Okay, This might just be the cutest video HuffPost Green has ever seen. Surya the orangutan falls in love with Rosco the hound dog, and then they roll around in the grass together and share cookies. Too cute.
WATCH:

If you’ve ever wondered who’s in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It’s your cat.

Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some catsmake this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

“The embedding of a cry within a call that we normally associate with contentment is quite a subtle means of eliciting a response,” said Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. “Solicitation purring is probably more acceptable to humans than overt meowing, which is likely to get cats ejected from the bedroom.”

Previous research has shown similarities between cat cries and human infant cries.

McComb suggests that the purr-cry may subtly take advantage of humans’ sensitivity to cries they associate with nurturing offspring. Also, including the cry within the purr could make the sound “less harmonic and thus more difficult to habituate to,” she said.

McComb got the idea for the study from her experience with her own cat, who would consistently wake her up in the mornings with a very insistent purr. After speaking with other cat owners, she learned that some of their cats also made the same type of call. As a scientist who studies vocal communication in mammals, she decided to investigate the manipulative meow.

Setting up the experiments wasn’t easy. While the felines used purr-cries around their familiar owners, they were not eager to make the same cries in front of strangers. So McComb and her team trained cat owners to record their pets’ cries – capturing the sounds made by cats when they were seeking food and when they were not. In all, the team collected recordings from 10 different cats.

The researchers then played the cries back for 50 human participants, not all of whom owned cats. They found that humans, even if they had never had a cat themselves, judged the purrs recorded while cats were actively seeking food – the purrs with an embedded, high-pitched cry – as more urgent and less pleasant than those made in other contexts.

When the team re-synthesised the recorded purrs to remove the embedded cry, leaving all else unchanged, the human subjects‘ urgency ratings for those calls decreased significantly.

McComb said she thinks this cry occurs at a low level in cats’ normal purring, “but we think that cats learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans.” In fact, not all cats use this form of purring at all, she said, noting that it seems to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners rather than those living in large households, where their purrs might be overlooked.

The results were published in the July 14 issue of the journal Current Biology.

Jasmin from TreeHugger posted about the Amazing Treat Machine on July 1st, 2009.

Buzz up!

Photo credit: Amazing Treat Machine

Your pooch may be smarter than the average dog—canine Mensa material, to be exact—but the premise for the Amazing Treat Machine is so simple that even the dumber-than-dirt dog will get it: Tennis ball goes in, tennis ball and treats come out.

The $12.95 flatpack treat dispenser, made in California from 30 percent post-consumer recycled cardboard, can be assembled in minutes without glue or tape. All that’s required on your end is a used plastic water bottle for the treats, a tennis ball, and the aforementioned canine crunchies.

And if Señor Snausages gets a little too crafty for its own sake and slaughters the proverbial Golden Goose, the Amazing Treat Machine is completely recyclable.

Photo credit: Amazing Treat Machine

Photo credit: Amazing Treat Machine

Photo credit: Amazing Treat Machine

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In a real-life “Jungle Book” situation, a 5-year-old Russian girl has been rescued from an un-heated Siberian flat, where she has lived her entire life in the company of feral cats and dogs without ever really adopting a vocabulary, police told the Ria-Novosti news agency. According to the Telegraph, the girl, known as ‘Natasha’, lived in the Siberian town of Chita with egregiously neglectful parents and grandparents who essentially raised her as a pet. From Telegraph:

Like the other pets, she lapped at her food from a bowl on the floor and had never learned how to use cutlery.

Welfare officers, who were led to the flat by concerned neighbours, have placed Natasha in an orphanage. Although malnourished and small for her age, she appeared to be relatively healthy considering her ordeal, a police spokesman was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

However, Natasha’s father was not home when the police arrived and his whereabouts are unknown. Nevertheless, police are filing criminal charges against the family, according to AFP.

President Medvedev spoke out against child abuse earlier this year, citing 760,000 children who live in “socially hazardous conditions”, AFP reports.

The website FeralChildren.com has additional information on the phenomenon whereby children raised in the company of wild animals adopt their mannerisms. It also provides a short list of feral child hoaxes over the past century, as such incidents are usually the stuff of folklore. Natasha’s story, corroborated by a number of news sources, appears to be the real thing.

Why pet health insurance is a good idea, and how to choose a plan.

Over the last two and a half years I have seen many of my customers pets cope with various ailments and their subsequent treatments ranging from advanced canine dental treatments (which could cost upwards of $2,500) to reconstructive knee replacement. These procedures, (root canals, surgical extraction and periodontal treatments ect.) are necessary to improve your dogs health, but they can certainly put a dent in your wallet!

Fortunately for most, these procedures were affordable. For others though, the cost put the proper treatments out of reach. And who knows what could happen next to their pets and how much it might cost? So how can you be prepared to provide a lifetime of high quality healthcare for your companion? As much as I am loath to say it, Pet Insurance. 

Advances in veterinary science have led to the availability of high-tech wellness care, diagnostic testing, treatments, and surgical procedures. Cancer care, MRIs, pacemakers, joint replacements, and, yes, advanced dental care are increasingly common. Many private veterinary practices now offer high-tech procedures previously offered only at regional, specialty referral clinics.

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimates that, in 2008, dog owners spent more than $10 billion on veterinary care. The APPA’s 2007/2008 national pet survey reported that the average “routine veterinary visit” for a dog cost more than $200, and the average “surgical vet visit” cost more than $450. Advanced, high-tech treatments cost much more.

If you want to provide your pet with high quality healthcare throughout his life, pet health insurance deserves a serious look. And since you can’t buy health insurance for your pet when you really need it most, like in an emergency, or when a pre-existing condition erupts into a critical situation, now is the best time to look into health insurance that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

What’s available Currently, a number of companies offer some type of pet health insurance in the U.S. Just like with human health insurance, there are several vastly different types of coverage a pet owner can buy. Classic pet health insurance is intended to cover expensive, unplanned events. Like health insurance policies for humans, most canine policies come with monthly premiums, a variety of deductible choices, various coverage levels, co-pays, and caps that limit total annual or lifetime payouts.

Canine health insurance policies may exclude older dogs or particular breeds from coverage, as well as certain genetically based conditions common to particular breeds. The policies normally exclude pre-existing conditions and may offer discounts for covering more than one pet member of a family.

Wellness coverage is one of the many choices available in classic insurance policies, along with prescription drug coverage, cancer treatment coverage, alternative therapies, accidental death, etc. Wellness packages generally offer preventative services such as vaccines, annual check-ups, and blood tests at a set rate.

Then there are variations – policies that cover only catastrophic illnesses, or, at the other end of the spectrum, plans that cover catastrophic care as well as regular wellness care and even alternative therapies like acupuncture. Some have options for dental care and prescription drug coverage. Some policies include a lost pet recovery service option or other “value-added” incentives. Of course, the costs for these plans vary significantly.

Insurance is the most effective method of mitigating high-tech veterinary expenses, but it’s underutilized. One possible barrier to widespread acceptance by many pet owners is the persistence of stories about insurance companies that fail to cover what owners thought they would cover. It sometimes seems that unless the veterinarians fill out the paperwork just so, with the codes and abbreviations aligning properly, like stars in the heavens, many claims go unpaid. 

Company descriptionsLet’s look at the companies that are currently in operation.

■ AKC Pet Healthcare PlanUnderwritten by Markel Insurance Company, the American Kennel Club describes its plans as offering “individual claim evaluation, without complicated procedure limit maximums or benefit schedules.” That approach works as long as the evaluator agrees with your assessment of the reimbursements owed to you from the insurance company. There’s a 60-day Trial Plan, if activated within 28 days of AKC registration, for purebred dogs. The AKC also offers a plan that provides only accident coverage, at extremely low rates, so owners can cover “‘unlucky’ situations [listed in the plan] that frequently lead to high vet bills,” such as bite wounds, trauma, lacerations, fractures, and poison ingestion.AKC Pet Healthcare PlanRaleigh, North Carolina(866) 725-2747akcphp.com

■ ASPCA Pet Health InsuranceThe ASPCA has offered pet health insurance since 1997, and currently offers five pet health insurance plans with increasing levels of coverage. Owners must purchase the additional “continuing care option” for each plan if they want plan coverage for an illness or injury that showed symptoms or was treated in one plan period and requires care in another plan period, unless 180 days have passed from cure and last treatment. Some of these illnesses are relatively common, like allergies, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and cancer. The plans exclude acupuncture, chiropractic, and rehabilitative therapies, and vaccine antibody titer testing.ASPCA Pet Health InsuranceCanton, Ohio(866) 820-7764hartvillegroup.com

■ Embrace Pet InsuranceLaura Bennett, a co-founder of Embrace Pet Insurance, wanted to offer pet health insurance policies that were not just “small, medium, or large.” She designed Embrace’s plan to give consumers many choices. Embrace offers more than 108 coverage variations so they can customize a plan for any particular dog living in any area. “We customize policies according to risk based on the type of pet and where you live,” she explains.

Embrace considers the hereditary conditions common to a dog’s breed, chronic conditions already present in the dog, and the area of the country in which the pet and owner live, all of which dictate the anticipated cost of healthcare for the dog, when pricing a policy. Then, Embrace offers additional coverage programs for things like wellness care, alternative medicine coverage, dental care and prescription drug coverage, which the owner may select as desired.

In its third year of selling pet health insurance, Embrace now covers about 5,000 pets and is growing about 25 percent a year. The company pays benefits according to actual amounts billed by the veterinarian, not a predetermined schedule of charges. Its goal is to provide reimbursements within 15 working days. You can “back into” the process by starting with the premium you’d like to pay and then putting together a shopping cart of benefits you want for your dog within that specified premium amount.

Bennett suggests that veterinary care costs are rising about 7 percent a year. Still, less than 1 percent of pet parents in the U.S. carry pet health insurance, compared to the 25 percent of pet owners, and 60 percent of purebred dog owners, with health insurance for their pets in England. “Pet health insurance is a great financial management tool,” says Bennett.Embrace Pet InsuranceMayfield Village, OH(800) 511-9172embracepetinsurance.com

■ Pet Assure Corporation“Simple” is the guiding philosophy at New Jersey-based Pet Assure Corporation, owned by Charles Nebenzahl. He purchased the company two years ago from its founder, who had been refused insurance reimbursement for his Labrador’s hip dysplasia treatments because it was a genetically-based condition and therefore excluded from his policy. The founder channeled his frustration into creating Pet Assure, a type of financial protection from pet healthcare expenses that doesn’t deal in forms and paperwork, deductibles, co-pays, pre-existing conditions, medical care codes, pre-determined schedules of charges, or other complexities.

Pet Assure more closely resembles a discount club than an insurance company. It signs veterinarians up when the vets agree to provide a 25 percent discount on medical services to Pet Assure members. Pet owners pay an annual fee and receive a membership card to present at the time of veterinary treatment provided by an in-network provider.

Why would vets mark down their service charges for Pet Assure members? “Most costs are fixed, but the veterinary practice may not be filling all of its appointment slots,” says Nebenzahl. He says Pet Assure brings new clients who want to receive discounted services to participating veterinary practices.

Pet Assure members can plug their zip code into the company’s website and receive a list of participating vets in their area. Urban areas around Washington, DC; New York City; Miami; Los Angeles; and in New Jersey offer the broadest choice of Pet Assure in-network veterinary practices. Some veterinary practices extend the discount to adjunct services like boarding and grooming.

Most of the participating veterinary practices are primary care clinics. “[Veterinary] specialty practices are busy and don’t need help to fill [appointment] slots,” Nebenzahl says. But specialty practices are where pet parents most often spend the big bucks and need the most financial assistance. “Our program is designed to pay for itself with routine veterinary care only,” Nebenzahl explains. Pet Assure also offers a “simple” lost pet recovery option. No microchips, no fancy chip readers. Just a collar tag with an ID number that directs someone who has possession of your lost dog to contact Pet Assure by phone. Pet Assure will identify and locate the dog’s owner.Pet Assure Corp.Lakewood, NJ(888) 789-7387petassure.com

■ PetFirst HealthcareOffering premiums unaffected by a dog’s age, breed, or location, PetFirst Healthcare provides “core” plans (Basic Plan) and “comprehensive” plans (Preferred and Preferred Plus Plans), depending on the breadth of coverage desired by the owner. The plans are renewable for the life of the dog as long as the policy is purchased before the dog’s 10th birthday. The plans have per incident maximum payouts and a $50 deductible per incident for accident and illness claims. PetFirst provides a small discount, with coverage starting immediately upon adoption, for dogs rescued from shelters.

Bill Watson, Executive Director of the Roanoke Valley SPCA in southwest Virginia, began offering a PetFirst Healthcare insurance policy to shelter dog adopters in 2006. Although the shelter’s veterinarian carefully screens dogs available for adoption, and the shelter would never knowingly adopt out a sick animal, Watson says it’s not always possible to know what an animal could be incubating. “The worst calls I get,” says Watson, “are when an adopter gets home and later calls to tell me their animal is sick. They don’t always understand the communal nature of shelter living. I get a small number of these calls but they are highly emotional.”

Now, the shelter offers adopters the option of purchasing a pet health insurance policy, which takes effect on the adoption day, for just $5 for the first month’s premium. The premiums revert to the regular rate after the first month.

Watson credits the shelter’s constantly improving medical practices and the availability of affordable pet health insurance with reducing adoption returns for health reasons from 20 to 25 per year to three to five per year.PetFirst HealthcareJeffersonville, IN(866) 937-7387petfirsthealthcare.com

■ PetHealth, Inc.PetHealth, Inc., based in Ontario, offers a range of similar products and services for veterinarians, shelters, and pet owners through a number of wholly owned subsidiaries using a number of brand names including 24PetWatch, CherryBlue, EVE, PetPoint, and ShelterCare.

Pethealth offers a wide range of plans, from accident coverage only to full plans with accident and “double illness” coverage. It also offers a special “tenant” plan, for dogs who live with their owners in rental homes, and a plan for senior dogs, which covers the maladies that most commonly affect senior dogs.

Available in the U.S. (except in Alaska) this company guarantees acceptance regardless of the age or current health of the dog. It notes that premiums and coverage don’t increase due to a pet aging. Owners can purchase extra coverage for hereditary conditions. Some plans even provide temporary partial reimbursement for the purchase of special diets.PetHealth, Inc.Buffalo, NY(866) 275-7387pethealthinc.com

■ Petplan USAPetplan USA claims to be the only pet health insurance company in the U.S. to cover hereditary diseases with no dollar or time limit per condition. The company covers injuries and illnesses for life; once your dog is insured, Petplan will cover any chronic conditions into your dog’s old age as long as you continue to renew your policy each year without any break in coverage. It also covers some alternative therapies.

Petplan is endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and offers a discount to its members.Petplan USAPhiladelphia, PA(866) 467-3875gopetplan.com

■ Pets Best InsuranceFounded in 2005, Pets Best Insurance steers away from using benefit schedules by stating that everything is covered except the things specifically listed as an exclusion in the owner’s policy. However, the exclusion list is lengthy and includes: congenital conditions, pre-existing conditions, parasites, diseases preventable by vaccines, elective procedures, and dental care in the basic level plan.

Owners may purchase add-on coverage for some of the exclusions like annual teeth cleaning, spay/neuter, and vaccinations. As with most health insurance companies, rates are geography-based; however, Pets Best Insurance is unique in that its exclusion conditions are also based upon geography.Pets Best InsuranceBoise, ID(877) 738-7237petsbest.com

■ PurinaCareLaunched in the spring of 2008, PurinaCare is a subsidiary of Nestle Purina Pet Care Company. Opting for a higher deductible lowers the cost of the policy, so owners can obtain coverage for expensive veterinary procedures, such as treating a serious injury resulting from an accident or cancer treatment, at lower prices. PurinaCare has a schedule of waiting periods for coverage after an owner purchases a policy. For instance, the waiting period for plan coverage to kick in for accident coverage is 48 hours from policy purchase, for illness coverage it’s 14 days, and for dental coverage it’s one year. Pre-existing conditions are not covered in any of the plans.PurinaCareSan Antonio, TX(866) 787-7676purinacare.com

■ Trupanion Pet InsuranceOffered in Canada for six years, Trupanion is newly available in the U.S. Trupanion is designed to cover “major veterinary cost you can’t anticipate,” rather than “expected veterinary costs.” Plans are priced with a $0 deductible, but owners can increase the deductible level in $5 increments in order to lower their monthly premiums. The plan pays 90 percent of the veterinary bills and will not increase as the dog ages. The plans cover hereditary conditions except hip dysplasia.TrupanionLynnwood, WA(800) 569-7913trupanionpetinsurance.com

■ Veterinary Pet InsuranceIn business since 1982, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) is the oldest and largest pet health insurance company in the U.S. After the policyholder meets her deductible, VPI reimburses her based on VPI’s predetermined benefit schedule of charges for veterinary services, or the actual invoice amount, whichever is less.

Ann Melchoir, a retired law enforcement professional and longtime dog and cat owner, purchased a health insurance policy for her pets from VPI about nine years ago. “I’d give them a solid B+,” says Melchoir.

Melchoir’s monthly premium, which covers two young dogs and two cats (one who is 15 years old), costs $103 with a $50 deductible per animal. She credits VPI with good phone assistance, reimbursements received within one month of her submission of a claim, and premiums that don’t go up just because she filed a claim.

Melchoir added her Norfolk Terrier, Katie, to the policy in 2007 when the pup was nine weeks old. During Katie’s first year, she incurred about $1,690 in veterinary bills, accumulated in four separate incidents, plus Melchoir paid $187 to VPI for Katie’s first year premium. Melchoir received just $466 in insurance reimbursements. But, she adds, “VPI lost a lot of money in the last five to six years of my Standard Poodle’s life.”

Melchoir lives in Potomac, Maryland, an upscale suburb of Washington, DC. She notes that the reimbursements usually cover less than half the charges she pays to vets in her expensive area of the country. Even so, she maintains the policy for her pets. She can afford to pay for the treatments her pets require, but the insurance “takes the sting out of it.”

“I’m willing to spend extra money for peace of mind,” she says. “I insure my pets before they come in the door [to eliminate policy exclusions for pre-existing conditions]. I’m that kind of person. For those years when you have a really sick animal, it’s worth it.”Veterinary Pet InsuranceBrea, CA(888) 899-4874petinsurance.com

Ask these questions firstAll of these companies offer price quotes through their websites and/or over the phone. Once you have determined the type and level of coverage you want for your dog, and you have some price quotes in front of you, call the companies whose plans you are considering and ask the following (and get the answers in writing!).

• What are the age limits? Some companies require puppies to be at least eight weeks old before coverage starts. Others will not cover older dogs.

• What is your waiting period? How long after you purchase the policy will you have to wait before all of the benefits kick in?

• What are your exclusions for pre-existing health conditions? How do you determine what is pre-existing?

• Does the company exclude certain breeds, charge more for certain breeds, or exclude breed-related, genetic conditions from coverage?

• What are your coverage caps or ceilings? Do they apply per incident, per body system, per illness, per year, or over the dog’s lifetime?

• How do you cover chronic or recurring illnesses? Does coverage continue for repeated treatment of the same condition?

• What triggers an increase in premiums? The dog’s age, filing a claim, built-in annual increases?

• Does the policy pay benefits based on a pre-determined schedule of charges or on the actual vet bill you pay?

• What are my co-pay choices? What percentage of my cost will the policy pay? Will my co-pay amount increase as my dog ages? Will my co-pay increase if I visit an emergency or specialty veterinarian?

• What are my deductible choices? Are deductibles different for visits to primary care veterinarians than for treatment by emergency or specialty veterinarians?

• Can I change my policy before the renewal date? If I do so, will I be charged a fee for the change?

• Can I get a multi-pet discount?

• How long after filing a claim will I receive reimbursement?

• Exactly what is covered and not covered in the policy? Checkups, spay/neuter, accidents, alternative therapies, preventative care, prescription drugs, illness due to tainted food?

• Can I use my usual primary care and specialty veterinarians, or must I use an in-network provider to receive benefits?

Things to keep in mindChoosing health insurance can seen daunting, but if you really focus on your own needs, your dog’s health, and your budget, you’ll be able to determine what sort of plan has the most potential for saving you money in the long run. Consider these tips as you mull over your options:

• Consider combining a discount program (like Pet Assure) to pay help pay for routine healthcare, with a low-premium, high-deductible policy for catastrophic health events only. That way, you will receive a discount on regular veterinary charges and some supplies and services, and still have coverage for high-cost, unplanned procedures.

• Alternatively, if you are very self-disciplined, create an interest-bearing savings account to be used for your dog’s healthcare needs. Take a realistic look at how much you can afford to save; it may make sense to purchase a high-deductible, low cost policy to cover expensive emergencies, even if you are assiduous about saving money to be used for routine veterinary expenses. Once the account contains enough savings to cover the high cost of emergency healthcare, you could safely discontinue the emergency policy.

• The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) offers this suggestion: Ask your veterinarian (or, more likely, her front office manager) about her recommendation for insurance. Vets and their clinic managers are likely to have experience dealing with the company (and maybe even the policy) you are considering. They may be able to warn you away from companies that fail to live up to their promises, and steer you toward companies that their clients have reported being very happy with.

• Owners with multiple pets may benefit most from discount plans health insurance to provide for even regular, planned veterinary expenses.

Remember, when your dog’s veterinary care costs significantly exceed what the insurance company will reimburse – according to its schedule – it can feel as if it wasn’t worth paying for the insurance.

No matter what plan you choose, it’s incumbent on you to understand the policy thoroughly, and know how to follow the proper procedure for filing claims. A company may have very specific requirements that you must meet – turning in paperwork within a determined time period, for example – and refuse to reimburse you if you fail to meet each of its requirements.

You may also find that you have to pay scrupulous attention to the reimbursements and the accompanying explanations that you do receive, to make sure you fully understand what the company did and did not reimburse you for, and why. All insurance companies make mistakes, and if you don’t pay attention, you may find that the mistakes all seem to favor the insurance company!

According to Banfield by 2004 83% of the 3.5 million animals in their system were categorized as exceeding their recommended weight up from 49% in 1999.

Now, I don’t want to get caught up defining terms (over-weight, fat, obese), nor do I want to spend time explaining that being overweight is not healthy. The excess stress placed on tendons and joints (and bones and ligaments) make it harder to recover from injury and makes injury more likely; it may also lead to hypothyroidism, diabetes, arthritis, hyperadrenocorticism, as well as non allergic skin conditions. For the purposes of this diary, “fat” is anything between 10% to 25% over your dogs ideal weight.

Determining whether or not you pet is over weight is easy. Look at your pet. Does it look fat? If it does, chances are it is. If you can’t feel your dogs ribs that may also be a sign. And if your dog looks like this dog:

you own a tubby!

This picture might give you a better idea: 

Obesity in humans is rooted in environmental and behavioral factors including food availability and biological components. With dogs and cats social environment and physical environment factors play a large part but the man culprit is this guy: 
 
Okay, not necessarily Gary Busey, but hoomans.

You are the main cause of your dog’s (and cat’s) obesity. And the reason we are, as hoomans, the main culprit is because we love them. We love them so much we want to give them everything they want. So when we fall short of getting them the bacon flavored hydrant we treat them excessively. We over feed them and when they beg for food we give them more, further enforcing the behavior causing them to beg. The more they beg, the more we feed them the more they beg. Wash, rinse repeat. Another cause of dog obesity is the free feed. Some cats can get away with it. In families with more than one dog it may be a matter of connivence. If you can avoid free feeding and conform to scheduled feeding you can more accurately control your animals weight.

There are other contributing factors including breed, age, overall health of the animal, resting metabolic rates and whether or not they have been spayed or neutered (please do that if they haven’t been) but for the most part your dog or cat is fat because of you.  To address your dogs weight problem there are a myriad of solutions ranging from acupuncture and holistic medicines and herbs to diet formulas and weight loss supplements. In my opinion (and this has been a very opinionated diary) the easiest and cheapest solution is to get your dog or cat (or bird or guinea pig or what have you) moving more. A fat animal is an unhappy animal.

Move more, eat less.

Before we begin, here is a recap of the steps used to install a positive interrupt command.

A positive interrupt command is a well programed, highly reinforced command that allows you to quickly redirect your dog’s attention back to you. The most common is used in recall training and is usually voiced as “Over Here”. Steps to developing a PIC are:

Install the command in a low distraction environment. Use any phrase you like. “Quiet” or “Quiet Now” would work, but feel free to use what you are most comfortable saying. Speak the phrase in a sing song pleasant tone when you have your dogs full attention then immediately feed a high value, special occasion treat. Little bits of bacon or hotdogs work well though they are not very healthy. Chicken (grilled, freeze dried or jerky) are also good. Repeat until you see the signs of recognition (eyes light up, ears perk) when you say the phrase

Practice with the command in a low distraction environment. This can be done indoors while your dog is not engaged with you. You should see the same signs of recognition. If not, go back to installing the command.

Continue practising the comman in a low distraction environment and slowly add distractions one at a time.

Begin practicing in a normal (real life) moderate level distraction scenario like a walk around the block with your dog on the leash. Use the interrupt command when your dog is sniffing a bush or eyeing a squirrel. This is like the testing phase. If it does not work go back to practicing.

Use the command to inturrupt barking.

Demand Barking

Demand barking, according to the experts, is the easiest of all problematic behaviors to correct. I just so happen to disagree with this and here is why: I am highly disagreeable. Also, I believe that any behaviour a dog exhibits that annoys only the owner, as opposed to friends, family and neighbors, the owner will more often than not train themselves to conform to the behaviour.

Demand Barking occurs when the dog really wants something. In this case it would be cupcakes.

Another reason why this type of barking is harder to correct than other barkings is the occurrence of “zombie” barking. Just when you thought you were making progress, the barking rises from the grave and wants to eat your brains. Only now it’s louder and harder to deal with. This is the point where most owners give up. And just like in the zombie movies, if you give up now, your problems will be compounded. The increase in intensity is the last ditch effort by your dog to get what it wants. By giving in now, you reinforce the more intense behavior thereby making your job more difficult. Okay Nick, that’s all well and good, you say, but what do we do to fix this behavior, you ask. I’ll tell you in blockquoted steps formation:

Ignore your dog.

It’s that easy. Some trainers claim this behavior can be corrected with treats (ignore, turn your back to the dog, when the dog is quiet say”good boy” and give it a treat). This will work but it may lead to a behavior chain. Behavior chains are a series of behaviors “chained” together pronouncing to the world that not only is your dog more intelligent than you, but also, through some crazy doggy psychological kung fu, has managed to train you.

Boredom Barking

We all know this barking. I walk past the same apartment everyday when I’m leaving my neighborhood with my dogs for their morning jaunt. And everyday day the poor bored dog in that apartment barks at everyone who walks by.

Most boredom barking is done by dogs that have been left in the back yard all day. Dogs, by their nature, are social creatures and the back yard barker is a lonely, depressed dog. The easiest solution in this case is to bring the dog indoors. If you can. If you can’t, consider getting a second dog to keep each other company.

Play Barking

This is my personal favorite. Play barking is common with herding breeds. As other dogs will romp with each other, the play barker will be on the periphery barking loudly and nipping at the heels of all the dogs and sometimes the little childrens. Most of the time, owning a “fun police” dog isn’t a problem. With children, however, the behaviour is not appropriate.

In order to modify this behaviour you must use negative punishment or negative reinforcement. There is a trend in the Seattle are that emphasizes positive reinforcement only training. While I agree that 4 out of 5 times positive reinforcement will get the job done, there is that one time when you need to break out the negative punishment. As soon as the barking and nipping starts, say a command unique to this behaviour (oops! or no more play!) and gently (negative punishment does not mean it’s okay for you to be rough with your dog) remove your dog from the fun for a few minutes. A tab or traffic lead may facilitate in the removal of the dog from the area. When you feel enough time has passed, release your dog back to play again. Once your dog realizes barking ruins the fun the behavior will stop. It is a hardwired behavior and my advice if you have this problem is to learn to love it. It may never go away.  

Stress barking

Stress barking is a response to a real or anticipated change in the environment such as a the approach of a threat or isolation and can be the manifestation of Separation Anxiety. Modifying this behavior is beyond the scope of a blog (regardless of how great said blog may be) and if you own a dog suffering from stress barking due to fear or anxiety please consult a training professional.  

Frustration Barking

Frustration barkers are often confused with stress barkers. These barkers have a low threshold/tolerance for frustration and throw a demand temper tantrum with the emotional energy usually reserved for 12 year old Paris Hilton Wannabes or that toaster from Ghost Busters II (you know which one I’m talking about).

You can use the PIC to regain your dog’s attention and then use high value treats  in the presence of frustrating stimuli to counter condition your dog to look to you for treats when around the stimuli.

Greeting Barking

“Yeah! Nick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s home! We’regoingforawalkthenwe’llgetfoodthenwe’llplaybecauseNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s homeNick’s home“

That’s what I come home to. If that’s what you come home to (why is your dog using my name?) you must be doing something right. And if it doesn’t bother you, why fix it, right? If it does bother you or your neighbors or your family members there are a few easy ways to correct this behavior. Just like with Demand Barking there is but one real solution.

Ignore your dog.

But, because it is happening at the door you can retry the entry after they have calmed down. If you use a loud verbal command your dog may think you are showering it with love in response to the love it is showering on you and therefore will continue to shower you with love or step it up and unleash the full furry of their doggy love thereby getting you evicted from your apartment.

This is especially troublesome when you have visitors. Instead, use the PIC to calm your dog and focus it’s attention on you then remove your dogs from the situation and greet your guests.

Dogs communicate primarily through body language although touch, smell and sound play an important roll as well. Interpreting body language is essential to understanding your dog’s behavior; gestures and actions have common, stereotypical meanings. Researchers regularly seem to find that animal communication is often more complex and subtle than previously believed. Similar gestures may have multiple distinct meanings depending on context making generalizations such as “X means Y” often (though not always) inaccurate. For example, even a simple tail wag may (depending on context) convey many meanings including not only:

Excitement 
Anticipation 
Playfulness 
Contentment/enjoyment 
Happy, self-confidence

But also:

Anxiety 
Questioning another animal or a human as to intentions 
Tentative role assessment on meeting another animal 
Reassurance (”I’m friendly, are you?”) 
Reconciliation (after an aggressive interaction: “I still want to be friends”) 
Uncertainty/apprehension 
Submissive placation

Combined with other body language, in a specific context, many gestures such as yawns and direction of vision all convey meaning. Panting, as is the case with my mini schnauzer when he burrows in the “fresh-from-the-dryer” towels,  may mean “Too hot”. But it might also mean either emotional anxiety or happiness. A good example of this is John McCain whose smiles grow bigger the more pissy he gets (see, worked some politics in there for you).

So what does this have to do with barking?

Dogs bark for various reasons and not all barks are alike. If you want to alter the behavior, you must first understand it’s origin and how it is being reinforced. Some types of barking include, but are not limited to:

Alarm Barking 
Demand Barking 
Boredom Barking 
Play Barking 
Arousal Barking 
Stress barking 
Frustration Barking 
Greeting Barking

Today I would like to address Alarm Barking and how you can easily modify that behavior is an installed interrupt command.

Alarm or Alert Barkers are the hero dogs (or the dogs with lofty dreams of being a hero dog) who, through their incessant barking, saves the family from a house fire or little Timmy from having fallen through the ice. He wards of the pan handlers (like my aussie) on long walks around the neighborhood. Alarm barkers can save lives. But they can also annoy the hell out of you when you’re trying to watch a movie or cause your neighbors to call the condo association every third day.

You can correct this behavior by limiting the dogs exposure to whatever it is that sets it off. In side that may mean putting up a baby gate to keep him away from the window everyone so rudely walks in front of daily. Or you can try rearranging your furniture.  This is a behavior I would not personally correct. In my opinion this is exactly what we should want from our animals. There are, of course, extremes that need to be dealt with. In order to deal with this behavior it is essential you use a positive interrupt command.

A positive interrupt command is a well programed, highly reinforced command that allows you to quickly redirect your dog’s attention back to you. The most common is used in recall training and is usually voiced as “Over Here”. Steps to developing a PIC are:

Install the command in a low distraction environment. Use any phrase you like. “Quiet” or “Quiet Now” would work, but feel free to use what you are most comfortable saying. Speak the phrase in a sing song pleasant tone when you have your dogs full attention then immediately feed a high value, special occasion treat. Little bits of bacon or hotdogs work weel though they are not very healthy. Chicken (grilled, freeze dried or jerky) are also good. Repeat until you see the signs of recognition (eyes light up, ears perk) when you say the phrase

Practice with the command in a low distraction environment. This can be done indoors while your dog is not engaged with you. You should see the same signs of recognition. If not, go back to installing the command

Continue practising the comman in a low distraction environment and slowly add distractions one at a time.

Begin practicing in a normal (real life) moderate level distraction scenario like a walk around the block with your dog on the leash. Use the interrupt command when your dog is sniffing a bush or eyeing a squirrel. This is like the testing phase. If it does not work go back to practicing.

Use the command to inturrupt barking.

Once installed, the PIC can be used to modify a great many behavioral issues. Please let me know if you would like me to continue with this series.

According to the English dictionary, happiness is a feeling of contentedness, well-being, pleasure, or good fortune. According to the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Universe happiness is that warm, comfortable feeling you get from quickly drinking three Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters and ends with you slouched in your chair drooling on your shirt.  It is not, as curmudgeon Ambrose Bierce once said, an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another [though some humans do seem to derive pleasure in that way]. Unless that other is George W Bush, in which case contemplating his misery may make you very happy indeed. But what about our pets?

With dogs, who not only wear their hearts on their sleeves, but broadcast their emotions with ghastly smells and other foul noxious things,  contentedness and well-being is a far less complicated affair and is plain for all to see – as long as you know what you are looking for.

Signs of Happiness

Content dogs sleep for about 8 to 10 hours per day, mostly at night. They wake up early and set out in search of food, water and the occasional spot of carpet to ruin.  They appear bright, alert, active, (possibly annoying and downright irritating) and solicit attention from their owners. They also interact positively with each other in the case of multi-pet homes.

Through the morning, they enjoy walks, play, solving quadratic equations, contemplating the existence of the All Knowing and All Powerful Dog, hiding the remote control and social activities, perhaps resting briefly between events. In the afternoon, dogs may spend some time chewing on a toy (for toy read: your shoes, books clothing pillows or anything else that might smell remotely like you), exploring in the yard, or socializing with other dogs or people. Increased activity becomes apparent as the late afternoon approaches and into early evening, with the excitement of returning family members and mealtimes. The various actions and interactions that occur at this time are engaged in with interest and joy. Eyes are bright, ears are swiveling, and tails are high. A quieter late evening period ensues with contented animals enjoying each others’ company or seeking out and staying close to their human caregivers for company. Many dogs nuzzle to solicit petting. All the world is at peace.

Unhappiness

Unhappydogs are created by adverse experiences, inconsistent interactions with their owners, lack of exercise, an unstable routine, in appropriate social interactions, and by underemployment. What owners have to remember is that while their homes are set up to please them, with all “mod cons” like telephones, VCR’s, computers, furniture, and elegant décor, none of these things is really appreciated by the dog. For owners to keep their dogs happy, they have to think like a dog. Think “how would I like it if” and then work their way through their dog’s 24-hour day. How would I like it if my owner didn’t protect my interests? How would I like it if my owner never exercised me or barely communicated with me in any way? How would I like it if my life was totally unpredictable, uncontrollable, and was punctuated by adverse social interactions? How would I like it if I had nothing to do all day long?

When things go wrong, aspects of the “unhappy dog syndrome” start to emerge. Unhappy dogs often sleep more in a 24-hour period, entering a state bordering on depression or learned helplessness. On the other hand, they may sleep more fitfully at night as they are not in a proper routine. Lack of gainful employment leads to any number of behavior problems that arise as diversions. These sometimes take the form of barking or destructive behavior, annoying attention-seeking behaviors, or overeating. Dogs with social issues may become involved in confrontations with each other or with their owners, do not pay attention to their owners, are difficult to control, and may either become aloof or [paradoxically] over-attached. Their eyes don’t shine with excitement but rather appear dull and vacuous. Such dogs may adopt hunkered, cowed postures and may show a lack of alertness and curiosity. Many are anti-social and some act out their negative feelings toward others. Many times, attention to the basics can turn an animal like this around. The following is a list of items that may need attention:

Steps to a Happy Dog