Top 5 Dog Breeds for Children

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August 6, 2013

Getting the opportunity to let your dog play with a fellow canine is always a fun experience. Firstly, your dog is socializing, but secondly, your dog gets exhausted, and any dog owner will welcome that! But sometimes playtime looks an awful lot like fighting, and it may sound that way too. But is that just your dog being a dog? Are you being overprotective? Or is it time to end the game? How can you tell the difference between dog fighting and dog playing? Starting it off Many times, in dog-speak, a dog that wants to play will actually pitch the idea to his potential playmate with a “play bow.” It’s basically your dog’s way of saying that he wants to play, so all that biting and messing around that’s about to happen, well, that’s all in good fun. If you see your dog (or another dog) do this bow, then you should feel ...

Meet Norman: A Guinness Book of World Records holding sheepdog

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July 31, 2013

Norman is a dog of multiple talents. The Briard, a French sheepdog, is also now a Guinness Book of World Records holder for the fastest scooter-riding dog. He set the record easily on July 12th in Marietta, Georgia. Norman rode his scooter 30 meters in 20.75 seconds. The time to beat was 30 seconds. He did it at a fundraiser for the Road Trip Home rescue group which assists in moving dogs from high kill shelters to no kill shelters in the United States and Canada. This is not Norman’s first time in the spotlight. He also rides skateboards and a bicycle and has been known to surf. He was surfing on a Rose Bowl Parade float in a wave pool in the 2012 parade. He has toured both the United States and Canada and also appeared on various television shows including the David Letterman Show. Along with Tillman, the skateboarding ...

Blackfish Documentary vs. SeaWorld – Behind the Killer Whale

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July 31, 2013

SeaWorld has gone head to head with Blackfish documentary that claims that the theme park’s policy of keeping killer whales in captivity lead to the deaths of three people. The critically acclaimed documentary, Blackfish, which first screened at Sundance in January, was just released in US cinemas. The film focuses on Tilikum, an orca that, the film claims, has been responsible for three deaths since its captivity in 1983. These deaths include the well publicized death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. As director Gabriela Cowperthwaite told ABC News’ Nightline - “There is no documented case of a killer whale ever killing anybody in the wild. It’s only in captivity where these incidents have happened.” With Blackfish, Cowperthwaite makes the claim that captive killer whales pose an increased danger to trainers. It’s a claim SeaWorld denies. SeaWorld released an official statement in response to the film that reads: “Blackfish is billed as a ...

Laser Toys for Cats: Are They Harmful?

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July 30, 2013

Laser toys for cats and kittens have been around for quite awhile now but their use remains controversial among cat behaviorists and veterinarians. While there is no doubt that many cats go crazy for the toy, some experts feel it continues to pose a risk for developing obsessive behaviors and increasing aggression. Others feel that it is a tool that, if used properly, can have its place in the cat’s toy box and be used with no problems. The thinking behind the popularity of the toy is that it triggers a cat’s prey instincts and desire to hunt. Hunting is a natural aspect of play in felines and most games they play interact with that instinct. The problem with the laser is that it only mimics the chase. The cat never gets the prey which is ultimately very frustrating. In nature, no predator always catches the prey but they do catch ...

Is Having a Pet Pig Like Having a Pet Dog?

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July 30, 2013

George Clooney’s longest relationship to date isn’t with some long-legged model or ex-female-wrestler. It’s with a pet pig named Max. Max, a Vietnamese pot bellied pig, lived with Clooney from 1998 to 2006, at which point Max died, much to the devastation of Clooney. Max often slept in the same bed as Clooney, and perhaps even saved the star’s life, when he woke Clooney up just before the Northridge earthquake. It seems Clooney’s love of pigs isn’t a rarity. The pot bellied pig has become a popular house pet, for all the same reasons that George Orwell used them as his leading role in Animal Farm. Pigs are: Intelligent Trainable Clean Odor free Non-allergenic (usually) Playful In fact, many people have compared pigs to dogs, in the fact that a pig can be house trained, leash trained, and will perform a few tricks. However, it’s commonly accepted that pigs are, often times, even more intelligent than dogs. This can ...

Yoga With Your Dog – Flip Your Dog with a New Twist

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July 29, 2013

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With Yoga popularity and dog ownership on the rise, it’s no surprise that the two should meet someday and form a lasting (if not strange) relationship. A relationship where energy, breathing, and fleas share a mat. A relationship known as Doga. But can your dog really “do” yoga? Doga is everywhere these days, and with it comes a swirl of praise and controversy. It seems not everyone knows what to think of yoga with your dog. For example, Yogi Julie Lawrence, from Portland, Ore., recently told the New York Times that she’s all for unity with all beings, but that a yoga class may not be the right setting for this task. “Doga runs the risk of trivializing yoga by turning a 2,500-year-old practice into a fad.” But for every Julie Lawrence out there, there’s a Brenda Bryan, a yoga/doga instructor from Seattle. “It’s a new field so there can be confusion about ...

San Diego Bans Sale of Puppy Mill Pets

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Kristin Masliuk

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July 25, 2013

San Diego is the 32nd city to ban the retail sale of puppy mill pets. The new pet store ban will restrict retail stores from selling animals from potentially irresponsible breeders. The new law now requires retailers to work with city or county animal shelters, human societies and nonprofit rescue groups in place of puppy mill breeders. Pet stores will be required to have documentation for each pet. The legislation passed by unanimous vote last Tuesday, following more than two hours of testimony from pet-shop owners and animal-rights activists. The ban includes commercial breed dogs, cats, and rabbits. "These animals live their entire lives in small cages. They never touch the ground, they never have a name never have a toy," said Sydney Cicourel of the Companion Animal Protection Society. Specifically, the law prohibits “for any person to display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away, transfer or sell any live dog, ...

Have you Heard of These “Ugly” Endangered Animals?

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July 25, 2013

Everyone knows about endangered species like the giant panda, tigers, gorillas, etc. Their faces are plastered all over posters, websites, and campaigns to save endangered creatures everywhere. We know all about captive breeding programs in zoos, conservation efforts, and various programs designed to keep them alive. How much do you know about the Chinese salamander, the blobfish, the opossum pipefish, or the giant Palouse earthworm? They are endangered species, many of them much more at risk of extinction than giant pandas. The difference is in the appeal of the species to the public. Species that do not appeal to the public tend to attract fewer donors to their conservation efforts. This means that zoos and conservation groups rarely devote as much attention or effort towards saving these species and their habitats. Thankfully, as many conservation groups point out, they share space with larger, more attractive species as well and in saving ...

Thai Police Find Albino Lions in Bangkok Warehouse

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July 24, 2013