Any early week in tweets this week.
Rescue and Welfare (and No Kill)
A really disturbing post from YesBiscuit, titled “Shelter Directors Say the Darndest Things“. Most heinous is the Jackson Co pound that, when it was revealed that they were killing microchipped pets, said, “One thing we’ve committed to is that we’re going to scan them all after they’ve been euthanized.” (YesBiscuit made another disturbing post, too, about the number of pet killing ads in humane society magazine… Unsettling stuff!)
Woof’s Law - seeking to change legislation in South Australia to make microchips more powerful for pets to find their way home. Currently just a Facebook group, but surely will be larger at some point.
Foundation for the Young, Charismatic and Good Looking.
The state of pitbulls in Franklin County - looking at the statistics regarding pound admissions and killing. Shelters aren’t good for pitties.
Two posts from Love and a Six Foot Leash today. The first is, “Less Adoptable: Says Who?“, rethinking what it means to really be ‘unadoptable’. They also posted a great article on “When we don’t see eye to eye” outlining the gentle method to converting individuals to your cause.
The power of being positive in your adoptable pet profile
Dogs and Kids
How to love your dog – believe it or not, dogs don’t love the same way we do! Human affection, such as hugs and kisses, puts kids at risk of dog bites.
New dog bite research, assessing kid’s knowledge from the KC Dog Blog. (They also wrote a summary of fatal dog bites and attacks in the USA in 2011. Surprisingly, the majority were not kids.)
How can you prevent your dog from growling at your baby?
Dog Health
The billion dollar heartworm scam - The Terrierman put a lot more effort into what I’ve been trying to tell people for a long time! Heartworm is not a serious risk in most areas, as the temperature is simply incompatible with heartworm development. If you are regularly treating your dogs for heartworm, you might want to have a read of this. (I also tweeted Terrierman’s post on the inaccuracies of DNA testing.)
Dog Products
Cool kennels in South Australia by TL Roofing and Maintenance.
Dog training
Are you guilty of tribalism in dog training?
Infographic: Why dogs bark
Denise Fenzi talks about her dog Cisu, and how she trains using play as an interaction.
Fanny Gott’s article on value in heeling.
The rise and fall of Cesar Milan – an article that is not loud and insulting, but well justified, talking calmly about Cesar Milan and his methods.
Nicole Wilde describes some of her frustrations while at the dog park.
A possible solution for dogs that bark out of the window: Boogie the Boston Terrier blog talking about Window Film.
Dog Science
Dogs can hear how big you are…
Ancient domesticated dog skull found in Siberian cave: 33, 000 years old
Other stuff
Click and Treat talked about how ‘bad’ genes can be good pets - really, talking about the importance of selecting the right breed for the right family.
For those that were interested in what they read about dingos in my recent post, you might also be interested in Catalyst’s article here: The last of the dingoes
Edie at Will My Dog Hates Me has found out about Freud and his dogs! Cool stuff.
The day in the life of a good breeder… “If only people knew what good breeders do”
Dog storage lockers! Crates outside of shops instead of tying up your dog.
Animal Stuff
Two posts on animal morality: Do animals know right from wrong? New clues hint to ‘yes’. and Animal Morality: Six amazing videos
Then there is this (language warning, as it is on Cracked) talking about 7 animals that are evolving before our eyes. Very interesting how current environmental pressures are changing animals today.
This is your best one yet! The heart worm one was very interesting, but sadly I live in Florida where mosquitos are a year round threat.
Dachshund Nola
Hey Nola. Glad you found that article (and hopefully others) interesting! Yeah, in some areas, year round heartworm treatment is advisable – but certainly not everywhere! It’s worth weighing up the risks of heartworm with the cost and risks of continual treatment.