Is your dog afraid of Halloween?

Many dogs are. Why?

The noises can frighten them to the point that they run away or bite. I’ve seen dogs with no history of aggression bite when frightened on Halloween. All the scary costumes and screaming can be too much for them (it can be too much for me sometimes, too).

So keep your dog safe this Halloween. I want to warn you about some of the things dogs hate about this “creepy” holiday.  Here they are, spoken from the mouth of a dog!

Doorbells – “That darn doorbell rings and rings. My owners answer it and then it rings again. I get excited, I bark and they yell at me. I don’t get it.”
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Scary Costumes - “Ugly, evil-looking things come to the door, and for some strange reason my owners smile and give them things. I don’t know what they get, but I’m sure it’s tasty. The whole ritual is scary and just plain weird. Why do they do that? If I did something like that they would haul me off to the “funny farm”.”
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Screaming Kids – “As if the noise and the costumes aren’t bad enough, there are all those screaming kids to contend with. Screaming children chanting little rhymes that only a mother could love. Like I said, I just don’t get it.”

No Treats for Me - “On top of it all, there is an abundance of candy going from hand to hand … chocolate, candy bars and goodies that make a real dog drool. But I don’t get any. None. Stingy people.”

They Ignore ME – “There I am – barking and doing my dog thing – but no one pays any attention to me. I try to join in on the fun but they keep telling me to go away. With all these new people here at this Halloween party, a dog has lots of important sniffing to do. I need to get to know these people to make sure they are safe for my family to be around.”

Weird Music and Sounds - “People play the most ridiculous music – it makes me want to howl.”

So keep in mind the things dogs hate about this holiday and try to minimize your dog’s exposure.
 
Enjoy the holiday safely.

 www.petplace.com

Is your Dog Afraid of Halloween!! is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

 

 

Signs of aging are inevitable in older dogs. The body doesn’t snap to quite as readily as it used to, and perhaps it may take Rover a little longer when called. Aging can also predispose dogs to certain illnesses. By being aware of some concerns regarding older dogs, you can be a more educated and prepared guardian for your aging companion.

Routine veterinary care is particularly important now. The following is an outline of some of the most commonly diagnosed illnesses known to afflict older dogs.

Nutritional Concerns. A proper diet is very important in the care of a geriatric dog. Obesity is a very common and serious concern because it directly correlates to a decreased longevity, and may contribute to other problems. Proper nutritional

 

 

management is a very important part of the care for your geriatric dog, especially since it is something that you can control.

14 Common Disorders of Senior Dogs is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Lhasa Apso is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Advocates for Latin Arts and Culture

 http://www.alacaz.org/

 Aguila Youth Leadership

 http://aguilayouth.org/

 Arizona Citizen’s for the Arts

 http://www.azcitizensforthearts.org/

Actors Theatre                                                                    

http://www.actorstheatrephx.org/

Arizona Hispanic Chamber

 http://www.azhcc.com/

Alwun House                                                                    

http://alwunhouse.org/

Arizona Humane Society                                               Adopt a four legged friend

http://www.azhumane.org/

Arizona Opera                                                                   

http://www.azopera.com/

Arizona Theatre Company ATC                                                            

 http://www.aztheatreco.org/index.html?topbar.html&0

 ASU Gammage                                                                               

 http://www.asugammage.com/

 Ballet Arizona                                                                  

 http://www.balletaz.org/

 Black Theatre Troupe                                                    

 http://www.blacktheatretroupe.org/

 Center Dance Ensemble                                            

 http://www.centerdance.com/

 Childsplay                                                                     

 http://childsplayaz.org/

 Equaity Arizona

 http://www.equalityarizona.org/

 Free Arts of Arizona

 http://www.freeartsaz.org/

 Herberger Theatre

 http://www.herbergertheater.org/

 International Rescue Phoenix                                          

 http://www.theirc.org/where/united_states_phoenix_az/

 Mesa Center for the arts   2008-2009 season               

 http://www.mesaartslive.com/

 Mesa Encore Theatre                                              

 http://www.mesaencoretheatre.com/

 Neighborhood Housing Services Phx                     All about affordable housing

 http://www.nhsphoenix.org/

 Nearly Naked Theatre                                                                                                                      

 http://www.nearlynakedtheatre.org/

 Phoenix Art Museum – Comtemporary art Forum

 http://www.contemporaryforum.org/

 Phoenix Theatre                                                           

 http://www.phoenixtheatre.com/Home.aspx

  Phoenix Symphony                                                                                                   

 http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/

 Scorpius Dance Company                                                                  

 http://scorpiusdance.com/index.html

 Southwest Center for HIV/Aids               

http://swhiv.org/

A Stepping Stone Foundation                                

http://www.asteppingstone.org/

Stray Cat Theatre                                                                                                                                    

http://www.straycattheatre.org/

Teatro Bravo                                                               

http://www.teatrobravo.org/TeatroBravoSeason.html

Valley Leadership

http://www.valleyleadership.org/

Valley Youth Theatre                                                                                    

http://www.vyt.com/

Young Arts Arizona                                                  

http://www.youngartsaz.org/Welcome.html

Treat yourself! go out to the theatre is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Something we`ll probably not see again in your lifetime…  Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern  New Hampshire, a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as four cubs, but five was, and is, extraordinary. I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom – no matter how much time and effort was involved. I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.  (Read on..)

I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become habituated to me, or to

people in general, as approachable friends.  This could be dangerous for both man and animal. 

After Halloween I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated. 

This spring, before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007. 

I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, an improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On April 25, 2008 I achieved my dream.

When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, ‘We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow.’ 

And so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these photos with you. 

Sincerely, Tom Sears

Something we`ll probably not see again in your lifetime… is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

When dogs meet, sniffing takes the place of handshake

From Clay Thompson’s Valley 101 column in the Arizona Republic 12/15/08

Today’s question: If a dog’s sense of smell is so much better than ours, why do they have to sniff each other’s butts? Couldn’t they smell them from across the yard?

You people just never run out of things to wonder about, do you? I guess that’s good. I need the work.

Anyway, when a dog meets a new dog or greets a dog it hasn’t seen for a while, it goes through a lot of ritual posturing. The two check each other for how they hold their heads or position their ears or tails. They sniff and sometimes lick each other’s muzzles. Then they sniff each other’s privates.

This is all business that can’t be done with quick sniff from across the yard any more than you could wave from across the room when introduced to someone new. You have to shake hands and say howdy and size each other up.

Dogs, male and female, have two anal glands that give off a unique odor. Sniffing around back there tells dogs a lot about each other – gender, status, pregnancy, diet and stuff like that.

Fortunately, Mother Nature gives us less intrusive methods of communicating.

When dogs meet, sniffing takes the place of handshake is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Although cats have a reputation for being independent, there are times and situations when they can (and do) interact with others of their own kind and humans in a social way. When motivated, they make their needs and wishes known to others without the benefit of speech or language as we know it. Cats have subtle ways of communicating, some of which have eluded scientific scrutiny for years. The senses and behaviors cats use to facilitate communication include vision/eye position, olfaction, touch, voice, body language, and operant actions.

Vision/Eye Position

A blind cat is at a serious disadvantage when it comes to communication because so many signals sent and received by cats are visual. On the aggressive end of ocular signaling is the stare. An irate cat will transfix her adversary with a blood-curdling look of animosity and malicious intent. If you’ve even been the subject of one of these looks, you’ll know what I’m talking about.The corollary to the stare is the fluttering blink of trust and affection. If a cat doesn’t trust another creature, she will keep her eyes wide open. Semi-closed eyelids are indicative of trust. (“See, I don’t even have to keep my eyes open.”)

Without vision, a wealth of communication is lost, leaving a cat literally in the dark as to the intentions of other animals nearby. All is not lost, however, as auditory, olfactory, and tactile signals will help fill in the blanks.

Audition/Vocalization

Cats make a variety of sounds in a variety of intonations. McKinley (1982) classified cats’ vocalizations into two basic categories – pure (simple) sounds and complex (multiple) sounds. Pure sounds include the growl, squeak, shriek, hiss, spit and chatter. Complex sounds include the mew, meow and moan.

The growl, shriek, hiss and spit are pure sounds that communicate aggression. To another cat there may be some qualitative differences between these warnings. For example, it may be that the hiss and growl signal two levels of warning whereas the spit and shriek are more extreme utterances inferring that “boiling point” has been reached or exceeded.

The only benign communication in the pure sound group is the squeak – a high-pitched, raspy cry given in play or in anticipation of feeding.

Chattering is not a sound used in communication but rather is reflexive chattering of the teeth brought about by frustrated predatory ambitions (i.e. seeing birds on a feeder on the other side of a window).

Two complex sounds are interesting: the mew and the meow. The mew may just be the kittenish equivalent of the adult meow as, like the meow, it signals a wish for attention from a benevolent attention-seeker. The meow is made up of two sounds, phonetically “me” and “ow.” The former is thought to mean “here I am” and the latter “don’t hurt me.” Kittens, of course, direct the mew toward their mothers. Adult cats direct the meow toward humans perhaps because, as cats’ feeders and groomers, we fill a parental role.

Touch

Cats groom other cats, and sometimes their significant humans, as an altruistic stress-relieving measure. Perhaps they expect payback at some time in the future (reciprocal altruism) but it is nonetheless an affectionate gesture. This form of grooming is tendered and received in a way that indicates close relationships or mutual bonding.

Operant Behaviors

Cats will sometimes indicate their intentions by their movements. Walking directly toward another cat or person is an indication that she is about to initiate an interaction some way. If the cat’s tense body posture or angry vocalizations indicate trouble it may be a good time to run and hide, though if the cat appears relaxed and happy and is squeaking softly it may simply be trying to get your attention.

When they want to be fed, cats will often walk obliquely in front of an owner seemingly trying to trip them up. Entwining themselves around a stationary person’s legs also indicates that it’s time for food or attention. Bunting, or head rubbing, is an affectionate gesture that involves marking with special biological scents, called pheromones. Urine marking and furniture scratching – other olfactory communications – signal anxiety or frustration.

Body Language

I reserve the term “body language” for those shows or alterations in a cat’s body “morph” (shape and appearance) that convey a signal to others. Of particular interest are eye signs (like pupillary dilatation), ear signs (e.g. ears swiveled back), head/neck position, and tail position. Body morph changes, however, must be interpreted in context for their significance to be appreciated.

Though body language can indicate a cat’s mood, not all of the signs are emitted consciously for the purpose of communication. For example, a cat doesn’t dilate the pupils, puff up its coat, or flatten the ears, to signal its mood to some other creature, but rather undergoes these transformations automatically. Dilated pupils admit more light; piloerection makes the cat look bigger than it really is; and ears are flattened for their preservation in a fight.

Some body language signals are consciously adopted to ward off unwelcome advances. Previously socialized cats will understand the significance of each other’s body language in this respect. To a cat, an open-mouthed threat is a serious warning, as is a stiffly held body with the head held low and rump elevated.

Not all body language signs are ominous, though. A kitten whose tail position describes a question mark and who is merrily frolicking around is signaling to others that he is ready for play. A cat that curls up on your lap is signaling its trust and affection.

Conclusion

A wealth of information about a cat’s mood and intentions can be gleaned by paying careful attention to its behavior and appearance. With careful observation and attention to detail, it is possible to comprehend with some precision whether a cat is fearful or irritated, hungry or angry, in prey mode or relaxed, seeking your attention or trying to avoid you. Cats communication systems may not be as sophisticated as our own but they achieve the desired effect. Cats never did find it necessary to discuss where they came from or where they go after death. They just live for the minute and communicate what they need to communicate with regard to their likes and dislikes, needs and wants, affection and trust. Greater love hath no cat than this.

www.petplace.com

How cats communicate is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Can You Explain a Cat’s Death to Another Cat?

Section: A Family Members Death

When a pet dies, owners often ask their veterinarian whether they should show the body to their other pets. They ask this in a sincere effort to help “explain” the finality of what has occurred to the surviving pets – to let them know why their buddy won’t be coming home.

Whether this is helpful is the subject of debate … and there is little evidence to support either view. On one hand, it may be argued that dogs and cats do not have the cognitive ability to understand the finality of death. Showing them a body would be like letting a 2-year-old see a deceased family member at a funeral – the consequences just don’t register. On the other hand, it can be argued that dogs and cats see death as we do, and that viewing a deceased companion does help to explain why that pet won’t be around in the future.There has been more work and writings about dogs than cats. For example, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, in her book The Hidden Life of Dogs, describes a dog that howled for the first time when it somehow sensed that its buddy was not returning following a final trip to the vet’s office. Howling is a long-distance communication and, in this case, may have been an attempt by the dog to communicate with a “lost soul.” It is possible that the dog may not have been so vexed if it had accompanied its buddy to the vet’s office and witnessed the final event.

In my own book, Dogs Behaving Badly, I describe a dog whose canine companion was put to sleep in its absence. The dog’s owners went out of their way to conceal the event and took the surviving dog away from home until his companion was not only dead but also buried. On returning home, the remaining dog frantically combed every inch of the house looking for his deceased companion until he finally went to the garden, where he immediately honed in on the dog’s well-camouflaged grave. There he sat for days, staring off into space with a far-away look. It was as if he knew what had happened, and maybe he did.

A veterinarian in England wrote to the journal of the British Veterinary Association, The Veterinary Record, explaining his opinion on this matter. This vet granted a woman client’s request to have her setter observe a companion dog’s body, following euthanasia. The woman believed that her dog was better able to accept the loss of his companion when shown the body. In his letter, the veterinarian stated that his own dogs did not seem affected by the death of a close canine companion.

Horse and donkey mares do better if they are allowed to spend time with a deceased foal than if the body is whisked away from them and is not available for inspection. If unable to inspect a dead foal, frantic equine moms may even dig up the foal’s remains from a shallow grave and seemingly reflect for a while before coming to terms with their loss.

Cognitive scientists are still wrestling with the concept that animals have self-awareness, let alone awareness of another creature’s mental or physical state. The weight of opinion today is that a “viewing” is not likely to help a pet to understand the death of a companion. While the argument continues, I think we should give our pets the benefit of the doubt and allow them to view a deceased companion, if we feel it might help.

For a pet that was closely bonded with another, displaying the deceased’s body may help the survivor accept the finality of the event – to bring “closure,” so to speak. When death separates a closely bonded animal from a loved one, whether a person or another pet, the pet may exhibit classical stages of grieving – becoming less active, eating less, sleeping fitfully, and generally appearing depressed.

Whether allowing a cat to see a body for a last goodbye lessens the grief is not known. However, if the human experience is anything to go by, it may help some come to terms with what has transpired.

www.petplace.com 

Can you Explain a Cat’s death to another Cat is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information

Dog Burns Alive Inside Stolen Van $5,000 reward for information leading to arrest or indictment of perpetrator(s).

The Arizona Humane Society and Silent Witness are teaming up yet again in the hopes of solving a recent, heartbreaking case of animal cruelty.  On Sunday, February 4, at approximately 9 a.m., a man living with his two dogs out of his van near a park at 12th Street and Elwood in south Phoenix was badly beaten and taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.  His van was then stolen, robbed, and set to fire with one of his beloved dogs still inside.  The dog, a female Labrador retriever mix named “Princess,” died a painful, terrifying death inside the burning van.  Details of this incident are vague and authorities are still searching for clues and witnesses.  However, AHS and local law enforcement officials agree that it would have been nearly impossible for the offender(s) not to know that “Princess” was still inside the van when setting it to fire.  Anyone with any information regarding this case should call Silent Witness at (480) WITNESS.  Callers may elect to remain anonymous and may receive up to $5,000 if their clues lead to an arrest or indictment.      “This case is tragic on so many levels,” says Cheryl Naumann, AHS president and chief executive officer.  “This man and his dogs had little but each other, and some person or persons took that away from them in the most brutal, senseless, and horrifying way.” Naumann continues, “We often try to educate people about the link between animal cruelty and other forms of social violence.  Unfortunately, this case presents the perfect example of that link and, for this reason, it is essential that anyone with information call authorities.  It’s simply scary to imagine what else the perpetrator or perpetrators are capable of.”          The Arizona Humane Society and Silent Witness are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or indictment of the perpetrator(s) of this crime.

Dog Burns Alive Inside Stolen Van is a post from: Phoenix and Beyond Real Estate and Area Information