The canine cranium is the remains of one of the oldest examples of a domesticated dog ever found – and its sheer age suggests that modern dogs may have more than just a single ancestor.

Read all about this new, ancient amazing dog fact: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091192/Dog-skull-Siberia-33-000-years-old–hints-mans-best-friend-didnt-come-single-ancestor.html#ixzz1kP86wy9L

Newton, being a bit of a boffin who liked to work on his number crunching alone in his study, was reputed to have been disturbed one too many times by his cat.

Ever the resourceful chap Newton set about solving the cat disturbance problem by creating a flap in the door through which his feline companion could come and go without the eminent physics man ever having to leave his chair or remove his hand from his chin. With that, the world received the thing we now call the cat flap or, in bigger sizes, the doggy door.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_the_Miller

His citation notes his "courageous action in singlehandedly eliminating a dangerous machine gun nest and causing surrender of the crew." 

Four months later, the medal was rescinded when the War Department issued regulations prohibiting the award of such decorations to animals.  Not all dogs may be so brave, but they are all loved by their owners.  Across the U.S. there are 72 million dogs and many households have two.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Worth a read for inquisitive doggy types…Why do dogs mark their territory?

Here's an interesting case of chocolate poisoning in dogs…..

.Vets Now, an emergency out of hours veterinary clinic provider, has admitted an unusually high number of dogs recently who have been sniffing out the leftover Christmas chocolates, with almost fatal consequences.

The Vets Now Sheffield clinic alone has seen three cases in the past few weeks, highlighting the fact that many owners may be unaware of the dangers that chocolate poses if consumed by our four legged friends.  Our pets are just as partial to a sweet treat as we are; however, even a small amount of chocolate, if consumed by your pet, can be enough to cause death.  Dogs are most commonly affected by chocolate poisoning although cats, especially kittens, parrots and rodents are also susceptible.

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Dogs always seem to make really BIG headlines when they’ve done something bad. It’s just the way it is. There’s little doubt that there is a groundswell of people who simply do not like – maybe even hate – dogs and eagerly await their next opportunity to knock them.

We dog owners know the great benefits that dog ownership brings us, but next time you find yourself having to try and explain just how and why dogs have earned their place by our side all throughout the world, here’s some of the very real, very solid reasons…

1 Dogs will make you healthier – fact!

If you want to live a healthier life get a dog.  Dr Deborah Wells a psychologist from Queen’s University, Belfast, said dog owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychologyshe revealed how pet owners tended to generally be in better health than the average person.

2 Dog owners have fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.
It’s long been theorised that dogs can aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and it’s now well proven that dogs can spot oncoming illness, even the presence of cancer or an impending seizure. We haven’t even begun to scrape the surface of how much dogs can still do to aid human health.

3 Having a pet can help children develop better social skills.
Researchers at the University of Leicester discovered that children up to the age of six, living  in pet-owning families have better social skills, better speech, better co-ordination, more confidence and will be less likely to suffer from allergies by the time they start their second year of school.

4 Dogs aid children cope with stress.
A five-year-study of 600 children aged 3-18 years highlighted how children in pet owning homes who suffer from learning difficulties or come from a home where parents have split up, are better able to cope with stress than those children who don’t have access to the companionship of a pet.

5. No more sneezing.
It is traditionally thought that allergy sufferers shouldn’t have a furry or feathered friend. However, recent scientific evidence suggests that the opposite may hold true and pets have an important role to play in building up a child’s immune system. Children who live with a cat or dog in their first years of life have a lower incidence of hay fever and asthma and are less likely to develop animal-related allergies. Recent studies also show that the immune systems of children (particularly between the ages of five and eight) of pet-owning families are more stable than those of children from non-pet owning families – the result being that making pet-owning children are better able to fend off illness. (see PHC ‘Pets & Allergies’ leaflet on this website).

The latest research
New research was presented at the 10th International Conference on Human Animal Interaction in October 2004. This was the first time this triennial conference came to the UK.

Some of the highlights are summarised below:

A PET ALL DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY – Bruce Headey, Melbourne, Australia
A large-scale survey of more than 11,000 Australians, Chinese and Germans proved pet-owners enjoy better health. Over a five year period, pet owners made 15 – 20% fewer annual visits to the doctor than non pet-owners. Results showed that the healthiest group – those who went to the doctor least – was those who continuously owned a pet. The next healthiest group had obtained a pet during the study period, having not had one before. The least healthy groups were people who had never owned a pet, or no longer did.

KIDS WITH PETS TAKE FEWER SICK DAYS – June McNicholas, Scotland
Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist, presented findings of a study which examined 256 children (aged five to eleven years) in three schools in England and Scotland. The key findings were:

* Absenteeism through illness was significantly less among pet-owning children
* Children in reception and Year 1 classes had 18 per cent and 13 per cent better attendance respectively than non-pet owning children
* Pet-owning children attended school for an additional three weeks extra school compared to non-pet owning children (aged five to seven years).

6 Stroking a cat or dog can bring down blood pressure and one study of 369 heart-attack survivors found that those who had dogs were less likely to die within a year than those who didn’t.

6 The British Medical Journal found that pets can often act as social catalysts’. This was particularly important for those at risk of social isolation, such as the elderly or those with physical disabilities. A Warwick University study said 40% of dog owners say they make friends more easily due to their pet.

7 Pets can help recently widowed people deal with stress. A UK study revealed that three months after bereavement, pet owners had fewer physical symptoms, such as crying, than non-pet owners.

8 Cats can help you overcome stress. A Cats Protection study of 500 cat owners aged over 55 revealed 82% found that their cat helped them overcome feelings of stress; 62% said cat ownership helped overcome feelings of loneliness and 75% sometimes preferred to share their feelings with their cat rather than a partner or friend.

The same survey also looked at 100 cat owners aged 13 years or under where 80% said their cat helped them get on better with family and friends while 87% of children regard their cat as a close friend’.

9 Whilst it may seem obvious, owning a dog is a sure fire way to make sure you – and your pet – get some regular exercise by taking it out for walks on a daily basis – dog owners often reason that their dogs keep them fitter than they would do if they didn’t have the incentive to take the dog out.

10 Dogs make us laugh. They’re naturally comedic. Don’t believe me?

For example, to a dog, the sound of a fridge door opening is not really any different to hearing their owner say 'sit' or any equivalent word in a different language – with the exception that in the case of dog training commands the dog has been taught to respond to a certain sound with a particular action.

There have been cases in the news where owners have claimed their dogs don't understand commands in a particular language.

For instance:

Ask Henri the black Labrador to stay, and he will most likely stand stock still, staring at you expectantly.

The problem is, he will do exactly the same thing if you ask him to sit, fetch, or roll over.

For although Henri now lives in Yorkshire with his English owner, the four-year-old was born and raised in France, and he seems to be having a little trouble learning a new language.

Full story:

In reality, it is simply a case of a dog getting used to hearing new sounds from a new voice. Language comprehension is not the issue at all.

–Sponsored–

Professional dog trainer North East / Durham / Newcastle

According to some academics, yes!

Dog Owners Live Longer, Are Happier and Healthier: Report

Academic research has revealed that dog owners are happier, healthier and likely to live longer. Whilst it has been established for some time that pet ownership makes people happier, it has now been shown that the benefits of owning a dog outstrip those of cat or any other animal.

A psychologist from Queen's University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

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A rescue effort was launched after a Jack Russell plummeted over a cliff as he chased rabbits in Sidmouth, Devon.

A coastguard team was scrambled to the scene and a crewman was winched down the drop to save Rory, who landed some 30ft down the cliff face.

The two-year-old dog suffered just a few cuts after his fall down the cliff, which is known as Jacob’s Ladder.

Dogs running off cliffs is not all that unusual. Dogs, it seems, have a habit of causing mayhem and mischief.

Did you know, in the book News Hounds by Ryan O'Meara, a story of a dog eating a pair of bicycle handlebars was just one of the many amazing canine catastrophes recorded.

How about this lot…

10 (completely genuine) dog insurance claims.

1.Luke, a four year old Doberman from the West Midlands, ran up a bill of more than £215 after a 38 inch leather belt had to be removed from his stomach.

2.Rusty, a Bull Terrier from Kent astonished vets after managing to consume a pair of bicycle handle bars.

3.Mr A Mills of Motherwell, whose Border Collie was not insured, attempted to claim on his home insurance after an accident in his back garden, when he accidentally peppered poor Mandy with air rifle pellets.

4.Following an attack from a pet Burmese python, Rudy’s injuries cost his owners the princely sum of £2,400, plus the loss of the snake.

5.Bayley, a five year old Dachshund from Hinckley in Leicestershire, required urgent attention after snacking on two of his owner’s golf balls.
6.Sian, a three year old mongrel from Swansea, broke her leg after falling from a sit-down lawnmower. This cost Huw Pickering, a retired insurance broker, £2,000 in vet’s bills.

7.Lee Sidney was left in tears after falling on top of his West Highland terrier, Jake, and fracturing two of the dogs ribs during a barbecue at his rugby club.

8.Lincolnshire couple Ruth and Marco LaBrie were charged £216 by the vet that removed assorted nuts and bolts from the stomach of Nelson, their Bassett.

9.Gemma, a miniature Schnauzer from Reading, diced with danger after swallowing a tube of super-glue. A second operation was necessary when the stitches became loose.

10.Gentle giant Mal the St Bernard needed surgery after destroying his gums by trying to clean the remaining bits of potato from a potato peeler at his home in St Helen’s.

Dog Jumps Off Cliff Video

Etana, the Rhodesian Ridgeback from Ebereschenhof, north of Berlin had nine dogs and eight bitches.

The litter is unusual in that all were born naturally with no need for a Caesarian section and all have survived.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a hunting dog originating from Zimbabwe and it was originally bred to help hunt lions.

See video

What You Need to Know About the Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback is the perfect dog for hound lovers that not only appreciate the breed's hunting abilities, but one that also makes a trusting protector and an affectionate companion. These hounds rate high on all votes when it comes to being good around children, friendliness towards other pets, and as a fearless guard dog.

Loyal to its family, the Rhodesian Ridgeback has an independent, strong-willed personality. But this head-strong attitude will not get in the way of training as these dogs take to obedience training quite easily. They do, however, need the handling of a dominant owner to keep them from trying to dominate the family pack.

A Brief History Of The Rhodesian Ridgeback

The Rhodesian Ridgeback has been around since the 1800s and its area of origin stems from South Africa. European Boer settlers had arrived in South Africa during the 16th and 17th centuries and needed a dog that could hunt in both hot and cold temperatures, withstand rough brush, work on limited water – all while being a trusted guard dog.

The Settlers created such a dog by crossing the breeds they had brought with them (namely the Greyhound, Pointer, Mastiff, Staghound, Bloodhound, and Great Dane), with the native breed of the local area – the Hottentot tribal hunting dog.

These new dogs were not only excellent hunters that could use scent and sight to track down prey, they were also supreme watchdogs and family protectors. They were so fierce on the hunt that during the 1870s several of the dogs were documented as having hunted down Lions in Rhodesia.

They were known then as “Lion Dogs” and had a distinctive ridge of hair that ran down the top of their back. They became so popular as successful hunters that many people had owned them. But eventually too many varieties of the Lion Dog had emerged so a specific breed standard was created during the 1920s, which is the bases for today's standard.

Part of the criteria was to change the name to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The breed was introduced to the United States and England during the 1930s and in the 1980s was officially recognized as a sighthound, thus allowed to compete in sighthound field trials. Today the Rhodesian Ridgeback is one of the more popular hounds and is enjoyed by households all over the world.

More dog breeds info

Adopt a Rhodesian Ridgeback