Congratulations to Vhoebe, a Belgian Malinois, who broke the world record for dock diving at an incredible 32 feet, 3 inches.
Vhoebe’s world record jump happened on Saturday, 6th October 2012 at the 15th Annual Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge.
Vhoebe, who lives in San Diego with her guardian, practices five to six times per week. She’s very fit!
Posted in Dogs, special dogs and awards
Tagged Beligan Malinois, diving dog, Purina, purina pro plan, Vhoebe, world record, world record jump
As I work with clients, I try hard to use terms and definitions that they will understand. Every now and again, I get caught out and slip into the use of anatomy terms that many dog owners just don’t know about.
This week, it was the pastern.
The pastern is the area of the leg that is below the wrist (or carpus) on the front legs but above the foot. On the hind legs, the pastern is the area of leg below the heel (hock) but above the foot.
The month of October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month in the United States. October 27th, in particular, has been deemed National Pit Bull Awareness Day.
Pit Bulls are not killer dogs; they do need understanding and proper handling. Sadly, when a problem arises, it is usually the dog who is blamed. Not the handler or guardian or the living conditions of the dog. This month is about raising awareness that Pit Bulls can make loving and loveable pets. These dogs need homes – not a spot on death row.
In honour of National Pit Bull Awareness Month, I’d like you to meet Honey Bun. She’s a Pit Bull I met at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
Honey Bun came out to meet the people on my sanctuary tour. Her handler described her as a ‘typical little pitty’ who needed attention and lots of stimulation. For this reason, Honey Bun goes to the Sanctuary offices one day each week to work from the HR Department. Apparently, one of her favourite activities is to carry around a coffee mug in her mouth.
Contact your local shelter this month and see if there are lovely Pit Bulls like Honey Bun waiting for you there….it may be a life-changing event.
In the United States, the big holiday of Halloween is approaching. For this holiday and for others like Christmas and New Year, some dog owners may be tempted to dress up their dog in costume.
Did you know that there are no safety requirements for dog costumes? Netting, sequins, wire, and elastic which are found on many costumes pose a choking hazard. If ingested, these items can cause bowel obstructions. In addition, a dog who runs away for any reason can get caught up in bushes and trees.
The lesson? If you want to dress up your dog, please ensure you are supervising them at all times!
The answer is ‘yes’ but the risk and mode of transmission is poorly understood.
Researchers at Oregon State University and Iowa State University are studying reverse zoonosis. This is where disease goes from human to animal (rather than animal to human). There are documented cases of H1N1 being transmitted to 13 cats and 1 dog in the 2011-2012 period.
The research team is looking for more cases of human to animal transmission so they can better understand the risks to public health. “It’s reasonable to assume there are many more cases of this than we know about, and we want to learn more,” researcher Christiane Loehr said. “Any time you have infection of a virus into a new species, it’s a concern, a black box of uncertainty. We don’t know for sure what the implications might be, but we do think this deserves more attention.”
Any new movement of a virus from one species to another is a concern because viruses mutate and they can mutate into more virulent or easily transmittable forms.
If you think you have the flu, it’s probably a good idea to respect good hygiene practices with everyone in the household and that means keeping your distance from your dog as well. And if someone in your household has been unwell with influenza and your dog is experiencing respiratory symptoms, a visit to your vet is recommended.
News broke this week that the Town of Vaughn, New Mexico has only one qualified police officer on staff. And he’s a dog.
The town’s human police chief resigned after it was found that he was not allowed to carry a gun because he’s a convicted felon with a large outstanding sum in child support. The only other human officer was convicted in 2010 of battery, leaving him unable to carry a gun or make arrests.
That leaves Nikka, who was purchased for the sum of $10,000 to sniff out drugs (drug traffickers work in the area because of its remoteness).
There’s only about 500 residents in the town and no one seems bothered that their only sworn officer is a canine. Given the character deficiencies of the town’s human officers, some would say that Nikka is an improvement!
Source: The Times
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in Dogs
Tagged belgian malinois, drug traffickers, New Mexico, Nikka, police dog, Vaughn, vaughn new mexico
I have sometimes thought of the final cause of dogs having such short lives and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to the human race; for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance of ten to twelve years, what would it be if they were to double?
– Sir Walter Scott
Researchers at Kansas State University are devoting their time to the study of improvements in pain management and the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs. (For more information on pain management, see my June 2012 blog)
The projects are led by James Roush, a professor of clinical sciences.
In one study, the research team determined that the maximum effective time for using hot and cold packs for pain management is 10 minutes. The researchers studied how packing affects tissue temperature in beagles and beagle-sized dogs after surgery because hot and cold packing is a common technique for reducing swelling. After 10 minutes, the maximum change in tissue temperature has been reached.
In another study, a special mat is being used to study lameness in dogs suffering from osteoarthritis. When dogs step on the mat, it measures the pressure in their step and the study team can determine in which leg the lameness is worse.
“We’ve designed the study to help improve osteoarthritis treatment,” Roush said. “We will also use it to measure clinical patients when they come in for regular checkups. We can measure their recovery and a variety of other aspects: how they respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, how they respond to narcotics or how they respond to a surgical procedure that is designed to take that pressure off the joint.”
And in a third study, Roush is collaborating with researchers to study the effectiveness of a painkiller used to treat dogs to identify potential alternatives.
“To achieve the drug’s effect, the dosage in dogs is much higher than in people,” Roush said. “It also may not be a very good analgesic in dogs. We want to see if there is an alternative that requires smaller doses and does not have not as much of a discrepancy for patients.”
The week of 23 – 29 September is Deaf Pet Awareness Week.
In many cases, when a dog is found to be deaf, it is put to sleep. However, more frequently there are pet owners willing to take on these special needs animals. These dogs can be trained using sign language and are just as intelligent as ‘normal’ dogs.
Deafness in animals can be inherited or acquired through trauma, drug reactions, or simply old age. Dalmatians and Boxers are more prone to deafness than others. Thirty percent of all Dalmatians born are either deaf in one ear or bilaterally deaf. Some deaf dogs also have albinism, meaning that they lack normal melanin pigment in their eyes, nose, or skin. Owners of these dogs have to pay special attention to sun protection.
The Deaf Dog Education Action Fund has a wonderful website with answers to questions involving the ownership and care of deaf dogs.
Use this special week to contact animal shelters in your area to find out if there is a special deaf dog waiting for you!
The Auckland (New Zealand) Council is proposing to further restrict the ability of dog owners to exercise their dogs at the beach. This is a sad day for New Zealand and for New Zealand dog owners.
The bylaw will prohibit dogs on beaches from the Saturday of Labour Weekend (October) to March 31 during the hours of 10am till 6.30pm.
The Hibiscus and Bays local boards want the ban to end on March 1, which would allow dog owners 30 more days of usage of the beaches. As part of their submission, they showed the Council representatives a host of pictures of empty beaches during the month of March – challenging the notion that allowing dogs on the beaches would restrict the enjoyment and rights of other beach users.
Responsible dog owners of New Zealand – fight for your rights – otherwise, there are many people very willing to take those rights away from you!
Posted in dog care
Tagged Auckland Council, beach ban, empty beaches, responsible dog owner, responsible dog owners
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