HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween Safety Tips for Your Dog

"Jane! Stop this crazy thing!"

Maybe your dog is getting a little chubby from eating all those treats. Or maybe the weather -- too hot, too cold, too snowy, too stormy -- makes it difficult to get him out for exercise.

Whatever the cause, DogTred may be the solution. It's a little doggie treadmill sized for the canine physique. Krista Wickens, head of PetZen in Utah, which developed the product, says DogTred is not for lazy humans. While you don't actually get on the treadmill with him, you can't just tie him to the equipment and go about your business.

There is a training process in which you guide him with a leash and interact with the dog, offering bait to get him going. And for safety's sake, you always have to be present while the dog takes his stroll.

DogTred -- adjustable in half-mile increments up to 5 m.p.h. -- tilts for easy storage.

The current model costs $499 and is good for dogs up to 30 pounds.

The Intelligence of Dogs

Dogs may actually be far more intelligent than we think. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia and a best-selling author of books on dogs, including The Intelligence of Dogs (Free Press), thinks so. He says that dogs display intelligence in a variety of ways -- reading social cues, learning new tasks, understanding language, solving problems and more. He even argues that you can measure your dog's smarts.

Other experts agree with Coren that there can be a canine equivalent of the IQ test.

"You might be very good verbally and weaker at math and someone else might be good at music but not at logic. Dogs are no different in so far as they share some of our domains," says Jean Donaldson, author of Oh, Behave!: Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker (2008) and director of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal's Academy for Dog Trainers. "One dog may be good at problem solving and another may be a quick study at learning new tasks."

Here are some simple tests, suggested by various experts, that you can give your furry friend to find out if its brain is sharper than its bark:

• Problem Solving
  
• Donaldson suggests that you hide something your dog loves -- a toy or ball or biscuit -- underneath a sofa, and see if it can figure out how to retrieve the object. She says dogs may go through several strategies, including digging with paws or using snouts.
  
  Score Five points for getting the item with its paws in less than 30 seconds; four points if it uses paws and takes more than 30 seconds; three if it uses paws but fails; two if it uses its head but doesn’t try paws, and one point for dogs that try to use their head but then give up. It gets no points if it does nothing.

• Learning Rate
  
• How many times do you have to repeat a task with your dog before your pal masters it? Donaldson recommends a test involving detour taking. You need a fence that your dog can see through with a gate open at one end. With you on the other side of the fence, call your dog and see whether it can figure out how to get around to the other side.
  
  Score Five points if it goes around the fence in a minute or less; four points if it succeeds right away after you take a few steps in that direction and gesture; three if it succeeds in 30 seconds after the prompts; two if it succeeds between 30-60 seconds after prompts, and one if it succeeds but requires even more prompting and time than that.

• Social Cues
• Coren developed the "smile" test for an Australian TV program to see how smart your dog is at picking up social cues from humans. Start with your pet sitting a few yards away from you. Stare at your pet's face. Once you make eye contact, count to three and then smile very broadly.
  
  Score Five points for coming to you with its tail wagging; four points for coming part way; three points for standing or rising; two points for moving, and one if your doggie dunce pays no attention at all.

• Inference Challenge
  
• A canine version of the shell game. With your dog on a leash or in the stay position, use treats and two different bowls set a few feet apart, Donaldson says. Smear the treat on both bowls. Then very dramatically put the treat underneath one bowl. Release your pet and see what happens. Repeat this 10 times changing which bowl you put the treat under. Repeat another 10 times without letting your dog see where you're stashing the treat, but DO let the pup see you enthusiastically lift the other bowl up each time.
  
  Score Five points if the dog goes to the correct bowl and gets the treat each time; four points if it masters the first 10 and improves over the course of the second 10; three if the first set is perfect but not the second set; two if the dog improves during the first and second rounds, and one if the dog is initially not very good but improves over the first round and completes the second round by going to the bowl you lifted.
  
  
• Language Comprehension
  
• Coren developed this test to determine how well your dog understands what you are saying. Start with your dog sitting in front of you. Using the tone of voice you use to call your dog's name, call "refrigerator." Try this again, calling "movies."
  
  Score Five points if the dog doesn't respond to those words but comes after you call its name; four points if the dog comes the second time you call its name; three if the dog starts to come; two if the dog comes to "movies" but not "refrigerator,” and one if the dog simply doesn't come to any of the calls.

Your Dog's Score

Gifted and Talented (25-31) Consider your dog brilliant and then…watch out! Smarter dogs are often harder to live with because as soon as you teach them new skills, they try to get around following your orders. You may also inadvertently teach them bad behaviors.

Clever Canine (18-25) On the higher end of the intellectual spectrum, these are good listeners who will likely perform tricks well at parties or in obedience class.

Sharp, But Slow (10-18) You will find them trainable -- even if it takes numerous repetitions to master a skill.

Doggie Dropout (Less than 10) Let's hope that you selected your pet for its beauty as opposed to its brains, but since anyone can have an off day, give your furry pal a good pat on the head, and maybe try the tests again at a later date.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

If you love dogs and like fast cars, you might enjoy "The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein (Harper, $23.95). The book is written from the dog's perspective, and Enzo is not your ordinary Labrador retriever. He is smart, appreciative, perceptive, insightful and an independent thinker who can be cunning when necessary.

Enzo is not sure of his lineage. Although he never knew his father, he believes he was a terrier, a breed known for being a problem solver. His mother was "not supportive,” Enzo writes. "I was called the pick of the litter. I like to think I came from a determined gene pool.”

As a pup, Enzo was rescued from a litter by Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Enzo learns all about his master's career and occasionally rides with Denny, basking in the thrill of careening around a track at breakneck speed.

Enzo watches and listens as Denny falls in love with Eve and feels a twinge of jealousy. But Enzo is for anything that makes Denny happy and welcomes the birth of their daughter, Zoe, and even shows his protective nature toward her.

The racing theme permeates the novel, always told through Enzo's eyes.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Hilton Hounds

Coming this summer: four-legged guests at participating Hilton Hotels & Resorts will be welcomed into pet-friendly rooms outfitted with William Wegman-designed beds, feeding bowls and goodie baskets loaded with organic treats, stain-removing products and pocket-size waste cleanup bags.

According to Hilton, the new program is designed to cut the hassle for traveling dog and cat owners.

Each hotel's concierge desk will be able to provide guests information about local pet services, which may include walking trails, pet spas and veterinarian appointments. And when Fido or Fifi checks out, the room will get a thorough scrub-down and steam cleaning (hence, pet-friendly room rates will be up to $75 higher than standard hotel rooms, Hilton says). Details at hilton.com/pets.

Arranged Marriages for Indian Dogs

The Lady and the Tramp was all about a sudden romance between a well-brought up female dog and a not-so-refined roadside Romeo canine. Which is somewhat alien to the Indian ethos where romantic pairings are often arranged

The setting up of a dotcom for the mating of canines by an Indian entrepreneur could thus be regarded as a blending of Indian tradition with western technology. It is a known fact that before Independence, rulers in some Indian princely states even performed marriage ceremonies for their dogs.

The 19th century writer Thomas Love Peacock may have stated that “Marriage is at best a dangerous experiment” but the dotcom entrepreneur has left little to chance. Prospective clients have to submit photographs of their dogs and details like age, temperament, and dietary habits. The rationale being that dogs of a similar disposition will get along better together. That a pooch which prefers a quiet evening, perhaps a tad boringly, in front of the TV may not get along with a partying dog who likes to paint the town red.

Which is where the catch is! Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp has shown that, like in human nature, opposites attract in the case of canines. In 21st-century India, daughters of marriageable age have the option of telling their parents that they would prefer someone different instead of continuing with more of the same.

Dogs, however, can only bark their disapproval of the mate their owner has chosen for them and a not-so-savvy pet-keeper may never understand that canine Cleopatra finds top-dog Caesar a bore and would much rather step out with someone less pompous!

The Vacuum Cleaner 2.0

On average, dogs don't like robots.

To keep the peace at his California home, Keith Hearn had to scold his new robotic vacuum cleaner. The trouble started when Mr. Hearn first turned on his Roomba automatic cleaner. When the device started scooting around the floor, Mr. Hearn's dog, Argos, attacked it.

Seeking help, Mr. Hearn found an online forum dedicated to the hundred-dollar Roomba buzzing with similar stories of pet assailants. Owners were offering advice. Among the most popular: Chastise the vacuum in front of the dog.

And so, with Argos looking on, Mr. Hearn shook his finger at his gadget and sternly called it "a bad Roomba." Argos appeared to be mollified. "After that, he never tried nipping at it again," says Mr. Hearn.

Sympathetic owners sometimes just retire their new purchases. In other cases, the pets take matters into their own paws. Peter Haney, a university administrator in Lethbridge, Alberta, twice found his Roomba in pieces after letting it clean while his flat-coated retrievers, Macleod and Tima, had the run of the house. "No one is talking," he says.

Craig Capizzi, who runs RoombaReview.com from his Staten Island, N.Y., home, says his Yorkshire terrier, Candie, ignores his Roomba but is scared of his new Pleo, a dinosaur-like robot made by Ugobe Inc. "She's terrified of it. She bites it," he says. "That dog really believes it's another animal and, apparently, a frightening animal." He's getting rid of the Pleo, he says.

Robot manufacturers vary in their approach to making pet-friendly products."It comes up constantly," says Nancy Dussault Smith, a spokeswoman for iRobot Corp., in Bedford, Mass., which makes the Roomba. "Dogs, cats, all animals, they have their own personalities, so they all react differently to the robots."

By the way, Roomba's are NOT dog-proof....

Circus Dogs and Cats!

Dogs were Gregory Popovich's first baby sitters, his first friends. Born into a circus family - his parents were jugglers and dog trainers - Popovich learned early on that the bond between people and animals is strong. So after years of performing as a juggler with the Moscow and Ringling Brothers circuses, Popovich said it only seemed natural to get the four-legged members of his family in on the act.

For the past 10 years, The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has delighted audiences with physical comedy, juggling and the antics of Popovich's trained dogs and "cooperative" house cats.

"You can't 'train' a cat to do anything it doesn't want to do," joked Popovich.

In Russia, shelters for animals don't exist, he said. So it was wonderful to come to the United States and see programs that aid pets in need. All of the animals from the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, which includes 16 cats, 12 dogs, six white rats, six white doves and "five well-trained Russians" are adopted from animal shelters, he added.

The tricks the animals perform aren't dangerous or extreme, Popovich said. Their part in the show is more about funny skits than jumping through flaming hoops. In choosing his performers, Popovich looks for "personality" above all else.

"I try to build on the animal's natural habits," he said. "I want to make (performing) fun for them."

While it saddens Popovich to think about any animal as being unwanted, he said it's important to support organizations that focus on preventing pet overpopulation and work to find every animal a good home.

"My pets all got a second chance," Popovich said. "Other animals should have that, too."

Italian Paradise for Dog Owners

Tuscany is about to become a dog-owners' paradise, with a new law allowing pets into art galleries, theatres, restaurants, cinemas, post offices, museums and beaches.

The law, which is due to come into force by June, reverses a longstanding ban. Fabio Roggiolani, head of the regional health commission, said: “We are knocking down the barriers that separate Man from his best friends. Most people in Tuscany agree with this measure, which is in line with regional regulations forbidding discrimination or cruelty against domestic animals.”

To protect public health and hygiene, pets will have to have a veterinary health certificate, and dogs must be muzzled if necessary. Owners will have to guarantee that their pets will not disturb public order.

Mr Roggiolani said that “for obvious reasons” dogs and other pets would still be banned from the Teatro del Maggio Musicale, the Florence opera house. “We have to apply a bit of common sense.”

Roberto Santini, who runs a beach concession at the Tuscan resort of Forte dei Marmi, said that many of his clients had dogs, including Massimo Moratti, the president of Inter Milan football club, who often cut his holiday short because he could not bear to leave the dog behind.

Fulvio Pierangelini, an Italian celebrity chef, said that he was relaxed about allowing pets into his restaurant at San Vincenzo on the Tuscan coast provided they behaved properly, adding: “Mind you, I draw the line at cooking for them.”

Franco Zeffirelli, the opera and film director, who has four dogs, said that the move “rewards the dignity of Man's best friends”. He added: “Dogs and cats are rather like small children - they should stay where they are happiest. I would never take my dogs to La Scala. It would be torture for them.”

New Traditions in Dog Naming

Spot is out and Max is in. In fact, in a recent survey of the 10 most popular dog names in the nation, names more fit for humans are finding favor over more traditional dog names like Buddy and Buster.

"Over 50 years ago, Spotty was common," says dog owner Eileen Watson of Hallandale Beach, Fla., who has had eight dogs over the past 40 years. "Now, I don't know of any dog that doesn't have a human name."

Top names among male dogs are Max, Buddy and Rocky. For females, Bella, Molly and Lucy head the list. The research was conducted by Veterinary Pet Insurance from the names of insured dogs in its database.

Dogs have long been considered man's best friend, but for many Americans, they mean even more than that.

"It's a reflection of the position that pets hold in a household," says Mary Thurston, an anthropologist in Austin who has studied dog history for more than 25 years. "They are integral members of the family, just like a child."

Naming dogs in the same fashion as children was common even in ancient Rome, she says. The ancient Egyptians often went so far as to bury their dogs in family plots. Today, dog owners are showing a similar kind of care.

With everything from doggie nuptials to dog hotels, dogs are enjoying the perks of being treated, in many respects, like humans.

"It's an interesting contrast that, in a country where there's still child neglect and child abuse, people are spending so much time and effort on dogs," says psychologist and author Eleanora Woloy.

"It speaks to so many people's needs that they want a warm, comforting presence and companion."

People care much more about their animals now, "and that's reflected in the dog's name," Franklin says.

"When you ask people why they named their dog something, you're going to get a whole story behind it."

Retrieva Collars Find Your Dog

Soon, dog owners will be able to hunt down their missing pet pooches, thanks to a high-tech dog collar based on sat-nav technology.

The lockable collar, which was previewed on the first day of the Crufts Show in London, is made of anti-cut material to thwart thieves and can trace an animal even if it inside a building.

The device works by sending texts to the owner’s mobile telephone if the dog crosses a fixed boundary.

After receiving the text message, the owner can log on to a website where, using the sat-nav technology of the collar, they can locate the pet’s position.

Makers Retrieva say that the collar is due to go on sale in the UK starting in July costing about 200 pounds (about $400), plus a monthly fee.

“Dog theft is out there but it’s not high on the list of police priorities, for obvious reasons. But for owners or families, if a dog gets lost it is a traumatic experience,” said Andrew Stuart, the company’s director.

Cleveland Pets Now Breathe Easier

Cleveland firefighters are now using pet oxygen masks that were donated to the department.

Invisible Fence donated enough mask kits for dogs and cats so that each rescue squad will have them.

"We hope that by donating oxygen mask kits, we will contribute to saving more pets and hopefully protect pet owners that may risk their own life to save a pet in a fire," said Jack Miltz, owner of Invisible Fence of northeast Ohio.

It's estimated that in 2006, more than 40,000 pets died in fires; most succumbed to smoke inhalation.

"We want to thank Invisible Fence for their generosity," Chief Paul Stubbs said in a news release. "These kits will help us save more pets; we can all recall a fire from the past where these kits would have helped save a pet."

For more information about the Invisible Fence mask donation program, reach Kristin Rogers 440-729-1780, Ext. 126 or krogers@ifco-jgb.com.

Music Hath Charms

Lisa Spector, a Juilliard School graduate and concert pianist, collaborated with Joshua Leeds, a sound researcher in Marin, Calif., to study the impact classical music has on dogs.

Two years of research and clinical demonstrations produced a book, Through a Dog's Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion, written by Leeds and Susan Wagner, a board-certified veterinary neurologist.

Spector is the pianist on a 45-minute CD that Leeds produced to go with the book.

It's been Spector's experience that when she tickled the ivories, dogs she took care of would move closer to her and fall asleep. No more doggy angst -- just peace and quiet.

One out of seven dogs has behavioral issues that stem from an overwhelmed nervous system, said Leeds.

"There's too much noise and too much input," he said. "Our dogs are indicators of the stressed environment we live in."

For more than 20 years, Leeds has specialized in psychoacoustics, the study of music and sound on the human nervous system.

Four-and-a-half years ago, Spector approached Leeds after one of his seminars and told him about her dogs falling asleep when she played the piano. She hoped that he would want to work with her on a CD for dogs.

Leeds was apprehensive.

But after speaking with Spector, he did some research and found there was nothing documented about the effects of music on dogs, except for one study conducted by Deborah Wells, a psychologist and animal behaviorist.

She played various kinds of music in dog shelters in San Francisco and learned that classical music -- not rock music or jazz -- had a calming effect on dogs, Leeds said.

His only caveat before teaming with Spector was to make sure the music went through clinical research before it was released.

Four different CDs were cut and tested on 150 dogs in homes and shelters. The one that had an overwhelming response from dogs was the simplified classical music performed on piano.

Seventy percent of dogs in kennels showed a reduction in stress, while 85 percent in households were calmed.

Dogs Sniff Out Hypoglycemia

Already known for their capability of leading the blind, alerting the deaf, and helping the physically disabled with daily tasks, dogs may also prove helpful in maintaining the blood sugar levels of diabetics.

This suggestion comes from researchers at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, who are looking for evidence to verify whether dogs can reliably detect dangerous blood sugar level drops in diabetics.

"Anecdotal reports suggest that some dogs can perform early warning of hypoglycemia by using their sense of smell to 'sniff out' if their owner's blood sugar levels are dropping," Live Science quoted lead researcher and psychology professor Deborah Wells as saying.

Diabetics have to test their blood glucose levels on a regular basis to avoid the peaks and valleys that can result in organ failure.

Some organizations in the US train dogs to detect low glucose levels. Mark Ruefenacht, the founder of Dogs for Diabetics in Concord, California, says that dogs that successfully complete training can detect low glucose levels with 90 per cent accuracy.

However, it is still unclear what the canines notice when a person experiences a blood sugar low is still a mystery, Ruefenacht admits.

"We just haven't come up with the right answers. Every time we think we have the answer, we find that we don't," he said.

Larry Myers, a veterinarian and professor at Auburn University in Alabama, says that scientists are still investigating whether dogs can truly detect low blood sugar levels. He, however, agrees that it is a possibility worth exploring.

The expert, who has trained dogs to detect everything from drugs to agricultural pests for 25 years, points out that dogs olfactory ability are not universally sensitive to all chemicals.

"Do hypoglycemic individuals, in fact, emit an odor that is characteristic? I don't know, and I don't think anybody does know right now," he said.

Myers suggests that a possibility other than scent may perhaps be an ability in dogs to notice extremely subtle physiological changes in their human companion, which the canines are believed to use for seizure detection.

"It turns out what the dogs are really sensitive to is subtle changes in behavior of the individuals just prior to seizing. It's more of a fact that dogs are very, very, very observant of human behaviour," Myers said.

Viagra Saves Dog's Life

The anti-impotence drug Viagra has been credited with saving the life of a down-and-out dog in England. Talisker, a three-year-old border collie, developed heart problems after suffering a lung infection.

The dog would lose consciousness when he got excited because his blood could not pump fast enough. Vets warned Talisker would die from the condition but suggested his owner give the dog Viagra, as the sex pill improves blood flow to the heart.

Lesley Strong, a former pub landlady, of Yardley Hastings, Northants, said she was "shocked" by the vet's advice but the little blue pills had given Talisker a "new lease of life".

She said the prescription - labelled Talisker: Strong - had taken the local chemist a little by surprise.

She added that Talisker received his medicine in his food.

"I was shocked when the vet recommended Viagra and it raised a few eyebrows when I first collected the prescription. But it's given Talisker a new lease of life," she told the newspaper.

Viagra, normally associated with middle-aged male impotency, has also been used to treat humans with the rare disease pulmonary arterial hypertension.

In 2007, researchers suggested Viagra could be used to help people recover from jetlag.

Fat Brits = Fat Dogs

Nearly two million dogs in Britain are overweight as obesity levels soar in our pets, a leading charity has warned

Many animals are experiencing problems such as heart disease, breathing difficulties, diabetes and arthritis which is causing their quality of life to be drastically reduced.

	Many people believe their pets to be healthy when they are actually overweight

A report by PDSA, the veterinary charity, found that almost one in three dogs is currently overweight, an increase of nine per cent over the last year.

Owners have been blamed for taking their dogs for fewer walks and for giving them treats when they want attention rather than playing with them.

Many people have a distorted image of what their pet should look like and believe their animal to be of healthy size when it is actually much larger than average, vets have said.

The charity has drawn up a map to show the levels of canine obesity in Britain and it coincides with obesity problems in humans and the areas with most overweight people have the most overweight pets. This would suggest that owners' lifestyle habits are affecting their pets although a direct study linking the two has not yet been carried out.

The north-west of England was found to have the worst problem with 31 per cent of dogs classified as overweight shortly followed by the Midlands at 29 per cent.

A recent study on obesity in men and women by Portsmouth University found that the West Midlands had the highest figures with up to 22 per cent in some areas. London has the slimmest dogs, according to the PDSA report, with just 19 per cent classified as overweight.

The report was based on 9,000 dogs that were assessed at voluntary pet health checks across the country in 2007 and 2006. A total of 30 per cent of the animals were found to be overweight, the equivalent of 1.95 million when this figure is applied to the 6.5 million dogs living in Britain.

Elaine Pendlebury, senior veterinary surgeon at PDSA, said: "Levels of dog obesity have risen greatly in the past few years. "If a dog wants attention, owners should be taking it out for a walk or playing with it rather than throwing them a bit of food from their plate.

"Dogs should really be walked at least two times a day for between two or 10 miles, depending on the breed, but our increasingly inactive lifestyles mean that we are reluctant to do this.

"Many people seem to have a distorted image of what their pet should look like and believe that they should look like a plump, healthy Labrador even if their breed is much smaller."

Obesity is also likely to shorten a dog's life expectancy and studies have found that an obese Labrador would live two years less than average.

Popularity Contest

According to AKC records, in 2007, the Most Popular Dogs in the U.S. were:

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Bulldog

For the first time since 1935, the Bulldog has broken into the top 10. The organization says that this breed has recently gained appeal to a very wide range of dog lovers. The Bulldog is both docile and adaptive, and can thrive in small or large homes. It's also one of the few dog breeds to be adopted as a mascot for some sports teams.

The Bulldog was first recognized by the AKC in 1886, just two years after the organization's founding, and was most popular in 1915 when it peaked in 5th place. The breed's popularity ebbed and flowed throughout the mid-20th century, but since hitting a low of 41st place in 1973, its ranking has steadily increased.

Cave canem!

A man found himself cornered by the two Tibetan mastiffs he was trying to steal last Tuesday night in Tianjin.

The thief, Zhang, had heard about the valuable pedigree dogs several nights before he tried to steal them, when he dined with their owner's neighbor.

But the well-trained dogs would not be persuaded with the food he offered and rushed at him as he clambered into the backyard.

Zhang spent four hours with his back pressed to a wall, trying to fend off the dogs. Their owner found him the next morning.

Tibetan mastiffs are considered one of the oldest, rarest and fiercest dog breeds and were first tamed by humans 6,000 years ago.

"It's quite lucky he didn't try to move - I wouldn't like to imagine the results," Wang Jian, the dogs' owner, said.