Want to try something new, or perhaps get some tips on an activity you already enjoy? You’ve come to the right place for articles on activities, written by experts and enthusiasts alike.
Losing your dog can be traumatic and terrifying – for both you and your pet. The good news is that 90 per cent of lost pets with identification find their way home to their owners – so if your dog is wearing tags or is microchipped, chances are good that you’ll find him. But it’s important to act fast. …
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There isn’t a spring, summer or fall morning that you won’t see Lynn Jamieson hitting the pavement with her rollerblades or bike, and her faithful companion, ‘Max,’ at her side. …
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Someone once said, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.” While that thought brings a smile, have we considered the flip side? If we repeat our actions over and over again, we should be able to count on the result. …
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It’s one of the most frightening moments when you realize that you can’t find your dog. You start off frustrated and annoyed that ‘Sparky’ isn’t responding to your calls, but that quickly turns into panic as you roam the neighborhood. As careful as we all are, it can happen to the best of us. …
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There’s no doubt that veterinary medical research has brought tremendous breakthroughs to help not only our canines but, as a side effect, humans as well. …
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When I was an undergrad in the 1980s, I worked a summer job at the Montreal SPCA as an adoption counsellor. Our hearts sank whenever we saw an obviously about-to-deliver woman come up the ramp with the intention of adopting a dog. …
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Our dogs. They are our guardians and our guides, our faithful friends, our helpers and our heroes. …
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With the passing of winter and the long-awaited arrival of summer flowers, training and trialling are well underway here on the Island. For me, this has involved a return to tracking – how wonderful to be outdoors again, fair-weather tracker that I have become. …
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My Staffordshire Bull Terrier, ‘Pixie,’ is shaped like a bowling ball. She swims like one, too. While many Staffies like the water – including our girl – they’re not renowned swimmers. Their short, wide, muscular bodies tend to sink. One thing’s for sure: if my wife and I ever get a pool in our backyard, we’ll need to take precautions to safeguard our pup. …
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Dog groomer Shaunna Bernardin calls her chosen career the best job in the world. It’s a job she’s been working at for 25 years and one she was exposed to as a child. …
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According to the OVMA web site, about 85 per cent of dogs and cats older than three years have dental or periodontal (gum) disease. …
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There are five categories used to judge lure coursing: enthusiasm, follow, speed, agility and endurance. They all work together to reveal the best courser. They all work against each other to confuse the spectator. …
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The principles of training a deaf dog are no different from those of training a dog that can hear. Deaf dogs, like other dogs, learn from the immediate consequences of their actions …
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I own a banned dog. ‘Pixie’ is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier – she’s exuberant, friendly and devoted. But the Ontario government includes her in its list of banned “pit bulls.” On my more militant days, I feel like taking a page from the National Rifle Association and getting a T-shirt made with the words …
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When or how could it possibly be appropriate to train a dog to bite?
First, let’s be clear: Schutzhund is not attack training. A dog put on the defensive and feeling his life is threatened will not have the positive attitude or control of a good Schutzhund dog …
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Second-hand smoke, also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is known to play a role in the development of cancer, lung disease and heart disease in people. Now evidence shows it is a health hazard to dogs as well. …
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Show me, if you can, one scientific instrument able to detect and locate: blood and bodies, arson and ivory, pythons, truffles and bedbugs. These are among the scents dogs are being used to sniff out, despite a wealth of scientific research to find a mechanical alternative as effective. …
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It’s hard to think of the day when our pets will no longer be by our side. But when time has caught up to their lively spirits and their bodies begin to fail, we are often faced with a tough decision. The decision to euthanize a pet is difficult, emotional and extremely personal. …
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The skin is a major sensory organ, having receptors to detect cold, heat and touch. Skin also has a sensation unique to itself – pruritis. This is the technical term for an itch, and it’s the most common reason for dogs to visit their veterinarian. …
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Trick-training can be the catalyst for a more obedient dog.
What do tricks and treats have in common, aside from the familiar chorus heard outside our homes every October 31, along with squeals of delight from small children dressed up as pirates and princesses? Trick-training is often taught with a food treat as the main reward. …
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Dog art in conjunction with Westminster has grown by leaps and bounds in interest and popularity since 1990, when the William Secord Gallery Inc. held the first of what would become an annual exhibition and sale coinciding with the dog show. …
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In the news story, the treat blocked the intestine. This can happen if a dog swallows any treat, toy, or object that’s too large to pass through its intestine. Clinical signs of this “intestinal foreign body” vary with the degree of obstruction. If an object only partially occludes the intestine, fluid and gas can still pass. The dog may have intermittent problems but his life is not in imminent danger. …
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Positive training has been steadily growing in popularity since the mid 1980s. While it’s a highly effective and fun way to train, it does rely on food rewards to a great degree. So how do you avoid unbalancing your dog’s diet or putting in more calories than are needed while sports training or practising basic good manners? There are a number of strategies you can use. …
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No one wants to see their dog in pain. This fact drives owners of arthritic dogs to seek ways to provide comfort to their companions. Many incorporate complementary therapies in their care regimes. …
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If an eye is forced from its socket, the prolapsed state is called “proptosis.” In a flat-faced dog such as a Pug, Shih Tzu or Pekingese, this is not an uncommon eye injury. It is, however, an emergency that needs immediate veterinary attention. …
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If we took a survey of dog owners and asked them what they most wanted from their canine companions, I’m sure they would all say, “A dog that comes when you call.” The rest is icing on the cake. …
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Titres were first used to determine the need for annual vaccinations. Then, when vaccines moved to triennial schedules, titres did, too. Now there is confusion on how often titres need to be done and how to interpret them. …
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Ticks – at least the small numbers picked up by dogs in Canada – don’t suck enough blood to pose a health threat. However, they can carry a host of harmful infectious diseases like Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick paralysis. …
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Good nutrition is essential for puppies to thrive, but research is showing that the right nutrition, when delivered early enough, can also result in healthier puppies at birth, that are smarter and more trainable as they grow. …
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My beloved childhood black Labrador Retriever was a dignified, stoic old dog, good at listening and taking care of us. Soon after he passed away, my parents brought home ‘Max,’ also a black Lab, who quickly grew into a bear of black fur. …
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The call, anonymous, came in at 5 p.m., Friday, May 11, 2007: A dog in distress left on an apartment balcony. Windsor, Ont., OSPCA agents Amy Nardella and Shane Pearson responded. …
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Tillsonburg. It’s a charming rural town located between Toronto and London, Ont. Now it’s hard to say what Tillsonburg is best known for – perhaps its history, its warm and friendly residents, or maybe the Stompin’ Tom Connors song that immortalized its tobacco fields. But one thing is for certain – this past spring, at least for one weekend, the town was definitely all about dogs. …
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You’ve heard the expression, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Well, forget it. In Rally, that’s not the case. …
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The extraordinary popularity of gun dog breeds in the first 50 years of the last century was led by the Labrador Retriever’s unprecedented rise. The half-century ended with the introduction of the hunt-point-retriever breeds and their adoption by increasing numbers of sportsmen in the U.K. …
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As dogs age, many develop lumps. Some are malignant growths that are ultimately fatal. Others are benign. Luckily, the most common canine tumour – the lipoma – is benign and rarely needs surgical removal. …
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If you ask most owners, they’ll assure you their dogs are very smart indeed. And they would not be far off. But dogs, like most animals, are specialists. Dogs are terrific examples of how it is more useful to think of intelligence in terms of specific brainpower domains than as “general intelligence,” the stuff IQ tests purport to measure. In their strong domains, dogs are stellar. In others, not so much. …
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‘Belle’ has white whiskers on her black muzzle. She’s slower getting up the stairs, and can’t make it through the night without going out at bedtime. But Belle gets the best of care. She swims in a special pool, is fed the best food, receives weekly acupuncture, and takes a supplement for her arthritis. Belle is one in a legion of elderly dogs pampered by their owners. …
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She and her husband, the Duke of Hamilton, are visiting Canada from the United Kingdom, guests of the 2007 British Show, held in Hamilton, Ont. It’s a pleasant occasion. Sitting around a table in their hotel suite, the mood is relaxed and friendly. But the topic of discussion is anything but light. …
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Glover Allen, in his Dogs of the American Aborigines (1920), considered the Malamute and Qimmiq to be one and the same, i.e., in his words the “Eskimo.” It is quite clear that they were, in fact, two distinct breeds, created and maintained by different peoples in different parts of the north. …
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In early September 2005, over 120 Tollers gathered in Halifax to mark the 60th anniversary of CKC recognition of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers as purebred. Contrast this with the very first Toller national specialty, in 1979, when fanciers were thrilled to have an entry of 22 dogs. Surprised comment was that most resembled each other! …
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There are few facts and much speculation about the origins of the Newfoundland Dog. Almost everyone who’s written a book about Newfs offers a variation on the breed’s genesis. There isn’t even consensus that there was an indigenous canine as the foundation. …
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Canada is number one! Generally, this cry is raised by patriotic Canadians to herald our dominance in hockey, that quintessential Canadian game. Less frequently (if at all) do we associate it with Canada’s elite status in the world of purebred dogs. Yet, a breed that originated and developed in Canada can, indeed, lay claim to being the most popular and beloved dog in the world. …
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There were close to 20 types of dog in the Americas before Europeans arrived. Of these, eight were found in what is now Canada. Regrettably, only one is still with us. …
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Cathy Bishop and her sister Debbie Markowski will never forget one special phone call on March 9, 2006. As Debbie relates, “Cathy and I were at work when she got the call ‘Chance’ won breed-level judging at Crufts. She was in shock, and just bursting with joy.” …
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Curious about the number and nature of injuries to lure-coursing hounds, Diane Salts, a sighthound enthusiast from Washington, conducted a survey. Most reports were about toe and muscle injuries and most occurred during lure coursing on wet ground in the early season. …
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Every once in a while, one runs across a person who changes one’s life in some way, but a dog? Even a beautiful white-and-black, spotted, flecked, highly intelligent English Cocker Spaniel? …
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With the rapidity that transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) spreads among dogs, it’s long been believed to be a viral-induced form of cancer. Scientists recently disproved this theory when they discovered its true transfer mechanism – the tumour cells themselves move from dog to dog. …
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Because flyball is a high-intensity sport, some handlers get their dog in an almost frenzied state to knock seconds off their time. Playing tug can both create and maintain this adrenalin-charged condition. Tugging gives your dog an outlet, letting him burn off energy appropriately. …
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“It is not really cross-training. This breed is multi-tasked and with their energy level they easily adapt to do ‘what they were bred for.’”
– Jill Koch, Nowwithem Pointers, Maple Ridge, B.C. …
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The Ottawa Kennel Club’s 41st Show of Shows, was held on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville, Ont. …
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On November 21, I had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Professional Handlers Association (CPHA) annual awards dinner in Winnipeg. Awards are given based upon the Dogs in Canada Top Show Dog Point system, which was established in 1963. …
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A friend of mine recently adopted a very shy dog. Being a dog trainer, he did all the right things when he first met the dog: let her come to him at entirely her own pace; never reached for her; and tossed, then hand-fed her high-value food treats over and over. It didn’t take long for the dog to not only warm up to him but to fall in love, and hard. …
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It’s not that I mind it. I just wish my dog didn’t shed in large, furry clumps. I wonder if it’s only German Shepherds, or are other dogs likely to recreate themselves from the amount of hair they shed? Over the years, ‘Kali’ has shed enough hair to make one or two clones, of that I am positive. …
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Although I never tire of quoting Steven Pinker that intelligence is but one act in nature’s talent show (ours), like most dog people, I notice what I think are differences in cleverness between dogs. So, for fun, I checked out various dog IQ tests, reviewed the dog cognition research and, drawing ideas from both, created the following. …
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Brown streaks on the cheeks of little dogs is a common sight. When tears overflow from the eyes, they run down the face, creating wetness that provides the perfect environment for bacterial growth. As bacteria replicate, they cause skin irritation and produce pigment that stains the hair brown. In dark-coated dogs, this colour change is of little consequence, but in white dogs, tear staining is obvious. …
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What started out a few years ago as mere tolerance has now burgeoned into a major travel trend the hospitality industry is keen to cash in on. …
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My Shiba Inu ‘Jordan’ “buries” his toys in the sofa cushions. I use quotation marks because at the end of several minutes of labour the toy is often still clearly visible. But that never stops him from doing it again and again, always pushing imaginary dirt over it after carefully inserting it in his chosen spot. …
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Back in the dog days of August 2006, at a Toronto Blue Jays fundraiser, Glenn Hodge and his eight-year-old Miniature Smooth Dachshund auditioned for a representative from CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman. …
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My dog was doing perfect go-outs and now he’s taking the jump on the way out.”
“My dog has been very reliable on his Drop On Recall. Why is he now missing the down command?” …
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Communication can be difficult at the best of times, but communication between species has its own twist. Imagine being in a foreign country, and not speaking the language. Often, information is conveyed when one person manages to grasp the gist of what the other person is saying. …
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In Canada, labelling of organic foods is under review and there are no clear, current standards. As well, many foods sold in our stores are manufactured in the U.S., and information on the bags and cans mimic what is seen in that country. Advertising claims only confuse the issue with more misinformation. Deciphering the merits (and drawbacks) of organic foods is difficult. …
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Long-term hospital care can be gruelling and stressful for anyone, but for a 10-year-old away from his or her home and family, it’s particularly difficult. In pediatric care facilities, children can spend days, weeks or even months away from what’s familiar – and that includes the family pet. …
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On June 6, 2007, animal control officers in Sarnia, Ont., seized a mother dog and her three seven-week-old puppies from the home of Brian Edwards, Jr. and Cassie Bates. The dogs’ offence? Solely that an animal control officer identified them as “pit bulls” under the Ontario Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA). …
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Many people who choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle for themselves would like to extend that concept to their pets. It’s not much of a stretch when it comes to turtles or birds, but what about dogs? Can an animal classed as a carnivore lead an optimum life eating fruits, vegetables and grains? …
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Holistic practitioners have their own opinions about canine vaccinations. They follow protocols that they believe provide adequate protection against serious infectious diseases while minimizing potential negative effects of vaccines themselves. …
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In October 2007, more than 60 executives and managers of various municipalities, humane societies and corporations across North America gathered in Banff to address the issue of dangerous and disruptive animals in our communities. …
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