The Dog Trainer : Teach Your Dog to Stop Pulling the Leash :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

The Dog Trainer : Teach Your Dog to Stop Pulling the Leash :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

The Dog Trainer : What to Do if Your Housetrained Dog Pees or Poops Indoors :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

The Dog Trainer : What to Do if Your Housetrained Dog Pees or Poops Indoors :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

typical weight and height ranges for common breeds

The typical weights of common breeds    http://www.equi-analytical.com/PuttingResultsToWork/TypicalBodyWeights.htm

Steps for Evaluating a Hay & Grain Based Ration

Steps for Evaluating a Hay & Grain Based Ration   http://www.equi-analytical.com/PuttingResultsToWork/EvaluatingHayGrainDiets.htm

How should you choose good hay?

How to choose good hay   http://www.integralhorse.com/index.php?p=105&blog_id=150

Sensible Dental Care of Our Pets' Teeth

Statistics indicate that up to 80% of dogs and cats over the age of 3 years have some degree of periodontal disease. Maintaining a healthy mouth is essential to your pet’s wellness. Most pet guardians want to do their best to keep their fur-buddies healthy but accurate information regarding pet dental care can be difficult to find.

An appropriate, affordable, doable answer to pet dental care

Acupressure: Points That Heal by Amy Snow

From Animal Wellness Magazine: Chico went flying off the back porch and landed chin first on the stone below, knocking himself out. The five-month-old yellow Lab had spotted ducks on the pond 50 feet away and in his exuberance forgot that there was an eight-foot drop from the porch to the craggy rocks. Carol, Chico’s guardian, saw him mid-air from the kitchen window and went rushing out to see where he had landed. When she reached Chico, she placed the tip of her thumb just below his nose, right in the middle of his upper lip and pressed gently, then again with a bit more pressure. Chico regained consciousness, wagged his tail, stood up, shook his whole body, and went back to being his happy puppy self. Luckily for Chico, Carol had attended a canine acupressure clinic a few months earlier where she had learned basic acupressure concepts and had practiced various techniques. One technique included locating the first aid acupressure points for shock, resuscitation and consciousness (Governing Vessel 26, known traditionally as “Middle of Person”). Acupressure promotes healing in the body by stimulating specific points to resolve blockages. Blockages cause imbalance along energy pathways known as meridians. According to traditional Chinese medicine, when chi, the life force energy, flows smoothly through the meridian pathways of a four-legged or two-legged body, harmony is restored and healing can occur. Acupressure is perfectly safe, noninvasive, always available, deceptively gentle and extremely powerful. People have been using acupressure to care for animals for at least 4000 years. More than 230 generations have recognized the benefits of this ancient healing art and casework continues to demonstrate that acupressure can enhance overall health and emotional stability. Specifically, acupressure can: • Relieve muscle spasms • Strengthen the immune system • Enhance mental clarity and calmness • Release natural cortisone to reduce swelling • Release endorphins that reduce pain • Remove toxins and increase blood supply to hasten recovery from injuries Acupressure is particularly beneficial for animals suffering from acute conditions When Clay found Phoenix, an eight year-old thoroughbred rescued from the racetrack, he was in obvious distress. He was lying down in his stall, sweating and kicking at his sides. Clay checked Phoenix’s gums; they were pale white. His stomach was extremely distended. Colic! This word strikes terror in every horseguardian’s heart. Clay called her vet and he came out immediately to see if he could relieve the horse’s suffering. After administering a pain medication, the veterinarian left, hoping that this treatment would do the trick. As evening came, Phoenix’s condition worsened. He became still and quiet, seemingly resigned to dying. As a last resort, Clay called her neighbor, Lisa, who has worked with us for years, and she, in turn, called us for help. Over the telephone we were able to suggest a course of treatment that was either going to have immediate results or not. Lisa performed the treatment and within five minutes, Phoenix was up on his feet and was passing a lot of gas. His gums were pink again and his belly was no longer distended. *Picture 1 (Governing Vessel 26) First aid acupressure point for shock, resuscitation and consciousness Next Page > Published in the Fall 2000 issue of Animal Wellness Magazine

This article is available on CD-ROM! This article is on the Natural Health & Nutrition CD, featuring the first 6 years of Animal Wellness Magazine. Quickly search over 400 articles (1100 pages) by topic, keyword or by issue. Print the articles you want to keep close or share with friends! PC and Mac compatible. Order your CD today for only $20!

Lionhead rabbit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lionhead rabbit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lionhead rabbit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to:navigation, search

A lionhead rabbit

Lionhead rabbit is one of the newest breeds of domestic rabbits, excluding in the American Rabbit Breeders' Association. It has particularly long hair surrounding the face, reminiscent of the mane of a male lion, hence the name. Other characteristic traits of the Lionhead include a rounded head and small size, usually between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds. It also tends to have slightly shorter ears than most breeds.
The Lionhead rabbit originated in Belgium. It is reported to have been produced by breeders trying to breed a long coated dwarf rabbit by crossing a miniature Swiss Fox and a Belgian dwarf. The Lionhead seemed to have been more popular than the long coated dwarf, and so breeders carried on this trend in breeding them intentionally, and so came what we know today as the Lionhead rabbit.
The Lionhead has a small body, and the head is bold with well developed muzzle. Their legs are of medium length and not too fine in bone. Their ears do not exceed 3 inches in length. Their mane is between 2-3 inches in length to form a full circle around the head, extending to a 'V' at the back of the neck falling into a fringe between the ears. Noticeably longer hair on the cheeks and chest. The coat is dense and of medium length, roll back and even all over body in adults.
The breed has been recognized since 2002 by the British Rabbit Council and the North American Lionhead Rabbit Club, however as of yet it is not a fully recognized breed in the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA). Currently ARBA is working on them as a breed, the year 2008 they recognized Gail Gibbons, as the 1st COD(certificate of development) Holder, in a set of 3 CODs for the Breed standard. During the ARBA show of 2009, however, Lionheads did not receive a COD.

French angora lion head bunny at the Humane Society

I volunteered time at the Pasadena Humane Society today, and fell in love with a bunny.  It was brought in as a stray yesterday May 27, 2010, so it will not be available for a few days; but I am first in line.

Profiling horse feed for better nutrition

Our mission is to provide the horse industry with quality forage and feednPralPysesMisMission is to provide the horse industry with quality feed analysis.
http://www.equi-analytical.com/

Amazing rabbit tricks

Rabbits enjoy doing what we would call "tricks"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgDHWLyztCI

Do You know the most common cause of colic?

The most common cause of colic:  http://www.integralhorse.com/index.php?p=104&blog_id=137

Easy dog tooth care MVI 4122

 Our friends from Houndstoo Dental demonstrate how easy and inexpensive it is to take care of our canine friends' teeth.

Southern California Equestrian Directory

Southern California Equestrian Directory

Good Dog Podcast Blog Pet Friendly Restaurants

Good Dog Podcast Blog

Pet Friendly Restaurants

March 17th, 2009

Ever wonder why it’s OK to bring your dog to dinner in Paris but not in any American city? Hear all about pet-friendly restaurants in this episode of the “Good Dog” podcast with Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant and hosts of the podcast “Stuff You Should Know” and writers/editors at HowStuffWorks.com.

Guilty dog?

Welcome to The Dog Trainer’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Teaching and Caring for Your Pet. I’m your host, Jolanta Benal. So, you come home after a long day at work to find your couch stuffing all over the floor, and ditto the kitchen garbage. “Rover!” you exclaim in dismay and anger. Sure enough, Rover slinks over to you, belly low, tail tucked, ears pinned back. Obviously, he knows he did wrong.
Or does he? This week’s topic is a nifty experiment and what it may teach us about doggy guilt.
Alexandra Horowitz, of the Barnard College psychology department, designed an experiment to test whether dogs act guilty because they’ve done something their owner disapproves of, or whether they’re responding to our voice and body language.
How the Experiment Worked
Owners first had to demonstrate that their dog would perform two behaviors: sit and stay for 10 seconds and-- when told not to eat a treat-- leave the treat alone for 10 seconds. Then, in the experiment, each owner asked his or her dog to sit and stay. They showed their dog a treat and told the dog to leave the treat alone. The owner then set the treat on the floor, in a spot where the dog could see it but not reach it. And then the owner left the room for 20 seconds (the experimenter stayed).
During that time, one of two things happened. The experimenter either picked up the treat and handed it to the dog -- who ate it; what a surprise! – or the experimenter took the treat away. Then the owner came back in and the experimenter told him whether his dog ate the treat. If the experimenter said that the dog ate the treat, the owner scolded the dog. If the experimenter said that the dog didn’t eat the treat, the owner just greeted the dog normally.
Now, here’s the punch line -- sometimes the experimenter lied. She told the owner that the dog had eaten the treat when, actually, the dog hadn’t eaten it. Or vice versa.
Scolding Made Dogs Act Guilty
The dogs offered significantly more “guilty” behaviors when they were scolded, regardless of whether they’d eaten the treat. And -- drumroll -- dogs who didn’t eat the treat showed as many guilty-looking behaviors as dogs who did eat it. In other words, how guilty the dogs acted had no connection with their actual “guilt.” In fact, the dogs who acted guiltiest of all were the “innocent” ones being scolded.
Guilty or Fearful?
You won’t be surprised by any of the actions on the list of guilty-looking behaviors. Among other things, dogs dropped to the ground and showed their bellies; they pinned their ears back and looked away from their owners; their tails dropped low; they avoided their owners. Dr. Horowitz, the researcher, points out in her paper that the list of “guilty” behaviors overlaps with the array of behaviors canid ethologists associate with fear and submission. Since the dogs acted “guiltier” when scolded, regardless of what they’d actually done, Dr. Horowitz suggests that they may have been offering submissive behaviors because the scolding made them expect a punishment. “What the guilty look may be,” she writes, “is a look of fearful anticipation of punishment.” And check this out. Three of the owners in the study had a history of using physical reprimands -- forcing the dog down to the ground, grabbing them, even hitting them. Their 3 dogs were among the 4 who offered the highest rate of “guilty” behavior.
Now, the study had only 14 subjects in all. (This is typical of behavioral studies, by the way – few of them include large numbers of dogs.) We certainly can’t draw firm conclusions from such a small sample, much less from the behavior of 3 dog-owner pairs. And the study doesn’t prove that dogs don’t feel guilty. But it does strongly suggest that actual “guilt” -- whatever “guilt” is if you have a forebrain as small as a dog’s -- and looking “guilty” aren’t linked. Fear might have more to do with it.
Anger’s a Time-Waster
As Dr. Horowitz points out, some trainers still advise us to communicate with our dogs as if they understood human moral codes. But probably dogs don’t have that understanding -- or, at least, it doesn’t look as if they do. What if we’re blaming our dogs for doing wrong when they don’t know right from wrong? We’re expecting too much of them and, probably, wasting our time and theirs in being angry.
So what’s your take-home for this week? Just this: next time you’re super double sure your dog knows that she did wrong, and knows what she did wrong, take a deep breath and think again. Maybe you need to train a little more, or change something about your dog’s daily schedule, or get professional help with a behavior problem. Whatever’s going on, a good first step in dealing with it is always going to be “Turn off your mad.”
The citation for Dr. Horowitz’s study appears on my site at dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com, along with some suggestions for further reading. I would love to hear from you; your comments and questions help me shape future episodes. Email me at dogtrainer@quickanddirtytips.com, phone 206-600-5661, or visit me on Facebook – just search on The Dog Trainer. Bye, and thank you for listening!
References and Further Reading
Hauser, Marc. Wild Minds:What Animals Really Think. Holt, 2000. See especially chapter 9, “Moral Instincts.”
Horowitz, Alexandra. Disambiguating the “guilty look”: Salient prompts to a familiar dog behaviour. Behavioural Processes 81 (2009): 447-52.
McConnell, Patricia B. For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend. Ballantine Books, 2006.
“What Really Prompts the Dog’s ‘Guilty Look.” ScienceDaily, June 14, 2009. Available at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611065839.htm

The Horse | Video - CEM: testing and treating mares.

CEM: testing and treating mares.

Watch a demonstration of testing and treating mares for contagious equine metritis.

The Horse | Video - CEM: testing and treating mares.

The Horse | CEM: Lower-Cost Stallion Testing Continues

The Horse | CEM: Lower-Cost Stallion Testing Continues

In an effort to show that Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) does not exist or is at very low levels in the US equine horse population, the USDA is offering lower-cost testing to owners of active breeding stallions through August. It is part of a nationwide survey, with the goal of sampling 3,000 stallions.

Conducted under the auspices of the USDA Animal and Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the voluntary testing will involve all breeds and most of the 50 states. The numbers are based on the National Animal Health Monitoring System estimates of breeding stallion populations in each state. For example, APHIS officials hope to test more than 300 stallions in both Texas and Kentucky, nearly 200 in California, and more than 100 in Florida.

The USDA will pay shipping and lab diagnostic costs for one set of samples. Stallion owners must pay the costs of collecting the samples, to be done by a USDA-accredited equine veterinarian.

"We hope to get a representative sample of a state's overall active stallion breeding population," said Jim Barrett, public affairs specialist and emergency coordinator with APHIS. “The goal is to sample 3,000 of the most active breeding stallions from around the United States."

The bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis causes CEM, a transmissible venereal equine disease. The last US outbreak of CEM occurred in early 2009, and APHIS reports that as of early January of this year, 94% of the horses involved in that outbreak are free of the disease. Barrett noted that none of the stallions involved in the current round of testing has tested positive.

Barrett pointed out several advantages to stallion owners to participate in the testing survey. "First, this is an opportunity to determine that your stallion likely does not have the bacterium that causes CEM and that he is not spreading it to other horses," he said. "Second, you may need a negative test result in order to have your stallion collected or bred at a commercial facility this year. Third, if you have any reason to suspect that your stallion is positive, this is a chance to find out with minimal financial impact."

Kentucky's Office of State Veterinarian supports and is helping to facilitate the testing, said staff assistant Rusty Ford. Kentucky routinely conducts CEM surveillance of its Thoroughbred population, and Ford said that surveying the country’s stallion population would help Kentucky's international trade.

"We do not, though, have this same level of surveillance in many of our other breeds," said Ford. "For this reason, culturing non-Thoroughbred stallions in Kentucky and throughout the country would appear to be the most efficient use of funds for providing useful information enabling us to determine if there remains a prevalence of CEM carrier stallions in the United States."

Ford outlined another benefit to the national testing. If the US can claim its horse population CEM-free, the USDA will better be able to negotiate entry requirements for horses to other countries.

"Reducing the required CEM testing will effectively lower the cost associated with exporting the horse for a realized net savings," he said.

The survey has some limitations, such as the maximum number of stallions to be sampled at any one facility is 50%, but not more than 20 stallions per facility.

Stallion owners interested in participating in the testing program should contact a Veterinary Services area office or a state animal health official's office. To find the nearest office, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/.

Small Pet Emergencies: Why and When to Contact Your Veterinarian

Small Pet Emergencies: Why and When to Contact Your Veterinarian

Did you know that there is a pet loss hotline?

http://www.peteducation.com/emergency.cfm?tab=4

Top Dog Videos | Modern Dog magazine - the best dog magazine ever

Top Dog Videos | Modern Dog magazine - the best dog magazine ever

Buy your pet meds

Save 80% on Pet Medications & Free Shipping

What are Signs that Your Dog Is Stressed?

Most people who live with dogs recognize some of the “bigger” clues that a dog’s anxious, uncomfortable, or outright scared--cowering, whining, and a tucked tail, to name just three. This article discusses a few more subtle signs. They generally don’t reflect full-blown panic, but they tell you that all’s not quite right in Dogalini World.  

If we can decode our dogs’ body language, we can bail out sensitive dogs before they get overwhelmed. And even boneheaded, happy-go-lucky types may find some situations too much for them. Come to think of it, watching them closely may reveal that they’re not such boneheads after all.

Why It’s Important to Notice Your Dog Is Stressed

When we recognize our dogs’ stress signals and take action to help them out, we’re taking care both of the dog and of ourselves. I often remember an aging dog named Jack whose humans noticed that he always retreated from their toddler’s approach. They thought nothing of it, so Jack’s repeated nonaggressive signals that he disliked kiddy-style handling didn’t get through. Jack finally bit. The child had to have stitches, and Jack lost his home. What a lot of preventable grief.

Of course, you don’t need to intervene every time your dog experiences stress. For instance, he might startle easily at the sound of a car backfiring, then relax and go back to sniffing the hydrant a few seconds later. There’s probably no big issue here. On the other hand, I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every client who told me a bite came out of the blue and then went on to describe in clear detail the half-dozen signs of distress her dog gave her. The human saw them all, but didn’t understand.

What Signs Tell You a Dog Is Stressed?

A dog who’s a bit worried about a person, another animal, or a situation may turn her head away. Commonly, you’ll be able to see the whites of her eyes at the same time, as she looks sidelong at whatever the problem is. Never, ever touch or even approach a dog who’s gone still and shows the whites of her eyes, because $5 will get you $10 she’s on the verge of exploding with a lunge, a snap, or even a bite.

Other Signs of a Stressed Dog

Never, ever touch or even approach a dog who’s gone still and shows the whites of her eyes.

A related but less potentially explosive behavior is ignoring--just what it sounds like. I take regular walks with a colleague, Jenny Chun, to help her dog Lucy gain some canine social skills. My boy Juni isn’t socially adept by any means, but Lucy makes him look like Perez Hilton. As we walk side by side, Jenny and I can see Lucy glancing at Juni out of the corners of her eyes, over and over and over again. After a minute or two, she’ll  veer off and start ostentatiously sniffing … something or other. I don’t think it matters what; you can almost see the thought balloon reading “Dog? What dog? I don’t see any dog. Ni ni ni ni.”

Lucy isn’t showing bad leash manners or blowing Jenny off. Her sniffing in this particular situation is what’s called a “displacement behavior” (1). Displacement behaviors are completely normal but turn up out of context or when an animal experiences conflict between two motivations. In Lucy’s case, probably she’s both socially interested in Juni, and anxious about close contact with him. She keeps an eye on him till she can’t stand it anymore, and then she just has to sniff.

What a Sniffing Dog Might Also Mean

You’ll also often see a dog sniffing the ground as he makes his way sloooowly back to a person who’s yelling at him to get over here right now. Here, the sniffing is probably not a displacement behavior--combined with the slow approach, it directly signals appeasement and deference. The dog is saying, in effect, “I mean you no harm, I offer no challenge, see how I don’t just rush right up to you rudely while staring in your face?” Stop yelling, Yelling Person, and show your dog some happy-voice love.

Drooling, Paw Sweat, and Shedding Can Signal Dog Stress

A surprising number of clues to anxiety involve stuff coming off the dog’s body. Drool? Check, though drool may also suggest nausea or dental problems. Paw sweat? Check. Watch the floor tile at the vet’s office, for instance. Shedding? Check. To stick with the example of the vet’s office, there’s a reason you come home from Dogalini’s annual checkup with even more hair on your clothes than usual. Dogs shed copiously when nervous.

Urine Marking Can Signal Stress

While we’re on the subject of stuff coming off the dog’s body, consider urine. You’ve probably met puppies who dribble when they’re excited or intimidated--that’s not news. But if you have a reactive dog, male or female, who urine-marks, watch what happens immediately after he blows up at another dog. Often, the reactive dog heads for the nearest vertical surface and lifts leg. I don’t think anyone knows exactly what this behavior means in this context. It’s probably not much use as a signal to the other dog who’s gone by then. My rough guess is that it somehow closes the episode or brings the curtain down. Maybe it’s a dog’s way of saying “Phew! That’s over with.” Or maybe the stress of an explosive episode just triggers the urge to pee.

Genital Licking Can Signal Stress

We’ve all heard the old joke about why dogs lick their genitals. Who knows, the joke reason may even be for real. Dogs also lick their genitals to clean them, of course, and licking turns up as a displacement behavior in moments of anxiety or conflict as well. One common scenario: A person walking his dog stops to talk to a friend. They talk about the dog. They look at the dog fixedly for a long time. All of a sudden the dog sits back and licks his penis. The bright red crown pokes out of the sheath. The dog’s guardian says, “Sheesh, Zippy, way to pick your moment!” and everybody laughs. The Dog Trainer points out that prolonged gazing can elicit anxiety in dogs. Hence the out-of-context erection and personal grooming moves. Just be grateful your dog doesn’t head for a bikini wax when he feels a little bit on edge.

There’s so much more to canine body language and signaling than I can cover here. Humping, yawning, barking, and even going to sleep may indicate that a dog is overstressed. I’ve discussed tails and faces in other articles in this series. You can also check out the books and websites listed in the Resources section below, including a link to a short video of Lucy showing stress at the vet’s office.

That’s all for this week’s article. I hope you’ll visit me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, where I’m Dogalini, and write to me at dogtrainer@quickanddirtytips.com. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I answer as many questions as I can. Thank you for reading!

Note

1. Here’s an excellent discussion of displacement behaviors in the context of a question about a dog’s drinking from her water bowl whenever her people come home.

Resources

Sophie Collins. Tail Talk: Understanding the Secret Language of Dogs (2007).

Barbara Handelman. Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook (2008).

Brenda Aloff. Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide (2005).

Sarah Kalnajs. The Language of Dogs (DVDs; 2006).

My friend Eric Goebelbecker’s nifty little article on dog body language.

Stacy Breslau-Schneck, “Talking Dog: Body Language”

The video of Juni’s friend Lucy at the vet’s office.

The Dog Trainer : Leaving Your Dog Home Alone :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

The Dog Trainer : Leaving Your Dog Home Alone :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™

Once upon a time, in the perhaps somewhat legendary past, dogs spent their days outdoors, working at their masters’ sides. Cue the theme from “Lassie.”

Tips for Leaving Your Dog Home Alone

These days, most of our dogs spend their people’s workdays at home alone. Often they’re bored and lonely. Fortunately, we can help that time pass easily -- without spending a lot of money.

Make ’Em Tired

The best thing you can do for your home-alone dog is supply some good, hard, first-thing-in-the-morning exercise. You saw that coming, right? How much exercise -- and what kind -- depends on your dog’s age, fitness, body type, and state of health, and also on the weather. Is your dog old, arthritic, and short-nosed, or is she an adolescent Border Collie mix? Is it 90 degrees out, 15, or 55? Check with your vet if you have questions about your dog’s exercise tolerance. The result you’re looking for is that your dog gets home and flops down on his bed to snooze. For most dogs, off-leash running, trotting, and sniffing are ideal, because they supply not only varied physical exercise, but mental stimulation as well.

Keep ’Em Busy

Next, put away your dog’s food bowl and use food-dispensing toys instead. Some toys--such as the Kong--can be stuffed. I often suggest a mixture of half canned and half dry food. For champion chewers, freeze the stuffed toy until it’s hard, so as to make a long-lasting excavation project. Other toys release dry food piece by piece when the dog knocks or pushes them around. Some of these toys offer variable difficulty levels, so you can frustrate your dog just enough to keep her active and engaged, like Grandma at the slots. Did you forget to wash out the food toys from the day before? Then take your dog’s entire breakfast ration of dry food and scatter it on the floor as you leave the house. Successful foraging is most dogs’ idea of a good time.

Do test-drive chew toys when you’re home and can supervise. Many food-dispensing toys will stand up to all but a minority of jaws, but others aren’t suited to hardcore chewers and may crack. If your dog can break the toy or chew pieces off, he and it need a chaperone. Rawhides and natural bones are also unsuitable for a solo dog.

Doggie Daycare and Dog Walkers

Daycare is a common suggestion for home-alone dogs. But many dogs don’t enjoy the company of their fellows, and many of us can’t afford the fees these days. If you can possibly spring for a daily dog walk, though, do it. Yes, many dogs are capable of holding their urine and feces all day long. But it’s not good for them. Dr. Marcela Salas, of Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, explains that holding on for long periods can lead to urinary tract infections. And the highly concentrated urine a dog produces during a long wait can increase the likelihood of crystal formation and cystitis. Dr. Salas also points out that if your dog is old and creaky, she’ll benefit from getting up and taking a walk.

If you can’t afford a professional walker, trade favors with people. Maybe a job-hunting friend would like someone to drool on her bathrobe while she rewrites her resume for the dozenth time. Bake her some cupcakes when you get home. Or maybe your dog isn’t a candidate for daycare but does have canine friends. Can you trade a workday playdate for an extra Saturday afternoon walk?

Don’t Leave Your Dog Alone Outside

One idea I don’t endorse is leaving your dog out in the yard.

One idea I don’t endorse is leaving your dog out in the yard. Even assuming your fence is tall enough and dug deep enough to keep him from escaping no matter what, dogs left alone outside are vulnerable to intruders. Besides, a dog in the yard by himself isn’t keeping fit with calisthenics. At worst, he’s working on problem behaviors such as barking and lunging at passersby; at best, he’s hanging around by the back door hoping somebody will come and let him in again.

Signs of Separation Anxiety

Finally, boredom, pent-up energy, and loneliness are one thing; separation anxiety’s another. Does your dog get restless and whiny as you prepare to leave? Does she gnaw at doors and windowsills while you’re away? Will he not eat when alone? These are a few of the behaviors associated with genuine separation anxiety. If they ring a bell, get competent, in-person help; usually, separation issues are best treated by combining appropriate medication with behavioral techniques.

Maybe someday we’ll all have dog-friendly workplaces and mass transit. Or perhaps be herding sheep and cows. Meanwhile, call me at 206-600-5661, or e-mail dogtrainer@quickanddirtytips.com. I answer questions on Facebook, too – find me by searching for “The Dog Trainer.”

Greysave Picnic 2010

To view; highlight below or copy and paste the link to flickr.
Greysave Picnic 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/petschats/sets/72157623998231537/

Stormy the bunny is acting very strange.

The black and white bunny pictured above is named Stormy.  She suddenly started behaving in peculiar ways.  She bit her mate repeatedly and shredded her bedding furiously, and now is pulling tufts of hair out of her own tummy.  She is not neutered, and is about 1 year old.  We are very concerned.  Does anyone have suggestions?

Lynn Palm’s “40 Tips For Better Horsemanship"

Written by Lynn Palm (press release)

Remarkably, 2010 marks Lynn Palm's 40th year as a horse trainer, competitor and clinician. As a thank you to her loyal supporters and fans, the world champion has created a list,

“40 Fabulous Tips For Better Horsemanship” to share some of her vast knowledge of horsemanship and equine management.

"These are really useful tips that I use everyday when I am out in the barn or traveling with my horses. My hope is that everyone will be able to find something useful in this list," says Palm.
Palm created the list as part of her “Fabulous at 40” celebration which includes 40 weeks of prizes from Palm Partnership Training and sponsors such as Troxel, Wrangler, Professional's Choice, Equine Ambience Jewelry and Purina.

 40 Fabulous Tips for Better Horsemanship

Riding

1. Always wear a helmet when riding. I can never emphasize this enough! Protect your head – you only get one!

2. Ask yourself: Is your horse suited to you? Do you feel safe working with him? Are you having fun with him? These are tough questions to ask yourself, but if you and your horse aren't a good match it might be time to make a change.

3. Always check your girth for tightness before mounting your horse.

4. Mount your horse with correctness, which will encourage him to stand still.

5. Always have a “perfect practice” planned when you ride your horse.

6. Always keep your eyes, and thus your concentration, in front of your horses head.

7. Always do some kind of stretching on the ground, exercises at home, or on the horse to warm up and develop muscle and flexibility of your joints—this will keep you positive with riding.

8. When riding on the trails, bring a cell phone and let someone know when you should be back.

9. If you are taking your horse on a trail he's never seen before, have a friend bring her horse along for moral support.

10. If your horse is spooky, it is okay to get off the horse and address the spooky obstacle. It is safer to deal with it on the ground then under saddle.

11. Show your horse in the show ring ONLY when he has the training and knowledge for what you are asking of him—this will give him a positive impression on the event and he will like what he is doing!

12. Be light with your hands. We spend a lifetime in riding learning not to pull on the reins—learn how to use an open rein and indirect or neck rein. Your horse will love the lightness and learn not to pull and resist you.

13. The more you squeeze, grip, or kick your horse’s sides, the more you give your horse all the tools to ignore your leg aids!

14. The more you change directions in practice, the more you encourage lateral suppleness.

15. The more you do transitions, the more you stretch and strengthen the longitudinal muscles and the hind leg joints.

16. Incorporating dressage exercises into your routine can improve your performance in any discipline.

17. Always communicate with your horse through the natural aids: seat, leg and hands. Artificial aids - crop, whip and spurs - are not to be used as a sole aid. They should only assist your natural aids.

18. Always reward your horse with a pat, soft voice or treat when they respond to a good behavior—they will be more willing to give a positive response next time!

19. Learn from watching others ride.

20. Seek lessons from a professional who explains their methods and whose training program is based on common sense, not gimmicks.

Travel With Your Horse

21. Always practice loading your horse before you go to load for a trip. Open all the doors to give as much light as you can before loading your horse.

22. Always load a single horse in a side-by-side two-horse trailer on the left side to stay balanced with the high side of the road.

23. Always give your horse a hot bran/mineral oil dinner no more then 24 hours before travel over 10 hours.

24. Have free choice hay (some alfalfa is perfect) at all times while a horse is traveling. Be sure to offer water or hang a water bucket in the trailer, when you stop for gas and/or food.

Horsemanship

25. Have your horse’s hooves trimmed or shod every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on your farrier's recommendation.

26. Master "Working in Hand" ground training. Practice leading on either side of the horse on a loose lead without pulling.

27. Master the art of longeing and make a commitment to stop longeing with hundreds of circles that drill your horse to boredom.

28. Master ponying your horse as you ride another—it is a great skill to control two at a time!

29. Master ground driving or long lining! It is great to learn your horse's body alignment and balance while refining your hand and rein aids.

Horse Management

30. Always have a first aid kit available in your barn, trailer and vehicle. Make sure it is fully stocked at all times because you never know when you'll need it.

31. Clean your stalls two times per day and paddocks one time per week.

32. Brush your horse everyday, he will love you for this!

33. Clean sheaths on male horses 2-3 times per year.

34. Float teeth once a year, or as directed by your veterinarian. 

35. Vaccinations are very important. Give your horse all of the veterinarian recommended vaccines.

36. Give your horses carrots and apples in their feed whenever you can!

37. Keep all stall doors and gates closed on your farm at all times.

38. Make sure your horse has clean fresh water daily.

39. Make sure you learn how to properly fit your saddle, pads, bridle and bit to your horse. Also, if you want to “Ride Well”, your saddle(s) have to fit you!

40. Remember: a Horse knows every word you are thinking! Turn any negative thought or comment such as “I’ll try” or “What if” to a positive thought or saying, “I will” or “My horse WILL do well.”

Feeding the Earth Horse

Earth horse temperament types love two things: Appreciation and food. They are solid citizens who want to be acknowledged for the good work they do, and food treats often go a long way toward keeping them happy. They make perfect school horses and work well with children. They develop bad habits when their daily routine is upset.
Because the Earth horse temperament loves food, and will eat almost anything, he has a tendency to be an “easy keeper”. He can easily become overweight, so you have to be careful not to over-feed him. At the same time, he often has trouble assimilating nutrients, so you have to offer a diet rich in nutrients but low in overall calories. You also need to support his digestive system so that he gets the maximum nutrition from his food without becoming too fat.
Earth Horse Temperament Nutritional Support
The balanced Earth horse is lower level of Qi, is more Yin, is affected by Damp and benefits from the sweet flavor. In English, the Earth horse is low energy, cool, subject to moist skin eruptions or edema and does well with small portions of carbohydrate feeds such as oats. A basic diet should include foods which are neutral or warming, build Yang, clear Dampness and contain the sweet flavor.
Ideal Foods and Supplements for the Earth Horse Temperament
Examples of foods and supplements ideal for the Earth horse include:
•    oats
•    corn
•    beet pulp (up to 2 pounds/day)
•    grass hay
Fruits and Vegetables:
Earth horses do well with certain vegetables, which include:
•    carrots (up to 5 pounds/day)
•    cabbage (up to 1 pound/day)
•    sweet potato (up to 2 pounds/day)
•    pumpkin ( up to 4 pounds/day)
Bitter Foods:
The Earth horse can also benefit from small amounts of bitter foods, which help to dry the dampness that can cause problems in the Earth horse, including:
•    alfalfa (up to 1 flake/day)
•    wild blue-green algae (up to 1 TBS/day) Other Products blue green algae
Foods to Feed in Small Quantities or Avoid Feeding to the Earth Horse Temperament
Foods that contribute to damp and should not be fed to the Earth horse or fed only in small amounts include:
•    soy products
•    poor quality oils
•    salty foods
Wheat bran can be useful to the Earth horse since it is high in fiber and minerals, especially phosphorus and magnesium. However, it does contain some sugar so most Earth horses will not need more than a pound or so a day. It is not suitable for young horses, but adult Earth horses can do very well when it is given in the form of a mash in place of grains.
Healthy Fats for the Earth Horse Temperament
All horse types need some source of fat in their diet, but you have you be careful about feeding to much or the wrong kinds of fats to the Earth horse, who has a tendency to be overweight. Healthy sources of fat for the Earth horse, which should be fed in small amounts only, include:
•    flax seeds (up to 1 cup/day)
•    hemp seeds (up to 1/4 cup/day)
•    chia seeds (up to 1/4 cup/day)
•    coconut oil (up to 2 TBS/day)
Again, your primary concern with a balanced Earth horse temperament is not to overfeed calories. Madalyn

15 most common health problems in cats:

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) has compiled the following list of the 15 most common health problems in cats:

1. Lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD)	6. Tooth infection requiring extraction	11. Asthma
2. Chronic renal failure	7. Upper respiratory infections	12.Soft tissues injuries/ sprains
3. Skin allergies and infections	8. Ear infection	13. Laceration and bite wounds
4. Hyperthyroidism	9. Eye infection	14. Benign skin growths
5. Diabetes	10. Constipation	15. Gastritis/ vomiting/ diarrhea

VPI extracted this information from a database of over 60,000 insured cats. The average cost per claim for a veterinary visit for the number one problem, lower urinary tract disease, is $260.
Feline dental problems are the most costly to treat, especially when tooth extractions are necessary. The average claim for this procedure is $360.