A FRIEND SENT ME THIS TODAY, I COULD NOT RESIST TO SHARE THE LOVE WE HAVE FOR OUR PETS.

When Grant, one of our pet ducks, was limping, I made an appointment with a veterinarian.  My husband, Bob, and I got her and 3 other ducklings at a county fair.  
The average life span for a Khaki Campbell (Grant's breed) is 7 years. Our trip to the fair was 21 years ago. I think I know the reason she has lived this long.

Over the phone, the veterinarian's secretary, Carol, said, "What is your duck's name?"

"Grant." For some reason I started giggling. I felt rude so I covered up my laughing by saying something I thought was funny, "When we bring her in, just give her the command, 'Grant. Sit.'" Then I blurted out, "She'll be a sitting duck," which put me into massive hysterics.  Carol sighed. "Her color?"  "Her color? Don't you think you'll know which one in your waiting room is a duck?"  "Her color," she repeated. "Brown." I figured it would not be a brilliant idea to say, "Put the charges on her bill," so instead I said, "She does have her down sides, so to speak."

Carol asked, "What is Grant's problem?"  "She's limping." I had no choice but to add: "She's a lame duck."  

Fortunately the veterinarian had a sense of humor. When I said something about ducking his questions, he shot back, "That quacks me up."  It turned out that Grant had arthritis, which was treatable.  When we adopted the ducklings, I was an anxious new mother. I bought a baby monitor for their coop. I kept the receiver by our bed.

I'd frequently wake my poor husband by saying, "Is that a normal quack or a 'come quick' quack?" (Try repeating those last 3 words 4 times very quickly.)  One duck's name was Dawn. "Is that the quack of Dawn?" was not funny after the 400th time I repeated it.  Once I heard a real baby on our monitor. Freaking out, I woke Bob - again.  He said, "We pick up neighborhood sounds if monitors are on the same frequency as ours.  And people can hear sounds coming from our monitor."  "Bob, mothers will think their babies are quacking!"

Now, at age 21, Grant is still a happy duck. She has her own little pond and a cozy coop. But the best thing she has is Bob.  Since she still has arthritis, Bob adds calcium to her food.  Since she's blind, Bob has made her play area completely flat.
Since she gets cold at night, Bob put an electric heat lamp above where she sleeps.

I believe Grant has lived this long because of the love in Bob's heart. Taking good care of his brood is not something he "tries" to do. It is the embodiment of who he is.  
When death has stolen a beloved pet, he feels crushing heartache.  
He still mourns our first dog who died 20 years ago. On the way to her final trip to the vet, he stopped at her favorite beach so that she could be at the place she loved the most, one last time.  He carried her from the car to the sand and let her eat her first McDonald's hamburger.  He has never gone to that beach again.

Yesterday he said, "When I refill Grant's pond with fresh water and see her splashing around so happily, it's the best part of my day."  And when I see the joy on Bob's face as he watches her swim, it's the best part of mine.

Award-winning columnist, Saralee Perel

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE ANSWERED ABOUT HOLISTIC MEDICINE FOR PETS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT smalldogbarks@gmail.com by 11/8/2013

As I was pet sitting a Yorkshire Terrier this week, I began to wonder if pets can love. It seems that they give unconditional love.  Is this true? Or am I getting the emotions mixed up, are they just happy to see us? Or is it just because they gain something from us?
Characteristics of Love/from Websters dictionary:
  1. strong affection  2.  warm attachment   3.  unselfish loyalty and benevolent concern for others
                    Wait that sounds like how we would describe dogs!


What do Scientist say:  Scientists avoid the subject because part of what sets humans apart from the animals is our ability to experience feelings. To say that animals actually have feelings, in the same way we do, would change everything – perhaps disrupt our entire position and standing in the animal kingdom. (from petcentric)

One Veterinarian is a skeptic, the veterinarian Fred Metzger, of Pennsylvania State University, who claims that dogs probably don't feel love in the typical way humans do. Dogs make investments in human beings because it works for them. They have something to gain from putting so-called emotions out there. Metzger believes that dogs "love" us only as long as we continue to reward their behaviours with treats and attention. (from moderndogmagazine).

What about those dogs that we have seen that have been abused. Obviously they get no reward, but they still wag their tails, happy to see that owner that does not treat them right.  Then there are those special bonds we have all heard about – when an owner dies, but his or her dog waits patiently for their return. Such was the case of Greyfriars Bobby, an Edinburg dog who sat by his master's grave for many years, until his death, waiting for his master's return. 

In my case this week, when I picked up the dog she was so happy to see me, she wanted to go, never mind about her owner.  Was it because she wanted to go out, did she know she would go in the car? But when I brought her back home, she was sniffing in the woods, when her owner opened the door she jetted like a rabbit to her owner, happy as can be.

As I researched this article, I saw the debate:

• The idea that dogs feel emotions, specifically love, is debatable. Though older schools of scientific thought refuted the notion that dogs had human-like feelings, some researchers today believe the subject deserves more attention.
  

• All mammals, including dogs, have a "pleasure center" in their brains that is stimulated by dopamine, the chemical that regulates feelings of happiness. For example, when a dog is playing fetch, dopamine is released in the pleasure center and the dog is "happy." Since humans have similar brain chemistry, can we assume that dogs and humans are much more alike emotionally than previously thought?
  
• "Dogs probably don't feel love in the typical way humans do. Dogs make investments in human beings because it works for them. They stand something to gain from putting so-called emotions out there. The more 'cute factor' they give us, the more we feel like they love us.
  

So I guess after all my research I really don't know if dogs love.  What I do know is that "Their loyalty is unconditional" maybe that is what we think is love.  Call is loyalty, call it instinct......................call it whatever you want.

    In the end it does not really matter what we call it or how it happens,
                                 because all it comes down to is:


    We need dogs. They do something for us that rarely a human companion can do. No matter how much you mess up your life, or how much wrong you do, no matter how many mistakes you make or how often you make them, regardless of your looks, income or social standing, your dog never judges you. He always thinks you are wonderful!  

                             And you know you love your dog because of that!

As I was dog sitting this past week, a lovely Yorkie, I began to wonder "just how much exercise does this little dog need" (she may have been about 8 pds.).  We took her on  walks and she came jogging with us (we are amateurs, so it was not too long) and she amazingly kept up at a fast pace.  So I decided to do a bit of research to find out.

Basic questions I hear are: "She is so little, isn't just running around the house or back yard good"?

• Turning the dog loose in the backyard isn't enough -- aerobic exercise should be continuous with few breaks.  Dr. Susan Nelson, K-State veterinarian and assistant professor of clinical sciences.

Dogs differ in the amount and types of exercise they should be doing to maintain good health. A blanket recommendation for exercise time amounts can't be given as exercise needs vary vastly between individuals, and factors such as age, breed, weather and general health all influence the amounts of exercise your dog will need. Nelson said to consider these guidelines:

1.  In general, larger and working dogs have higher energy needs, and smaller/toy    breeds need less exercise.
2. Ideally, dogs should get out twice daily for exercise. Times may vary from 15-60 minutes, depending on your individual pet.
3. Swimming is a non-joint stressing exercise for dogs, just as it is for people. It is a great option during the hot summer months when heat exhaustion is a concern. Retrievers are at the top of the pack for this activity.

Generally speaking, a leashed walk around the block isn't going to cut it. Most dogs need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. Your canine pal needs enough that he's slowed down by the time you stop. Some general rules of thumb:

• Active breeds need a minimum of 30 minutes of hard aerobic exercise most days of the week, preferably daily.
  
• Not all toy or small breeds get enough exercise inside the house (contrary to popular belief). Pugs, for example, are prone to obesity and need much more exercise than they usually get.
• It's not safe to go out in extremely hot or cold weather. During such periods, stay inside and teach tricks to engage your dog's mind, throw toys, or run up and down the stairs together.
• Good exercise uses both mental and physical muscles. Exploring a new hiking trail, for example, engages your dog's mind as well as his body.
• Live by the philosophy that a tired dog is a good dog.

Here is what the ASPCA says: "On-leash running, inline skating or bicycling These are great ways to exercise a healthy dog".

BENEFITS TO OWNERS: Did you know that dog owners walk an average of 300 minutes per week, whereas people without dogs walk only about 168 minutes? Apparently, our dogs motivate us to stay active! 

• For More Information and where I found some of my research:
• (Also, check out the behavioral issues that come from a dog not getting enough exercise in these articles):
• http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/exercise-dogs
  
• http://dogtime.com/exercise-needs.html
  
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125132.htm
  

I was thinking of what to write for my first article.  I thought we just past 9/11 and were there any dogs that took part in locating missing people.  So I googled it and found a wonderful article that I am sure that every dog owner can appreciate.  So I thought I would share with all of you.

As the years pass and memories fade, it becomes easy to relegate 9/11 to the history books.  It's been eleven years since that awful day, when three thousand Americans lost their lives.  American Thinker decided to honor those who have not received much recognition -- the rescue and cadaver dogs, as well as their handlers -- by interviewing a few who worked through the debris at the Pentagon and World Trade Center (WTC).

Nona Kilgore Bauer wrote in her book, Dog Heroes of September 11th: A Tribute to America's Search and Rescue Dogs, "Without their contribution hundreds of victims' families would not have found the peace that comes with the return of a family member or beloved friend."  These animals and people worked tirelessly at first to find survivors, but ultimately, they found just human remains that helped families find closure.

Throughout the book there are excerpts from the handlers that described the atmosphere as smoldering debris with deep odors, smoke, dust, and noise, having to face death all around.  Bauer told American Thinker, "I realized these dogs were not recognized even though they were such an important part of the search and rescue effort.  America needs to know that these were brave, brave people and animals that were truly heroes.  The dogs are not working to be heroes -- just doing the job they were taught to do.  However, the fact is what they found was extremely important, which makes both dogs and handlers heroes to me." 
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