Shih Tzus - sweet & smart!

I have the most amazing Shih Tzu in the world.  Her name is Bella and we adopted her from The Animal Rescue Foundation. She was rescued from a horrible puppy mill that was closed due to inhumane conditions.  After many months of being patient and giving her time to adjust, she has turned into the most wonderful companion.  She has the sweetest personality and is a total cuddle-bug!

One thing I have to say about Bella, is she kind of marches to the beat of her own drum.  There is no forcing Bella to do anything, and I wouldn’t want to!  All I want her to do is enjoy life and forget the life she once had to live.  Also, as we adopted Bella when she was almost a year old, it is harder to train after that time.

However, I found this video on youtube today of Sadie, a three year old Shih Tzu, who obeys very well!  She even knows how to do the bang and roll over.

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At last, some good news to come out of what I have to say was one of the most distrubing animal-related tales to hit the airwaves in a while (besides Sarah Palin’s penchant for shooting wolves, that is).

Check out the happy-ish ending to the sad story of Michale Vick’s dogs at Sports Illustrated.

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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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The recently released Dog Heroes of September 11th is the first major publication to salute the canines that served the nation in the recovery missions following the terrorists’ attacks on America. The book provides an excellent overview of the mission and requirements of these search and rescue dogs and serves as a lasting tribute to these noble American heroes.

In addition to purchasing the book, there’s another way to recognize four-legged heroes. Nutro Natural Choice dog food is sponsoring a contest to elect a canine search team to represent the face of the Natural Choice Brand.

The candidates are:

Annie, a Yellow Lab who came to Search Dog Foundation and was eventually paired with firefighter Shani Richeson with the Sacramento Metro Fire Department in November 2007.

Mace, s Yellow Lab from Fremont, California, who was found tied him to a railroad track, sprayed with mace and left to die. He was found and taken to an animal shelter, where he was scheduled to be euthanized. Mace was rescued by one of SDF’s firefighters and renamed Ace. By the end of six months of training, he was partnered with Teresa Ortenberger with California Task Force 7. Teresa and Ace eventually achieved FEMA Certification together. In September of 2005 they were deployed to Hurricane Katrina.

Rob Cima, a fellow SDF handler and Assistant Fire Chief with El Dorado County Fire near Sacramento, lost his Search Dog Harley to cancer in November of 2006. Teresa had two certified dogs (Ace and Remi), and out of respect and admiration for Rob, decided to give Ace to him. They were an excellent match, and in March of 2007, Rob and Ace achieved FEMA Advanced Certification.

Jester, an Aussie-border collie mix, is now paired with Davis Doty of Yorba Linda, CA, working with California Task Force 5 in Orange County. They are currently training for FEMA Certification.

Cast your vote here.

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Sussex, New Brunswick, is gearing up for the Agility Association of Canada’s National Agility Championships, which run August 7 through 10.

Among the events planned are Nationals Pre-Qualifier rounds (standard, jumpers, gamblers); Rally Obedience Trial; Nationals Rounds (Standard 1, Jumpers 1) and Steeplechase 1; Nationals Rounds (Standard 2, Gamblers 1) and Steeplechase 2; Nationals “Maritime Kitchen Party” Banquet; Nationals rounds (Jumpers 2, Gamblers 2); plus plenty of awards each day, as well as opening and closing ceremonies.

Not located in Canada, eh? If you’re interested in learning more about canine agility, try the United States Dog Agility Association.

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Am I the only one still watching the CBS television show “Greatest American Dog”?

I am determined to stick with it. Of course, CBS is making that near impossible since they switched the day the show airs from Thursday to Wednesday without so much as a whisper.

Luckily, I caught up on the full episode I missed right here. And can I just say I am so glad to see David and Elvis go home (last week), but I am bummed to say goodbye to Ron and Tillman.

And yes, I’m still rooting for Travis and Presley (see photo above) to win the whole thing.

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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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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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Tonight (Thursday, July 10) at 8 p.m. ET/PT, CBS unveils its new canine reality series: “Greatest American Dog”, in which 12 teams of dogs and owners from across the nation, ranging from “pageant dogs” to those simply trained at home, will live together and compete against each other in challenges that put the owners’ ability to train their dogs to the test.

Each week, the judges will eliminate one dog and their owner. The last remaining team will walk away with a $250,000 cash prize and the title of “Greatest American Dog”. Distinguished canine critics Wendy Diamond, Allan Reznik and Victoria Stilwell are the judges, and Jarod Miller is the host.

Get a sneak peek at the contestants in the clip above. For more information, click here.

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Drs. Foster and Smith, who offer amazing pet products, also have a television show, “Faithful Friends”, on Animal Planet that airs on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.

So far, they have 13 episodes in the can, and the next two are about animal behavior (June 29) and pet nutrition (July 6).

The show is hosted by Wanda Goldberg (see photo above). Each week on the show, veterinarians Dr. Race Foster and Dr. Marty Smith have invited special guests that offer important information regarding both large and small animals.

With the help of additional veterinarians and animal expert guests, “Faithful Friends” provides support to pet parents on subjects including health, nutrition, behavior, travel, new and aged pets, horses, fish & coral, birds, and more.

Each show will highlight the following segments supporting the weekly subject:

• Wanda Goldberg’s interview with the featured guest
• Victoria Schade’s training tip
• Hands-on demonstrations with products, medications and nutrition
• Road trips to great pet friendly locations and events
• A visit to resident veterinarian Dr. Andy Walker
• Kids’ most frequently asked questions
• Dr. Marty Smith and Dr. Race Foster Q&A
• Itty Bitty Buddies for the home with Electra Mustaine
• Animal Myths

For more information about the show, click here.

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