Dog Facts & Tips

[Daniel E.]

Stress Management Helped Wolves Become Dogs

Genetic mutations related to production of the stress hormone cortisol may have played a role in the process of canine domestication

www.scientificamerican.com

The Scientific Reports study presents “exciting new evidence that dogs’ unusual ability to cooperate and communicate with us evolved as a result of natural selection favoring wolves who could approach and eventually show friendly behavior toward humans,” says Brian Hare, a Duke University evolutionary anthropologist, who was not involved in the study.

 

[Daniel E.]

How Dogs Understand Time, According to Experts

Canines sometimes seem to anticipate dinner time and the moments before a regularly scheduled walk. But does this mean dogs have a concept of time?

www.newsweek.com

What is more certain is that canines have no concept of the future. However, the AKC's Dr. Burch remains convinced "they have an amazing sense of time" with regard to their schedules and daily activities...

"The behavioral issue of separation anxiety is somewhat related to time. Even though dogs may not be thinking of the passage of minutes, as they are alone for an increasing number of minutes, they may become more anxious.

"The most effective treatment for separation anxiety involves stepping outside for only a second or two, and immediately returning...

 

[Daniel E.]

Instant Pot Dog Food

Not only does my Banjo (a Norwich Terrier) LOVE this dog food, it is completely healthy and loaded with great nutrients! The best part is how bow wow simple it is to make

pressureluckcooking.com

Ingredients​

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken, turkey or beef (the more lean the better)
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed for about 90 seconds
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups of a frozen vegetable medley. I used cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, carrots and peas (just make sure the pieces are small enough so your dog won't have any trouble chewing).

 

[Daniel E.]

Taco Bell chihuahua - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Gidget (February 7, 1994 – July 21, 2009), nicknamed the "Taco Bell Chihuahua", was an advertising figure and mascot for Taco Bell from September 1997 to July 2000. She was voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, and developed by TBWA. The Chihuahua is a breed commonly associated with Mexico.


Gidget "The Taco Bell chihuahua"

 

[Daniel E.]

"Alexa, play music for dogs."

 

[Daniel E.]

Giving Your Dog a Thorough Home Check-up | VCA Animal Hospital

This handout describes the benefits of performing examinations at home between regularly scheduled veterinary visits. It outlines the different parts of the body to examine, how to examine and what to look for as abnormals.

vcahospitals.com

 

[Daniel E.]

Instant Pot Dog Food

Not only does my Banjo (a Norwich Terrier) LOVE this dog food, it is completely healthy and loaded with great nutrients! The best part is how bow wow simple it is to make

pressureluckcooking.com

Ingredients​

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken, turkey or beef (the more lean the better)
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed for about 90 seconds
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups of a frozen vegetable medley. I used cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, carrots and peas (just make sure the pieces are small enough so your dog won't have any trouble chewing).

Instant Pot recipe with chicken breasts and even blueberries:

Easy DIY Dog Food You Can Make in Your Instant Pot​

Ingredients

• Chicken breast 2 breast
• Carrots 2 stalks
• Green beans 1 cup
• Sweet potatoes 1 med
• Brown Rice 1 cup
• Blueberry 1 cup
• Peas 1/2 cup
• Parsley for garnish
• Water 2 cups

 

[Daniel E.]

53 Mistakes Every Dog Owner Makes

Bad human! No!! Stopping rubbing your dog's nose in their poop! It just confuses them and smears it all over your carpet.

www.rd.com

Forgetting to microchip your pup​

Priority number one after getting a new dog, whether puppy or rescue, should be making sure they can find their way back home if he or she ever gets lost. Over 10 million pets are lost every year and it happens to even the most responsible dog owners! The best way to protect your pup is to get it microchipped, says Aimee Gilbreath, executive director at the Michelson Found Animals Foundation. These small chips that are implanted in the folds of the skin in your pup’s shoulders hold a unique ID number that connects with your contact info (i.e. your phone number) that you supply online. It’s not a GPS tracker. Many shelters will offer inexpensive microchips or you can ask your vet about microchipping options, she says.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Microchips are quite inexpensive up here, at least through the Humane Society.

 

[Daniel E.]

Some animal hospitals also have one that lets certain microchip readers check your dog's or cat's temperature, but my pets were already chipped:

Bio-Thermo™ | Identipet

identipet.com

Bio-Thermo is a new generation of identification microchip with an integrated temperature biosensor, that is available for all pets not microchipped yet. This enables a pet’s temperature and identification number to be read simultaneously.

By using an adapted reader, multiple temperature values can be collected very easily.

Microchip Temperature is not a replacement for rectal temperature.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That's interesting. I didn't know about that.

 

[Daniel E.]

Similar advice to "a busy chicken is a happy chicken":

Bad Dog Behavior - Solutions for a Misbehaving Puppy

Here are 5 reasons why your dog is misbehaving and what you can do about it!

www.akc.org

If you’re gone 12 hours a day, and your dog’s walk consists of a quick dash into the backyard, you’re not providing your pet with adequate opportunities to use up all his energy. Instead, the excess will go into chewing your shoes, stealing your food, or scratching your walls. As the old saying goes, “A tired dog is a good dog.”

 

[Daniel E.]

The existing research shows that the restrictive, delaying policies of most private animal rescues do not provide better outcomes than simply communicating with potential adopters (like most local humane societies or shelters do with same-visit adoptions).

When I adopted from a private rescue, they did:

~ A criminal background check

~ A property records check to verify I owned my own home (if you rent, they will call your landlord instead)

~ An application with distrustful questions -- like "What brand of food would you provide?"

I was actually lucky. Some rescues require an inspection of your home, which delays things even further.

Meanwhile, many of the people who volunteer at rescues would not technically qualify to adopt from their own organization, such as from not having a fenced yard for a dog.

To me, it's a classic problem of loss aversion. Generally, private rescues are too worried about what may go wrong than about the countless homeless pets outside their doors (and any competition with dog/cat breeders who don't ask any questions).

I have changed my views about rescues vs. shelters. I prefer to donate to a local rescue now, partly since they are the nearest animal welfare organization, and I have a better appreciation of why they seem picky.

My local rescue even offered to temporarily board the kitten I adopted for free at any point in his lifetime if I ever got sick or went on vacation. The rescue kitten was so well taken care of by the rescue, that she was greatly missed by the volunteers.

Some shelters though are better than others, with more room for each dog, including outside, and more fostering than sheltering.

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]

Don’t Make my Mistake: Prevent Heatstroke

When I was a teenager, our family accidentally killed our dog

www.vin.com

A dog that’s had heatstroke once is always going to be at risk, since one of the functions that’s affected by high body temperatures is the brain’s heat-sensor system. It gets shorted out by the high heat and is less likely to send signals to pant and get out of the heat the next time the temp goes up. It’s like a cruel joke.

Betsy was a pug, a member of a family of dogs called brachycephalics, which means “short head.” Since their noses and upper airways are so short, they can’t exchange heat the way dogs with longer snouts can. Bulldogs and Pekingese are also brachycephalic, and any dog of this body type is extremely sensitive to heatstroke. If I see a bulldog out on a sunny day, I worry.

 

[Daniel E.]

50 Secrets Your Pet Won’t Tell You

We asked animal behaviorists, nutritionists, veterinarians, and pet groomers to shed some light on what your furry friends would tell you if they could.

www.rd.com

Want me to learn to walk by your side on a leash?​

Well, give me some incentive. As soon as I start to pull ahead, stop walking. When I turn and look back, offer me a treat right next to your leg. I’ll quickly figure out I need to stay next to you in order to keep doing what I love most: moving and exploring.

 

[Daniel E.]

The 12 Best Dog Toys, According to Our Pups

The dogs of Wirecutter share their favorite toys for chewing, fetching, destroying, and more. Read on to learn which dog toys are the most durable and engaging.

www.nytimes.com

Why Do Dogs Like Squeaky Toys?

You may think your dog is just trying to annoy you but there's an instinctive reason your dog loves that "squeak, squeak" sound.

www.caninejournal.com

Dogs descended from wolves, and we all know wolves hunt for their food. It’s this predator and prey relationship that attracts dogs to squeak toys.

The squeak in the toy sounds like an animal that is injured or scared. This sound sparks your dog’s inner drive to attack. Once the toy stops squeaking (aka, your dog has broken the squeaker), it tells your dog that it has successfully “killed” its prey and it no longer needs to attack.

A very popular line of squeaky toys with almost 53,000 reviews:

Amazon product

 

[Daniel E.]

10 Reasons to Buy Your Dog a Wading Pool | LoveToKnow Pets

Unsure about getting a dog wading pool for your canine? Once you see these 10 reasons, you’ll be adding a wading pool to your shopping list.

dogs.lovetoknow.com

Your panting pooch needs some relief from the summer heat and a wading pool is one of the best ways to keep your dog cool during the summer. He can splash in it, or treat it like the doggie equivalent of a Venti Caramel Frapp from Starbucks.

BarkBox is a great dog toy company with great reviews (and even Walmart sells their toys).

They have a great summer deal (and they do seem to ship to Canada):







I subscribed to their annual Super Chewer plan (at $30/month) for my large dog (since those are the only toys they sell that he can't destroy):

• BarkBox: 1 Month: $35, 6 Months: $26, 12 Months: $23
• Super Chewer: 1 Month: $45, 6 Months: $35, 12 Months: $30
• BARK Bright Dental: 1 Month: $31, 6 Months: $26

The other reason I get the Super Chewer subscription is because those toys are relatively unavailable at Walmart.

 

[Daniel E.]

Arthritis treatment protocol for dogs from Dr. Jen at JustAnswer:

 

[Daniel E.]

Even my picky dogs like tofu, even uncooked. Cooking it with scrambled eggs or mixing it with wet dog food is an easy way to add vegetable protein to their diet.

Can Dogs Eat Tofu?

Tofu has several health advantages for humans. Vegetarian and vegan diets often include it as a mainstay. Pet owners usually ask can dogs eat tofu if they thrive on a plant and meat-based diet? Following is the guidelines to discover the benefits and drawbacks of having tofu in your dog’s diet...

barkspot.com

"Tofu is made from squeezed soy curd, which is entirely safe for your dog. In addition, tofu is manufactured using a procedure that incorporates several critical vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, and magnesium, making it even healthier for dogs than other kinds of soy protein."

"Tofu has minimal carbohydrate, calorie, and fat content. Therefore, a tiny quantity of tofu mixed into an obese dog’s usual meal for low-calorie bulk may help him lose weight. Tofu is also rich in fiber, so it will likely make a dog feel fuller after meals."