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Helping Your Submissive Pet Dog Gain Confidence

Pet dogs are known for their playful and sometimes protective nature. That’s why they generally make great guards for homes. However, it’s not entirely impossible to see a dog cower at the sight of a person, even when this individual is their owner. Submissive dogs are often anti-social, and exhibit extreme discomfort being around people and even other dogs. The truth is, dogs are expected to be submissive to a certain degree. After all, they are merely pets and people own them and expect them to be obedient.

However, while submissiveness may not be necessarily a problem, it may become bothersome if it becomes the basis of your pet’s behavioral issues. You will know when your dog is extra submissive when it lowers its body to the ground in a slumping manner when you or others approach them. Your dog may be “too” quiet, and will even offer a paw to shake your hand or may try to kiss you. This counts as submissive because your dog is constantly seeking your approval.

Pet experts suggest a submission versus dominance role playing exercise to help build a pet dog’s confidence. This is done by allowing your dog to stand over you, in such a way that it can sit comfortably on your stomach. Petting or rubbing the dog while in this position lets your pet know it’s okay to stand over you and will eventually gain more individuality as a dog. In addition to frequenting this exercise, you can also develop a habit of being at your dog’s height whenever you are in front of your pet. This helps your dog avoid associating your towering height with authority, and thus, will become less submissive.

Seal Culling Begins

Today marks the beginning of seal culling season in Namibia. The practice will continue till mid-November, which is when the season ends. While it may seem a gory practice, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine resources says that this is something that needs to be done. According to them, the culling will help to rebuild the dwindling fish stocks.

The Hake fishing industry hauls in around 140,000 metric tons every year, which represents about 12,000 jobs. According to the Ministry, the seal population which numbers in the 700,000 region is a direct threat to this industry. Roughly 10 percent of that population is targeted to be culled within the next two years. The target in numbers is 6,000 bulls and 80,000 pups. Cows are not considered for culling. The seal products that result from the culling are sold locally and to Asian markets. The seal product industry constitutes about two percent of the GDP, while the fishing industry is around six percent.

Bernhard Esau, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said that reducing the number of seals culled is not an option. He pointed out that a reduction would cause job losses in the fishing industry. However, he was very keen to show the world at large that this was an above board project and that the seals were culled humanely. The pups are clubbed on the head and the bulls are shot. The minister has invited the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Seal Alert to come with him and observe the process when he visits the site on the 13th of July.

Travelling with Your Pet

When going on a vacation, having to leave your pet behind can be difficult as well as rather worrying. If you could take your pet along with you, then, your trip will be much more enjoyable. When planning out such a trip, you need to take your pet’s needs into consideration long before the date of travel. Here are a few tips to consider:

1. Check with your vet if your pet can travel. Ask him about any complications with certain modes of travel, etc.

2. You would also need to check with your veterinarian regarding vaccinations necessary before travelling and obtaining a health certificate which confirms that your pet is fit to travel.

3. It is important that you are able to identify your pet. Along with an ID tag, include a rabies tag as well. Ensure that the ID tag has all your contact information. Sometimes, tags have a tendency to fall off – therefore you might want to consider getting a microchip embedded into your pet’s skin. Check with your vet first!

4. The carrier your pet will be travelling in must be spacious enough to allow him to move around. It should also be well ventilated, and easy to handle. Ensure that the carrier is labelled with your pet’s name and your contact details.

5. When packing for the trip, pack things like bowls for eating and drinking, a pooper scooper, a first aid kit for your pet and other kinds of food he likes to eat.

6. If travelling on the road, ensure that your pet is supervised at all times.

7. If travelling by air, speak to someone at the ticketing office and get a clear understanding of the airline’s rules regarding pets.

Einstein: The World’s Tiniest Horse

New Hampshire could possibly claim to have the world’s tiniest horse. A diminutive horse born at the Tiz A Miniature Horse Farm in Barnstead, a pinto stallion measured a mere 14 inches in height and weighed only nine pounds at birth. The foal’s proportions are quite similar to that of a baby, but are really tiny in terms of a horse. The tiny horse, named Einstein could be the titled holder in the Guinness Book of Records for being the smallest newborn horse.

Co-owners of Einstein, Judy Smith and Dr. Rachel Wagner both are extremely fond of him and say he will continue to reside at the farm.

Measuring just about seven inches short in comparison to a normal miniature foal, Einstein apparently does not seem to be in danger of suffering from dwarfism, according to breeders. The current record holder of the tiniest horse title, Thumbelina, unfortunately does.

Smith told reporters that Einstein was not born prematurely but three days after the due date. She even quipped that if he had been born prematurely, he could have been ever tinier.

The Tiz A Miniature Horse Farm houses 48 miniature horses, all averaging around 21 inches in height at birth, and weighing 18 pounds. Contrary to popular belief, miniature horses are actually horses and not ponies. Their tiny stature comes from continuous breeding carried out over many years. Miniature horses are sometimes even used as ‘seeing-eye dogs’ and movies.

Thumbelina does not have the same proportions as Einstein. She has crooked legs, which she has had from birth, and thus has specially made shoes for jumping.

Meth-Intoxicated Sheep, Tasered; New Study Carried Out By Taser International

Taser International set out to test the outcome of being high on meth and then being tasered. They first decided to try this out on some sheep. Why? Two reasons. The first being that methamphetamine is extremely popular amongst humans. The second reason is that when a person, high on meth is arrested, a stun gun might be used on him, and the safety of that is yet undetermined.

To test this theory out, Taser International rounded up 16 sheep. They put them on an IV drip of meth, which was then followed by a few taser blasts which was needed by researchers to investigate the effect it had on the heart.

Animal rights activists were appalled by this, stating that drug taking was a human choice and methods and safety of law enforcement should be determined in acceptable manners. Such animal research seems completely unnecessary, when compared to that carried out for finding a cure for cancer. Who knows what could be next in line!

The research carried out by Taser International does not even seem valid. The effect meth and an electric voltage would have on a sheep and a human would certainly differ. In the case of this research, the sheep were under anaesthesia, which really does not mean the experiment was carried out as the real situation could have been.

Take into consideration that stress induced cardiac arrests are quite different between an anesthetized sheep and a meth-intoxicated human who is probably paranoid and keeps resisting arrest.

All in all, TI’s experiment only proves that tasers can be used on sheep that are asleep, which probably adds so much towards the advancement of society and law enforcement.