“What do dogs do on their day off? Can’t lie around – that’s their job!”
-George Carlin, comedian
Sid the Greyhound, photo by John Visser
This video is a couple of years old; but to me it shows the best in owners who compete in events like obedience and agility.
In this obedience test, the dogs run a gauntlet of diversions including treats and toys. Their goal is to focus on their handler and reach the end – quickly.
You will see that the first two dogs manage this test fairly successfully. And then it is the Golden Retriever’s turn…
What I like is that the owner doesn’t yell or visually get upset or angry. She encourages her dog to reach the end of the competition.
And then everyone celebrates!
It breaks my heart to attend competitive events when the owners/handlers are angry or upset with their dogs when they don’t perform. Dogs, like us, have bad days. I have even met owners who say they know their dog doesn’t like competitions, but he/she does it because that’s what the owner wants.
My recommendation is that you and your dog take part in things that give you joy – and in this Golden Retriever’s case – he clearly shows he’s enjoying life and having fun.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in Dogs, Uncategorized
Tagged agility, competition, Golden Retriever, obedience, YouTube
Greyhounds, it seems, like to sleep with their mouths open. And their owners like to take photos of their hounds showing off their ‘teefs’ – photos that are shared on Facebook groups involving greyhounds (I follow several)…
A sleeping greyhound shows off their front teefs (Photo by Elizabeth Anne Dodd)
So I’ve used these photos as an inspiration. How much do you know about your dog’s teeth?
An upside down sleeping Greyhound, again showing off the front teefs (Photo by Gill Vernon)
Let’s look at a diagram of an adult dog’s teeth:
An adult dog’s teeth (diagram courtesy of the Merck Vet Manual)
The dog has 6 incisors on the upper and lower jaws that are used for grasping.
Of the famous “canine teeth” there are only 2 each on the upper and lower jaws. Their main function is tearing.
There are 8 premolars on the upper and lower jaw and their main function is grinding. There are 4 molars in the upper jaw and 6 on the lower jaw. These teeth also have a grinding function.
The best way to keep your dog’s teeth healthy is to feed a nutritious diet.
I am a big support of regular teeth brushing, too. (see my blog post on Brushing your dog’s teeth)
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in dog care, Dogs, Uncategorized
Tagged canine teeth, dental care, dental health, teeth, teeth brushing
I think every dog should have a name tag attached to its collar. It’s useful for people to know your dog’s name, particularly if it gets lost.
And I also love recycling or re-using items for another purpose when I can. It’s a case of waste not, want not. (see, for example, my blog on how I re-used a pill bottle for my dog’s emergency kit)
So, when this homemade dog tag came across my Facebook feed, I wanted to share it.
It’s made from an old teaspoon that has been flattened, with the handle cut off. I’d never have thought of that!
Homemade dog tag by Rhys Agnew, Canterbury, New Zealand
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Tagged dog tags, identification tag, re-using, recycling, teaspoon
The eyesight in our dogs changes with age.
Researchers based at the Nestlé Purina Research Center in Missouri have discovered that our dogs become more near-sighted as they age. Their results were published in the journal PLoS One.
This investigation used an instrument called an autorefractor to measure the dogs’ eyesight in indirect and direct lighting conditions. The study involved nine Beagles ranging in age from 1 to 14 years. Before entering the study, the dogs were examined to confirm that none of them had cataracts.
Measurements were taken on three different days of the week for a period of six weeks.
The researchers found a remarkable difference between the younger and older dogs. The older dogs had a much-reduced ability to see at longer distances (far-sightedness) compared to the younger dogs. Younger dogs were also able to make larger accommodation changes from indirect light to direct light conditions, indicating a more flexible lens.
Humans are the opposite in terms of length of sight. As we age it can become more difficult to read and see things at shorter distances whereas our ability to see at distances is often not affected (although some older people do have difficulties adjusting to night and low-light conditions, just as the dogs in this study did).
So if your dog is getting older and you notice that they can’t pick up on your body language and signals, there’s a physical reason for it.
Through my own experience working with older dogs, I recommend using a light that helps your senior dog adjust to low-lighting conditions. See my post on the PupLight, for example.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Tagged eyesight, PLoS ONE, Puplight, senior dog care, senior dogs
Unes grocery shop owner Gianfranco Galantini noticed how many small dogs were being left outside his shop in the city of Liano, Italy as their owners dashed inside to do their shopping.
He decided to welcome the dogs inside by designing pet-friendly shopping trolleys.
(Picture: Lucia Landoni/ La Repubblica)
The front section of each trolley has a solid bottom, allowing the dogs to sit or stand inside. It’s legal to bring the dogs inside the store, so long as they are under control. The store also cleans the trolley after each use.
Word gets around dog owners pretty quickly when a shop is welcoming to dogs; owners have responded by shopping there and by all accounts, the dogs have been well behaved and there haven’t been any problems.
The trolleys have proved so popular that the Unes grocery chain is considering rolling them out in its other stores.
Wouldn’t you like to see this type of pet-friendly shopping in your community?
(Picture: Lucia Landoni/ La Repubblica)
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in dog-friendly shops, Dogs
Tagged grocery shop, Italy, pet friendly shopping, Unes
Yet more research on the human-animal bond. This time the research was based at Barnard College’s Dog Cognition Lab.
Researchers Alexandra Horowitz and Julie Hecht asked members of the public to send them videos of playtime with their dogs.
They received 187 videos from dog owners in 19 different countries and watched them all, looking for patterns in human behaviour and the dog’s responses.
For example, they created a list of the top 35 words owners used with their dogs:
The research team also noticed gender differences. Female owners touch their dogs more when at play; half of male owners didn’t touch their dogs at all.
There is a practical application for this research (although I do agree that it sounds like a fun job). There is a growing interest in helping to train dogs as assistance dogs and understanding how humans and dog interact may help to refine training techniques.
The research has been published in the journal Animal Cognition.
Source: Discover magazine
TigerPlace is a retirement community that helps residents care for their pets as both age.
Located in Colombia, Missouri, this retirement community offers one-floor living to make it easy for owners and pets to enjoy the outdoors. And there’s on-site veterinary care!
Described as “pet encouraging” as opposed to “pet tolerating”, this facility even offers dog walkers for older residents who are finding it difficult to give their dog the exercise it needs.
This article in the Missourian gives greater insight into the facility and its value to its residents. This includes following 90-year old Elizabeth Kennedy who lives at TigerPlace with her 12-year old Boston Terrier, Dolly.
The article mentions a growing trend for retirement communities to offer pet care and the recognition and evidence that pets keep us living longer, more active, and happier lives.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Dogs are interesting and entertaining creatures. Most love to play and rest on our sofas and furniture (if they are allowed).
And they also adopt some funny positions when doing this.
What’s your dog’s funny furniture position?
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Posted in Dogs, Humor/humour
Tagged dogs on couch, dogs on furniture, dogs on sofa, furniture
Home Depot allows dogs. What a great learning and socializing experience. Where else do you go with your dog?
Abby, “Excuse me. Could someone help us find some tools?”
Moving is always hectic and time consuming and we’ve been busy unpacking, cleaning, buying things for our new place and much more. Home Depot is one of the places we’ve been going to lately a lot so we take Abby with us to expose her to new people, environment, sounds, etc.
Abby, “Moms, someone is coming to help us in a minute.”
Abby got to work that day by trying to get someone to come and help us find a few items we needed to buy. It was Saturday, so everybody was busy trying to help customers. We had a secret weapon, Abby. They all wanted to pet her.
Abby, “Ok moms, tell me what you need so I can grab it for you.”
Abby is a pretty young pup, but I always tell pet parents that regardless of their…
View original post 160 more words
DoggyMom.com 