Do You Look Like Your Dog? (The New York Times)

Tara Parker-Pope blogs about a New York Times piece titled "The Claim: Some Dogs Look Like Their Owners," and invites readers to submit photos of themselves and their dogs.

This could be interesting. It also seems vulnerable to digital photo manipulation in the extreme!

Pet Tails will check back to this blog in the days ahead to see what's submitted. In the meantime, let us know in the comments below if you submit a photo of you and your dog.

Invest In Guinea Pigs

Apparently, animal welfare authorities are worried about the new Disney movie, G-Force, encouraging children to buy guinea pigs. The part they are really worried about is when people find out how much work they actually are and decide to "release them into the wild". I'm just going to say it right now: Do not ever dump your pet! So guinea pig purchases are on the rise. Hey Michigan: Forget cars! Try the pet industry!

Is Your Dog Really Smarter Than My Honor Student?

According to this Yahoo News article, some dogs are as smart as two year old kids. Which begs the question: Is your dog really smarter than my honor student? Well, with this new evidence, there may be a scrap of truth to that statement. As long as your honor student is a two year old that is.

Dog flights move puppy passengers to safer places (St. Petersburg Times)

I liked this story in Sunday's St. Pete Times so much that I read it aloud to Mitch/Lanie/Madeleine's great grandmother, Merle, who is rehabbing from a bad fall. Merle is 90 years old and has been a dog person all her life. She loved the story, and I hope you will, too.

People Food and Your Dog

Although your pet may love peanut butter and adore popcorn, it's not a good idea to feed your pet people food. At first, it's cute how your pet gobbles up the little morsels but later it will beg for more. Your pet may begin to beg at your mealtimes or when you're sitting on the couch with some popcorn. Begging can get extremely annoying when you are trying to have a conversation or any other time. To avoid bad habits, you and your family should "refrain from feeding the animals".

Shedding

Many animals shed, which means some of their hair falls off. If you're anything like my family, you want to allow your pet to roam the house without having your house be covered in hair. Well, unfortunately, there is no way to entirely stop shedding. But you can slow it down by brushing your pet daily. For dogs you can use a shedding blade or a wire brush, but for smaller animals you may want to use a soft bristle brush. Brushing your pet also provides a good opportunity for you to bond with your pet. (See Bonding, August 8)

Socialization

Pets love to meet others of their kind. Guinea Pigs love to have a cagemate. Dogs enjoy playing with eachother. When pets are with another animal that does not live in your home, it is important to keep an eye on them at all times. You don't know if something could go wrong, or playful wrestling could turn into a fight.