Are Dogs “Sweeter” than Cats

Dear Diary,
Last fall I was asked to review some dog treats by a premium dog food site. (My thoughts at the time are listed in  archived entries from Oct and Nov.)  Wow! What an opportunity!!  Well, I’ve tried many now and want to share some of  my findings. (I have nothing to gain by sharing these thoughts – other than I got to try the treats.)

Mom and I considered a lot of factors in rating the treats: if it was made in the USA, from “whole” foods, with organic ingredients, nothing artificial – sweeteners, colors, preservatives.  Then we considered factors like, if it was easy for Mom to break it up and give it to me in small bites (which she likes to do as training rewards). Then she would lay two or three out for me to try.  I got to vote by which ones I would choose to eat first (Mom knows that I usually got to my right first, so she tried to mix things up).  I also voted by either  gobbling the treat right down or picking  it up then dropping it and thinking  before I ate it.

The Right Paw Wins Again

One thing that surprised Mom at first was how much I liked the blueberry treat (Bite O’ Blue Wild Blueberry).  I would pick one up and then combine it with another treat and eat them together.  We gave this treat the second highest ranking.  Blueberries are supposed to be really good for people – and dogs, too. Mom then realized that she shouldn’t have been surprised. She had taken her collie Hope with her one time when she was picking wild berries, only to discover that Hope was eating then out of the pail when Mom’s back was turned.  I guess Hope didn’t get to go along picking berries after after that. (Remember that not all people foods are good for us dogs.  Always check   the list before you feed us something.)

Yesterday, Mom  read some information about what dogs taste.  I guess they’ve done studies at places like Cornell and Tufts and have determined that dogs have only 1706 taste buds, while humans have 9000  and cats have 473.  Dogs have “type D” taste buds that respond to  fruity-sweet compounds, while cats don’t.  That explains why I like both meaty and sweet treats while Fluffy and Reilly aren’t so excited by sweet foods.  Fluffy proved that last night.  He gets to lick Dad’s plate after dinner. (Not fair!  I get in BIG trouble for doing that!)  Anyway, he licked the part where the hamburger had been but wasn’t interested at all in the fruit ambrosia.  Cats are more truly carnivores than dogs.  I wonder – do they eat meat because that’s what they can taste or do they not have sweet taste buds because they aren’t going to use them anyway.  In either case, I’m glad I can taste sweet.That makes me “sweeter” than the cats. Right?!

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, check out  The Sensible Dog
or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

PS More reviews in the days to follow.

Noises can be SOOO Scary for Dogs

Dear Diary,
Mom says that I am really good about a lot of things, but dealing with loud noises is not one of them.  She and my trainer Nathan have worked really hard at helping me with this problem.  Right now, my biggest fear is gunshots, or anything that sounds similar, like a car backfiring or balloons popping.  I get scared and panicy and want to run home and go inside.

It seems that lots of dogs have this problem.  And there are lots of theories as to why.  One theory is that herding breeds needed to be very aware of sounds so that they could listen for verbal commands from their handler, sometimes at quite a distance in the midst of a lot of background noise. Well, I am a herding dog, but not all scared dogs are.

Another theory is that dogs react to new sounds, that puppies raised in quiet settings can be startled by strange sounds.  Well, my breeder did live on a quiet back road and we now live on a quiet back road.  But my breeder and Mom both tried to expose me to lots of things.

Another theory is that dogs react to their owner’s reactions.  Well, Mom has said that I read her very well and that she has tried to learn to be very calm.  (But that’s a story for another day.)

Whatever the reason, dogs that get scared by noises can get in a lot of trouble.  They can get out, run away, get lost, get hurt.  Like there are lots of theories about what causes the fear, there are a lot of thoughts about what might help.

One theory is controlled exposure. There are tapes that you can buy that have all kinds of sounds on them – cars, trucks, planes, trains, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, and on and on. The person can play them at a very low volume and do something really fun with their dog while the sound plays.  This is one of the things that Mom has tried for me.

Listening to Tapes

No, I’m not really listening to tapes thru a headset.  It’s  Mom being funny again.  She plays the tapes on our computer,  in the back ground.

We  just found out about a research project at Tufts University.  They are “investigating the therapeutic effect of a body pressure wrap on thunderstorm phobia in dogs.”  You wouldn’t have to go to the school for the study and the wrap is free. Fear of thunder can be a big problem.  If you would like to participate in the study, you can visit http://www.tufts.edu/vet/behavior or contact Nicole Cottam at 1-508-887-4802, or email nicole.cottam@tufts.edu.

I love to help other dogs.  Maybe this is the right thing for someone out there.

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, check out  The Sensible Dog
or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

PS If some reader  dog does get to be part of this study, please let me know.  I’d love to able to update other dogs about the results.

Add to your First Aid Kit

Dear Diary,
Mom is working on the schedule for the Pet Tech Pet CPR and First Aid classes that we will teach this year.  (I am Pet Tech Assistant Instructor #5.  And I have the scarf to prove it.)  That got us to thinking about some of the tips that we teach in class.  Accidents happen, so we help people be prepared for an emergency.

We suggest that people have a card with emergency phone numbers written on it. It is one of the things that they can put in their first aid kit.  (Sure, first everyone should have a pet first aid kit.)  One of the numbers you should have is the ASPCA Poison Control number (1-888-426-4435).

If you  call the poison control number, they may suggest that you make your pet vomit.  Do you know what the approved method is?  Giving your pet hydrogen peroxide.  Mom says that lots of stores have these 3 oz. travel bottles that are perfect and fit right inside the first aid kit.  The recommended dose is 1 Tablespoon per 15 pounds of pet weight, so these little bottles hold about 2 doses for a dog my size.  And you can squeeze the bottles and they squirt. (Vomiting should be induced only on the advice of a vet, or emergency animal hospital, or the poison control center.)

So I started to write this blog and Mom asked if I wanted a picture to go on it.  I panicked. No, Mom, please don’t make me demonstrate throwing up.  I’ll do the muzzle thing and bandages and splints and even tooth brushing. I’ll even do “dress up day”. But not throwing up.  Please!!  Then I thought maybe she had bought some fake throw-up stuff.  I’d pose with that.  Wow, that could be way fun.  Imagine people’s reactions.  And maybe I’d get to play with it when we were done with pictures.  And she could take pictures of that.  And then…

Mom said “NO”.  She meant this one, just calmly sitting with my first aid kit. Oh. Well.  I guess I can use this.

I love Mom but sometimes her ideas aren’t as much fun as mine.

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, you can read more about me
at The Sensible Dog or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

What to Name a Puppy

Dear Diary,

On the calendar of weird holidays, today is “Middle Name Pride Day”.  In discussing this day, they suggest that you find out why you were given your middle name. Well, since my name is “Never Tuckers Out”, I guess Tuckers (or Tucker)  is really my middle name.  Why was I given that name?  What does it mean?

Mom says there are lots of things to consider in giving a puppy a name:
1. You have to make sure it doesn’t sound like a command that you are going to use in training. “Skit” might sound too much like “sit”. Tucker doesn’t sound like any command, so I guess that’s good.
2. You have to make sure that any shorten version is still acceptable.  “Tuck” seems ok.
3. You have to make sure that it is easy to call.  Say it several times quickly to see if it works. In class, Mom always called “Tuck.  Tuck.  Tuck.”  I guess that’s easy enough.
4. You have to decide if you want to use a popular name, that everyone will be calling out.  She wanted something a little different. Tucker is 25th on the list.  Not the most common, but not way weird either.

OK, so my name met those suggestions, but what does it mean?
First meaning I found: one who folds cloth.

This is how I fold cloth.

Next meaning: a car from the 1940′s.  Well, the car still has a club and a website and all, so that’s cool.

One source said that it was a nickname given to a “courageous person”. I like that one a lot!

In Aussie slang, it means “a snack”.  What?  I’m a quick bite of food.  Don’t like the sounds of that.  And then “Never Tuckers Out”.  What – I’m never supposed to eat a snack outside. (I can eat anywhere.)

This is like a picnic. FUN.

I went back to Mom and asked again.  She said that it reflects my energy.  The whole name, “Never Tuckers Out”, means that I never get tired from my work.  She also said that many people told her I looked like a “Tucker”. Well, I WAS a VERY CUTE puppy!

Don't you agree?

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, check out  The Sensible Dog
or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

What Breed of Dog?

Dear Diary,

We were supposed to have all kinds of company today, including my friend Songo, but not including  Blizzard, who always growls at me. (Check out the picture of Songo,  the Golden Retriever,  pulling Blizzard  in the sled.)  But with the bad weather, nobody came.  Boring!

Then Mom  found this site that has a game called the “Canine Algorithmic Transfer System” (Click game.)  A person  answers a bunch of questions – about  size, build, personality, intelligence, etc.  Then, the  CATS determines which breed of dog that person would be , if they were a dog.

Mom answered the questions for herself – they said she would be a Chinese Crested. How funny is that?!  She is short and smart – but I’m not sure she’s that unusual looking. Well maybe a little when her hair is all messed up.

She answered for Dad – they said he would be a German Pointer, either variety.  Interesting – he is German (well, Pennsylvania Dutch – which is German and not Dutch at all.)   He likes the outdoors and  he is athletic.  He’d have to be “short haired” since he’s what people call “bald”.  Guess that’s pretty close.  Mom told a friend once that if Dad were a dog that she thinks he would be an Aussie.  Well, he is fun enough to be one!

The Mom answered the questions for me – as if I were a person.  They said I would be a Border Collie.  Not too far off.  But I think I have more sense of humor than most Border Collies I’ve known – I laugh a lot more.  People do often ask if I am a Border Collie mix, because of my black coloring.  People tend to think of Aussies as blue dogs, but we really come in  “blue merle, black, red merle, red – all with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points”.

Nothing like a Good Laugh

Some fun for a dull winter day.

Signed, Tucker (owner of this  Dog Diary)

If you enjoyed this dog blog, you can read more about me
at The Sensible Dog or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

PS All kidding aside, people who are considering getting a dog  should find out the characteristics of that breed before making a decision.  They should select a dog that matches their lifestyle, because that decision should be a lifelong commitment.

A Dog’s Hero

Dear Diary,

Mom says that today is Washington’s birthday.  I guess it used to be a holiday all on its own, but now gets combined with others. Anyway, she says that George Washington was a really great man.  I talked last year about his contribution to the American Foxhound breed.  Also I talked about the fact that he had a  dog named Sweetlips. (He also had dogs named Mopsey and Truelove.)

Well, Mom heard something about Washington that she had never heard before.  She even bought a children’s book about it -  George  Washington and the General’s Dog. (Mom said that she bought it for Granddaughter Evelyn to read. Evelyn will like it – it  has really cute drawings. But I think that Mom really bought it for herself. That’s ok.)  Mom  read some more to make sure the story was true.

It seems that during the American Revolution a lot of soldiers took dogs with them, to help hunt, track, guard, and just be companions.  There was a big  battle at Germantown, in Pennsylvania.

(I’ve been to Pennsylvania.  That’s where Dad grew up and we went to visit friends of his.  But I couldn’t stay at the friends house because the German Shepherd didn’t like company. So, I had to stay at a kennel.  At first I was scared.  But the people were all nice to me and they raised Standard Poodles.  I LOVE Standard Poodles, like Gracie who was in a class with me and the one I play with at day school. People talk about whether or not dogs can recognize their own breed.  I, of course, say “YES!”   I also can recognize other dog breeds that I have met.)

Anyway, back to George Washington.  After the battle ended, there was a dog alone on the field.  He followed Washington back to his camp.  There Washington discovered by a tag on the dog’s collar that he belonged to General Howe – the enemy general.  Some men thought that they should keep the dog, but Washington made arrangements to get the dog back to his owner where he belonged.  Many people – even the British – were impressed by this act of  kindness.  Many people think that George Washington was a hero.

People don’t have to be important or famous to be kind to animals.  Any person who helps even one animal is a HERO is my eyes.

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, you can read more about me
at The Sensible Dog or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

.

PS This is a picture of me meeting a little white dog.  I’m sort of afraid of little white  dogs – like Maltese – because Blizzard has been mean to me.

Me and a Little White Dog

“A Spot on Roo”

Dear Diary,
It snowed last night. YEA!!  It’s been quite a while since we had wonderful fresh snow.  You know I love snow and you know that I love to play disk dog. Snow Disk Dog – well, that’s the best of both.

We watch the Incredible Dog Challenge on television.  They say that the dogs come up with their own names for some of their moves.  So that’s what I’ve decided to do.  We also watch snowboarding, so we know that they name their moves REALLY crazy things.(“Chicken Salad air” and “Eggflip”).  I’m called an Australian Shepherd (even though I’m not from Australia), so I thought it would be fun to come up with “Aussie” names for my moves.

I call the move  I’m doing below a“Joey”,for  baby kangaroo. I caught the disk but no  “sky”.

This is a “Roo”.   “short for Kangaroo-  moves around by bounding and leaping”.

A “Back of Bourke” is a catch where I have to really chase it down heading away.(It means “a long way away from wherever you are, specifically inland and away from civilization.”)

Well, this morning I did a “spot on Roo”.   Dad could see the marks in the snow where I had taken off and where I had landed. Mom measured how far I had gone in the air.  I was in the air for 11 feet and I wasn’t  even trying.  Maybe I could try diving dog next – oh wait I don’t like to swim.

Signed, Tucker (owner of this Dog Diary)
If you enjoyed this dog blog, you can read more about me
at The Sensible Dog or follow my dog tweets on Twitter as sensibledog.

PS

“Legend has it that when the white man first came to Australia he asked an Aboriginal the name for the funny looking creature bounding in the distance. Apparently the Aborigine replied “Kangaroo” which in the Aborigine language means “I don’t understand you”. So now we have an animal called “I don’t understand you”. Dinkum? Dunno, but an amusing story nonetheless.” (From the Aussie slang site.)

PPS I do hope my “real” Aussie friends understand that  I’m just having fun. Please tell me if I said anything wrong.