the literary corgi (?)

I had picked up Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader from the library simply because I like his books. The are gently wry, lacking in sentiment, rich in off-hand humor -- all the things I treasure about the best Brit lit.

I did NOT expect the book to kick off into gear through the first-page agency of a pack of corgis. (OK, "corgyn" if you wish to get all Welsh on me.) They're the royal corgis, in fact, and they are leading Her Majesty The Queen on a chase, and as it happens the local bookmobile is in the way. Her Majesty has never been on a bookmobile before. She doesn't read much literature. But in Bennett's world that is about to change. (You might like the New York Times review here.)

Good Lord, the royal corgis. I've never posted on them. The UK Times Online has a funny little snippet on their room in the Palace. And at the Official Website for the British Monarchy, you can read about Family Pets (as well as working animals and horses and such). The Queen also has dorgis, a dachshund/corgi mix. And former Royal butler Paul Burrell has unsportingly "kissed and told" in an interview: "I slept with Chipper the Queen's corgi."

Pet Identity: Tags and Micro-Chips

By Anna Lee

Human beings have personal identification documents, such as our driver’s license, that we carry around with us. We can prove who we are by showing our identification. Our pets also need some type of identification on them at all times. Since they don’t carry a wallet around with them, what do you do? At the very least you get them identification tags, and possibly take a step further by getting a micro-chip.

Statistics from the American Human Society show that only 17% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats find their way back to their owners if they are turned into a shelter. Therefore, it is up to you to make sure that your dog or cat is properly identified with a collar, tags and a micro-chip. You want to give your dog or cat the best odds of being returned to you.

You can buy tags and have them engraved at many locations including pet stores, through catalogues and even through your vet’s office. I have seen tag making machines in the common areas of large malls. Abby has had many tags in her lifetime. She started her life as a puppy in New Jersey, so she had her first tag with her name and our address and phone number. We moved to Tennessee and then began a series of new tags with each move.

The information you choose to put on the tag is up to you. On Abby’s last three tags we only had her name and our phone number, which is sufficient information. Her rabies tag, which is also on her collar, has our vet’s name, address and phone number. You can put your address, your cell phone or home phone, your e-mail address; you decide what information you want on the tag. If your dog has a special medical condition you can get a tag made with that information. An example would be if you have a hearing impaired dog. The tag could read: Dixie is hard of hearing but knows hand signals.

If you move or change your phone number, remember to get a new tag. You need to inspect the identification tags as they do wear, become thin and break off, which just happened to one of Abby’s tags recently. Make sure you check the collar and tags at least monthly.

Another form of pet identification is a micro-chip. This is not very expensive and it will give you peace of mind. A micro-chip is the size of a grain of rice, and it contains a number that is assigned to your pet and your pet only. The chip is inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades. It takes a few seconds for a vet to insert a micro-chip. It does not hurt at all and most dogs and cats don’t even feel it.

The number on the microchip is entered into a database such as Central Animal Registry or PETtrac. If your dog or cat gets lost and some kind soul turns them into a shelter or humane society, a worker can run a scanner over the area where micro-chips are implanted and get a reading of the number. The number is then entered into a computer and your name, address and phone number will show on the screen.

A micro-chip is not expensive, and it is worth the peace of mind. We travel back and forth between Tennessee and New Jersey and take other vacations during the year. I like knowing that if Abby gets lost I have a good chance of her being found and returned to me. When we moved last year I contacted the micro-chip company associated with Abby’s chip and gave them my updated information. The information was changed at no additional cost.

We had it done in 2002 and we paid approximately $25 to the vet, plus a one time $20 fee to the micro-chip company. Prices vary by veterinarian but the range is somewhere between $25 - $40 to have the chip implanted and around $20 to have the information entered into the database.

Micro-chips don’t hurt your pet, and can be read at most vet offices. The micro-chip cannot wear out and it is 100 percent safe for your pet. There are no disadvantages to this type of identification.

Make sure your dog or cat is protected with a collar and tags at the very least. If you have a few extra dollars, invest in a micro-chip for added protection. Your pet is depending on you for protection.

Read more articles by Anna Lee

“Dirty” Water is Dangerous for Dogs

By Ruthie Bently

What exactly is “dirty” water? Dirty water is water that has been polluted, either from something being put into it directly or indirectly from a change in the environment. A perfect example of dirty water would be water with lawn chemicals in it, which might be runoff from someone’s lawn or even the runoff from the greens into a water hazard at a golf course. There can be other things in “dirty” water that are not chemicals that can also harm your dog.

We have been having a drought for the last several years here in Minnesota, and this year as in several years past, someone’s dog has died after drinking water that had blue green algae in it. The toxins in blue green algae affect a dog’s neuromuscular system. The toxins are released after there is an algae bloom and the algae begin to die. Depending on the size of the dog and their exposure to the algae the dog could have an immediate reaction or one that can be delayed for up to twelve hours later. Keeping your dog away from any pond or lake with algae in it on a hot summer day is the best way to handle this situation, no matter how much your dog begs you to let them go for a swim.

Dirty water can have other things in it that can be harmful to your dog. Giardia is a microscopic protozoan parasite which comes from water that has been contaminated with feces from other animals. It could come from runoff from any building that houses animals, or even a deer going past a puddle on your favorite trail and stopping to relieve themselves. Giardia can cause your dog to have diarrhea and digestive problemsm, and if not treated could result in your dog losing weight. Your dog may show no symptoms, or may have gas and diarrhea.

Your dog could also get leptospirosis, which is a disease caused by leptospires, a bacterium that is spiral in shape. Dogs get infected by coming in contact with the urine of animals that are already infected. As this can affect wild animals, there are many places in both towns and in rural areas where water may be contaminated. These can include, but are not limited to puddles, streams and lakes. Even a puddle in your fenced back yard, if frequented by wildlife, might be contaminated. The signs for a dog that may be infected vary from dog to dog, but some signs are refusal to eat, severe weakness, depression, stiffness, severe muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain.

So how do you keep your dog safe on your walks or rambles through the local park or woods? Plan ahead and make sure to take a canteen or water bottle along for your dog, so that they are not temped to take a drink from water that they should not be sampling. In this way, you will not only be keeping your dog hydrated, you will also be keeping them safe from dirty water.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently

quite a find of vintage dog photos

Washington DC, 1922: Four boys, hair neatly slicked and good knicker-trousers on, sadly carry a little white box. It's a "Dog Funeral," and you may see this touching image on my latest thrilling find: the Shorpy blog.

"A vintage photography blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s," it calls itself, and I can attest to the amount and quality all right. Of course, I went looking for dogs to bring to your attention, and I found them (I searched for "Dogs"). So why not see if you can find, say, the shepherd dog with his master under the free blue skies of 1942 Montana? Or the White House dog (??) inexplicably perched on a medicine ball? Or little Princess Priscilla of Romania, in tiny white shoes and a hopeful expression, holding a half-asleep spainel on a leash?

L.A. residents urged to evacuate from wildfires with pets

Interesting article about pets sometimes being forgotten during evacuations........

As wildfires surge around the Los Angeles basin, pet owners need to take special care that their charges are safe. Most important is to take pets with you if you're evacuated, says Heather Case, the American Veterinary Medicine Association's coordinator of emergency preparedness and response.

"Everyone should be thinking 'How am I going to transport my pets?'" she says. "Take the order to evacuate seriously. Animals, because they're smaller than we are, are quite sensitive to smoke."

In past years during wildfires in California, animal e-mail lists "have gone crazy" but they're strangely silent this time, says Christie Keith, a contributing editor to the blog PetConnection.com. "It's been very different from previous fires where people had been clamoring for help with their pets," she says. "Maybe because it's such a more populated area people are following the evacuation orders. Or maybe five hours from now this is going to explode."

So best to be prepared. For cats, that includes having a carrier large enough to accommodate a temporary litter box, even a makeshift one that will work a few days, Case says. For dogs, leashes and collars are a must. Even the most well-behaved dog will need one in the confusion and excitement of an evacuation setting.

Identification for animals is crucial, in case they become separated from their owners. "Ideally, your pet is micro chipped," Case says. Failing that, some pet shops make tags while you wait. Owners in fire zones should think of including both their cell phone number and the number of someone well away from the fire area, should cell phone coverage break down or the pet's owner be unable to respond. With the Los Angeles fires threatening the Mt. Wilson communications hub, it's possible that cell phone service in the area could be disrupted, making local cell phone numbers unreliable.

For animals outside the evacuation areas, minimizing stress from smoke and the sound of helicopters, fire engines and general chaos is important.

"Shut down the noise as much as you can," suggests Ricky Whitman, spokesperson for the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. Sometimes running the air conditioner helps to mask outside sounds, and cut down on the smoke smell. "Pay attention to your animals behaviors, because some animals are very sensitive and others don't seem to care quite so much," she says.

Several groups are offering to take in animals who need to be boarded during the fires. They include the Casitas Hotel for Cats in Glendale, which can only take cats, and the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, which is taking cats, dogs and some wildlife. The Kitty Liberation Front provides details on local shelters that are accepting both cats and dogs.

The Humane Society's national site has checklists and our earlier post details U.S. government's plans on how to evacuate animals.

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY

What is a Dog's Wagging Tail Saying?

By Linda Cole

Tail wagging is part of the body language of dogs. Children, as well as adults, have been bitten by dogs who were wagging their tails. The position of a dog's tail not only shows how he is feeling, mentally and physically, but also signals impending danger to the pack from outside forces or from the dog himself.

A dog uses the tail as a social statement to greet their owners, other dogs, cats and situations they may encounter. Just as we greet a friend or acquaintance with a smile or handshake, so it is with dogs. We may smile as we shake hands with someone we consider to be an adversary and a dog's wagging tail that we take as a friendly greeting can be the same. It's important to pay attention to the dog's entire body language to understand the full meaning of the tail.

So just what does all this tail wagging mean? Anyone who has had the pleasure of their dog's excitement upon returning home has seen the “Oh boy, I'm so glad you're home” wag. The dog's tail wags fast and can even move in a circle. He's extremely happy to see you and his excited tail says he likes you a lot. The tail moving in a circle when dogs are playing also means that if they are fighting, it's nothing more than play.

A light wag is considered to be their normal greeting when they aren't excited and a slow, short wag simply lets you know they are pleased with what's going on around them. A dog's tail that is relaxed reflects just that – contentment and a relaxed state of mind.

It's easy for us to see our dog's excitement with happy tail wags, but a dog's tail will also alert us to possible aggression towards us or another dog. The position of the tail in this instance is important to understand.

A tail standing tall and erect that is flipped over the dog's back is a clear sign that the dog is in control and trusting. An upright tail not curled over his back is saying this dog feels he is dominate and is also a sign of authority. This is one clue to watch out for when meeting an unfamiliar dog. Just because a dog's tail shows dominance doesn't mean he is a threat, it only means you should watch him if you aren't familiar with this dog. Pay attention to his entire body language to determine the true state of mind in deciding if the dog is a threat.

The same caution applies to a dog whose tail is tucked between his legs. This tail position indicates an animal who is fearful, insecure or not feeling well. Approach carefully if the tail is between their legs because a fearful or sick animal could lash out if they feel threatened. You can tell if your dog doesn't feel well when his tail hangs down and is close to his back legs with a slow wag. If you see his legs bent slightly with his tail tucked between his legs, this is a sign of insecurity as well as being afraid. Dogs are like us and can get snippy if they don't feel good or are scared of something or someone.

If you see your dog's tail hanging straight out behind him, he is watching something that interests him which has his full attention. When the tail is straight out and rigid, this guy is on alert. He's seeing something or someone he doesn't know or he is faced with something he believes may be a threat to himself or his pack.

Dog owners know that really excited dog tail wag with his hind quarters wiggling in anticipation of a long awaited walk or game of catch. This is a wag that shows just how happy our dogs are to be near us. A dog who wants to play will invite you to join in with a smile and a bow. His eager tail is waving high as he stretches out his front legs and lowers his head. That’s a sure sign he wants a little “me time” with his favorite pack member, so reward him with a game. He doesn't care which game you choose, he just wants to play.

The tail can show you the mood your dog is in as well as give you hints if you confront a dog you don't know. Watch the dog's tail along with the rest of his body language for signs he can be trusted and does not pose a threat to you or your family. A dog's tail doesn't lie. We just need to pay attention to what the dog's tail is trying to communicate to us.

Read more articles by Linda Cole

Ridiculous