Dog Tails or Tales?

Myth or not?

Are dog tails more sensitive than the rest of their bodies?

But evolutionary reasons may be hard-wired into animals, making them uncomfortable having vulnerable body parts handled. Some dogs do not like having their feet touched. It might be that dogs may feel threatened by having their tail touched.

If you handle your dog's tail while petting her, you can increase her comfort level. When grooming the tail, carefully comb knots to minimize any pulling on the dog's skin. Patience and gentleness is advised when brushing your dog's sensitive areas. After all, we ask our dogs to put themselves in vulnerable positions when we groom them.

Pet First Aid

April is National Pet First Aid Month.


Emergencies can occur anytime and the best thing to do is be prepared. Having a first-aid kit ready will help to reduce anxiety if an emergency does happen. Keep the kit readily available and periodically check to make sure all the items are up to date and present.

Veterinarian recommended first aid kit for dogs includes:

Roll cotton
Some cotton balls
Gauze pads
Gauze tape
Hydrogen peroxide (check the expiration date)
Hydrocortisone ointment
Scissors
Eyewash
Silver nitrate
Tweezers
Oral syringes
Pediolyte® or other balanced electrolyte fluid
Baby food – meat flavors work best
Large towel
Exam gloves
1 inch white tape (in addition to gauze tape)
Rolls of elastic wrap
Emergency ice pack
Thermometer (both oral and rectal thermometers can be used rectally)

Spring on the Trail

The Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia is a favorite place to be on the occasional sunny day in Washington.

Ebony and I were caught on camera enjoying the day by Ed Anderson.

He likes to photography the dogs he encounters on the trail.



You can see more photos of his dog friends.

Do Dogs Watch TV?

The average American watches about 4 hours of TV a day.

But what about dogs?

Do dogs enjoy television, too?

Dr. Nicholas Dodman is a very talented animal behaviorist who has written many wonderful articles about dogs. He has used his years of training to develop a television channel just for dogs.

Check out this video where Dr. Dodman explains more about how DogTV.



What do you think about dogs watching TV? Do you think they can appreciate it and be entertained by it, or are we trying to project our human traits on dogs?

GO ORANGE!

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month.

Each year, the ASPCA urges supporters across the country to “Go Orange for Animals” throughout the month of April—when the ASPCA’s charter was signed in 1866—to raise awareness for this cause.


So How Do You “Go Orange” for Animals?

Make it fun to go orange - get creative!

Orange is a vibrant, energetic color that most people find inspiring. So use it joyfully to show the world you care about animals during the month of April.

At the ASPCA website are ideas and suggestions on how you can go orange in your community, classroom, business, library, website, etc.

Dog Photography At Its Best

A photo of your dog is a prized possession, right?

Getting the right pose can a times be frustrating. Why not try some natural photos instead.

Here are some ideas:

Sweet Dreams: A dog lost in the world of dreams makes for an innocent and peaceful photo. Try a close up where her face fill the frame.


What's That?: Most dogs tip their heads to the side when they hear an unusual sound or when their masters ask questions in an exaggerated way. Find out what triggers your dog's head cock and then use it in a cute head shot.



Snack Time: Give a favorite, long-lasting chew to your dog. Once your dog is happily working on it, ease yourself down to dog level and capture the happiness.


Perfect Day: Next time your dog lounges outdoors and a perfect afternoon, gram your camera. Snap her as she snoozes in the sun, raises her nose to a scent, or rolls happily in the grass.



Once you get used to photographing your dog acting naturally, more ideas will come to you. With today's digital cameras, you can keep snapping photos until you get the one you like best. And if not, try again another day!

Name Game

What name will you call dog?



This is a big decision. There are many sources with lists to assist you. But how do YOU choose the right name?

My grown kids make up names for their children......even coming up with creative ways to spell them.

I think most people run through lists of names and decide.

According to the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, Veterinary Pet Insurance Company of Brea, California, sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine last year's most popular dog names.

The most popular name for a dog in 2011 was "Bella".

Here is the top ten names for dogs:

1. Bella

2. Bailey

3. Max

4. Lucy

5. Molly

6. Buddy

7. Daisy

8. Maggie

9. Charlie

10. Sophie

It appears that the tendency toward selecting human names for dogs continues. Interesting to note that of the nearly half a million pets insured by VPI, only 13 were named "Fido," and just 17 chose the name "Spot," which indicates a decrease in the popularity of traditional dog names.