Interesting Facts

•Survivors of the Titanic included two dogs: a Pekingese belonging to Henry Sleeper Harper and a Pomeranian belonging to Miss Margaret Hays.

•The oldest known breed of dog is the Saluki, which is an Arabic word meaning noble one. These dogs were raised as hunting dogs by ancient Egyptians.

•The oldest breed of dog native to North America is the Chihuahua.

•A dog’s whiskers are touch-sensitive hairs called vibrissae. They are found on the muzzle, above the eyes and below the jaws, and can actually sense tiny changes in airflow.

•According to a recent survey, the most popular name for a dog is Max. Other popular names include Molly, Sam, Zach, and Maggie.

•An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away.

•An estimated 1 million dogs in the United States have been named the primary beneficiary in their owner’s will.

•At the end of the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life”, an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, was recorded by Paul McCartney for his Shetland sheepdog.

•Barbara Bush’s book about her English Springer Spaniel, Millie’s book, was on the bestseller list for 29 weeks. Millie was the most popular “First Dog” in history.

•Before the enactment of the 1978 law that made it mandatory for dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets, approximately 40 million pounds of dog excrement were deposited on the streets every year.

•Cats have better memories than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that while a dogs memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat’s can last as long as 16 hours – exceeding even that of monkeys and orangutans.

•Cats have more than one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

•Cats, not dogs, are the most common pets in America. There are approximately 66 million cats to 58 million dogs, with Parakeets a distant third at 14 million.

•Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads of their feet.

•Dachshunds are the smallest breed of dog used for hunting. They are low to the ground, which allows them to enter and maneuver through tunnels easily.

•Developed in Egypt about 5,000 years ago, the greyhound breed was known before the ninth century in England, where it was bred by aristocrats to hunt such small game as hares.

•Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible.

•Dogs can hear sounds that are too faint for us to hear, and also can hear noises at a much higher frequency than we can. Their hearing is so good that they probably rely more on sound than on sight to navigate their world.

•Dogs’ eyes have large pupils and a wide field of vision, making them really good at following moving objects. Dogs also see well in fairly low light.

•Dogs in monuments: The dog is placed at the feet of women in monuments to symbolise affection and fidelity, as a lion is placed at the feet of men to signify courage and magnanimity. Many of the Crusaders are represented with their feet on a dog, to show that they followed the standard of the Lord as faithfully as a dog follows the footsteps of his master.

•Dogs may not have as many taste buds as we do (they have about 1,700 on their tongues, while we humans have about 9,000), but that doesn’t mean they’re not discriminating eaters. They have over 200 million scent receptors in their noses (we have only 5 million) so it’s important that their food smells good and tastes good.

•Each day in the US, animal shelters are forced to destroy 30,000 dogs and cats.

•Every known dog except the chow has a pink tongue – the chow’s tongue is jet black.

•Every year, $1.5 billion is spent on pet food. This is four times the amount spent on baby food.

•For Stephen King’s “Cujo” (1983), five St. Bernards were used, one mechanical head, and an actor in a dog costume to play the title character.

•French poodles did not originate in France. Poodles were originally used as hunting dogs in Europe. The dogs’ thick coats were a hindrance in water and thick brush, so hunters sheared the hindquarters, with cuffs left around the ankles and hips to protect against rheumatism. Each hunter marked his dogs’ heads with a ribbon of his own color, allowing groups of hunters to tell their dogs apart.

•Inbreeding causes 3 out of every 10 Dalmatian dogs to suffer from hearing disability.

•It has been established that people who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.

•Lassie was played by several male dogs, despite the female name, because male collies were thought to look better on camera. The main “actor” was named Pal. Lassie, the TV collie, first appeared in a 1930s short novel titled Lassie Come-Home written by Eric Mowbray Knight. The dog in the novel was based on Knight’s real life collie, Toots.

•Marie Antoinette’s dog was a spaniel named Thisbe.

•Most pet owners (94 percent) say their pet makes them smile more than once a day.

•Pekingese dogs were sacred to the emperors of China for more than 2,000 years. They are one of the oldest breeds of dogs in the world.…

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Fun Facts

15 Reasons Why Your Dog’s Haircut Costs More Than Yours!

• You don’t go for 8 weeks and NEVER wash or brush your hair.
• Your hairdresser doesn’t have to CARRY you back and forth, kicking and screaming, to the sink.
•You don’t leap from the tub in a mad soapy rush to escape.
•Your hairdresser doesn’t wash and clean your rear end and give you a sanitary trim!
• Your hairdresser doesn’t clean your ears!
• Your hairdresser doesn’t have to remove the boogies from your eyes.
• You sit still. You don’t bite & scratch your hairdresser.
• Your hair cut doesn’t include a manicure and pedicure.
• Your hairdresser only washes and cuts hair on your head!
• The likelihood of you peeing or pooping while your hair is being cut is slim.
•You don’t collapse on the table and refuse to sit up.
•You probably don’t launch yourself at the window trying to attack the people on the other side.
• You probably haven’t tried to catch a skunk right before your hair appointment.
• Your hairdresser probably dosen’t have to chase you down and drag you out from under a bed!
• You don’t decide to do an Operatic Solo at the top of your lungs and encourage all other patrons to join      in!

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG’ S DIARY
8:00 am – Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9:30 am – Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite
9:40 am – Oh Boy! A walk! My favorite!
10:30 am – Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite!
11:30 am – Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
12:00 pm – Oh Boy! Kids! My favorite!
1:00 pm – Oh Boy! The garden! My favorite!
4:00 pm – Oh Boy! Kids! My favorite!
5:00 pm – Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
5:30 pm – Oh Boy! Mom! My favorite!
6:00 pm – Oh Boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6:30 pm – Oh Boy! Sleeping in moms bed! My favorite!


EXCERPTS FROM A CAT’ S DIARY 
Day 183 of My Captivity
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair, must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of ” allergies. ” Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.
I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches.
The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time…

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Dog Shaving

Many clients ask me to “shave” down their Husky, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, etc. These are dogs that typically do NOT get shaved down because their double coats can be irreparably damaged in the process.

So why do clients come in requesting a haircut for these types of breeds?  They feel this is an easy way to reduce shedding and keep the dog cool.

Wrong! This is NOT the answer.  A dog’s coat provides insulation from the heat and sun.  Dogs do not perspire like humans do.  They only perspire from the pads of their feet and from their noses. They do not “sweat” like humans do. Their cooling process is done via panting from the mouth, sweating at the paws and cooling the blood in their ears. Shaving the dog does nothing to keep the dog cool. It just makes the human feel better when looking at the coated dog.

Also you expose your dog to the sun without protection. Now you have a dog that can come up with a variety of skin problems including skin cancer. Another reason to NOT shave is that the fur acts as a protection against insects and parasites. You remove that protection the dog is exposed to even more insect problems than he would have had if he had been allowed to keep is protective coat.

Furthermore, if you shave your double-coated breed it will eventually ruin the coat and disturb the proper shedding process.

A Husky, Golden, Lab, Malamute, and even a Newfoundland will be cooler with its coat on.

There is one important factor, however.  Their coats must be kept thoroughly brushed out.  Matted coats or coats with packed-in, dead undercoat will restrict airflow to your pet’s skin, consequently making him uncomfortable.

Shedding:

It may seem like a great idea to shave all the hair off.  Sure, no more hair all over the house! Except that they will still shed and you will just have small sharp hairs all over the house.  What you are doing when you shave your double-coated dogs is actually interrupting the natural shedding process.  You are cutting into the top coat, possibly damaging it, and causing the undercoat to grow uninhibited, as the undercoat grows much more quickly than the top coat, or “guard” coat.

The guard coat is the coarser hair that separates the finer undercoat hairs, preventing it from matting.  When this coat is clipped, the hair will appear to grow back softer because you are seeing only undercoat as it grows back.  This hair is thick and will matt easily and possibly result in patchy, uneven growth until the guard hairs eventually regrow.  By then the coat may be so damaged that it will need to be shaved down again.  Also, by interrupting the natural shedding cycle, you can actually be producing MORE shedding.  The exact opposite of what you want!

What is the answer?

Keep your double-coated breeds thoroughly brushed & combed out.  Keep them well groomed & they will be comfortable even in the hot summer sun.

Does you dog love water in the summer? Think about a tight trim. They can keep most of their length we just trim the back end, belly, legs and chest tighter to their body.

Remember…

regular professional grooming + brushing at home  = healthy, happy, and handsome pets!

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