With this week being National Dog Bite Prevention Week, I wanted to take some time to pass along some tips to keep you safe and your canine companion out of trouble.

Dogs bite almost 5 million people a year with the largest number of victims being children. Dog bites are preventable but it’s up to people, not dogs, to prevent them!

Here’s some safety and prevention tips;

• Never approach an unfamiliar dog, particularly one that is confined or restrained. If you see a loose dog, report it to your local Animal Control facility.

• Don’t pet an unfamiliar dog without permission then let it sniff you first. Pet the dog gently avoiding the head, face and tail.

• If approached by an unfamiliar dog, remain motionless (be still like a tree) until the dog leaves the area. Do not scream or run from the dog.

• Avoid direct eye contact with a dog. Staring into a dog’s eyes can be perceived as an act of aggression and dominance. Read more… »

Bilbo, a 7 yr. old, almost 200 lb Newfoundland and trained lifeguard credited with saving at least three lives has been given the boot by RNLI, Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Regularly seen riding a quad along the beach with his owner, 54 yr old Steve Jamieson, head lifeguard at the beach in Sennen, near Land’s End in Cornwall, UK, Bilbo was not only a lifesaver but doggie spokesperson and attraction. Bilbo, who had to pass fitness and swimming tests before he could join the beach patrol, wore a lifeguard’s vest which carried a number of safety messages on it, warning swimmers about the dangerous areas. He’s trained to swim around struggling bathers and after they grab the float fixed to his harness he paddles to safety. His huge size and love for the water make him perfect for the job.

“Everyone loves him and he’s become an indispensable part of the team,” said Steve Jamieson. “If an alert comes in, his ears start twitching and he knows something is on.

RNLI, which was recently contracted to provide lifeguard services, has decided that Bilbo’s services are no longer needed.

A spokesperson for RNLI said, “The RNLI is contracted to provide a professional lifeguarding service on the beach and has fully trained lifeguards to do this. “Bilbo is a privately-owned dog and does not belong to the RNLI. The RNLI will not be using the dog to save lives at sea.”

“We can’t employ a dog as a guard. They are banned from the beach,” and added, “He would fail the resuscitation test.”

Read more… »

CPR for Dogs

Anyone who has been to a CPR class is familiar with the basics of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. First you’ll check to be sure the patient has a clear airway, then check to see if the patient is breathing, check whether the patient has a heartbeat and, if the patient awakens during the process, be careful that you don’t get bitten by the patient.

The American Red Cross has been instructing people in CPR for pets for quite some time now and has classes that include all manner of first aid, including mouth-to-snout resuscitation. You read that correctly; mouth-to-snout. Read more… »

Microchips Help Lost Dogs be Found

There is not much of anything in the world than the sight of a child who is grieving a lost dog. Teary-eyed and depressed, yet hopeful, she goes around the neighborhood tacking Xeroxed signs to telephone poles, pleading for the safe return of her beloved pet, all the time knowing that the odds are stacked against her and her dog.

Over the years there have been various methods enacted to try and raise the number of lost pets that are reunited with their owners. Dog licensing and tag laws are one way that local governments have tried to help, but they don’t work very well at all. If a lost dog has lost its identification tag it is nearly impossible for anyone to find the dog’s owner. Read more… »

1. Remove film from box and load camera.
2. Remove film box from puppy’s mouth and throw in trash.
3. Remove puppy from trash and brush coffee grounds from
muzzle.
4. Choose a suitable background for photo.
5. Mount camera on tripod and focus.
6. Find puppy and take dirty sock from mouth.
7. Place puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera.
8. Forget about spot and crawl after puppy on knees.
9. Focus with one hand and fend off puppy with other hand. Read more… »