Archive for November, 2009

Cat and dog owners can safely assume a person in reasonable health will outlive their pet.

The facts don’t change the feeling of loss when your senior pet dies, yet there’s more to consider when letting go of aging pets. My guardians were enlightened by their veterinarian in a discussion about the elderly dog who was in our family before me.

The dog was near her natural end of life with serious health complications due to aging that could not be reversed. Besides vital functions shutting down she was incontinent. Within weeks she stopped eating and could not walk.

After a thorough examination and comparing notes from recent visits, the vet advised a humane and peaceful end.

The facts about pets and pain which the vet shared helped the guardians in their decision. Dogs are stoic meaning they tolerate pain without letting you know. This is true of cats, as well. Here’s a quote with a link to more information about how dogs and cats handle pain.

Dogs’ responses to pain vary. Some dogs are very stoic, and will show few outward signs even when in extreme pain.
Source: Dr Barchas, DVM http://drbarchas.com/pain

Letting go of aging pets is not easy. Seek professional advice from your veterinarian to know the right thing to do and when. Understanding the stoic nature of pets, extending their life by all possible means may not be in their best interests if they’re in agony.

Appreciate your pets every moment of every day while you can. Supress selfish feelings and let them go peacefully with dignity when the time is right. Finally, as you heal and consider another pet, please adopt from a local shelter. Millions of abandoned yet healthy cats and dogs are waiting.

The photo gallery of dogs having fun at Fleet Peeples Dog Park in Winter Park near Orlando, Florida, has 2 new pages with another 40 dog park photos. As shown here, a puppy can have fun swimming in Lake Baldwin, getting wet, and then digging in the sand for a muddy look.

View page 6 with 20 dog photos and then follow the link at the bottom to page 7 with 20 more.

The Fleet Peeples Dog Park photo gallery was redesigned, too. Instead of previous and next links, navigation now displays links to all pages on each page, so you may jump between gallery pages to look at doggy photographs. With the additional pictures just released, the gallery total is 140 dog and dog park photos for you to enjoy.

As you view the dog and puppy galleries please note that each photo is a thumbnail, so a bigger version of each photo is connected in the Fleet Peeples Dog Park gallery, also. Click any to enlarge and then download your favorite dog photo at 800 x 600 pixels to use as desktop wallpaper.

Here’s evidence clicker dog training works. Watch this fun video featuring a clicker demo and training routine except the animal student is a sheep instead of a dog. Watch as the animal trainer, Fernando Silva of Portugal, puts the sheep through its paces with fast and amazing results.

If you had any doubt about the value of clicker training, think again. The methods work if you apply the principles without clouding your judgment with human values. Watch the entire video to appreciate this fun clicker dog training video starring a sheep learning basic skills and advanced agility. It motivates me to become a better dog!

The ongoing rivalry of squirrels versus dogs continues to heat up with this photo of an amazing squirrel tactic for evading dogs. The large squirrel shown is inside a stainless steel dog dish stealing food while a duck pulls lookout duty and waits her turn.

The caption of the funny animal photo reads “You cannot sneak up on a squirrel who keeps a two-headed duck for a lookout”, and features some digital magic superimposing two versions of the duck. A dog would have a tough time catching either one. How unfair for squirrels and ducks to team up and ruin our fun!

Add Your Funny Photo Caption

Readers are welcome to comment and add your caption for this amazing wildlife photo!

The photo below from January 2009 is me, Corky the Shelter Dog, shown held in my wire cage before being adopted and joining my forever family, and now my mission is to promote pet rescue.

The insert shows me cleaned up and groomed 9 months later, and much much happier.

The number of unwanted pets in animal shelters worldwide is alarming! Those that don’t become adopted like me are euthanized, and not all get a full week waiting period. Sometimes it’s just days! Those euthanized in the USA are estimated upwards of 6 million loving animals each year, so imagine how many pets are lost worldwide.

Unless you have the mindset to look into the facts behind those numbers, you cannot appreciate the risk to perfectly healthy pets.

As my website grows, the plan is to add more and more content about pet rescue efforts and little things people can do for animals, and not just cats and dogs. For now we are studying how to implement a database of adoptable pets, so our website visitors may search real time for a pet to adopt near where they live.

Stay tuned for progress updates on adding pet adoption search, and as we continue our mission to promote pet rescue.

It began like any normal day with a puppy and his guardian going for their morning walk. Imagine the shock while passing under palm trees and suddenly hearing “FWOP! FWOP!” as squirrels dropped from the sky landing at the puppy’s feet! Wow! Incredible? Yes, but TRUE. This IS the true story of raining squirrels!

Late last week the event just described happened. I, Corky the Shelter Dog, was a witness. Stunned by squirrels dropping around us, my guardian (Dad) had no time to react and document the raining squirrels on video. He did, however, have his camera and after overcoming the shock was able to capture still photos.

The photo illustration inserted below has been marked up 1 through 7 to help you visualize this incredible day.

Photo Illustration of Raining Squirrels Story

1. Squirrel story protagonist perched atop a light pole
2. Photo insert of the scene of the Raining Squirrels
3. Wrestling squirrels fell from this 20 foot palm tree
4. Stunned temporarily, squirrel #1 then ran up the light pole
5. (Irrelevant daytime moon captured in photo. Nice shot, Dad.)
6. Squirrel #2 ran up this palm tree and hid out of sight
7. Closeup of squirrel #1 atop the pole and evil booby traps

You’ve probably heard the saying “raining cats and dogs”. Well, friends, this week it was squirrels. Given their choice of 3 palms trees, 2 squirrels fought for one and flopped 20 feet to the ground during the battle. They landed at my paws (and Dad’s feet) then recovered and scampered up that tree and pole.

Each stayed in place until we left. The one on the pole (1,4) had the safest hideout with wires and stuff (7) like evil booby traps. With a fortress like that, the closest I got was sniffing the tiny little squirrel tracks left behind. I’ll be ready next time.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and many older dogs available in shelters are overlooked or ignored by would be guardians just like humans placed in institutions. The advantage of age, wisdom, maturity, and self-discipline in older dogs (and people) should not be overlooked.

The wonderful pet shown here is April, my guardian’s former dog adopted at age 4, who passed over the rainbow bridge to doggy heaven at 14 before I became a member of this family. Portraits and memories of April make sure she is not forgotten for her gentle ways and the 10 years of loyal companionship.

April proved that old saying wrong about “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” because she excelled in learning new hand signals and voice commands well into her senior years. Combining both in her training proved helpful for communicating as her hearing and other functions lost their edge. In some cases she was selectively hard of hearing to make a point which proves dogs DO have a sense of humor.

When ready to add a loyal companion to your home, visit the local shelter and take a moment to consider those older dogs or cats before rushing by to the next cute puppy or kitten. A housebroken and well mannered adult dog will have less trouble adjusting to your home and is less likely to chew up your valuables than a rambunctious puppy.