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by Kelly Marshall
Dogs use their bodies and paws to express a variety of different things. Below are some examples and what they mean.
Dog crouches with front legs extended, rear up, and head near the ground: This is the classic play-bow and means simply "I want to play!"
Stiff-legged, upright posture or slow, stiff-legged movement forward: "I am in charge around here!" and "I challenge you." A dominant dog will use this posture to indicate assertion of authority and a willingness to fight for it.
Body slightly sloped forward, feet braced: "I accept your challenge and am ready to fight!"
Dog rolls on side or exposes underside: "Let us not argue" or "I am not a threat to you" or "I accept that you are in charge here." This is a submissive response to avert conflict. Many dogs adopt this posture in a fairly relaxed and contented manner when they are around their pack leader. When your dog rolls on his back for a belly rub, he is actually accepting you as leader of the pack.
Dog places head on another dog's shoulder or places paw on the back of another dog: "I want you to know who is the boss around here." These gestures are commonly used by dominant dogs, pack leaders, and dogs that have aspirations of becoming a pack leader.
Mouthing: This shows up in dog-human interactions as the dog taking the handler's hand in his mouth or, while walking, taking the lead in the mouth. Mouthing can be a serious sign of dominance challenging and shows that the dog does not accept the human as pack leader.
Dog places paw on master's knee: "Look, I am here" or "Pay attention to me." This attention-seeking signal has many variations. They include pawing the air in front of their master or sliding the head under the master's hand.
Hair bristles on back and shoulders: This is a sign of anticipated aggression. A ridge of hair bristling down the back is a sign that says "Do not push me, I am angry!" When the bristling extends to the shoulders it means "I have had it with you" and is a sign of an imminent attack.
Dog sits with one front paw slightly raised: This is another sign of stress but is combined with insecurity. It means "I am anxious, uneasy and concerned."
Dog rolls on his back and rubs it on the ground: This is sometimes preceded by nose rubbing where the dog pushes his face, and possibly his chest against the ground in a rubbing motion or rubs the face with a forepaw, from eyes to nose. They often follow feeding or occur as the dog's owner begins to prepare food. However they also can occur following or in anticipation of other pleasant activities.
Scraping the ground and ripping the turf with the paws: This is usually after the dog has defecated but may occur at other times. Dogs have glands on the bottom of their feet that provide each with a unique scent. What a dog is saying here is "I was here and I am leaving my calling card!"
About the Author
Article by Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies, check for current specials on squeaky dog toys online.
Tips on How to Go About Adopting a Pet
by John Malrubius
Instead of spending a lot of money purchasing a pet, many people decide to adopt them from families that are looking to get rid of a pet, or animal shelters. Typically, animal shelters have to put pets asleep after a certain number of days if they cannot find a home for them. This is why it is so important to adopt a pet from an animal shelter. While there are some animal shelters that do not euthanize pets, the ASPCA is the largest animal shelter and they find themselves having so many excess animals on their hands that euthanasia is their only course of action.
If you are interested in choosing a cat, remember that even though cats are easier to take care of than dogs, that they are still a big responsibility. There are a lot of reasons why adopting your cat from an animal shelter may be the best choice. First of all, it could very well be saving the cat's life. Next, animal shelters will often spay or neuter the animals before you adopt them. There may be some nominal fees involved, but adopting a pet from a shelter is still the cheapest way to buy a cat. If you have a lot of time for your new cat, then try to adopt when it is as young as possible. This way you will be there to help raise it. On the other hand, if you have a very busy family, an older cat may be the best choice.
If you are interested in adopting a dog, then you are going to have to put a lot more time into your decision. First of all, you have to consider who will be taking care of the dog. If this is going to be a pet for children under the age of 7, then a puppy may not be the best choice. They have sharper teeth and claws, and more brittle bones that could break with rough handling. Therefore, older dogs are recommended for children. Also, if there are seasoned citizens in your household, then you may not want to adopt a dog that is too large or strong.
How about birds? These are fascinating animals that you may be able to adopt as well. They are easy to take care of, but there are some interesting details that you have to take into consideration before letting into your home. First, birds are not domesticated animals. Some avian diseases can be transferred from birds to humans. They may induce allergy attacks as well. You should also know that birds, particularly the parrot family, are loud and messy. They will squawk throughout the day, and when they eat they shred their food leaving bits and pieces everywhere. Birds also have sensitive lungs and need good air quality. Smoking indoors with a bird in the house can be very dangerous to its health. Birds can also live up to 50 years, so make sure that you are ready for the long haul when taking them in.
About the Author
HAL Woodworking handcrafts pet urns and trophy bases.
Pet Product News
Toyota plans to offer pet care accessories for its new sedan, the 2009 Venza, in anticipation that many buyers of the car will be pet owners. The line up of aftermarket pet products, which will be sold at Toyota dealerships, includes more than a dozen items, such as a pet booster seat with harness and a leash tether for securing pets in the vehicle.
“Toyota is the kind of company that looks at safety of occupants, the safety of pedestrians, and now we’re looking at the safety of pets,” said Bob Zeinstra, national manger for Toyota’s large car marketing.
Toyota decided to offer pet products for the Venza for a number of reasons, primarily safety, Zeinstra said. According to Toyota, the American Automobile Association reported that unrestrained pets cause more than 30,000 accidents annually, and more states are considering legislation requiring pets to be secured for their own safety.
The Venza itself is especially suited for pet owners, because it is designed to make getting in and out of the car easier, Zeinstra said. Toyota also considered a study conducted by the American Pet Product Association that revealed half of all dog owners consider their pet’s comfort when buying a car.
But, what sealed the deal, Zeinstra said, was that two-thirds of the Venza’s buyers are expected to be “active boomers,” who often look to pets to fill the gap left from their children.
“We said here’s a way we could satisfy the needs of our customers by giving them a vehicle that’s pet friendly and also offering them pet products that make them safer and reduce wear and tear,” he said.
Available products include a rear hatch pet ramp for easy loading and unloading, a leash tether for securing pets in the vehicle, a pet booster seat with harness, a first/second row or cargo area pet barrier, pet seatbelt buckles and rear seat zip line-style harnesses.
Waterproof and removable hammock-style seat covers are also available to fit Venza’s bench and bucket seats.
The pet care accessories are manufactured by IMMI, Kurgo, and Solvit Products, among others. They are being distributed to dealers through the Toyota Associated Pet Products program.
Pricing for the pet products are expected to be available at the end of 2008 in conjunction with the launch of the Venza. Zeinstra said the cost of the products could be worked into a lease agreement.
The products could also be offered for other Toyota models in the near future as the dealers become more accustomed with the pet items, Zeinstra said.
By Steve Dale - TwinCities.com
Q Our 6-month-old cocker spaniel recently started grinding his teeth loudly. At first, we thought this was related to teething, but his adult teeth are now in and he continues to grind. What might be causing this problem? How can we discourage this?
— D.H., Louisville, Ky.
A Assuming this dog isn't still teething, veterinary dentist Dr. Jean Hawkins of Boise, Idaho, suggests seeing your vet, who should check for possible inflammation of the temporomandibular joint muscle near the jaw. The vet can also check for any obvious signs of dental pain or neurological problems (as a result of recovering from distemper, for example).
In people, anxiety and stress are the most common explanations for grinding teeth overnight. Hawkins says some people develop headaches and/or jaw pain. (We don't know if dogs may wake up in pain from grinding their teeth.) Over 15 or 20 years, such grinding may damage the teeth, causing fractures and cracks, potentially right down to the root. A person's teeth may also shift. However, shifting teeth isn't so much a problem in dogs. And because damage generally takes nearly two decades to occur, this problem seems unlikely in your dog, since the average canine lifespan isn't that long. Hawkins isn't aware of a single case of grinding teeth in dogs due to anxiety, though anything is possible.
If all physiological explanations are ruled out, you may want to contact a veterinary behaviorist. However, since no damage is
likely to occur, you could wait and perhaps the grinding will dissipate on its own. Definitely, don't further encourage your pup by providing attention for his grinding.
Q I feed my cats a quality diet. However, after spending time in a kennel, crystals formed in my male cat's urine. My vet suggested a prescription diet, but I prefer another diet. How can I prevent such urinary tract infections?
— P.L., cyberspace
A "Adult male cats don't typically develop an infection, per se; it's more often that crystals occur — it's not the same thing," says internal veterinary specialist Dr. Louise Murray, author of "VET Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet's Health (Ballantine Books, 2008). "Aside from feeding a special diet, it will help to increase your cat's water intake. I believe moist food is a better choice than dry food. If you do feed dry, consider adding just a bit of water to the kibble. Also, offer your cat choices of water dishes to drink fresh water from. Consider a water drinking fountain made for pets."
As for your cat's specific diet, that's a decision between you and your veterinarian.
For some types of feline urinary problems, lessening stress and enhancing a cat's environment can help. If there's more than one pet, does this cat get along with everyone? Are there daily choices of toys, daily interactive play (with a fishing pole-type toy with feathers) and places to simply hang out to watch the world go by?
Q Two years ago, our 5-year-old corgi consumed a vacation supply of cat food left out in a pet feeder. She got sick with bloody, loose stools but she got through it. However, her digestion has never been the same. Even rawhide gives her diarrhea. Do you think the cat food incident caused permanent damage?
— S.G., York, Pa.
A "For a dog, cat food is a diet rich in fat," Dr. Louise Murray explains. "Eating a lot of cat food in one meal may potentially cause mild, moderate or even severe pancreatitis. Based on the symptoms you describe, it's possible eating the cat food did cause mild pancreatitis.
"Sometimes, pancreatitis is acute; it happens, the veterinarian treats the problem and it goes away. Other times, once pancreatitis occurs, a dog may be left with a chronic sensitivity.
"It's also possible your dog's bacterial flora is off-balance, and has been off-balance since the cat food-eating incident," Murray adds. "A bacterial overgrowth can occur in the gut. Also, sometimes this (bacterial overgrowth) problem just occurs in certain dogs and there is no apparent explanation. A blood test can determine if this is the case, and medication may then be prescribed to help."
Write to Steve Dale at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to petworld@aol.com. Include your name, city and state.
Pet Product News
Nearly one out of three pets can expect less from their owners this coming holiday season, according to market research firm TNS Retail Forward, which provided further detail on the upcoming holiday season this morning. In September, the research firm forecasted holiday sales growth of 1.5 percent, the weakest performance since 1991’s 1.2 percent growth.
The pet information, gleaned from the groups ShopperScape September consumer survey, found that 18 percent of pet owners planned to spend much less on their pets this holiday season and 14 percent planned to spend somewhat less on their pets, compared to 2 percent that planned to spend much more and 6 percent that planned to spend somewhat more.
About 60 percent planned to spend about the same on their pets. About 44 percent of consumers polled in the survey typically give their pets gifts.
Overall, pets will fare worse than children and spouses but better than friends and relatives outside the immediate family, the survey said. For example, 11 percent of respondents planned to spend somewhat more and about 25 percent planned to spend somewhat or much less on their children and spouses. Three percent planned to spend much more on their children and 2 percent planned to spend much more on their spouses or partners.
By comparison, fewer than one percent of consumers planned to give friends and non-immediate family much more, six percent planned to spend somewhat more and 40 percent planned to spend somewhat less (21 percent) or much less (19 percent).
Frank Badillo, senior economist at Retail Forward, noted that what was considered a “worst case scenario” for the economy when the forecast was issued has changed to a “best case scenario” given the confusion from the ongoing federal bailout situation.
Badillo now expects the economic crisis to peak in 2009 and recover in 2010, although the recovery could be delayed if a bailout proposal does not pass soon.
He expects a bailout would ease the ongoing credit crunch. The current lack of credit is resulting in a lack of investment in business growth, which will lead to job losses and a continued weak economy.
The 2009 holiday season will probably not be much better than this year’s, he said.
Atlanta Pets
My dog ran away from home. On my birthday.
I was outside with Roxy, my 2-year-old black Lab mix, and my foster dog Oliver. I had a pass-through baby gate up to keep the dogs on the deck with me. During a happy birthday call from my dad, Oliver pawed at the bottom of the baby gate, knocking it loose. As I tried to put it back, the gate popped open, and both dogs ran through. It wasn’t that hard to catch 8-year-old Oliver, but the same wasn’t true of Roxy, who headed for the woods.
I quickly grabbed my neighbor, and soon a party of five was searching the area. I put out food for her, hoping she would come back on her own. Roxy has a microchip, so I went to the company’s Web site and had them send an alert to local veternarians and shelters. I also made fliers and started papering my complex and the others around me.
Losing a pet is always stressful, but what added to it was that I had recently changed my phone number and hadn’t had a chance to update Roxy’s tag. If someone found her, they wouldn’t be able to get in touch with me because you can’t leave a forwarding number on a cell phone. I found that out when I called my old phone company and begged them to do just that.
More than three hours later, when I was convinced I might not see my dog again and was about to break down, the phone rang. It was a good samaritan who had found Roxy. After failing to reach me because of the outdated number, it occurred to this woman to take Roxy to the closest vet to see if she was chipped.
A microchip that cost me nothing — Roxy already was chipped when I adopted her from Atlanta Lab Rescue — helped me have a very happy birthday. A microchip also helped another Atlanta family get their dog back from Florida, nine months after they had lost him.
If you’ve had a pet run away, how long did it take you to find it? How far was it from your home? Did a microchip help your pet return? Or are you still looking?
(An Atlanta dog that has been missing since last year was found in Florida.)
4 Responses to “Has your pet ever run away? If so, how far?”
Whitney
My cat got out when we were moving into our new house, someone left the door open and she walked right out. she was gone for 7 days in a new city with no idea where she was. it was the worst 7 days ever. i canvased the neighborhood, posted signs, knocked on people’s doors, followed every lead i got but 7 nights later i was out in my backyard and all of a sudden i heard meowing and she was there running through the backyard towards me, it was a slow motion moment if i’ve ever seen one, i picked her up and didnt put her down for weeks!
Sxzscorpia
Mine just got out last week- she got out thru a hole in the fence at night, she was gone alllllll night and I drove around my subdivision one more time before work in the morning and luckily found her on the other side!
My other dog got out, and was caught by animal control.
Mattie
Does anybody know how you update the microchip info? We’ve moved since my dog had it done. Should I dig out the original info I got and call the company?
silvamor
I have an American Eskimo and a Beagle, and together they ran away when a friend was dog sitting for us. They were gone all night long, and my husband and I drove around several hours. I could not sleep that night, it was the longest night ever. I live close to Lake Lanier and there is a lot of forest in that area, so at some point we could no longer go looking for them in the middle of the night. Next morning, they came back looking so guilty, like two teenagers coming back home after a night of partying. I really think they were able to return thanks to the beagle because she was able to trace her way back home. On another note, please microchip your pets, it is so worth it as we ready in the story before. You can update it by calling the microchip company and providing your new contact info.
How You Can Deal with Feline Manners
by Jay Schindler
Cats find security in their own territory. They establish a special place where they can eat, sleep, and where they can hunt and play with their mates. There are signs which cats use to mark their home base by spraying, leaving urine and feces, scratching, and even rubbing. These marks provide vital information about their age, sex, and health, thus preventing any close encounters with rival cats. Since cats have high regard for their territory. They make sure that their little home bases are kept well tended so they will get a prospective mate's attention.
Their being keen observers allows them to master each piece of furniture in the house. They would love to be pampered, fed, bathed, and put to sleep in a routinely manner as to maintain anticipation in their minds. Familiar situations make them aware of their activities for the day as well as the sequence of actions of their masters. Once they've gotten used to the routine, they will surely give a reminder if someone forgets in the future.
Heard of any deep and long sleepers? Yes, cats! They can spend the whole 15 hours of the day just sleeping. Believe it or not, an eight-year-old feline has only had his eyes open for less than three years. They have three different categories of sleep: the short nap, the long but brief sleep, and the deep full sleep. They have a way of slipping in to a deep full sleep and alternating it with just a short nap. Be aware that cats spend at least three to four hours of cleaning themselves when they are awake. The sequence is as follows:
- licking the lips - licking the sides of their paws - rubbing the head, the eyes, the ears, with the wet paw - licking the front shoulders and legs - licking the flanks - licking the genitals - licking the hinds - licking the tail - and lastly, the cat's most awaited part, sleep. Cats love to have their nap times in an area where they can actually have a bird's eye view of what is going on around and below them.
In this way they can be quickly awakened if some unusual things happen from afar or beneath them. Work hand in hand with the cat to develop their instincts. Endow them with standard home bases where they can feel the security they need. Create an environment that is suitable to their needs and wants. It could be for their viewing pleasures or even just for resting. This will give them the sense of feeling important and being cared for and that they are indeed part of household.
About the Author
Information on fish facts can be found at the Animals Facts site.
Some Books For Cat Training
by Jay Schindler
A cat lover needs a reliable guide or manual to get through his cat's training. It is not enough to just browse over websites for tips and other feline know-hows. What he needs are trusty cat training books ! Here are some of the best-selling and truly amazing cat training books that can have one's pet cat do more than meowing and scratching:
1. "Guide to Well-Behaved Cat: A Sound Approach to Cat Training" The book says it all. It aims to train the cat to behave. Written by Phil Maggiti, this book is packed with rich information and divided into four parts. The first chapter tackles the cat's evolution, while the second is all about its domestication. Design and function of an ordinary cat is discussed in chapter three, while chapter four talks about human-pet relationship topics such as why does a kitty disobey the owner when it is called?
2. "Understanding or Training Your Cat or Kitten"
This acclaimed book is from H. Ellen Whiteley, a veterinarian who understands cats more than an average person does. This book contains 292 pages of important information that can truly make you understand, train and appreciate one's pet cat.
3. "Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat"
This book is a collaboration of Gary M. Landsberg, W. Hunthausen and L. Ackerman. Published by Elvesier Health Sciences, this is one of the most reputable books in cat training. Okay, so it is dual purpose - it is about cats and dogs, but it doesn't matter. It is as informative as any other cat training book out there.
From discussing kitten development to suggesting therapy for behavior and diet-related problems, from approaching feline agression to finding out what the "European approach to behavior counseling" is, this book is indeed helpful.
4. "Cat Training in 10 Minutes"
The "Cat Training in 10 Minutes" is 142 pages of quirky information on how to communicate effectively with cats. Written by Miriam Fields-Banineau, a certified cat lover, this guide is easy to read and highly effective. Every cat owner can toilet-train his kitty in just a few reading sessions! It will not be long before the cat also follows the owner's commands! The photographs in the book are very attractive as well.
Nobody says cat training is going to be easy. That's why cat training books are available online so one can get the gist and be the best cat owner in town.
About the Author
To read about tiger facts and cat facts, visit the Animals Facts site.
Contact: Cynthia Linnon
191 Howard Street Franklin, PA 16323
clinnon@franklinbronzeplaques.com
814-346-7205 ph 814-346-7047 fax
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