However, I had to share this story, as it is horrifying  and, apparently, legal. For those who let their dogs roam off leash, take heed, as you could inadvertently be putting your dog’s life in grave danger, not to mention your own.

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There are many victims of domestic violence, including pets, who are often caught in the crossfire and wind up either victims of abuse at the hands of the domestic abuser, or used as pawns to keep victims from leaving.

It may sound incredible to some people, but there are many women who will not leave an abusive situation if they can’t stay somewhere that allows animals–and most shelters do not. (You would have to drag me kicking and screaming from my dog and cats, so I sympathize.)

According to American Humane, 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 68% of battered women reported violence towards their animals, 87% of these incidents occurred in the presence of the women, and 75% in the presence of the children, to psychologically control and coerce them; 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence; and between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave.

Battered women have even been known to live in their cars with their pets for as long as four months until an opening was available at a pet-friendly safe house.

Fortunately, many women’s shelters are establishing “safe haven” foster care programs for the animal victims of domestic violence–some women’s shelters are even building kennels at their facilities.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, three states — Maine, New York and Vermont — have already enacted laws permitting family pets to be included in protective court orders involving cases of domestic violence. Such court orders are meant to shield animals as well as spouses and domestic partners from abusers. An additional 12 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey,  Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, have considered “pet protection” legislation.

With over 100 safe haven programs currently operating today in the U.S., many victims no longer have to choose between their safety and their pets.

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One of my husband’s biggest issues with getting a dog was the fact that said dog would inevitably “burn” our back yard when it went potty.

Urine contains excess nitrogen resulting from the natural metabolism of protein in the body. And dogs, especially females, urinate anywhere and usually all at once, often causing dead brown patches or lawn burn.

So I did some research and found that there are many products available to fight the burn.

Among the products is Nutri-Vet Grass Guard, which neutralizes the potential for high pH (alkaline) urine that can damage grass. It’s available in a wafer and a soft chew.

Luckily, because I’m home with our dog all day, most of the time I can take her on a walk to go to the bathroom, so I have the ability to ensure she’s not marking the same spots over and over. And when she does, I simply dilute the area with water from our hose.

For those who aren’t home to monitor potty breaks all day, especially those who have doggie doors that allow pooches to relieve themselves whenever they wantto, Nutri-Vet Grass Guard should help keep lawns in the green.

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We have a joke in our house that our dog, Greta, isn’t the brightest bulb because she often does silly things. But is that her personality, or is she really a bit of an airhead?

According to Stanley Coren, psychology professor at the University of British Columbia and a best-selling author of The Intelligence of Dogs, dogs display intelligence by reading social cues, learning new tasks, understanding language and solving problems.

Here’s what the experts say you can do if you’re curious about your dog’s IQ.

Problem Solving:
Hide something your dog loves underneath a sofa, and see if it can figure out how to retrieve the object. Score five points for getting the item with its paws in less than 30 seconds; four points if it uses paws and takes more than 30 seconds; three if it uses paws but fails; two if it uses its head but doesn’t try paws, and one point for dogs that try to use their head but then give up. It gets no points if it does nothing.

Learning Rate:
How many times do you have to repeat a task with your dog before he/she masters it? Try the detour-taking test. Find a fence that your dog can see through with a gate open at one end. With you on the other side of the fence, call your dog and see whether it can figure out how to get around to the other side. Score five points if it goes around the fence in a minute or less; four points if it succeeds right away after you take a few steps in that direction and gesture; three if it succeeds in 30 seconds after the prompts; two if it succeeds between 30-60 seconds after prompts, and one if it succeeds but requires even more prompting and time than that.

Social Cues:
Try the smile test to see how smart your dog is at picking up social cues from humans. Start with your pet sitting a few yards away from you. Stare at your pet’s face. Once you make eye contact, count to three and then smile very broadly. Score five points for coming to you with its tail wagging; four points for coming part way; three points for standing or rising; two points for moving; and one if he/she pays no attention at all.

Inference Challenge:
In this version of the shell game, with your dog on a leash or in the stay position, use treats and two different bowls set a few feet apart. Smear the treat on both bowls. Then very dramatically put the treat underneath one bowl. Release your pet and see what happens. Repeat this 10 times changing which bowl you put the treat under. Repeat another 10 times without letting your dog see where you’re stashing the treat, but DO let the pup see you enthusiastically lift the other bowl up each time. Score five points if the dog goes to the correct bowl and gets the treat each time; four points if it masters the first 10 and improves over the course of the second 10; three if the first set is perfect but not the second set; two if the dog improves during the first and second rounds; and one if the dog is initially not very good but improves over the first round and completes the second round by going to the bowl you lifted.

Language Comprehension:
Start with your dog sitting in front of you. Using the tone of voice you use to call your dog’s name, call “refrigerator.” Try this again, calling “movies.” Score five points if the dog doesn’t respond to those words but comes after you call its name; four points if the dog comes the second time you call its name; three if the dog starts to come; two if the dog comes to “movies” but not “refrigerator”; and one if the dog simply doesn’t come to any of the calls.

Your Dog’s Score
Gifted and Talented (25-31)
Clever Canine (18-25)
Sharp, But Slow (10-18)
Doggie Dropout (Less than 10)

Greta scored in the (low) “clever” range. How smart is your dog?

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If you’re like me, you probably wonder just what your dog does all day when you’re not around. Sure, the evidence is probably waiting for you when you get home–a chewed up magazine or book, a pillow or blanket pulled to the floor. But between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (or whenever you’re away), surely there’s more going on than meets the eye.

That’s where the Panasonic PetCam comes in to play.

Panasonic Network Cameras allow you to watch via a secure browser window on your desktop, laptop, PDA or cell phone, so you can see what your pet does when you’re not around.

Easy installation allows PetCam to be placed anywhere in your home, automatically detected by your home network and viewed on your PC without any additional software. A camera specific URL lets you view and operate the camera from any location on a PC or compatible cell phone from work, while on vacation or just out on the go.

The cameras are relatively cheap (the model above runs about $85), and allow for peace of mind, or at least the ability to solve the mystery of how the dog manages to turn on the TV when you’re not home. 

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It’s hard for me not to get on my soapbox when I see a dog chained up in a yard. To me, it’s ridiculous to have a dog if you’re plan is to leave it chained up outside the majority of the day, with little to no interaction from or with you. In that case, I recommend a pet rock.

Thanks to some folks in Durham, North Carolina, I know I’m not alone.

The Coalition to Unchain Dogs recently celebrated the unchaining of their 100th dog.

This group of volunteers is amazing. They raise money and build fences for chained dogs in the community; provide support to and educate the community as to why chaining is cruel and dangerous and raise awareness of the physical, mental and emotional needs of dogs; and advocate for the passing of laws that disallow or severely restrict the chaining of dogs.

The Coalition has been adopted as a program of Independent Animal Rescue (IAR). Through this affiliation, they make sure that every dog receiving a fence also receives vaccinations and is spayed/neutered through IAR’s Community Spay/Neuter Program.

According to dog behaviorists:

• Dogs suffer from boredom, stress and loneliness on the end of a chain.
• Dogs are pack animals, thus they want and need socialization and companionship.
• Chained dogs are associated with crime and are used to guard drug houses and in dog fighting rings.
• The American Veterinary Medical Association warns that chaining a dog can contribute to aggressive behavior.
• The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture prohibits chaining as the primary means of confinement under the Animal Welfare Act.
• The Center for Disease Control states that chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs.

Nearly 100 state and local jurisdictions ban or severely restrict dog chaining.

That’s a good start, but we can do better!

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One of my favorite blogs, one where I get my daily dose of wilderness, is The Daily Coyote.

Granted, it’s not about a dog per see, but the way Shreve Stockton writes about her experience living in a one-room cabin in Wyoming with her cat, Eli, and her unexpected companion, Charlie the coyote, is one of the best things I’ve found on the Internet to date.

Charlie is a wild-born coyote who landed on Stockton’s doorstep after both his parents were shot for killing sheep. Not wanting to interfere with nature, but realizing that the baby coyote would not survive on his own, she took him in and they learned to respect each other and live together harmoniously.

As I wait patiently for the release of Stockton’s latest endeavor, The Daily Coyote: A Year With Charlie, I get my fix via her blog, which amuses, educates and inspired me to be one with nature.

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One of my “greyhound” friends recently had to have her hound’s front leg amputated due to bone cancer, which is, unfortunately, common in greyhounds.

Both she and I know of one amazing “tripod” that we’ve both witnessed run our own dogs ragged.

While my friend’s handsome greyhound who, by the way, is also a pal of my own girl, Greta, recuperates from his recent surgery, I am already looking forward to cooler weather so we can all get together for a romp.

Until then, this video I found on YouTube featuring a tripod greyhound who was rehabilitated at a Spanish animal shelter will have to suffice.

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In case you’re not watching The Greatest American Dog on CBS on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT, let me fill you in on all its doggie goodness.

No, there aren’t any greyhounds in the group, but there are plenty of amazing dogs (and owners) as well as a few neurotic dog/owner pairs.

While the show has already backed up these findings, as a Jack Russell Terrier bit an English Bull Dog.

Last week another inexperienced owner and young dog were sent packing, and another owner felt obligated to defend her habit of dressing up her small mutt, which the judges did not look favorably upon.

So far, I’d say handsome Travis and his equally handsome Boxer, Presley, are shaping up to be leaders of the pack (see above photo), although I wouldn’t underestimate Laura and her Pomeranian, Preston, or Bill and his Brittany, Star.

You can get caught up on past episodes here.   

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It turns out bigger might really be better after all. According to a study conducted by researchers Deborah Duffy and James Serpell of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, and Yuying Hsu of the National Taiwan Normal University, it seems that the smaller the dog, the more snap.

The researchers gathered data from multiple dog clubs, as well as an extensive online survey which asked owners to report on whether or not their dog nips, or tries to attack, unfamiliar (stranger) humans, owners, or other dogs, including whether or not their dog exhibits any rivalry toward other canines in general.

Ranking in the top ten most aggressive were Dachshunds coming in first; followed by the Chihuahua, which is noted to often snaps at its owners, strangers and other dogs; the Jack Russell terrier; the Akita; the Australian cattle dog; the pit bull; the beagle; the English springer spaniel; the border collie; and the German shepherd.

Among the least aggressive breeds were the Basset hound, golden retriever, Labradors, Siberian husky and greyhound.

Canine aggression studies based solely on reported attacks are often skewed because while most bites from small dogs aren’t serious, bites from large dogs often require medical attention and thus are reported.

While this is just anecdotal information taken straight from the mouths of owners, it does help explain why little dogs are often referred to as “ankle biters”. It’s also a generalization and is not intended to base sweeping breed assumptions upon. Every dog has a different temperment and should not be judged solely on his or her breed.
 
 
 

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