sandgrubber

Eileen Thanks for posting. I find it hard to imagine what people and pets are going through in Japan. Does ARK have any more recent stories about animals rescued? The link you posted says they are anticipating an influx of animals, but is not dated. I'd guess the influx has already come and they are now having a hard time coping with it. Sorry . . . no wool.

Also note that the surface matters. A friend of mine has had a horrid time with bad joints, though her dogs are genetically very similar to mine. I have had no such problems. She ran young dogs beside the bike on roads and paved bike paths. I let my dogs follow me on the bike (off lead) when I biked on a limestone access road. Grass, or uneven tracks that make the bike ride an exercise in picking your way around obsticles are much easier on joints than blacktop or cement.

Long ago I lived in a basement apartment and had a dog (Labbie) with a broken leg. Toilet was traumatic. My vet said she can hold it for 26 hours. I found that was accurate advice . . . we got the sling out once a day and braved the steps. For a healthy dog, I think toilet is mostly psychological and for the psyche, you don't want to go that long.

Yes, that would be backyard breeding. Not necessarily. I bred Labs in WA for a decade or so. There is huge demand for Lab pups, and many people end out going to other breeds cause they can't find a Lab when they want a pup. Most of the WA breeders are pretty friendly and helpful. If you work with a respected breeder, do the necessary health checks, and spend some time learning the breed standard . . . and after that you feel your pup is worth breeding from . . . I wouldn't consider you a BYB. I would consider you a BYB if you skip health checks, breed from a Limited Register dog and/or bitch, and/or don't consult with the breeder you bought from about whether your lovely pup is worth breeding from. Oh yes, you also have to take a breeder's exam and register with the CAWA. There are some people who consider almost everyone BYB's . . . but those folks can be ignored.

Where are the pictures!!!!!

The happy message is that if the owners stay cool, even a horrible situation can be gotten through without minimal damage. I'd say it's clear who was right . . . and the humans involved agree. . . the guy with the bullies shook the guy's hand after he shot one of the bullies . . . as if to say, this was way out of control, and you did right to get out the gun. I'm strongly anti-gun, but in this case, seems fortunate that a gun was at hand and the guy either missed his mark or was a good shot and used the gun as a high-power distraction. (they say distractions rarely break up a dog fight . . . maybe this is the exception). This situation could easily have lead to MUCH worse outcomes . . . like two guns present and both dogs and people getting shot . . . serious or mortal wounds.. . trials . . . jail sentences . . . dogs PTS. Whew! Bottom line was two dogs went to the vets for relatively minor wounds and two guys learned something . . . well . . .I certainly hope the pit bull bloke learned a lesson.

People discussing dog behaviour often talk about whether a response had a trigger or whether it was provoked. Given how much of a dog's perception of the world comes through its nose, seems to me that we may be unaware of a lot of things that trigger dogs . . . eg, humping may be triggered by certain smells (it certainly is when you have a pack of girls and one comes on season). Aggression might, likewise, be triggered by smells . . . and there may be a special class of aggression triggered by fear smells. Or is 'the smell of fear' a myth? Seems very likely that dogs reactions to people are influenced by smell. More generally, seems like, in discussing dog behaviour, we often forget that our perception of the world is very different from a dog's.

I don't understand. Rehoming is not always cruel . .. and putting a dog in kennels for a month while you go on holiday may create more separation anxiety than placing a dog in a new, loving home. Dogs have poor sense of time, so a few weeks seems like forever. They are pretty adaptive. Despite fabled 'loyalty', many dogs (my experience is mostly with Labradors) change loyalties very rapidly if the new home provides for their physical and social/psychological needs. Jeez, if you take a hard stand on 'rehoming is cruel', it would be better for greyhound breeders to pts than rehome, and I doubt anyone in DOL would take that stance. Someone else mentioned breeders . . . what about the very common practice of 'running a pup on' . .. and rehoming it if it doesn't make show standards or have good-enough hip or elbow scores? As for people who have no reason other than they no longer wanted a dog . . . their dogs probably didn't have the happiest of home lives, or the best prospects for getting their needs met in coming years, so rehoming may be a kindness. People shouldn't take dog ownership lightly, and breeders shouldn't sell to people who take dog ownership lightly. But I don't see it as 'until death do us part'.

Greymate's right: some people make decisions without thinking of the consequences. Very common among uni students. And some people don't have full control of their lives and that uncertainty may come down on their pets. An elderly person having a stroke and being unable to care for a pet; divorce may end up with neither partner being able manage a dog-friendly residence. You see those adds in the paper often enough . . . and Adrian's right . . . some of them are excuses cause they no longer want the animal. Should be noted that rehoming a dog isn't necessarily abandoning it, and may be the kindest thing to do, provided you take the time to find a good home. When I moved from Australia back to the US, I rehomed three and took two. I think the rehomed dogs have been at least as happy as the ones I brought with . . . and I would have had one hell of a time getting settled in a new place with five dogs.

Hey, ya gotta give the guy credit. He shook the hand of the guy who shot his dog . . . . and didn't set the other two dogs on him.

Thanks for that. Could you give the exact title . . . and/or author. I can't find it using NRC as publisher and searching for nutrition, guidelines

Great blog. Wish I had the resources to follow all his references. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for the replies. Gawd I hate nutritional questions. Lots of opinions, not much evidence. Google on iodine, dog, coat pulls up only adds for nutritional supplements. Has anyone seen any studies of nutrition and coat bleaching, or is it just salesmanship? Also, is this purely cosmetic, or is there an indication of a real deficiency? If this or that nutrient will darken coat in bbEe and bbEE allele dogs, does that mean that there is a deficienecy that affects health? If so, is it the case that all cogs are deficient on this diet, but only certain coat colours show it?

Yes. Sire is dominant chocolate, dam, chocolate carrying yellow. Livamol isn't available here, but I can try something with added trace minerals. My dogs get fish oil supplements, but maybe I should change to something with a broader range of trace goodies. I'm leery of mega doses of anything.

My little choco girl, not so little anymore, seems to be getting carmel tips. Not that it's a huge problem . . . it's just older hair that looses pigment before falling out . . . but it refuses to fall out. Wouldn't do well in the show ring, I'm afraid. (I think it's kinda cute). Does anyone else have this problem?

http://dmm.biologists.org/content/3/1-2/27.full.pdf ABSTRACT Leading the way: canine models of genomics and disease Abigail L. Shearin1 and Elaine A. Ostrander1,* PRIMER In recent years Canis familiaris, the domestic dog, has drawn considerable attention as a system in which to investigate the genetics of disease susceptibility, morphology and behavior. Because dogs show remarkable intrabreed homogeneity, coupled with striking interbreed heterogeneity, the dog offers unique opportunities to understand the genetic underpinnings of natural variation in mammals, a portion of which is disease susceptibility. In this review, we highlight the unique features of the dog, such as population diversity and breed structure, that make it particularly amenable to genetic studies. We highlight recent advances in understanding the architecture of the dog genome, which propel the system to the forefront of consideration when selecting a system for disease gene studies. The most notable benefit of using the dog for genetic studies is that dogs get many of the same diseases as humans, with a similar frequency, and the same genetic factors are often involved. We discuss two approaches for localizing disease genes in the dog and provide examples of ongoing studies.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/122396329.html Man attacked by pit bulls in Kirkland park, opens fire By KOMO Staff Published: May 21, 2011 at 5:28 PM PDT Last Updated: May 22, 2011 at 9:39 AM PDT print email Tim Lewis is seen with his German shepherd during an interview on Saturday, May 21, 2011. »Play Video KIRKLAND, Wash. - A leisurely Saturday afternoon in the park quickly mutated into a real-life horror scene when three pit bulls attacked a man and his German shepherd without warning, police said. During the unprovoked attack, the man pulled out his concealed weapon and opened fire, hitting one of the pit bulls and scaring off the others. "If I didn't have my gun - I'd be dead right now," he later told KOMO News. "It was an instant decision. It's not something I wanted to do. I love animals." Kirkland police Sgt. Rob Saloum said the violent drama unfolded Saturday as a local man was playing catch with his 3-year-old German shepherd across from Juanita Bay Park, in the 9700 block of NE Juanita Drive. At the same time, another man was there with his three unleashed pit bulls. The owner of the German shepherd, Tim Lewis, said he threw a tennis ball for his dog - and that's when the pit bulls pounced. "All hell broke loose," he said. Lewis said the three dogs came loping up and began savagely attacking the German shepherd in a pack. Lewis said he fought to protect his dog and at one point it appeared he may have scared off the pit bulls. The owner of the pit bulls, a Seattle man, also tried to pull the dogs off the German shepherd. But the three suddenly came back - and this time they attacked both the German shepherd and the owner. Lewis, a legal gun owner who has a concealed weapon permit, pulled out his handgun and opened fire at that point, shooting one of the pit bulls and scaring away the two others. Charles McLennan was nearby and watched in horror as pit bulls attacked. "If he didn't have that gun, he would probably be dead," McLennan said of Lewis. The owner of the pit bulls, Justin LaValley, then took them away - and even shook Lewis' hand before leaving the scene. The injured pit bull was taken to a veterinarian for surgery and is expected to survive. LaValley acknowledged that the dogs were fighting, but said Lewis should not have opened fire. "At no time whatsoever was his life in danger," LaValley said. The German shepherd sustained minor injuries in the attack, and Lewis said he also is taking the dog to the veterinarian for treatment. Police are investigating the incident.

In my family we had an arrangement where no one had to do the deed for their own dog, or take full responsibility. Unfortunately, Mum has died, so that pact no longer works. But I took her much-beloved Molly in cause she couldn't do it . . . Molly was in too much pain . . . and she took my Sprocket in after a horrendous accident that, in an older dog, had a bad prognosis. Might add, if you decide to ease your pup on its way, it may be worth finding a mobile vet who will do it at home. I've attended half a dozen pet euthanasias. They are surprisingly tranquil and in my experience, the act itself doesn't add to the guilt factor. But it may be easier in some place that doesn't smell sterile and isn't associated with trauma.

As a Labrador owner, I'd say the biggest difference is that dogs enjoy their water and tend to play in it, swish around, and generally make a mess, while cats want as little contact as possible and are dainty. Not to mention that dogs are often bigger and better equipped to get water everywhere. Interesting science, thanks for posting.

Slightly evil in a good way. Go for it . Most dogs have a sense of humor. Btw, the more runny the peanut butter is, the more it spreads out on the dog's tongue, and the funnier the reaction. Highly processes peanut butter is less amusing than the 'all natural' type that separates.

Although the world hasn't come to an end, it's interesting that massive, horrendous storms are moving through the Bible Belt. Perhaps the atheist crew should turn their mildly fraudulent gains to helping pets displaced by tornados.

It happens. I once had a neighbour with fifty or more dogs who was a top breeder, all breeds judge, etc. who kept filthy kennels, had fridges full of disgusting rotten meat, allowed very little exercise, etc. Sadly, bad animal husbandry isn't restricted to puppy mills.

Not just pill coating, p'nut butter is great bait for rat or mouse traps. I keep a separate jar of the stuff for dog use and bait (as someone else pointed out in another thread, you can entertain a dog for hours by putting a little peanut butter at the bottom of a plastic jar or jug) and one for people. That's so I can use fingers to scoop from the animal jar.;)

Great shot. In defense of the dog, if the wind is blowing the wrong way, a dog cannot smell things that are quite close. Looks to me like the beagle is a serious ground scenter, and the air scent isn't getting to him. This could happen to an excellent tracking dog.

KIds are more likely to run into strange dogs because more dogs are 'strange'. When I was growing up, no one fenced their dogs, and us kids knew all the neighbourhood dogs (including a great dane who liked to hump children . . . we avoided this one). The dogs all developed either avoidance mechanisms or coping mechanisms for dealing with kids. The kids got to know the dogs and their natures. I don't remember anyone ever getting bitten, apart from the odd incident where some dog got clumsy with its mouth in play and a tooth whammed into some skin. Come to think of it, I did get nipped when visiting someone's house . . . but no one thought much of it. Does no good to bemoan days gone by . . . but systematic confinement of dogs and insistence of careful supervision of children when in contact with dogs does have its side effects.