Newspaper

St. Petersburg Times

A veterinarian provides a hospice service for pets
By Alexandra Zayas Apr 19, 2010

“. . . McVety is a hospice veterinarian, part of a growing movement to revolutionize the way animals die. It’s modeled after human hospice, focusing on pain and grief management and creating a comforting scenario for families and pets when the end comes. Some veterinarians have been doing these things for the past few decades, but hospice care is only now becoming a recognized field in veterinary medicine. It’s no surprise. Pets have evolved into family members, and better medicine means they’re living longer with serious illnesses. Meanwhile, more and more people have had good experiences with human hospice. The demand is high. McVety performs five in-home euthanasias a week. In one day this week, she had four. . .”

New York Times

Where Creativity Wags Its Tail 
By JOHN BRANCH  April 18, 2010
“Competitors at Intergroom used clippers, hair spray, glitter and paint — among other tools — to transform dogs into works of art. . . . Angela Kumpe had won the “creative challenge” event the past two years at Intergroom, one of the more prestigious competitions on the calendar. First, she clipped and colored a standard poodle into an ode to Elvis Presley — Elvis on one side, a guitar on the other. Last year, she turned a dog into a peacock. She is one of the best at canine topiary. . . ” (photo – Sami Stanley and Skye, who had a dragon on her side)

Hobbit says he would never allow anyone to do that to him!

The House of Barking Dogs 
By MOLLY J. MURRAY – April 14, 2010
LUCCA, ITALY — We called it “The House of the Barking Dogs.” It is about half a mile down a twisty road from us and sits high above the road. We called it that because the man who lived there kept, it is said, about 40 large dogs in his small, two-level garden. The area was surrounded with chicken wire and a corrugated metal roof provided some shelter for the animals. The dogs were a three-minute warning for us. When we heard them bark we knew that somebody had passed under their enclosure and was on their way to see us. . .”

Can You Hear Me Now? 
By ALEX KUCZYNSKI
. . . a few months ago, a new family moved into the neighborhood, with large dogs that live outdoors. They bark. If we walk by in the street, or open the front door, or open the rusty garage door, or receive a delivery – or, it sometimes seems, if we do so little as turn over in bed – they bark. . . . I tried listening to those barking dogs.  What did they want? Were they cold? Angry? Sad? Hungry? I tried a few traditional, neighborly methods to lessen the barking – a genial conversation – and didn’t get much traction. A friend, who is a dog trainer, recommended a device that emits a fixed high-frequency ultrasonic sound that deters the dog from barking. It looks like the remote control for a garage door. If you’re nearby and the dogs start barking, you press a button and the device emits a sound that is annoying and puzzling enough to the dogs that they stop their yapping. After a week of using my handy deterrent, the dogs stopped barking automatically as soon as they saw me. ”

I don’t approve of  punishment type devices as a rule because I believe in positive reinforcement as an effective mechanism of dealing with problem behaviors.  However what to you do when the problem behavior is someone else’s dog and they are not dealing with the problem? 

The Hydrant blog has this to say about the device “. . .I could rattle off a list of a dozen such products, all of which have earned them seriously low-achieving marks after a few short weeks in play.  Because it’s almost always the same in the end:The product works great at the outset …  only to lose its mojo quickly down the line once the inevitable desensitization sets in.  Why? Because the success of these devices relies on the simple element of surprise. Most dogs, in fact, are merely baffled into bark inactivity. They still have the basic desire to bark away their boredom, or howl out their anxiety, they just happen not to have a reason to do so now that they’ve been so oddly interrupted, and thankfully distracted … for now, anyway. . . I have serious reservations about the philosophy that underlies the need for such products.”

Television

PBS

“Through a Dog’s Eyes“  a documentary narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, based on the book by Jennifer Arnold, will air on Wednesday 4/21/10  at 8:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. Central on PBS.

“Through a Dog’s Eyes will change the way you feel about your own dog. The documentary follows a handful of people as they journey through the heartwarming and often challenging process of receiving their service dogs. Jennifer Arnold, founder of Canine Assistants, discusses her teaching methods and the life-changing impact these dogs have on the recipients and their families. She gives us a glimpse of puppy-rearing and training, and takes us inside the intense and sometimes nerve-wracking experience of matching people with their dogs. Ádám Miklósi, Ph.D., one of the world’s foremost experts in dog cognition, also discusses the science behind Jennifer’s training philosophy.  You’ll also follow the families home and watch their relationships with their dogs unfold. Sometimes what began as love at first sight deepens. Occasionally the initial chemistry doesn’t last. Overall, it’s a bonding process that, as with any relationship, takes work and time.”

On the show’s website, you can view a series of videos on dog/human relationship topics:

Dogism #1: Dogs don’t speak human. Learn how to communicate better with your dog.

Dogism #2: Dogs Evaluate Situations Differently Than Us.

Dogism #3: Dogs don’t deliberately do things to make us angry.

Dogism #4: Dogs are emotional creatures.

Dogism #5: Dogs work for rewards.

Dogism #6: Dogs learn better what is ok rather than what is not.

Dogism #7: Dogs need physical and mental stimulation.