanced K9 Detectives’ services. But he won’t share that info with you…remember, its confidential!!

These dogs are quick too. They can identify a room with bedbug infestation within two minutes by either barking or swatting with their paws and their reward—- a tasty treat!!

Each dog lives with their trainer and are kept very busy. Massicott says he can’t keep up with the demand. Many international travelers bring bedbugs with them from foreign countries. They may live in or on the clothes of these travelers and love the hotel mattress and pillow enviroment to grow and multiply. Female bedbugs can lay 200 eggs a year and those eggs can be moved and transported to create the insect explosion that New York City is experiencing right now. The eggs will hatch and continually shed their skin, biting humans while they sleep for their nourishment!!! Again…ugh!!!!

Perhaps with dogs like Radar and his pals, these bugs can be permanently destroyed, but I have a feeling they will truly be working for a long time to come!!!

For those of you who loved the books and stories…The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 movie trailer is now available. My daughter is a big fan!!Check out the info by fellow blogger Dorothy!!!

One of the most devastating parasites to our dogs are heartworms. With the Spring season just around the corner, it is important to begin your annual heartworm routine or continue as you have been all year with preventative heartworm medication.

Heartworm disease is a serious and sometimes deadly condition that is caused by parasitic worms that live in the arteries, lungs and sometimes the right side of the heart of dogs, cats and other animals which can be subject to mosquito bites, as that is how the parasite is transmitted. According to the American Heartworm Society, heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 states but the severity or occurrence of heartworm disease varies by state and region, with the highest number of cases occurring in the southeastern states.

Without getting too technical or medical, female adult heartworms release their young into an animal’s bloodstream. These “young” are then picked up by mosquitos and infected with the parasite. They pass this parasite onto other animals, when they bite to feed on them. Once the young or “microfilariare” are in the animal, it takes about 6-7 months for it to mature into an actual heartworm and cause damage to the dog. The “microfilariare” cannot mature into the adult heartworms we all dread, without first passing through the mosquito.

Usually dogs recently infected will show little signs of the disease. However, as the disease progresses, the dog might have a mild but persistent cough, reduced appetite, fatigue, weight loss and exhibit a general malaise. Your dog can be tested for heartworm through various bloodtests or though ultrasound or x-ray images of the lungs and heart.

The prevention of heartworm in your dog is easy, safe and not costly. There are daily as well as monthly tablets, chewables or topical prevention means that can be used. The usage of your preventative medication should be discussed with your veterinarian. In areas of the country where mosquitos live year round, prevention medications are usually commonplace for the entire year. In some areas of the country, heartworm preventative measures are used only in the peak months, such as May through December. However, I have noticed that since the seasons in my area are not as cold as they had once been and have prolonged periods of warmer weather during the winter months, many vets are suggesting year round prevention for the dogs. Don’t wait!!! The dog days of summer will be upon us soon, and your heartworm prevention regime should begin long before that!!!

O.K. Now that the writers strike is over, new episodes of your favorite sitcoms are just around the corner. To get some info straight up, check out fellow blogger, Toni’s blog about the latest shows and developments!!!

One of the dog grooming tasks I have always dreaded and disliked was the trimming of my dog’s nails. In fact, it was a chore that I always left to my husband or I would let the vet do it when we went for our check-up. I would always be concerned about trimming too close to the “quick” and once I remember that happening, and our poor dog yelped in pain. I felt awful. That was when I gave up even assisting in that task. Yes, I am a chicken and I hate to think the dog will be uncomfortable or hurt at all.

However, I was watching t.v. this afternoon (like I didn’t have anything else to do) and they introduced a new product called peticure. It is a nail file for pets, especially dogs that, supposedly leaves them with no discomfort at all. The product can be seen at www.peticure.com

It doesn’t look hard to use, but rather a safe way to insure your dog’s nails are filed, but not harshly. The device is not large. The advertisement demonstrates the difference between cutting and filing and shows that filing the nail and enamel can be removed in very small pieces. Most of the time when we have to cut the dog’s nails, especially if the nails are dark, it is a guessing game. This tool has an abrasive (like sand paper or the material on the drug store nail files) material within a plastic shell. The plastic shell has various sized holes that allow you to adjust it for the size of the dog’s nail. It locks in with a guard when you decide on the appropriate size. The filing should be done for a maximum of 3 -5 seconds per nail and it is advised that the nail be examined after each filing. If you are comfortable performing this task with this new tool, you will appear more confident to your dog. The hesitation and fear of this task may disappear for your dog if he/she senses your comfort and it works to be a painless experience.

Before I used any new product on my dog, including this one, I would suggest contacting your vet and getting his opinion on the device. For more information about dog grooming tips, check out one of my prior entries by clicking here.