Dog's Five Senses

My son recently brought home a project from school on the five senses. It made me wonder about my dog's senses and how they really experience the world differently from us. Dogs have the same five senses as us; seeing, hearing ,tasting, touching, and smelling.
Before reading the article, 5 Ways Your Dog Senses The World Differently From You, by Charlie Lafave I had only known dogs are color blind and have a heightened sense of smell and hearing. I have now learned that dogs can see some color, and have better night vision due to a reflective layer in the eye. So when they are barking out the window and you tell them there is nothing there - maybe you are the one that is wrong.

I knew my dogs could hear better than me, but I learned they can hear 4x greater than I can. So the next time I am calling them to come inside and they don't respond, I guess it's not because they can't hear me.

Dogs can sense touch all over their bodies just as we can, another reason to give them that extra squeeze each day.

The second I walk in the door my dogs are at my legs smelling and sniffing every inch they can. I usually shew them away and don't understand why they do that when I have just gone to the grocery store. Well it has been estimated that our dogs sense of smell is 100,000 times more powerful than ours. So the next time you are at a friends house and they have pets, be a little more patient with the snout attack when you walk in the door - your furry friend is just finding out where you have been.

I have often wondered if a dogs sense of smell is so good, why do they try to eat such horrible things? Well it turns out the smellier the better -dogs differ from us because if something smells bad they will eat it!

After learning about my dogs senses, I have a better understanding of how they experience this world and I hope you do to. I am going to be more patient with my dogs and realize that we don't see things through the same eyes!

Police dog honored with funeral

Beny, a retired police dog in Lawrenceville, Georgia was laid to rest on Thursday at a special funeral. The dog was buried in a tiny American flag-draped coffin and police officers and their K9 units paid respect. The flag was later presented to the family of Cpl. John Surowiec.

Beny helped catch a gang member accused of murder and more than 160 criminal suspects during his time on the force, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Indictments filed over pet food recall

Remember all that dangerous dog food that led to an estimated 2,200 dog deaths last year? The Feds are getting involved. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Missouri has filed federal indictments against three companies that distributed deadly dog food throughout the U.S. One of the charges is that a Chinese dog food manufacturer used melamine to artificially reach desired protein levels. Melamine is deadly, which led to the recalls.

Three years later, a missing dog is found

This heartwarming story is another reason to keep the faith:

Traveling by car with your Dog

Our dogs have thousands of miles and hundreds of hours clocked on their traveling card. I found this article about traveling with your dog cross country helpful and full of great tips.

Including:
- Make sure there's a barrier between you and the dog in case your dog is a hugger and wants to be close to you during the drive.
- Buy a doggie seat belt for the dog to ensure their safety.
- Don't forget any pet medication and your favorite doggie toys and blankets.

One thing we have learned over the years is not to feed the dogs too much before a long trip. We usually give them half of their food before we leave, and then feed them their regular portion once we have reached our destination. This seems to help keep them from getting an upset stomach, yet they still have a little food in there so they aren't starving.

Remember to keep their water and leashes handy for when you stop. This allows for a quick drink, and potty break without having to tear apart your packed car! (again something we learned from experience).

Hopefully your doggies will get to enjoy traveling with you this summer, it can be a great experience. We wish you happy and safe travels!

Put your dog on a real U.S. stamp

Well let's see, our dogs are already on our Christmas Cards. And admit it, you sent out doggie announcements when you got that new puppy. It won't be too long until your credit card sends 1 percent to your doggie college fund. But until then, you'll have to live with the latest dog idea: Putting your dog on a U.S. stamp. It's part of the latest initiative on stamps.com called photo stamps and dog lovers are using this feature to send the cutest pictures of their dogs out with the mail. Maybe a cute picture of our dog will help cheer up the bill collector at the electric company. Now excuse me, I have to find the perfect picture for a 41 cent stamp.

They do your doggy dirty work

I'm sure these companies are popping up all over the country as dog service businesses continue to grow, but we found an Atlanta-based company that handles my least favorite job: scooping dog poop. You have to check out this website: DirtyWork.net: Atlanta Pooper Scooper, if only to see the hilarious pictures of dogs on their site, including one dog doing his business while reading the morning paper.

How much does it cost? We'd love to know, but there was a quote request form we had to fill out. Oh well.

Prized pit bulls stolen from breeder

This story certainly gets at the increased value of show dogs: A Florida resident and pit bull breeder was recently held up at gunpoint in his house and his 11 prized pit bulls were stolen from him. In a story that ran in the Miami Herald, three bandits held up Moreno Yohai in his own home, telling him and three house guests to hit the floor. They were then tied off and the bandits made off with the pit bulls. According to a witness, one of the pitbulls alone was worth over $10,000.

Dog Survives Avalanche

This is an unbelievable story about a dog named Lizzie. Lizzie is a three-year-old black lab who was out hiking with an avalanche swept her down a mountain in Montana. Her owner searched for three days looking for Lizzie without any luck.

Then he got a call from some snow-mobilers.

"The caller, Jess Sullivan, told Pick that he and his family had been riding snowmobiles and ice fishing at Hyalite Reservoir when they noticed a black Lab hanging around. He said that they were among the last to leave and that the dog didn't seem to be with anyone, so they took her back to Bozeman and called the number on her tag."

The Associated Press story posted on ajc.com, said Lizzie and her owners were reunited. She's now officially retired from high-terrain hiking.