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Animal House & Company, Inc.

114 S Sporting Hill Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
AnimalHouseCo.com

SERVING DOGS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 10 YEARS



DOGGIE TRIVIA

Cerberus, Guard Dog of Hades

Most sources of Greek mythology agree that Cerberus had several heads ... some say that Cerberus had the heads of three dogs - others, that the center head was in the shape of a lion, while the other two were in the shape of a dog and a wolf, respectively - and still others say no, not three heads but 50 or perhaps 100! He also had a dragon's tail and a thick mane of writhing snakes. Cerberus was the watchdog of hell. Chained to the gates of Acheron, harassing the spirits entering Hades ... permitting new spirits to enter the realm of the dead, but allowed none of them to leave ... devouring those who tried. Only a few ever managed to sneak past the creature, among which Orpheus, who lulled it to sleep by playing his lyre, and Heracles, who brought it to the land of the living for a while (being the last of his Twelve Labors.

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LIGHTEN UP ....

Dogaholics Anonymous

Good Evening. My name is _________ and I AM a dogaholic.

I would like to welcome all of you to this month's meeting of Dogaholics Anonymous. Some of you are here tonight because a friend or relative brought you here. You may be sitting here thinking that you are OK and that you really don't need any help. It is not easy to admit that you are a dogaholic and it is even harder to bring yourself to a DAA meeting for help. DAA is here to assist you.

I have some questions to ask. If you can answer YES to more than three of the following, you have come to the right place.

Can you say "Bitch" in public without blushing?
Do you drive a station wagon, van or 4x4?
Do you have more than one car ... one for you and one for the dogs?
Do you plan your vacations and holidays around your dogs?
If you do go overseas, is it to London in March to attend Crufts?
Do you discuss things at the dinner table that would make most doctors leave in disgust?
Do you consider formal wear to be clean jeans and freshly washed tennis shoes?
Is your interior decorator R.C. Steele?
Was your furniture and carpeting chosen to match your dogs?
Are your end tables really dog crates with tablecloths thrown over them?
Is your mail made up primarily of dog catalogs and dog magazines?
Do you get up before dawn to go to Training Classes? Dog Shows? Seminars?
If you wear dresses, do they all have pockets?
Do those pockets often contain freeze dried liver, Rollover or squeaky toys?
When you meet a new person do you always ask them what kind of dog they have ... and pity them if they don't have one?
Do you remember the name of their dog sooner than you remember the person's name?
Do you find non-dog people boring?
Do you subscribe to an internet dog mailing list?????

If you answered YES to one of the above, there is still hope.
If you answered YES to two, you are in serious trouble.
If you answered YES to three or more, you have come to the right place.

My advice to all of you with three or more YES's is to sit back and smile, turn to the smiling person next to you and know that your life will always be filled with good friends and good dogs and it will never be boring.

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HOW COULD YOU?
by Jim Willis, 2001

A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan incredibly took out a US $7,000 full page ad in the paper to present the HOW COULD YOU? (By Jim Willis, 2001) It is a wake up call for prospective pet owners to evaluate and give consideration to what the pet has to look forward to if the owner falls down on his/her commitment to the pet.

HOW COULD YOU?

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. ... Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings ... and then you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.
Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed, "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself ... a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.

With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.



A Note from the Author: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in American and Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay and neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.
-- Jim Willis



About the Author (as taken from Amazon.com): Jim Willis is a writer, artist, and animal advocate. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has lived much of his adult life in Europe. In 1990, he and his wife, Nicole Valentin, founded and personally funded a multi-species, all-breed rescue, placement, education and advocacy effort, now The Tiergarten Sanctuary Trust. They have adopted and share their lives with over three dozen rescued animals. Jim is a member of the American Sanctuary Association and the African Conservation Foundation, and is a supporter of other efforts for animals and the environment. His dream is to have a sanctuary with habitat-appropriate facilities for rescued wolves and wolf-hybrids, an expanded adoption program for rescued companion animals, and education programs that promote the human-animal bond. His wife would like a new vacuum cleaner. They may be contacted at tiergartenjim@yahoo.com

His latest book Pieces of My Heart is a soulful, heartfelt tribute to animals and a plea for compassion. As you immerse yourself in its truths you'll reach for the nearest animal to hug, you'll smile through tears, and you'll feel the urge to run barefoot in the grass.

The book is an anthology of essays, poetry, homilies and quotations for 'real' animal lovers (to include the above essay) and can be purchased from Amazon.com for $17.56.

The essay is a contribution to this newsletter by Bella and Jordan's mom, Vicki. Thanks!

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HOW DOGS SEE

Owners who want to better understand their canine companions must recognize that dogs see the world from a different visual perspective. The differences begin with the structure of the eye. "We have a good idea what canines see because we know the make-up of the retina of a dog's eye," says Dr. Ralph Hamor, a veterinarian and specialist in ophthalmology at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital.

The retina, which covers the back of the inside of the eyeball, contains cones and rods-two types of light-sensitive cells. Cones provide color perception and detailed sight, while rods detect motion and vision in dim light. Dogs, which have rod-dominated retinas, see better in the dark than humans do and have motion-oriented vision. However, because they have only about one-tenth the concentration of cones that humans have, dogs do not see colors as humans do.

  • Dogs can see in much dimmer light than humans. This is because the central portion of a dog's retina is composed primarily of rod cells that "see" in shades of gray while human central retinas have primarily cone cells that perceive color. The rods need much less light to function than cones do.

  • Dogs can detect motion better than humans can. But there are drawbacks to this in terms of distance vision - they do not see as well as we do from across the back yard - unless you are moving ... or they recognize a motion that is particular to you, or by smell, or hearing. Because of the number of rods in the retina, dogs see moving objects much better than they do stationary objects. Motion sensitivity is a critical aspect of canine vision as well as posture and appropriateness.

  • Dogs can see flickering light better than humans. The only significance to this appears to be that dogs may see television as a series of moving frames rather than as a continuous scene.

  • Dogs do not have the ability to focus as well on the shape of objects because their visual acuity is lower. An object a human can see clearly may appear to be blurred to a dog looking at it from the same distance. A rough estimate is that dogs have about 20/75 vision. This means that they can see at 20 feet what a normal human could see clearly at 75 feet. Certain breeds have better acuity. Labradors, commonly used as seeing eye dogs, have been bred for better eyesight and may have closer to 20/20 vision.

  • Dogs are said to have dichromatic vision -- they can see only part of the range of colors in the visual spectrum of light wavelengths. Humans have trichomatic vision, meaning that they can see the whole sprectrum. Research now indicates that dogs see somewhat like a color-blind human - but there are variations of being color blind. Dogs can pick out two colors - blue-violet and yellow- and they can differentiate among some shades of gray. Dogs are unable to distinguish between green, yellow, orange, and red.

    This means that they see in shades of yellow and blue primarily, if the theory is correct. Since it is impossible to ask them, it is not possible to say that they see these colors in the same hues that a human would. Whether or not the ability to see some color is important to dogs or not is hard to say.





  • Dogs compensate for this lack of color by using other cues such as smell, texture, brightness, and location - and they have a much larger field of vision than humans and different peripheral vision. Your dog's eyes are set further to the side of their head than yours and they can see more on either side than you can.

    Prey species tend to have eyes set on the sides of their head because the increased field of view allows them to see approaching predators. Predator species, like humans and dogs, have eyes set closer together. Human eyes are set straight forward while dog eyes, depending on the breed, are usually set at a 20 degree angle. This angle increases the field of view and therefore the peripheral vision of the dog. However, this increased peripheral vision compromises the amount of binocular vision.

    Where the field of view of each eye overlaps, we have binocular vision, which gives us depth perception. The wider-set eyes of dogs have less overlap and less binocular vision. Dogs' depth perception is best when they look straight ahead, but is blocked by their noses at certain angles. Predators need binocular vision as a survival tool. Binocular vision aids in jumping, leaping, catching, and many other activities fundamental to predators.

    See the illustration below ... where the field of view of each eye overlaps, binocular vision exists ... which gives one depth perception.




  • An area often overlooked is the dog's level of vision. A dog with its eyes about 12 inches off the ground certainly sees the world a different way than a human with eyes about 48 inches off the ground like many 5th graders. Unless you have a Great Dane, a Mastiff, or other large dog breeds, the indoor space in which the dog exists is at human knee level or below. Just think ... if you are sixty inches tall and your pet is only twelve inches high, that makes you five times taller. Imagine something five times taller than you the next time you are towering over your pet. Just keep in mind, they don't see the way you see.
    When dogs go blind, owners often wonder if the dogs' quality of life has diminished to the point where they are no longer happy. "We know that humans deal well with being blind, and humans are much more dependent on their eyes than are dogs," says Dr. Ralph Hamor, a veterinarian and specialist in ophthalmology at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. "Blind dogs lead happy lives if they are comfortable." The owner may need to make some adjustments in the pet's environment, such as having a fenced yard, taking leashed walks, and not leaving unusual objects in normal pathways. "When blind dogs are in their normal environment, most people don't know they are blind." When clients visit Dr. Hamor asking about quality of life for their newly blind dog, Dr. Hamor suggests that they take a month to see if they and their dog are happy. In the majority of cases, the owners never come back.

    As humans we tend to think of dog's visual capabilities as inferior to ours. It is different but it may suit their needs better.

    For more information:
    • Dr. P's Dog Training. Mark Plonsky, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, is an experimental psychologist with expertise in animal learning & behavior, drugs & behavior, and educational technology.
    • University of Illinois - College of Veterinary Medicine
    • Working Dogs Cyberzine. The article on this particular web page, written by D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D., will satisfy even the most fact hungry individuals. D. Caroline Coile is an award-winning author who has written many books and articles about dogs. She holds a doctorate in the field of neuroscience and behavior, with special interests in canine sensory systems, genetics and behavior.
    • VetInfo.com

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    DID YOU KNOW

    Dogs use other cues (such as smell, texture, brightness, and position) rather than rely on color. Seeing-eye dogs, for example, may not distinguish whether a stoplight is green colored ... they look at the brightness and position of the light. This and the flow and noise of traffic will tell the dog that it is the right time to cross the street.

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    • TEN TIPS FOR A HEALTHY COAT
    1. Brush and comb your dog regularly keeping the coat well-groomed and free of mats.
    2. Get the undercoat out by using the correct tools for your breed. If you are uncertain, ask us ... we'll be glad to help.
    3. Maintain an effective flea control program.
    4. Avoid allergens whenever possible, once they are identified.
    5. For dogs with seasonal allergies, regular bathing with a hypoallergenic, medicated, or oatmeal shampoo may help. For the most effectiveness, leave the shampoo on the dog for at least 10 minutes.
    6. Rinse your dog's coat thoroughly after shampooing. Be especially mindful of the neck, armpit, groin, and rectal areas.
    7. Don't bath you dog too frequently. Check with us for a bathing schedule that fits your dog's breed & lifestyle.
    8. Give your dog essential fatty acids especially made for dogs.
    9. Feed a quality food, and maintain all other aspects of health ... including regular grooming and veterinary visits.
    10. Make sure your dog gets plenty of fresh air and exercise.

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    PET ASTROLOGY - ARIES
    March 21 - April 20

    You'll often find these dogs leading the pack ... they'll take charge and don't like opposition. Arians tend to be bold, adventurous and very active. When bored, they may look for things to do to keep them busy. They can scare you to death with their bravery and can be very expressive in letting you know their needs. They do not stay angry for long and love to win at competition. These dogs can make champion show animals, but may want to be the boss. Establish your seniority early or you will forever be contending with them.

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    REFLECTION FOR THE MONTH

    When I Am Old ...

    I shall wear turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts ... and a bandana over my silver hair ... and I shall spend my social security checks on sweet wine and my dogs ... and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen to my dog's breathing.

    I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow ... and when people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs ... and talk of them and about them ... the ones so beloved of the past and the ones so beloved of today.

    I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft, loving way. I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel.

    And I will be an embarrassment to all ... and my family, who have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your best friends .... these friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall ... and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a God.

    With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will stay and hug their big, strong necks ... and kiss their dear sweet heads ... and whisper to them of your love and the beautiful pleasure of their very special company.

    I look in the mirror and see I am getting old. This is the kind of person I am ... and have always been. Loving dogs is easy ... they are part of me, accept me for who I am. My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives. When I am old this will be important to me. You will understand when you are old ... and if you have dogs to love too.
    -- Anonymous

    Contributed by Ellen - the mother of Bobby, Buddy, Bugs, Eddie, & Petey. Thanks!

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    © 2009 Animal House & Company, Inc.