Sherry’s Corner

New Tricks and Treats for Pets and Pet Owners, Etc.

Penn State has announced that for a heart heathy diet, eat macadamia nuts. This may well be a fact, but beware, they are not for dogs–macadamia nuts will poison your best friend, so no sharing!

To prevent dog bites and heartbreak I believe we must understand breed standards. If a breed standard says a breed is noted for its loyalty, they really mean–watch out, they bite! And, if the standard reads, Anot for first time dog owners@, they mean it! More and more of our newly recognized AKC breeds have this statement in their standard. Breed standards are important and we must not homogenize them. What may be perceived as aggression in one breed is not necessarily aggression in another breed.

Carol Lea Benjamin has announced a new book– the first training book by this wonderfully talented dog trainer and artist in 11 years. Many know her for her Rachel Alexander murder mysteries, but for me it all began with Dog Tricks, which she co-authored with the late Captain Haggerty, followed by Mother Knows Best. Other titles of her training books include Surviving Your Dog=s Adolescence and Second Hand Dog. Her new book, titled See Spot Sit C 101 illustrated tips for training the dog you love, will be released on June 1st. It is filled with her incomparable drawings and illustrations Aas she painted them and fits well lin the hand like a puppy@. The book includes tips on how to keep a dog calm, house train, teach basic commands, play silly games and teach tricks. The list price is $12.95. Tony Lyons is the publisher (tlyons@skyhorsepublishing.com). Although I have aged and mellowed I still use many of the tips I learned in Mother Knows Best and look forward to gaining more help with another generation of my very innovative Springer ladies.

The Columbia/Montour Animal Response Team has free Pet Alert Wallet Cards available at their informational booth. There is a place on each card to list pets, names, veterinarians and other information in case an owner and a pet get separated due to an accident, sudden illness, disaster. When the cards were first published, the Geisinger Medical Center joined the effort, adding its logo to the card and giving them to patients being admitted to the hospital. Geisinger also added a question on its admittance forms, ADo you have pets at home?@ Perhaps this connection with the owner-pet bond can be re-established by all healthcare facilities.

Planet Dog has created a line of OLD SOUL toys for senior canine citizens who have diminished sight and hearing. The main color is white to make seeing the toys easier. White is a color used by pet hospice care givers to attract the attention of dogs that cannot see well. I know the white AKC toy sheep is my 12-year-old Cagney=s very favorite toy–the one she demands the others yield to her! The audio bonus is a low-pitched clicking sound or a Adouble-bellow squeaker@. The toys are softer and also are treated with a double dose of mint. Smell is one sense that doesn=t seem to be affected by age. All toys are made in the U.S. and proceeds benefit service dog organizations. The sample toys I was sent have been well received. Both the squeaky bone and squeaky buddy have received paws up ratings while the ball amazes them with its crazy leaps and bounds and the large OLD SOUL Orbee bone seems to be a puzzle. Did you know the oldest dog lived 29 years–Bluey, a Cattle Dog?

While working on an article on the effect of foreclosures and the economy in general on pet ownership– LOBBY THE EDITOR FOR ITC I found a great site by noted real estate columnist Elizabeth Weintraub on pet owner homes (About.com). Let=s face it–most homes are homes with pets and not just in the yards. Pets figure into home sales and home purchases. Those of us who are committed pet owners want the dogs and cats who share our lives to have safe and easy access to the outside, to comfort, to togetherness with us. Thus, Weintraub explains how to sell a house that is home to a pet as well as how to remodel a house to make it delightfully pet friendly. She also bluntly explains that for some pet owners, pets are nothing more than property, with some homeowners willing to strip a dwelling and then leave behind a pet just as he would an old sofa. The site is a virtual gold mine for any pet lover who is selling, buying or remodeling.