PetSugar

Do You Point at Your Pets When Speaking?

PetSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:15:00 -0700

I have a friend whose stepfather freaked out when I once pointed at their pooch. I was telling the dog to sit, and the pointing came naturally. I never really understood why he didn't want me to point, and honestly it was an instant reflex, but his reaction stuck with me all these years.Now I'm self-conscious about raising my finger – do you do it, too?

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Out and About: Connecticut's Bushy Point Beach

PetSugar — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:00:17 -0800

Before we start a new state tomorrow, I couldn't forget to finish up with Connecticut! The rocky Bushy Point Beach is part of Groton's Bluff Point State Park, and was designated a 'Coastal Reserve' in 1975. This special act of the Connecticut legislature established the area "for the purpose of preserving its native ecological associations, unique faunal and floral characteristics, geological features, and scenic qualities in a condition of undisturbed integrity". For visitors, this means you'll get to see over 800 acres of amazing displays of nature... but you'll have to get there without any motorized vehicles.

In addition to the plants and animals you can spot, it's also a great place to walk with your pooch from Sept. 16 to Apr. 14 or to check out the variety of nesting birds (like the piping plovers) during the rest of the year. With a permit, it's possible to ply for clams here in the bordering Poquonnock River so pooches can also watch (or hop in to help) those clammers, too. You'll have to work to make it to this rocky point, though – it's a mile walk out to this beach from the park so grab hiking boots, pooch, and let's go!

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Happy Year of the Great Pointed Archer?

PetSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:45:47 -0800

Fear not, everyone, I have not lost my mind, nor am I introducing more PetSugar-isms . . . I only wish I could take credit for this. Because today starts the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, I wanted to find a clever rodent-related morsel to share with all of you. You may remember my animated rats and mice quiz featuring many characters that were not exactly shown in a flattering light - I mean, even the word "rat" is used to describe sneaky, deceitful people.

Here's where the Great Pointed Archers come in. The creators of this website hope to replace the offensive word with this "untainted and beautiful" name to begin to repair centuries of disrespect and hatred. The website itself is pretty neat – you can play an Archer Dash game to find and consume delicious snacks (while avoiding the dangers of a city street) and even design your own ~~rat~~ Great Pointed Archer like I did! I think it's an admirable cause but, as a friend pointed out, if a rat runs across her foot in the subway station, she's not actually gonna cry out "Ewww, a Great Pointed Archer!" What about you?

Do Tell: What's on the Menu For Your Pets This Thanksgiving?

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:49 -0800

Introducing large quantities of rich "people food" into a pet's diet on Thanksgiving is bad for their tummies! In fact, some typical holiday fare should never be fed to pets. One sure way to be certain no one slips up is to place the appropriate portion of your furry friend's normal snacks in a convenient location. Point out the healthy treats to your guests and encourage them to pamper your pals with extra petting or playtime . . . not to feed the snacks all at once.

Dog-Approved Snacks:

Small piece of white-meat turkey
A few cooked, unseasoned carrots or green beans
Spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
Sweet Potato Dog Chips
Small apple or banana slice

What's on your pet's menu for next week?

Source: Flickr User TheGiantVermin

25 Hot Pics From the Life on White Project

PetSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:35 -0800

When first hearing about the daunting task of the Life on White Project, aiming to photograph animals with a plain white background, I thought the posing process and sheer number was the trickiest part. That is, until I saw it included animals like lions and hippos and not just puppy dogs and kitty cats. The photographs are all truly stunning, some silly and others serious or straight to the point. Check out 25 lovely shots by Eric Isselée and his team of (human) assistants when you start this slideshow.

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To the Rescue: How to Check Your Pet's Pulse

PetSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:20:32 -0800

Have you ever checked your pet's pulse? Since dogs don't have "wrists," you may be wondering where to do this home test to see if a pooch is in distress or sick.

The best place to check the pulse is the inner side of midthigh (where the arrow points). Because the skin is thin in that area, locate the major femoral artery by putting your hand in front of the hind leg near the top and move your fingers along the crease between the leg and the tummy until you feel the lub-dub.

To learn what the beats should be and how to calculate them, read more.

It's easier to get an accurate reading if you just focus on counting the number of pulses per 15 seconds and multiply by 4, instead of concentrating for a whole minute, by using your cell phone's timer or watch with a second hand.

Both animals typically have higher rates after excitement or exercise.
Doggie Pulse: The normal range for dogs should be 70 to 120 beats per minute but smaller pups (and puppies) have a higher pulse rate than their bigger canine cousins.
Kitty Pulse: The normal range for cats should be 110 to 130 beats per minute.

Tip: If you're having trouble identifying the beats, make sure the room is as quiet as possible and that you block everything else out by closing your eyes until you identify the beating, then you can start counting.

Source: Flickr User corsi photo

Get Crafty: Downloadable Dog Breed Pumpkin Stencils!

PetSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:07 -0700

Do you think Jack O'Lanterns go together with Halloween like dogs and costumes? Well, for those crafty carvers that want to carry their canine love to the gourds, consider putting a pup's face up front.

Better Homes and Gardens offers downloadable dog breed stencils like this precious pug, pumpkins not included. Just print and enlarge before grabbing tools and tape and starting the scrape - they've got many breeds to pick but perhaps you can combine some stencils or use furry features as an inspiration point to create your own orange doggie faces!

Foster a Dog Virtually, Help Feed Them in Real Life

PetSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:00:07 -0700

If you've ever wished you could give a homeless dog a forever home (or could foster a dog until the lucky pup found a permanent family), but don't have the time or space, now you have an easy and fun way to pitch in with the help of Facebook. The Save a Dog Facebook app allows you to virtually care for an actual shelter pup, and by getting friends to co-sponsor or foster their own canine online, you'll earn points that will translate into real food in the mouths of shelter dogs.

DogTime and Rescuegroups.org teamed up to produce the charitable app, and the best part is that it costs you nothing to help out. Just install the app on your Facebook page and you're off and running. Aside from donating a few hours at your local shelter, this has to be the easiest way to help thousands of needy pups.

Galapagos Tortoises Are Messy Eaters!

PetSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:00:12 -0700

Umm, someone's in need of a bib! This Galapagos Tortoise just finished a snack in the new 'Giant of the Galapagos' exhibit at the London Zoo and seems like his haste made some waste all over his little turtle chin. Oh well, let's not point fingers at this 70-year-old (!) animal who weighs about 440 pounds - after all Dirk's joined by two female tortoises (Dolly, 16, and Dolores, 14) in hopes of starting up a breeding program at the zoo.

I guess slow and steady only counts for their actual motion, so see more pictures of sloppy eaters, Dirk, Dolores, and Dotty when you read more.

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Do Tell: Can Your Dog Understand Gestures?

PetSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:55:54 -0700

Chances are if you're pointing towards food, your pooch will find it one way or another but have you ever stopped to notice if he follows your gestures in general? According to not one but two recent studies, dogs can comprehend pointing on the same level as a 2-year-old child and require nearly zero learning time to figure out how to follow direction.
The studies also watched dogs follow head-turning, gazing, and pointing using other body parts, and those smarty pups figured it out. The biggest problems for canines and two year olds came with tricky gestures where the protruding arm pointed in a different direction than the finger itself . . . but three year olds mastered all the tests. Even though I was quick to share this news with lilsugar, the scientist points out the need to not generalize:

Any behavioral similarity or similar performance between dogs and children should be investigated separately in each case. Just to give an example for a reverse case: nobody has tried to herd a flock of sheep with 2-year-old (human children).

Point taken, but I've still been testing North at home, and he will look around and seem to follow my cues most of the time - will yours?