About Noise Sensitivity

With hunting season rapidly approaching I thought this would be a good piece to share. Please note, noise sensitivity is not limited to border collies. Any dog can experience fear of loud noises.

About noise sensitivity:

"Noise sensitivity can manifest itself as a problem in a variety of ways, the two most prominent problems being fear and over-stimulation.

It is part of the background of breeding of a Border Collie to be sensitive to sound as they are required to be able to listen for commands and keep their eye on the livestock they are herding without looking back to their handler for reassurance. Over the centuries, shepherds have naturally selected dogs with good hearing to breed from as it is necessary for the dog to be able to distinguish verbal commands or whistles from considerable distances. If the dog is not sensitive enough to distinguish commands against the background noise of wind and weather its effectiveness as a sheepdog will be diminished. They are also required to locate sheep at a distance or, on some occasions, when the sheep is buried under many feet of snow on the high fells in a blizzard. This also requires particularly sensitive and applied hearing"

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Six Common Misconceptions About Pet Adoption: Why Adopt and Not Buy?: Before You Adopt

Six Common Misconceptions About Pet Adoption: Why Adopt and Not Buy?: Before You Adopt:

"We put together a list of common adoption myths, in the hopes that you can gently point friends toward this post when they talk about why they've got their heart set on buying."


Click through for the remainder of this article.


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Cost of Medical Care for Pets Increases - WSJ.com

Cost of Medical Care for Pets Increases - WSJ.com:

"Pet owners are feeling sticker shock at the vet. The average household in the U.S. spent $655 on routine doctor and surgical visits for dogs last year, up 47% from a decade ago, according to the American Pet Products Association. Expenditures for cats soared 73% over the same time frame—on pace with human health-care cost increases. Expenditures for people in the U.S. were up 76.7% between 1999 and 2009, according to the U. S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services."

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal. Click through to read the rest of the article.

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Do Animals Grieve? : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Do Animals Grieve? : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR:

"It's refreshing to answer a scholarly question without equivocation. Most often, I can't do that. When anthropologists reconstruct how prehistoric peoples lived based on their material artifacts, or theorize about how monkeys and apes think about the world based on their behavior, disclaimers of what we can't know often crowd out solid answers.


But from a combination of observation, evolutionary logic, reading the peer-reviewed science literature, and talking to insightful animal people, I'm convinced that animals may feel deep grief when another animal dies. Not all species, to be sure; if spiders and snails are ever found to grieve, I'd be the first to express astonishment. But I do mean more than only the usual suspects, more than the apes, elephants and cetaceans."

Please click through......

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Tetanus: Not Just from Bites and Rusty Nails | The Bark

Tetanus: Not Just from Bites and Rusty Nails | The Bark:

"We have all heard of tetanus shots and have some sense that we are supposed to periodically get them, especially after a dirty cut, scratch with a piece of metal or some sort of bite wound. Some of us may even know that tetanus is often referred to as lockjaw, but the general knowledge of tetanus generally does not extend much beyond that, and many people are not aware that tetanus can be a problem for animals as well as people.


Different animal species have different sensitivity to the tetanus toxin. On the spectrum of tetanus sensitivity, horses, humans and livestock are most sensitive and dogs are less sensitive. And then there are cats: They are quite resistant and almost never get infected (as we all know, cats have a different rule book than the rest of us). We will, of course, focus on our favorite, dogs."

Please click through for the remainder of this informative article.


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Doggie Bits: Why Dogs Can't Eat Chocolate - By: Dr. Dawn Ruben

Doggie Bits: Why Dogs Can't Eat Chocolate - By: Dr. Dawn Ruben: "Halloween and the temptation of chocolate is everywhere this time of year. But our dogs should not eat any chocolate because for them, chocolate is poison.

In addition to a high fat content, chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination.

Six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate can be toxic to the nervous system of a 20-pound dog. The worst a Hershey bar can do to you is add an inch to your hips. But that same candy – even in relatively small amounts – can make a dog very sick. "

Please click through to read the rest of this important article.

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NOVA | The Meaning of Dog Barks

NOVA | The Meaning of Dog Barks:

"Can you tell the difference between a dog bark that says "I'm lonely, don't leave me!" and one that warns "Don't get close, I might bite!"? Researchers in Hungary have found that we humans have a remarkable ability to categorize various types of dog vocalizations and understand their emotional content—in effect, to "speak canine." Click through to try it yourself, and learn what this inter-species communication might mean about the evolution of dogs."

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Pet Industry Statistics and Trends for 2010

Pet Industry Statistics and Trends for 2010: "Surprise, surprise – the impact of the recession on consumer spending and attitudes will continue to dominate economics for pet-related small businesses in 2010. It has long been thought that pet-related spending is recession proof and 2009 certainly tested that theory. "

Sarah Wilson shared this article earlier in the week. I find it fascinating and wonder what are your thoughts?

Click through to read the rest of the article...

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Keeping A Close Eye On The Herd

It is really great to see a rescued border collie doing what it was meant to do! Click through for more photos and the rest of the story...

PHOTOS: Keeping A Close Eye On The Herd - Stonington-Mystic, CT Patch:

"Border collies are often credited as being the the most intelligent and hard-working breed and Tess was no exception. Owner Sylvia Murray of Alder Brook Farm in Norwich said that Tess was a rescue dog and when she brought her to the farm, the dog learned her new job in short order. "

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My Smart Puppy: Managing Your Mood: Watch Your Mouth!

My Smart Puppy: Managing Your Mood: Watch Your Mouth!:

"In our work as dog professionals, our mood can significantly impact our effectiveness with both dogs and people. This series of articles is to help us all do the best we can by developing our inner "toolbox." We spend a lot of time focused on our "toolbox" for our canine clients, let's spend some time on ourselves. Afterall, when we aren't at our best, our work suffers - no matter how wonderful our canine skillset is.

Let's start here: We all get into to habits of speaking that can go unexamined for years. The really old habits can be hard to see since we wear them like a spiritual skin; they can feel like a part of who we are. They usually are not. Usually they are just habits formed without awareness or choice in a time when we had to do something or were learning by example.

This article reviews three common ways we speak to ourselves and how we can do better. "

Excellent article, and important as how we speak to our dogs affects how they behave. Click through to read the rest of the article...

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Study confirms puppy mills leave long term scars on dogs | Philly Dawg | 10/12/2011

Study confirms puppy mills leave long term scars on dogs | Philly Dawg | 10/12/2011: "They have as much as eight times the amount of fear as an average dog. They spin in tight circles. They are highly sensitive to being touched.

All common traits exibited by adult breeding dogs who have been removed from puppy mills.

Researchers have now confirmed what anyone who works with dogs rescued from puppy mills knows: that they suffer psychological damage from their years of confinement and that after they leave they exhibit the effects years later."

please click through to read the rest of this story...

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School of the 21st Century: About Mutt-i-grees Curriculum

School of the 21st Century: About Mutt-i-grees Curriculum: "The Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum is a new, innovative program that builds on children’s affinity for animals and highlights the unique characteristics and desirability of Mutt-i-grees®, or shelter pets. The goal of the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum is to enable children to grow up to be calm, confident, and caring.

The Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum is more than an educational curriculum. It sets in motion the fundamentals needed to help transform the classroom and school climate, enhance teacher-student interactions, and engage parents and the community. The inclusion of real-life scenarios and dog-related activities captivates students, educators, and parents and promotes reflection and compassion.

The Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum was developed by North Shore Animal League America/The Pet Savers Foundation, in collaboration with Yale University’s School of the 21st Century, and is funded by The Millan Foundation. "

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