The Dog Blog

Pages

Mickey’s Wild Ride

Roger Abrantes | Thu, 12/20/2007 - 10:30

Mickey is an unusual Thai dog because he doesn’t look like all the others. He’s a Shih-Poo, a mix between a Shih Tzu (or 獅子狗 Chinese = lion dog) and a Poodle. Both breeds are relatively popular in Thailand, if you can say that any breed is popular in Thailand. Thais have a tendency of just letting things happen, so since Gai had a dog of each breed and they happened to be of different sexes, it happened sooner rather than later. The puppies were oh so cute and all went to good homes. Amongst much Southeast Asian giggling, Mickey went to Gung, who’s a nurse.

Dog And Pony Show - or, Peace on Earth For All Creatures

Dr. Nicholas H.... | Tue, 12/18/2007 - 09:23

A couple of weeks ago I went to Congress along with members of the Animal Welfare Institute, Bo Derek, John Corbett, and Willy Nelson’s Family, to lobby for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S.311 - a Senate bill to prevent horse slaughter in the US and transport of horses for slaughter across international borders.

Alpha Roll or Alpha Role?

Nicole Wilde | Sun, 12/16/2007 - 08:04

If you’re a dog owner, you might have seen television shows or read books that recommend a technique called the “alpha roll.” This old-fashioned method for “showing the dog who’s boss” or punishing a dog for bad behavior consists of forcing the dog onto his back. Once there, variations include standing over the dog, staring at him, growling at him, or simply pinning him until he “submits” and stops struggling.

Dogs and Dog Training in Germany

Patricia McConnell | Wed, 12/12/2007 - 18:07

I just got back from a week and a half in Germany, and from presenting at the International Symposium on Canine Behavior, sponsored by Animal Learn in Aschau, Germany. Three hundred people attended, and it was clear that Germans love their dogs as much as we do. (If not more… as is the case in much of Europe, dogs were allowed everywhere.) It was a joy to see dogs happily off leash in Munich’s equivalent of Manhattan’s Central Park. I asked several dog walkers about the dogs being allowed off leash in a city park, and they said, “Oh yes, of course, the dogs can be off leash.

What Is the Dog/Human Relationship All About?

COLLIGNON CATHERINE | Sat, 12/08/2007 - 14:43

Who among us dog-lovers does not remember the fantastic dogs of their childhood? I do remember! I could say everything to these dogs and do whatever I liked to them. These dogs who loved to follow us kids on our bike rides, to lie down next to us, to wait patiently for our return from school. Dogs who knew how to protect us, or at least made us think they were able to if called upon.

The Puppy Mill

Sue Pearson | Fri, 12/07/2007 - 08:56

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man." Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948)

Energy Crisis

Jeff Silverman | Thu, 12/06/2007 - 08:16

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. ~JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom, 2002

Manners for Dog Owners

Cindy Bruckart | Tue, 12/04/2007 - 07:10

There are many well trained, dog-friendly, people-friendly dogs out there in the world. You meet them at dog parks, on the beach, at your vet’s office and in your neighborhood. They sit when asked, walk nicely on-leash and come when their owners call them. They love children and are not frightened by bicycles or wheelchairs. In fact, they are darned near perfect. So, how could such a great dog ever be considered a nuisance?

A Puppy For Christmas?

Nicole Wilde | Mon, 12/03/2007 - 06:49

It’s that time of year again. The holidays have traditionally been a season of joy and good cheer. But “ho, ho, ho” has also turned into “buy, buy, buy” and “give, give, give.” Malls are full to overflowing, television commercials seem to broadcast nothing but sales, and everyone is feeling the pressure to purchase gifts for their loved ones. Inevitably, for many families with children, one of those gifts will be a puppy.

Dogs In The Night

Roger Abrantes | Sun, 12/02/2007 - 08:47

We are used to it by now. Well, we still wake up, but then we fall asleep quickly again. The first time you hear them, you get a scare. It’s a mixture of yelling, crying, whining, and howling with intermittent, barely recognizable barking sounds. It sounds desperate and urgent and you don’t know what’s happening. The only times now we don’t go back to sleeping right away is when there’s a bit more urgency or desperation than usually in all that cacophony of sounds. With time, you learn to recognize this tiny difference in urgency.