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by Lori Aratani - WashingtonPost.com
Qondor has been found. The dog was found at about 3 and reunited with his owner. They were scheduled to depart on a 5:15 flight.
Original post: A Norwegian Army patrol dog somehow escaped his crate before a flight at Dulles International Airport, and has been spotted running around the more than 12,000 acres of ground at the complex, NBC 4 reports.
Qondor, a 21-month-old Doberman, is a specialist in the Norwegian Army. He focuses on patrols and is being trained in explosives detection.
Qondor and his handler, Captain Gunn Anita Fossli, flew into Dulles last Wednesday for a dog training course in northern Virginia.
Their original flight back to Norway was canceled because of the volcano in Iceland. On Wednesday night they were offered a flight on Iberia Airlines. That was the last time Fossli saw her dog.
He somehow escaped from his crate at about 10 p.m.
Airport officials drove Fossli around to the places Qondor was spotted Wednesday night, but "they weren't willing to do more than that," Fossli said of Dulles officials. "It was dark and the fog was coming."
"I don't really understand why he was able to escape," Fossli said. "His crate is OK. I'm really very worried about what will happen if I can't find him now."
There was a glimmer of hope Thursday morning. Fossli and airport officials drove around the southern end of the airport and spotted Qondor. They weren't able to catch him, however.
Officials said they don't believe the dog will be in any danger in that area, and they said no flights are expected to be delayed because of the search.
BaltimoreSun.com
As good an idea as it seems on the surface, a Canadian town says a dog cannot run for mayor.
Genny, a black labrador, was all set to run for office in the town of Clarington, according to the Toronto Star. But when her person/campaign manager tried to register, the municipal clerk put the kibosh on the three-year-old pup's political plans.
Why?
"She's not a person," the picky clerk told Genny's person, Marven Whidden, who has not ruled a write-in campaign.
Whidden apparently wanted to get Genny into the mix to shake up an otherwise boring election. It's unclear what the dog's platform would have been. (Dog parks? End to leash law?) No matter, when Whidden floated the idea on his blog, he got a small flood of positive feedback.
WashingtonPost.com
Vetting a Vet
Dear Readers: How do you FIND A VETERINARIAN if you move or have a new pet? According to our friends at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals -- and I agree -- ask friends, family and neighbors for a recommendation.
The other advice from the ASPCA? Try to make an appointment with a potential DVM without your pet. See how you feel about the front-counter personnel and vet techs, how clean the facility is, and if it has up-to-date equipment. Ask these questions:
--Does the vet have a partnership with other doctors?
--What if your animal needs to stay overnight?
--Is there a yard so that the dog can go outside?
--Does the vet board animals for people on vacation?
--Does the vet have a referral system if your dog needs to see a specialist?
--How does the vet manage pain with your animal?
You will feel more at ease with your new vet if you ask the right questions. Or, take your pet for a visit or "meet and greet" to see how well he or she adapts, and how you feel about the experience. -- Heloise
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Don Davison of Grand Marais, Minn., sent a photo of Weasley, his yellow tiger-striped cat, with his mouth wide open, enjoying his new bed, placed in a cardboard box top. Don says: "Weasley weighs 22 pounds, so the box top is for reinforcement. He looks like he's smiling with delight, but actually he's just yawning!" To see Weasley in his new bed, visit www.Heloise.com. -- Heloise
PILL GIVING
Dear Heloise: I have come up with a great way to give our elderly black Labrador her daily medications. I take a piece of soft white bread, cut the crusts off and then cut the bread into fourths. I make a tiny sandwich by putting a small amount of margarine or peanut butter on one small piece of bread (so the pills will stick), put the pills on and then cover it with the other piece of bread. Then I smoosh it flat. That seals the pills inside so they won't slip out. Carly loves getting her little sandwiches and doesn't even know that her meds are inside. -- Debbie Carlson, Omaha, Neb.
COMFY FROG HOUSES
Dear Heloise: We recycle our square clay pots into frog houses. An overturned corner piece makes a nice frog house, and the frogs eat the slugs in my garden. Much safer than using slug bait, which my dog might get into. -- K. in Houston
DOGS AND KIDS
Dear Heloise: When I'm walking my dogs, I don't like the neighborhood kids to run up to us. The dogs are very protective of me, and they don't understand that the kids just want to pet and play with them. And guess what? If the dogs bite the kids, it's my responsibility.
Parents, please teach your kids not to approach dogs unless the owner says it's OK. -- B.H., via e-mail
Posted by Caroline - Outbrain.com
So, you’ve been cutting back on your pet’s food, but he’s still gaining weight? What other reasons could there be for putting on weight besides overeating and not enough exercise?
Here are seven likely culprits to discuss with your veterinarian:
1. Hypothyroidism - Dogs and cats may develop a sluggish thyroid gland, a condition called hypothyroidism. When the glands do not create enough hormone to regulate the metabolic rate, animals tend to become less active and put on weight, even with a reduced appetite. Blood tests will help your veterinarian decide if your pet needs medication for this condition.
2. Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) - Often seen in older animals, Cushing’s disease is a disorder that affects the adrenal glands (found near the kidneys), which are chiefly responsible for releasing hormones into the body. Excessive levels of steroids can cause muscle weakness, extreme thirst, increased appetite, and a potbelly. If you suspect your pet has Cushing's disease, a veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis with blood tests.
3. Prescription Drugs - Prescription medication can also lead to weight gain, especially if taken over a long period. If this occurs, you may consult with your veterinarian to see if a different medication or a lower dose can prevent further weight gain.
4. Fluid Retention - Dogs and cats with heart disease usually develop ascites, a condition where fluid builds up in the abdomen. Ascites can also be caused by tumors or diseases of the internal organs. In very young animals, abnormal blood flow in the heart (congenital defect) or liver (portosystemic shunt) can lead to abdominal fluid buildup. In addition, cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) may develop fluid in the abdomen, giving them an enlarged belly.
5. Bloat - When a dog eats too rapidly and gulps too much air, the stomach fills with air and fluid and bloat (GDV) can occur. This condition is life-threatening and needs immediate medical attention. It often occurs in large, deep-chested dog breeds.
6. Parasites - Another possibility for a potbelly appearance, especially in young animals, is a heavy load of internal parasites. A stool sample will help your veterinarian determine the proper treatment.
7. Pregnancy - This one may seem obvious, but any female dog or cat that has not been spayed may become pregnant. Your veterinarian can diagnose pregnancy by several methods.
If you suspect there may be more to your pet's weight gain than just his penchant for table scraps, then don't wait to make an appointment with your vet. Many problems, when caught early enough, can be remedied.
Click on banner to visit the Only Natural Pet Store
prnewswire.com
PRNewswire/ -- According to an American Pet Products Association (APPA) survey, 62 percent of U.S. households have a pet and more than half of all owners identify their pets as a member of their family. The survey also found that in 2009 Americans spent $45 billion on their pets – nearly half of that was for vet care, supplies and over–the-counter medicines. But was this money well spent? And how much do people really know about their pet's health?
JustAnswer is a website connecting people to thousands of verified Experts in over 100 categories including Pet & Veterinary. These Experts provide answers to pet owners' most important questions, helping them become savvier about their pet's health. According to the Experts on JustAnswer, there are a handful of common household items that can be extremely dangerous for animals and can cause costly situations for owners. To help pet-proof a home and avoid spending a fortune on unnecessary vet bills, here are a few life-saving tips from an Expert on JustAnswer that could help keep your pet safe and healthy:
Q: What fruits and vegetables can be toxic for my pet?
A: Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate and are harmful to both cats and dogs. In general, onions are more of a danger and poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has ingested it. Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anemia, which causes red blood cells to burst while circulating in the body. Also, watch out because as few as two to three grapes can lead to kidney failure in dogs. Turns out you need to be extra careful when throwing away those table scraps!
Q: Which flowers are deadly for my pet to eat?
A: While they may be pretty to look at, Lilies and Geraniums can be extremely toxic for your pet. True Lilies, such as Easter, Day and Oriental Lilies, cause kidney failure in cats. Calla Lilies are also toxic for cats and can cause intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. For both dogs and cats, Calla Lilies and Geraniums are toxic. To avoid problems, it's best to keep such flowers out of reach altogether.
Q: Are human medicines safe for animals?
A: When it comes to human medicines and dogs, aspirin is the only over-the-counter pain killer that in some situations may be safe to use. Other pain killers can be dangerous to dogs and can quickly cause gastric ulcers or liver failure. For cats, NO pain killer or fever reducer is safe and if your pet swallows a prescription, be sure to get help for your pet immediately. Adderall, for example, can be very dangerous while birth control usually doesn't cause any lethal problems.
Q: What household items are hazardous for pets to swallow?
A: String of any kind is one of the worst types of foreign objects a cat can swallow. If consumed, it can cause a linear foreign body condition in the gastrointestinal tract – the most dangerous type of GI obstruction a cat can have. Sugar free gum is also a common, yet dangerous object as it causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in cats and sometimes in dogs. Other common and hazardous ingestions include batteries and loose change.
Q: What items should be in a pet emergency kit?
A: It would be great if every newly adopted pet came with an owner's manual and an emergency kit, but that's not the case. Pet owners should keep an emergency kit with hydrogen peroxide, allergy medicine, antiseptic wound and skin cleanser, mild dish soap (to remove oily substances from hair), antacid, histamine-2 blockers, and tweezers. It's also useful to have handy phone numbers for a family veterinarian and emergency veterinary services including ASPCA's 24 hour poison hotline for pets.
JustAnswer is the first resource that pet owners should look to in non-emergency situations. Experts on JustAnswer are available 24/7 and can save time and money providing information about common pet related issues. This is especially helpful when questions arise in the middle of the night or on weekends when vet care can be extremely expensive.
About JustAnswer
JustAnswer® is a website where people go when they want an answer from a Doctor, Lawyer, Mechanic or one of thousands of third-party verified Experts one-on-one. Millions with questions come to the site for affordable and fast answers in more than 100 categories, ranging from Medical to Legal. Experts typically provide answers within minutes. For more information about the company, please visit the top 200-ranked JustAnswer website or view real-time questions online now.
by Kirsten Taylor - PawNation.com
We all know that curious pets can wind up in sticky situations from time to time, but by putting together a first aid kit in advance you can be ready to react the moment an emergency arises.
Susan Nelson, an assistant professor of clinical sciences at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, agrees that "You never know when something is going to go wrong. But if you have everything together and in a certain place, you won't be worrying or wondering where it's at when something does happen."
We've broken the first aid supplies into several categories but you may also choose to buy a commercial pet first aid kit such as the one offered by the ASPCA which contains 126 items including a pet first aid guide. Whether using a commercial kit or creating one based on the suggestions here, you should personalize it based on your pet's needs, the number and type of animals you have and your own vet's recommendations.
The following items, however, are considered must-haves for your dog's or cat's first aid kit, according to Nelson and New Jersey-based veterinarian Jill Richardson.
Basic Medical Supplies
- Antibiotic ointment
- Gauze pads, gauze rolls, and medical tape
- Styptic powder to stop bleeding
- Hydrogen peroxide, 3% (to induce vomiting if a professional recommends)
- Saline solution (for flushing out eyes)
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Iodine (antiseptic)
Basic Equipment
- Muzzle (When a pet is in pain, it may bite.)
- Absorbent maxi pads (for absorbing any kind of liquid)
- Towels
- Tweezers (good for removing splinters and ticks)
- Scissors
- Rectal thermometer
- Book on pet first aid (such as the Red Cross first aid books for dogs and cats )
Other Things You May Not Have Considered
Make sure your pet sitter or pet hotel has a signed treatment authorization form so he/she can take the animal to a vet or hospital for treatment. Also have numbers for a vet, an emergency clinic, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control handy, says Richardson, who is also a co-owner of the dog-walking service My Dog Walks. Program the numbers into your cell phone, leave a copy with pet sitters, and stash another copy in your first-aid kit.
Also be sure to check out another article in Paw Nation's first aid series entitled Pet First Aid: 5 Things Every Dog and Cat Owner Should Know.
Most importantly in an emergency situation, remember, you are your pet's best ally. "Try to keep calm when an emergency happens," Richardson notes. "Take a deep breath and contact your vet right away for detailed instructions." Also remember that avoiding problems in the first place is the best strategy of all. "Make sure to be familiar with pet dangers," she says. "Preventing an emergency is much better than dealing with one."
Charles Neshah - AskaVeterinarian.com
The only way to keep up with the latest about “Dog Care” and dog training is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about “Dog Care” and dog training, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.
Dogs have always been called man’s best friend. However, we all know how best friends are made. People who arrive at being best friends go through a lot of conflicts and troubles before they understand each other enough to stand on a common ground. A dog and a human being are no different, especially with them being poles apart in language and origin. If you want your dog to truly be your best friend, then you are going to have to train it.
Dog care – To get started, think of your dog as your child. I know it might sound strange, but I’m serious here. You see, a child needs to be trained well to be able to grow up and function effectively as a productive member of the society. Can you imagine what you would have on your hands if you fail to train your child? A wild rebellious teenager! A dog is pretty much the same when it isn’t trained properly. It can be infuriating to have a dog that does not seem to care about a single thing you do or say.
Dog care and training are processes that binds you and your dog. Without it, there would be no sense in having a dog. The fact that you are a human being and your dog is a dog automatically demands dog training. Both you and your dog speak different languages. Your dog is not a verbal creature but you are. Without dog care and training, you will be unable to communicate your needs and desires to your dogs and your dog will be unable to understand you too.
Dog care and training are much for your benefit as it is for your dog because you get to learn the best way to read your dog’s non-verbal signals and teach it to understand your own verbal messages. Without dog training, both you and your dog will practically have your wires crossed!
Apart from the fact that dog care and training helps both you and your dog understand each other, it also helps to bring out the best in your dog. Dog training helps to enhance a dog’s innate abilities and makes it a better dog. In essence, dog care and training enables you to enjoy your dog to a considerable extent and for your dog to enjoy you as well. It also helps you find that common ground with your dog that fosters the best of relationships between man and dog is dog care.
There’s no doubt that the topic of “Dog Care” and dog training can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about “Dog Care” and dog training, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.
Charles Neshah writes insightful articles on dog obedience training at How To Train A Dog And Definition Of Cross-Contextualization In Dog Training.
We present some practical and expert tips on choosing a dog for your children and ensuring a happy home is possible with happy children and their chosen pet; we hope these help you make the right decision about your dog and your children’s healthfulness, too!
• Apart from the fun and love factors of owning a dog, many parents consider keeping a dog for the added security a dog can provide for the kids, especially when playing outdoors, being home alone or when a parent is not around for supervising the activities as dogs make great protectors!
• Of course, the companionship provided by a lovable four-legged furry friend that a dog can be is not to be ignored either, but choosing the right kind of canine pet is very important to ensuring both good dog health as well as children’s health. so, learn as much as you can about the natural temperament of the dog you like before brining one that is only tame-looking, but not necessarily mild-natured enough to be kept along side kids.
• A puppy is a good choice for a household with children as they can both grow together and get into scrapes and make lasting memories of a happy, natural and innocent childhood the likes of which is forgotten today in the mad rush for materialistic pleasures or even modern distractions like TV, electronic games etc. as having a dog will ensure kids get exercise walking and playing with the pet! Of course, you have to ensure that the dog you choose has reduced predatory tendencies to avoid the children getting nipped or attacked as they have a tendency to tug at their tails or tweak their ears, so obedience training is a must for the dogs to be housebroken and remain child-friendly.
• A good choice for a child-friendly environment is the Golden Retriever, which is a breed that is adaptable, has oodles of energy needed with children and also has a calm temperament to play and protect your kids. there are lots more breeds that are fairly adaptable with children; however, you may have to consult with a professional dog breeder or vet to determine your specific needs and that of your child for the ideal canine pet.
• It is recommended that parents looking out for a suitable dog breed for keeping along side children in their homes do their homework on the various kinds that are compatible with kids, how much their care and training will cost them in terms of money, energy and time besides also planning out additional safety features around the house for both child and dog to stay safe.
So, while temperament and youthfulness may be the two most important traits in looking for a dog for your child, it is equally important to hone your knowledge of the right furry friend for your child so as to make an informed decision on choosing a child-friendly, non-aggressive yet protective canine companion for kids.
by admin in Cats - AnimalTopics.com
The ragdoll cat breed is among the most well-liked with families. This strikingly good looking, long-haired cat is docile and friendly. They don’t have the fighting instinct and they love attention. This means families with other pets and kids will find the ragdoll cat breed a ideal addition to the family.
This breed of cat is famous because they are both social and relaxed. They do love attention and like to be where the action is. This makes them easy to train. All you’ve to do is lavish them with attention when they scratch around the cat post rather than the couch.
This breed is really a larger breed. The males can weigh in excess of 20 pounds and the females are merely slightly smaller. Their stunning rabbit-fur like hair is extended and typically does not matt.
The ragdoll cat breed is definitely an indoor cat breed. Since they lack the fighting instinct they would not defend themselves when attacked. Though several owners train them to walk on a leash for the most part you will desire to keep them indoors.
This breed comes in 3 patterns and four colors (seal, chocolate, blue and lilac). The three patterns are:
Colorpoint - a lighter entire body shade, dark points for the ears tail, face and feet, as well as the nose and paw pads match the idea color (the darker color).
Mitted - dark points and a lighter body similar for the colorpoint with white mitts around the front paws and white boots around the back legs.
Bi-color - dark points within the ears and tail and an inverted “v” on the mask that runs from between the eyes into the muzzle. The entire body color has a “saddle-like” appearance.
This is usually a great pet health care cat breed that you ought to think about in the event you like big, docile, affectionate cats.
Thanks to Bob in BHC, Az
May peace break into your home and
May thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans
Become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline
And may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face
And may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had
Forget your home address!
By Sandy Griffin - ezinearticles.com
So your ready to add a four legged friend into the family, but which of the over 143 breeds go you pick? Some people will look for size, shape, color, and long for short hair. Others will look for temperament of the breed. But before those there are a few other thing you should think about before you choose the right dog breed.
Here are a few things that you should think of first:
1) House or Apartment.
This is something that some people tend to forget about when choosing a dog. Make sure that your dog will have enough room to roam. If you have a small house or apartment then a large dog may not be best for your. They will need to be able to move around the home and also need a place to run. A better breed for you may be the smaller size dogs. They will not need as much room to raise them.
2) Do you have Kids.
If you have children then choosing a dog breed that is delicate like a Chihuahua may not be a good choice. They can be very frail and a child may be too rough on them. Choosing a dog breed that is large can have the opposite effect. The dog does not know it's own size and can knock over your child. It really depends on how old your children are, as to what size dog breed you chose.
3) How much do you work.
You should know how much time your will be able to devote to your dog. Larger dogs will need a lot of exercise and some may need more grooming than others. Your dog will also need time to be around you and your family. So if you have a family on the run, make sure you chose a dog breed that can travel with you.
Choosing a dog breed that is correct for you be sure to think of all the things listed above and you will be able to make a informative decision.
You can find even more information at Dog Breeders Directory [http://www.dogbreedersdirectory.info] and also receive a free Dog Health Book [http://www.dogbreedersdirectory.info]. Much more information all for free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Griffin
by Jason G. Goldman - ScienceBlogs.com
Dog owners have a way - sometimes within DAYS of first becoming dog owners - of becoming EXPERTS on animal behavior. It blows my mind. These are people who observe their animals displaying interesting or curious behaviors and make up things like "dogs like being put in tiny cages, actually, because of when their ancestors were pack animals and lived in caves."
That said, a reader sent me an email inquiring about a particular behavior that she has observed in her female poodle. This reader is not one of the above-described self-proclaimed experts. This reader is generally awesome.
She writes:
My dog is pushing around her food, her food dish, or anything in the area. She noses it around every time before she eats, sometimes for a significant period of time. This video is of her pushing the towel under the dish around (which I put there to stop her from pushing the dish entirely across the tile floor and spilling food everyone). Sometimes she noses the food around and doesn't even bother to eat any.
What is this all about?
One day she decided to set up a spycam so she could catch her dog in the act. She sent me the video and permitted me to upload it for the world to see:
It turns out that this behavior appears fairly common, and inquiries abound online in various forums and whatnot. Enter the self-proclaimed experts. One offers:
Many dogs push their food bowls around; it might be vestigial to the dog's foraging instinct. Many dogs also pick food out of the bowl and carry it to another location to eat it.
Another suggests:
Depending on the breed of your dog, and dominance level, it's food looks rather bleak. Meaning that it's looking for something more alive; this would be the hunter in them call out. Ever wonder why dogs love a good squeakier? It's because it resembles a dying animal.
Here's a selection of other gems from the interwebz:
Maybe try switching food brands.
Maybe, just maybe, she doesn't like the shape of the bowl it may be not the most convenient shape for her to eat out of. Having just a dog brain she doesn't know it is a permanent shape. But more than likely it is just an inherited behavior left over from before dogs trained humans to be pet owners. Back then the dog (or dawg, or even dogg, spelling having not been domesticated yet) ate things it killed or found already dead. Sometimes the prey might not be quite dead yet and might try to bite back so Dog would need to check and one way to check was just give it a push and see if it moved.
I think they want you to pay some attention to them....They can't speak so we have to listen to them without hearing words...If I were a dog pushing my bowls around I would be saying..I am bored..I am lonely eating alone every night, no one valadating me...I am tired of this same ole' crap all the time...
He's trying to get on your nerves, or he wants attention. Both ways are the same. Your dog and my dog know that once he does something bad, he'll get your attention and you might scream at him or maybe slap his nose for him to stop, but he/she thinks it's fun.
I think perhaps they feel they are "hunting" the food and then eat it.
If I was going to make up a hypothesis, I might conjecture that pushing food around with the nose will indicate if the food is beginning to rot, as bugs and other critters that munch on dead flesh tend to be found underneath the food item.
Time for some actual research.
How about first we knock down all those lay explanations:
In wild animals, food selection begins with foraging (or hunting, for carnivores) behavior, and ends with food consumption. Through domestication, however, hunting behavior in dogs seems to have been genetically modified if not entirely eradicated. Some evidence that this is so comes from studies of "village" or feral dogs. These are dogs that generally survive by scavenging, raising the possibility that domesticated dogs have not maintained a fully functional repertoire of hunting behaviors. It should be noted, however, that not much is known about how wolves decide what is palatable (e.g. appearance, odor, texture, flavor), so it is hard to determine if dogs' preferences in that respect have changed in domestication. So it is unlikely that any food-related behavior you observe in a domesticated dog is "leftover" from their wolf ancestors. Possible, but unlikely.
Then, I asked this reader a few questions: are there other dogs in the house? Yes, a male dog. Does she generally feed the dog the same food every day? Yes.
I could not find anything in the literature directly addressing this issue. Here are some things we do know about food selection in domesticated dogs, and my best guess as to the explanation of this particular dog's behavior:
(1) It is certain that odor plays a strong role in food selection, because anosmic dogs (who can't smell) show significantly reduced discrimination between types of meat that are otherwise highly discriminable.
(2) Dogs combine olfactory information (smell) with social information to select what type of food they want. In this study, dogs preferred eating something that smelled like the breath of another dog who had recently been fed.
I wonder if perhaps Shug (white poodle) smelled something on the other dog's breath, and was looking for it. This reader insisted that the two dogs are fed the same foods. It is possible that there is some odor produced by the interaction of the other dog's saliva and the food that Shug was trying to find in her food bowl.
One other bit of interesting information that I stumbled across concerns laterality in dogs. Laterality is an observable measure of functional asymmetry in the brain. The human brain, for example, is strongly left-lateralized for language. This means that much of language processing occurs on the left side of the brain. Human handedness (whether you favor your right or left hand) has to do with laterality as well. Human handedness may be a topic for another day - this day, we shall focus on dog paw-edness. Do dogs favor one paw over the other?
So the answer is yes, and is actually related to their sex. Females tend to prefer the right paw, and males tend to prefer the left paw. What is most interesting to me is that task #3 was a food retrieval task.
I am well aware that I might be reaching here and over-interpreting - but I wonder if perhaps Shug, if she is right-pawed like most other female dogs, is simply trying to move the food away from the wall. Kind of like, if you're at a restaurant, and you're right handed, it totally sucks to be the guy at the end of the booth with your right hand against the wall.
So, there you have it. Both may be stretching it a little, but you've got two workable hypotheses that are totally testable. Oh, and I promise, we'll do one for the cat people next week.
Bradshaw JW (2006). The evolutionary basis for the feeding behavior of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus). The Journal of nutrition, 136 (7 Suppl) PMID: 16772461
Wells, D. (2003). Lateralised behaviour in the domestic dog, Canis familiaris Behavioural Processes, 61 (1-2), 27-35 DOI: 10.1016/S0376-6357(02)00161-4
by admin in Birds - AnimalTopics.com
A lot of people imagine getting a pet at one time or another. Sometimes it will be the children that swear that their lives is not going to be complete without a pet to have fun with. Other times it is the parents who recommend that adding a family pet would bring focus and accountability. No matter who desires the pet the most, it is confirmed that adding a pet can be a source of fun, learning plus household bonding. Most families immediately think that they can make a choice from getting a cat or a dog simply because those are the preferred animals to own. Prior to running out and buying a perfect kitten or puppy, contemplate selecting a bird to be your family pet.
Conceivably many people imagine that having a bird is reserved for the wild at heart or certainly for those living within a tropical climate. You would be shocked, however, to find out that all kinds of people in just about every climate in the world are proud bird owners.
Feel just a little unsure? Take a little time to learn about the different kinds of birds that might be the right kind of pets for your family. Going to a local pet store can be a excellent place to start gaining information. Do not be afraid to ask the shop personnel any questions you have regarding owning a bird or regarding the differences between kinds of birds. Gather as much as it is possible to before you make your ultimate decision.
Take into consideration the ability of your family to take care of a pet and then just pick out a bird that you could in fact take care of as well as enjoy. One kind of bird could need more attention than you can provide while a different species of bird is perhaps perfect to suit your family’s active schedule. The worst thing that can be done is to bring home a bird which may be inappropriate for your family. No one is going to be happy with a bird that must be cared for by the hour and creates loud noises every night. Consider all of these particulars thoroughly.
If you choose a bird as your initial or next family pet, take the time to educate your entire family about the bird. After you have taken some time to learn, instruct your family on the important facts about the bird and about the requirements the bird will have when it turns into part of your family. Be honest from the start regarding the serious responsibility and privilege that comes with having a pet. Mainly your children need to have a proper understanding of the needs as well as care requirement of your pet bird.
Picking a bird for a family pet can be a unique and fun way to bring an animal into your home. Many varieties of birds are simple to maintain and will result in hours of laughter as well as fun for your
family.
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