Pet talk

People ask me all the time if animals can be born retarded.  This question usually comes from an owner trying to teach a pet to do, (or not do), something.  The lesson doesn’t take, and the conclusion is made that the pet is “retarded”.  But this is probably not the case.  Animals vary in intelligence levels within individuals, breeds, and species.  

I read an article last week on an experiment to see whether elephants could recognize themselves in a mirror.  Who hasn’t held their dog or cat in front of a mirror only to have it viscously attack the image as an identical intruder?  Well, it turns out, elephants do realize that the elephant in the reflection is them and them alone.  But would an elephant jump into a pool, grab your clothes and pull you to safety if you were in trouble? Is that truly a measurement of intelligence? 

If your cat plays fetch with you, is it intelligent?  If your retriever doesn’t, is it stupid?  Even the most simple of animals can be trained, but trainablitily is only one aspect of intelligence.  Reasoning, planning, and unprompted solutions to problems are also markers of an intelligent animal.  I also read an article about Seeing Eye dogs flunking out of their program only to excel in sniffer programs (dogs trained to detect items such as drugs, CD’s and money).  It is really only a matter of finding the motivation for each animal and using it to obtain the behavior you would like.  Again, just good training.

Falcons player Michael Vick has pleaded guilty for his role in dog fighting.  He was said to finance the “Bad Newz Kennel” that raised, trained and fought dogs for profit.  He also admitted to killing several dogs for non performance in the fights.  I hope they throw the book at him and that he looses everything associated with his NFL career.  Dog fighters are very hard to catch and prosecute.  Lets show the rest of them what will happen when we catch them.  Now lets go after the cock (chicken) fighters as well.  This activity was so common in California and I myself visited many breeding operations.  If more time and effort were spent on catching these people, the “sport”, (and I do not like using that word), would dry up and go away.  All I can say is that if you suspect this is going on near you report it to the police.

I had no idea that the foie gras thing was so big.  The city of Chicago banned it from being served in any of its many restaurants.  Anaheim Duck player Scott Niedermayer wrote city council members urging them to maintain the ban during a repeal effort.  I guess a Duck can have some compassion for its fellow ducks!  

After conducting tests on the Chicken Jerky  Strips and Chicken Jerky from China, Walmart now says the products contain melamine.  No wonder the pets were getting sick.  The melamine was just a preliminary find–I wonder what else is in those treats?  

Walmart is keeping pretty quiet about it, but as of July 26, 2007 they pulled from their shelves all the Chicken Jerky Strips and Chicken Jerky dog treats in their pet department.  The products are imported from China, and Walmart has been receiving customer complaints that the treats were making their dogs ill.  In one report a 2 year old Chihuahua died from an infection of toxic bacteria. 

The recall involves pet treats from Import Pingyang Pet Products Company and Shanghai Bestro Trading Company.  So check your cupboards and throw away any of these products if you still have them.  

Although Walmart reps say the product is being tested and nothing yet confirms the owner complaints, they decided to remove the product from their shelves as a precaution.  Just wish they would be a little more vocal about it so that people who have brought the stuff home can get rid of it. 

Obviously they are interested more in the bottom dollar than in our pets.  My pets are my kids.  I have little respect for companies that imperil my family just to maintain their profit margin.  So Walmart may want to keep this quiet, but we need to tell everyone we know.  It may save a life.

Went to TSC recently and picked up a flyer for what looks like will be a very interesting day.  They are planning a pet rescue fair for early September, and the activities look like a lot of fun.  Along with my old neighbor Annie the pet psychic, they are planning to have lots of animals up for adoption.  Pet trainers, demonstrations, and even a ferret rescue group are scheduled to be there as well. 

It is taking place Sunday, September 9, 2007 from 10:00am until 4:00pm at the Tractor Supply store at 2492 North Telegraph Road, Monroe.

It seems TSC is getting much more active in the community these days with all the special events they have had lately.  I have always liked that store a lot and now it is even more fun to go in there.  Remember to check the bulletin board back by the bathrooms.  You never know when you will find some bargain on there that you never knew you needed! 

Like children, animals need rules to live by.  The cat must use the litter box, and the dog can not bite the mailman. Establishing these rules and others, is called training and even some of the smallest animals can be trained in the basics.

Now I am not talking about training spiders, or snakes.  But because training involves linking desired behavior to a reward, even fish can be trained to swim to the surface of a pond by providing food every time you appear.  A neighbor of mine raises Koi and they all swim frantically to the surface of the water when he walks to the end of his dock.  It looks very cool and some will even eat from his hand.  Very cool.

Birds as small as parakeets can be taught not to bite and to do simple tricks.  I had a parakeet who spent her days in my college dorm removing all the items she could carry off my desk.  Pens, small scraps of paper, and clips were dragged to the edge of the desk and pushed off.  She would dwell at the edge long enough to watch the item hit the floor, then turn around and look for more.  This behavior could easily be turned into putting a small paper basketball into a hoop if I had tried.  Many a person has told me that they have “potty” trained their parrot–or at least trained them not to go on them, (which in my mind is just as good).  Bathroom training should be everyone’s first priority!

Training builds a bond between you and your dog that only gets stronger the longer you do it.  It shows the dog who is the leader of the pack and gives them a job to perform in that pack.  A dog who knows his place and has a job to perform is a happy, well adjusted animal.  I highly recommend at least basic obedience training for every dog, young and old.  Yes, old dogs do learn new tricks and they will benefit from the activity and attention they get from their human family.  

Cats, rabbits, chickens, and rats are also fairly easy to train.  If you are interested in working with these animals, check out the internet or library for books on the subject.  If the animal ever was in a movie, there was a trainer who trained him and probably wrote a book about it.  As for training your horse to talk like Mr. Ed, that is another subject.    Who needs another family member telling me to hurry up and get the food ready? 

Animals, like people can be allergic to many things.  But unlike people who sneeze, and wheeze, animals usually express their allergy symptoms by scratching, licking, chewing and rubbing themselves on objects.  This itchy-ness can cause skin infections, swelling, and hair loss that can make you pet nearly bald.

Allergies to grass is the common cause of a dog chewing its paws constantly.  Allergies to fleas cause biting at the tail and often “hot spots”.  Food allergies cause a number of symptoms that are hard to pin down sometimes.  Only a veterinarian with a special interest in allergies can reach a diagnosis and then a treatment for your pet. 

Three weeks ago I bought a new pony.  He is a real cutie who was severely abused by the Amish and it will take years before he will learn to trust people again.  But that is OK because I have the rest of his life to convince him that I will not hurt him–ever.  The big hurdle now is convincing the other two horses to accept the little guy and let him live with us as a member of our family.

Introducing a new pet into a household with other pets can be a challenge.  In my case the two resident horses are not too receptive to a newbie living in the barn.  In fact, even in the limited contact they have had, they have made it known that they will kill the little buggar if they can.  That is why it is so important to introduce the animals in a safe, tightly controlled manner.  

Bringing a new pocket pet into the household is probably the easiest.  Generally dogs and cats do not socialize with birds, rats, gerbils and other “prey” type animals, and you should just keep them separate.  Introducing a newcomer to the same species is a bit more tricky.  With the smaller animals it is best done through bars of a cage unless the sex is opposite of what you already have.  Nature is on your side anytime you introduce a male to a female in most species.  (Of course there are exceptions to this rule and you need to read up on your particular pet to see if this is going to be a problem)  Let them see, hear, smell and interact with each other within the safety of their own cage.  When they appear friendly to each other, put them together and watch closely for an extended period to make sure all is well.  It might even be a good idea to separate them again until the next time if you can not observe them closely for several hours just to be on the safe side.

Introducing young animals into the home is also fairly easy.  Dogs and cats may not like the youngster, but generally will not kill members of the same species.  Make sure the puppy or kitten does not harass the older animals excessively as he will probably get “corrected” and sometimes a serious injury may occur.  With proper supervision this process will only take a few days until you can trust that both sides are going to be OK.  In fact after a while the pup may become a playmate with the older pet and you will see a renewed interest in play.

The dog and cat introduction can be very difficult.  Both need to be kept safe and yet allowed enough contact to get to know each other.  If possible screen the new animal for compatibility with the other species.  Some dogs and cats get along very well.  Others just take time, patience, and a big space –only to get to the point of tolerating one another. Generally it is easier to restrain the dog and let the cat be the one to control contact.  A crate will come in handy as will a pet gate.  The cat can get to a room where the dog can not, by jumping over the gate, and a crate keeps them apart when no one is supervising.  

As for the horses, it is going to be a long time before I can let them all hang out together.  They have stopped trying to bite him through the stall bars.  And last night they were nose to nose (with a Dutch door bottom between them) without much fuss.  Maybe another week or two and I can let him out with the dominant horse.  Of course I will be standing there ready to jump in if there is a problem.  Pretty risky with large animals, but well worth it to get an abused animal out of a bad situation.  

If you hurry you can still experience one of the best things about living in Monroe county:  the 4H fair  Animals abound, from guinea pigs to the other kind of pig, animals rule the week along with their 4H member owners.  It is a great week to learn about 4H and about all the animals competing for first place.

Although the horses show all week and there is an open show for the general public on Sunday, other animals have a shorter schedule throughout the week.  By Friday most of them are all judged and you can visit the barns to see what a Grand Champion steer looks like.  Or you can participate in the auction and bring one of them home with you!