Research matches dogs with owners April 3, 2009

Source: BBCNews.com, April 3, 2009

It is possible to match a dog with its owner by looking at photographs, researchers have claimed.

The findings of the Bath Spa University study are due to be presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton later.

In the study Chris Hunter and Dr Lance Workman asked a group of 70 people who do not own dogs to relate photos of 41 dog owners to three possible breeds.

The study found the group made matches at a level significantly above chance.

Dr Lance Workman, Head of Psychology in Bath Spa University’s School of Social Sciences, said: “This suggests that certain breeds of dogs are associated with particular kinds of people.

“The non dog owners used stereotypes to match the dogs to their owners.

“These stereotypes persisted into judgments of the dog owners’ personalities: non dog owners considered the owners of each breed to share certain personality traits, such as level of conscientiousness and emotional stability.

“But when we tested the dog owners’ personalities we found no strong links between any particular personality trait and choice of dog breed. So any shared qualities are only skin deep.”

Reorganized pet loss support group available, PA February 26, 2009

Source: TimesLeader.com, Feb 24, 2009

Denise Kumor, left, and Lorraine Smith enjoy the company of their dogs Toby, left, and Max, as they discuss their new pet loss support group, which will meet for the first time tomorrow.

Lorraine Smith remembers the emotional struggle she felt just trying to pay attention during class after her dog died when she was a graduate student. “I couldn’t stop crying and when there was a break in the lecture, my professor called me over and asked me what was wrong,” she recalled. “When I told him that my dog died, he said that he couldn’t help me, but that if it was a family member or friend who had died, he could.”

Despite the fact that 63 percent of all U.S. households own at least one animal, according to the national SPCA, the attitude of society toward persons grieving when a pet dies still hasn’t changed much since then. A person who feels inconsolable over the loss of an animal is often ridiculed by others.

Their mutual love of pets brought Smith and Denise Kumor together. But the two women learned they also had something else in common. Both previously worked in the health-care industry — Smith, as a hospice counselor, and Kumor, as a nurse working with AIDS patients — helping family members deal with the death of loved ones. They found that the same feelings of sadness and despair one experiences for a human loss often mirrors that for the loss of a pet.

So Smith and Kumor decided to reach out to other pet owners and organize a support group, the first of its kind in the Wyoming Valley area, for people who have lost pets through illness, accidents or euthanasia. The group’s initial meeting will be tomorrow at 7 p.m. at St. Francis Church Rectory, 13 Chandler St., Miners Mills, Wilkes-Barre. Meetings will be held on the last Wednesday of every month.

Smith, a past officer of the Association of Pet Loss and Bereavement, said the lack of acknowledgement by society that pet death is a legitimate loss motivated her to start the group. She believes the grief one experiences for a deceased pet is just as painful as that for the loss of a human life.

“It is still a loss,” said Smith. “And crying is nothing to be ashamed of. Some people cry more for a pet than some relatives in their family who have died because they weren’t as close to them. That’s understandable.”

The aim of the group is to comfort owners and reassure them that it’s natural to experience such deep feelings of grief and to help them begin healing, according to Smith. Owners of all types of pets — including dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, guinea pigs, ferrets and iguanas — are welcome to attend.

“A lot of the people who lose pets are devastated,” said Kumor. “They need someone who can listen to them and who can identify with them. A lot of people think it’s ridiculous if someone is sad or cries when he lost a pet, but it’s not.

“Death is a part of life. It’s a normal process, but it’s one of the toughest parts of life. Everyone grieves differently and everyone mourns differently.”

The women are surprised that a stigma about pet grief exists since there are more pets than ever in households today, many having multiple pets under one roof. The Pet Products Association estimates that 39 percent of all households own at least one dog, while 34 percent of all households own at least one cat. Pet care is a multi-million dollar industry.

“Pets are dear to our hearts,” said Smith. “They give you unconditional love like you’ve never seen. Why shouldn’t we experience heartache when they’re gone?”

Smith has seen firsthand the devotion of pet owners. She recalls visiting New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and seeing the large number of people who died in the flooding because they wouldn’t leave their homes without their animals. She also remembers hearing the painful feelings of guilt from pet owners several years ago when their four-legged companions died from consuming contaminated food.

Depending upon the type of death, pet owners often experience guilt, either over an accident or making the decision to have the family dog or cat put to sleep.

“With pets, things get a little more complicated, since we are their total caregivers, we beat ourselves up over the circumstances,” Smith said. “If it was an illness or cancer, we keep wondering what more we could have done for the animal and why we didn’t know their symptoms sooner. If it was an accident, like leaving the gate open and having our puppy get hit by a car, we have to learn how to forgive ourselves. Accidents happen.”

Letting go

For the past five years, Kumor has owned a hospice care for pets, providing services as the final stop before a pet dies or must be put to sleep. She often helps owners plan euthanasia services and how to decide what to do with the animal’s remains. “It’s not just support for the animal, it’s also support for the owner,” she said.

Although her initial attempt at organizing a pet loss support group in 2000 wasn’t successful, Smith is trying once again to unite pet lovers to support each other during their time of grief.

Smith says the main point she hopes to get across to the group is that the depth of loss is normal. “The first two weeks you feel the loss the hardest,” she said. “It’s almost like having a knife stuck in you and you think you won’t recover.”

She will advise parents on how to explain where Fluffy or Rover is to their children. “If you give honest answers about a pet’s death, a child will understand,” said Smith.

The group sessions usually last about 90 minutes and will not only deal with grief, but also celebrate a pet’s life. Smith said it is not unusual for pet owners to bring the cremated urns of their pets and photos of them to the meetings to share with others.

“One of the things we will do is set aside 20 minutes to think of the good times,” said Smith. “Usually the last memory we have of a pet is the final visit to the veterinarian or seeing him in his stages of illness. But that’s just a small part of our pet’s life. It wasn’t his whole life. We want you to remember all the joy he brought you and the good times.”

And Smith encourages owners who have lost a pet to consider purchasing or adopting a new animal after they have had sufficient time to grieve. “Don’t think of the new pet as a replacement or a substitution for grief,” she said. “And don’t feel guilty about the memory of your lost pet. Since your pet was such a source of joy to you, getting a new pet is the ultimate compliment you can give your deceased pet.”

“Pets are dear to our hearts … Why shouldn’t we experience heartache when they’re gone?”

Recession Anxiety Believed Spreading to Dogs and Cats, Owners’ Glum Faces Blamed; Here’s How to Calm Your Pet December 31, 2008

There’s no need for your four-legged friend to feel as insecure as you do about the recession. Among the expert suggestions for keeping your dog or cat on the emotionally sunny side despite your recession gloominess: maintain his or her accustomed routines, don’t neglect health checkups and preventive care, and – on the offbeat side – buy your pet some flowers, those with anxiety-relieving properties.

Langhorne, PA (PRWEB) December 30, 2008 — You’re not the only one frightened by news of the deepening recession. Also trembling in fear: your pet.

No, your dog or cat isn’t reading the Wall Street Journal behind your back or channel-surfing to CNN’s “Moneyline” after you leave the house.

But he or she may be picking up on the recession anxiety you experience as stock prices tumble and unemployment figures soar, recent animal-behavior research seems to suggest.

Pets see you worry about the recession and may be needlessly frightened

For example, a University of Florida study which received considerable attention earlier this month offered evidence that dogs are more perceptive of human conduct than previously understood. Other research over the years has described humanlike cognitive and emotional characteristics in pets, such as an ability of dogs to read body language and sense fear in humans.

Thus, it holds that your head-in-hands, slump-shouldered, glum-faced dejectedness over the tanking economy and the recession it portends can be telegraphed to your pet who might perhaps start fretting – and grieving – about it along with you.

Dr. Katarina Reilly at the Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport in Salisbury, Mass., doubts whether dogs and cats are able to interpret downcast moods and pit-of-despair gestures in quite so sophisticated a manner. However, she allows that owners do give their pets worry-inducing clues when big changes are coming.

“Your pet,” she says, “may get anxious if your routine varies,” as could be the case were you to lose your job because of the recession and start packing a suitcase in preparation for a trip to another city in search of employment.

Some veterinarians specialized in animal behavior advise against causing your pet emotional stress because that can trigger physical health problems.

Of course, it’s not possible to engage your dog or cat in reasoned discourse, rationally spelling out that there’s nothing to fear but fear itself. Still, there are ways to help your pet avoid sharing your recession-induced funk.

For starters, maintain your pet’s accustomed routines. Walks in the park, having him or her sit in your lap while you watch a favorite television show, even visiting the vet for periodic checkups and shots should be continued in order to provide a reassuring sense of stability despite the instability of your recession-plagued finances just now, experts recommend.

Speaking of vet visits, protecting the health of your pet becomes even more important than usual during stressful, recessionary times like these, warns Dr. Jennifer Adler, internal medicine specialist at the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services (CARES) in Langhorne, Pa.

“Neglecting checkups can lead to big health problems, which are often difficult and expensive to treat,” says Adler, who hints that some pet owners, in a misguided attempt to save money during a recession, skip vet checkups. “Preventative medicine is an excellent idea. For pet parents wanting to save money in the long run, wellness visits should be made a priority.”

Reilly agrees. “It is very important pets routinely see a veterinarian to evaluate any changes in their health and catch any problems early,” she says. “Blood work is important as well, since it uncovers things that cannot be seen by the eye. Catching problems early is important for your pet’s health, and can avoid costly treatments if illnesses go undetected.”

Other advice for keeping your pet from feeling as insecure as you do about the recession:

• Exercise. Adler says letting your pet romp more often (and with your boisterous participation, more energetically) can serve as a major stress reliever – for the both of you.

• Don’t let your treat cupboard go bare. Make sure you keep on hand a supply of wholesome comfort-foods. For dogs, these might include all-natural biscuits and pesticide-free carrots. For cats, consider organic cheese treats and purest high-altitude-grown catnip leaves.

• Moderate your voice. It’s easy to come across as a basket case practically every time you open your mouth to lament the banking crisis or some other aspect of the recession. Use care in the tone and tenor you take during such conversations while your pet is within earshot.

• Give flowers. Some naturopaths assert that aromatic exposure to certain fragrant blooms, such as olive blossom and the Star of Bethlehem flower, can sooth a traumatized canine. Obtain these from a local florist or nursery.

About Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport. Founded in 1996, the Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport offers preventative, diagnostic, and surgical services. The beautiful two-story facility boasts a training facility, four exam rooms, an in-house laboratory, and other cutting-edge equipment. These features enable the dedicated doctors and staff to provide the highest quality of care to their patients. Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport is dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate and personalized veterinary care in the community while maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards.

Dog-greeting tips to help avoid a bite November 20, 2008

Source; Newsday, by Denice Flam, Animal House, November 20, 2008

It made for a lot of cute jokes about being “biting mad” over everything from his master’s imminent departure to liberal media bias. But there’s nothing funny about the bite that Barney, President George W. Bush‘s Scottish terrier, gave a Reuters reporter recently.

Had Barney been a Rottweiler or – heaven forfend! – a pit bull, nobody would be laughing.

(And it turns out Barney is an unrepentant recidivist: In September, he chomped Boston Celtics PR rep Heather Walker when the team visited the White House, and there is a standing order that tour-takers are not permitted in the Rose Garden if Barney is meandering outside. Ankles, watch out!)

Barney took responsibility for the Reuters incident, issuing an apology to political reporter Joe Decker on his own letterhead.

The First Dog’s transgressions seem a timely prompt for some dog-greeting tips:

Get permission Decker did ask Barney’s handler if he could pet the dog, but many passersby do not. The verbal exchange also lets the dog know that his owner knows and accepts you, and so he should, too.

But actually wait to hear the answer: No means no.

Approach obliquely In polite canine society, approaching head-on is a serious faux pas, and one that can trigger defensiveness. Instead, approach from an angle, always making sure, though, that the dog can see you.

No staring contests Similarly, making direct eye contact – and, worse, maintaining it – communicates a significant challenge in canine body language. Instead, use signals that communicate calm and friendliness: eye-blinking, offering your profile (more of that oblique stuff), even yawning. Don’t hold your breath.

Learn to read a dog Though seemingly subtle to humans, canine body language expresses precisely what a dog is feeling. A wagging body, loose lips, relaxed ears and “soft” eyes mean “come hither.” In turn, a tensed body, braced legs, stiffly wagging tail and flattened ears are not welcoming.

No aerial assaults “Never, ever swoop down over a dog. No dog, no matter its size, likes that,” admonishes Darlene Arden, author of “Rover, Get Off Her Leg: Pet Etiquette for the Dog who Pees on Your Rug, Steals the Roast and Poops in Improper Places” (Health Communications, $14.95). Indeed, Decker’s approach to Barney was lightning fast and, from the dog’s perspective, totally unanticipated.

No head pats “Never immediately bring your hand down on the dog’s head,” Arden warns. “From the dog’s perspective, this looks like he’s about to be hit or have something land on him. And he is going to have something land on him – your hand!”

Be underhanded The safest and least provocative “hello” you can give a dog is offering your knuckles to sniff, with a closed fist, “so you don’t risk losing fingers,” Arden recommends.

After the dog has sniffed your knuckles, “you can start to slowly scratch the dog under the chin,” she continues. “Be gentle and move slowly. If the dog accepts this, then you can slowly move your hand around to scratch behind the ears.”

Slow and steady Dogs do not like quick, jerky movements. Try to approximate the fluid movements of your hands underwater. Be gentle, but not hesitant or unsure: This is just as worrying to an insecure dog.

No kidding Small children, with their sharp, birdlike movements, can be unsettling to dogs; watch the canine body language carefully. Also, be prepared to quickly pre-empt any hugging or hanging around the neck: Though this is a natural expression of affection for humans, it is a common aggression trigger in dogs.

Think calm This is tough to do if you are nervous, but dogs can pick up on your body English, breathing patterns, even the pheromones you emit, and respond accordingly. If you are not comfortable with the idea of petting a dog – any dog – then don’t.

Thrive! Foods Offers Holiday Dog Deals; Send Snack Pack for $.99 with SuperTreats Purchase; $1 Per Gift to Animal Rescue November 19, 2008

Thrive! Foods, maker of the SuperTreats line of nutrient-rich healthy dog treats, is offering a best-of-the-web holiday dog deal. With purchase of one SuperTreats pouch, Daisy can send a Surprise! snack-pack for $.99 and free shipping to her four-legged friend, Bella. For every gift sent now through Dec. 25, Thrive! will donate $1 to select animal rescue organizations nationwide.

Roswell, Ga. (PRWEB) November 19, 2008 — Seeking something special for man’s best friend this holiday season? Check out http://www.GetDogHealth.com where a best-of-the-web gift is available for dog lovers who want a unique, healthy dog treat people can eat, too!

Send a SuperTreats! Surprise Snack Pack!

Thrive! Foods, maker of the SuperTreats line of dog snacks with only natural ingredients including whole grains, vitamin-dense fruits and vegetables, antioxidant-rich spices and healthy omega-3′s, is offering a Surprise! Snack Pack.

For $.99 AND free shipping when you buy one pack of SuperTreats, Thrive! will send a two-treat pouch accompanied with a personalized message from your dog to her best friend. With gifts bought now through December 25, 2008, $1 from every purchase will go to select rescue organizations across the country.

Also available at GetDogHealth.com are SuperTreats! gift boxes in a four- or- five healthy treat variety pack with free shipping. SuperTreats come in five flavors including: Hip Health Pumpkin Spice, Pro-Immune Ginger Snaps, Vitality Granola Bites, top-seller Pro-Digestive Papaya Chews and Pro-Health Biscotti. Made in the U.S.A. in an FDA-certified facility, the dog treats are available at independent retailers or on the web at http://www.supertreats.net/store.

About Thrive! Foods
Thrive! Foods is privately held and was launched in 2006 to deliver great tasting, nutritious snacks made with fruit, vegetable, and grain super foods that are nutrient-dense and loaded with antioxidants to address the growing chronic health issues among families and their pets. The company’s line of SuperTreats contains a variety of best-selling products including Pro-Immune Ginger Snaps, Vitality Granola Bites, Pro-Digestive Papaya Chews; Pro-Health Biscotti and the Hip Health Pumpkin Spice. The company’s web site is accessible at http://www.thrivefoods.net.

Pets Top 200 Sites – Great pet sites to share! October 30, 2008

Shop at a shelter for your new best friend October 23, 2008

Source:  By Anne Hammock, CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — George Augustin is looking for “the one.” He strolls past the 50 cinder block and glass cages that stretch across the Atlanta Humane Society’s large dog room, just as he has many times before.

When he leaves without a new companion, shelter workers are not necessarily sorry.

“Often, people come in several times before they find the perfect dog for them — which is actually what we would hope they would do,” says the shelter’s public relations manager Kari Bogosian. If adopters make a hasty decision, she says, “They end up unhappy with the dog and return it.”

Finding the right fit between human and animal is a top priority at shelters across the nation, which are marking October as “Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month.”

Picking a pet is an enormous decision, “right up there with choosing a house or buying a car,” says Gail Buchwald, senior vice president at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

One of the biggest mistakes a potential pet owner can make is judging a dog on appearance. Buchwald says, “This is something that goes much deeper than skin-deep, or fur-deep.

Shannon Boyer of the Arizona Animal Welfare League says temperament, rather than appearance, should be No. 1 priority.

“They stop being cute when they start exhibiting behaviors that don’t meet your expectations.”

As many as 7 million companion animals enter shelters each year and a large number of them are pets surrendered because of what divorce courts would call “irreconcilable differences.” The dog is too energetic, too quiet, too noisy, too shy, too assertive, or doesn’t get along with other pets.

At some shelters, staff are trained to make sure the dog you choose fits in with all the members of your family, including other pets. Every member of the household should have a say and ideally will take part in the selection process. Many shelters even set up so you can bring your current pets in to meet the new dog on neutral territory.

More than 250 shelters across the nation use the “Meet Your Match” program. Adopters fill out a questionnaire to determine their personality type, then they are introduced to dogs with a compatible “canine-ality.”

Many adopters find out the breed or type of dog they “think” they want, wouldn’t be a good fit.

Apartment dwellers tend to come in looking for smaller dogs, assuming they’ll be easier to care for. But Buchwald says bigger, “couch potato” dogs like St. Bernards and greyhounds adapt very well to small quarters.

Some shelters are seeing a boom in small dog surrenders. “Thank you, Paris Hilton,” says Virginia Dalton of Seattle’s municipal Animal Shelter. She says certain small breeds, like Jack Russell terriers, need lots of action and plenty of room to displace all their energy.

On his recent visit to Humane Society of Atlanta, Augustin said he was thinking he’d love having a Jack Russell. When it was pointed out he was searching in a room filled with large dogs, Augustine smiled and said he was keeping an open mind. That’s smart thinking, according to Candice Eley of the San Diego Humane Society, who says, “Bringing home a new pet should never be an impulse decision.”

You should give equal thought to where your dog is coming from. When it’s time to get a new companion, many people immediately head to the pet store or breeder, assuming animals that are up for adoption have a questionable past.

“Shelter-dogs are often thought of as society’s rejects,” says Shannon Boyer of the Arizona Animal Welfare League. But surrendered pets rarely have medical or behavioral problems, according to Dayne Reggero of Denver’s Dumb Friends League.

She says the issue usually lies with the owner who must surrender their beloved pet because they have allergies, have become too ill to care for it, or can no longer afford it. A number of shelters report a surge in surrenders they attribute directly to the current economic crisis, with some dog owners no longer able to pay for pet food or veterinary care.

Any dog that’s placed up for adoption at Boyer’s shelters has gone through rigorous physical and behavioral screening. They are vaccinated, spayed or neutered and micro-chipped. Staff members spend up to seven days working with the animal before it is cleared for adoption. Boyer says that allows the shelter to get the best sense possible of who the dogs are, “So we can meet their needs as well as the family’s needs.”

All that comes for a bargain price, usually between $50 and $175. Compare that to the cost of purebred puppies, which can reach into the thousands of dollars, with no guarantees about the dog’s health or temperament.

Eley says most pet stores think of each animal as a “potential sale” rather than a loving companion who deserves to be placed with just the right family.

Purchasing from a store or backyard breeder also promotes the puppy mill industry, which churns out millions of puppies each year. Buchwald says inbreeding and dismal conditions at many of these mills result in, “puppies that are really a crapshoot health and genetics wise.”

Meera Nandlal of the Houston SPCA says puppy mills and pet stores are not only the major cause of pet overpopulation, they often abuse and mistreat their animals. By adopting, she says, you are “contributing to animal welfare” by helping put those operations out of business.

You may also be saving a dog’s life. Millions of dogs are euthanized every year because shelters lack space or resources. Every adoption empties a cage that can be used for another dog. Dalton calls adopting from a shelter a type of “recycling.” She says there are “so many safe, lovable sweet animals out there. Everything from purebreds to bizarre mutts.” She says they are “too good to waste, and we waste too many in this country.”

Expert: It’s a mistake to humanize dogs October 23, 2008

Dog expert Cesar Millan says it’s a mistake to humanize dogs.

Source: By Jeanne Huff, McClatchy Newspapers

BOISE, Idaho — “Oh, isn’t he cute? My little smootchie-wootchy!” Some women talk baby-talk to their boyfriend or husband.

Some folks talk baby-talk to, well, babies.

And some of us talk baby-talk — to our animals.

“You shouldn’t use the D-word, as far as we’re concerned,” Diane Turner said. Turner is the proud owner of a pug named Madison, and, as the local pug meet-up group organizer, she’s speaking for the entire pug-owner world.

“Madison is my baby, and that’s the beginning and end of everything.”

So, what’s wrong with this picture? Some experts say that humanizing your pet — anthropomorphism — is just not the right relationship.

“People humanize dogs and don’t understand their psychology as pack animals,” Cesar Millan, also known as the Dog Whisperer, said on his Web site. Millan has made a business — and a small fortune — by helping people live happily with problem dogs. He’s been known to turn a nonstop barker/biter into a pussycat in a matter of 30 minutes.

“I begin by showing the dog that I am the pack leader,” Millan said. “I fulfill the dog’s need through exercise, which is walking the dog in the correct way. I give the dog rules, boundaries, and limitations … and then affection.” Millan said that especially in America, dog owners tend to overdo it on doggy love. They “give affection, affection, and more affection, when what the dog really needs is exercise, discipline — and then affection.” Turner contends that, at least for her pug Madison — and any other pug for that matter — the outpouring of affection is in no way detrimental.

“She is our baby; they’re part of the family and have the consideration anyone else in the family has. They send (Madison) cards, she sends cards, gives and receives Christmas presents.

“They’re obviously not human,” Turner acknowledged, a bit begrudgingly, “but that doesn’t make them any less a member of the family.” And, she adds, it’s not that Madison runs roughshod over the household. Turner believes in disciplining Madison — but more as you would discipline a child.

Millan says, though, that treating dogs like people can cause problems and, more often than not, it just doesn’t work.

“Many of my clients call their dog their soul mate or their baby, but the dog tears up the furniture and drags them all over the neighborhood on a walk,” he said. “The client pleads with the dog to behave, cajoles the dog, and offers her treats with no change in the dog’s behavior.”

Dogs are animals, Millan said, and they respond to calm-assertive leadership — “not emotional arguments or negotiations.” Dogs have found themselves in an odd predicament by living with humans, he said. In the wild, canines don’t need humans to achieve balance. They have a pack leader, work for food, and travel with the pack.

But when we bring them into our world, “We need to help them achieve balance by fulfilling their needs as nature intended them to be.” Millan’s formula: “exercise, then discipline, and finally, affection.”

“As the human pack leader, you must set rules, boundaries, and limitations and always project a calm-assertive energy.” By adhering to his formula, Millan said, you’ll be able to connect with your dog in a deeper way.

On the other hand, pug owner Turner said there’s no need to restrict affection.

“Madison has rules, she knows she has limitations. And she is very apologetic when she knows that she’s done something wrong. She comes and gives me kisses — just like a child would do.”

Revealed: The most unusual dog and cat names October 22, 2008

October 22, 2008

After years of tracking the most popular names for pets, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) set out to find the most unusual cat and dog names from among its more than 465,000 pets insured nationwide.

VPI employees selected 50 unusual dog names and 50 unusual cat names, and then voted for the 10 most unusual names in each category. Check out these winners, listed in order, with the most unusual at the top.

Now sit. And read.

Dogs

1. Rush Limbark (enjoys listening to the conservative radio talk show host) →

2. Sirius Lee Handsome

3. Rafikikadiki

4. Low Jack (a corgi mix with very short legs)

5. Meatwad

6. Peanut Wigglebutt (a dachshund puppy who shakes her tail so hard she falls over)

7. Scuddles Unterfuss

8. Sophie Touch & Pee (an excitable golden retriever with an unfortunate habit)

9. Admiral Toot

10. Spatula

Cats

1. Edward Scissorpaws (a playful paw leaves a scratch right under the owner’s eye)

2. Sir Lix-a-lot

3. Optimus Prrrime

4. Buddah Pest

5. Snoop Kitty Kitty

6. Miss Fuzzbutt

7. 80 Bucks

8. Sparklemonkey

9. Rosie Posie Prozac (an ex-boyfriend spots neurotic tendencies)

10. Toot Uncommon (perfect for the Egyptian mau breed) ↑

View the complete list of 50 unusual dog names and 50 unusual cat names at wackypetnames.com

Dogs may help combat childhood obesity: study October 14, 2008

Source: Adapted from a report by Michael Edwards for The World Today, ABC News

They are called man’s best friend, but they could also be the best weapon in the fight against childhood obesity.

A new study indicates dog ownership may also be the antidote to junk food, computer games and television which many say causes childhood obesity.

Jo Salmon from Deakin University in Victoria was the lead researcher on the project which looked at obesity levels among kids with and without dogs.

“We found that young children who are aged around five to six years of age are 50 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese if they own a dog, compared to those who don’t own a dog,” Dr Salmon said.

The study also found there were health benefits for older children with dogs.

For 10 to 12-year-olds, 30 percent who did not have a dog suffered weight problems compared to 27 per cent of their peers who have a pet.

Dr Salmon says the health benefits come even if the children do not walk the dog regularly.

“We looked at whether or not the frequency of dog walking might explain this association of perhaps all children who own a dog or walking more frequently with their dog,” he said.

“But this didn’t explain it, so the way we interpret our data is we think maybe they are outside playing with the dog and just spending more energy generally and playing with the dog and in fact it’s not through dog walking, but just through playing.”

Dr Salmon says the results span the socio-economic divide.

“When we adjusted … the family’s economic status and the neighbourhood’s level of economic status, we found that this association between dog ownership and children’s weight status persisted,” he said.

And dog owners agree children and canines are a good mix.

John is the owner of Sam, a black Labrador and he also has children.

“Walking a dog is one thing, that’s very sort of perambulatory,” he said.

“But if you’re a kid and a dog, you chase balls, you play soccer with them, you rumble with them, wrestle them on the carpet even if you’re watching TV,” he said.

“So it’s activity and it’s also a mind thing as well.”