 Animal Radio® Show #580 January 15, 2011
A Very, Very Bad Beagle
Paula Munier – Fixing Freddie
 Freddie, the Beagle, was the puppy from hell! Freddie was acquired when Paula Munier made a promise to her son she never thought she would have to fulfill. When she had to 'pay-up' by getting a dog for him, she never expected a very, very bad beagle would soon rule her life. If you thought Marley was bad, you should see 'Freddie!'
Paula took her son to a home with puppies where he picked out Freddie. Paula should have been tipped off when Freddie was already six months old and half price!
Freddie's rap sheet included pooping in Paula's shoes; peeing on her dates; lunging at the UPS man; and eating all of the knobs off of Paula's new cherry cabinets.
 Paula seemed to have two adolescents on her hand at one time, both Freddie and her son! Paula thinks of adolescents as a "Five Year Virus."
Freddie was taken to an animal behaviorist (a puppy shrink) who diagnosed him with separation anxiety and fear based aggression. This often happens in homes with single moms because the dog tries to become the alpha. Paula had to turn herself into the alpha, to tame both her son and Freddie.
Freddie was kicked out of puppy classes and eventually trained by a private instructor. While Paula wouldn't go so far as to say that Freddie is now a well-behaved dog, he is now a far better dog.
Paula's son is now off to college and she is "stuck" with Freddie. Good thing they are now pals!
Dodge Journey Pet Destinations
What Is Your Favorite Place To Take Your Pet?
People who have pets love to travel with them. At Dodge, they have made it easier with their pet friendly vehicle, the Dodge Journey, which contains concealed storage bins, Chill Zone glove box cooler and second-row dual in-floor storage bins with removable and washable liners (very handy for muddy paws!) Call us with your favorite place to take your furry-friend: 1-866-405-8405.
This week's Dodge Journey Pet Destination:
 Carol from Pennsylvania loves to take her dog to the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, which is a family and luxury vacation destination on 2,000 wooded acres in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. You will also find the Nemacolin Wooflands, Pet Resort and Spa. You will find everything from climate-controlled rooms with elevated beds to a grooming salon, daycare and obedience training classes. The only problem you will have is that your dog will not want to check out!
To view Past Dodge Journey Pet Destinations, click here.
The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani
Not The Most Comfortable Subject To Talk About
It may not be the most comfortable subject to talk about, but it's important that dog AND cat guardians know about these smelly organs
Even though Anal Glands are not necessarily part of Joey's regular grooming tips, it is something you need to look out for and make sure that your groomer is doing.
Joey states that he gets excited about anal glands. He explains this by recalling when he was teaching grooming and they had a line of tubs against the wall. When you became en expert at expressing these glands, you could actually shoot them at someone grooming at the next tub. This was especially fun to do to the new groomers!
 What are anal glands? Dogs have two of these glands, one gland on each side of the anus, which contain a foul smelling liquid.
They are scent glands that dogs use to mark their scent. Before dogs were domesticated, it was believed that dogs once used these glands in the same fashion a skunk would, and spray someone or something as a defense mechanism.
With dogs being domesticated, and with the foods that we food them, a lot of dogs (especially small dogs) have a problem releasing their anal glands. Normally these are expressed automatically when a dog passes his stools. When they aren't released, they will fill up like a balloon and rupture, which can lead to an infection.
Have you ever soon your dog scooting his bottom along the rug? Nine times out of ten they are trying to relieve these glands themselves. This applies some pressure and sometimes this will release them, unfortunately all over your rug!
If you don't know what you are doing, please have a professional groomer or your veterinarian express your dog's anal glands on a regular basis.
 DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com. Use the code "radiospp" to receive 25% off!
 Animal Radio® News with Laurie Roberts
September Is Disaster Preparedness Month
The American Veterinarian Association is reminding folks the importance of having a plan in case of a disaster and to be sure to include their pets and livestock. During those times when things can get hectic, it is made even more stressful because there isn't a plan in place to make sure animals are cared for. To get some help on this, check out their website at avma.org.
Is That A Tiger In Your Suitcase Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
A 31-year-old Thai woman was stopped at an airport in Bangkok where authorities found a 2-month old tiger cub in her luggage. She was having trouble struggling with a large bag she wanted to check for her flight to Iran - undoubtedly after being told no, that will not fit in the overhead bin, when they decided to x-ray her luggage and found several stuffed tiger toys as well as the drugged tiger cub. Officials are investigating if the cub was wild born or captive bred. Tigers are listed as endangered or worse by the International Conservation of Nature.
 Extinct Flightless Bird
The extinct 10-foot-tall flightless bird, the Phorusrhacid, was known to be a vicious fighter, but recent ct scans of the South American bird have found that they actually used their heads like hatchets. Scientists say they would dance around like Muhammed Ali, using their speed and hatchet like skull repeatedly striking and killing their prey. In other words, they were the prehistoric version of today's CEOs!
Oyster Herpes On The Rise In Europe
(Jeez, now those poor oysters will never get a date. What is oyster speak for 'it's only a cold sore?'). The disease cannot be passed on to humans, but it does kill the oyster, which is affecting the fishing levels and global warming is suspected as the culprit.
Huggable Pet Urn
You know, when this person came up with this idea, people I am sure thought they had lost it. But.... you never know. Most of us know the pain when a pet passes away and many have the pets ashes saved in an urn. But, you can't hug an urn, hence huggable pet urns.com, yes, they are plush, soft, dog-shaped urns you can hug. No word on if they are coming up with a cat version. I sure hope so because one of our kitties is in a dresser drawer, and it would be nice to dress her up a bit!
 One Of The Strangest Hybrids In The World
The Dahlonega, Georgia Wildlife Preserve is home to one of the strangest hybrids in the world – a Zedonk. The animal has stripes on his legs and is the offspring of a Zebra Dad and a Donkey Mom – isn't amazing what you can with internet dating? I am pretty sure they met on the exclusive website "I Swish My Tail at You.com."
Confirming Or Disproving Those Pet Myths
* Chocolate is deadly to dogs - not true. Not great for them, but not deadly
* Swiffer and Febreeze - this rumor became so huge via email that the SPCA had their poison control center check it out - not true
* Poinsettias can be deadly - this is not true. But what is true is that mistletoe is poisonous to both dogs and cats
 Also, apparently you should keep beehives out of reach. Questionable congratulations go to Ellie, a year old Labrador Retriever from Santee California who won the VPI Pet Insurance Hambone Award for Oddest Insurance Claim. The lab ate an entire beehive, something her owners noticed only after she began vomiting hundreds of bees. Exterminators had sprayed the hive and Ellie went after it when all the bees were dead. My first thought when I saw that was, boy, when she started to get sick I hope she was outside. Or at the very least, it didn't end up on the carpet. Anyway, Ellie was rushed to the vet and is doing just fine. She beat out 11 other stories, including a poodle that ate two baby bottles and a used diaper. One of the most disturbing things my black Lab Cinder ever ate was when she sucked the top off of a lasagna that was on the counter. It was disturbing because she took the best part!
Worst Flea Season In Years
Scientists - and probably your scratching pet - are confirming this is the worst flea season in years. They say keep in mind - using dog flea products on cats is extremely harmful. We use Advantage on our cats once every 30 days and Groucho, our Maine Cool, can tell when I am opening up the container and he hides. Also going late this summer is poison oak and poison ivy. The first time I had it I didn't know what it was, but boy, was it ever ugly. Turns out I get it from our outdoor cats. Well, someone recommended I try Benadryl to get through my poison oak attack, but all that did was make me do a semi comatose face plant into my salad at a fairly fancy lunch. If your pet is nice enough to bring you one of these joys, your doctor can help you. There are also products at pharmacies and natural health product stores.
 Saving The Hellbender
Researchers are trying to freeze sperm to save the hellbender, North America's biggest salamander. The two-to-three foot long creatures' numbers have been declining for years and are on the protected lists in most states. They can live for decades and are also known as the devil dog or snot otter. The way to get sperm, and this apparently is universal amongst salamanders and two and four legged creatures, is to rub it between its front legs and tail. However, and this is also universal, if you want to get anywhere, with anyone, do not call them 'snot otter'. However fun it is to say, it will never, ever get you anywhere romantically.
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