 Animal Radio® Show #586 February 26, 2011
Biggest Loser Pet Project
Fido Friendly Travel Talk With Susan Sims
 Susan Sims speaks with actress, author and spokesperson, Alison Sweeney. Many listeners know Alison from her role as Sami on Days Of Our Lives and host of the Biggest Loser. But today she is talking about her involvement with the Hill's Pet Fit Challenge.
Alison became involved with the Hill's Pet Fit Challenge when she noticed that her dog Winky was a bit overweight. Alison then used the Hill's Science Diet Weight Loss system, which contains pre-measured food and biscuits. Alison said it was so easy to use and she didn't have to worry about her dog not getting enough food. In about a month, Winky had lost weight and even had more energy. Alison had made a video of Winky's weight loss journey, which was put up on the Pet Fit Challenge website, www.petfit.com.
If you are trying to get your pet healthy, you can sign them up on the website, where one family will win $1 million dollars.
You will find great information at www.petfit, including how bad table scraps really are for your pet! Alison mentions that a one-ounce piece of cheese for a small dog is like a human eating 1 and 1/2 cheeseburgers or six ounces of chocolate. It may not seem like much when you toss those scraps to your dog, but they add up, especially on a little dog.
Alison herself has always struggled with her health and fitness for many years but became so much more informed when she joined the Biggest Loser.
 Fido Friendly Magazine:
The Travel Magazine For You & Your Dog, a complete guide to Fido-friendly accommodations across the United States and Canada. "Fido Friendly is the only magazine dedicated to the travel lifestyle of man's best friend, and the one magazine your dog will thank you for." And don't forget to join the Fido Friendly Travel Club.
FidoFriendly.com
FidoFriendlyTravelcCub.com
Clicker Training Your Cat
Marilyn Krieger, The Cat Coach, Naughty No More
 Thought you couldn’t train your cat and resolve troublesome cat behavior challenges? Well, you can! In Marilyn Krieger's new book, Naughty No More, a cat person can learn how to change unwanted behaviors, such as counter surfing and even aggression, through positive reinforcement.
Marilyn uses clicker training and says that it is so easy to do that anyone can learn how to use it to train their cats. Just like with dogs, you need to find a motivator. Fortunately most cats love special treats, grooming and even just being petted.
Through clicker training, Marilyn has taught her own cats to jump through hoops, shake hands and even retrieve her keys for her. They are even trained to open their carriers, enter, and then close the door behind themselves.
 While your cat might not do all of the tricks that Marilyn has taught her cats to do, clicker training can improve your cat's activity rate, attitude and, more importantly, strengthen the bonds between you and your cat.
Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant, is a nationally known cat behavior consultant, who helps resolve cat behavior issues using positive and humane methods, modifying behavior through clicker training and altering the cat’s environment. Marilyn owns The Cat Coach, LLC, a cat-behavior consulting business. In addition to solving cat behavior challenges for her clients, she offers seminars, lectures, and classes on cat behavior and cat training. She is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), for which she sits on the board of directors and co-chairs the Cat Division. www.thecatcoach.com
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:
 Theresa from Montana says that there are lots of beautiful places to take your dogs in Montana. But, her favorite place is Heart of the Valley Dog Park in Bozeman, Montana. The park is six acres and it is like a social event for dogs. There are usually at least ten to twelve dogs there at a time. Theresa has 2 black labs and they go weekly to the dog park.
To view Past Dodge Journey Pet Destinations, click here.
The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani
To Blow Dry or Not To Blow Dry - That Is the Question!
Should you blow-dry your dog or not after bathing? Here are both the pros and cons:
Pros: If your pet has knots after bathing and you put the dryer on the coat, it will spread the coat, making it a little bit easier to see the knots so you can brush them out. It will also give your dog's coat some volume and give it a better overall appearance. It will also dry your dog quicker. This can eliminate your dog getting cold and/or tracking water all over your house.
Cons: Besides blowing hair throughout your house causing a mess, if you are allergic or someone is a little sensitive to pet dander, it is going to blow that off of your dog's skin. This is good because you are removing the dead skin cells off of your dog, but what happens is that it then goes in the air and if you have an allergic reaction, it is going to happen at that point.
 If you have a dog with short hair and you are allergic, you don't want to blow dry at all. If you let the dog dry naturally, it will keep that dander tight to the skin, so it will stay on the dog and not go up your nose into your lungs. So for a shorthaired dog, you can just let them air dry and run a curry brush over them to get the dead hair off, all the while keeping the dander on the skin.
If you have a dog with long hair, it might not look good, but if you are allergic, don't blow-dry.
If you have a dog that is afraid of the blow dryer, start on the rear of the dog and move forward to let them get used to it. Most dogs don't like it around their head. You can even wrap a towel around the top of their head so that just their eyes and muzzle are sticking out and they don't hear the blow dryer.
For dogs that have a flat face, such as Pugs, Boston Terriers or Bulldogs, avoid blowing the air in the face, as they have difficult time breathing.
 DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com. Use the code "radiospp" to receive 25% off!
Animal Radio® News with Stacey Cohen
FedEx Panda Express
 Two U.S.-born giant pandas, Mei Lan and Tai Shan, are traveling together from American zoos to China. The giant pandas will travel on the "FedEx Panda Express," a fuel-efficient plane that will jet them to China in a record 14.5 hours. Conservationists estimate that fewer than 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild. Ground transportation consists of FedEx trucks that will receive police escorts. The giant pandas in their containers will be carefully fork lifted on and off the trucks. Zookeeper Nicole Meese, who is Tai Shan's U.S. caretaker, will accompany the bears on their journey. A veterinarian will also be on board the plane. A language tutor is presently being recruited via the Internet for the female bear. They have to learn a whole new language to communicate!
Alcohol Anonymous for Owls?
The troubling effects of alcohol abuse appear to have found their way into Germany's owl population. Police tell "Spiegel Online" that they were forced to take an owl into custody after it was found drunk near the side of the road. A woman out walking her dog notified the police when she noticed that the bird was oblivious to cars driving by. Authorities arrived to find the owl staggering around with dropping eyelids. They also found two empty bottles of Schnapps nearby. Police gave the owl to a local bird expert, who gave the bird a healthy serving of water. The owl was eventually released after sobering up.
 First Came See-Through Frogs
Now, Japanese researchers have succeeded in producing goldfish whose beating hearts can be seen through translucent scales and skin. The transparent creatures are part of efforts to reduce the need for dissections. You can see a live heart and other organs because the scales and skin have no pigments. You don't have to cut it open. You can see a tiny brain above the goldfish's black eyes. The team of researchers at Mie University and in central Japan produced the "ryukin" goldfish. Having a pale color is a disadvantage for goldfish in an aquarium but it's good to see how organs sit in a body three-dimensionally. The fish are expected to live up to roughly 20 years and could grow as long as 25 centimeters (10 inches) and weigh more than two kilograms (five pounds).
 The Horse Of The Year Is....
Zenyatta, the daughter of Street Cry who sustained her only loss in 20 starts when she came in second the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic, was honored January 17th as North America's Horse of the Year for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. The winner was announced during the Eclipse Awards dinner in Miami Beach, Florida.
 Oldest Living Elephant Dies
Taj, a 71-year old elephant and 33-year resident of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, recently passed away. Taj was thought to be the oldest living elephant in North America. Born in 1940, Taj, who was previously known as "Tadji," was a circus elephant before coming to Six Flag's Discovery Kingdom in 1978. According to park reports, Taj enjoyed painting and was a trainer favorite. Taj, an Asian elephant, weighed more than 9,000 pounds. Asian elephants are an endangered species and can live up to 60 years in the wild, according to the National Zoo.
People Who Lived 9,400 Year Ago Ate Dog
Nearly 10,000 years ago, man's best friend provided protection and companionship — and an occasional meal. That's what researchers are saying after finding a bone fragment from what they are calling the earliest confirmed domesticated dog in the Americas. University of Maine graduate student Samuel Belnap III came across the fragment while analyzing a dried-out sample of human waste unearthed in southwest Texas in the 1970s. A carbon-dating test put the age of the bone at 9,400 years, and a DNA analysis confirmed it came from a dog — not a wolf, coyote or fox, Belknap said. Belknap wasn't researching dogs when he found the bone. Rather, he was looking into the diet and nutrition of the people who lived in the Lower Pecos region of Texas between 1,000 and 10,000 years ago. "It just so happens this person who lived 9,400 years ago was eating dog," Belknap said.
Black Dog Syndrome
Black dog syndrome leaves black dogs behind. When people go to the Humane Society or animal shelter looking to adopt a pet, they are more than likely going to leave with one that is a lighter color or one with interesting markings. There are no hard scientific studies as to why black cats and dogs are left behind, often never being adopted, but there are a lot of good theories. This is often called Black Dog Syndrome, though it applies equally to cats. It's not usually a conscious decision on the part of the potential pet owner. The simplest reason is that black fur is harder to see. Fortunately animal shelters are getting creative and taking extra effort to get black dogs and cats adopted out For dog and cat lovers, all it may take is a little awareness to turn this problem around!
Did You Know That Cats Meow To People, But Not To Other Cats?
Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. Cat language is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch. Cat sounds for vocal communication involve caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of natural cat language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans. The only meowing in cat language is done between mom cat and her young kittens. Once the kittens are grown the mews and meows stop. So why do cats meow to people? Because meowing is what works. Your cat is dependent on you and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, so she does what works!
"Dog Tags"
The Washington Humane Society (WHS) recently launched a new program, "Dog Tags," which provides a very different kind of training to soldiers who have returned from war. Injured soldiers recovering at Walter reed Army Medical Center come to The Washington Humane society twice a week to learn and study dog obedience training and behavior. They train the dogs and the soldiers gain new skills, for future careers in animal training and behavior.
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