Dogs

Winter getaway at the beach
– Sasha, Salt Lake City
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Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes longer, healthier lives for animals through humane research, recently funded a study to determine how educated veterinarians and physicians are about dog-bite prevention techniques. Of the respondents, only 21 percent of veterinarians and 5 percent of physicians reported that they had acquired most of their knowledge about dog bites from medical or veterinary school. Most interesting, the study found that the vast majority of those surveyed would like to have had more information about dog-bite prevention during their schooling. “We hope the information from this study can be used to develop better curricula for medical and veterinary training programs,” said Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, president/CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. “This curriculum could prove to be of benefit to both people and dogs alike, helping us to better live side by side.”

Ever wonder what happened to the dogs raised to fight and then rescued from Michel Vick’s “Bad Newz Kennels”? National Public radio ran a piece a few days ago on the efforts to rehabilitate those dogs and the people behind the effort.

“We had started developing a battery of tests … : Could you touch the dog and handle the dog? Was the dog reactive? How did it respond to people? How did it respond to other dogs? Was the dog safe around food, toys and children? Things like that. So when we sat down to take a look at [the Vick] case, we needed to understand what the potential aggression problems were going to be. And we also needed to satisfy the government’s concerns about liability. If this dog goes out and we permitted it and it attacks a small child, it’s going to get back to us somehow. So we really needed to demonstrate to the government that the dogs were going to be safe when we made some recommendations for placement.”

You can listen the story or read it in its entirety here.

We enrolled Logan in obedience training during the winter of 2007. I remember because my wife, Erica was pregnant with our first child, Joshua. The reason I mention my wife’s pregnancy is because it was she, at 7 months pregnant, who participated in the classes while I, like the world’s most self-absorbed, uncaring husband, tipped back on a metal folding chair and watched her march around the room in a parade of dogs, led along by a 70-lb. Labrador.

Most dog owners get very excited when they get a new puppy or dog and really do not take the time or do the research to understand the dog food options that are available to them. If you are picking up a puppy, you most likely have a brief conversation about food with the breeder and maybe walk away understanding how much food you need to feed your pup and how often. Your focus is on developing a relationship with your new pup and introducing your pup to its new environment.

Playful dogs are happy, healthy dogs at any age. Fetching a ball, going for a walk, chasing a dream— being the dogs they were meant to be. Arthritis doesn’t have to be the end of living life to the fullest. Loving care makes all the difference. It begins with understanding and leads to solutions for a healthier, happier life. But joint issues are a very common problem affecting more than 12 million dogs, especially older and large dogs.

Dogs that jump incessantly and exhibit exuberant energy levels may face more than just reprimands from their owners. Drastic as it may sound, small behavioral issues that go unaddressed account for millions of pets left in shelters, say experts who urge early intervention and applaud Morris Animal Foundation’s research into the field. Recognizing behavior as the number one reason people relinquish pets each year, the Foundation is working with animal behavior expert Robert K. Anderson, DVM, MPH, diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), and generous donors who are committed to finding answers to this dire situation.