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Canines, Canaries and Cancer

Sue Pearson | Sat, 09/13/2008 - 16:51

A few weeks ago, while preparing for a shiny new group of graduate students, I did some research on the history of the Maternal Child Health Bureau and came across an article written about the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the United States at the start of the 20th century. The United States ranked 18th out of thirty countries with an IMR of 135 deaths per thousand live births. Public health leaders launched a national campaign to reduce this statistic and as part of this effort, founded the US Children’s Bureau in 1912. Other efforts included improved data collection on infant births and deaths. I can hear you asking now, “What on earth does this have to do with dogs?” Be patient – I’m getting there.

Fall is in the Air

Rachel Friedman | Sat, 09/13/2008 - 02:16

Back in June, during the dog days of summer, you may recall I drove ol' now 7 year old Trip down and back to Columbus (five hours driving) for a half hour photo shoot that culminated in this past Sunday's Joann Fabric insert in the local Cleveland Plain Dealer. I actually forgot it would be in this week but as it happened (and they say there are no accidents!) I had to get some drapery hooks and while I was at the store, looking at the circular for sale items, lo and behold on page 10 I found my Pumpkin clad boy emanating out of the pages photoshopped into a picture of a woman in a creepy outfit with a scythe and a little pink clad ballerina!!!

Part II: Dangerous Dog Diatribe

Drayton Michaels | Fri, 09/12/2008 - 08:35

What kind of dog is that? This is a question many people ask whenever they see a dog. I am asked what kind of dog my two dogs are at least once a day. Even the best eyes in the dog business are often puzzled as to what types of breeds a dog may be or even what supposed pure breed it is. Of course there are the dead ringers; you see a “Poodle” or “Shepherd”. You can see the “types”. Or can you?

With the many fad breeds and new breeds in addition to mixes, crosses and in some cases mind boggling concoctions of breeds that have been intermingled; how can anyone be 100% sure of what a dog is unless there are reputable papers by a reputable breeder or you get a dead ringer of a unique breed such as an English Bulldog. Even the new DNA tests for dogs are proving to provide questionable results.

Yesterday Was Trip's Birthday

Rachel Friedman | Thu, 09/11/2008 - 02:36

Back in my day, after Simon and Garfunkel separated into their solo and other collaborative careers, more prolific Paul released an album called STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS with a song called HAVE A GOOD TIME

This morning I crooned the lyrics on behalf of my now 7 year old JRT, Trip:

Yesterday it was my birthday
I hung one more year on the line
I should be depressed
My life's a mess
But I'm having a good time

Oo, I've been loving and loving and loving
I'm exhausted from loving so well
I should go to bed
But a voice in my head
Says "Ah, what the hell"

Have a good time
Have a good time
Have a good time
Have a good time

The creation of Through a Dog's Ear

Lisa Spector | Tue, 09/09/2008 - 19:59

When I initially thought about creating music for dogs five years ago, I had no idea of the enormity of dogs with sound phobias. Looking back, it was a rather naïve concept. I had noticed that my dogs and dogs in my care seemed to show their enjoyment of my piano playing by snoring quite contentedly by my side when I was at the piano. By the time I started playing the piano at age seven, our family dog, Doodle (a rather excitable cocker spaniel), loved to just come lie by my pedal foot and sleep. Even in her senior years when deaf, as soon as I started playing the piano, Doodle would come from any part of the house and lie down near the piano.

Puppy Training: Tips from the Trenches

Dr. Jennifer Messer | Mon, 09/08/2008 - 09:49

This article originally appeared in the newsletter for the APDT Australia. G’day Australian dog trainers. I bet it comes as a surprise to hear that I owe the start of my dog training career to your fine country! Let me explain. Back in the summer of ‘89 I fell in love with a handsome young Aussie, Simon, who I met overseas, in London, England. Come fall, when he was due to return home, I did what seemed the obvious choice at the time… followed him back to Australia like a lost puppy. Of course, I had NO idea that surfers almost always love their surfboards more than their girlfriends. So after a summer of being abandoned on your beaches in favor of good waves, I headed home with a bruised heart, but a newfound love – the Staffie.

DogTown Versus The Dog Whisperer

Nicole Wilde | Sat, 09/06/2008 - 12:03

There’s a new dog show in town courtesy of National Geographic, the same station that broadcasts The Dog Whisperer. It’s called DogTown, and profiles dogs who have been rescued from situations ranging from sad to downright horrific. The dogs are brought to Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah, where they are rehabbed physically and behaviorally by a team of trainers.

The premiere episode of DogTown focused on 22 pit bulls confiscated in the Michael Vick case. Most had been used for fighting, and a few had been used as bait dogs. Between showings of DogTown, Nat Geo aired a new episode of The Dog Whisperer subtitled Dueling Pit Bulls. The difference between the two shows in their approach to behavior modification was evident.

Speak Up or Stay Silent?

Nicole Wilde | Tue, 09/02/2008 - 08:15

Venice Beach in southern California is a hot spot for dogs. The bohemian atmosphere and funky shops along the long stretch of sand attract all types of colorful humans proudly displaying their four-footed friends. There are muscle-bound guys swaggering along with huge pit bulls wearing studded collars, scantily clad girls prancing alongside small, fluffy dogs dressed in pink, and everything in between.

My husband and I spent a couple of hours there yesterday. Naturally, I couldn’t help but stop and pet some of the dogs. The blue pit puppy was adorable! The couple pulling the wagon with two large English bulldogs in it was an amusing sight. Now that’s transportation! When we sat on the beach to eat lunch a pigeon was brave enough to repeatedly take bread scraps held between my outstretched thumb and forefinger, which my husband found odd. Who knows--I’m no bird behavior expert. But I digress.

Dog Swim!

Rachel Friedman | Tue, 09/02/2008 - 08:13

Time to put those white shoes away until fall, breath a sigh of relief that Gustav wasn't the same pack of punch that Katrina was, dust off your water wings and find out if you have a local public pool Doggie Swim! Local public pool Thornton in Shaker Heights is having their annual Doggie Swim this Saturday, 10-12.

Dangerous Dog Diatribe

Drayton Michaels | Mon, 09/01/2008 - 14:58

What is BSL?

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is legislation that proposes certain breeds of dogs are inherently “dangerous” “aggressive” or “vicious” and that ownership of said breeds should be heavily regulated or even banned. BSL identifies a dog as dangerous based on breed alone regardless of the actions or behaviors an individual dog. At present it is mainly concerned with bull-breeds and mastiff type dogs, though the list of banned dog breeds is growing.

Why does it exist?