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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Pooches in Pictures; How Hollywood influences the dogs we bring home

No actor wants to share the stage with a dog, for he will undoubtedly be upstaged. Its all but impossible to watch a dog movie without falling head over heels into puppy love. Consider Mom, the warm-hearted Border Collie from the 1995 blockbuster Babe. There was nary a dry eye in the theater as she watched her pups sold. Disneys 101 Dalmations left an audience crying (as Cruella), I want those puppies! Even television commercials tug at our heart-strings. Dinky started a Chihuahua craze the world over as the spokes-dog for Taco Bell, while Spuds Mackenzie ushered in a new generation of Budweiser Beer drinkers. There is no doubt about it; the media has great influence over pet popularity, particularly those of the canine persuasion. In itself, this isnt a terrible thing, but when it comes to choosing a pet for your family, Hollywood can spell disaster!

Just imagine a couple going to a movie featuring a cute child. On screen the child is humorous, attractive, and clever. It never gets into trouble, except when it is funny. Imagine the couple falling in love with this on-screen child, going so far as deciding to have a baby of their own, without taking any of the complications of child-rearing into consideration. They dont expect to have any troubles with their childthey naturally expect it to resemble the child from the movie.

Sound ridiculous?

Now imagine that same couple six months after their baby is born. They are now trying to find a family to adopt their child. It takes up too much room, and they cant leave it home by itself while they work all day. They had no idea how much money it cost to feed and diaper it, not to mention the doctor bills! The baby demands too much attention, and over all, they cant take anymore crying.

This same scenario happens over and over again every time Hollywood releases a dog movie. Dont get me wrong, I love a good dog movie as much as the next canine enthusiast, but there are good reasons Sandi Dreimel of TheDogInformant.com sites this as one of the four worst reasons for getting a dog.

The next time you think about bringing home Rin-tin-tin remember: Dogs are great stars, and often several dogs share one role. Nine different dogs have played the part of Lassie since it first premiered in 1943. These dogs are trained by experts for years before they are accepted on the set. Special tricks and effects can give animals human-like qualities. But real pets are only tooreal, and individuals end up disappointed when the pet they purchased doesnt behave like their screen counterpart. Disappointment quickly turns to annoyance and sometimes can even become abuse.

Besides expert training, many Hollywood dogs require extensive care. Frequently films will feature rare and exotic breeds that are difficult to care for. Take our little talking tacquito friend. Chihuahuas, while smart and affectionate, need careful socialization to keep them from becoming suspicious of strangers, jealous, and even aggressive! Their tiny frames, while adorable, make them vulnerable to injuries. All of these traits make Chihuahuas an unsuitable companion for children, but these arent traits generally advertised on Taco Bells commercials. However they should definitely be taken into consideration before bringing home Tacos twin.

At times Hollywood has actually created a breed boom with a movie. Unfortunately this instant popularity can attract the wrong crowd. There are irresponsible breeders out there who are more interested in making money than careful breeding. Their negligence can result in animals of poor health, bad temperament, and inferior structure. Sadly these breeders are everywhere. It may take a little research to buy a purebred, something impulse buyers, like those influenced by the latest Hollywood trend are unlikely to do.

What happens to these pooches when people become bored or disillusioned with them? Too often yesterdays fads become a burden on shelters and rescue groups struggling to place forsaken pets. Roughly 60% of animals in shelters are eventually euthanized. So, before you go looking for that Lassie look-alike, remember that choosing a pet is a lifestyle choice, not a fashion statement. Think through your decision, realizing that dogs require time, money, and a lifetime commitment. (Most dogs live between 10 and 15 years.) If your child has her heart set on Pongos stunt double, consider buying her the DVD, or better yet, a stuffed animal. And if you do decide to get a dog, make sure you read up on its breed, spend time with it, talk to real dog owners, and set realistic expectations for yourself and your new pet. Theres a reason dogs are known as mans best friend. But as with people, choose your friends with care!

Emma Snow an animal lover works in marketing for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net leading portals for pet management.

Preventing Animal Abuse and Neglect - 3 Things That Work

Many of us feel overwhelmed by animal abuse, neglect and over population. The following methods have been helpful in the welfare of animals.

1.Leash Laws

Creating and enforcing leash laws is one of the easiest ways a city or township can begin reducing the number of unwanted animals. Many cities may have a leash law for dogs, but not one for cats, ferrets or domestic rabbits. In order to be successful, the leash law must be comprehensive and apply to all animals; dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits etc. There needs to be a stiff penalty for people who ignore the law. Having a leash law creates several benefits; its easy for animal rescue workers to determine which animals are strays, it prevents unplanned breeding, it keeps pets from roaming so they are not likely to be hit by cars, it prevents dogs from fighting, it reduces the number of cats killed by prey dogs or dog packs, it reduces the spread of disease such as Feline Aides and Leukemia, it helps keep public opinion favorable.

2. Humane Education

Humane Education is when caring individuals or groups talk to school age children and teenagers about animals and animal care. The ASPCA website has great information about how teachers can incorporate humane education into a classroom lesson. Ideally, humane education should start in early childhood and continue through adolescences. The Humane Association of Michigan website has information about their very active outreach program. If you dont have a humane education program, consider starting one at your childrens school. It takes very little time and can be great fun.

3. Zoning Laws

When cities and counties establish zoning laws that regulate how many animals a single person or household can have, it helps prevent overpopulation. Many cities have a rule that a person can only have 4 to 5 pets in a single family home. Condominium associations typically allow up to 2 pets. Since many dogs and cat produce litters of 6-8 offspring, the homeowner is violating zoning law by allowing their animal(s) to breed. Zoning laws help reduce the number of people who breed animals for profit.

Kate Garvey is the founder and director of http://www.PetCareRCA.com which provides free pet care and animal welfare tips. She is also a freelance writer http://www.kategarvey.net and the author of several non-fiction books. Areas of expertise include real estate, business, web content, newsletters, womens issues and self- esteem.

How Old is Your Pet - Really?

Just how old is your dog really? More than likely you know the dogs age in years, or at least have an approximation of its age, but do you really have any idea how old it may be- chronologically speaking?

Im sure youve heard of the old seven year theory. You know, the system where each year of a dog or cats life is the equivalent of 7 of ours. An example of this thinking would be that a 1 year old dog would be the age and developmental equal of a 7 year old person. Now just how many 7 year old kids do you know that are sexually mature -and able to reproduce? A cat or dog is much more likely to have a litter when it is one year or younger, or at the other extreme,ten years or older, than is a human who is under the age of seven or over the age of seventy!

This system was simple- but too simple. Many people today may still use these calculations when coming to some idea of their pets chronological age. Still, due to examples like the one above you can see why this most simple of systems is not accepted today.

In the early 1950s a French veterinarian, Monsieur LeBeau, formulated another system to address this problem. In LeBeaus system, a dog/cat of 1 year in age became the equivalent of a 15 year old person- due to the onset of puberty in each species. The second year of a dog/cats life became the equivalent of a 24 year old person- someone/ something that has reached full maturity. After two, each year of an animals life would equal 4 years of human life.

Pop quiz time! Just how old would a 6 year old cat really be using this newer system? According to the LeBeau theory, the dog/cat would be the equivalent of a 40 year old person. Remember, 24+ (4*4)= 40. How about a 10 year old dog? If you came up with 56 then you were correct!

It is interesting to note that dogs and cats move up this newer age scale at the same rate until they reach the age of 14. At that time the rates begin to differ between dogs and cats compared in human age terminology. This chart would work quite well for a dog or cat having an average life expectancy(ALE) of 14 years. As we all know, oftentimes animals,as do people, may exceed the ALE which would call for further refinement of this age formula.

For this we need to be aware of something called the maximum life span(MLS). Basically, the average life expectancy is the amount of years a person, animal, etc. may reasonably expect to live. The MLS on the other hand, is the genetically based maximum age beyond which no member of that species may live.

Now, with that in mind, consider this addendum to the first age chart. A human maximum life span is close to 110 years. A cats maximum life span is around the mid-30s, while a dogs maximum life span is around 29.

So, just how do you calculate a cat or dogs age who lives past the 14 year mark? In this event, each year of life past 14 for a dog would equal 2 1/2 human years, and only 2 for a cat.

Due to recent research it has been found that many times an animal may live past his ALE when given improved care, activity, social and psychological stimulation. If we examine the oldest living dogs on record, we can begin to see that most had a regular moderate exercise program that included differing levels of psychological and social stimulation.

Currently, the oldest living dog on record worked as a herding dog in Australia(29 years old). The runner-up, a mere 27 years of age, was a Lab who lived in the home of a game keeper in England. Other famous notables include Higgins, the terrier on Petticoat Junction and the Beverly Hillbillies(20); Pal, the collie who started the role of Lassie(18);and,last but certainly not least, Rin Tin Tin, movie star and German Shepherd who lived to be at least 16 years of age.

The following charts will show you just how LeBeaux theories work when determining the age of your pet. We hope this material is of help to you in the future.

AGE

Cat/Dog Human

1---------------------------15

2---------------------------24

3---------------------------28

4---------------------------32

5---------------------------36

6---------------------------40

7---------------------------44

8---------------------------48

9---------------------------52

10-------------------------56

11-------------------------60

12-------------------------64

13-------------------------68

14-------------------------72

AGE Cats/Humans Dogs/Humans

15------------74--------------------74.5

16------------76--------------------77

17------------78--------------------79.5

18------------80--------------------82

19------------82--------------------84.5

20------------84--------------------87

21------------86--------------------89.5

22------------88--------------------92

23------------90--------------------94.5

24------------92--------------------97

25------------94--------------------99.5

26------------96--------------------102

27------------98--------------------104.5

28-----------100-------------------107

29-----------102-------------------109.5

30-----------104

31-----------106

32-----------108

33-----------110

34-----------112

Article written and reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/
Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - "Your New Best Friend"

Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com, is a lifelong animal lover and dog enthusiast. Interested in more dog information? Training and health tips? Thinking about getting a purebred dog? Interested in the German Shepherd Dog in particular? Need to promote your dog related website and get additional in bound links? Check out pedigreedpups.com , total-german-shepherd.com or http://www.pedigreeddogs.com (purebred dog breed directory) for more information.

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