Is Your Home Safe for Your Dog?

By Linda Cole

We don't view our homes the same way our dogs do. They see every little button or tack hiding among the dust bunnies under the bed, and they’re always finding things that have fallen on the floor or that we forgot to pick up. Having a pet means constantly looking around the home to make sure your dog doesn't find something that could be harmful to him if he ate or drank it. We think our home is safe for our pets because it's safe for us, but that’s not always the case. Is your home safe for your dog?

We already know how important it is to make sure we've pet proofed the house, inside and out. But even that doesn't guarantee your dog won't find something potentially dangerous for them. Dogs are experts at finding things in and around the home. Small sticks are fun to chew and play with, but a stick in the mouth of a running dog can be dangerous – he can ram it down his throat if he runs into another dog or the ground.

Dogs pick up anything that looks interesting. To keep your home safe for your dog, look at it from their perspective. The garage, basement or back porch are great places to store things, but a dog can quickly find something they shouldn't have. Watch out for spilled antifreeze, opened bottles of antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, windshield cleaner, stored gas, car batteries, grass clippings from the lawn mower, handsaws, hand tools, string, rope, electrical cords, small tacks, nails, screws or anything that might catch your dog's attention.

Keep your home safe for your dog by making sure knives, forks, potato peelers, dropped food, dropped medications (liquid and pills), dish detergent, all types of soap, cleaning products, drain cleaners, batteries, spices, food, candy, alcohol and gum are all safely stored away from prying noses.

Even if you think your dog is past the chewing stage, don't leave remote controls where your dog can get them. I made the mistake of leaving my TV remote on the coffee table one day. My 10 year old dog was apparently bored and my poor remote was never the same after an afternoon of being chewed on. Dogs will also chew on batteries if they fall out of the remote. The average dog bites at around 200 to 500 pounds of pressure per square inch, and big dogs have a bite pressure even higher.

Many things dogs find on the floor or under the couch or kitchen counter can be harmful to them if swallowed or chewed. Rubber bands, needles (some still attached to thread), string, yarn, balloons, small toys, small balls, clothing, mothballs, Q-Tips, diet pills, cigarette butts, antacid tablets, medications, push pins, paper clips, tacks, nails, jewelry and food often find their way to the floor without us knowing about it.

Paper shredders are a new danger for pets. Make your home safe for your dog by unplugging your shredder when it's not in use. Shredders left on automatic will start to run if the dog or cat licks it. It's unknown if pets lick the shredder because of the smell of the metal or because they smell their owner's scent on the shredder. Veterinarians have seen an increase in pets injured when their tongues become caught in a shredder that started up when they licked it. Some of the injuries have been severe and some dogs have had to have damaged portions of their tongues removed as well as multiple stitches. The best way to prevent accidental shredding of your pet’s tongue is to make sure the shredder is unplugged.

Poisons used to eradicate snails, ants, mice and rats can be found by an inquisitive dog. Most dogs will check out the bait if they find it, and some dogs will try to eat it. Traps not only catch rats and mice, but can catch your dog as well. Make sure poisons, ink cartridges and toners are safely stored away.

No matter how clean we try to keep our homes, things end up on the floor by accident. We need to be aware of what we have in the home that could be dangerous for our pets. They will play with, chew on and consume what they find on the floor or anywhere in the home if they can reach it. Keep your home safe for your dog by seeing it as they do. If in doubt, put it away in a cabinet, drawer or under the sink. Your pet's safety depends on you seeing what they see.

Read more articles by Linda Cole

What to Do When Your Dog Gets Loose

By Ruthie Bently

As a responsible pet owner you never want anything to happen to your dog, but what about those times you have no control over? We have a fenced yard for Skye, but accidents sometimes happen. A delivery person drops off a package and forgets to close the gate or Steve goes to work and forgets to latch it. Like most dogs, Skye loves to play and go for walks and car rides; an open gate is a different matter altogether.

To a dog an open door or gate means freedom – real freedom, not the kind of freedom they get at the end of a leash or at the dog park. It’s the “I'm on my own and can go where I want” freedom. All of the neighborhood smells are very enticing to dogs. The female dog in heat six blocks away or the smells coming from the neighbor’s garbage can; even the smell of something to roll in can trigger their wanderlust.

If this happens to you, what do you do when your dog gets loose? The most important thing is not to panic. You need a clear head to find your dog, and panic will only detract from you doing that in a timely fashion. Time is of the essence, don't waste it. Enlist your family and friends, as they can help you complete multiple tasks at one time. Call as many neighbors as you can, as well as any veterinary offices and animal shelters in your area. Contact the local police animal control officer and make them aware of the situation. They’ll want to know how long the dog has been missing and from where. Unfortunately, dog theft is on the rise and the more information you can remember, the better you can help the police recover your dog if this is the case.

If you have a photo of your dog, make up flyers with their picture as well as your contact information. Include your dog's name, age, gender, any scars your dog may have, whether or not they were micro-chipped or tattooed, and where they were last seen. Be as specific as possible. Get the flyers made as quickly as possible and begin distributing them. Make sure to get copies to the vet offices, shelters and police departments you contacted, as well as your neighbors. If there is a grocery store or mall nearby, ask the store owners if they've seen your dog or if they will put your flyer in their window. If you know which direction your dog went, take flyers, a leash, spare collar, dog treats and their favorite noisy toy with you. Get in the car and begin driving in that direction. Make sure you leave someone at home to man the phones in case your dog is found while you are out looking.

The best thing to do is to be prepared. If you have a plan in place before your dog becomes lost, you can accomplish finding them that much faster. Have a current photo of your dog taken and update it every six months. Write down a detailed description of your dog. Include the information mentioned above, as well as your current contact information. Make sure your dog's identification tag has your current address and phone numbers on it. You may want to have another family member's phone number on it as well. Take your dog for a walk in the neighborhood and stop and introduce yourself and your dog to the neighbors. Your neighbors will be less afraid of a strange dog wandering the neighborhood if they have already met it in person.

Consider a GPS collar for your dog. There's a company in Minnesota that manufactures one that you don't need a cell phone or monthly subscription to be able to use. It has a hand held GPS system that uses current satellite technology to find your dog. If your dog is not microchipped or tattooed, you might want to consider that. Shelters are required by law to have a microchip reader, and many dogs have found their way home due to this technology. Many veterinary offices also have chip readers and if a stray is brought in they'll do what they can to return your dog.

No one that lives with a dog ever wants to be separated from them. The emotions we feel for our canine companions run as deep as those for a human family member. By being prepared you can help bring your beloved dog home quicker, and the reunion will be that much sweeter.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently

the trials of briar

Oh, if only Briar would relax. He just seems so wound up.

joke

Kamilla Ken Hardcore sex - 36 min

Hard Working Dogs That Protect and Serve

By Julia Williams

The relationship between dogs and humans goes back thousands of years. Long before they became “man’s best friend,” dogs had other important jobs. Canines have been enlisted in the military for ages, serving as sentry and patrol dogs, to detect mines, bombs, booby traps, enemy troops and more. Because a canine’s keen senses of smell and hearing are far superior to human soldiers, many a wartime battle would’ve had a tragically different outcome without dogs.

Working dogs are tremendously useful to law enforcement and homeland security, and ranchers rely on them to help with herding sheep and guarding livestock. Assistance dogs provide life changing support to the disabled, and therapy dogs help the sick and elderly find joy in an otherwise challenging existence. As you can see, the list of “canine careers” is long and varied. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Police Dogs – K9 Units

Police officers rely on their K9 partner to help them chase, subdue and apprehend criminals, to provide support during building searches, patrols and crowd control, and to detect illegal substances like drugs and weapons. There’s no question these dedicated and hard working dogs help keep their partners/handlers safe in a highly dangerous job. Their very presence can also prevent crime and diffuse a volatile situation, because delinquents often rethink their actions when confronted by a formidable canine with sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

Many different breeds are used as police dogs, but the German Shepherd is the most popular. This breed is in the herding class of working dogs, and is valued by law enforcement for their size, strength, intelligence and work ethic. The second most popular police dog is the Belgian Malinois (pronounced mal-in-waw), often referred to as a smaller, sleeker version of a German Shepherd. Belgian Malinois are hard working dogs with a high level of endurance, noted for their speed, intelligence and agility.

Last year, CANIDAE donated a Belgian Malinois named Baco to the Pomona, California Police Department's Canine Unit. According to his partner/handler, Officer Theo Joseph, Baco is progressing well in his training and has proven to be a fine police dog. You can read more about Baco and other hard working CANIDAE sponsored dogs on the “Special Achievers” section of their website.

Bomb Dogs and Drug Dogs

Detection dogs are a vital part of our country’s security forces. AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson said, “Despite advances in security technology, the canine and its unique abilities remain a valued resource for the military and law enforcement agencies that work to keep us safe."

Bomb dogs can quickly locate explosives in a large area that might take humans hours to search. These explosive-sniffing dogs are trained to detect up to 30 different odors that might comprise a bomb, which translates into as many as 19,000 combinations. Detection dogs can also provide peace of mind by quickly confirming that large venues (convention centers, stadiums, concert halls, government buildings, etc.) are free of explosives. Detection dogs are also trained to sniff out illegal drugs, weapons, agricultural products and fire-starting accelerants, either carried on a person or in luggage, packages, vehicles and buildings. Detection dogs must learn to perform reliably in any environment, despite distractions such as loud noises, crowds, and gunfire.

A trained detection dog’s sense of smell is not only highly sensitive, but very exact. In lab tests, bomb sniffing dogs were able to detect odor concentrations as minute as one part per billion. Much to the dismay of smugglers, detection dogs are also remarkably adept at picking out contraband even when it’s placed inside smelly things or in creatively sealed packages.

Some of the dog breeds used for detection work include Beagle, Bloodhound, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, Bouvier, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and Giant Schnauzer.

Military Working Dogs (MWDs)

The U.S. military has employed working dogs since the Revolutionary War, where they were used as pack animals. During World War I, MWDs were used to kill rats in the trenches. For World War II, our military deployed more than 10,000 specially trained canine troops as sentries, scouts, messengers and mine detectors. Today’s military working dogs perform many jobs, among them locating and tracking enemy troops, detecting mines, bombs and booby traps, and defending military bases and field locations. The majority are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois, breeds valued for their aggressive, intelligent, loyal and athletic traits.

After their training (canine bootcamp?), all military working dogs are paired with a single individual, called a handler. The handler usually does not remain with one dog for the length of either's military service, but generally partners with them for at least a year, and sometimes longer.

Other hard working dogs that “protect and serve” include Search & Rescue Dogs, Cadaver Dogs, Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs. There are far too many to discuss in one sitting. However, I do think these dedicated working dogs provide an invaluable service and deserve recognition, so I will talk more about these canine careers in my next post.

Read more articles by Julia Williams

two rabbits, intent

public domain

Not much findable about this artist: Kobi (Japanese, active 19th century). Drawn with a brush in black ink, "with traces of pink watercolor" though I cannot see any, these stubby and intelligent-looking creatures reminded me of nothing so much as the fierce cats in Goya's Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga of 1734. (You know that one - the little boy in red with a pet bird, and three ravenous kitties, one reduced to a pair of burning eyes in the dark.) That doesn't surprise me, since Japanese folklore makes the moon rabbit responsible for creating the elixir of immortality. Quite a responsibility, but these two look like they could take it.

You may see this piece at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Latina - 7 min