Mixed Breeds

I find it odd that the importance of a specific breed is really all that important, unless you require a breed for let's say hunting or a show dog. Although I'd love to know exactly what breeds are involved in the genetic make-up of the animals we own, it wouldn't make a difference in the amount of love and care we would provide our pets. On that note, however, for people that just HAVE TO KNOW... a DNA test can be done on your mixed breed. (more info) Pokey (shown here) is part Chow, but we may never know what other breed(s) are involved in her genetic make-up, and other than curiosity, it really doesn't matter. For us, she is just a precious and unique canine that gives us unconditional love.

Calico is not a breed?

Free Pictures from PetComments


Did you know Calico was not a breed? (read more here) . It's also rare (1 out of 3000) that a calico would be male, due to their genetic code. If you have a male calico, he is more than likely sterile. Information on Calicos, tortoiseshells, and tuxedo colored cats here. The photo above came from petcomments.com. That's one fluffy calico.

Forgive the lapse in blog posts, this past week has been a little hectic. I'll see if I can't get back on track. Till next time...

More Puppies!

Just another puppy pic today, taken 11/29/07. The puppies were 9 weeks old in this photo. Lady is in the forefront looking cute as ever, while Cody is behind her chewing on something. More cute pet photos can be found here.

Pudge

Today, I'm introducing Pudge. This is mom and dad's oldest at about 19 years of age. She is definitely one of the softest cats I've ever touched. Pudge is the boss at her house, even though her general way of inforcing her leadership is ignoring anyone or any other animal that she doesn't have time for at that moment. She's a talker too! You may not understand what she is mewing about but, I guarantee, mom and dad know exactly what she is saying or complaining about each time she opens her mouth. And don't be silly enough to think the bed in the master bedroom is mom and dads'... because it's not. She allows them to sleep there, not the other way around. I guess after 19 years she should have certain liberties. I mean, when converting her 19 years to human years, the calculator says she is 93 years old! Convert your cat's age here. I just hope I look that good at 93.

February is pet dental month.

Does your dog or cat have halitosis? According to an article I found at petplace.com the major cause of bad breath is peridontal disease.

Article(s) on peridontal disease, gingivitis, plaque, and dental care can be found here. They also state that the bacteria from all of these dental problems can move through your pet's bloodstream and harm major organs. Wow, I didn't know that! They also have an article on brushing your dog's teeth. Now, Pokey and Rosie probably wouldn't be a problem. I'm wondering why they don't have one on brushing a cat's teeth? The cats are the ones that would definitely put up a fight - and WIN!

Puppies!

Today was a long day. Spent most of it, either at the courthouse (jury summons) or driving between my home and the courthouse. Any inspiration for a really good blog post today, just isn't gonna happen. So I decided what could be better than a CUTE pic of PUPPIES? Photo taken on 10/19/07, when the puppies were a couple of days shy of a month old. Cody on the left and Lady on the right. They almost look like two different breeds of dogs, don't they? It's still hard to believe that they both share the same mother!

Why do cats rub against things?

As explained by PetPlace.com, 'Cats are equipped with glands, located on the forehead, lips, front paws, and on their flanks and rears, that secrete pheromones. Pheromones, which are substances produced by animals, act as a form of chemical communication. Cats produce several different pheromones that send various signals and affect a number of different behaviors.' For the rest of the article, click here. I just haven't figured out why Pebbles usually performs this ritual while I'm sitting on the toilet!

Do animals yawn?

This photo is one of mom & dad's cats, Daisy. I caught her right in the middle of yawning and it looks as though she is hissing at me! Daisy was dumped off in the neighborhood as a kitten and mom and dad are just like us when it comes to saving the hungry and homeless stray animals dropped off in this area. She was a regular 'wild cat' when they first gave her a home, but has since mellowed out like their other two cats - thank goodness! I found this funny site that shows lots of pictures of animals yawning. If you're interested, click here!

Dominance - Who's the pack leader?

In the dog world, they depend on a pack leader to guide them, feed them, etc. In the human world, are you the pack leader or is he/she leading you? I found a good article on dominance at People and Dog Society (PADS). Click here


If I'm not careful, our dogs can 'lead' me. My husband is a good pack leader and the dogs have the utmost respect for him. That's one of the places his patient nature comes in handy. I have a bad habit of raising my voice and getting upset when they don't do as I tell them. I 'demand' obedience verbally (which doesn't work) and my husband 'gets' it. My husband, on the other hand, stays calm 99% of the time and gains almost instant control over the situation. I say 99% because there is that rare moment that one of the dogs will completely disobey, and it makes him slightly angry because he knows the dog knows what she is suppose to do. Between our girls (all of our dogs are female) they all try to dominate now and again, but we remind them who's the pack leader - Chris!

When I grow up, I want to be a PACK LEADER too!

Feeding your dog.

This photo taken on 10/19, when the puppies were almost 4 weeks old, is one of my favorites. Cody (left) looks like a drunken sailor and Lady (right) doesn't seem to have a clear shot to the food dish. It sure does look like Cody over-ate, and maybe she did, but we often found her sleeping on her back.
They were still residing in a box at 4 weeks, and between me changing their bedding daily and their mother, Rosie, cleaning them hourly, they managed just fine. And I figured, since their mother was still nursing them, two daily feedings were sufficient. According to Pet Web Site, I guess I should have fed the puppies less amounts and with more frequency. Pet Web Site states that "Puppies require to be fed small meals throughout the day and generally should be started with 5 small meals a day, bringing this down to four meals a day at the age of 3 months, then 3 meals a day at 8 months. It is important that the puppy is fed a diet designed for its age - there are diets specifically designed for puppies and young dogs which will ensure the growing dog receives the nutrition required for healthy growth." Click here for more dog feeding info.

Rosie's Poster

As I stated in an earlier post, when my husband found homeless Rosie, we couldn't let her starve but we had no intentions of keeping another dog either. I took several photos of this stray, trying to find that ONE photo that would make anyone want her. And because I didn't want to leave her 'nameless' on the poster, my husband came up with her name. Chris took one copy of the poster to work with him, and I did the same. But as you look at that cute little sad face your heart melts and after a few days, we had a change of heart. I mean what the heck? Pokey had already accepted her and it would be good for Pokey to have a companion to play with. She didn't attack our felines and that was a plus! So we would now have two dogs instead of one, no big deal! Of course, at that moment, we didn't know we would end up with three! I guess we are just a couple of softies when it comes to the homeless and/or adorable furry creatures.