Fur Baby Inc

Happy New Year - and Another Canine Photo Secret for You!

Harry and Stella wish you a very happy 2010! We’d like to give you a Christmas present by explaining how we got them to pose with the piano.

When you first bring out a prop, it can make your dogs a little nervous. You want to encourage them to be curious and get comfortable with this new object. Clicker training is marvelous for this!

We put the toy piano on the floor in the middle of the living room so they’d have to learn to live with it. At first, we clicked and treated every time they even so much as looked at it. Gradually they were approaching and sniffing it. Again we clicked and treated for this. Eventually the piano was no big deal.

We left the piano there for a week. Every so often, we’d play a game with Harry and Stella. We’d call them over and put a treat on top of it. When they bravely approached and took it, we clicked. We gradually increased the complexity of this game until they were putting their paws on it. This was harder than you might think because it is very slippery plastic and they were nervous about sliding off. (BTW, it’s battery operated, so without the batteries we didn’t have to worry about getting them used to the sound it made when they pressed the keys!)

After a week of clicker training, the piano had become a fun exercise. Time for the photo shoot! Harry and Stella were given treats and praise for posing and the picture turned out beautifully!

Stella the Snow Bunny

Stella is 8-months-old today!  This is the first Canadian winter for our California girl and we're really happy she likes snow.

We have to be careful, because with her snowy-white Maltese coat, she'd be well camouflaged if she decided to play hide-and-seek in the yard!

Mutt Does Math

I found this story of a mutt does math difficult to believe at first, but then thought, why not?  It could be possible. I wonder how much time it could have taken for the farmer to train the dog. 

As an owner of two pet dogs and going by my personal experience, I feel a dog’s brain is much more intelligent than what we perceive. It all depends upon how we understand the dog’s talent and how we nurture it. Such dogs, I feel, could be trained to handle petty cash and manage simple accounting tasks. I am sure; dogs would be equally capable as human beings. Such dogs can be hired as an assistant for shopping purposes for disabled humans, especially paraplegic and quadriplegic ones.

I strongly feel that pet training exercise imparted to dogs needs a serious rethink. Certain modifications need to be done in the procedure so that the dog’s specific talent could be brought out. The training method has to be essentially different for different breeds of dogs. After completion of training, these dogs could be allotted to different sections and departments based on their interest.

As for the ‘mathematician’ dog Wawa, my best wishes for it. Let’s hope the dog scales new heights in arithmetic and stands as a shining example for other dogs to emulate!  

Scientists Trace Origin of Dogs

We all knew that pet canines evolved from wolves. The news is that scientists traced origin of dogs back to only a handful of wolves 15,000 years ago! 

It is an interesting finding. The research was nicely done on the entire topic. What I did not understand was how such different varieties of dogs could evolve directly from just three female wolves! 

This makes it difficult to know how numerous dog breeds came into existence within such a short span. In comparison, it took millions of years for humans to evolve from monkeys. Besides, it is difficult to comprehend as to how these pet dogs could have been transported from one continent to another when proper modes of transporation weren’t available in that period. It could be possible that there could be three instances wherein three dogs from three different land mass could have evolved from wolves of different breeds. However, further research has to be carried out before arriving at any conclusions.

Secondly, I would like to question as to when and how did dogs start to socialize, and what made them befriend humans? Was there any compulsion or necessity that made humans socialize with dogs and vice versa?

I still wonder and feel the following points need to be researched upon:

• The first dog variety that evolved directly from wolves
• Why did the first direct dog descendant from the wolf felt the need to evolve?
• How did the dog alter its behavior from that of the wolf?
• How can three wolf eves give rise to a vast breed of different dogs?

Though scientists have derived some conclusion in relation to dogs and their origin, I think they should further analyze dog behavior in terms of breed and place of domestication.

Pet DNA Test

I just found out on Tuesday night that pet DNA test is not expensive at all!  It's about $50 or so and it is available to pet owners, breeders and veterinarians.  Pet DNA test is simple, safe and secure.

Many mixed-breed dog owner are curious about the lineage of their dogs.  Veterinarians and shelters are frequently asked, “Which breed is my dog?” Though all can make calculated and educated guesses, only pet DNA testing helps ascertain the dog’s true lineage.

Many new dog owners get confused between DNA testing and pet cloning. Pet cloning is a different thing altogether and you can gather information about it from Google search engine.

If you have a pet whose ancestry is unknown, pet DNA test is fun and informative.  With DNA testing, you can gather vital details of your pet's breeds and that result could explain some of the pet behaviors - it's helpful when you do the dog training!  Once you know the breeds, you can also find out the information on the common health issues or concerns of the breeds.

Currently, there are only two ways to conduct a pet DNA sample testing – blood sample and cheek swab - as seen on TV shows like CSI.  :-) The cheek swab method is easier of the two and offers quick results. The findings from the Animal DNA Services Veterinary Diagnostics Center confirms that the most preferred method to collect DNA from skin cells is buccal (cheek) swab.

Let me know if you have tried it and what you think about it.   

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing everyone a happy V-day!

Just a reminder: keep chocolate away from dogs! Chocolate is toxic to dogs! A chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk or even lethal for a small dog! Even just licking the chocolate icing off a cake can make a dog very sick.

Merry Christmas!

Xmas Jag,
originally uploaded by malteserus.

We wish you all a very safe and merry Christmas! Don't give too many treats to your dogs. It's not good for them. :-)

Review these Thanksgiving safety tips - they apply to Christmas too!

Cheers!

Dogs Decorate Christmas Tree

Do show this video to your dogs! :-D

Giraffe gives birth

This is an amazing video of a baby giraffe birth!

Happy Halloween!

 

We wish you a safe and happy Halloween!

 

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR DOG

• Always remember that sweets are not good for dogs and chocolate is deadly to dogs!
• Don't leave any lighted candles or Jack-O-Lanterns where they could be knocked over by a swinging tail or by a curious puppy.
• Dog in a costume is cute, but don’t do it unless the dog is extremely receptive to this kind of thing. Otherwise, you could be causing him/her discomfort and stress! Keeping in mind that some dogs may be under enough stress with the festivities going on outside, constant door bell rings and strange looking kids at the door; so don't cause them any more nervousness then you have to.