UNDERSTANDING YOUR DOG'S SENSES

by YOUR PETS NUTRITION



Hi,

Welcome to this issue!

Have you ever wondered if your dog has the same senses as you? The answer just might surprise you! In this issue we are going to address that very question and look at some of the most important senses your dog possesses! Read on for more details!

Just like humans, dogs have different senses. However, they just don’t always use them in the same way and order of preference that we do.

A human’s most valuable sense is his sight. Whereas, a dog finds his sense of smell to be his number one sense. This is actually the reason why dogs and humans work so well together, particularly in crime investigation.

With a man or woman’s ability to use sharp eyesight skills, and a dog’s ability to use precise smelling skills, the two make a very compatible team.

Sense of Smell

A dog truly has a phenomenal sense of smell. It is the most developed of the dog’s senses. A dog’s life is to a large extent guided and conditioned by the scents that he picks up.

A dog’s sense of smell is significantly stronger than a human’s. In fact, the lining inside a dog’s nose has about 200 million receptors, while a human only has about 5 million receptors.

Sense of Hearing

A dog’s sense of hearing is also highly developed and highly sensitive. So developed, in fact, that it can pick up on ultrasonic vibrations—which is something humans cannot do!

A dog’s sense of hearing is so sensitive that a sound a man can barely hear at 13 feet, a dog can hear at 80 feet. This is why a dog makes such a good watch dog—he can hear someone approaching from a greater distance.

A dog can really pick up on how we speak to him too. For example, in training exercises, a dog will respond to our words—not necessary because of the words we use but how we say them.

Sense of Sight

A dog is also known for its keen sense of sight. A puppy that is only a couple weeks old has underdeveloped eye sight as it still has a short focal distance. As he develops and grows, his focal distance increases significantly.

However, it is not necessarily a dog’s sense of eye sight that is so excellent, but rather his ability to detect gestures and movements from a far away location—his sense of motion. For example, a dog might not see an animal hiding in a bush, but as soon as the animal moves, the dog can detect the movement.

Since dogs are so low to the ground, they have a harder time determining three dimensions, but it improves with experience and age.

Sense of Touch

Some dogs are highly sensitive to touch and others are not. Handle your dog according to his degree of sensitivity.

A dog’s head includes vibrissae, which are sensitive hairs around both of his eyes, along his muzzle, and underneath his jaw. Additionally, the remainder of his body consists of sensitive nerves. A dog is most sensitive along the spine and towards the tail. This is one of the reasons why a dog enjoys rolling around in the green grass!

Sense of Taste

A dog likes to chew on things that humans would never consider such as magazines, old shoes, electrical cords, and tree branches! Therefore, we tend to believe that a dog’s sense of taste is not as developed as humans.

A dog’s sense of smell is closely connected with his sense of taste. He can detect the difference between something that is sweet or sour, bitter or salty. There are some foods that dogs like to eat, and other foods that they don’t, however is usually happy with anything he can sink his teeth into!

In our next issue of our newsletter, we will look at some other critical elements related to dog training. Good quality dog training resources can make the process of training your dog much easier. Be sure to review the resource box below for more information about dog training topics and resources.

For more helpful dog training help, please visit our DIY Dog Training Course.

Kind regards, Shandra

JOURNEY INSIGHTS INTO YOUR CAT'S EYESIGHT

Provided by: Marcella Durand, The Daily Cat



The next time you catch your cat staring at you with its big, luminous eyes, try this: Blink at kitty very slowly. There's a good chance your cat will blink right back.

Many feline fanciers suspect that cats communicate with their eyes. And animal shelter workers will swear that if you blink slowly at even a feral cat, the animal often calms down. Cats also use their eyes to intimidate prey and even each other, as a way of establishing dominance.

And for their size, this animal has a lot of eye to work with. If our eyes were as big as those of any cat, in terms of their largeness per head size, our eyes would be eight inches long, each. Even more, a cat's eyes also bulge slightly, giving them excellent peripheral vision.

You may have noticed that, while you stumble around in the dark looking for the light switch, your cat is calmly navigating its way around the furniture. You may have also noticed that sometimes in a dim room, your cat's eyes will glow eerily. As nocturnal predators, cats have developed excellent night vision. Cats have vertical irises, which can narrow to the tiniest sliver in bright light or open to cover 90 percent of their eye area, enabling the pupil to capture even the smallest amount of light. In addition, a cat has a shiny membrane in the back of the eyes called the "tapetum lucidum," which helps to reflect light back through the retina, enabling the animal to see better in low light situations. That said, there is a limit: cats still can't see in total darkness.

As anyone knows who has watched a bug try to get across the floor and not get pounced on by the cat, this animal is acutely attuned to movement. In our own eyes, rods react to intensities of light, while cones react to color. A cat's eyes have more rods and fewer cones than ours do. This means that while we have better color vision, a cat can detect motion better. But all that sensitivity to motion comes at a price: Cats don't actually see close objects very well. After all, what's the advantage of seeing the mouse once it's in your paws?

Cats also have a third eyelid to protect their eyes as they stalk prey through grass and underbrush. Called the "nictitating membrane," this eyelid rests at the inside corner of the eye. If a feline's eyes are inflamed or irritated, you may see this membrane start to protrude. If a cat is seriously ill or debilitated, the membrane will partially cover the eye (and that's a definite signal to take your pet to your veterinarian).

While it's not completely certain what colors your cat is able to see, there's no doubt that the color of a cat's eyes are simply beautiful -- copper, gold, green, orange, yellow, blue, and lavender. Many cat owners say they chose their cat because of its eye color. Given the power of the cat's eyes, perhaps they were happily mesmerized.

More interesting staff can be found here: "CAT SECRETS REVEALED" that I strongly recomend you.

JOURNEY INSIGHTS INTO YOUR CAT'S EYESIGHT

Provided by: Marcella Durand, The Daily Cat



The next time you catch your cat staring at you with its big, luminous eyes, try this: Blink at kitty very slowly. There's a good chance your cat will blink right back.

Many feline fanciers suspect that cats communicate with their eyes. And animal shelter workers will swear that if you blink slowly at even a feral cat, the animal often calms down. Cats also use their eyes to intimidate prey and even each other, as a way of establishing dominance.

And for their size, this animal has a lot of eye to work with. If our eyes were as big as those of any cat, in terms of their largeness per head size, our eyes would be eight inches long, each. Even more, a cat's eyes also bulge slightly, giving them excellent peripheral vision.

You may have noticed that, while you stumble around in the dark looking for the light switch, your cat is calmly navigating its way around the furniture. You may have also noticed that sometimes in a dim room, your cat's eyes will glow eerily. As nocturnal predators, cats have developed excellent night vision. Cats have vertical irises, which can narrow to the tiniest sliver in bright light or open to cover 90 percent of their eye area, enabling the pupil to capture even the smallest amount of light. In addition, a cat has a shiny membrane in the back of the eyes called the "tapetum lucidum," which helps to reflect light back through the retina, enabling the animal to see better in low light situations. That said, there is a limit: cats still can't see in total darkness.

As anyone knows who has watched a bug try to get across the floor and not get pounced on by the cat, this animal is acutely attuned to movement. In our own eyes, rods react to intensities of light, while cones react to color. A cat's eyes have more rods and fewer cones than ours do. This means that while we have better color vision, a cat can detect motion better. But all that sensitivity to motion comes at a price: Cats don't actually see close objects very well. After all, what's the advantage of seeing the mouse once it's in your paws?

Cats also have a third eyelid to protect their eyes as they stalk prey through grass and underbrush. Called the "nictitating membrane," this eyelid rests at the inside corner of the eye. If a feline's eyes are inflamed or irritated, you may see this membrane start to protrude. If a cat is seriously ill or debilitated, the membrane will partially cover the eye (and that's a definite signal to take your pet to your veterinarian).

While it's not completely certain what colors your cat is able to see, there's no doubt that the color of a cat's eyes are simply beautiful -- copper, gold, green, orange, yellow, blue, and lavender. Many cat owners say they chose their cat because of its eye color. Given the power of the cat's eyes, perhaps they were happily mesmerized.

TODAY's TIPS - DOGS AND SNACK

by YOUR PETS NUTRITION:


Provided by: Elizabeth Parker, The Dog Daily

Let's say you take your dog on a walk and, along the way, you decide to stop at an outdoor caf‚ for lunch. While enjoying a tuna sandwich, your faithful companion gives you one of those, "Hey, what about me?" looks. Should you tear off an eensy corner and share it?

Absolutely not, says Karen Halligan, a Los Angeles-based veterinarian and author of the recently published book Doc Halligan's What Every Pet Owner Should Know (HarperCollins). "I got into the habit of asking people whose pets had lived way beyond their life expectancy what they fed their dogs," she says. "One thing I noticed -- these owners didn't feed their dogs table scraps."

Dog Food, Human Food

According to Dr. Halligan, high-quality canned and dry dog food is nutritionally complete, and if you feed a dog table scraps you will upset the balance of nutrients in its diet. Plus, some human food can cause serious health problems for animals, and even death. "Three foods on my top 20 foods not to feed your pet are macadamia nuts, grapes and cheese," she says. Macadamia nuts contain a toxin that can seriously affect the nervous, skeletal and digestive track system. Grapes and raisins can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and could lead to kidney failure. Also, dogs can choke on them.

No Cheese, Please

But here's the big one to avoid: cheese, which along with milk, can cause emergency, life-threatening pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). A dog's digestive tract can't always process the high fat in cheese. Pizza can be deadly for this reason. The cheese, salt and dough can cause a condition called bloat, which can kill a dog.

Limit Snacks

If you give your dog two controlled servings of dog food a day -- specific amounts of dog food, determined by your dog's age and weight -- there should be no need for snacks. "It's OK for a dog to be a little hungry," Dr. Halligan says. "This way he'll eat what you put down." If you plan to be away from home for a number of hours with your dog, Dr. Halligan suggests bringing along some of the dog's dried food, but only if you then give a little less for one of its meals that day.

Think Before Drinks

Of course, water should always be available. But no other liquids are OK -- not milk, juice or alcohol (one of Dr. Halligan's clients asked if it was OK to share a martini with her pet!). Signs that a dog is thirsty include panting and a swollen tongue hanging out of its mouth. "Lift up your dog's lip and feel his gum. If it's dry and tacky, he needs water," she says. The water must be clean, so bring it along too. Don't let your dog drink out of puddles, as they can contain harmful parasites or antifreeze from cars, which can be deadly for dogs.

Leave Those Bones Alone

Biscuits and tartar control treats are OK to give, but should only be used when training or for positive reinforcement. Too many can lead to imbalances in a dog's diet. And never give any kind of bone. "Many a bone has killed a dog," says Dr. Halligan. It can splinter and get stuck in a dog's mouth, esophagus or intestines. Cooked bones can't be digested. Even rawhide chew toys should be given with caution. "Dogs can choke on it if they try to swallow it before it's completely chewed," she says.

Just Say No

Dr. Halligan says many pet owners think that giving pets a lot of snacks and table food is a way of loving them, but quite the opposite is true. So if a stranger offers a French fry or piece of fried chicken to your dog, Dr. Halligan suggests the most loving thing to do is this: "You say, 'No thank you, my dog wants to live a long happy healthy life. She doesn't eat fried food!'"

Thank you, Dr Parker. A lot of additional interesting staff you will find here THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO YOUR DOG NUTRITION

Today's Tip: The Secret To Uncovering the Truth About Dog Food Labels

by Your Pets Nutrition

Hey, good to see you again!

What's in a Name?

Here's a little on how to decipher AAFCO-approved dog food names.

Let's look at these 4 product names:

Chicken Dog Food
Chicken Dinner For Dogs
Dog Food with Chicken
Chicken Flavor Dog Food

There are all basically the same thing, right?

Wrong, very wrong (don't feel bad, I thought they were all the same thing too).

The Shocking Truth Is..

Let me tell you what those labels REALLY mean:

Chicken Dog Food - ingredients are at least 95% chicken before water added

Chicken Dinner for Dogs - ingredients are 25-95% chicken before water added

Dog Food With Chicken - ingredients are at least 3% chicken before water added (yes only 3%!)

Chicken Flavor Dog Food - no minimum percentage of chicken required, only that there is enough chicken to taste it!

Concerned? You should be. There are plenty of other "hidden secrets" to dog food that will curl your toes. Discover them all when you download your copy of Dog Food SECRETS

Read it and discover how to begin adding flavor and health into your dog's life.

Andrew

CANADIAN PET OWNERS LOOKING TO HOMEMADE MEALS FOR DOGS AND CATS

Provided by Dominique Jarry-Shore, THE CANADIAN PRESS and Your Pets Nutrition

MONTREAL - Barry Glebe had tried everything to stem his dog Lila's chronic stomach problems, but to no avail.
His adopted West Highland white terrier had suffered terribly in the six months she'd lived with him and, despite trying every dog food possible, nothing seemed to work.
That was until Glebe discovered the wonders of home-cooked pet food.
"Within two weeks the dog had changed totally," Glebe said.
"Besides her body being in shape, she was a much happier dog."



Like Glebe, some Canadian pet owners are looking for ways to improve the health of their furry companions with a little home cooking.
Some pet owners have become more vigilant since several dozen cats and dogs died from melamine-laced pet food.
But the movement is also sparked partly by celebrities, some of whom post recipes online for pet food that can be made at home.
A belief that animal byproducts like bone and cartilage - a common pet food ingredient - are unhealthy, is also a factor considered when contemplating a switch in diet.
It's an allegation that is denied by pet food producers.
"Animal byproducts are simply things that humans don't eat but they're perfectly nutritional and safe for pets, and in fact they provide an excellent source of protein and other nutrients," said Martha Wilder, the executive director of the Pet Food Association of Canada.
Wilder added that the pet food recall of 2007 has led to widespread testing for melamine and more surveillance of pet food suppliers.
But despite those assurances, pet owners continue to look for alternatives.
"Right now, we're just trying to keep up with demand in Canada," said Paul Quigley, who runs Pets4Life, a small family business in Owen Sound, Ont.
The raw-food diet has come under fire in the past. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Public Health Agency believe such a diet risks sickening pets and humans who come in contact with the food.
But Quigley said he's seen a steady increase in demand and likens the product's popularity to owners becoming more conscientious about their pet's diet and wanting to feed them human-grade food.
"More and more we're finding that pet owners are just trying to feed healthy, like they're eating themselves," he said.
Tracy Martin, who runs Evive, a Montreal homemade pet food business, said she's been encouraged by the response since opening up shop last fall.
Digging her gloved hands into a concoction of fresh ground beef, heart, liver, green beans, apples and rice in her bright storefront kitchen, Martin muses that the entire pet food industry is about to change and that "it's crazy" to think pets can live on a diet of processed pet food alone.
"The first thing we do when someone has high cholesterol, or heart problems, or diabetes, or whatever illness, is we look at the diet," she said. "It's what sustains our bodies."



Martin, along with a pet nutritionist, developed a seasonal menu made largely from local Quebec produce.
Her dog and cat food is "gently baked" and includes ingredients like wild salmon oil, freeze-dried bone meal from New Zealand pasture-fed cattle, and kelp from Canadian ocean waters.
This food is a far cry from the long list of ingredients found in store-bought pet food - just don't call it gourmet.
"Gourmet for me is like a side of pilaf with onion confit," Martin said. "This is just wholesome real food."
Still, the homemade diets aren't without some controversy and the veterinary association recommends a pet owner consult their veterinarian before trying one out.
Montreal veterinarian Enid Stiles said homemade meals can sometimes "miss the boat" when it comes to appropriately meeting the nutritional needs of pets.
"It's not to say that we (veterinarians) don't approve of these home-cooked diets," she said.
"It's just that we're concerned that they're not meeting the needs of dogs or cats."
Safeguards are needed to ensure pet food meets certain requirements, said Louis McCann, the president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, a pet industry trade association.
"You have to look at the quality of the process and not short-term, but long-term," he said.
"Canadian pet food is subject to scrutiny by different government agencies and I think anybody who attempts to market pet food has to be subject to the same scrutiny - for the protection of the animals, the pets, but also for the public."
Pet food is the largest pet product expenditure in the U.S., totalling $16.8 billion in 2008 according to the American Pet Products Association website.

A LOT OF INTERESTING STAFF: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO YOUR DOG NUTRITION

INTRODUCING SINGAPURA CAT

The Singapura is a small cat and a newer addition to the United States show ring. There is much confusion as to its origin. The base stock of all the Singapura cats in the United States is just four cats. They all belong to one American breeder. The future of these cats is in question because the gene pool is small. The breed is still being developed in the U.S. The Singapura was recognized in championship standing in 1988. In its second season of show it realized an amazing triumph. It won 22 grand championship titles.

This cat has coloring unlike any other breed. Although small, he has a somewhat stocky body that is muscular. When he stands, his body, legs and the floor form a square. The only acceptable eye colors are hazel, yellow, or green. The eyes and ears must be large. The legs of this cat are thick and muscular. His coat is silky, fine and short. The only grooming required is a combing occasionally.

The only color variety is sepia with ticked fur and you will only see the Singapura as a shorthaired.

The Singapura is a moderately stocky and muscular small to medium-sized cat, with a very short and fine coat. A full grown female usually weighs 5-6 pounds while the male weighs 6-8 pounds. The large, slightly pointed and deep cupped ears together with the large almond shaped eyes are a characteristic of the breed. The tail is slender, slightly shorter than the length of the body and has a blunt tip. This is an active cat that loves to be with his humans. He gets along great with other animals and the female is very loving and maternal with her litters. The Singapura is described by the CFA as active, curious and playful. They are affectionate and desire human interaction. They have a tendency to perch on high places, to allow them a better view of their surrounding.