I think all dog owners have wondered about their dogs relationship with time. They don’t hold grudges and seem just as happy to see you after five minutes as after five hours. They remember faces, dog foods, and foes, but by no recognizable system of measure.
Did we discover time or invent it?
William Roberts and his colleagues at the University of Western Ontario’s Psychology Department discovered that rats are capable of keeping track of how much time has passed since they discovered a piece of cheese, but they don’t actually create memories of when the discovery occurred. To say, rats cannot place their findings in time seems obvious to me. Time and its instruments are as human as cheesecake or promotions, a specification of sweet things and social order.
“The research team, led by Roberts, designed an experiment in which rats visited the ‘arms’ of a maze at different times of day. Some arms contained moderately desirable food pellets, and one arm contained a highly desirable piece of cheese. Rats were later returned to the maze with the cheese removed on certain trials and with the cheese replaced with a pellet on others.
All told, three groups of rats were tested in the research using three varying cues: when, how long ago or when plus how long ago.
Only the cue of how long ago food was encountered was used successfully by the rats.
These results, the researchers say, suggest that episodic-like memory in rats is qualitatively different from human episodic memory, which involves retention of the point in past time when an event occurred.” (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403183024.htm)
Makes me think that time is just a system to ensure precision, and it causes as many headaches as advancements.
And I’m glad my dog doesn’t wear a watch? Can you imagine?
yes. Most vets recommend that pet owners brush their dog’s teeth twice a week. One of the most common ailments faced by vets is periodontal or gum disease. Periodontal disease is caused by the buildup of plaque and eventually results in receding gums. Persistent bad breath, brownish deposits around the gum line, especially on back teeth, red swollen gums, loose teeth, painful and or bleeding gums are all signs of oral disease.
Make sure to use special pet toothpaste, ingesting human toothpaste can make your pup very sick.
There is also special toothbrushes to make it easier on you. Bones, chew toys, high quality premium dog food and special teeth cleaning treats are all good for keeping your dogs mouth sparkling and clean.
This story sounds like the beginning of a Magnum PI episode.The Malaysian mob has ordered a 30k hit on wonder sniffers, Lucky and Flo.The two black labs are the only dogs in the world trained to detect the scent of polycarbonate (a chemical used in optical discs) and have led police to more than 3.5 million dollars worth of illegal, pirated and child pornographic DVDs.
Lucky and Flo are frequently moved around, and security around them has been increased.
I suggest a good disguise for these innocent heroes.
In my latest meanderings of the wide web, I have come across an alarming prejudice. It seems, black dogs are the least likely to be adopted. Thankfully, I have also come across much outrage and many attempts to bring awareness to this issue. Why don’t more people take home black dogs? Some reasons cited by other wondering parties include insensitivity to light when photographing black dogs for appraisal, a bad rap in folklore and mythology, and ignorantly associating black dogs with aggression. This prejudice, whether conscious or unconscious, even has a name, “The Black Dog syndrome.” Check out our latest link for more information on it.
My own beautiful black dog is sitting in the living room right now snapping at a hovering fly. And I think, isn’t what we love most about dogs the fact that they never judge us. He’s never once made cracks about me being short or snubbed friends with bright purple hair. He licks and loves everyone without discrimination. I wish we could do the same.
The owners of Wawa, a three year old pug dog, in Xi’an, Northwest Shaanxi Province, claim that Wawa can add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers up to ten. Mr. Pang, his owner, noticed early that Wawa displayed a particular sensitivity towards numbers. He taught Wawa to bark once when he heard one, bark twice when he heard two, and so on. Now, Wawa can answer questions such as “2 + 2″ with four barks, and “9 / 3″ with 3 barks. Reporters from the Sanquin Daily even tested Wawa without Mr. Pang to rule out the possibility of secret signals.
Well, the studies aren’t conclusive but there is a CD out there that claims to know exactly what kind. “Songs That Make Dogs Happy” is full of catchy tunes. It was created in collaboration with an animal communicator and several dog focus groups. It turns out that dogs aren’t fond of over zealous drum sounds or the word “no” in songs. Songs on the CD include “Squeaky Deakey”, “I’m your doggie”, and “Scratch My Back”. Reviews say the song praising the squeak toy is hysterically effective.
This is one man’s earnest experiment with their dog. I listened to it with Stranger, and he did pay attention. But, I wouldn’t say he enjoyed it. He seemed a combination of offended and curious.
Stranger and I go to the dog park a couple times a week, and we often bring along some tennis balls.It’s amazing, not to mention revealing, how many different responses we get as the ball flies through the air.Some crouch and wait, as if they are hunting, some run fast and fetch, others try their best to herd the mob of barkers and chasers.And of course, there’s Stranger’s best friend who is simply terrified of balls.As well as dogs have adapted to car rides, Christmas trees, the occasional sweater, and kibble, along with all the other neurosis and rituals of modern life, it wasn’t that long ago that dogs were herding sheep (some still do) and hunting their own food.
In the last five to ten years, more and more vets have begun to recommend a raw foods diet and more and more markets have begun to carry it.What exactly is a raw foods diet?Dr. Billinghurst, author of Give Your Dog a Bone and Grow Your Pups with Bones and an expert in the bones and raw food diet ( yes, otherwise known as BARF)describes it as “a biologically appropriate diet for a dog… one that consists of raw whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs’ wild ancestors. The food fed must contain the same balance and type of ingredients as consumed by those wild ancestors. This food will include such things as muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that will mimic what was those wild ancestors ate.”
Don’t let the name put you off; a BARF diet has many advantages that shelf kibble and even canned dog food can’t boast.A raw dog food diet is nutritionally diverse, rich in enzymes and beneficial antioxidants, and convenient (simply thaw).The minerals are better assimilated, amino acids such as taurine are not destroyed, the vitamins are more bioavailable, and the natural digestive enzymes are still present.A raw foods diet can improve the quality of a canine’s coat and his digestive system. Some even say their dogs smell better.
Most of the dry dog food and wet foods that populate the grocery store shelves use heat processing which can result in a loss of up to 100% of certain vitamins, 10% of certain fatty acids, up to 60% of certain amino acids, and the oxidation of cholesterol.
Critics of the raw foods diet claim that it is unsanitary, but there is little evidence to back that up.It is however incredibly important to follow the guidelines of good hygiene and common sense in preparation.Serve immediately after defrosted, and thoroughly wash hands and any dishes that come into contact with the foods.Choose a diet that has been balanced according to national AAFCO standards and passed AAFCO feeding trials. Also, gradually shift your dog’s diet to avoid digestion problems.
Below are some of the many raw foods K9 cuisine carries:
charming.
