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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While doing research for a story I’m working on, I discovered that people who love dogs have a lot of career options that can include day to day interaction with four-legged friends.

Beyond the obvious career choices, such as veterinarian, vet technician, alternative medicine vet, research vet, animal behaviorist, pet therapist, trainer, pet sitter, groomer, day care provider, kennel operator and dog walker/runner, there are many other options.

You can put your creative talents to good use as a pet product maker/seller, or to open up a doggie boutique in your town.

Among the more spotlight-driven doggie careers are dog handler, show judge and breeder, while behind the camera’s lens there are also dog photographers.

Public service canine-related jobs include rescue organization worker/non-profit worker, City/Country Animal Control work, animal cop, and search and rescue team.

So if you want your career to go to the dogs, it looks like you’ll be in good company!

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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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In April 2008, the Environmental Working Group released a report, “High Levels of Toxic Industrial Chemicals Contaminate Cats And Dogs”, by Olga Naidenko, Rebecca Sutton, Jane Houlihan.

In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group found that American pets are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns.

The results show that America’s pets are serving as involuntary sentinels of the widespread chemical contamination that scientists increasingly link to a growing array of health problems across a wide range of animals—wild, domesticated and human.

According to the findings, dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels higher than those typically found in people, according to our study of plastics and food packaging chemicals, heavy metals, fire retardants, and stain-proofing chemicals in pooled samples of blood and urine from 20 dogs and 37 cats collected at a Virginia veterinary clinic.

Read the full report here.

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Although I could never get my greyhound, Greta, to do this, because she hates water, I love to see the dock dogs doing their thing.

For those (like me) who enjoy seeing dogs have some fun, July 12 and 13, the Meet Me at Mill Creek Festival in Mill Creek, Wash., is having their annual Puget Sound Dock Dogs competition. The event helps raise awareness for the American College of Internal Veterinary Medicine’s Chase Away K9 Cancer organization.

Events details can be found here, and all levels of jumping ability are encouraged to participate–the only prerequisite is that your dog likes to get wet.

If you can’t make it up there to see the action live, check out the video above from last year’s event and enjoy the dock dogs vicariously.

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While it may be convenient to use your garden hose to fill your dog’s outside water dish, or even your doggie/kiddie swimming pool, take note - there is potential for water from a garden hose to be tainted with lead.

Lead leaching into hose water can come from the vinyl (PVC) material used to make hoses or from brass nozzles on hoses. In producing PVC, lead is often added as a stabilizer.

In sunshine, lead in hose water is a particular concern, as heat can cause hoses to leach even higher levels of lead. In that case, the recommendation is to flush the water out before using it.

Special hoses (commonly used by RV and boat owners) that are white with a blue stripe do not contain these materials and are safe for drinking water.

This lawsuit from the Center for Environmental Health against some of the garden hose manufacturers was settled to require those companies to comply with Prop 65 (California toxics law) by August of 2007.

Packaging for new garden hoses should indicate if they are safe for drinking. In addition, warning labels on any hoses that could cause exposures above the standard would carry a prominent warning label reading, “Do not drink water from this hose. Wash hands after use.”

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According to the ASPCA, cocoa mulch is a no-no for gardeners who have dogs.

In “Cocoa Bean Mulch As A Cause Of Methylxanthine Toxicosis In Dogs”
by S. Hansen, H. Trammell, E. Dunayer, S. Gwaltney, D. Farbman, and
S. Khan, they point out the dangers of using cocoa bean shells, a by-product of chocolate production, as mulch for landscaping.

While homeowners may prefer cocoa mulch because it degrades into an organic fertilizer and provides an attractive color and odor, the unprocessed beans, derived from the Theobroma cacao plant, contain 1 to 4% theobromine/0.07-0.36% caffeine, whereas cocoa bean mulch contains 0.19%-2.98% theobromine.

Unfortunately, some dogs can’t resist and eat small to large quantities. Dogs consuming cocoa bean mulch may develop methylxanthine toxicosis. Retrospective case data suggests clinical signs following ingestion include vomiting and muscle tremors, and high doses can cause death.

The authors recommend avoiding use of cocoa bean shell mulch in landscaping around unsupervised dogs. If you think your dog has consumed cocoa bean shell mulch, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.

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I live in Sacramento, Calif., and just a hop, skip and a short drive away is the town of Davis, which offers one of the best veterinary teaching hospitals in the country (UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine). 

They also feature the UC Davis Veterinary Blood Bank. That’s right–your pooch can donate the gift of life just like you can!

All it takes is a screening appointment to determine eligibility as a blood donor. Donors must be between 1and 8 years old, 55 pounds or greater, current on flea/tick/heartworm preventative medications, and never have been pregnant.

They are currently seeking the canine universal donor blood type, DEA 1.1 negative, which is similar to human “O negative”. Those dogs that are DEA 1.1 negative will be given free yearly blood tests, valued at $300, as well as “goodies” with each appointment. All costs related to the donation are paid in full by the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, so at no time will donors (or their humans) accrue charges related to donation.

If you’re interested, or you just want to learn more about the program, call 530-752-1393 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (press option “0″ on the automated message) to make an appointment. Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes, but frequently run much shorter, with the actual blood donation lasting only 5 to 7 minutes. (You can also request a Saturday appointment if you are unable to make a weekday appointment.)

For general questions, you can also email caninebloodbank@gmail.com.

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Timberwolf Organics is recalling certain products/lots of dog food.

Dakota Bison/Ocean Blue Reported Issues

Due to recent reports from some customers, the company has ordered that two formulas from three specific dates be pulled from the shelves. These are:

Dakota Bison with ‘best by date’ of 12 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with ‘best by date’ of 20 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with best by date’ of 8 March 2009

The reported symptoms include dogs refusing to eat, diarrhea or vomiting.

While the problem is inconsistent (not every dog eating food from those dates/bag show the symptoms and not every bag), to err on the side of caution, they have decided to pull the formulas produced with the above dates. Initial testing has come back negative for problems and further testing is pending results.

As soon as the cause of this reported problem is determined procedures will be put into place to ensure that an event like this cannot happen again.

No other formulas and Ocean Blue and Dakota Bison with dates other than ones listed above are not affected.

If you do have a bag with those dates, contact the retailer you purchased it from for an exchange or credit. If you purchased it directly from Timberwolf Organics, email customer.support@timberwolforganics.com.

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I’m not big on overmedicating animals, but when it comes to heartworm (and flea & tick prevention, for that matter), I don’t mess around.

Heartworn is spread by mosquitoes, and if not detected and controlled with treatment, can lead to congestive heart failure and death.

And although heartworm is more common in dogs, cats are not immune.

Before you get your dog on heartworm medication, he or she must have a heartworn test (a simple blood test). Luckily, today most dogs with heartworm survive–some only need medication, and others require surgery as well.

Canine heartworm symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, decreased stamina (more easily tired), listlessness, weight loss and rough hair/coat.

The best medicine is prevention, so get your dog tested today and have your vet recommend a heartworn prevention medication to use (I use Interceptor, a tablet that I give Greta monthly).

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