Ever wanted to come to NYC for the Annual Westminster Dog Show? Well, now here is your chance. Simply follow the link and enter the chance to win 2 free tickets for the show being held on February 15 and 16, 2010 in New York City. Good luck!

http://www.bestfriendnyc.com/win.html

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For US Postal Service (USPS) carriers, dogs are not always man's best friend.

In 2008, 3,100 mail carriers around the country were bitten by dogs or received dog attack-related injuries. For each year between 2001 and 2008, there were more than 3,000 dog bite attacks on USPS workers, although annual dog bite incidents have declined significantly from the mid-1990s peak of more than 7,000 a year.

As the owner of two large dogs - one very placid and friendly, the other more skittish and… well, let's just says he's got issues – I can understand the USPS' concerns.

Our mailbox is attached to the house next to the front door, so to get to it the postie (Australian for mail carrier) has to come in through the front gate. On Saturdays and other occasions I'm at home during the week, both dogs like to greet the postie as he comes to deliver the mail – one with a wag of the tail, the other with a fearsome bark.

We try to keep the dogs in the house around the time we anticipate mail delivery, but this guesswork is not always successful. We've received a few polite requests to keep the dogs inside over the last year or so, but we always seem to forget, especially when there are squirrels to be chased out of the yard.

The first Saturday of 2010 was the final straw. We heard the fateful click of the front gate followed by Foley's manic barking. My wife raced out to grab him, but the postie had already fled the yard.

And that was it. We'd received enough warnings. We were blacklisted.

For the next week we would go outside and check the mailbox, vainly hoping for some sign that we had been forgiven – even some unwanted junk mail would have given us a glimmer of hope – but alas, we were inevitably left staring at an empty mailbox.

A week later we received the official notification: "This letter is to inform you that we are concerned that your dog may have a propensity to attack and to bite or otherwise injure your letter carrier. To provide uninterrupted mail delivery while protecting your letter carrier, we are asking for your assistance."

With that we went out and bought a new mailbox and mounted it to the front fence. No more forgetting about the dogs in the yard; no more worry for our postie.

Yesterday I opened the new mailbox for the first time. There was mail in it. It was a joyous sight.

Each year, the Postal Service participates in National Dog Bite Prevention Week to raise awareness about the need for pet owners to help prevent dog bites.

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Not all dogs are created equal. According to an article in the new issue of Miller-McCune magazine, evidence shows that some dogs are smarter than others. But even the average dog is as smart as a 2-year-old kid, with the ability to comprehend more than 150 words, count to five and consciously deceive their loving owners.  

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By DOUGLAS QUENQUA via New York Times


A MAN’S friend is not always his best choice of a running partner. The same can be said of man’s best friend. It’s a lesson that Michelle Powe, an English teacher in Midlothian, Tex., learned last summer when trying to run with Mookie, her 90-pound Catahoula.

“He kept trying to herd me,” she recalled. For the entire three-mile run, Mookie displayed the kind of herding behavior that is typical for the breed, throwing his weight against Ms. Powe and nipping at her legs. “By the end of it, my knees were sore from having 90 pounds constantly bumping into me,” she said. “It was fun for other people to watch, but not so much for me.”

Like many dog owners, Ms. Powe assumed that her young, healthy dog would make a natural running companion. After all, dogs love to run, they love spending time with their masters, and they rarely tire of chasing a stick before their owners tire of throwing it. But not all dogs are born to run, particularly the way humans go about it: in a straight line, with little regard for scent. And there is nothing fun about running with an untrained dog. Indeed, it can be dangerous for both you and your pet.

The first step for anyone thinking about running with a dog is researching the breed, said Alexandra Powe Allred, a Dallas-based trainer and author of a book on dog obedience. Some of it is common sense: small dogs — teacup poodles, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers — will have trouble running at high speeds or for long distances. But other problems may not be so obvious. For example, dogs with flat noses — pugs, bulldogs, some boxers — may have trouble breathing during strenuous exercise. And while some hunting or herding dogs are physically built for running — like border collies and Rhodesian Ridgebacks — they may be more interested in chasing prey than staying on the sidewalk.

Once you have determined whether your dog is built for running, it is important to teach it some commands. “Stay,” for example, is useful should you want to put down the leash long enough to tie your sneakers. But trainers say that if you teach your dog only one command before running, it should be “heel.”

Teaching your dog to heel will also prevent it from straining at its collar, resulting in neck irritation and breathing problems. And never run with your dog in a choke collar, trainers say — with luck, teaching it to heel will also stop the dog from darting off after every squirrel or stopping suddenly to smell a fragrant pile of trash.

Regardless of breed or training, all dogs display one trait that makes them appealing partners to runners who don’t like a lot of chatter: they don’t talk. But that silence also means you have to work harder to know when they are hurt.

Ms. Anderson recommends taking your dog to the veterinarian before running together to make sure it is healthy enough. She also says never run with a dog younger than a year old (2 years for larger dogs, which take longer to mature).

“The asphalt is not hot to us ’cause we’re wearing running shoes,” Ms. Anderson said, “but a dog can easily burn the pads of their feet. Take frequent water breaks, and check their pads.”

Not that the ground has to be hot for a dog to become injured: very cold conditions can damage a dog’s feet and lungs and should be avoided. Again, breed will play a role: Ms. Anderson noted that huskies can run miles in the snow with no discomfort.

Another frequent mistake that owners make is assuming their dog can always run farther and faster than they can — after all, it’s a dog. But just as you wouldn’t take human running partners on a 10-mile run their first time out, you should gradually build up your dog’s distance. Start with a run of less than two miles, then build gradually from there. Paying attention to your dog’s physical cues should help you know when enough is enough.

Ms. Prather said she continues to run with her other dogs — a pit bull and another collie — but only as far as they are willing to go. “Anytime you engage in an activity with your dog, it’s going to enhance your relationship,” she said. “It’s running with your best friend.”

Like many single women, Ms. Prather also feels safer having a dog there for protection. “I know my dogs are super sweet and would only kill you with kisses, but nobody else does,” she said. And she cherishes another benefit that all dog owners can appreciate. “A tired dog is a good dog,” Ms. Anderson said.



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By Jill Abramson

Like a lot of Americans, I'm obsessing about health insurance. Only in my case, the issue is whether or not to buy pet insurance for Scout.

Soon, she will be 6 months old, the age recommended for spaying, a procedure that will probably cost several hundred dollars, once tests and medications are included. A less invasive technique, done through laparoscopy, is far more expensive. And we’ve already spent quite a bit on vaccinations and routine checkups. Then there are possible future expenses, like an accident or a really severe malady, like cancer.

As with humans, pet insurance programs are complex; some are expensive, and it’s hard to tell for sure what kinds of illness and conditions will be covered. Most plans offer tiers of coverage, which grow in price depending on how expansive the coverage is, the breed of dog, where you live and other factors. For many pet owners, of course, neither veterinary care for complex health problems nor paying monthly pet insurance bills is affordable or even possible, so I know that having the choice is a luxury.

The costs I’ve checked out for Scout with two leading companies that offer pet health insurance range from monthly premiums of about $12 to $45. Ouch. Personal experience, discussions with a few trusted veterinarians and guidance from friends and fellow dog owners have tipped me in favor of buying the insurance, although I am still poring over the fine print and deciding among plans.

When he was a pup, Buddy, our dog before Scout, got into a box of chocolates (poisonous for dogs) that one of our children had carelessly left within reach. An expensive nighttime visit to the emergency clinic ensued. At midlife, Buddy also developed unbearable skin allergies, requiring tests and even biopsies, before a change in his diet brought the problem under control. What we spent on Buddy’s health issues (as well as the more serious problems we confronted with Dinah, recounted in an earlier column) probably exceeded the cost of insurance, even over his long life span. Read more...



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