Metro Chien - Le Courant

Tick Disease on the rise

2011-06-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Lyme disease on the rise
Lyme disease incidence is rising in the United States and is in fact far more common than West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases. Forest fragmentation could explain the increase. Areas of patchy woods, which are very common in cities and suburban and rural areas, may have higher populations of Lyme-disease carrying ticks than forest fragments, which generally have fewer species than continuous habitat. This is because some species thrive in smaller places. National Science Foundation

Is Lyme disease ( in dogs) increasing?
We don't know because we don't have a reporting system similar to that used in humans to track the numbers. But cases in people are increasing, so if we use the humans as a sentinel of canine disease, then we would expect that the numbers of infected dogs are increasing. And areas of transmission also appear to be increasing as the maintenance cycles slowly spread into areas where Lyme borreliosis wasn't previously endemic.

Is there any new information or new findings about Lyme disease that veterinarians should know about?We can't afford to stop looking for or considering coinfections once we make that initial diagnosis of a single tick-borne illness, like Lyme disease. If an animal has one tick-related infection, it may well have others. Coinfection should be particularly suspected when a patient fails to respond as expected to treatment for a single diagnosis. Susan E. Little, DVM

Emerging
A potentially devastating infection ( babesiosis ) caused by tick bites has gained a foothold in the Lower Hudson Valley and in coastal areas of the Northeast, government researchers have found. NYTimes

Lyme disease

Tick Borne disease

Preventing Tick disease

How to remove a tick

Dog Opera

2011-06-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Tragedy on the Sea Nymph is a 10 minute silent film starring an all dog cast performing the romance and tragedy of clandestine lovers shipwrecked at sea. Check out the frenchies.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

2011-05-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Dogs Bite When Humans Greet Inappropriately:

Recognize signs and avoid being bitten by Dr Sophia Yin

May 15-21, 2011, is National Dog Bite Prevention Week!

- 4.7 million people in this country are bitten by dogs every year
- children are by far the most common victims
- 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites each year
- children are far more likely to be severely injured; approximately 400,000 receive medical attention every -year
- most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs
-senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims

Doggone Safe Dog Bite Prevention Resources

Do Dogs bite pout of the Blue?

Not all dog bites are equal see Dr Ian Dunbars' Dog Bite Scale:

Not Guilty

2011-04-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

“Guilty Dog” Viral Video Patricia McConnell

Have you seen it, the viral video of a “guilty” dog? A yellow lab sits hunched in a corner while his owner asks if he’s the one who got into the bag of kitty treats. The dog turns his head away, squints his eyes (not in a happy way I would argue) and after considerable prompting (or pressure), looks “guilty.” Except, the “guilty” look is actually a perfect example of what is called a “submissive grin,” used to appease another higher status individual. Most biologists call this an example of “active submission,” in which an animal is attempting to increase the distance between it and another member of its social unit. (Versus “passive submission” which promotes a decrease in distance; for example, lying down and exposing the anal/genital regions.)

I know that “submission” is not a popular term at the moment, but whether you call it appeasement or submission, surely it’s clear that the dog’s expression has nothing to do with guilt.

Is Denver the dog really guilty? Dog Spies
“guilty-looking” behavior does not necessarily correspond with a dog's knowledge of a misdeed.

It’s an Owner’s Scolding That Makes a ‘Guilty’ Dog NYTimes

Scientists cannot say, yet, whether your dog is really feeling guilty about such transgressions. But they can say this: your dog’s look is related not so much to what it did, but to what you did.

What Really Prompts The Dog's 'Guilty Look'? Science Daily

The Best Food to feed your Dog

2011-03-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

"There isn't one commercial dog food on the market today that I can recommend to any dog owner for any reason. The pet food industry, with all their own clever ways of creating marketing schemes to sell commercial dog food, has boxed themselves into a corner................

Unfortunately, until the time comes when large corporations truly care about the populations they claim to 'care about', dog owners need to understand their animals need to have the same quality nutrition they need for themselves.

For dogs, this includes a diet that consists of fresh foods, which are animal protein and fat based. It means taking the time to do a little research to understand that a healthy diet means less illness, more longevity, and a better quality of life.

This means understanding nutrition for dogs in calcium/phosphorus ratios, amount to feed and the importance of variety in the diet. These aren't difficult concepts and can be achieved in a raw or home cooked diets." Lew Olsen

The Best Food to Feed Your Dog – Part I
The Best Food to Feed Your Dog – Part II
The Best Food to Feed Your Dog – Part III

Lew Olsen Ph.D is the author of recently published, up to date, guide to both raw feeding and healthy homecooked meals for dogs

"A good diet can mean the difference between a happy healthy dog, and one that suffers from a variety of ailments, such as allergies, obesity, diabetes and other common conditions. In her new book, Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs, American Kennel Club judge and canine nutritionist Dr. Lew Olson introduces you to the benefits of home feeding your canine companion… Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs is an excellent resource for both novice and seasoned home-prepared feeders."—Animal Wellness Magazine

Top 10 Medical Conditions

2011-03-03T02:11:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Pet Medical Conditions of 2010

Nation’s Largest Pet Insurer Reveals Most Common Causes of Veterinary Visits.

VPI, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the top 10 pet medical conditions from the previous year.

Dogs
1. Ear Infection (61,555 canine claims for ear infections)
2. Skin Allergy
3. Skin Infection/Hot Spots
4. Gastritis/Vomiting
5. Enteritis/Diarrhea
6. Arthritis
7. Bladder Infection
8. Soft Tissue Trauma
9. Non-cancerous Tumor
10. Hypothyroidism

Who Loves You?

2011-02-08T01:15:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is interviewed by Bark Magazine.

In The Dog Who Couldn’t Stop Loving, Masson considers the far-reaching consequences of the coevolution of dogs and humans, drawing upon recent scientific research. Over the past forty thousand years a collective domestication has occurred that brings us to where we are today—humans have formed intense bonds with dogs, and the adoration is almost always reciprocal. Masson himself has experienced a profound bond with his new dog, Benjy, a failed guide dog for the blind, who possesses an abundance of uninhibited love. Masson knows that the love he feels for Benjy—the same feeling Benjy has for all the people and animals around him—is not unique, but exemplifies a love affair unmatched in the animal world. With wisdom, insight, and a brilliant analysis of recent scientific findings, bestselling author Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson delivers a provocative and compelling book that will change the way we think about love and our canine companions.

In For the Love of a Dog, McConnell suggests that one of the reasons we love dogs so much is that they express emotions in ways similar to humans. After all, who can communicate joy better than a puppy? But not all emotional expressions are obvious, and McConnell teaches both beginning dog owners and experienced dog lovers how to read the more subtle expressions hidden behind fuzzy faces and floppy ears.

For those of us who deeply cherish our dogs but are sometimes baffled by their behavior, For the Love of a Dog will come as a revelation–a treasure trove of useful facts, informed speculation, and intriguing accounts of man’s best friend at his worst and at his very best. Readers will discover how fear, anger, and happiness underlie the lives of both people and dogs and, most important, how understanding emotion in both species can improve the relationship between them. Thus McConnell introduces us to the possibility of a richer, more rewarding relationship with our dogs.

In the 1980s, applied behavior analysts began looking at animals’ motivations for their behaviors (Burch & Bailey, 1999). Cognitive ethologists (Bekoff, 2007) and neuroscientists (Panksepp, 2005) have shown that animals do have an inner emotional life to an extent that most scientists now accept this fact.

The Emotional Dog + Falling in Love with a Dog... How it Changes our Lives | Dr. Rise Van Fleet

Can Dogs Love ? A True Story | Modern Dog

Dogs and Weddings | Bark Magazine

Fun and Games

2011-01-17T02:32:00.000-08:00

When children get together in groups they often play the same standard, well-known games with each other. All children know how to play tag and hide-and-seek, for example, and it’s clear to the participants what the general rules are for each game. When dogs are together in groups, they also have their own standard games that they play together, also with clear-cut rules. And just like children, some prefer certain games over others. Listed below are the most common games that dogs play with each other.......Games Dogs Play

Winter Games. The inside kind.

It's too cold outside! How to wear out your dog when the weather is dreary.

Train Your Dog Month

2011-01-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

Attention! January is National Train Your Dog Month.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers believes it is long overdue to dedicate a month where we can bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training, and most of all, to inform the public that training your dog can be easy and fun! We selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted or purchased from breeders and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year right with their newest family member.

The APDT is planning a variety of events in January 2011 to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month. We want dog owners to see how simple and fun training can be, and how patience, consistency and a deeper understanding of a dog’s behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households. It's our goal to promote using training methods that are kind, gentle and have an emphasis on building a relationship with your dog.

Christmas Clean Up

2010-12-28T01:48:00.000-08:00

A pair of dogs have become an online hit after collecting litter at a Christmas market in France. Owners of Neo and Tuxedo say they trained the pair using a "clicker training method," which also helped them learn to skateboard. Asylum

Teach your dog to clean up.

Pack Leadership

2010-12-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

What does pack leadership mean for pet dog training? How do you ensure that you are leading your dog, not following them? What does it mean to be a good leader for your dog? The Dunbars (Dr. Ian Dunbar, Kelly Gorman Dunbar ) talk about the many misconceptions about leadership that run rampant in the dog training world. As the leader, it's up to you to set the rules your dog should follow.| Dog Star Daily

A Dog's Ear

2010-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

You know that your dog’s hearing is very sensitive, but did you know that you can create an environment of sound to improve the health and well being of your canine companion? Now psychoacoustic expert Joshua Leeds and veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner show you how with Through a Dog’s Ear. Free downloads this week.

A World of Dogs

2010-11-16T05:15:00.000-08:00

A French bulldog tries out a canine shower machine during a pet show in Makuhari, Japan. Washington Post

The pet boom has continued in Japan for more than 10 years now, and such terms as 'companion animal' have become common in the media," Mori noted. "But people still don't have enough knowledge of how to keep pets healthy and happy, and we find many social problems related to pets. Japan's love affair with dogs and cats

The way dogs live in North America and Europe is an anomaly compared to the way the rest of the dogs in the world live. Only about 20% of the dogs in the world live as our dogs do. Behavioral Ecology & Evolution of Dogs

Of the estimated 500 million dogs in the world, approximately 75% are strays. In many countries the majority of stray animals have been abandoned by their owners or are owned but allowed to roam freely. The unsupervised dogs then breed, resulting in unwanted puppies. The Stray Dog Issue

The Behavior of Turkish Street Dogs

Bali Provides a Glimpse into How Dogs Evolved Alongside Man

A dog is a member of the household in the United States, vermin in India, and food in Korea. Humans tend not to eat animals we either adore or despise. As Koreans and Chinese have started keeping pets, they have become more ambivalent about eating dog meat and relegate certain species to the dog trade. The Oglala Indians eat dogs and keep them as pets, but pets are chosen at birth and only pets are named. Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat

Pet Pharm

2010-11-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

Pets on Prozac – the height of compassion, or an overly indulgent society chasing its tail?

Pet Pharm, a new film by Patrick Reed and White Pine, investigates the newest trend which is the most controversial and revealing: psychoactive drugs for pets. Identifying a multi-billion dollar untapped market, Big Pharma has just developed and released a handful of designer drugs for pets, treating aggression, separation anxiety, obesity and diminished mental capacity related to aging, with many more medications to follow.

In Pet Pharm, Reed looks at this unfolding phenomenon from a number of perspectives including those of experts in the field like Dr. Nicholas Dodman and Dr. Ian Dunbar, who represent the polar opposite positions on psychoactive drugs for pets. Cinema Eye.

Interview with the Director Patrick Reed

Nicholas Dodman's blog

Useful Dog Tricks

2010-10-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Presenting, Useful Dog Tricks!! Whoever said tricks can't be useful? Jesse loves helping around the house, and I just love his happy attitude and smile on his face =o)

Jesse is trained using exclusively Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training. All training has been done by me (Heather), and we love learning together as a team.

Jesse chooses to do the behaviors in this video, and has so much fun bringing smiles to people's faces. He gets treats for doing his tricks, and enjoys learning new things. Tricks are just one of the activities we enjoy doing together. When not doing tricks, Jesse can be found playing with his cuz ball, chasing squeaker tennis balls, digging in search for lizards, de-fluffing stuffed toys, swimming, and a companioning me on outings. Jesse loves adventure, and lives each and every day to its fullest. Jesse is my best friend, heart dog, and truly a member of the family, and I love him with every beat of my heart.
~Heather and Jesse~

Low Stress Handling

2010-10-20T00:33:00.000-07:00

Do your pets love having their nails trimmed? Do they sit calmly while being bathed? Do they love the time they spend at the veterinarian’s office? These scenarios are not as far-fetched as they may seem. There is a way most owners can teach most pets to remain calm for nail trims, grooming, veterinary visits – even those involving blood draws - or any other procedure that used to send them running for cover.

Now dog and cat lovers can learn the same secrets of behavior modification and handling that are used by animal behaviorists. Dr. Sophia Yin has now released an online version of, Low Stress Handling and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats book and DVD. And the abridged version (about 50% of the total content) is free through December. Hurry to take advantage of this offer.

For a limited time, Dr Sophia Yins's Low Stress Handling Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats abridged online edition is free. No login or account information is required - access this valuable information instantly!

Project Pooch

2010-10-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Project POOCH is a non-profit prison dog program that matches incarcerated youth with unwanted shelter dogs. The youth train the dogs in basic obedience and then make them available for adoption. The youths work with their dogs daily, and practice the principles of positive reinforcement and behavior modification. As the trainers manage their dogs, they learn how to manage their own behavior. They also earn school credits, develop good work habits, and acquire valuable occupational skills.

Dogs and Children

2010-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Growling at the Kids
Never punish your dog for growling. This may seem counter-intuitive and may even go against the advice of your dog trainer or dog trainers you have seen on TV.......

“Holding” Dogs For Children to Pet
Ann was describing how Jane “held” the dog so the kids could pet him. The dog was husky size, so “holding” probably meant restraining the dog by the chest or collar. This is probably the worst possible way for a dog to meet two young unfamiliar children........

Why do dogs bite children?
There are approximately 1 million dog bites each year in the United States. Between 60 and 70% of them are to children.
44% of bites to children less than six years old were associated with resource guarding.
23% of children older than six years old were bit in association with territory guarding.
Food guarding was the the cause in 42% of the bites to familiar children.
In 53% of bites to unfamiliar children, territory guarding was the cause.

Let's be Careful Out There

2010-10-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Halloween Safety Tips for Dog Owners
Many of our favorite Halloween traditions pose a potential threat to our companion animals,” says Mindy Bough, vice president of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Let’s Be Careful Out There – Mushrooms & Dogs
The Death Cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) is not only the most common cause of mushroom poisoning in people in the US, it is spreading rapidly throughout the country, especially in some areas of California and New York.

Five Halloween hazards for pets

Halloween Trick-Or-Treaters. Is this a good training opportunity?

Stray Dogs of Moscow

2010-01-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Moscow’s stray dogs FT

Only in New York

2009-10-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Dogs Hogging Treadmills At The Gym | Gothamist