Animals Unfolded

Walking your dog is one of the most fun and important things that you can do with them. It's a great activity that dogs of all ages can do and best of all - you're both outdoors! It's physical, mentally stimulating and a great way to bond any time of year. The number of people who share life with dogs has grown substantially -  more than  72 million dogs in the United States alone. With all of these pets and people in close proximity, there are a few rules of engagement to keep in mind. Good manners on leash is essential, of course as is one other very important thing: picking up after your pooch. No one likes to see waste on the local trails , on streets or worse yet - on sidewalks. It's just unsightly, not to mention unsanitary.  With all of the walking that I do, I can attest to the scowls from some people when they see a pooch that I'm accompanying might possibly stop on their lawn. It's understandable, certainly. I see dog waste left behind in very...

I'll admit it. As a pet care professional, I am not a fan of "The Dog Whisperer". I cringe when I see the commercials for the show, and the poor dogs being subjected to methods of interaction that are cruel, and even dangerous. Cesar Millan, star of the show and self-professed dog behavior guru offers his methods and advice to millions of people across the country on the National Geographic Channel. I will say that I do appreciate Millan's emphasis on dog's getting enough exercise and humans being more involved with their pets. flickr photo courtesy of pmarkham Alas, Millan relies heavily on the " dominance theory ", which is for so many reasons, just backward thinking. In fact, the trainers who get the best results from their client rely on positive reinforcement techniques. The Alpha roll , stringing up/hanging - all things that Millan is in favor of - are counterproductive, detrimental to actually teaching a canine anything besides, well, agg...

Abundant rain in the first two weeks in June, coupled with the hot temperatures here in south east Michigan has created an environment that is perfect for mosquitoes to thrive. Humans aren't the only ones who are affected by these irritating pests - pets suffer too, and pet owners are eager to find something to help their four-legged friends get relief. Since traditional mosquito repellent isn't safe to use on companion animals, you might be wondering what is. In this vlog, I detail what is safe, what ingredients work and what you want to stay away from. As you recall from a blog that I wrote in March for AnnArbor.com, catnip has been proven to be effective in a study that was done on livestock. Included in today's vlog is information on a piece that Linda Diane Feldt wrote in May on creating your own effective and safe mosquito repellent at home - for yourself, and your pets. Linda is a Holistic Health Practitioner in Ann Arbor and a contributor to AnnArbor.com...

This week I've been caring for a dear client, a 15 year old large-breed Lab mix who has been experiencing the effects of an idiopathic balance disorder. The lack of coordination, balance and her frustration were obvious. I saw the need right away to find a way to assist her physically, to help my back and peace of mind - and her dignity. I decided to pull out the Easy Walker harness out of my day bag, and it worked great. She improved throughout the week, thankfully but I think that having the harness helped her through the difficult periods. Check out the video for more: Lorrie Shaw is a professional dog walker, owner of Professional Pet Sitting and lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com. Contact her via email or give her a buzz: 734-904-7279.

How many people have you chatted with that comment that their dogs become afraid during a storm - or even when a storm is expected? Chances are, a lot. I know that I have. After writing a piece for AnnArbor.com on helping dogs with noise or storm phobias , there was an interesting dialogue with folks about their dogs' behavior. One thing in particular seemed to be a common theme: Dogs who camp out in the bathroom to cope - either wedged between the toilet and the wall, up against the tub or the sink, or inside the tub/shower. Flickr photo courtesy of Alicia Nijdam This might seem like an odd thing, but a theory that Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Professor and Head of Animal Behavior at Tufts University has regarding the behavior is quite interesting. Dodman writes in his book, " Puppy's First Steps " and " The Dog Who Loved Too Much ", that it's common to find a dog pressed against one of the aforementioned surfaces, and for good reason - dogs b...

With so many breeds of canine, medical data can be confusing when considering the longevity of a dog . The standard has always been: The smaller the breed, the longer that they live. A recent study supports that mantra, for the most part. The records of over 80 breeds were kept over a 20 year period and analyzed in a new study co-authored by Dr. Kate Creevy , an assistant professor in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine and Daniel Promislow , a genetics professor in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences ,  Flickr photo courtesy of powazny Promislow notes, "Normally, if you compare different species of mammals, big ones live longer than little ones, and that pattern holds pretty well across hundreds of different species of mammals. With dogs, the opposite occurs; the little dogs live longer." This study may provide more answers as to why that is true. Click here to read the study. In 2003, the first canine genome was mapped by researchers and they...

Training a dog to assist someone who is visually-impaired typically takes a lot of time, skill and money to achieve. Having a leader dog can offer a great sense of freedom to someone who cannot see - but as you'll read, humans are not the only ones who can benefit from having as little help from an apt second set of eyes. Rhett and Scarlett are two peas in a pod. They were put up for adoption together in Albuquerque, NM recently after their owner had to relinquish them. The chihuahuas have been together for quite awhile, and have forged a unique bond: Rhett cannot see, and relies on Scarlett to guide him around. Scarlett is an all-too-willing assistant, who leads the way through their days. Rhett follows the sound of the bell that is attached to Scarlett's collar, navigating through doorways, around on walks and more. The pair were adopted by a nurse in their area who had previous experience with dogs who had lost their sight, after the shelter that facilitated the adopt...