At Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, a team of researchers has created new software that is able to sort dog barks based on different situations and even identify barks from individual dogs. The software analyzed over 6,000 barks from 14 dogs and had an accuracy rate of about 43%. The findings of the study suggest that the different states of dogs in a variety of aggressive, friendly or submissive situations results in barks that sound different from one another. The goal of this project is to advance the study of ethology. Read all about the study by clicking here.

But didn’t we already know that different barks mean different things? In addition to the bark, we have all the indications our canine friends give with their body language (ie. the tail wag, which depending on the speed and height of the tail can mean a variety of things). Canine faces communicate a range of emotion - and take a moment to watch your dogs ears. You’ll be surprised at what you can pick up. Posture is another important indicator of what your dog is saying.Here is a great link to understanding body language displayed by canines.

Do we really want to know exactly what are dogs are saying to us? Isn’t part of the whole charm of canine companionship the lack of judgement, the notion that our furry babies adore us? We can use the above mentioned signs (and more) to recognize their emotional state.

With an accuracy rate of less then 50%, I would venture to guess that those in tune with their pups can do as well or better in their quest for advancing communication then this new software. We seem to do a pretty good job of understanding one another. The centuries long bond between human and canine and this relationship’s highly regarded place in society is the truest testament to our ability to communicate to each other.Regardless, someday, it might be cool to know that Louis does indeed prefer pheasant for dinner instead of, say, lamb.

Image via Haute Diggety Dog, available for purchase at www.trixieandpeanut.com.

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I love being a dog owner. I know plenty of other people who also love canine companionship more then words can express. It’s not that we mind our precious pooch’s constant desire for attention, it’s just that sometimes, while say, eating, reading, paying bills or participating in other activities that don’t involve the pup, the only way to achieve the quiet necessary to focus is to distract our pal with something tasty.

One teeny treat won’t do it, that buys a mere few seconds and most chews only last a short time, lack nutritional benefit or are a choking hazard. My darling Louis is a real chewer and can tear through a substantial chewing stick (fit for a 50 lb. dog) in thirty minutes or less. It’s actually impressive - though sometimes I feel a bit silly buying the extra large chewy stick with my little 10 pound Louis in tow.

Enter Antlerz. Antlerz, produced by QT Dog, LLC., of Dallas, Texas are a 100% natural dog chew made from naturally shed deer antlers gathered by ranchers during the natural yearly process in which deer shed their antlers. After being cut, cleaned and packaged, what’s left is the Antlerz brand dog chew. They hold up substantially longer then other chew products, don’t splinter and contain nothing artificial.

By the way, I thought it would be really cute to post about this product around Christmas time and make some tie between Christmas and reindeer and antlers or something, but I really wanted to see how this thingy actually held up. Well, six weeks in and Louis is still chewing on it. He returns to it each evening, attempting to make headway, slowly grinding away on it. Its not the least expensive chew on the market, but compare the price to what you spend on chews that last for a few hours, which are usually bought in multiples to maintain a supply to keep Fluffy happy. Its worth it.

Chewing is a natural canine behavior that serves to relieve anxiety, combat boredom and release energy. Puppies chew because they are teething. We can utilize this natural behavior when we need a little time out from canine parenthood. Even better when we can get that break by making our dog happy, save a buck and support a product that comes from a completely renewable source.

Keep on chewing!

Check out www.qtdog.com for more information.

Available at Louis favorite store in Miami!

The Dog Bar, Inc.

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While this is kind of embarrassing to admit, I was trolling around on Facebook this morning, (I am a total Facebook addict) and I came across a pretty interesting group called People Against Bad Dog Food. I wanted to mention it because the site does a really good job of concisely describing many of the problems I have previously addressed regarding commercially prepared dog food.

The mission of the PABDF, a non-profit organization, is to ensure that dogs throughout the United States receive the highest quality nutrition and care. Their goals include educating the public about the food choices they make for their pups and lobbying the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to raise their currently ineffective standards for manufacturing practices in the US.

It is great that there are a growing number people out there doing their best to educate the public about the realities of the pet food industry and trying to make a difference beyond their own kitchens and their own dogs.The site has a useful tool where you can look up various brands of dog foods and compare ingredients. Find out what the top three ingredients are in your pet’s food. This makes it easier to avoid getting sucked in by the romantic images we are served up by clever advertising in the pet food industry.

On a side note, that commercial with the extra cute puppies and the “We’re for dogs” and “Dog’s Rule!” narration is sooo seductive! It’s hard to believe what that company puts in their food. A quick search on their website revealed the first three ingredients in one of their featured products to be Ground Whole Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Corn Gluten Meal. Yikes!

Anyway, back to People Against Bad Dog Food. Their site also hosts a comprehensive news area where you can read up on the latest happenings in the world of pet food recalls and other canine health related issues.

Becoming a member is as simple as filling out a quick online form.Since I think most people are against bad dog food, its a great cause to get behind and a great site to easily access information about the pet food industry and what’s really going into your dog’s bowl every day.

Visit www.pabdf.org and check it out.

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The Associated Press has reported on an unfortunate case of contaminated pet foods, in which at least 24 dogs lost their lives in 2005. The food was contaminated with a toxic mold called aflatoxin, which is a fungus that can colonize and contaminate grains and cause severe liver damage. You can see the full report by clicking on the video link to the right.The company responsible, Diamond Pet Foods, has settled a class action lawsuit and has agreed to pay 3.1 million dollars to compensate the owners of the dogs who were affected by the contamination. The Diamond Pet Food Settlement website provides important information on the settlement, claim forms a FAQ page and a toll free hotline for those who may need assistance.

Image via Haute Diggety Dog, available for purchase at www.trixieandpeanut.com.

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Today is a sad day for me and Louis. One of our favorite online sites, Dig & Scratch, posted their final post today. Dig & Scratch has been operating online for the past year, providing a cheeky, urban take on pet ownership.

Dave Baker, the editor and publisher sent me a really kind email last night letting me know in advance and I was SO sad to find out that the online canine community was losing this fantastically funny site.Make sure you enjoy their clever archives and keep visiting Dig & Scratch - maybe we can beg until they bark again!

Dig & Scratch’s logo via digandscratch.com.

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I am just learning about raw feeding for my pet (also referred to as the BARF diet or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), so I would like to thank my co-worker Michelle Thomas, for editing and contributing her knowledge and own experience to this post.

Michelle is a student of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and basically is my dog nutrition ‘go to’ person. As I learn more, I plan to continue to post on the subject of raw feeding.

The Poop Chronicles have discussed that Louis’ dad and I have been truly at our wits end trying to get our baby boy to digest his meals and relieve himself without discomfort for him and we wouldn’t mind if the large brown stains all over the carpet ceased as well.

A number of weeks ago, when things just couldn’t get any worse for the poor baby and he had progressed to vomiting in addition to the diarrhea, we decided to try and make the switch to a raw diet. The extremely nutritious high protein food we were giving him seemed to be no easier for him to digest then the poor commercially manufactured food we started with. I learned some dogs do have trouble digesting extremely high protein kibble and a reason for that might lie in the disconnect in the way processed food is digested versus the way dogs and cats are designed to eat and digest. Raw food contains living enzymes and probiotics which aid in digestion. A kibble no matter the quality of ingredients can not adequately mock raw food it will always be lacking the vital life force destroyed in heat processing. Natures Variety Instinct, which Louis was eating, attempted to replace this vital force post heat processing with a freeze dried raw bio-coating, but nature can not be fooled and Louis’s sensitive little tummy knew better and was not happy.

As my limited knowledge on the subject understands, dogs and cats are carnivorous and designed to digest nutrients that raw foods have to offer. Heat processing destroys Amino Acids and vital nutrients such as taurine present in raw meat.

Even the highest quality kibble or canned food diet will be deficient in some nutrients (as admitted by the reputable pet food company Solid Gold, who recommends adding their supplement, Seameal, to all of their foods to help replace the vital nutrients lacking in proccessed foods.)

Through utilizing human grade raw food, some companies are manufacturing raw diets for our pets that mimic the natural way canines are designed to eat. After all I doubt Fido and Fluffy’s ancestors were huddling around a campfire cooking their nightly catch. Raw food advocates claim a plethora of benefits. By receiving a whole diet including amino acids, fatty acids along with the vitamins and minerals naturally available in the raw food, a stronger immune system is sustained and common health problems (i.e. fleas, dental and gum disease, allergies etc.) can be managed and prevented in a more natural way, making your pet more comfortable and setting him up for longevity with a healthy life.

Feeding raw is intimidating at first. We, as consumers, are trained to think that scientists and veterinarians have spent care, time, money and energy into making commercial pet foods that will sustain the health of our pet and raw diets are usually frowned upon by the average vet.

Brands such as Nature’s Variety, Dr. Billinghurst’s BARF Diet, and Primal Pet Foods are only a few brands of the companies that are manufacturing complete, healthy raw diets that meet your pet’s nutritional needs. In addition, they are pre-packaged and have easy to use guidelines for feeding amounts to simplify the process.

After months of diarrhea, Louis’ digestion was not regulating and I was still not ready to put him back on more useless antibiotics. Feeling that things simply couldn’t get worse, I switched him to Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diet Beef Formula . The next day he literally had his first semi-solid stool. Over the next week and a half, his digestion continued to improve and now is like clockwork. He is energetic, bright eyed and his coat has never been shinier. His stools are regular and pretty much odorless, his breath is non-offensive and even if I forget about bath time for over a week, he doesn’t have that ‘dog’ odor. As he was in a pretty toxic state, we are watching him evolve and detox, requiring a little more ear cleaning then usual and some more shedding then I have seen, but these are natural and very mild detoxification effects that are only progressive steps toward his overall health.

I feel like we are finally starting to see his true personality, a silly little hairball, interested in everything with a never ending desire for playtime and his tail wag has evolved to include his whole tush!

We have since added Primal brand’s meats to give some variety to his diet to maximize the different health benefits that multiple meats have to offer and I am amazed, at about three weeks into this adventure, to see the transformation Louis is still undergoing.

Michelle Thomas, my co-worker, had her own amazing experience with a raw food transformation and her French Bulldog rescue Mojito.

Mojito is a 16 month French Bulldog who was rescued from a puppy mill at the age of 9 months. Who knows what poor quality food he was fed there, but when Mojito came to me he was lethargic, not interested in food, he had a horrible body odor and was very shy. His stools were loose and foul smelling and the second night we had him he had uncontrollable, explosive diarrhea in his crate. To top it off, every morning I woke up to him vomiting food that was still undigested from his dinner the night before. First, I tried the high quality Wellness dry and canned food, but he was not interested in it at all. I then decided to try the Innova Evo dry food, which is grain free, wanting to ease him into a raw food diet. He enjoyed the taste, but this only increased his digestive problems making the diarrhea worse. I was fed up and decided to make the switch, cold turkey, to the raw meat diet. I also added some acidophilus probiotics to the meat to help re-balance his large intestine. The results were amazing. In two days his explosive diarrhea ceased and his stool was at least solid enough to pick up. The vomiting decreased and then ceased after about a month. I was even more excited at the fact that my shy little guy began coming out of his shell and was developing a goofy personality wanting to play with his toys he previously ignored. I was saddened that he had been feeling so horrible before, due to lack of proper nutrition. Mojito also transformed in his looks as well his dull eyes now sparkle he has a brilliant brindle coat and he is a lean, mean, muscle machine! (Sorry, cheesy!) I was amazed at the results, but also learned that I had to be patient for Mojito to be balanced as his body was so horribly toxic prior to beginning the raw food. It took about three months to get him balanced.

Below, see Mo before and after his raw food transformation.

Mo Before

Mo After

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The food brands we mentioned above all have incredibly informative websites that assist with feeding guidelines and recommendations for transition and safe handling. We would especially like to direct you to www.barfworld.com, which has a plethora of information on Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

Both Mojito and Louis have benefitted from this holistic feeding method and we are amongst a growing population of raw pet feeders exploring all of its healing potential. As solid research begins to bring to light evidence on the power of more alternative ways of living and eating, it has been a journey for me to open my mind to the reality that we truly are reflective of what we ingest and through this power, we each have the opportunity to maximize our whole selves.

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1. I will not eat my own poop

2. I will stop unrolling the toilet paper from the bathroom and toilet papering my apartment like a frat party

3. I will stop sleeping directly on my human’s faces

4. I will stop shredding every single toy I receive

OK, let’s face it, those are my New Years Resolutions that I wish for Louis - but the reality is that the year ahead will undoubtedly bring many more challenges and joys of canine parenthood. He has been a member of my family for six months now and we can’t imagine life without him.We have transitioned him to a raw diet, made by the company Primal Pet Foods, Inc, which has completely resolved Louis’ poop problem and I am learning as much as possible about raw feeding so as to most accurately discuss the benefits of this diet before blogging about it.

Looking forward to 2008!

Image courtesy of Haute Diggety Dog, Dog Perignon is available for purchase at www.trixieandpeanut.com.

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Raw feeding is an extremely controversial topic amongst pet owners, amongst other reasons, because of the risks of salmonella and contamination. In the December/ January Issue of Animal Wellness magazine, Ann Brightman writes a great article entitled “Is raw food recall the start of an FDA witch-hunt?” Her article explains that salmonella is not much of an issue for our companions as dogs and cats have digestive systems that are better adapted at dealing with that. Proper hygiene while preparing and cleaning after meals can minimize any risk for pets and their people.While those who feed raw diets are adamant about the health benefits of this style of feeding, according to Ms. Brightman’s article, the FDA does not advocate raw diets for pets, and in fact, is actively discouraging the feeding practice.”…when FDA agents discovered listeria and/or salmonella monocytogenes in three raw frozen poultry diets…during a routine inspection this past September, the company felt obligated to voluntarily recall the products even though there have been no reports of illness and the company follows all FDA guidelines for manufacturing raw diets, with the exception of irradiation.

“The North American Raw Petfood Association (NARPA), is attempting to meet with the FDA to create an open forum for discussion to balance to FDA’s obligation to protect public health and the desires of pet owners to have raw diets available to them.

This alarming post on Dogster.com claims that the FDA intends to shut down all Raw Pet Food companies. This post includes a statement from Melinda Miller, of Bravo Raw Diet that addresses the FDA’s concerns and the fact that the FDA needs to make a loud statement to the public that they are concerned about the health of our pets, in light of their negligence during the melamine pet food recall.

Dogster.com also has a cool group call Raw Fed that you can join, discuss and read all about people’s experiences with raw diets.

Image via Haute Diggety Dog, available for purchase at www.trixieandpeanut.com.

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