9 Triggers of Depression in Dogs

In one of our previous articles, we talked about the symptoms of depression in dogs. Just like humans, dogs can be depressed too and there are many different triggers to this condition and its very important as the dog owner that we are aware of these key triggers or signs.

Below are the most common causes of depression in dogs and what to do to make them feel better.

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Stray Senior Dog In Danger At Sanitation Plant Gets Heartwarming Rescue

A senior dog smelt like a sewer and looked even worse when Hope for Paws came to rescue him at a water treatment facility in Los Angeles.

A sanitation plant is an extremely dangerous place for an animal or a human, and the rescue was especially called in to help the dog and given special clearance to do so. When you first see him, he is so dejected and defeated. That’s why it’s so amazing to see a smile come back to his face just from getting a bath and some TLC!





Things are looking up for Mufasa (now renamed Goji). He’s about 8 years old and is currently in foster care with Lionel’s Legacy, a senior dog rescue.

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College Park, Maryland - Missing Dog in the Area of Columbia Ave., Behind the College Park Metro Station - REWARD! For Safe Return - Have You Seen This Dog?

Please share and help find Kai. It's really cold out tonight. She is a Shepherd Mix around 40 pounds.

Message from owner:

URGENT: KAI HAS RUN AWAY!!!! IS ANYONE NEAR COLLEGE PARK WHO CAN HELP SEARCH FOR HER? Last seen about 5 minutes ago on Columbia Ave behind the College Park Metro Station. Kai ran towards the train tracks and has a leash, harness, and collar with tag attached to her. Can anyone help look for her!? Contact number: Alison 781-264-7849.

MISSING FOSTER DOG!!! If anyone is near College Park and can help distribute flyers and search, please e-mail contact@capitolcanines.org! Please share!! She was last seen near College Park Metro Station and has a red collar and harness on. She is SCARED -- do not chase! Please call number on flyer immediately if sighted!

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This Pit Bull is 17-Months-Old, and Already Weighs Over 173 Pounds: Appropriately, His Named is Hulk

If you already thought pit bulls looked intimidating, just wait until you meet what possibly might be the world's biggest pit bull.

This dog is a mere seventeen months old, but he already weighs in at over 173 lbs -- and appropriately, he's named Hulk.

Canine breeders Dark Dynasty K9s have documented the American Pit bull terrier's life on their website, as well as Facebook and Instagram. Their most recent YouTube video of Hulk hitting the scale got more than 1.2 million views in just one week.

Though the breed is sometimes considered dangerous (the pooches are actually illegal in the UK), the New Hampshire-based Dark Dynasty K9s insists all their dogs are calm, balanced, family-friendly pets.

Pit bull owners understandably rail against the negative stereotypes, and the ASPCA https://www.aspca.org/adopt/truth-about-pit-bulls urges people to remember that, like humans, dogs have different personalities.

"All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together." (Check out their official position statement here.)

Hulk is expected to continue to grow for another year or so. His breeder predicts he may get as heavy as 190 lbs!

Watch out Clifford ... there's a new big dog in town.

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Why Does My Dog Always Stare at Me?

Have you ever engaged in a staring contest with your dog? Or do you ever catch her staring at you endlessly?

It can be a little weird or discomfiting for some people when their pup is constantly giving them the eye, but I am here to tell you that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

To read more on this story, click here: Why Does My Dog Always Stare at Me?
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Preventing Dog Collar Accidents

Most dog owners think that they are protecting their dog from getting lost when they put a collar on their dog.

They fasten the collar with flashy identification and rabies tags to ensure that if someone were to find their dog unattended, he or she would know who to call and that the dog is vaccinated.

To read more on this story, click here: Preventing Dog Collar Accidents
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Considering Your Taxes? Don’t Forget Your Foster Pets

Do you need another excuse to foster a homeless pet? Love the idea of fostering but fear the potential costs? How about a tax deduction?

You read that correctly. Some of the expenses of fostering a pet for an adoption organization can be deducted as services rendered to a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. Things like pet food and supplies, veterinary bills, and even the paper towels you may need to clean up after your foster-furball can qualify as expenses for fostering a pet. If your foster operation is large enough you may be able to claim a portion of your home utilities as well. You can even deduct 14 cents per mile for trips made solely for the organization.

To read more on this story, click here: Considering Your Taxes? Don’t Forget Your Foster Pets
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8 Reasons Homeless People 'Deserve' to Have Dogs

I was walking in the West Village in Manhattan last weekend and saw a sweet interaction between a homeless woman and her dog. The woman readjusted her posture on some cardboard; and her dog reacted, looking at her with an expression that said: "I'm checking in. Is there something we should be aware of now?" The woman looked back at the dog like he'd just awakened her from a daydream, then pet him on the head and leaned back against the wall.

The exchange touched me because I'd seen my old dog wearing that exact expression; and because it was obvious the woman and her dog looked out for each other.

To read more on this story, click here: 8 Reasons Homeless People 'Deserve' to Have Dogs FOLLOW US!

Diabetes in Dogs - Treatment and Prevention - Holistic Approach

Diabetes falls into the category of hormonal diseases where the body, more precisely the pancreas, loses its ability to produce insulin, or there is an overproduction of glucose releasing hormone - glucagon.

To read more on this story, click here: Diabetes in Dogs - Treatment and Prevention - Holistic Approach
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'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Sued In Pit Bull Attack

Cesar Millan, the star of television’s "The Dog Whisperer," is being sued by a woman who claims she was attacked by a vicious pit bull that had been prematurely released by Millan's dog training center.

The woman, a critical care nurse in Florida, claims she suffered "disfiguring open wounds, deep muscle and tendon lacerations" and bone fractures in the Sept. 23, 2014, attack, just six days after the dog had been released by Millan's Dog Psychology Center.

To read more on this story, click here: 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Sued in Pit Bull Attack
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Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies

Going on daily walks, wagging her tail and leaping about in the snow, this is the lamb who now thinks she is a sheep dog after being raised by Border Collies in the Scottish Highlands.

Hilarious footage shows 10-month-old lamb Pet adopting a bizarre running style as she tries to keep up with the pack of sheep dogs on her owners croft farm in Ullapool in Ross-shire.

Pet was taken under the wing of the Collies when owner Mairi Mackenzie brought the young sheep into the croft house after she struggled to survive following her birth in April last year.

To read more on this story, click here: Lamb Goes on Daily Walks and Wags Her Tail as She Thinks She is a Sheep Dog After Being 'Adopted' by Border Collies
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Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?

Those stiff hairs on your cat’s face and legs don’t just add to her cuteness -- they have real work to do. Whiskers are GPS and radar systems for your cat.

“They are a powerful and important part of how a cat senses the world,” says W. Mark Cousins, DVM, the founder of a veterinary clinic in New Orleans.

How They Work

Each thick whisker is filled with tiny, supersensitive nerves that help your cat judge distance and space. It’s how she makes decisions like: Is this box too small to get inside? How far do I need to jump to reach that counter?

It’s also how she detects what’s around her. “Cats that are blind can navigate rooms very well by just walking around and letting their whiskers get a sense of where they are spatially,” Cousins says.

The follicles -- the sacs that hold the hairs -- are deep, with lots of nerve endings that send messages to the cat’s brain.

There’s also a sensory organ at the tip of each whisker. It picks up vibrations in the environment that help the cat sense where she is and what other creatures are around her.

Most whiskers are rooted in the thick pads on the upper lip, but smaller sets are in the eyebrow area, along the chin, and near the feet.

The ones on the sides of the nose are the same width as your cat’s body; they help her figure out whether a space is wide enough to squeeze through.

Whiskers on the back of the legs help your cat climb trees.

What’s Your Cat’s Mood? Watch Her Whiskers

A complex set of muscles on the face moves whiskers back and forth.  

The way a cat arranges them will tell another animal -- or us humans -- how she’s feeling. When a cat is relaxed, her whiskers will remain still, sticking straight out from the side of her head. If she is curious or is on the hunt, she’ll press them slightly forward. Cats that are nervous or upset will pin the whiskers back toward the face.

Whiskers Don’t Need Trimming!

Like other hairs on a cat’s body, whiskers shed. That’s normal. But you should never trim them.

A cat with cut whiskers will become disoriented and scared.

“If you cut them, that’s like blindfolding someone, taking away one of their ways of identifying what’s in their environment,” says veterinarian Jane Brunt.

SOURCES:
W. Mark Cousins, DMV, founder of The Cat Practice, New Orleans.
Pet MD: "Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?"

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No More Corgis For The Queen

It is safe to say that Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s most famous corgi owner.  The royal matriarch has owned more than 30 corgis over the years, and the dogs have become almost a mascot. And now, according to the Express, at the age of 88, she has had enough.

“The fact is she worries about too many dogs around her feet and the danger she will trip up and hurt herself badly,” an unidentified court individual told the Express. According to the publication, the queen declined an offer of two Norfolk terriers from her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice.

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Terrence Cody Indicted On Animal Cruelty Charges

With the NFL season over, the Ravens officially released Terrence Cody today after announcing the move on Jan. 23. The Baltimore County Police also announced that a local grand jury had indicted Cody on charges of animal cruelty.

 Ravens To Cut Defensive Tackle Under Investigation For Animal Cruelty
Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody's one-year contract expires in March, but the team…

To read more on this story, click here: Terrence Cody Indicted On Animal Cruelty Charges

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Five Things To Do If You Witness Animal Abuse

I assume that most Whole Dog Journal readers are as upset as I am when I see someone treating a dog badly. What should you do when you see someone being rough with their dog? Hard as it may be, I urge you to be calm and take several deep breaths before you act. Then . . .

To read more on this story, click here: Five Things To Do If You Witness Animal Abuse
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One Scottish Dog Serves to Remind All of Online Sales Dangers

This cautionary tale has a name: Kai. A Shar Pei mix, Kai the dog was recently abandoned at a Scottish railway station. As adoption offers poured in from around the world, authorities began to piece together Kai’s past. Unfortunately, the dog’s original family, who’d rehomed him via a website in 2013, possessed no information concerning Kai’s second owner.

To read more on this story, click here: One Scottish Dog Serves to Remind All of Online Sales Dangers
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This Sweet Dog Was Finally Adopted After Spending 6 Years in Shelter - Such A Happy Ending

This is the story of Rufo, a dog who — though loving and sweet — just could not get adopted. He was deposited at a muncipal shelter at the age of one. For the next six years he lived in a cage 22 hours a day…but worry not, this story ends well!

Hear more about his sweet story in the video.



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Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim

Grand Island, Neb. (AP) - A Florida woman is suspected of drowning a 2-week-old puppy in a Nebraska airport bathroom so she could board a plane.

Grand Island Police Sgt. Stan Steele says 56-year-old Cynthia V. Anderson of Edgewater, Florida, was denied access to a flight Friday at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport because the puppy was so young and not properly contained. Steele says she tried to conceal the Doberman in her carry-on bag.

To read more on this story, click here: Woman Told She Can't Bring Puppy Onto Plane, Drowns it in Airport Bathroom, Authorities Claim
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Dogs Have 'Inner Compass' When Pooping, Study Suggests

Berlin - German and Czech researchers studying squatting dogs doing their business have found the pooches have an "inner compass" that may help explain how they find their way home over great distances.

When the four-legged friends stop during a walk to defecate or urinate, they tend to do so along a north-south axis, provided the earth's magnetic field is stable at the time, the scientists said Friday.

To read more on this story, click here: Dogs Have 'Inner Compass' When Pooping, Study Suggests FOLLOW US!

They Put Prison Inmates In Charge Of Caring For Shelter Dogs

An inspiring documentary titled Dogs on the Inside shares the journey of prison inmates and neglected and abused shelter dogs at a Massachusetts correctional facility. Together, they build trust and respect as they work towards a second chance at life. As their relationship deepens, the inmates discover parts of themselves that they thought were lost forever.



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