Here's a fascinating article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
Marley, a neutered male German shorthaired pointer, has always found trouble to get into. I quit encouraging his owner that he would grow out of it when he recently turned 6.
A client with a dog named Woof called, saying her dog had eaten a rubber duck. Her 3-year-old son had lost his rubber duckie, so Mom, unable to find it after a month, bought him a new one.
Pins & Needles (But Mostly Needles)
For Turtles Only
Dog Plus Change
Hacky Sack
Here are some great pics that I thought I would pass on and a FREE petcare DVD! –Kim
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM has been a practicing Veterinarian for over 20 years. He is a strong advocate of Natural Pet Health Care, and knows that the most important way to heal our pets and prevent disease is through proper nutrition. He developed Ultimate Canine to give our dogs that extra advantage – something that will provide them with everything they need to develop stronger immune systems to fight disease, heal sore or stiff joints, and help them live longer, happier lives. Dr. Andrew Jones' main focus is on alternative, non-traditional remedies for pets. His interest in alternative pet medicine culminated in the writing of his book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed.
Here's a fun article that I thought I would pass on... –Kim
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Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
Thank you to all that entered the Inspiring "Tails" contest in support of pet adoption. We enjoyed reviewing your stories and have narrowed it down to the following most inspiring adopted pet tale:
Inspired Tails
We first met Sadie at a Savannah animal shelter six months before our daughter Mandy and her husband, Dave, were deploying to Iraq. Given the circumstances some would think it was bad timing, but for us it could not have been more perfect. We made a collective decision to adopt Sadie so that while Mandy and Dave were deployed our "grand-dog" would have a home. We wanted Mandy and Dave to enjoy the love of a dog prior to deployment, and we did not want them to worry about her while they were gone.
Sadie immediately fit into her new home and became Mandy's running buddy and shadow. She helped Mandy concentrate on life in the states instead of focusing on her upcoming fifteen month deployment. When Mandy and Dave deployed in late 2007, they were on separate timelines so Sadie was part of both farewells. Dave left first and Sadie provided Mandy with comfort while she was home alone for a month. When it was time for Mandy to deploy, Sadie was not nearly as willing to say goodbye and refused to be in a picture with Mandy in uniform. Sadie's obvious understanding of the situation made it difficult on all of us, but we looked forward to taking care of our "grand-dog" and the connection we would share with Mandy and Dave as a result of her presence.
While Mandy and Dave were deployed, I became the photographer and journalist of Sadie's activities at home. Sadie's new home meant new friends which included our two dogs and one cat, all of which were over twelve. After a short adjustment period, Sadie fit right in and desperately tried to convince our other dogs to play. Sadie was young and active and her personality brought new adventures into our calm routines. We began to call her a "little bit of trouble" or "Little Bit" for short. We quickly adapted our routine to incorporate daily walks in an effort to give her an outlet for her energy. Our other dogs benefited from her youthfulness, and each morning we all went on long walks together to the creek. Sadie had to wear a bell so I could keep up with her in the woods. On these adventures I would take pictures and then compile them into a PowerPoint to send to Iraq for my daughter and son-in-law.
Soldiers who are deployed look forward to hearing about life in the states because it gives them something to think about other than the undesirable conditions they are experiencing. Sadie's adventures gave Mandy and Dave something to look forward to on a regular basis. Sadie was a rescue dog that was found with a broken leg, but our time with her proved nothing about her spirit ever being broken. The decision to adopt Sadie was not only a blessing to Mandy and Dave but also to us because of the connection we shared despite being thousands of miles away.
Source: http://www.argifocus.com/client/Guideposts/LM1/lmad/rsad.asp?rsadid=64
Here's a great article that I thought I would pass on...hope you find it interesting! –Kim
What's the Deciding Factor at Dog Shows?
By Sharon L. Peters, Special for USA TODAY
2/2/2010
It's all so very hushed and elegant.
Perfectly groomed, perfectly behaved dogs and humans striding, gliding and prancing their way around the show ring. The audience riveted, silent.
Then someone in a beaded gown or tuxedo suddenly commands all attention. He or she issues a few requests, approaches a dog to study a turn of its ear, or does something mysterious with hands around flanks or other body parts, and in a heartbeat there's one winner and a several who are, well, not winners.
That instant decision-making by the judge after he or she has conducted a few explorations and commanded an extra trot around the ring has always bewildered me. Just what are they investigating or hoping to find? And is three seconds long enough to make that discovery?
I turned to veteran judge Desmond J. Murphy of Monroe, N.Y., a third-generation dog man who grew up among Whippets and Greyhounds and terriers at his family's breeding kennels, has been an AKC judge since 1976, and is now approved to judge 110 breeds. Murphy judged afghan hounds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels and English toy spaniels at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach a few weeks back that airs Saturday on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel.
He graciously walked me through the basics.
First: Is it as easy as it looks for a judge to eye those incredibly wonderful specimens that compete in crème de la crème competitions and then, in just minutes, do that point-and-nod action that declares winners? Not at all, he acknowledges. It's usually fairly easy to quickly sort out which are the "top six or eight" in any class, he says. But then "it's like splitting hairs." You're considering the breed standards — the qualities like carriage and color and conformation the animals are bred to achieve. "Your mind is racing overtime," he says, adding "three of the greatest experts judging a particular class might conceivably all agree on the top three," but could disagree on which comes in first, second and third. "One might give more priority to the shape of the eye," for example.
So what's the final decider? It often boils down to a particular dog's "performance on a given day," he says. The judge is watching things like extension when the dog runs, its show-ring presence and its attitude — "there's an old expression, for example, about afghans, that an afghan should act like it owns the ground it walks on" — and things like that are always running through judges' heads, as well as hard-earned knowledge of the somewhat more subtle qualities prized in each breed. And in the end, some of the very best dogs sometimes just have a bad day. "Some go to 200 shows a year. A dog can't be at its peak each and every time."
Is it true that some dogs actually seem to know it's time to show off a little? "Dogs really figure it out," he says. "The best of them know 'this is a show for which I've got to give a little extra.'"
Sometimes a judge approaches a dog and seems to make a noise to get the dog's attention. What's that about? "The way a dog looks at you" is very important, he says. Some breeds should have "a soft, melting, pleasing expression"; some should have an "extremely alert, hard-bitten expression"; and an afghan, a sight hound, should have "what's called the look of eagles — the dog is looking straight through you."
Why do judges look into dogs' mouths? "Each breed should have a kind of teeth and a type of bite," he says. Also, if there's a tooth missing, it's a fault.
And what's that hand action, where judges seem to be squaring-up the dog or patting it down? In heavily coated dogs, some things are not obvious to the eye, he says, and the judge may be checking muscle tone or confirming that the proportions — from, say, the last rib to the hip — meet the breed standard.
And then the final question. I wondered whether Murphy carries in pocket or pouch some instant-action items for the removal of unexpected doggie mung, fly-away hair or paw prints. As soon as my words fell out, I realized the ludicrousness of them.
These are animals that have been shampooed and blow-dried, combed and dabbed at for hours before greeting Murphy in the ring. The notion of their spreading around the kind of dog snorffle that smears the windows of my SUV and jeans or flinging around the oddly attracted-to-clothing wads of hair Jasper sets loose every spring is ridiculous beyond words.
"Well. I usually carry a handkerchief," he offered, politely.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-02-02-pettalk03_ST_N.htm
Copyright © 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
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