I’d like to share some of that information with you, but please don’t hesitate to check out the site yourself, by clicking on the web address above.

First of all, we consider dogs color blind, but they can see some color, but not as clear and vivid as humans do. However, a dogs sense of smell can be as high as a million times stronger than ours. Because of their strong sense of smell, dogs have been used for many types of search and seizure activities. A U.S. Customs dog named Snag, is touted as the world’s best drug sniffing dog. The dog has made 118 drug seizures that were worth an amazing $810 million dollars.

For that fantastic sense of smell, it is interesting to note that that when they are born, dogs have almost no sense of smell. They are blind and deaf as well. They stay near their Mom for warmth, but will open their eyes after about 10-15 days. They cannot see fully until about 4 weeks.

There is some great info on the site as well as some good tips about puppy rearing. Take a few minutes and check it out…I did and it put a smile on my face, as it will yours!!!

Chloe and Papi!!!

The head animal trainer for the film, Mike Alexander saw the future Papi’s picture on the internet and went down to the shelter to check him out. According to Alexander, the dog had big ears, a great expression and an energetic personality to match. The dog was given six months of training to become center character Chloe’s, main love interest. This dog was everything Alexander hoped for and more.
In fact, over 200 dogs were used for this film. Some were Hollywood hounds and others came from shelters in Los Angeles and Mexico.

The Humane Society is warning people to take their time to decide if they want a dog and simply don’t go and get a Chihuahua just because you enjoyed the movie. Remember, over sixty dog trainers worked with all the dogs in this movie to get them to act the way you see them on screen. Chihuahuas, in particula,r are dogs with attitudes and are not well suited for all owners and families. In fact Walt Disney Pictures has put an on-screen warning with the film informing moviegoers that dog ownership is a large responsibility.

Just in case you were wondering, Rusco (Papi) now resides permanently with Mike Alexander at his ranch outside of Los Angeles. Stardom has its perks!!!

Row, row, row your boat.....

Taking your dog into the water on a boat requires a different type of training. It is best, according to Van Deusen to put the dog first in the boat on dry land. Move boat around, to see how the dog reacts to motions and movement that will be similar to the boat in water. Like any other training experience, your dog’s first interaction with that experience will probably dictate how they react to it in the future. Try and make the experience positive so that the dog feels good about the boat and any other new sites, sounds and smells that they might encounter.

The best advice is to be safe and have fun. Both you and your dog will cherish each and every experience if you follow those two small bits of advice.

If that wasn’t enough, Hollywood sylist Ruth Regina has come out with a line of doggie wigs. She felt that based on the doggie trinkets that so many are buying for their dogs, that wigs for Fido was the next wave in making your dog “special”. I guess that is a matter of opinion. I personally never have or will dress my dogs up and believe me, they wouldn’t have been too happy about it either. But at any rate, according to Regina, she has doggie hairstyles that resemble Shirley Temple, Posh Spice, the Beatles and even Donald Trump. However, Dr. Zawiskowski, executive vice president of the ASPCA feels that the wigs are totally inappropriate. He feels that the wigs could lead to allergic reactions or be dangerous to the dog because it is not “part of them” so the dogs don’t know how to compensate for something on their body.

However, if you decide that your dog is in need of a new hair style, it won’t break the bank. Regina says that her wigs cost up to $29.95 and don’t cause any harm to the dog. I guess it is up to you, the dog owner to decide if your dog is truly in need of a new hair style!!! Just think about it…would you want someone to change your “look” without any say in the matter? Probably not!!!

The dogs that are used in this race are Alaskan Huskies and they are considered superdogs because of their ability excell with this type of activity. A 10 year study out of Oklahoma State University of Iditorod dogs showed three unique aspects of these dogs that demonstrated their uncanny abilities.

First of all, these dogs rapidly adapt to exercise and instead of getting exhausted and depleted after a few days, their bodies adjust and their biochemical profile regains similarity to its pre-race standards. In humans, we show fatigue after continuous exercise and usually need a period of recovery.

Secondly, the volume of oxygen to body weight (the aerobic measurement) in sled dogs is very high. This provides the dogs with greater stamina and the energy to push on.

Finally, iditorod dogs are very efficient in using the food they eat to burn into energy. A sled dog can eat and burn the equivilant of 24 Big Macs in a day. That’s about 12,000 calories. This enormous ability to take the food and make it into such an efficient energy source is due to the physiology of the dogs, who experts believe possess very thin cell membranes in the muscle fibers, which allow the nutrients from the food to be absorbed more easily.

So are these huskies “SUPERDOGS”? I think they are, but if you have ever seen an Alaskan Husky you know that they are also one of the most beautiful dogs around.

Sally saved with one of those who rescued her!

On September 15, a gentleman was depositing some clothes in a Salvation Army deposit box that was located in a local grocery store parking lot. When getting closer to the large metal box, the man heard noise coming from inside the box. What he discovered was almost too horrible to imagine. A severely dehydrated and malnourished mix breed dog was located in the box. It was obvious that someone had dumped the dog in there. What is worse, it that it had been unseasonably hot during the prior week with temperatures hovering in the 85-90 degree range. The dog was in that box without food or water and survived.

An immediate call was put through to local police agencies and our local ASPCA. Immediate medical attention was given to the dog that is now known as Sally (for her Salvation Army box rescue). The medical team caring for the dog says the dog was in the box for about a week and even though she was about two years old, she only weighed 16 pounds, about 20 pounds shy of what she should have weighed. Her initial blood work looks good according to the veterinary professionals who are caring for Sally and it is believed she can make a full recovery.

There are already many families who are interested in adopting Sally as she has captured the hearts of many in this upstate New York area. Currently, she is residing with a foster family who are caring for her. When she was rescued, even in the condition she was in, her eyes sparkled and tail wagged as she saw those who were there to save her.

Finally, the best end to this story is that someone has been arrested for this neglect and abuse. I don’t think that any punishment would bring justice to what was done to this dog. However, I would like to see the man who subjected Sally to this treatment suffer the same as he caused this innocent dog to suffer. I do believe in Karma and “what goes around, comes around”, so somehow, someway, Sally will have justice. Hopefully, I will have a happy update for you on Sally’s condition as time goes on and she continues to heal.

If your dog needs nonemergency medical or surgical care, it is o.k. to shop around. You will probably find it less expensive for those services outside a metropolitan area than you will find in the city itself. Large cities attract those with high incomes and the high incomes can often dictate the price for services. It may be worth your while economically to travel an hour or two for similar services for as much as 2/3 off the cost in the city. Also, if you live near a college or university that has a veterinary school, call them to see if they perform routine surgery there. The dedication of veterinary students is remarkable.

Taking your dog to a groomer definitely costs more than doing it yourself. If you really enjoy having the groomer, wash, dry, and fluff your dog, don’t eliminate the practice, but alternate. You will still save a considerable amount of money.

Don’t be afraid to buy in bulk, especially for dog food, unless it is perishable. You can save a considerable amount doing so, but if you know someone with whom you can share a large bag, even better!!

There are plenty of ways to save without sacrificing the care of your pet. Just think about and both you and your dog will be happier for it!!

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily according to Terry Curtis, a veterinary behaviorist. Curtis says “I don’t mind. I think it’s actually healthy when our pets ‘cheat’ on us because it shows that they are very social and welcoming to other two-leggers,”. Curtis states that having our dogs able to relate to others really demostrates the independence we have developed in our dogs. They will most likely not suffer from separation anxiety which can be devastating to the dog and result in some really negative behaviors.

Sometimes its not even that the dog likes a new owner better, they just might be finding amenities that they enjoy that they don’t have in their own home. For example, better food, more comfy couch or a household where there aren’t other pets, so they don’t have to share their time and attention with anyone.

However there are ways to train your dog so that you secure more of his attention and he/she becomes more devoted to you through these training mechanisms. So if you see your dog begin to “stray”, so to speak, don’t fret!!! Check out Thorton’s article by clicking here to get some tricks for keeping the relationship with your dog fresh and exciting!!!

We have heard about all of the heroics that helped save both people and the animals that many had to leave behind, but I don’t think I have ever seen it put in a better format than in the book titled, “Pawprints of Katrina; Pets Saved and Lessons Learned”. This book was written by Cathy Scott, a true crime author and journalist. She was down in Louisiana covering the animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. She found herself working very closely with the Best Friends Animal Society. They operate the largest sanctuary for homeless animals and were an integral part of the rescue of so many loved, but abandoned pets during the Hurricane and its aftermath.

Ms. Scott would help rescue animals during the day, try and reunite animals and their owners in the evenings and write about the experience as best as she could as well. Her stories are moving and will tug at heart strings of anyone who takes the time to read about her incredible experience. The photographs are poignant and a forward in the book was written by Ali McGraw, a longtime animal lover in her own right.

If you are starting to think about the holidays and want to get the dog owner you love a really special and touching book, consider “Pawprints of Katrina, Pets Saved and Lessons Learned” by Cathy Scott.
Click here to get more information on Cathy and the book.

Check out the collar...it lights up!!!

I was recently looking at the Brookstone catalog and they have some very cool things for dogs. Let me tell you about some. A couple of the more interesting things were both leashes and collars that were lighted. There are Glowtronix LED fibers sewn into both the collar and the leash which provides for the maximum amount of visiblity. Just because we will be turning the clocks back and losing some day light, doesn’t mean that you need to curtail your daily walk with your dog. In fact, it probably is more beneficial in the cooler weather to keep everyone moving!!! So even if you have to go out early in the morning or just before it gets really dark, you don’t need to sacrifice the safety of your dog. You can be assured that you will be able to see his/her collar and leash with this great product put out by Brookstone.

If you are interested in the products above or more product offerings from Brookstone, click here and be prepared….the holidays will be here before we know it!!!