Health Benefits of Pets to Their Owners

-Pets Help to Lower Blood Pressure A recent study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did those who did not own a pet. (Dr. Karen Allen, State University of New York at Buffalo)
-Pets Help to Reduce Stress Walking with a pet helps to sooth nerves and offers instant relaxation. Studies conducted worldwide have shown that the impact of a stressful situation is lesser on pet owners, especially males, than on those who do not own a pet. (Josephine M. Wills, Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, United Kingdom)
-Pets Help to Prevent Heart Disease Because pets provide people with faithful companionship, research shows they may also provide their owners with greater psychological stability, thus a measure of protection from heart disease. (National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets)
-Pets Help to Lower Health Care Costs People with pets actually make fewer doctor visits, especially for non-serious medical conditions. (National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets)
-Pets Help to Fight Depression Pets help fight depression and loneliness, promoting an interest in life. When seniors face adversity or trauma, affection from pets takes on great meaning. Their bonding behavior can foster a sense of security. (Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship)

supermarket sued over dog ban

Should service dogs be allowed in supermarkets? What if the dog is being blamed for causing damage to the store? This debate is going on in Connecticut

New Haven Register Article

The Cromwell, CT Dog Park Effort

Dog Parks are becoming more and more popular as dog owners look for ways to exercise and socialize their furry friends. In fact, many people inquire about the proximity of dogs parks when buying a new home.

I have since joined the effort of the passionate people in this beautiful town of Cromwell - located in central Connecticut. Our goal is to raise funds through private donations in order to construct a public use dog park.
For any companies who read this blog, we are currently asking for product samples for upcoming fundraisers (and money is always nice too! :-). The products will be used as door prizes and giveaways during our various events. Our next fundraiser will be an information/donation booth at the Cromwell Riverfest in August. We would be grateful for any help in our efforts to beautify a part of the community and create a place for dogs and their owners.
For more information about our efforts, check out this article http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2010/06/15/news/doc4c16f5ba0ecba526041112.txt.

More Health Benefits of Dogs

Did you know that just being in your pup's presence makes you healthier? Here's what the latest research suggests:

• Petting your pup boosts production of pleasure hormones in the brain, helping to keep your stress and blood pressure at healthy levels.
• Canine company aids the recovery of heart attack patients and has a calming effect on people with Alzheimer's.
• Regular walks with your dog lift your mood and improve your fitness.
• Kids who grow up with dogs seem to have stronger immune systems and may be less likely to develop asthma, eczema, and pet allergies later in life.

Rob Thomas Song Inspired by Dog

For those of you who are fans of Matchbox Twenty and their lead singer Rob Thomas, you probably already know that Rob Thomas is an animal lover. In fact, the song he wrote for the Disney Movie "Meet The Robinsons" which was released in 2007, was inspired by his dog.

As Rob Thomas tells the story, he was having a bad day, and gets back to his room, and his Terrier Mutt is there to greet him. The dog is just looking at him, not really caring that Thomas had a bad day. Seeing his dog made him realize that it doesn't matter how the day went, his pet doesn't care. And of course, the dog also cheered up Thomas.

Here is a youtube link to the video of the song.

Morning Lesson From My Dogs

Every day when my dogs wake up, they are excited. The are wide awake, full of energy, ready to start the day. I find that there are some lessons to learn from my dogs early morning routine.

The first thing my dogs do in the morning is come over to my side of the bed, bark, and wait for me to react. They then jump up and wish me a happy good morning. The Lesson? - Maybe we should all wish our loved ones a happy good morning.

Then, when I get up for them, they are excited to start their next day. They are happy to be here, happy to be able to start anew after a restful night. Lesson - We should also be excited that we are starting our day anew.

Even if I yelled at them the night before, they are always there the next morning happy to see me. Maybe I should take that lesson to heart as well.

The dogs never tire of their early morning walks. They don't make a fuss about seeing the outside world, or being able to walk around the block. Instead, they embrace the fact that they are able to leave the house and be with their care taker on another new morning. I guess I should follow that lesson and enjoy my morning walk and be thankfull for the exercise, and the fact that others can't walk and enjoy their mornings in this way.

I never thought I could learn so much from my dog's example in just a few hours each morning.

dog, pet lessons

Children's Book Review - CRASH

For those of us who grew up with pets, we can relate to the boy in author Mayra Calvani's new children's book, "CRASH."

Describing it as the happiest day of his life, five year old Marcelo instantly bonds with his new Golden Retriever puppy. He bathes his puppy, plays with him, and learns the responsibilities that go along with puppy ownership.

There is one major issue for Marcelo, finding a name for his puppy. After several suggestions from his parents, the name he ultimately picks surprises them, but in reality, is the perfect name.

I can relate to Marcelo's plight....naming things, especially pets, was never my best talent. I had a brown dog named...Buster Brown. I had a calico cat named....can you guess?....that's right....Cal.

Luckily, Marcelo's character has more imagination then I ever did!

For more information on the book, you can check out the blog's website, http://www.crashthepuppy.blogspot.com/.

Plus, 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue Organization.

Do You Talk To Your Pet?

All About Pets is pet website from the UK and they recently posted a survey asking if you talk to your pet. Not surprisingly, 97% of those taking the survey said yes.

Do animals know you're having a conversation with them? In some ways they do. They get to know certain phrases and certain actions that go with those phrases. Like it or not, humans are creatures of habit, and our furry pets, especially dogs, learn based on repetition, so it's no surprise that they know our habits.

I have conversations with my pets all the time. That doesn't mean they know what the heck I'm talking about, and they aren't going to solve the price of gas problem, but they do become a way for us as humans to vent, and provide therapy in so many ways.

What kind of conversations do you have with your pets?

Dogs For Disabled Vets

http://www.petside.com/news/the-dog-tags-program.html

The Dog Tags program can be found via the link above. It's a unique program that benefits disabled soldiers coming home from war. But, the program also involves prisoners who are training these dogs. Essentially, there are two programs working together:

The Dog Tags Program: More and more soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabling injuries that make it difficult to cope with the challenges of daily life. For this reason, Puppies Behind Bars has started the Dog Tags program.

The Puppies Behind Bars Program: Puppies Behind Bars is a program which trains inmates to raise Golden Retriever and Labrador puppies to become service dogs for the disabled and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.

There are many ways to help this program, including helping an inmate train a dog, and by making a donation.

Personally, I love the fact that dogs are helping these disabled soldiers to life a better life. Maybe more non-prisoners can come forward and help train these dogs? For me, the thought of making a donation to help a prisoner doesn't entice me to act. What are your thoughts?

Fish Not Boring

I've heard the familiar response when I tell people I have fish, that fish are boring. For any of us fishkeepers, we know that is far from the truth.

Fish can recognize their caretakers. Maybe not as much as dogs and cats, but fish do come to the front of the tank when their keepers walk by. Naturally, it may have something to do with the fact that the fishkeeper is also the one that feeds the fish, but many of our furry friends are trained with treats and food as well.

There are so many different varieties of fish, that you can put several fish hobbyists in a room, and they'll all have something different that they like to keep. Even the somewhat well known goldfish has a variety of strains, colors, and varieties. And each one has its own unique personality and habits.

Fish, as most pets, aren't without controversy. A few years ago, it was the arguments against genetically engineering a "glowing" strain of danio fish. Recently, the debate has been whether it's human to inject "glass" type of fish (those clear, colorless fish) with a dye to make them more colorful and "appealing" to the fish keeper.

Everyone has different animals and pets that they enjoy caring for, and no matter what your favorite, your pets make great pals. So enjoy caring for them, even if someone thinks your pet is boring.