My Friendly Pets

According to news information from China, 1500 dogs have died as a result of eating food tainted with the chemical, melamine. If you recall, melamine has been recently found in the milk supply, which caused thousands of Chinese children to become severely ill and resulted in the deaths of four children in that country. Chinese authorities are concerned because they don’t fully comprehend how widespread melamine is now in the food chain.

Racoon dogs are a breed of dog that is specific to eastern Asia. The dogs are bred so that their fur can be used to trim coats and other clothing. Not a topic I want to discuss here, but that practice seems barbaric to me anyway. The dogs who died were found to have melamine in their system and had developed kidney stones that led to kidney failure. According to Zhang Wenkui who performed the autopsies on about a dozen of the dogs, “First, we found melamine in the dogs’ feed, and second, I found that 25 percent of the stones in the dogs’ kidneys were made up of melamine.” Most of the dogs have died over the past two months.

It is believed that melamine is added to the food as a nitrogen source rather than an authentic source of nitrogen, because the melamine is significantly less expensive and therefore the profit margin increases significantly for those who manufacture the food.

Unfortunately, the racoon dogs are not the only ones that have suffered as a result of the melamine. A lion cub and two baby orangutans, in a zoo near Shanghai have developed kidney stones. They were being nursed with milk from a company that is closely tied to the tainted milk crisis.

Let’s hope that China’s central government can get a hold on this situation before any other animals or people succumb to the products produced as a result of greed and lack of compassion.

In San Antonio, Texas a new $15,000,000 military hospital has opened to serve the 4-legged members of the military who rarely get the recognition or medical care they deserve. However with the opening of this facility, at Lackland Air Force Base, advanced medical care can now be given to military dogs who have suffered severe injuries as a result of their military service. There are over 2500 working military dogs serving all branches. Many currently are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. When the dogs become injured, they are treated on the battlefield. If need be, they are moved to Germany to receive more advance treatment and if more intense care is needed, the dogs will be flown now to San Antonio.

Army Col. Bob Vogelsang, director of the veterinary hospital says the following about the new facility, “We act as the Walter Reed of the veterinary world,” referring to the Washington military medical center that treats troops returning severely wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan. Up until this point dogs have been treating and rehabilitating injured combat dogs in a cramped building that was first used in 1968 when the military began to train dogs to work in Vietnam.

The demand for working military dogs has significantly increased since 9/11/2001. However, they do not have enough of the breeds necessary such as German Shepards, and Labrador Retrievers, so officials at the Lackland Air Force Base are breeding puppies at the base. The number of dogs that are being trained has doubled since 9/11 to about 750 dogs.

The new hospital is well equipped to handle all of the health and injury issues that might occur. The new hospital has operating rooms, digital radiography, CT scanning equipment and an intensive care unit with rehab rooms. There is an underwater treadmill and excercise balls to help with the intensive rehabilitation.

I don’t have any problem with my tax dollars being used to enhance the health and treat the injuries of these dogs. They are doing more for us than we could ever do for them and they deserve, at the very least, the best medical care we can provide.

Hopefully, all of my readers are as excited about reading these updates on Ratchet and his journey to the U.S. as I am about writing them. We have Operation Baghdad Pups, under the direction of Terri Crisp to thank for Ratchet’s arrival in the U.S.

If you recall from my last entry, Ratchet was taken to an airport on the outskirts of Baghdad to begin his long trip to the U.S. Well, this is how his journey went. When he left Baghdad, he went on a flight that took him to Kuwait. That was a private charter flight. From there, Ratchet was flown to Amsterdam on a commercial flight and then from Amsterdam, he was flown into Washington. Through the generosity of Northwest Airlines, which is based out of Minnesota (Gwen Beberg’s home state), they covered the cost of the last flights to bring Ratchet home. He was then taken to Clocktower Animal Hospital in Herndon, Va, where he was given his required vaccinations.
From what I hear, there wasn’t much barking, but a little bit of whimpering with those shots. The doctor who examined Ratchet, Dr. Chris Carskaddan, says that the dog is extemely healthy and also mentioned that Ratchet was “cute”!!!!

After a couple of nights in a kennel, Ratchet will take yet one more flight. He will be travelling to Minneapolis where Sgt. Beberg’s parents will pick him up at the airport. Sgt. Beberg will be home in about a month where she and Ratchet will finally be together again. I’ll bring you news of that reunion when it happens!!!!

When hearing of Ratchet’s arrival in the U.S., Beberg emailed the following message to her friends and family, “I’m very excited that Ratchet will be waiting for me when I get home from Iraq! Words can’t describe it, I hope that Ratchet’s story will inspire people to continue the efforts to bring more service members’ animals home from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Yesterday, I brought you information about Ratchet, a dog that Sgt. Gwen Beberg unofficially adopted while deployed in Iraq. Beberg has been trying to get Ratchet out of Iraq and home to Minneapolis for a while now. She is to be released next month and would want to have Ratchet, her best friend with her when she returns stateside.

The SPCA-International and Operation Baghdad Pups, under the supervision of Terri Crisp, has made possible and financed the travel for Ratchet, but his departure from Iraq has been anything but smooth. Beberg had the dog ready to go on October 1st when Ratchet was sent with a military convoy from a base south of Baghdad to the airport for an Oct. 1st pickup. But an Army officer confiscated the dog and sent him back. This past Wednesday, they attempted to get Ratchet out to the airport and on his way, but to no avail. However, six other dogs were on the flight leaving Baghdad.

But yesterday, Sunday, October 19th, a private security firm picked Ratchet up from the small base where he was staying, put the dog into a pet carrier and off they went to an airport outside of Baghdad. The trip for Ratchet will cost about $5000, according to Crisp. Beberg’s Mom, Patricia Beberg said the dog gave so much to her daughter. “He has been her emotional support, confidante, sanity-saver and a connection with something other than a war zone,” Beberg said Sunday in a telephone interview.

I’m sure the next time I write to you about Ratchet and Gwen, it will be the story of Ratchet’s arrival in the U.S. and their precious reunion!!!

If you have read some of my prior entries, you may have read about what is called Operation Baghdad Pups, which is run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - International. Their latest quest is to rescue a dog named Ratchet who has been unofficially adopted by Army Stg. Gwen Begerg. Beberg and another soldier rescued the dog from behind some burning trash when it was a small puppy. Beberg fears that the dog will be killed because the Iraqis view dogs and cats as nuisances rather than as family member pets and will simply kill those that they deem as too much of a pest.

Terry Crisp, the program coordinator of Operation Baghdad Pups, (whom I have also written about) is heading to Iraq on Wednesday to try and facilitate the adoption and move of Ratchet to the U.S. to be with Beberg when she is released next month. There is strong support for this to happen, as 10,000 people have signed an online petition hoping to convince the U.S. Army to allow Gwen to adopt and bring Ratchet home with her. Official Army policy is that Defense Department rules prohibit soldiers in the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq, from adopting pets. However, as a result of the efforts of Terry Crisp and Operation Baghdad pups, about 50 dogs and 8 cats have been transferred to the United States in the past eight months. For many soldiers, these animals bring them comfort and happiness and may be the closest thing to family that they have while deployed.

I wish Terry Crisp the best of luck and hopefully will be able to write about Gwen and Ratchet and their happy reunion right her in the U.S.!!!!

Scientists recently discovered what they believe to be the world’s first canine. The remains of the canine that was discovered is estimated to be approximately 31,700 years old. Prior to this discovery, the oldest dog was thought to be about 14,000 years old and was discovered in what is now Russia. This older prehistoric dog was found in the Goyet Cave in Belguim and suggests to many scientists that the dogs of this period were perhaps the first domesticated canines. The dogs of this period are believed to be large and powerful and lived on a diet of horse, musk ox and reindeer.

According to a paleontologist from Belgium, the dog of that time would most closely resemble what we know as the Siberian Husky. This dog would today be known for its strength and its bite. Analysis of some of the remains of these dogs showed that “the Paleolithic dogs had wider and shorter snouts and relatively wider brain cases than fossil and recent wolves”

More than likely, the first domesticated dogs were required to earn their keep. Dogs were most likely used for hunting, tracking and transporting of other types of game that was caught.

There is evidence from Chauvet Cave in France of footprints of both a child and a dog that would indicate domestication of these animals took place over 26,000 years ago. This clearly supports the idea of dogs as pets as well as workers for the family. The evolution of dogs from wolves is still an active theory and hypothesis in science today, but it is also believed dogs may have undergone “self-domestication” from wolves more than once over history, because there are periods of time archeologically where dogs appear and then disappear.

We are living in some turbulent times. The economy is on the skids, people are losing their jobs and in some cases their homes. What people had saved for education or retirement is quickly diminishing due to the volatility in the stock market. All of these factors, coupled with the pending election have people majorly stressed out. You aren’t the only one who feels the stress. Your dog feels your stress and reacts to it as well.

If you are not up to your usual self, your dog can sense that and dealing with it can be difficult for him/her. Remember, they exist to make you happy and if you aren’t happy, they know it. They may act out and behave abnormally because they are reacting to the emotions that you are showing. Dogs who are under stress for long periods of time can develop physiological, behavior and anatomical responses. Studies on shelter dogs demonstrated that excessive noise from barking that went on for long periods of time would cause stress in many of the shelter dogs. They would get physically ill and many would act out in ways that were not common for them.

Chemically, the responses that dogs demonstrate as a result of stress are very close to that of humans. Stress causes the body to release adrenaline and cortisol hormones. These chemicals cause heart rate and respiration to speed up, and suppress the immune system. And even though we believe dogs do what nature tells them to do in the reproductive sense, stress can lower the urge dogs have to mate. This lowers reproductive hormones that can lead to cardiovascular disease in the dogs.

So while we all are going through some tough times right now, remember the ones who love us most unconditionally need us too. Try and keep a positive attitude, smile and play with your pooch. It will be good for both of you.

Well, who would think that male puppies would know how to please the lady pups…but recent studies of puppies at play showed just that. There may be a method to the madness of these male puppies. Losing at play might mean winning at love later on.

Camille Ward, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She studied puppy litters from four different breeds. Ward and her colleagues watched puppies play from the age of 3 weeks up to about 40 weeks and some very interesting information was found. Male dogs were found to put themselves in positions that were not adventagous to them when playing with female pups. They would position themselves into vulnerable spots which under usual circumstances could pose the males to be attacked.

Female dogs were found to initiate play more with dogs of their own sex than male dogs. The studies also showed that male dogs were less likely to initiate sex with other male dogs, but are extremely eager to play and continue playing with female dogs, even if they have to assume a submissive position. To show their interest in play with the females, the male pups would sometimes lick the muzzles of their opponents, giving the female a chance to bite them in a vulnerable position. It is said that with the male puppies doing this, they are allowing themselves to get to know the female better and perhaps put her in a position to be around when it is time to mate.

I guess we’ll never know if they make a love connection, but we can only hope. In the meantime, these guy puppies are like any other….they lure the girl into their web with their charms and then the female is hooked!!!

Sammy is a 10 year old Shetland sheepdog. She was rescued by Linda Eroh in Douglassville, Pennsylvania two years ago. Sammy had odd behaviors, like cowering in the corner, eating mouthfuls of dirt and refusing to touch his food. What Linda found out is that Sammy had been used as a stud at a puppy mill for over 8 years and rarely was ever let out of a cage, unless it was to service the females, in addition to other abuses that he suffered.

Pennsylvania was known as one of the worst states on the east coast for unregulated puppy mills. However, what happened to Sammy, will hopefully not happen to any other dogs in Pennnsylvania due to a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell last Thursday. While many are aware of the abuse that takes place in these facilities, it was brought to national attention when people in a suburban shelter organization outside of Philadelphia put up a billboard in Chicago asking Oprah Winfrey to do a show on dog breeder abuse. As a result, the issue has gotten the attention it has long deserved. The issue was moved even farther into the public eye when last August to eastern Pennsylvania kennels shot 80 dogs when they were told that there were going to be veterinary inspections of their facilities and the dogs housed there.

The new law will address how the dogs have to be housed, treated, and cared for. It will also will track kennels and the dogs that they sell privately or to pet shops to insure that the dogs are not being overbred and mistreated in respect to their reproductive capabilities. There are also some administrative aspects to the law which will increase the authority animal wardens have in regards to allegations of violations of the law. Previously, only police and humane officers had any authority to act upon allegations.

Let’s hope that other problem states respond the way Pennsylvania has. It will make it a safer place for all puppies and dogs!!

Would you send your dog to Doggie Boot Camp? If the instructor had 40 years in dog training experience and is currently the only canine instructor that is certified by both New York City and New York State, I bet you would!!! In fact, the boot camp is FREE and that makes it even more enticing!! Anthony Jeone’s School of Dog Training and Career
train both dogs and people who want to work with and train dogs.

While watching a local news program this morning, I saw a short clip with Mr. Jerone and one of his boot camp dog graduates. The level of obedience that this dog demonstrated was fantastic. The “boot camp” is offered every Sunday from 1:00 pm -4:00 pm (except when the temperature falls below 40 degrees!! And yes, it is truly free!!! Jerone mentions on his website that a $10.00 donation is encouraged, but not required. The classes are small and reservations are needed, but for 3 hours of free dog training, I’d wait a couple of weeks or so.

What makes Jerone’s establishment unique was mentioned above; his dual certification from both New York City and the state of New York. In Vietnam, Mr. Jerone was a canine specialist and he founded the New York City Transit Authority Canine Unit.

For those who have the desire to work with and train dogs, Jerone’s academy can provide you with the in depth knowledge and experience that you need, not only in dog training, but in running a dog training business. There are both 6 week programs, which run full time, and a part time program that runs for 12 weeks. While the investment seems steep (about $4000); those who truly have this calling in life will see a huge return on their investment.

I would encourage those who are interested in having your dog trained or learning to be the dog trainer, to check out Anthony Jerone’s website by clicking here.

I apologize for my absence the last couple of days. It looks like the flu has hit early at my home as my husband became so ill, that hospitalization was required. But we’re home now and on the mend, so hopefully, I won’t miss a day of writing.

While the economic crisis looms over all of us, there may be some who will still have the time, energy and means to vacation, although it might be closer to home. In order to save a little money, people might want to take their dog with them instead of boarding the dog, which can be quite expensive.

Peter Greenberg is a travel expert who appears on radio and television with great travel information. He gives some great dog friendly destinations that will not just ALLOW your dog to be there, but will welcome your furry friend with open arms.

Beginning in California, specifically the Napa Valley, dogs are allowed in some of the wineries and the Hillcrest Country Inn in Calistoga, California has 36 acres where you and your dog can romp, run or choose to play with the Inn’s owner’s canine residents named Taz, Debo and Bamboo. Dogs are allowed to stay in the rooms with guests or in a large outdoor kennel.

How about Aspen? For those skiers who ski the Alps, the current economy could entice people to stay closer to home and Aspen has some world renowned skiing. There is also wonderful hiking and camping spots as well. Dogs are welcomed on hiking trails, but encouraged to be leashed. There are several that are less than 10 miles long, so neither you or your pooch are too tired to take a walk on the pedestrian mall in Aspen proper where dogs are also welcome. If you want your dog to be able to run a bit, most city parks allow dogs to be offleash.

For more information on dog friendly destinations, check out Peter Greenberg’s site at www.PeterGreenberg.com

If you are anything like me…constantly fighting the battle of the bulge, you will be happy to know that you can lose some of that unwanted weight simply by taking a walk with your dog. So if you have a dog, great!!! If you don’t have one, this is a great reason to add to the list of others as to why you should get a dog (just in case you are trying to convince a member of your family). If you don’t have a dog and the idea of getting one is not good for this this time in your life you could do yourself and your local animal shelter a world of good. In a study by the University of Missouri, people who voluteered to walk dogs in their area shelters for an hour per week lost about 1 pound over the course of 4 weeks. People who walked a dog about 20 minutes a day, for five days a week lost an average of 14 pounds in the year, without changing any of their eating habits…I don’t know about you, but that works for me!!!

One of the most amazing aspects of walking with a dog that was found as a result of these studies is that the committment that most people made to this type of exercise was extremely strong. In fact the “adherence rate” was about 72%, which is basically unheard of with other types of exercise programs. Many of the people enjoyed the experience so much that they would walk the dogs longer or more often than was originally agreed upon. If you are interested in finding a shelter near you where you could volunteer, check out www.petfinder.com Both you and the dogs will be so much better for it!!!

I want to let you know of a way you can help to feed some dogs who really need our help.The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (how about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box ‘fund food for animals’ for free. This doesn’t cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.
Here’s the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/
AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS!!!

Although, I speak primarily about dogs and this site is dedicated to those dogs, rescue organizations are important to all animals and I find that most dog lovers truly love all animals. The site mentioned above will show you on a day to day basis how many bowls of food have been raised by the number of clicks to the website. You can click to a site dedicated to the care and feeding of rescued horses as well.

Animal abuse is unfortunately a common occurence and while we hear so much about dogs that are abused, the truth is that there are animals of every color, shape and size that suffer at the hands of those who are cruel and disrespect the lives of these animals. The most important lesson that we can learn from this site and others like it is that those who cannot protect themselves need our help and if that means merely clicking on a website to help feed these animals that’s fine. But if in your heart, you want to do more to help….don’t hesitate, because there is more than enough to do and you really have to just look to your local animal shelter to find ways to make the lives of these animals better!!!

The chill is in the air, the leaves are beginning to fall and we are expected to have our first frost of the season tonight. That means we’ll be spending more and more time in doors and will be looking for some good movies to watch. There is such an assortment of dog films out there, that there won’t be enough “couch potato weather” to watch them all, but I’ll give you some you should really check out. Most are for full family enjoyment!!

Snow Dogs with Cuba Gooding Jr. is an all around “feel good” flick about a man coming of age and learning life’s lessons while working with a great team of sled dogs. There’s action, beautiful Alaskan scenery and the great acting of Cuba Gooding Jr.

No dog movie watcher can call themselves such without having watched both 101 Dalmations and its sequel, 102 Dalmations. With Glenn Close starring as the villian in these two Disney hits, everyone will be entertained. The dogs are adorable. The plot is entertaining and keeps the attention of both child and adult alike. I am a huge “House” fan and when I realized that Hugh Laurie was one of the “English bad guys” in the original 101 Dalmations, I rented it just to watch him and listen to his Cockney accent!!!

There are many more, but a weekend of dog movies would not be complete without watching the heartwarming tale, “Homeward Bound, An Incredible Tale” This enchanting Disney tale shows the devotion of three family pets (two dogs and a cat) who believe the family they love is in trouble. They work together to get home to insure the safety and well being of those they love.

So get into practice for the winter months ahead and start checking out some of these flicks!!! You won’t be disappointed!!!

On a beautiful Sunday, as there was today in the northeast, I didn’t want to write about anything too heavy. There are important dog stories out there and I’m sure I will be bringing them to you shortly, but it also important to read something, hear something or see something that simply makes you smile. I found a website that does just that and I wanted to share it with you. The site is www.dogquotes.com and they have quotes, proverbs, poems, books, sayings, about 5 pages of famous cartoon and movie dogs and some truly astounding dog facts.

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!!!