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Posted Jan 13 2013 12:00am



10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogs Doggie Facts Dogs and humans have been living side-by-side for about 15,000 years, so you might think we know each other pretty well. But there's more to dogs than fetching and playing dead. Here are some little-known facts about man's best friend. Dogs get our diseases ... Humans and canines aren't so different after all, at least regarding what makes us sick. About 6 million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year, and dogs get canine versions of rare human disorders like the brain-wasting neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis that leads to the inability to walk or control their muscles. While illness is sad for humans and pets alike, sharing diseases benefits both species. Clinical trials are easier to run on pets, giving doctors an animal model of human disease -- and Fido a chance for a cure. ... And they can smell our diseases, too  If you have cancer, diabetes, or epilepsy, your dog might be the first to know. Studies have shown that dogs can be trained to sniff out cancers of the lung, breast, skin, bladder and prostate. Researchers suspect the canines are picking up on extraordinarily faint scents given off by the abnormal cells. Dogs are also being increasingly used as service animals for people with diabetes, whose health can be harmed when their blood sugar peaks or drops. Specially trained dogs can detect the scent of these fluctuations (sweet for high blood sugar, acidic for low) and alert their owners before they even feel symptoms. Most mysterious of all are scattered reports that dogs can predict an epileptic seizure 45 minutes before it begins. No one knows what the dogs might be picking up on, but theories range from an unknown smell to subtle behavioral changes. See Spot think Dogs can be as smart as 2-year-old children, according to research presented in 2009 at a meeting of the American Psychological Association. Border collies are the top dogs in the intelligence category, with some in the breed capable of understanding up to 200 words. Poodles, German shepherds, Golden retrievers and Dobermans round out the top five smartest breeds. (The most popular breed in America, the Labrador retriever, comes in at number seven.)




5 Facts About Cats You (Probably) Never Knew


#4 Feather-Weight Champion of the World The world’s smallest cat is the Singapura. This tiny kitty from Southeast Asia usually weighs in at no more than four pounds, which might be light enough for a career on the catwalk (no pun intended).   #3 Vocally Gifted While you shouldn't be holding your breath for a hit song from a cat anytime soon (though you never know with YouTube mania), there is a reason why cats are so talkative: their ability to make over 100 different sounds. Dogs, on the other hand, can make only 10 different vocalizations.  #2 Fear and Loathing ... But Also Love Both Julius Caesar and Napoleon were scared of cats! But not Abraham Lincoln. He loved them, and had four cats during his time as president.   #1 Working Hard for the Money In 1879, Belgium came up with the idea to use cats to deliver their mail. This didn’t last long, though, as the 37 feline mail carriers proved to be too undisciplined to carry out the job. You have to give them credit for trying. Cats just don’t believe in working. That’s for peasants (ask any cat).  So there you have it. Five fun and interesting cat facts.   Meow! It’s Monday.  Adapted from: Dog Behavior Myths Dr. Stu Robson A Humane Society survey says Americans own 78 million dogs. So what do you really know about owning a pooch? Veterinarian Dr. Stu Robson from Fox-Creek Veterinary Clinic talks about some of the most common myths about dog ownership. 1. An old dog can’t learn new tricks.  ((False. Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained.))

2. A dog shouldn’t sleep with you or be allowed on furniture, or she’ll think she’s the boss and will misbehave.  ((False. Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down.))

3. When your dog has a potty accident, it’s important to rub her nose in it to let her know what she did.  ((False. When you rub a dog’s nose in her own mess, she often sees no association between that and her having had a potty accident.)) 4. A dog who cowers from people was likely abused in the past.  ((False. There are various reasons for dogs cowering, and not all of them are because a dog was abused.)) 5. Shelter dogs have too much baggage. It’s better to adopt a puppy to start with a clean slate.  ((False. Many shelter dogs are well-behaved pooches who, for an endless list of possible reasons)) 6. All dogs should enjoy being around other dogs. It’s essential for dogs to go on outings with other dogs, such as at the dog park. If a dog doesn’t enjoy other dogs, there is something wrong with her.  ((False. Not all people are social butterflies and neither are all dogs.)) 7. You should let dogs just fight it out when they get into a scuffle.  ((False (well, at least partly false). It’s true that you should never get into the middle of a dog fight, because some of the most damaging dog bites occur when owners try to separate fighting dogs.  Try using water, a really loud noise, or even a distraction like grabbing a treat bag or using voice to direct them to do something else.)) 8. My dog is trying to show she’s in charge when she doesn’t listen to me.  ((False. dogs don’t have the same complex emotions as humans.  For example, most dogs don’t come when called because the payoff isn’t worth it.)) 9. My dog knows she was bad after she goes potty in the house. Her guilty face says it all.  (( False. “guilty look” dogs display is solely attributed by humans and has no relation to whether the dog is actually responsible for an offense.)) 10. It’s always the owner’s fault when a dog misbehaves.  ((False. Most owners are well-meaning, but are simply misinformed or lack knowledge on how to train their dogs effectively.)) 11. Using treats for training is bribery, and the dog won’t do the behavior later if you don’t give her a treat.  ((False. It’s true that dogs need motivation to perform a behavior.)) 12. When a dog chews up shoes or destroys furniture it’s because she’s punishing the owner.  ((False. Dogs chew on shoes, furniture and other human items not to punish their owners, but simply because it feels good on their teeth, it relieves boredom, releases energy and, in some cases, may indicate separation anxiety.)) 13. A dog can’t really be happy unless she can run off-leash.  ((False. Leashes are made for a dog’s safety. Although regular off-leash play in a fenced area is essential for a dog’s well-being, while out in public, dogs can learn to be perfectly content on a leash at their owner’s side))

14. Dogs are great judges of people, so if a dog doesn’t like someone, it must mean there is something wrong with that person.  ((False. there have been plenty of circumstances where pets have used an apparent sixth sense to pick up on cues that went unseen by their human and actually saved their human’s life. they are reacting out of fear to a certain physical attribute, movement or the physical proximity of a person, and are not reacting based on any moral evaluation of the individual.)) Adapted from: Let's have a little fun now with a couple of quizzes: Dog Facts Test yourself on these dog facts. Points available: 10 1: What is the oldest American bred dog? A) Labrador retriever B) Golden retriever C) Foxhound D) Dalmation 2: It was once common for people's dogs to sleep under the covers. What was the purpose of this? A) To keep warm B) So bugs would migrate to the dog instead of the person C) Protection against unwanted visitors in the night D) The dog would lick their owner while sleeping. This was considered a bath. 3: Which type of dog has webbed feet? A) Bassets B) All retrievers C) All terriers D) Newfoundlands 4: Which musical artist has not written a song with the word 'dog' (or some variation of it) in the title? A) The Red Hot Chili Peppers B) Elvis Presley C) The Baha Men D) Snoop Dogg 5: What is a pedigree? A) A dog whose ancestors are known B) A dog whose ancestors are all the same breed C) A dog whose parents are the same breed D) A dog with parents of a different breed 6: Which type of dog is said to be the smartest? A) Border Collie B) Poodle C) Dachshund D) Jack Russell Terrier 7: What breed of dog is guilty of biting humans the most? A) Boxer B) Pitbull C) German Shepard D) Rottweiler 8: Which dog is a type of hound? A) Pembroke Corgi B) Beagle C) Boxer D) Lowchen 9: Which dog is a type of terrier? A) Pekingese B) Xoloitzcuintli C) Mudi D) Billy 10: What is the most popular breed of dog? A) Cocker spaniel B) Collie C) Golden Retriever D) Labrador Retriever The answers are: D Adapted from: Fictional Pets Can you tell which of these pets belong to which fictional people and families? We've given you a hint by telling you what sort of animal each is -- but we've made it harder by not always telling you what show they're from! Points available: 10 1: Santa's Little Helper (Dog) A) The Simpsons B) Inspector Gadget C) Dr. Frasier Crane D) The Nutmegs 2: Togo (Dog) A) Patty Duke B) The Brady Bunch C) Nancy Drew D) The Jetsons 3: Brian (Dog) A) Dagwood Bumstead B) Peter Griffin C) Charlie Brown D) The Kerbys 4: Tornado (Horse) A) The Lone Ranger B) Zorro C) Ken McLaughlin D) Joe Talbot 5: Eddie (Dog) A) Punky Brewster B) Peter Griffin C) Lisa Douglas D) Martin Crane 6: Asta (Dog) A) Nick and Nora Charles B) Bertie Wooster C) Corporal Rusty D) Sandy and Porter Ricks 7: Mr. Bigglesworth (Cat) A) Dr. Claw B) Baron Greenback C) Dr. Evil D) Mr. Midnight 8: Ruff (Dog) A) "Dirty Harry" Callahan B) Opie C) Dennis the Menace D) Patty Duke 9: Daisy (Dog) A) Dagwood Bumstead B) Opie C) Richie Cunningham D) Nancy Drew 10: Brain the Wonder Dog A) Punky Brewster B) Inspector Gadget C) The Jetsons D) Linus Van Pelt The answers are: B Adapted from:





“Nature does not equally distribute energy. Some people are born old and tired while others are going strong at 70."--Dorothy Thompson, American journalist and radio broadcaster ...where do you fit in? "Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift ...


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