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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

Do you feel like you are making too many visits to the vet? Your dog or cat could be one of the breeds that is more prone to illness.

Because of their scrunched noses, the bull dog is often at the vet's office. Golden retrievers are likely to have hip dysplasia, especially as they age. Surgery can sometimes help but the condition causes much pain and suffering for your dog.

Surprising to me, Burmese mountain dogs, actually one quarter of them, are stricken with a genetic cancer of the lungs and lymph nodes.

Cats aren't safe, either. The ears of the Scottish fold cat can sometimes develop bone and cartilage deformities. And the Maine coon cat is sometimes afflicted with hereditary heart problems.

Be grateful if you have a pet who isn't prone to one of these conditions. To find out more about your breed of dog or cat, check with your vet or read as much online as you can before buying your pet. And remember, never purchase a dog or cat from a pet store. Wonderful dogs and cats can found, waiting for homes, at your local shelter.

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

My sister and her husband, both animal lovers, always had dogs in the home. When their daughter was old enough, she wanted a cat (even though she was allergic). Adding a cat to a dog home could have opened up the proverbial can of worms, but what happened was, the dogs came to accept the cat as one of the pack. And the cat happily took its place among the dogs. Of course, they had little dogs, Shelties and a Lhasa Apso at the time, but I doubt if the size of the dogs makes a difference. I think that they all just learned to get along.

Our three dogs, having never been around cats, are on their guard for anything smaller than them that runs around. Our Min Pin in particular, a ratter, spends the majority of her day watching one of our many chipmunks running back and forth under the bay window that she lies in. And once when we passed a dog-friendly cat on one of our walks, they all pulled and lunged to get at the cat who observed them as if they were insane, and decided to keep her distance. 

But animals, in particular domesticated ones, are adaptable and accepting of their situation. I have no doubt that if we brought a kitten into the home, and we spent our time 'educating' our dogs about being gentle, they would soon come to accept the cat as one of their own. But until then, they might get a few scratches across their nose. They can be fast learners! 

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Written by: DJ Geribo

Category: Petpourri

I read an article in the latest issue of one of my favorite non-art-related magazines, called Scientific American Mind that discusses the intelligence of our best friend, the dog. The interview was with Brian Hare, an associate professor at Duke University and also the author of a book called "The Genius of Dogs". There was a lot of fascinating information found out about dogs in various studies, such as, dogs prefer to spend time with humans rather than their own species, something that is unusual for an animal. Personally, I find that to be true with my own dogs, Kameko and Kitsune, both Pomeranians. Sometimes it seems as if they don't even see each other because they are always only interested in what I am doing. Makes sense, though, since I am their caretaker. You want to know that the person who provides you with food and water, who gives you treats, who cleans the gunk out of your eyes and the poop off your bum, is always available and ready to take care of you.

Another interesting observation is how much dogs read our gestures, which "allows them to be incredible social partners with us, whether it's hunting or agility or just navigating everyday life. Their ability to interpret our gestures also helps them solve problems they can't solve on their own."

Although Brian Hare was unable to confirm the level of empathy our dogs feel for us, I can attest to my dogs' behavior when I am upset and crying. Whether or not it is empathy, it most certainly is concern. They want to be as close to me as possible or they watch me from a distance, shaking and obviously stressed. Our first Pomeranian, Sammy, would go into another room and start digging, scratching at the carpet, as if she was trying to dig a hole to crawl into whenever Jim and were yelling. And often we were just talking loud but she interpreted loud voices with anger.

Although I already knew how special my dogs are, reading an article like this proves, scientifically, that dogs are even more intelligent and more special than a lot of people realize.