The Intelligent Pet

Editor's Note

Table Scraps

Editor’s Note

Pet Alert!

Raw Knowledge

Good Dog

If Dogs Could Talk

Bark Out Loud

Pet Alert!

• 6/22/2010 - United Pet Group Voluntarily Recalls Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement for Dogs Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

• 6/18/2010 - Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. announces a voluntary recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food Due to a Possible Health Risk

• 6/9/2010 - P&G Recalls Specific Iams Canned Cat Foods Due to Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

July 1, 2010 Volume 1, Issue 3

“Dog Days” Meaning Not Very

Dog-Friendly

Odds are you have heard of the term “Dog Days of Summer” but do you really know where this expression comes from and what it really means?

The official dog days of summer are July 3rd to August 11th which is customarily the hottest days of the year. With it come unbearably harsh temperatures, extreme droughts, and limited crop production. Also during this time of year, Sirius or the “Dog Star” is easily seen rising and setting along with the sun which in ancient times made it an easy scapegoat for the cause of these scalding summer months.

Sirius is the brightest star in the sky (second to the sun) and belongs to the constellation Canis Major. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome and Greece all had their own beliefs about the Sirius star and its relationship to the scorching weather. The Egyptians thought Sirius to represent their pharaoh king, Osiris and believed that the summertime flooding of the Nile represented the death and rebirth of their former king. The Romans believed that by sacrificing a brown dog to Sirius, they would avoid his harsh wrath. This was indeed quite a sacrifice for them as the Roman people were known to greatly enjoy the companionship of dogs. Even their goddess Dianna the huntress was commonly portrayed with dogs at her side.

In modern times, the dog days of summer have a lighter connotation. We associate this time of the year with lazy afternoons, family vacations and a variety of outdoor activities. Why not take advantage of the heat and take your pets out for a swim or even for a run through the sprinklers? Try to find unique new ways to have some fun with your pets and survive the heat!

-Amber Keiper

If Dogs Could Talk

You Think You’re Stressed?

Anxiety and Stress In Dogs

An unusual event happened about a year ago when our family decided to go on vacation. It was obvious that we were going to leave the house. Our dog was observing all the packing, suitcase shuffling, and the general hurry up last minute details.

Just before we were ready to leave we noticed that our dog, Sidney - a loveable cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix) - was acting very strange and was almost lethargic and lifeless. This was definitely an abrupt change in his personality and we were really concerned for him. My wife insisted that we take him to the vet and find out if he was suffering from Lyme’s disease or a similar fate.

When we arrived at the vet’s office the first question he asked was, “Are you guys going on vacation?”

How did he know???

You see, Sidney was so sad that we were leaving that he chose to display his anxiety in this manner.

Don’t think for one minute that your dog doesn’t have a connection with everything that goes on in your life and with the members of your family. Anxiety and stress play such an important part in not only our own lives but also in our pet’s lives. It is no wonder that high anxiety and stressful situations may sometimes result in physical medical issues.

Over the years I have had many different breeds of dogs, many of which brought with them stressful and anxious situations of their own.

We had a dog that was hit by a car and yet lived to a ripe old age. We have experienced the destructive puppy stage, the lost puppy stage, the “eat the furniture and dad’s favorite shoe” stage, and of course the difficult potty training resistance stage. We have had the emotional battle with having to put down our animals when they were not able to function properly anymore. We have even experienced the trauma of one of our dogs giving a nasty dog bite to our neighbor.

My point here is that by adopting a dog you will undoubtedly experience stress and anxiety from time to time. Just remember that our pets are not immune to trauma and anxiety either and to consider how they will react when faced with these types of stresses.

On a side note, I would gladly endure these experiences because of the pleasure that each and every one of our companion dogs has brought to our lives. Each dog has become a member of the family and deserves to be treated as such.

That is why I always stress the importance of proper nutrition for our canines by feeding a biologically appropriate raw diet (BARF diet). Feeding your dog what he is designed to eat will reduce unnecessary stress on his digestive and immune system and result in a happier and healthier dog!

Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist and has been formulating raw diets for more than thirty years. Recognized as one of the early pioneers in promoting raw foods to pets, Rob’s history of developing and promoting raw meat diets has exposed him to dogs, cats, and zoo carnivores worldwide. Rob and his wife love to travel with their dog, Ubi – a sheltie/beagle mix.

Robert Mueller with his dog, Ubi.

Good Dog

These Dog Breeds Are All-American!

The 4th of July holiday is right around the corner and with it comes some all-American favorites: outdoor barbeques, fireworks, and holiday parades. So in honor of our country’s independence and all things American, here’s a salute to the “Top 5 All-American Dog Breeds”:

Alaskan Malamute

A descendant of Arctic wolves, this breed is named after the native dialect of the Alaskan Inupiaq Eskimos. Since the Alaskan Malamute was mainly used for hauling and travel, it was important that they breed only the strongest, smartest and most reliable dogs which are the characteristics you see in the Alaskan Malamute of today. This breed is extremely loyal and friendly but has destructive tendencies if the proper discipline and exercise is not enforced.

2. American Foxhound

This breed was developed in Maryland and Virginia during the early 1700’s and is a cross between the Walker, Goodman and Trigg strains of hounds. These three strains of hounds all trace back to a black and tan hound from Tennessee known for his superior hunting and chasing skills. Tennessee Lead, as this hound was called, was stolen by a trader in November 1852 who then sold the dog to President George Washington. The president was a hunting dog aficionado who later ran a breeding program and is thought of as the father of the American Foxhound. This breed is a natural runner and does well in open spaces. She makes a great family pet as she gets along nicely with small children and other pets. Training an American Foxhound does take some patience as she can be quite stubborn and strong-willed.

3. American Water Spaniel

The American Water Spaniel is a sporting dog used for retrieving game and is the official state dog of Wisconsin where it is believed to have first been developed. This breed is a wonderful companion animal and must be kept quite active so activities such as water sports and agility training are perfect for her to enjoy. American Water Spaniels have tightly curled oily coats that make them almost “waterproof”. Group that with the fact that this breed is a strong swimmer and it’s easy to see what makes them an ideal match for water fowl hunting. They are easily trained as long as the owner is not too demanding and reinforces the fact that the owner, not the dog, is the “alpha dog”.

4. Boston Terrier aka “Boston Bull”

The Boston Terrier is a cross between the English Bulldog and the White English Terrier. They were originally developed in Boston, Massachusetts as pit-fighters but are now bred as companion animals. Being a companion animal at heart, Boston Terriers are not good outdoor dogs but instead do well as family pets and even therapy dogs. They have cheery dispositions, are extremely intelligent and quick to learn. Since this breed is also quite active, sports like agility and fly ball are perfect for him.

5. Chesapeake Bay Retriever aka “Chessie”

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a cross between the Newfoundland, English Otter Hound, Flat-Coated Retriever and Curly-Coated Retriever. This breed is named after the region where it was developed and is Maryland’s official state dog. He is revered as the toughest water retriever of them all and is known to be able to swim in harsh conditions and retrieve for long hours if needed. His short-haired oily coat enables him to hunt waterfowl in the icy cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This breed is a wonderful outdoor dog perfect for an active outdoorsy-type of owner.

Amber Keiper is the Marketing Assistant and Raw Diet Educator for BARF World Inc. She and her husband have two former rescue animals that are now healthy and proud BARF brats – a terrier mix named Chewbacca (“Chewy”) and a tabby mix named Chiquita (“Chiqui”).

Raw Knowledge

The Raw Truth – Fact vs. Fiction?

Concerned pet parents who are actively searching for the very best in nutrition for their dogs need to be able to discern fact from fiction when making a decision whether to switch their dog’s diet.

With the recent Natural Balance and Iams recalls, pet owners that have been buying kibble and canned food all their life are now beginning to questioning the safety, value and benefits of feeding a heat processed pet food.

Each side of the controversy professes to have science, longevity, and benefit advantages to offer the consumer. Like other similar philosophy differences, it is sometimes difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat.

Most of our customers come to us seeking help because their dog is exhibiting signs of immune system weakness that many times results into severe skin and allergy symptoms and serious degenerative diseases.

The fact is that our pets are naturally designed to eat raw food diets.

Their bodies are not designed to eat cooked foods full of grains and other fillers, preservatives and flavor enhancers. The animal’s body has only one way to tell us “NO – this is not what I should be consuming”. Unfortunately, it tells us this by presenting the animal with a variety of health issues, allergy symptoms, digestive problems, etc.

The results we see every day from pets that are switched from a cooked diet to a raw food diet - specifically BARF World’s BARF diet patties and nuggets - are remarkable! The health problems that these pets previously suffered from with no relief have been reversed. This is all the evidence we need to expand our beliefs and convictions that a raw food diet that is properly formulated will repair, rebuild, and rejuvenate the various conditions that our pets commonly suffer from.

After 34 years of manufacturing and dispensing this same formula to many generations of dogs and seeing firsthand the benefits that these pets experience, I challenge anyone to suggest that a dry heat processed kibble diet is still the best way to feed our canine and feline companions.

Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist and has been formulating raw diets for more than thirty years. Recognized as one of the early pioneers in promoting raw foods to pets, Rob's history of developing and promoting raw meat diets has exposed him to dogs, cats, and zoo carnivores worldwide. Rob and his wife love to travel with their dog, Ubi - a sheltie/beagle mix.

Bark Out Loud

It Pays To Be The Underdog This

Beauty Contest

Petaluma, CA

Dogs from around the nation travel to Northern California to participate in the annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest. The prize for 1st place is $1000 and usually results in fame for the dog and pet owner with appearences on talks shows and in newspapers around the world.

The Sonoma County Humane Society takes advantage of the event by utilizing the oppertunity to educate the public about animals and the oppertunity to adopt pets.

Though someone's dog is given the title of "world's ugliest" it never stops the pet from enjoying their company or seeing their beauty.

Click HERE to see this year's winner

Wags of Wisdom

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend."
--Corey Ford

"The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog."
-Ambrose Bierce