Tuesday News Day!

I found this story online about how Twilight has influenced it's fans into getting dogs that resemble Jacob, however nearly 100 Huskies, 35 Akitas and 16 Malamutes are being handed into rescue centres because the owners arent able to look after the dogs. This article is quite disheartening I must say because the dogs aren't being able to stay in a stable place and they are being treated as if they are an accessory or a toy, if the owner wants a dog they should be able to commit to it. It is sad knowing the number of dogs going into rescue homes.

Have a read at:
 http://www.londondogforum.co.uk/twilight-films-prompt-increase-in-wolf-dog-breeds-i1933.html

Schnoodle Has Got The X-Factor...

Today my mummy was browsing the internet and found this website..I honestly think this dog is amazing and they should go on a talent show! They almost act as if they think they are human! Sometime I sing like that to mummy, she thinks I'm cute when I do. But she doesn't appreciate it at 2 o'clock in the morning, but I think it is funny hehehe..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiblYasnzWE&feature=player_embedded

Cassie

xx

Well Cavaliers Are Such Teddy Bears

This is a new story I read on BBC News - Mansfield police officers smash window to save toy dog which in all fairness... the teddy does look just like a sleeping cavalier!

A passer-by mistook "Little Willy" for a real dog

 

Cavaliers- Pedigree Dogs Exposed: 3 years on

Last night Pedigree Dogs Exposed aired a review of any changes made in the three years since they first showed what really was happening at Crufts. I think the fact that the RSPCA and Dogs Trust pulled out of sponsoring Crufts really shows how bad things have really gotten for a number of breeds in England because of the guidelines of what a breed 'should' look like. By the end of the programme I was speechless.

One breed mentioned was the Cavalier King Charles, which some have now branded as 'doomed' due to the amount of Cavaliers possessing certain medical problems such as heart murmurs and Syringomyelia (SM). As an owner of a Cavalier I was both angered and deeply upset by a number of stories, such as one Cavalier (who had actually won a number of awards at Crufts) had sired HUNDREDS of litters with the owner having the knowledge that their dog suffered from SM.

Dalmatians are known to suffer from a severe problem where they cannot break down uric acid, which eventually would cause their bladder to rupture if it could not be unblocked. A solution has been found for dalmatians which have been breed with Pointers to eliminate this issue. There is some hope for Cavaliers though, the kennel club will be launching MRI screening for SM, where those looking for a Cavalier puppy can check to see if their parents have been screened and what the result of the screening showed.

It doesn't take a degree to realise reducing genetic diversity causes a whole array of problems. The thought that the Cavalier King Charles may not be here for generations to come to enjoy with their amazing temperament and beautiful nature is heartbreaking.

For the full episode see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01cqp75/

Check out the official blog here:

http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com/

Please give your support here to make the necessary changes:

Born to Suffer| Give animals a voice| RSPCA Campaign Network - RSPCA: Give animals a voice

Dogs in the news- Harrods Pet Spa

Pet spas are pretty popular in Japan and the U.S. but now Britain has opened its very own at Harrods. The idea seems like a pretty cute idea but some of the treatments seem a pretty extreme like nail painting and pet facials, but don't take the news article for face value, when looking at what else the spa actually has to offer I admit I'm impressed.

 

Photo from Daily Mail

 

Not only does the spa offer grooming, washes and pedicures they also have specialist consultants for physiotherapy, massages, behavioural support, fitness training, weight management, the list goes on... There will always be sceptics out there but if you have the money and your pooch doesn't mind being spoilt... I see no problem with a Tea Tree Conditioning Treatment for a dog with sensitive skin.

What does The Pet Spa offer?

Read the news article here

High pitched advert just for dogs?

This may look like a normal advert for Bakers kibble but there is something different about this one. If your little pooch seems to be acting particularly troublesome today this could be the reason why. Bakers think they have come up with a new idea of how to get more pet owners buying this brand. This commercial features whistling, bells ringing and even high pitched sounds that only a dog can hear. This is all to get your dog more interested in the TV and drawing your attention to what they are looking at.

This advert is supposed to be aired for the first time today, so far I haven't seen it but I am wondering about how the dogs will respond. Cassie always gets excited when dogs come on the TV so I doubt it will have much of an effect on her but Morgana would be more interesting as she is more interested in squeaking her teddy bear than watching TV. I look forward to seeing other reactions to this advert, and if it does work I doubt it will have the desired effect and could just lead people to changing the channel or muting the TV.

Doggie carrier bags in the news

We all know that chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dog and they receive a lot of mixed views in the news. Here I found a news article from last year with the heading 'Totally Barking! Vets claim craze of Paris Hilton-style handbag dogs is leaving pets stressed and BALD'.

I'm sure for those out there who have seen me you can tell I am definitely no Paris Hilton wannabe, nor did I buy my chihuahua to be like her. It would be nice if the news would drop this stereotype and stop generalising that all chihuahua owners treat their dogs like a fashion accessory. I'm pretty sure if you asked any chihuahua owner they would more likely describe their chihuahua as a member of the family.

The article states- 'The popularity of Chihuahuas was boosted by the fact they could be carried around in handbags - and a misconception that they needed little looking after.' The important thing to remember here is that chihuahuas are dogs, if you want something to carry around with you 247 get a teddy not a chihuahua. Even though Morgana is extremely clean and very tidy, she does need a lot of mental stimulation and if she needed to go to the vets I wouldn't hesitate (check out Morgana & pyometra).

I have absolutely nothing against chihuahuas being carried in doggie carrier bags, I even have a few myself. Do I use them all the time? No, but when it comes to crowded areas, needing to go to the vets when it is raining/snowing or she is poorly I would use it. Otherwise I  insist that Morgana walks as much as possible and hardly ever pick her up outside (only when crossing very busy main roads). This exercise is needed to burn off all that hyper energy she has.

It is articles and misconceptions like this that bring about the mean comments in the street from strange people who really don't have a clue which is really sad to be honest. The main points to remember are that chihuahuas are dogs, they need their daily walks and to interact. There is nothing wrong with having a doggie carrier bag as long as you don't use it all the time. I guess what it comes down to is dog owners being responsible. A responsible owner would take their dog to the vet before they even started looking like this...

Check out the full article HERE

The One Show- Dog Prosthetics

Last night I managed to just catch The One Show where they had the Bionic Vet, Noel Fitzpatrick, discussing animal prosthetics. I was truly touched with the lengths that these animal owners went to for their pets. There is a lot of debate about whether it is worth 'putting animals through' procedures discussed on the show and that it might not be right.

Here are the stories they talked about.

Oscar;

The cat who had his back legs cut off by a combine harvester. They thought he had no hope and was beyond repair. Oscar is like any other cat now running around outside.

Mitzi;

The dog who was trampled by a horse. The only option was to cut off her leg or leave her leg and put her to sleep. Mitzi was bleeding a lot, her owner opted for the prosthetic leg and could not be happier.

Charlie;

At 14 months he was diagnosed with cancer which was eating away his forearm. Charlie now has a real elbow and a real foot but everything between is metal, but you wouldn't even notice. It has been two years since he was diagnosed and he is a very happy dog.

Oscar and Fitzpatrick

So do these prosthetics involve? Mitzi has an advanced bionic device where a piece of metal was placed through her ankle bone and a prosthetic foot was attached from the outside (an endo and exo-prosthesis). This would not have been possible without the amazing work conducted at University College London, where these implants were designed (similar to that of a deer antler), where skin and bone can grow into a honey-comb web of metal.

Lots of people believe that this kind of procedure isn't possible and many think that it shouldn't be done but watching these animals was extraordinary, to think that any of these animals were going to be put to sleep or that it was being considered that they should be to me seems ridiculous. These types of procedures could also assist in human treatment, even though doctors and vets have diverged Fitzpatrick believes there is a possibility that this could also help people.

The Bionic Vet concluded with the statement 'if its possible why should we not save these animals'.

The episode is available here, the Bionic Vet appears between 35-40mins.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01bbbs8/The_One_Show_27_01_2012/

33,000 years of companionship

Another article in the news today talks about finding domesticated dog bones dating from 33,000 years ago. This skeleton also suggests that dogs didn't have one common ancestor but evolved from several different ancestors. This reasoning comes from several different dig sites in Siberia and Belgium.

They also state that dogs may have been domesticated before any other animal such as sheep and cows. This is pretty significant as it suggests that humans domesticated dogs for other reasons such as protection and maybe even on hunts, compared to cows and sheep which were used for milk, meat and wool etc.

Check out the full article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091192/Dog-skull-Siberia-33-000-years-old--hints-mans-best-friend-didnt-come-single-ancestor.html


Here is some more about dog evolution:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/5/l_015_02.html

The English Setter

Today in the news I was deeply saddened to see a story that the English Setter breed is becoming 'extinct'. According to the news there is a drop of 33% with under 240 English Setter puppies registered last year. Having a Gordon Setter (part of the Setter family) next door I know what adorable dogs they are but also the extremely high maintenance it takes to look after them.

The reasoning behind this breed becoming 'extinct' (explained by the news) is due to dog owners preferring more 'exotic' breeds. A comparison was then made to more then 6,000 chihuahua puppies being registered which is more than a 25% rise. To add to this further a statement was given by the Kennel Club that 'dogs are not immune from our fickle tastes'.

Even though I am really upset that not as many Setter puppies are being registered, I really don't think the reasoning behind what is happening is really being put across. With the demands of living in a busy city, increasingly smaller apartments, smaller parks and busier lifestyles, I personally think all those small dog owners out there are very responsible for having a dog they are properly care and provide the best for.

I also have the utmost respect for large dog owners out there as I know the care and large amounts of time a larger dog takes. I grew up with an rescued cross breed Alsatian, my grandfather also raised Alsatians, so I really do know what it takes to look after a larger dog. Being in the city I would never dream of owning a big dog without a bigger garden and a big park with several hours free every day to take them there.

To read the whole story check it out here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091501/English-setter-brink-extinction-dog-lovers-copy-celebrities-opt-exotic-breeds.html#ixzz1kTSPDVVo

The boxer puppy and the herd of cows

This video was in the news this morning, it was taken when a dog owner was walking their 6month boxer puppy. The puppy's response to the cows is adorable and I'm sure it will make all the animal lovers out there go 'awwwww!'