PetSugar

To the Rescue: Fireworks Are Scary!

PetSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Fireworks can be very frightening to a dog . . . even deadly! Since 'tis the season of sparklers, I'm offering some quick tips to help your pets cope with these scary sounds.

While it's fun to include dogs in your activities, this is one they should definitely sit out! Please keep your animals inside during the noisemaking. If you've got a pet that goes out, make sure he does his business before the display, or can wait until after it's done.
Close all doors, windows, curtains, and blinds. Turn on the television or radio to drown out the noise (as best as possible).
Try to distract your pet with special guests, brand-new toys, or rare treats right before the display starts . . . if possible in a room furthest away from the noises like a basement.
If your pet takes off into hiding, let him be. Trying to lure out a frightened creature while the scary stuff's still happening is not a good idea . . . and extra stressful!

There are many soothing products you can get from Feliway and Dog Appeasing Pheromone to special fireworks CDs, either to purchase or as free downloads (when you right-click). To use these audio effects with a pet, start playing at a low volume and build up to normal volume over time. If you play repeatedly, furry friends can get desensitized to the noise (at a level from inside the house).

Remember, if it's loud to you, it's definitely too loud for your dog – canines can hear sounds at an ultra-high frequency (like those "silent" dog whistles) and can register sounds three times greater than your ear can – keep your pets safe!

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The Scoop: Follow the Great White Map

PetSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:49 -0700

Got a phobia of sharks? At least you'll always know if one shark in particular is roaming nearby! The Monterey Bay Aquarium recently released a juvenile great white shark into the wild, after featuring it as part of an exhibit for the past five months. Equipped with a tracking system that gives real-time movements, Monterey Bay Aquarium spokesman Ken Peterson says this will help them understand mating, feeding, and living habits of the mysterious creatures:

The lives of juvenile white sharks are almost a complete mystery to us. The released shark is now in relatively warm waters about 656 feet deep, but we don't know if it will travel into the Sea of Cortez, where juvenile great whites have been spotted, or if it will travel more southward, where we have less evidence for shark presence.

The SPOT (Smart Position-Only Tag) sensor takes location readings every time the shark pops his dorsal fin above water then relays that data back through satellite. You can get in on the shark-watching action, too. See how when you read more.

What's cool about this particular tracking system is that anyone with an Internet connection can follow along with the shark's movements, as well as several other animals that have been equipped with the SPOT tracking system including seals, sea birds, and sea turtles.

This technology has already helped researchers identify an area in the Pacific Ocean dubbed "The Great White Shark Cafe" between Baja and Hawaii that attracts multiple great whites in the Spring and Summer. An area I know I won't be traveling through this year!

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