Here's a great list that I thought I would pass on...very interesting! –Kim
39 Secrets Your Dog Won't Tell You
We asked animal behaviorists, nutritionists, veterinarians and pet groomers to shed some light on what your furry friends would tell you if they could.By Michelle Crouch
Reader's Digest Magazine
May 2014
Italian researchers found that dogs wag their tails slightly to the right when they see something they like and to the left when they're confronted with something they want to back away from.
2. You might buy any old dog-grooming brush at the pet store...
...but you should really pick the right one for my coat. A rubber brush will promote circulation and loosen dirt. A bristle brush removes dead hair.
3. You're giving me too much food.
How can you tell? I don't seem motivated by food treats when you're trying to train me. Cut back, and I'll start to pay attention.
4. Grooming day means you bring out the big blow-dryer. Don't!
To make dogs like me look fluffy, shake a little cornstarch into the base of the fur and then brush. It will absorb oil and grease and detangle matted fur.
5. Please don't rush me when I'm going to the bathroom.
There's a reason dogs circle around before getting down to business: We have an instinct to be aligned with the earth's magnetic field before we poop. In fact, researchers watched 70 of us engage in 1,893 defecations over a two-year period just to figure this out.
6. You may think it's nice to let me sleep all day, but too much nap time can affect my personality.
A lot of behavioral problems can be solved by just taking your dog on a daily walk or by playing with your cat for 20 minutes every day.
If I have arthritis, I'll be much happier if you give me a daily supplement that contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which protect joint cartilage. And switch me to a food formulated for an animal my age.
8. If you lose me...
...the first thing you should do is call every animal shelter within 100 miles of home, and visit the nearest shelters every day if you can. Many animal control bureaus euthanize animals if they go unclaimed for a specific amount of time. (For good measure, be sure to get me a microchip when I'm young.)
9. If you're getting me spayed...
...ask your vet if she can remove just my ovaries, not my uterus. A much less invasive procedure, it's the way cats and dogs are spayed in Europe, and many U.S. veterinarians have already made the switch.
10. Because I'm a creature of habit, even a subtle change in my behavior is a red flag that I might be sick.
So if it takes me an hour to eat my food instead of 60 seconds as usual, if I'm tiring out faster when we play, if there are more urine clumps in the litter box than usual, or if I seem to be drinking more water, call the vet right away.
11. There's no question that if you keep me inside and don't let me wander the neighborhood...
I'll have a better chance of living a longer life. I won't get hit by a car, stolen, or just plain lost. But once I've been allowed to roam free, it'll be hard to change me.
12. Please introduce me around when I'm young so I'm not afraid of strangers.
Some experts say I should meet 100 new people of different sizes, genders, and ethnicities in my first 100 days at home, even if it's just a quick greeting. Make sure you include people wearing hats and sunglasses, since those accessories can look awfully scary to me.
13. You may think it's cute when I rub my butt on the carpet...
...but it probably means that I'm itchy and would like to see a vet.
14. When you're choosing a new furry friend, ask a vet or trainer for simple tests you can do to gauge temperament.
For example, you can try rolling me over on my back to see how I handle it. If I really struggle, I'm probably going to be tougher to train than an animal who lies there placidly.
15. Forget the Milk-Bones!
If you want me to really pay attention when you're training me, use a treat that's moist, something so gross, you don't even want to hold it in your hand, like a piece of greasy chicken.
16. While some of us gulp down grass only if we've eaten something that doesn't agree with us and we're trying to regurgitate it...
...others of us just love to munch the lawn. So let me graze – just make sure the grass I'm eating is free of pesticides.
17. Beware, Mom, because I will eat your underwear...
...especially if they've been worn. Veterinarians surgically remove hundreds of pairs from dogs' bellies every year.
18. Please, please can I choose my own bed?
The most comfortable one will depend on how I sleep. Let me try out a few in a pet store. If I usually sleep with my legs sprawled out, I'll be more comfortable on a flat bed without side bumpers. But if I like to curl up, I'll probably love a bumper bed.
...if I'm licking, pulling my ears back, turning my head away, or yawning (all signs of anxiety) while they play with me, I'm probably just barely tolerating them. If you keep letting them pull my tail, one of these days, I might lose it.
20. Hold those clippers!
No matter how high the mercury climbs or how long my hair is, I don't need to be shaved. My undercoat actually insulates me from heat, so it helps me stay cool. Just make sure you keep my coat brushed and mat-free to promote good air circulation.
21. If you leave me in the backyard when you're not home...
...don't fool yourself that I'm going to run around and have fun. The truth is, I'm probably going to sit in one spot and wait for you to return. Dogs are den animals, and many of us prefer to be inside, ideally with you.
22. I love to fetch and would like to learn how to catch a flying disc...
...but those hard plastic FRISBEEs can hurt my teeth and gums. Instead, look for a soft one at a pet store.
23. If I'm not used to strangers and you reach out toward me when you first meet me...
...your hand may as well be a meat cleaver. Instead, crouch down on one leg and look slightly away. Then let me approach you and give you a sniff.
24. Let's get one thing straight: Declawing is not the same as cutting our nails.
It's a hideous, painful surgery that's much more like amputating the last two knuckles of your fingers. If my scratching is really bad, try glue-on nail caps.
25. If I'm spraying "outside the box," I'm not being spiteful.
Something is stressing me out. It may be a new person, a new pet, or even a new piece of furniture in the house that seems to be encroaching on my territory.
26. I'm confused. When I jumped up on you earlier...
...you gave me such a nice pet. But now you're mad at me for jumping on Aunt Martha. Am I allowed to jump up or not?
...I will always think it's OK, no matter how big I get.
28. What do you mean you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
My owner taught me to fetch the newspaper from the driveway and take it to him when I was ten.
29. Remember when I was little and you shoved my nose in a puddle of pee I left?
I have no idea why you did that. Instead, get me outside as quickly as possible and praise me whenever I pee outdoors.
30. Want me to learn to walk by your side on a leash?
Well, give me some incentive. As soon as I start to pull ahead, stop walking. When I turn and look back, offer me a treat right next to your leg. I'll quickly figure out I need to stay next to you in order to keep doing what I love most: moving and exploring.
31. If you're tired of finding pet hair on your sofa and want to keep me off...
...try a Scat Mat, which gives out a small, harmless electrostatic pulse when it's stepped on. Or buy a car mat and turn it upside down on your couch, so the little rubber prongs are facing up. I hate those.
32. When I bark, jump, and grab the towel off the countertop...
...I'm not trying to be bad. I'm just bored! I want your attention! Please, get off your smartphone and play with me.
33. If I'm a dog who is scared of thunderstorms or loud noises, get me a snug-fitting Thundershirt.
Or you can make your own. Wrap an Ace bandage across my chest, cross it over the top of my body and then back under, going over and under until it's midway down my back, and then secure it. The constant pressure against the middle of my body will help ease my anxiety and calm me down.
34. Remember, my digestive system is very different from yours.
Raisins and grapes can shut down a dog's kidneys. Other dangerous foods include chocolate, coffee, macadamia nuts and avocado.
Make sure my diet has plenty of essential fatty acids. Most high-quality commercial pet foods have enough, but pets on low-quality foods or homemade diets that aren't balanced may develop a dull coat.
36. Every bag of pet food has an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on the label...
...although you might need a magnifying glass to read it. Look for one that says the food has undergone animal feeding trials rather than one that's been “formulated” by a computer. The trials are expensive, but they indicate that real dogs actually ate the food for six months with good results.
37. Check with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist before giving me a homemade-food diet.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, who examined 200 recipes last year for home-prepared dog food found that 95 percent had some serious nutritional deficiencies.
38. Did you hear the hype about grain-free cat and dog food?
That's what it is: hype. There's nothing wrong with feeding me grains – they can actually be an important part of a balanced diet. Before you make any change, talk to your vet.
39. If you switch me to a raw diet, I may end up with cracked teeth or a bacterial infection.
Also, exposure to my feces could put anyone with a weakened immune system at risk. That's why the ASPCA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other institutions all strongly discourage raw diets.
Sources: Brian Hare, PhD, codirector of the Canine Cognition Center at Duke University; Rebecca Remillard, PhD, DVM, DACVN, a veterinary nutritionist at North Carolina State University and founder of petdiets.com; Jorge Bendersky, a groomer and pet stylist in New York City; Spencer Williams, owner and president of West Paw Design, a company that makes pet toys and beds; Nancy Kay, DVM, author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life; Jennifer Coates, DVM, veterinary adviser to petmd.com; Victoria Schade, dog-training and behavioral expert at pet360.com and author of Bonding with Your Dog: A Trainer's Secrets for Building a Better Relationship; Sophia Yin, DVM, a veterinarian and animal behaviorist and the author of How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves; K. C. Theisen, director of pet-care issues at the Humane Society of the United States; Amy Farcas, DVM, DACVN, a veterinary nutritionist at the University of Pennsylvania; Marilyn Krieger, cat behavioral consultant and author of Naughty No More; Karen “Doc” Halligan, DVM, author of Doc Halligan's What Every Pet Owner Should Know; Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist and host of Animal Planet's My Cat from Hell; Stephen Zawistowski, PhD, animal behaviorist and adviser at the ASPCA.
Source: Reader's Digest
©2014 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Also, see:
- 13 Dog Facts You Didn't Know
- Groom Your Dog at Home Like a Pro
- All Natural Food Treats
- Easily Housetrain Your Dog or Puppy
- Lost Dog Prevention!
- Spay/Neuter Controversy
- Why Does Your Dog Rub His/Her Butt on the Carpet?
- The Best Decision You'll Ever Make!
- Train Your Dog at Home Like a Pro
- Teach Your Dog to Catch a FRISBEE
- SENSE-ible No-Pull Dog Harness
- Fear of Thunderstorms & Fireworks?
- Your Dog Should NEVER Eat This!
- All Natural Dog Food
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