pet connection

Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori examine the mystery of the cat in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Do you pause when a black cat crosses your path? Even pet experts sometimes do, and then laugh for being influenced by such a silly old myth, even for a second. But that’s the funny thing about cats — more than any other domestic animal, they are the subject of countless myths, legends and old wives’ tales.

While some stories about cats are harmless, others are too dangerous not to debunk.

They do just that, with facts, here.

Gina gives readers the facts on why hounds howl… and why we should stop them:

Howling is fun. It’s like group singing or picking up the microphone at a canine karaoke machine. It’s a way for dogs scattered across a few miles and separated by fences to get in touch with their inner wolf and be a part of something bigger … a pack!

It used to be thought that sirens hurt the sensitive ears of dogs and that howling was a protest of pain. But now it’s thought to be an instinctive group behavior. The right noise — a siren or even the right notes on a viola — will get a dog lifting his nose to the sky, and once the woo-wooing/wow-wowing starts, other dogs just can’t help but join in.

Get the rest of the story here.

One dog breed is helping save countless big cats in Namibia. From Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon:

Once shot for eating livestock, cheetahs are kept safe by Kangal Anatolian shepherd dogs who keep them away from livestock. The dogs, originally bred in Turkey for defending villagers from wolves, is skilled at fending off even large cheetahs. The Cheetah Conservation Fund has donated more than 300 Kangal dogs to Namibia, with the program dramatically decreasing the number of livestock and cheetahs killed. According to the Times of London, the program is so successful, it may be used in Kenya next.

Get the scoop on food treats from Susan Tripp, MS, and Rolan Tripp DVM:

Because pets communicate with body language more than verbal language, it makes sense to show, not tell, pets what to do. Food gets their attention and makes learning more of a game than work.

For example, before a meal, put a kibble or treat in your hand and let your pet lick or sniff it as you walk backward. Keep the food at mouth level, and your pet will likely follow. Add the word “come” just before releasing the treat, and your pet will eventually learn the word.

You can teach many behaviors this way. To teach “sit,” move the treat up and back over the head until it’s easier to sit than stand. Just as your pet sits, give the treat and say, “Sit.” Add “Goooood!” with a finger tickle to your pet’s favorite spot plus some lovey-dovey talk to seal the deal.

Plus: Tips from Gina on introducing cats and the numbers on happy pet families. All this and more, in our Pet Connection newspaper feature, which you can read right here.

You can also see it exactly the way we send it to our client newspapers here. (PDF)

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email