Train Your Dog Fun Tricks To Entertain You
Babette Haggerty, The Best Dog Tricks On The Planet

Babette Haggerty trained Jack Nicklaus' Golden Retriever to bark the number of his major tournament wins on command, Curt Gowdy's Rottweiler to say, "Go Reds," and Jimmy Buffett's Maltese to dance on cue to "Margaritaville." Now she's sharing her best with you!

Author Babette Haggerty shows you step-by-step over 100 amazing tricks your dog can do on command, allowing you to have an once-in-a-lifetime pet. These tricks are meant to be fun and to teach your dog to be useful and entertaining.

Every dog can be taught tricks, young and old, according to Babette. Some breeds learn more quickly than others and some breeds will be better at certain tricks. For example, Golden Retrievers will crawl instinctively. So teaching a Golden Retriever to crawl is easier than teaching a dog like a Bull Mastiff to do the same trick.

There are some great tricks included in Babette's book, like teaching a dog to drive a car (not a real car); walking another dog; dogs jumping over each other or walking underneath each other; or dogs pushing a stroller or shopping cart.

Many of the more than 100 tricks were featured by Babette's famous father, Captain Haggerty, on David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks. Captain Haggerty and his dogs appeared more than 25 times and were the original inspiration for the segment.

Babette Haggerty is at home in a dog kennel, literally. She was raised in one by her mom, Betty-Ann, and father, the dog-training pioneer, Captain Haggerty, whom the New York Times credited with "establishing dog training as a respectable profession in this country."

So-Called Designer Breeds
Darlene Arden, Animal Behavior Consultant

Animal Behavior Consultant Darlene Arden busts the myths surround the Cava-Poo-Chon breed. The Cava-poo-chon is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bichon Frise mix and a Miniature Poodle. This toy dog is supposed to look forever young and live to 20. Unfortunately, these designer breeds actually are a waste of your hard earned money and can be racked with health issues.

Darlene Arden said there is nothing unique about this dog; it is just another expensive mutt. All of these breeds have health problems and it is hard to get a Cavalier King Charles dog that doesn't have cardiac issues; a poodle that doesn't have skin issues; and of course the Bichon has its own issues. Every breed has issues, and when you put these three breeds together, you re tripling up on the chance of the puppies having health issues.

There is also mention that this breed is hypoallergenic. Darlene stated there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog! You may have fewer problems with certain breeds of dog, but allergies come from dog dander. You have fewer problems with dogs with hair instead of fur, but the Cavalier has fur.

While this dog may have a puppy face, how can breeders claim that these dogs will live up to 20 years? How can they prove the dog won't get cancer or some other disease, over which they have no control whatsoever! We'd love all dogs to live to 20 years, and in the past, some breeds have. We know that the smaller the dog the longer they will live.

Breeders are charging anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 for these dogs, but Darlene tells us you don't have to spend a bloody fortune. All she can say is Barnum said it best, "There's a sucker born every minute." So don't get suckered in, it's just a marketing term!

Darlene Arden is an award-winning writer, lecturer, and author of "The Irrepressible Toy Dog," (Howell Book House") and "The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventive Care for Dogs (Contemporary Books), is an internationally recognized authority on Toy dogs and their care and a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant.

Who Doesn't Like Dogs? - Dr. Debbie

I love dogs, and always have. But what happens when you discover a close friend doesn't merely not like dogs, but actually hates them?

I've been operating under the assumption that those who don't like dogs must have some evil lurking in their spirit and were destined to a life of incarceration. Just look at the statistics of criminals that abuse animals early on and who later progress to physical abuse of people, murder, or other sociopathic behaviors.

I'll admit not liking dogs is a far cry from turning one's hand to injure an animal or person, but some uncomfortable association is still there. As a full-fledged dog lover, or enthusiast of any animal for that matter, I cannot understand the psyche of an individual that is satisfied going about their life without animal companionship.

Any pet lover can spout off a list of benefits their furry one brings to their life…the steady comfort of companionship, a non-judging ear to hear out the day's tribulations, a workout or hiking buddy and a source of unconditional love at the end of a long day.

So, imagine my shock when I realized that a couple I know doesn't like dogs. Not just that they don't have dogs or misunderstand them - they actually dislike dogs.

Hint of this fact should have been apparent long ago when they were over for dinner and they politely stood stiff as a Calvary front line, when greeted by my yapping terrier mix. Or that they failed to stroke my Labrador's chin after receiving the gentle nudge of the typical canine greeting upon entering the home. The polite perfunctory smiles went un-noticed by me. "Sure, they don't have dogs," I reasoned as to why they weren't charmed by my little dog's amusing tail wagging display or by the steadfast devotion of my Labrador's greeting.

All of these sign posts I missed. I clearly misjudged all along. The couple, who I just assumed were just not yet fortunate to understand the benefits of pet companionship, were actually formidable dog dislikers.

Realization struck me during a recent conversation with this couple. I was laughingly describing the vast differences in dog breed behavior comparing my former Labradors, to that of my current Bouvier. My comments must have been mistaken as some underhanded means to convince them the right breed was out there for them. At that moment, my guest raised hands and said, "I know what I like and don't like, and I don't want dogs." Clearly they didn't like dogs - and they misunderstood my comment as some means to turn them over to the canine side against their will. Astounded, I marveled how this response was not unlike a person who is recommended a mushroom containing side dish or gourmet meal from a fine restaurant, and who declares "I can't stand mushrooms and don't want anything to do with mushrooms!"

The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Jazz Your Dog Up For The Holidays & Give Them A Festive Smell
At this time of year, everyone wants their pets groomed. This is an added expense around the holidays, and as you can expect, most groomers are also very busy and you may not be able to get an appointment.

However, there is a quick clean method that is easy to do, that consists of cornstarch and brushing. But let's jazz it up a little for the holidays and give your dog a festive smell.

Take a cup of cornstarch and put it in a jar. Next, add three drops of essential oil of eucalyptus and two drops tea tree oil. Shake the mixture well and let it sit for at least 24 hours.

After 24 hours, take your dog and place them over a towel, sprinkle on the mixture and brush it through.

What does the eucalyptus tea tree oil do? Besides making them smell good and piney like a Christmas tree, it will also repel bugs. But why not just buy essential pine oil? Because it is expensive, hard to find and is not healthy for your pet.

Animal Radio News with Stacey Cohen

Trained Dogs Prevent School Violence
While some say school safety hinges on guns, cameras or alarms in classrooms, Mark Gomer and Kristi Schiller thought specially trained dogs should take point in preventing violence in schools. Gomer's for-profit company sent a gun- and drug-detecting dog to patrol the halls of an Ohio high school, while Schiller launched a nonprofit in Houston to give schools the trained canines for free. They thought they could cultivate their ideas to help schools across the country stay safe. If a school applied for and was chosen to receive a dog, it would come fully trained and paid for. Buying and training a safety dog costs between $10,000 and $15,000. The dogs might be a distraction in the beginning, but they would become part of what students expect to see when they went to school, "There is so much these dogs can do, and they're always coming up with new ideas," said Ted Dahlin, a Harris County, Texas, constable's deputy who serves on the K9s4COPs board of directors. "If I were going to pick a school to make trouble, it would be one I knew didn't have a dog."

Buffalo Is Man's Best Friend
An 1,800 pound bison may seem like an odd choice for a pet, but one Canadian man said his bison was his "best friend." In fact, Jim Sautner told CBC News Bailey Jr. was actually a fairly low-maintenance companion. He said Bailey, who was named after his first pet bison, Bailey, Sr., was even able to come into his old house to watch a little TV and get a drink of water. Sautner said his bison generally behaved like a dog. But Bailey wasn't allowed in his new house, although Sautner still called him his "best friend," adding, quote, "He's my buffalo."

Man Thinks He Is A Dog
Boomer the dog had a bone to pick with the world. He wanted to be accepted for his doggie lifestyle. Born Gary Matthews, the retired technology worker and a self-confessed "nerd" thinks he is a dog. The man wore a dog collar, ate dog food from a bowl (his favorite was Pedigree) and loved milk bones and dog cookies. Matthews was featured in a National Geographic special, "Extreme Anthromorphism: Boomer the Dog." The word anthropomorphism comes from the Greek words "anthros" for human and "morph" for form and refers to the attributing human qualities and emotions to nonhumans. Matthews said he had never been in trouble with the law and was not seeing a psychiatrist or taking any kind of medications for mental illness. Money was not a problem. When his parents died, he inherited their house and they left him a trust fund to live on.

Contamination Prevalent In Raw Pet Food

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