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A Corgi & His Bear.. Don’t Leave Home Without It

I grew up with Corgis and most years ‘Santa’ would give small stuffed animals to our dog, Bitsy (RIP). Bitsy never tore her ‘pets’ up.  Rather, she carried them around with great care, delicately treating them like her own children.  It was very sweet.

Here’ another Corgi obviously in love with a stuffed animal.

and then seeing himself for the first time..

Ok, one more.   This one isn’t just corgis. Its not even just dogs.  Obviously I can’t get in the habit of posting too many cute and funny animal videos from You Tube.  I mean, where would it end?

Still… its funny.

Unusual Signs of Stress in Dogs

Unusual Signs of Stress in Dogs

Check out this excellent article by Vancouver trainer Donna Hill.  She also has an excellent series of clicker training videos on YouTube for anyone looking for assistance with something in particular.

Unusual Signs of Stress in Dogs

By Donna Hill

What Unusual Signs of Stress have you Observed in Your Dogs?

Watch your dog for a week or so and observe him when he is in stressful situations. Or reflect back on situations when your do has been distressed or eustressed.

What specific behaviors that he doesn’t do in normal situations told you that he was under stress?
What level of stress does each indicate? (low, medium or high).
High ones are usually accompanied by other behaviors that indicate stress. Do you find this to be true for your dog?

Example:
Jessie clamps down on her bladder sphincter and can’t pee. She tries, but when stressed, nothing comes out. I see this when we arrive at new places with strange dogs such as a dog workshop. This a sing of high stress levels for her. By the first break, she has relaxed enough to pee normally.
When we first got her, she didn’t pee for 3 days. I thought she had a bladder infection and took her to the vet. Nope, she was severely stressed.
Another sign of stress for her is that she gulps-a big loud swallow. You can actually see the Adam’s apple moving and hear the gulp. It is usually done when I am too close and always accompanied by other signs of stress so for her, it’s a medium level stress sign.

A dog buddy of Jessie’s always sneezes multiples tie when she first greets Jessie. This is a eustress behavior for her as this is the only time it occurs (other than if she inhales something that needs to be sneezed out).

First-Aid Tip: Crazy Glue!

First-Aid Tip: Crazy Glue!

It is a little known fact that crazy glue was actually invented for heart surgery.  Fairly deep cuts can be cleaned thoroughly and then closed using butterfly strips and crazy glue!


However, and THIS IS IMPORTANT, instead of glueing the actual wound closed, it works best to crazy glue the butterfly strips to the skin on either side (going across) the wound, so that fluids can still seep from the wound, if need be, and air can get at it.  Then cover with a no-stick gauze bandage and wrap again with gauze wrap.  After this, I like to use a standard ace bandage, as it adds stability to the existing wrap and keeps the under-wrap pretty clean.   This summer when my dog cut her pas on a piece of glass, I also found these great slip-on, tubular, elastic bandages, which I used as the last layer or medical wrapping.  If the wound is on the paw, long socks (or children’s socks) can be used to keep bandages covering wound and butterfly strips clean and in place.

Slip on tubular bandages.

Change as often as needed, though normally once daily, or once in the morning and once at night, will suffice for a dog, assuming they are not getting it too filthy or wet during the day.  The glue on the butterfly strips will normally pull away naturally each day or two.  Simply add a fresh dot of crazy glue on the end and replace or replace entire butterfly strip.

If your dog won’t leave the wound alone, you may need a cone of shame for them, especially at night, so they don’t dismantle your efforts.

Hope this helps someone out there!*

(NOTE: By no means am I a veterinarian or trying to substitute for veterinary care!  If a wound is scary enough, a vet should be seen.  This is merely advice for clean, not too deep or serious cuts.  It can also be used on humans!)

Gorgeous Belgian Groenendaels Doing Conservation Work

Groenendaels, jet black Belgian sheepdogs are saving more than humans according to “The Latest In Scientific Field Equipment? Fido’s Nose”, a recent article by NPR.  This time they are saving an elusive species of turtles.

We will have to add ‘turtles’ to the long list of things dogs use the amazing olfactory senses to help us find, including diseased beesovulating cowspirated DVDs and cancer.

“Dogs’ behavior could help design social robots” according to Science Daily

“Dogs’ behavior could help design social robots” according to Science Daily

According to Science Daily “Dogs’ behavior could help design social robots“.

Amazingly, the Science Daily reports that dogs will act socially with robots that do not visually resemble humans at all, however, only after witnessing a human having a social exchange with a robot. Fascinating.

Unsurprisingly, treats acted as a social lubricant/motivator for the dogs’ when it came to being social with the robots.