4th of July Fireworks Tips for Dog Owners

On Saturday night, millions of Americans will be lighting fireworks in honor of Independence Day. However, whilst you are reveling in the magic of the fireworks, your dog may be cowering in the corner, especially when you consider that a dog's hearing is ten times more sensitive than a human's. Therefore, the sounds of the fireworks going off can cause your dog to experience anxiety, stress and fear. Keep in mind that the sounds and sights of fireworks is not something that your dog will regularly experience, and so will come as a bit of a shock to him when he first sees and hears fireworks.

There are, however, a few things that you can do to help your dog through this festive celebration if he is afraid of fireworks:

* Leave your dog at home as it will be far better for the both of you if your dog is at home rather than taking him with you to watch the fireworks display at your local community park. Your dog will not only be in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by a mass of unfamiliar people, but the repeated loud bangs and flashes of light will stress your dog out quickly.

* If you live nearby to a community fireworks display try to keep your dog indoors whilst you are out, preferably inside a crate that he is already accustomed to. If a crate or carrier is not an option then leave your dog in a bedroom or other safe place where he can do the least amount of harm to himself and to your house. Close the curtains, turn on the all the lights, and turn on the TV or radio. Keep the volume relatively high as it will be harder for your dog to hear the fireworks through the sound of the TV or radio.

* If you are planning on staying home with your dog, remain with him at all times to monitor his stress level. Remember that even though your dog may not be stressed out by fireworks now, as he gets older his hearing will change and different sounds will affective him differently.

* Be sure that your dog is wearing his collar with ID tags attached, and make sure that your identification is up to date as well. Some dogs run away if they are outside, or jump through windows if they are inside, in order to get away from the deafening sound of the fireworks.

* Try to spend plenty of time playing with your dog beforehand as not only will this tire him out and help him sleep through the fireworks, but it will also prevent him from being resentful of being left home alone if you do go out. Make sure that your dog goes potty before it gets dark.

* Give your dog a nice doggie massage before dark as this will help keep him in a relaxed state of being and therefore better equipped to handle the stress of fireworks.

* Feed your dog cooked, plain, white rice with his evening meal. The carbohydrate will make your dog feel fuller and sleepier, and will therefore be less anxious hearing the fireworks go off.

* Use an aromatherapy plug-in, diffuser or essential oil such as Lavender, Juniper, Chamomile, Bergamot, and Frankincense, to release a relaxing aroma in your home that will help keep your dog calm. Remember to never leave an aromatherapy candle burning unattended!

* Purchase a herbal formula such as LessStress, which has healthy combination of herbs that have been proven to help calm a stressed out dog.

* If your dog is out with you and does get upset, try to distract him as best as you can. Bring along his favorite toy to bring his attention away from the loud noises and flashing lights. Try giving your dog a Kong toy that is stuffed with peanut butter, especially if your dog loves that taste. Another trick is to give your dog a brand new toy as a reward for being out with you. You might find that your dog is more interested in his new toy than in the fireworks.

* Keep in mind that soothing your dog with babyish sounds or with words such as 'its ok', 'relax', 'everything's fine', will not calm your dog down. Instead, those words and phrases will alert your dog to the fact that there really is something to be concerned about. Rather encourage your dog by cheerfully telling him that he is a 'good boy'.

*Never punish your dog for being scared of the fireworks as this can lead to severe emotional and psychological issues down the road.

Photo Credit: thedamian

How To Leash Train Your Cat

Leash training isn't just for dogs anymore. Other pets are learning to walk on a leash including ferrets, hamsters, rabbits and cats. Yes, cats!

Contrary to popular belief cats are relatively easy to leash train and actually enjoy being outside whilst attached to a harness and leash.

Steven Jacobson and Jean Miller, a married couple who have plenty of leash training experience have written and published their own book on leash training cats entitled 'Walk Your Cat, The Complete Guide'.

"After a tough day," says Miller, who is a Virginia Tech philosophy instructor, "it's a nice, relaxing thing to come home, get the leash and take the cat out for a long walk."

Those words will take some getting used to for a few cat owners. Others though, will jump at the chance to be able to bond with their cat whilst out for leisurely walk.

If cat walking is so easy, then why aren't other people walking their cats as well? According to Miller, there are two main reasons as to why this is. Firstly, most people do not think that cat's can be trained to do anything, never mind being leash trained; and secondly, Miller says, is "because they've used a dog model of leash training. That's certain to fail."

In fact, these two authors believe that the commanding and controlling approach which is often used with dogs will never really work with cats and probably will cause them to try and escape and run off. It is therefore, imperative to know how to motivate your cat and reassure them if they become nervous, as well as how to get them used to the sights and sounds of the outdoors.

The first rule in leash training cats is to have plenty of patience.

"Patience," Miller says. "Without patience it's not going to work."

Even though Miller encourages cat owners to keep their cats as indoor only cats for their own safety, she firmly believes that cat owners should oblige their cat's needs to go outside by walking them on a leash, as this will allow them "the incomparable variety and intensity of sights, sounds and smells," not to mention the significant "behavioral stimulation."

"Cats have a very real need to go outdoors," she says.

Besides patience there are also a few simple things to keep in mind when attempting to leash train your cat, the most important, being to provide your cat with a very well-fitting harness. Cats do not like being jerked around by their collars and can slip out of one quite easily, especially if it is a safety collar. Therefore a harness is better to attach a leash to and it should be loose and comfortable for your cat.

Before putting the harness and leash on your cat, let her play with them first so that she can get used to them. When you think that your cat is at ease with the new harness and leash, you can then attempt to place the harness loosely on her and see how she reacts to it. Let your cat wear the harness around the house for a few minutes every day.

Keep in mind that this is the most crucial step, because, if you force her to wear the harness, before she is ready, she will not respond to wearing it at all. This is where having lots of patience comes into play.

As soon as your cat has become comfortable with wearing her harness loosely, you can then tighten the harness up until it is the right fit for your cat. Again, allow your cat to wear the tightened harness around the house for a few minutes each day.

The next step is to attach the leash onto your cat's harness and practicing walking your cat around the inside of your house. This will help your cat to become accustomed to not only wearing the harness but also to feeling the tug of the leash.

When you believe that your cat is doing well and is comfortable with both the harness and the leash, it is then time to take your cat for a walk outside.

However, be sure that the leash is not too loose. Outside there are many distractions for a cat, like birds, squirrels and butterflies, which can cause your cat to want to run away, which is why you must keep a tight leash so that your cat walks with you and does not attempt to pull you all over the walkway.

Remember to let your cat set the pace and if your cat shies away from any step, simply go back to the previous one and try again.

Photo Credit: carolyn.will

Peanut Detecting Dogs

There are close to 1.8 million people living in America today that are allergic to peanuts, with 400,00 of being school children, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Sadly, only 20% of those children actually outgrow their peanut allergy. Nearly 150 adults and children die each year due to peanut allergies.

Ironically, it is the most common food allergy in America, but also the most commonly used food item as well. Of all the different types of food allergies, peanuts and tree nuts are most likely to cause severe allergic reactions, such as hives, stomach cramps, vomiting and shortness of breath, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Treatment for peanut allergies includes antihistamines and epinephrine injections to help prevent anaphylactic shock. Most adults spend their lives trying to avoid any type of nut, but children, on the other hand, have a harder time at distinguishing was food contains traces of peanuts and which is safe to eat.

For most of their children's lives, worried parents have worked hard to keep trace amounts of peanuts away from their allergic children, such as planning peanut-free parties at home, avoiding social gatherings, reading product labels, and changing family's lifestyle so that peanuts can be avoided at all cost.

However, things are starting to look up for children who are allergic to peanuts: Peanut Detecting Dogs.

These dogs have become valuable assets for children who are allergic to peanuts. Reason being is that a dog's sense of smell is far greater than that of human beings and so they are able to sniff out peanut products and residue that humans would not be able to smell at all. In fact, dogs actually have 45 times the number of olfactory receptors that humans have, which permits them to be able to smell one thousand times better than a human.

Most breeds of dogs, including mixed breeds, can be used as peanut detectors, although the most commonly used breeds are German Shepherds, Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers. Poodles are preferred by people and children who are also highly allergic to pet dander as they do not shed and are comparatively dander free.

Dogs that are trained as Peanut Detectors usually go through extensive training. The end result, however, is that these are dogs can easily detect minuscule amounts of peanuts of any type or form, such as raw peanuts, cooked peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter, and dust residue from peanuts. They can even tell the difference between a McDonald's chicken nugget and a Chick-Fil-A chicken nugget that was cooked in peanut oil!

Dogs are carefully selected, and then tested and screened for temperament and characteristics that would help them to be both a working dog and a family companion.

Such dogs have already proved their worth over and over again with their diligent devotion to preventing their owner's contact with peanut residue and thereby, a severe allergic reaction.

Director of Training and the owner of Southern Star Ranch Boarding Kennel in Florence, Texas, Sharon Perry, has already trained quite a few dogs to sniff out peanuts and peanut residue.

Perry searches all of the animal shelters in the Dallas, Texas, area to find what she deems to be the perfect prodigy pup. More specifically, Perry is looking for dogs that are "wild, crazy and want to play ball 'til hell freezes over, maybe a little longer," she says.

Once found, Perry takes them back to her kennel for six months of intense training. Perry's peanut dogs are also trained to be very gentle, loving, and trustworthy who will be a devoted companion to their new families.

The dogs are trained to discreetly scan guests who come to your home for any residual peanut odor, as well as sniffing library books, groceries and any other object or product that is being brought into your home for peanuts, peanut residue or peanut odor in order to reduce the chance of an allergic reaction. Since these dogs are also deemed as Medical Companion Dogs, they are allowed to accompany the children in public places where they will sniff out the environment, food and even friends to determine if the area is peanut free.

The total cost of finding, caring for, and training a dog to detect peanuts is $9,995, plus the traveling expenses of the prospective family to do additional training for two weeks.

Karen Gensel, brought Remy, one of Perry's trained dog's, home for her son, Billy. Remy has proved his worth for Billy, with Gensel saying:

"... to know there is an added level of security, a layer of protection that I could provide in no other way, has endowed a confidence in both my son and myself that I never knew we could experience."

Photo Credit: EuroMagic

Dogs That Eat Grass

Every dog owner knows that dogs are not fussy eaters at all! Dogs will eat just about anything that you offer them, and some things that you don't, with grass being one of them!

Even though dogs live off of a mostly carnivorous diet, they can also survive on a vegetarian diet that is well balanced. Dogs require a combination of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water that together should provide enough calories to meet their daily needs.

Dogs are descended from wild canids, such as the wolf, and have survived over the years by being scavengers. When eating a kill, they would first go for the stomach and intestines of their prey. Since most of their prey were herbivores, they would also eat lots of plants and berries that were found in their stomach.

Most veterinarians are in disagreement as to why dogs like to eat grass. One theory is that because they were once scavengers that ate the plant filled stomachs of their prey, that they are more predisposed to wanting to eat grass.

Veterinarians have not quite decided whether dogs eat grass to vomit or they vomit because they eat grass. Although the majority of vets actually feel that there is something present in the grass itself that stimulates the dog's urge to vomit.

A dog's stomach contains neuro-receptors actually respond to whatever it is that a dog has eaten, such as, acidity, texture and the chemical content.

Research has indicated that the texture of the ingested grass irritates a dog's stomach which may induce vomiting. This may explain why a presumably healthy dog is able to eat without being ill. Sick dogs will chew the grass faster than a healthy dog will. This causes all the prickly blades of grass to pass through to the stomach without being properly chewed up. This irritation plus whatever was upsetting their stomachs in the first place, causes the dog to throw up, thereby ridding themselves of the irritating substance.

A build up of bile in their stomachs, is another reason why dogs eat grass and then vomit. Their gallbladder produces the bile which is then excreted into their stomachs to help digest fats. If a dog's stomach is empty, the bile can make the dogs feel ill which then forces the dog to eat grass so that they can regurgitate whatever it is that is making them feel ill. Although this is considered normal dog behavior, it is recommended that dogs be fed smaller meals more frequently or to give them a cookie or two before their bedtime so that their stomachs have something to digest overnight.

Since dogs have been eating and regurgitating grass for centuries without any negative side effects, most veterinarians today are not concerned about this phenomenon.

The problem, however, occurs when a dog eats grass that has been treated with an insecticide, herbicide, fertilizer or other harmful chemicals. When walking your dog outside of his home environment, it is best to keep a watchful eye on your dog to make sure that he does not stop to eat the grass instead of the roses.

At home, however, you are better able to control your dog's grass eating addiction. Before applying any type of chemical to your lawn, read the packaging label very carefully. These days most of the insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers that are on the market today, state whether or not they are dangerous for pets. Regardless of whether or not the chemical product you choose to use on your lawn is safe for pets, you should prevent your dog from walking, sitting, playing or eating grass right after you have applied such chemicals. Even though most of these chemical products break down quite quickly, they can still pose a threat to the health of your dog if he or she ingests them along with the grass right after they have been applied.

A final veterinarian theory as to why dogs eat grass is because they are lacking adequate fiber in their diets. To see if this theory proves true for your dog, you are encouraged to buy dog food that claims to be high in fiber, such as found in senior dog kibble. But since these types of high end commercial dog foods can be expensive, there are other options to increase your dog's fiber intake and supplement their diet.

A few suggestions include adding diced raw vegetables to your dog's kibble, or adding green beans or broccoli to broth and pouring it over your dog's dry food. Sprinkling bran to your dog's food can also do the trick.

Another natural approach to improving your dog's diet is to add supplements, such as Nu-Pets Granular Greens, which contains Wheat Grass, Barley and Alfalfa.

Photo Credit: 2neus

How To Massage Your Dog

Animal Massage Therapy helps to increase an animal's circulation, boosts their immune system and increase mobility. Therefore, it is extremely helpful for dogs who have arthritis. This video explains the basics of animal massage therapy for a dog who is both suffering from arthritis and cancer.

Kitten Classes

When you think of pet training, you instantly think about your dog attending obedience school. But what about your cat?

Kersti Seksel, a veterinary behaviorist from Australia, opened her first "Kitty Kindy" nearly a decade ago to accommodate kittens aged between 7 and 14 weeks. Since then, such kitten classes have slowly spread across the USA. Such classes give kittens the opportunity to interact with their owners, other people and other cats, in a playful way and also help to stop any unwanted behavior issues from forming.

In the USA such classes are offered to kittens aged between 8 and 15 weeks by animal behaviorists, veterinarians, and animal shelters. Before attending, the kittens need to be current on their vaccinations and receive the approval of their veterinarian. They also need to have tested negative for both feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV).

Most classes are modeled after Dr. Seksel's teachings as well as from the American Association of Feline Practitioners feline behavior guidelines. The purpose of these classes is to help a kitten become accustomed to other pets and people, as well as a carrier. It also teaches the kitten's owners how to properly care, feed, handle and play with their kittens. Other subjects that are discussed is diet and grooming, litter box training and scratching on furniture.

Just like most other pets, kittens go through an early development stage, between 8 and 15 weeks, in which they trust everything and everyone in their environment. This is the perfect time to help your kitten bond with members of your family and to learn his or her boundaries.

Arden Moore, the editor of Catnip Magazine from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, says:

"None of us want to find our cat ducked under the bed when we have to take her to the clinic. With something like kitty kindergarten, you're starting off on the right paw, if you will. You're showing your cat that the carrier is a safe, welcoming place. The car is no big deal. And the veterinarian's office is no big deal. You're getting them used to being handled by different people and safely introduced to new environments."

By helping providing your kitten with proper socialization to new experiences, people, pets and situations, you are essentially guaranteeing that your kitten will grow up to be a very confident, social cat that is not afraid of being picked and handled, or of trips in their carrier. They will also be more patient and calms during veterinary or grooming visits as well. Cats who have attended kitten classes when they were young are less skittish or nervous around strange people and pets, including dogs.

Whether you are new cat owner or an experienced one, kitten classes will be beneficial to both you and your kitten on a variety of levels. First time kitten owners will be able to learn proper feeding, litter box cleaning, and playing tactics. Those cat owners, who are more experienced, will be able to brush up on their knowledge of kitten and cat behavior in order to continue socializing their kitten properly.

If you are interested in enrolling your kitten into a kitten class, your first step should be your veterinarian's office. Most classes are run by veterinarians or their staff members. Moore says, "It's a great way to put a cat in a fun environment when they visit the vet, not just for the dreaded vaccinations."

If your veterinarian does not run any classes, your next step would be to contact your local animal shelter, humane society or cat rescue. Most of these types of associations approve of kitten classes because they encourage the proper and healthier interaction between cat owners and kittens, thereby reducing the amount of kittens that are abandoned or relinquished back to the shelters. "Shelters really love it," Moore says. "It's helping kittens get socialized and adopted."

Other resources include online websites that have been created by leading cat behaviorists. These websites usually have a lot of valuable information listed on them to be able to either search for your kitten class or to have one requested by a professional in your area.

The American Association for Feline Practitioners have a website called CatVets, where they maintain feline behavior guidelines that can help you in choosing the perfect class for you and your kitten.

By taking the time now to enroll you kitten into a kitten class, you will be providing your kitten with a great start in life. Such classes are able to teach owners how to mentally and physically stimulate their kittens so that they can become healthy and confident cats.

These classes are proof of our understanding of the wants and needs of kittens and help create the perfect relationship with our cats.

Photo Credit: Hitchster

Cloning a Dog Hero

A dog that was dubbed a hero during the aftermath of 9-11 has been successfully cloned - five times!

Retired Police Officer James Symington, won a competition that was being run by BioArts International, a Northern California biotech company. The prize? Five cloned versions of his late search and rescue dog, Trakr.

The contest sponsored by BioArts International in 2008, was entitled the "Golden Clone Giveaway". Symington won after writing to BioArts and explaining why he believed that his late dog, Trakr, would be the perfect candidate to be cloned. Since Symington won the competition, he will receive his cloned puppies for free, whilst other BioArts clients usually pay roughly $144,000 to clone their canine pets.

The company currently holds the sole, worldwide license for cloning cats, dogs, and endangered animals. BioArts has also become a partner with Sooam Biotech Research Foundation of South Korea, which is the world's leading expert in cloning dogs. Dr Hwang Woo-Suk at Sooam was in charge of the cloning of Trakr. Dr Hwang was also the mastermind behind the world's first canine clone in 2005.

CEO of BioArts International, Lou Hawthorne, says "We received many very touching submissions to our contest, describing some truly amazing dogs. But Trakr's story blew us away. His many remarkable capabilities were proven beyond all doubt in our nation's darkest hour - and we're proud to have cloned him successfully."

During his long career as a search and rescue dog, Trakr was recognized for helping in hundreds of arrests and in recovering more than $1 million in stolen goods. Just after the horrific September 11 attacks, Symington and Trakr travelled together as a team to Ground Zero. They were one of the first K9 search and rescue teams to arrive on the scene. Under such gruesome circumstances, Trakr was credited with locating the last human survivor to be found amongst all the rubble.

Of this event, Symington wrote in his winning letter: "Once in a lifetime, a dog comes along that not only captures the hearts of all he touches but also plays a private role in history."

Trakr was awarded by Dr. Jane Goodall, the United Nations "Messenger of Peace," with the Extraordinary Service To Humanity Award. He was also featured in magazine articles and books that were dedicated to the 9-11 heroes, including Dog World Magazine and In the Line of Duty.

On Sunday, June 14th, Symington met the cloned pups for the very first time. It was emotional to say the least. Symington explained, "They're identical - down to the smallest detail. Few dogs are born with exceptional abilities - Trakr was one of those dogs. And if these puppies have the same attributes as Trakr, I plan on putting them in to search and rescue so they can help people the way Trakr did."

Dr. Hwang and his associates replaced the genes in eggs from unrelated dogs with Trakr's genes in order to clone him. This motivated the ensuing "couplets" to progress into embryos, which were then transferred to the dogs that were going to serve as surrogate mothers.

The surrogate mothers had normal pregnancies which eventually lead to the birth of pups that were genetic replica of Trakr. The oldest pup was born on the 8th of December 2008 and the youngest was born on the 4th of April 2009, in Seoul, South Korea. Their names are: Trust, Solace, Valor, Prodigy and Deja Vu.

In an email, Dr. Hwang wrote: "9-11 was a terrible shock for Korean people as well as Americans. These five clones of Trakr, who saved a human life at Ground Zero, are a gift not just to Mr. Symington, but to America and the world."

Like most other 9-11 rescuers, Rick Cushman of Saugus, Massachusetts, was delighted to hear the news of Trakr's cloning. Cushman was a volunteer with the Massachusetts Emergency Measures Agency and drove all the way to New York City shortly after the initial 9-11 attack in order to help with the rescue efforts. He recalls the morning of September 12, when he, Symington and Trakr were searching an area when Trakr caught the scent of a live person amidst all of the rubble.

Cushman later said, "That hit led us to Genelle Guzman, the fifth and final survivor. I am proud to have been involved in this rescue and proud to have worked alongside James and Trakr. If Trakr hadn't picked up her scent, we might not have known she was there. They helped save her life."

According to BioArts International's website, the company is considered a biotech startup in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their main scientific labs are in Beijing, they have custom micro-engineering operations in London, as well as scientific alliances in Seoul, South Korea.

Photo Credit: Howard N2GOT