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Learning is just as much fun as winning

November 20th, 2009, 6:47 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

dell-sigSometimes, you’ve just got to brag.

Two weeks ago, Fly and I competed in our second nose work trial. The trial, held at a school in San Pedro, featured some challenging hides of the oils the dogs have to find with their noses.

I’m amazed how far Fly has come in less than a year. I’d say he’s a natural at this sport, but really, all dogs are naturals at it. Nose work simply lets dogs take advantage of what they are so good at: finding things with those amazing noses of theirs.

Who hasn’t played hide and seek with their dog, just on a whim? Look Fido, here’s your favorite toy. Now I’m going to hide it behind the sofa. Find it! And, amazingly, Fido does. Does he see you hide the toy? Maybe. But is he using his eyes to find it? Nope. It’s that nose. That nose knows where everything is.

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Juvy Hall bids farewell to Biscuit, Gizmo and Scout

November 20th, 2009, 6:20 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

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14juvydogs1120cy_It’s not everyday you sit among former gang members — their hands tattooed in blue ink — and some happy mutts.

But so it was Friday at Juvenile Hall in Orange.

Three last-chance mutts from the Orange County Animal Care shelter graduated with honors after completing a 12-week training program at the facility.

You could say that Gizmo, Biscuit and Scout had a lot in common with the teens that trained them. All had behavioral issues and struggled with boundaries. Biscuit was out of control, Gizmo was a bit lazy, and Scout had a serious case of wanderlust.

With a lot of help from Janette Thomas, the executive director of Another Chance for Love and a dog trainer extraordinaire, the wards and the dogs learned about love, patience and empathy.

Read more: Three mutts ‘paroled’ to new homes

Top photo: Juvenile Hall was home to Biscuit, a terrier-mix, over the past 12 weeks. A group of teen wards cared for and trained three dogs and helped prepare the dogs for new homes.

Left photo: Gizmo, a Pekinese, gets a hug from a trainer on the dog’s graduation day at Juvenile Hall in Orange.

See more photos by Register photographer Cindy Yamanaka.

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Story of Nubs, dog of war, heading to big screen

November 20th, 2009, 5:40 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

nubs_Warner Bros. is going to the dogs and will develop “Nubs,” a feel-good story of a pooch and a U.S. Marine, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Nubs was in town recently for a book signing in Mission Viejo.

“Nubs” tells the story of a stray dog that Maj. Brian Dennis rescued while on a tour of duty in Iraq. After nursing the dog back to health and caring for it as his own, he arranged to have him shipped back to the U.S. and was reunited with the dog when his tour ended.

The story became a media phenomenon in the fall, with Dennis and Nubs making appearances on such programs as “Today,” “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

The Iraq War will serve as a backdrop, but the picture is not expected to contain combat scenes.

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Reader tip: Reuse newspaper bags on dog ‘duty’

November 19th, 2009, 5:33 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

orgpaper112408Pet Tales wants your handy tips for cleaning up — or living with — our furry friends. As you know, they produce a lot of debris: fur, dandruff, and yes, waste.

Today’s tip involves recycling, if you will, and was submitted by Patty Royce, who walks her dog, Annie, twice a day:

My mother-in-law, who lives with us, gets The Register every day.  We have found the orange baggies they put on the newspapers are invaluable as doggie poop bags. (Probably any one who has a dog and gets the Register already knows this.)

A man around the corner from me also made a wooden dispenser that he strapped to a metal street pole.  He puts his orange bags, neatly folded into squares, inside it — and I can tell people are using it.

If you have a tip to share with Orange County pet owners, send it to Samantha Gowen at sgowen@ocregister.com. And thanks, Betty!

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Do you reuse plastic bags while on dog duty?
View Results

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Congratulations, it’s a boy … 50 years late

November 19th, 2009, 2:29 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

odd_tortoise_it_s_a_boy_ny1

Anyone out there know how to sex a tortoise?

Nope? Me neither … but I’m really good with kittens, so holler.

A tortoise’s zookeepers in Cleveland are the ones feeling slow because after more than 50 years, they’ve discovered “Mary” is actually a male. Officials at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo say it can be tough to establish the sex of a giant Aldabra tortoise because the reproductive organs normally aren’t visible. But Mary’s maleness was unexpectedly revealed earlier this month during a routine exam.

Spokesman Tom O’Konowitz said the zoo has decided to rename the tortoise Terry.

When the 400-pound reptile arrived at the zoo in 1955, it was assumed he was a she because of a flatter shell, shorter tail and all-around smaller size than most males.

The tortoise is estimated to be between 75 and 100 years old.

Photo: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, with reporting from The Associated Press

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Family cat in Oregon dies after getting swine flu

November 19th, 2009, 1:29 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

swine-flu-virusA cat in Lebanon, Ore., is likely the first cat in the United States to have died as a result of the H1N1 virus, Oregon state veterinary officials said.

Raina Dey of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and state public health veterinarian Emilio DeBess said the 10-year-old cat likely contracted the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, from a human, The Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard reported Thursday.

Read The Cat Doc’s column: “Can the family cat catch our colds” for advice on combating illness in your pet.

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Faces in the Crowd: Puppy breath available

November 18th, 2009, 5:21 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

Jay-z

The folks at Barks of Love have added some new pups to their Faces in the Crowd photo gallery. The dogs need “forever” homes. In the meantime, they’re living with foster families who are generous with their time and resources.

Faces in the Crowd is a regular series at Pet Tales that highlights through photographs homeless Orange County pets.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Turn the page and enjoy some adorable, furry faces …

Faces in the Crowd: Want some puppy breath?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Poll: Should employers offer pet insurance?

November 18th, 2009, 2:38 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

caseymayo1While a lot of us are just hoping to hang on to our jobs in a tenuous economy, some of the rock-solid companies are offering a new perk in the employee package: health care for pets.

Companies like Google, Disney, AOL, HSBC, home improvement chain Home Depot and eBay offer health insurance for their employees’ cats and dogs, a niche market that has sprung up in the wake of a spike in costs for veterinary treatment.

“We do offer voluntary pet insurance as one of our benefits. Google is committed to helping our employees lead healthier lives, and we try to support personal well-being in a number of ways,” Google spokesman Jordan Newman told Agence France-Presse.

“We know that pets can be an important and valued part of our employees’ lives and we want them to have the option to enroll in this benefit,” he adds.

Should employers offer pet insurance as perk?
View Results

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Cat plus cop makes for lively traffic stop

November 18th, 2009, 12:04 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor
YouTube Preview Image

Curiosity definitely got the best of this cat.

A Texas police officer had his patience tested Tuesday by a friendly feline. The officer was writing a routine speeding ticket when curiosity appears to overcome the cat, who climbs up the officer’s leg, his vest and eventually onto his head.

We admire the officer’s restraint. And our hats are off to the friendly farmer who clearly loves his cat!

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Reminder: Mature Match is about animal attraction

November 18th, 2009, 12:00 pm by Samantha Gowen, Pet Tales editor

Click on Cooper's photo to find out more about him.

The Mature Match event is happening this weekend. Get your date shoes on, folks!

Every year unwanted older pets are euthanized because nobody wants a middle-aged dog with a gray muzzle or a cat with bony hips.

Instead, we flock to the adorable bundles of fur with their puppy breath and tiny paws. They’re cute, trainable, healthy … you get the drift.

So, to lend an old(er) friend some help, the Orange County Animal Care shelter is hoping to match their mature pets with new owners at a special event.

The shelter is hosting a “Meet Your Mature Match” on Nov. 21 (a Saturday) — all day at the Orange facility.

Cats and dogs over the age of 3 will be available for adoption at a reduced price, according to Katie Ingram, spokeswoman for the shelter. Each pet will go home with a free microchip between their shoulders and a free flea treatment applied.

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