Halo and Reggie were thrilled to find out that 2008 is the Chinese Year of the Rat. They assumed that meant they were going to get to run Earthdog every day! What it really means is that folks born this year will be smart, magnetic, well-liked, affable, quick-witted, surreptitious, selfish, protective and calculating. Just like Halo and Reggie. |
Chinese symbol for the Year of the Rat
|
| |
 |
It is said that dreaming of a dog swimming means that good fortune is on the way. A dream about a puppy predicts an important new relationship; a white dog signifies a victory for a man, or an early marriage for a woman. If you dream of a barking dog, troubles will soon come your way. And if your legs twitch like you're running and you make little yipping sounds ... well, you ARE a dog. |
| |
That dogs wag their tails when they're happy isn't exactly a Newsflash. But did you know that their tails are a major method of communicating all kinds of emotions? A tail held high and only slightly wagging is showing aggression, while a low slow wag may indicate fear, uncertainty, or low rank.
|
|
Dogs rarely wag their tails when they're alone, and puppies don't wag their tails at all until they begin social interaction with their littermates or humans, usually at the age of three or four weeks. |
| |
|
Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible. Cats aren't mentioned at all. What do you make of that?
|
| |
The two large upper and lower pointed teeth in your dog's kisser are called "canine" teeth. Other names for them include tusks and fangs. And the upper two are sometimes called "eyeteeth." |
 |
| |
 |
Humans don't have a lock on sweet dreams. Like us, dogs experience two kinds of sleep: Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and Slow Wave (SW). REM sleep is when dreaming occurs. While adult dogs spend up to 12% of their sleep time in REM, puppies spend more so that their developing brains can process all those new sights, sounds, and smells they experience with every new day. |
| |
This won't come as a surprise to true dog lovers, but an estimated 1 million dogs in the United States are named as the primary beneficiaries on their owners' wills. |
 |
| |
 |
When Pompeii, the Roman community destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, was finally excavated, searchers found the body of a dog lying across a child, apparently trying to protect the youngster. Legend has it that he was wearing a medallion that noted that he had saved his young master three times. |
| |
Here's the lowdown on Dogspeak: short, high-pitched barks and whines demand attention; lower-pitched, longer barks protect territory or warn of an intruder; whining yawns show anxiety; and howling or mournful barks indicate loneliness. We're guessing that Fido here must be lonely.
|
|
| |
Chinese symbol for Year of the Dog |
Did you know that 2006 is the Chinese Year of the Dog? People born in this year are said to be honest, faithful, and sincere, and are intelligent, caring, and good listeners. They enjoy helping people, and have a profound sense of duty. We can't speak for Dog Year People, but this sure does describe our furry friends! |
| |
An American Animal Hospital Association poll determined that 33% of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while they're away. |
|
|
Paul McCartney's Martha |
You'd really have to be a Beatles fan to know these two tidbits: At the end of the song, "A Day in the Life," Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, for his Old English Sheepdog Martha. And his song "Martha My Dear" was composed in that shaggy dog's honor. |
| |
Dogs don't have nearly as many taste buds as we do ... 1,700 compared to our 9,000. But that doesn't mean that they don't enjoy their vittles. They have over 200 million scent receptors in their noses (we have 5 million), so be sure that kibble smells as good as it tastes, okay? |
|
| |
The Mayan symbol "Itzcuintii" (dog)
|
In the astrological calendars of the Mayans (fourth to tenth centuries), the tenth day was symbolized by a dog. People born under that sign were believed to have great leadership powers. |
| |
The people who study these things can tell you that the average cost of raising a medium-sized dog to the age of 11 is $13,350. And that doesn't even include college. |
 Kris the Cocker calculating this year's expenses |
| |
|
New York is well-known as a "walking" city, but until 1978, bugalooing down Broadway was more like working an obstacle course. That was the year a law was passed requiring dog owners to clean up their, er, deposits. Prior to the law, approximately 40 million pounds of doggy doo was deposited on the streets every year. |
| |
French Poodles aren't really from France. Most experts believe that they originated in either Germany or Russia as hunting dogs. Their thick coats were impractical in water and thick brush, so hunters sheared their hindquarters, leaving a "cuff" at the ankle to protect against rheumatism. |
|
