Golden Employee of the Month

Well, would you look at that. This dog wants to be a little more than just man's best friend. Turns out, he also wants to be man's best co-worker too.

The dog in the video is a golden retriever, widely regarded as one of the more intelligent among the canine breed. On the whole, golden retrievers are known for being the most devoted and loving dogs. Their obedient nature not only makes golden retrievers the perfect family dog, but their penchant for learning commands is exceptional.

Dating back to the 1800s, golden retrievers were first bred by Lord Tweedmouth in Scotland along the Tweed River. Necessity being the mother of all invention, Lord Tweetmouth bred a dog with the intention of producing the perfect hunting dog, which meant retrieving was a point of focus. This would explain why golden retrievers enjoy fetching things for their masters and carrying items in their mouth. They actually have a rather developed control over their jaw muscles.

Golden retrievers are not exactly the easiest dogs to teach tricks, but their eagerness to please means that it is only a matter of time before your little friend learns to help you out with the office work. Now if they could only train a dog how to do spreadsheets...

Old Tricks To Teach New Dogs - Sit

As the old adage would have it, "you have to crawl before you can walk." The same holds true when it comes to teaching your little friend a trick or two. Because dog's are domesticated creatures bound by conditioning and reinforcement, it is best to start with the basics to get your little friend in the habit of actively adapting to you, its pack leader.

For this entry, we're going to show you one surefire way to teach your little friend to sit on command. Granted, a dog sitting isn't exactly the stuff of viral YouTube videos, but it is an excellent skill when reigning in an overly excited dog. Before we begin, you should have dog treats of some sort to give your little friend as a reward as positive reinforcement. Again, dogs are creatures learn through conditioning like Pavlov's dog. When they've done what was asked, let them know they did the right thing by giving them a treat. The dog will pick up fast enough that doing what they were told will earn them another treat. It's as simple as that.

So without further ado, follow these steps with your little friend and you'll soon have taught your pup its first ever trick...aside from being ridiculously cute or course.

• Get your dogs attention by holding a treat just directly above its head. Most dogs will not snatch the food from their masters, but their attention will be fixed on that treat until a) it hits the ground or b) their master gives it to them.
• As soon as the dog's eyes are locked onto the treat, his head will naturally tilt back causing his hind legs to bend and his butt will rest flat on the ground.  
• Unbeknownst to your little friend, he is sitting already. The trick is to ingrain the association between hearing the command "sit" and the action of sitting. That's where the treat comes in. 
• When the dog is in the seated position, reward your little friend with the treat. 

You will probably have to repeat this process a couple times depending on the intelligence and breed of your dog, but because the act of "sitting" is fairly natural, your little friend should pick up this command quickly. Each time your little friend sits, pat him on the head or a "good boy/girl" will suffice. Gradually, do away with the treats as approval from their master is thanks enough for a dog.

Below, we've attached a video tutorial to supplement this blog. Some people learn more effectively by seeing and hearing rather than just reading. It's something to keep in mind when training your dog. No one process is exactly the same. So be patient with your dog and, most importantly, look upon this as a bonding experience.




Video taken from Video Jug.

Cats Are Heroes Too

    Hero cats

  

  

For those of you who have been keeping score, perhaps you've noticed the disparity between heroic deeds performed by cats and dogs. Sure it seems to be a bit lopsided. When it comes to heroes, dogs are oftentimes the focus of the tale; however, what about our fine feline friends? Is a cat capable of saving a human life? And the answer is...YES!

Much like their canine counterparts, cats can be quite brave and dedicated animals. In critical situations, cats can do unbelievable things to help as much as they can. You might think that your frisky fur ball could never do anything heroic, but that's where you are wrong and here's a tale to prove that. Here are some true stories about cats saving their masters:

One particular story that took place in an old village, a cat by the name of Vaska heroically defended his 49-year-old master from robbers. The thieves had broken into the house demanding money. The man pleaded with the robbers telling them that he did not have any savings as he spends his income on the bare essentials, namely break and milk. The robbers being under the influence of narcotic substances, reacted brashly. One of them had reached for an ax and began to approach the 49 year old man. 

It was at that very moment when Vaska jumped on one of the robbers and used his claws to tear at one of the robbers' face. Vaska's attack afforded the man enough time to eke out of the house and call for police. Shortly thereafter, the police had arrived on the scene to discover that the robbers turned assailants had already fled the scene. They also discovered that Vaska lying lifeless on the floor. He died while defending his master.

Another instance where a feline turned heroine took place in Lansing, Michigan. Once again, a house cat and not some feral rescue leaped into action to spare their master from harm, which in this case was saving a seven year old girl from being raped. .It was right around sundown when one Lopez Vulfrido, a 36 year old man, trespassed and spotted a vulnerable girl. Having already taped her mouth shut, the girl's fate seemed all but sealed until her pet cat intervened by attacking Vulfrido before he could tie up the girl. She was able to run away and call for help.

You see, cats are more than just furry little buddies you keep around because they're cute and low maintenance.

Obama Administration Gets A C Minus

The report card is out and the Humane Society of the United States has slapped the Obama administration with its lowest score since taking office, a C-. Surprise, surprise, it seems an administration has failed to make good on its promises, particularly pertaining to animal welfare issues. Among the snubs the Humane Society is fuming about is:

• The move to ban the transport of horses on double-decker trucks.
• The initiative to block the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies.
• The move to ban the import of nine species of nine large constricting snakes for pet trade.
• The administration moved to omit gray wolves from the protected species list in the Northern Rockies and Western Great Lakes regions.

Specific to dogs and cats, the Obama administration has yet to take any measures to curb and regulate puppy mills that have turned to the internet to sell animals without the authority of the USDA. It has been 3 years since the policy has been proposed and not so much as a cover page has been drafted. To see to it that the Obama administration makes good on its campaign promises, please contact your local representative "urging the White house to act quickly on much-needed animal protection policy reforms and to prioritize animal welfare policies in 2012." You fill out a form here at the Humane Society of the United States official website.

A Fitting Diet for Kittens

As is, kittens will always be little goofballs of energy bouncing off one wall to the next, but it is within the first few weeks that your Little Friend will double and possibly even triple in size. You can expect this sort of growth to last, albeit at a slowing rate, until your Little Friend has fully matured. Without a proper diet however, your feline friend may never reach its fullest potential. Here are a few dieting tips for you and your kitty.

Depending on whether you adopted an orphaned kitten or you are caring your Little Friend's litter, the first four weeks are crucial  to their survival. Newborn kittens typically get all of their nutrition needs satisfied from their mother's milk. Let nature take its course as it is really all the kittens need in their fledgling phase. If your Little Friend was an orphan, the alternative would be some sort of milk supplement you can pick up at a store. Consult with your veterinarian to find out which brands are best and how much (as well as often) you should feed your kitten.

When kittens reach 8 weeks of age, their mothers no longer let the kitten suckle breast milk. Hopefully by this time (6 weeks), you have already introduced high-quality dry food into their diet to help them adjust accordingly. Innova is a well liked brand for dry kitten food as is Orijen. Whichever brand you do choose to go with, just make sure the food is formulated specifically for kittens. The reason being, kittens expend tons of energy. Because of that fact, their diet relies heavily upon the intake of protein, which is 2-3 times that of an adult cat.

Just to give you an idea of what food is particularly best for your kitten, protein can come from both animal and plant-based food stuffs, each with their own varying degrees of digestibility. A few high quality sources of protein are meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products to name a few. Commercial pet food has gotten to the point where their canned goods are capable of satisfying your Little Friend's dietary needs while maintaining a perfect balance of cost-effectiveness, nutrition value as well as presentation. You really can't go wrong. Again, just make sure the food is formulated for kittens.

In terms of eating habits, cats, young and old, are relatively independent creatures. There is no spoon-feeding a cat, little less a kitten; however, there is the free-choice method, which especially well with dry food. This allows your Little Friend to eat whenever they feel the need. Unlike dogs, cats have a more restrained hunger. They tend not to overeat, which is why this free-choice method is so widely used. Most importantly, you should always make sure your kitten has access to fresh water. A cat can go without food for weeks, but without water, its chances of survival are cut to a matter of days.

So there you have it. Heed the above advice and your furry Little Friend should grow up to be one healthy cat. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask and I will try my best to answer them. Thanks for reading.

Pit Bull Reps

There are many theories as to why such ill repute has been callously branded upon the pit bull breed. Granted, the pit bull's bite is far more famous than its bark, but the breed itself is misunderstood as inherently vicious, which is completely unfounded. To give you a brief history of the breed, we look back to the early 1800s when  the Brits first started cross-breeding old bulldogs with terriers. At that time, bull dogs were trained to rile bulls up by biting the nose and hanging on until the bull went into fits...all in the name of entertainment at that.

In the late 1800s, terrier/bulldog mix was brought to the States where they would be thrown into the fighting pits against other dogs trained for the same purpose. Their prowess in the ring eventually earned the breed the "pit bull" title. Although dog fighting would eventually be banned, generations of conditioning cannot be undone so easily, especially considering that to this day, underground dog-fighting is still very much prevalent in our society. However, the pit bull was only doing what its master had trained them to do, which is why the breed was able to make a smooth transition into being a popular family pet.

Pit bulls are docile towards people and not just the hand that feeds them; otherwise, it would be too dangerous for someone to handle the dogs during fights. If treated humanely, pit bulls are complete sweethearts, particularly with their families and children. Unfortunately, nurture must eclipse nature as pit bulls tend to have a conditioned aggression towards other dogs and animals, especially if they have not been spayed/neutered ("Don't Litter. Spay or Neuter Your Critter") or if they feel threatened.

The adage of dogs taking after their masters holds true with pit bulls. Oftentimes, pit bulls are bred irresponsibly and sold off to human beings, who probably should not be even charged with the care of a gold fish little less an animal of limited intelligence. They take the pit bull's tough exterior and use it as an avatar for their own self image all the while treating the dog like they would their car parked in the garage, chained up and neglected until needed.

Generally speaking, dogs of any breed are pack animals, which means they yearn for companionship. Chain them up in a backyard without any outlet for their energy or stimulation to keep them on an even keel and the dog becomes territorial. When that dog escapes and acts out on its upbringing by attacking someone or something then the dog is made the proverbial scapegoat while the master merely shrugs their shoulders and passes the blame. It's not fair to the victim, but it is especially not fair to the pit bull.

Saks & Snickers

In various cities of the United States, pit bulls have been banned outright such as the case in Aurelia, Iowa. Former Chicago police officer Sak was forced to surrender his service dog, Snickers, who is not even close to being pure bred. He's part pit bull, part Labrador retriever and part boxer, yet the city forced James Sak surrender his dog and nearly had it put to sleep...for no reason other than having pit bull lineage. Fortunately, a federal judge in Iowa ruled against the motion and returned Snickers to his rightful owner.

Even being part pit bull nearly doomed Snickers and does that strike you as the least bit fair? If a person can go out and buy a gun legally with little fuss other than a background check, shouldn't the same hold true for owning a pit bull. Keep that same notion in mind when adopting a Little Friend. Pit bulls are loving dogs. Just keep in mind, their owner may not necessarily be loving themselves. It's not the pit's fault.

Barry The Rescuer

"He saved forty people had been killed and forty-first ..."

Barry is the most famous dog-rescuer of all, perhaps even  trumping those you have known only from television. His uncanny ability to pick up scents in the frozen cold was legendary. During Barry's 12 year stint as a "rescue worker", he was able to locate, revive and return 40 total people to safety! His heroic exploits earned Barry a monument in Paris as well as the focus of a few novels and short stories.

At some point in the XVI century, a mountain pass was built in the Swiss Alps. Augustinian monks settled there and established a monastery in the name of St. Bernard, the patron saint of hospitality. This, in turn, meant the monks were dedicated to the service of others, namely wayward travelers. Because winters in the Swiss Alps lasted anywhere from 8 to 9 months out of the year, the indigenous weather was not suited to most any living creature, which was reason for its ill reputation as a deathly hollow. Many travelers would succumb to the extreme conditions, but thanks to the efforts of the monks, it was possible to save a few but not all travelers.

It was until the mid XVII century when the number of victims started to decline significantly. The turning point came about when the monks began to breed giant dogs, which were to serve as rescuers. They would name the breed, "St. Bernard" in honor of their patron saint. Their massive builds and fur-insulated bodies, the St. Bernard breed was ideal for finding people under even thickest layer of snow, which is precisely what they did. These St. Bernard's would go outside the monastery walls and search for people in distress.

Once the dog located a body, they would dig up the person and proceed to warm them up with the their breath and their body heat. Monks would also tie care packages of food rations, a flask of wine (typified by the little barrel around the St. Bernard's neck) and a blanket that was secured to the back of the St. Bernard. Once revived and able, the St. Bernard would use its keen sense of direction to lead the recovered victims back to the monastery. To many, the heroic St. Bernards were the true snow angels. Even today, there is a museum-nursery in the monastery, where people can find about 30 dogs. Each year, the Augustinian monks sell 15-20 puppies for $ 1 thousand each to raise money for operational costs.

Monks and a team of St. Bernard's rescue a lost traveler in the Swiss Alps, circa 1955.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/st-bernard-200801.html#ixzz1hqsAdqwG

The most popular and famous of the St. Bernard dogs living at the monastery was Barry. He had exceptional flair as well as instincts and always felt the approach of a blizzard almost an hour before it started. Barry also had a near sixth sense when it came to sensing oncoming danger of avalanches. At the first signs of haze or snow flurries, Barry would become restless and would head straight to the mountains, where he would search tirelessly for people in distress.
One day, Barry sensed humans in the deep cleft so he began to make his way to them. An avalanche had dropped into the abyss trapping a mother and her child. When the woman saw Barry, she immediately covered her child with the blanket from Barry's back and him secured the child to a rope attached to Barry. Barry safely brought the child to the monastery and saved his life.

Throughout his illustrious career as a rescue dog, Barry rescued 40 people. The 41^st would prove to be fatal for him however. In 1812, Barry, once again successfully found and dug up a frozen man, whom he proceeded to resuscitate with his body heat and breath. When the man started to come to, he opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was this grizzled, snow-covered face. Terrified, the man thought Barry was a bear and stabbed him with a knife.

Badly wounded, Barry barely managed to make it back to the monastery. The monks whisked Barry away to an animal hospital in nearby Bern to attend to his wounds.

Barry would survive, but due to injury, sickness and old age he would not return to work. In 1814, he was gone. The scarecrow of Barry still stands in the Swiss Museum of Natural History in Bern. There is also a monument in Paris.  A statue of Barry sits high atop a pedestal with a little girl sitting on his back. At the base of the statue, an inscription reads,

"He saved forty people had been killed and forty-first ..."