Why Was a Dog Honored as Cat of the Year?

By Linda Cole

Mozart, one of my cats, loves Dozer, a foster dog we've been caring for. Mozart follows Dozer around, giving him love bites, rubbing against him and standing on his hind legs to give him hugs. It's not uncommon for animals to form close bonds with different species. In 1998, a dog named Ginny was honored as “Cat of the Year” by the Westchester Feline Club, sponsor of the annual Westchester Cat Show, because of an extraordinary desire she had to rescue stray cats in desperate need of help.

Ginny and her three pups were discovered locked inside the closet of an abandoned apartment. She and her pups were taken to a shelter, but when vets saw her, they were afraid she was too far gone to be saved. They concluded it would be kinder to put her down. But something made them change their mind, and they decided she should be given a chance to recover, and did what they could to help her. Ginny did recover, and she and her pups were put up for adoption.

Philip Gonzalez had been wrestling with depression after he was injured on the job while working as a steamfitter in Manhattan. His right arm had been severely injured in the accident and he could barely use it. A determined neighbor told Gonzalez he should adopt a dog from the local shelter. He finally gave in and agreed. As they looked over the dogs at the shelter, a purebred Doberman caught Gonzalez's eye. But instead of pulling the Doberman out for Gonzalez to take out for a walk, a shelter employee handed him a leash attached to Ginny, a two year old Siberian Husky/Schnauzer mix, and invited him to walk her first.

Gonzalez wasn't happy; he wanted the Doberman, not some scruffy looking mixed breed, but he did what the worker asked. He tried to hurry Ginny along so he could get back to the Doberman. Now, you can call it fate or something else, but Ginny wasn't going to be rushed. She sat down in front of Gonzalez and refused to move. Sometimes it's the dog that picks us. As he stood looking down into her eyes, something tugged at his heart and he forgot about the Doberman. He walked out of the shelter with Ginny. Gonzalez didn't know at the time how that little dog would change his life, and the lives of countless homeless cats.

Tips for Living with a Dog that Misses Someone

By Eliza Wynn

Have you ever wondered whether your dog misses someone who used to be a big part of his day-to-day life? Humans aren't the only species with the ability to bond – or to miss those with whom they've bonded. Pets have feelings, and they definitely miss beloved pack members when they're apart. The good news is that there are ways you can help ease the loneliness and stress your dog feels when a loved one isn't around.

Spending time with your dog is always important, but it's even more so when he misses someone. In addition to simply keeping him company while you go about your day, be sure to set aside some special time for your canine friend. He'll appreciate playtime, walks, training games and just hanging out together. Make sure he has a job to do, and don't forget to talk to him. Even if you're convinced he doesn't understand a word you say, the positive attention and the sound of your voice will be more than welcome.

Nowadays, many people travel frequently for both business and pleasure. Others move out, sometimes temporarily while attending college, but often permanently. Pets that have bonded closely with them can get lonely, anxious or even depressed. Fortunately, being apart doesn't always have to mean complete separation; technology provides several options to bridge the gap. For example, webcams and smartphones enable users to see each other even when they're miles apart. If your dog misses someone who's away, try setting up a video chat. If that's not possible, even a simple phone call in which he can hear his friend's voice will reassure him.

Sadly, some separations are permanent. If your dog misses someone who has passed away, he will mourn the loss. Try offering an item of clothing with his loved one's scent. Sleeping with this item should provide comfort while your dog adjusts to life without his friend. Some dogs find themselves in a new home due to the death of their owner. When this occurs, it's a very confusing and sad time for the dog. In addition to grieving, he has to adjust to a new environment, schedule and rules. To help with this adjustment, try to maintain his original meal and walk schedule at first if you know it; you can gradually make any major changes necessary.

The 10 Most Popular Small Breed Dogs

Bichon Frise puppy

By Linda Cole

Small dogs may come in small packages, but many have a confident and tenacious attitude. These dogs don't think of themselves as “small,” and some of the jobs they were bred to do required a dog with attitude. A small dog is defined as a breed under 22 pounds, and dog owners have made 10 the most popular.

Bichon Frise

No dog is completely hypoallergenic, but the Bichon Frise is a good choice for people with allergies. A smart, independent, courageous, affectionate, confident and playful cotton ball of a dog, the Bichon Frise weighs 7-16 pounds and has a life span of 12-16 years or longer. With an easy, sensitive and happy personality, this is a good family dog that gets along well with other pets.

Boston Terrier

The largest of this group, the Boston Terrier is an American made breed that weighs 10-25 pounds. This easy going, muscular, compact and well mannered canine is often referred to as the “American gentleman.” The Boston Terrier is smart, good with the entire family, easy to train and sensitive to our tone of voice. This breed is susceptible to heatstroke because of their pushed in nose, but can live 15 years or longer.

Chihuahua

The smallest breed at 2-6 pounds, this dog definitely thinks he's a “big dog.” Intelligent, graceful, loyal, lovable, brave, adventurous, agile and strong willed, the Chihuahua makes a good family pet as long as he understands you are his leader. They can be short tempered with children and wary around strangers. This alert breed is a good watchdog, and can be extremely protective of his home and family. Many Chihuahuas are fond of cats, and can live up to 15 years or longer.

Venus the Chimera Cat Meows about Fame, Photoshop & Family

By Julia Williams

The first time most people see a photo of Venus, they usually think it’s a photoshop fake or that her owners dyed her face. It’s hard not to, since this kitty seemingly has two very different faces, perfectly split down the middle of her nose. A visit to her Facebook page is enough to convince all but the most skeptical humans that Venus is indeed a real cat.

But why is her face like that? Venus might be a chimera, a rare condition where two genetically distinct embryos merge in the womb. It’s also possible her unique face is just a coincidental placement of a normal tortoiseshell pattern. DNA testing is the only way to know for sure, but Venus doesn’t really care and neither do her 104,000+ Facebook fans who enjoy this cute kitty’s wit and humor. I chatted with Venus recently so we could all learn a little more about this now famous split-faced feline.

Julia: If you had $1 for every time someone said your face was photoshopped, how rich would you be, and what would you do with all the money?
Venus: I would probably have a half million dollars and I would definitely donate to animal aid after I got a few little luxuries for myself, like one of those fancy automatic litter boxes, a couple new cat condos, a lifetime supply of cat treats and cool toys...oh, and maybe a posh new carrier for trips to the vet.

What do you think about all the hubbub over your face?
I guess I'm not surprised because I do look so different than most other cats.

You were born a stray, but luckily found a wonderful forever home. What does your human family love most about you, and what do you love about them?
My human family loves that I'm so snuggly like a baby. I'm timid and shy around strangers, but when it's just us I'm always laying on someone's lap purring up a storm. What I love most about them is that they love me for all of me, not just because of how I look...AND they let me get away with things most kitties can't do. We don't have many rules.

What Would Dogs Do If They Had Thumbs?

By Keikei Cole, Canine Guest Blogger

The other day the “Boss” was laughing about a holiday on March 3rd, If Pet's Had Thumbs Day. Visions of high fives and thumbs up suddenly came to mind. After thinking about it for a minute, I knew this was something I could sink my teeth into, so I decided to bark out my own list of what I'd do if dogs had thumbs.

You Tube videos. Yep, I'd film and post funny hooman videos. It's fun to watch those hoomans – such interesting creatures. I can see it now, Keikei, the internet sensation of the Doggiesphere, made possible with opposable thumbs. The boss is always cackling over videos of my canine cousins chasing their tail or doing a slow motion shake. I'd film hoomans in super slow motion trying to keep up with us at the dog park. Especially their face when we're doing something they think we shouldn't be doing. Hoomans can move pretty fast sometimes. BOL.

The remote control would be mine. I like to watch Animal Planet as much as any doggie, but it would be nice to surf for something else and change the channel without having to use my nose or teeth. I would go with an exciting canine action flick or maybe a canine thriller. And I'd have my own bowl full of CANIDAE TidNips™ and Snap-Bits™ to munch on. I might even sprinkle in some FELIDAE TidNips™ to kick it up a notch.

Texting looks sort of cool. I like the noise it makes. I'd text my doggie pals in the neighborhood to coordinate a specific time when we all howl. Oh wait, this is even better – we could stare at a wall and pretend like we see something the hoomans can't see. That always gets them.

You know how some hoomans love to sit around playing cards for hours? I'd get my own card game going! We would play the doggie version of Go Fish. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's called Go Cat. If we get the wild card, we have to chase a kitty up a tree.

How to Massage an Arthritic Dog

By Langley Cornwell

My friend Karen recently adopted a senior dog with general arthritis and hip dysplasia. Good for her, right? It started with a conversation we were having about the high number of senior dogs in shelters, and how sad it was for an older dog to live out his or her days behind bars. In our local shelter, senior dogs make up about 10% of the overall population at any given time. When trying to understand why, a shelter worker told us that oftentimes families surrender their senior dogs when they reach an age where they require extra care. What a shame.

Karen’s goal is to provide her new dog, Goldie Girl, with a safe and comfortable home during her twilight years. Their union is heartwarming; it’s amazing how quickly Goldie Girl and Karen have bonded. And the dog seems to have turned back the clock several years. She holds her head a bit higher and her limp is less pronounced. Karen attributes the quick bonding and Goldie Girl’s improved physical state to massage.

The article I wrote titled The Benefits of Massage Therapy for Pets helped convince Karen that her new dog would get a lot out of regular massages, but she didn’t want to cause Goldie Girl any additional pain. Having no experience with massage, Karen went looking for advice on how to massage an older, arthritic dog. She found what she was looking for on The Dog Channel, where there is a helpful tutorial on massaging a senior dog. Here are some simple pointers.

Why massage an arthritic dog?

Arthritis is a degenerative disease that causes pain and soreness in a dog’s joints, specifically the hips, lower spine and knees, and, less severely, to the elbows and shoulders. Massaging your senior dog’s aching muscles a few minutes every day will help slow down the degenerative process of arthritis. Furthermore, massage can help relieve some of your dog’s arthritis pain and reduce some of the muscle tension associated with the disease.

Why Do Pets Sleep Curled Up in a Ball?

By Linda Cole

It's not uncommon to find a sleeping dog or cat curled up into a ball on a chilly winter day, even though it's cozy inside. With their nose tucked into their tail, and feet covered with their body, this position gives them warmth to help ward off a winter chill. Sleeping curled up in a ball is not exactly a comfortable position for pets to be in for long periods of time. However, there are a couple of reasons why a curled up position is favored at times, and it has to do with evolution.

Both reasons go back to our pets’ wild roots. We give our dogs and cats soft beds for comfort and warmth. In the wild, there are no cushions, and a cold night requires a bed that's been scratched, trampled, and dug out in dirt or tall grasses. Scientist are still trying to figure out why dogs do some of the things they do, like walking in circles before lying down, but they believe the behavior is a hard wired survival tactic against the weather, predators, and hidden insects or snakes.

Dogs and cats are no different from us when it comes to wanting to be cozy in their surroundings. Curling up into a ball on a cold night is the best way to conserve body heat, and provide enough warmth to ward off the sting of a cold bed. This is also the best position to protect themselves from predators that may decide to attack. The curled up ball protects vital organs and their stomach area.

Sleeping curled up isn't an ideal way to get a restful sleep. In order to stay in one position, the muscles remain tensed up which doesn't allow pets to relax enough to move them into the rapid eye movement (REM) part of sleep, something we all need for a proper night's rest. Our pet's sleeping position tells us a couple of things. If a dog or cat sleeps on his back in a more relaxed posture, he's warm or even too hot or he feels so comfortable in his surroundings that he doesn't feel a need to protect himself by curling up.

Teaching Your Dog to Hand Target

By Lisa Mason

First time and seasoned dog owners can benefit from training their canine companions to obey various commands or perform certain tasks and tricks. Hand targeting is just one of many training tools used. In fact, this version of “come” is easy to teach, easy to learn, and can be taught by dog owners of any age or experience level.

About Hand Targeting and Its Benefits

Hand targeting is a command that teaches the dog to touch his nose against the palm of the hand. As with the more basic and simple verbal “come” command, hand targeting is considered basic obedience. It should be mastered thoroughly before the dog and trainer move on to more complex tricks such as “sit pretty” or “jump.”

Benefits of this training command vary based on the desire of the trainer. It can help teach a dog to respond to visual cues, which can be beneficial when calling the dog from far distances or even for more complex future training such as agility training. It can help teach a shy dog to be more trusting of new people, and it can be beneficial to dogs who are hearing impaired.

How to Teach a Dog to Hand Target

To start, a container of their favorite CANIDAE treat should be on hand at all times. In the beginning, it is beneficial to rub the treat against the palm of the hand to help encourage contact with the dog’s nose. This is considered the easiest and most efficient way to teach hand targeting, as the aroma draws the dog’s nose in.

A Pet Portrait? Priceless!!

My painting!

By Julia Williams

“Like a kid on Christmas morning” doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt waiting for the Fedex guy to show up with a package the other day. I got up extra early, because I knew I’d have to sign for the package and I didn’t want to be in the shower when he arrived. Overkill, yes – but I wasn’t taking any chances on missing this delivery! As it happened, he didn’t arrive until nearly 4 p.m., and by then I was ready to crawl out of my skin. Have I mentioned that patience is not one of my virtues? LOL.

I carefully opened the big box so as not to damage the precious cargo within. One look…and I was smitten. My smile was so wide I could have eaten a banana sideways. Maybe even two bananas! So what was in there that had me so ecstatic?

It was a painting of my sweet girl kitty, Annabelle, and it was even more beautiful than I knew it would be! This was something I’d wanted to do for some time. My relationship with Annabelle is just so extraordinary that I wanted something to treasure forever. She’s almost ten years old, and though I hope to have at least ten more years with this special one-in-a-million kitty, we just never know how long we’ll have with those we hold dear.

The photo Sue used

I’ve never loved a cat so deeply and completely as Annabelle, and I’ve never felt so loved in return. I wanted a way to honor the beauty of our unique relationship while she’s here, as well as a way to keep her memory alive once she’s gone. To be sure, she will live in my heart for all time, but I think this painting will be a wonderful way to keep the connection strong.

I chose artist Sue Hains after seeing a photo on Facebook of another pet portrait she’d done. It was of Gwen Cooper’s Homer the Blind Wonder Cat, and it perfectly captured his personality. I looked at the other portraits of cats, dogs, horses and birds on Sue's website, and I just knew she would do a great job. We exchanged several emails and then I had the difficult task of deciding which photo to send Sue. In the end, I chose one that I loved for the sweet, soft expression on Belle’s face.

Can Animals Be Mentally Ill?

By Langley Cornwell

We enrolled our new dog in a group training class and the experience has been eye-opening. The class is filled with all kinds of dogs and all kinds of people. Some dogs catch on to the commands immediately, while others take a long time to learn what’s expected of them. One gal is having a hard time with her dog. She told the trainer that her dog acts crazy at home too, and she’s sure her dog is mentally ill. The comment stimulated a class discussion about whether animals can actually be mentally ill.

According to the University of Melbourne’s research department, the answer is yes. Dr. Gabrielle Carter, a faculty member of the University’s Veterinary Science department, specializes in animal behavior. Not only is Dr. Carter an expert in her field but, because this is a relatively new area of study, she is an advocate and is working hard to increase awareness of mental illness in pets.

Dr. Carter explains that even though there are tremendous dissimilarities in different mammals, their biological systems, brains and nervous systems share similarities. She reasons that if humans are known to have mental illness based in altered brain function, then it is sensible to expect the same holds true for other animals.

Mental illness in different animals manifests in different ways. For example, dogs may suffer from noise phobias, separation anxiety and aggression. Cats may compulsively over-groom themselves and spray inappropriately.

Through behavioral therapies and in this case, medication, Dr. Carter recently helped a dog that had inexplicably developed a fear of her own backyard. The dog wouldn’t go into the yard she had once loved. If she was forced into the yard, she would desperately try to escape. The dog’s mental issues got worse; she became acutely fearful of anything unfamiliar, developed generalized anxiety issues and extreme noise phobias. It got to the point where the dog spent most of her time cowering in her owner’s bedroom.

Dog Breed Profile: Dogue de Bordeaux

By Lisa Mason

The Dogue de Bordeaux, also called the Bordeaux Bulldog and French Mastiff, is a very amazing dog. It’s not known exactly how this breed first originated, but some speculate they were linked to breeds like the Bulldog, Tibetan Mastiff and Bullmastiff. What is known for sure is that the Dogue de Bordeaux is a smart breed that has protected his “master” for many years. This Dogue de Bordeaux profile will help you understand the breed better so you can determine if he’s suited for your family. Responsible pet ownership means learning all you can about your pet so that you can provide the best care possible.

Stature

The Bordeaux Bulldog is a muscular dog with a gigantic, wrinkled head and a short, stocky body. These features make this French breed a very powerful and intimating dog. They have a medium to short but wide muzzle that averages about a third the length of their head. The nose is big and the upper lip hangs down in thick wrinkles over their lower jaws.

The dog has a loose fold of skin that hangs from his neck, and light or dark brown eyes that are set far apart. He has small ears compared to the rest of his body. The base of his tail is broad but tapers off at the end. He has muscular legs, a broad chest and loose skin.

The adult Dogue de Bordeaux usually weighs between 120 to 150 pounds and stands up to 30 inches high. Their coat varies from light to dark shades of brown and sometimes they’ll have a reddish color mixed in. Around the eyes, nose and lips are usually a darker shade of brown or red, and some dogs will have white marks on the toes and chest area.

Good TV Shows for Dogs

By Bear, Canine Guest Blogger

Howdy! Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been allowed to write a post here, you know my mommy always wants to say things her way. Besides I’ve been a little busy lately… I’ve become a couch potato!

When Mom has to leave the house she always leaves the TV on for me so I don’t, as she says, destroy things. I really don’t, but when I hear things outside and want to see, I sometimes have to climb up on her desk or on the table near the window. Okay, sometimes I might put my paws on the windowsill and maybe the curtains get pulled down if there’s a cat or another dog in my yard. Hey, I’m just letting them know they are trespassing!

Oh yeah, back to the story… so, she leaves the TV on and turns it up to drown out other sounds, then she leaves. I don’t know why this woman thinks an intelligent dog like me is going to be interested in children’s cartoons; it’s obvious she hasn’t a clue about a doggie brain. I have figured out how to find the shows I want to watch, and let me tell you there is much better programming on for pets than cartoons!

Did you know there are entire channels dedicated to food shows? That’s right; I can curl up on the sofa and watch people cook all sorts of yummy foods. My favorite is Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives with that spiky haired Guy Fieri – boy, he finds all the best food!

When I’ve drooled a nice puddle and am tired of wishing I could eat what’s on the television, I move to the other end of the sofa and choose another show. There are lots of shows on Animal Planet that are great fun for a dog to watch.