Too Sweet?

Since this blog began I have posted many different stories about how dogs change and save our lives. A new story today is about training dogs to use their keen sense of smell to detect changes in blood sugar by changes in breath odor. There is a characteristic smell that medical personnel are taught to recognize that possibly signifies a diabetic emergency.

Because a dogs sense of smell is so much more acute than ours they are able to detect changes before a crisis occurs. This is truly life-saving, and amazing. One more example- Mans Best Friend.

Great Video

I've been bad and not blogged for a while. Hope this makes up for it.
Jim

Continuing to Amaze

Previous posts have highlighted the many and varied ways that dogs assist humans. This is another such amazing story. Tuesday is a Golden Retriever. Her owner is an Iraq war veteran with post traumatic stress syndrome. Tuesday is a specially trained 'psychiatric' service dog, trained to help such veterans. For example Tuesday recognize when her master is having a nightmare and will bark to wake him up. Psychiatric therapy dogs can also recognize changes in respiration and perspiration which may indicate an impending panic attack. They respond with a calming nudge or lick- just to say its ok, I'm here.

Perhaps our next president should be a dog. There is so much they can do, I would not be surprised if they could fix the economy, the auto industry and end unemployment.

Summer Safety Tip

Many parts of the country have already seen record setting heat. But it does not take record heat to turn your car into a 150 oven. Parked cars are not a safe place for dogs or children in the summer. Not for five minutes, not for one. High heat can cause rapid dehydration, brain damage and death. Remember- don't shut them in- don't do it.

A Dog's Purpose

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolf hound named Belker.The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.' I want to thank my good friend for sending this to me. I don't know where the original came from but I'd like to thank the original author too.

Take Your Dog To Work

Tomorrow, Friday, June 26th, 2009 is Take Your Dog To Work Day. The tradition began in 1999. Happy ten year anniversary. My dogs will be with me tomorrow.

Enjoy.

911 Rescuer Cloned

Trakr a German Shepherd from Nova Scotia who responded to New York City to help search for survivors has been cloned. Scientists at BioArts in California cloned the K9 hero free of charge. Five puppies were produced. Trakr died at the old age of 16. His owner was a police officer at the time of 911 and won a contest that resulted in the cloning.

For EVERY Dog Lover

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?' 'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked. 'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.? The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked. 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' 'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too?' 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.''Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Thanks to all my friends who send me stuff to post. Please forward to all your dog loving friends.

OK- I Admit It

I've never been a fan of dressing dogs up- especially on a routine basis. But every once in a while an image comes along to make us smile.

Caring Homes Wanted...Again

A puppy mill was found outside Seattle with just under 400 dogs. The site was said to be in deplorable conditions with many of the dogs living in tiny wooden crates and covered in feces. All required some medical care- some extensive. All the dogs were miniature American Eskimos. The Humane Society is working with local officials to move these dogs cross country and to find forever homes.

This is the largest mill I recall reading about. If we really want this to stop we must stop supporting mills. We must refuse to buy from mills. We must ask and know where our dogs come from. Xena Says ,"only humans can stop this-please they need your help.

Finally we need to stop letting owners of such facilities skate justice- as happened here. There was an agreement not to prosecute if the owner voluntarily gave up the dogs.