Take Your Dog For a Walk

A modified version of the following post appears in the Be Active Your Way Blogmaintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I wrote it on behalf of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine to celebrate May as National Physical Activity Month.

I’ve written many blog posts recently about ideas to get American adults and kids more physically active. I think it is critical that everyone tries to achieve the standards set by the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans produced by the Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity three times per week. Obviously strenuous exercise, such as running and other forms cardiovascular exercise, and sports are excellent ways to achieve these goals. Plus I encourage both children and adults to try to figure out ways to change their normal activities in ways that increase the activity involved.

A new study published in the March issue of The Journal of Physical Activity and Health suggests a potentially great idea for all Americans to become more active. The study, presented by Matthew J. Reeves et al., looks at whether owning a dog and walking the dog are associated with increased physical activity. They gathered data from the 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey to try to determine if a relationship existed between owning a dog and physical activity.

The authors found that people who own a dog are more active overall and walk more. Dog owners who take their dogs for walks on average walk about one hour more per week than the one-third of dog owners who don’t walk their dogs. Interestingly they also found that younger Americans and the elderly walked their dogs the most and that people with large dogs (weighing over 45 pounds) walked longer than owners of smaller dogs. Finally the study seems to suggest that the benefits of owning a dog, as it pertains to physical activity, may actually be more than just the actual walking, as dog owners seem to be more physically active than non-dog owners in general.

When I heard about this study, I was not terribly surprised. I am encouraged to discuss it, as I always like to find easy ideas to stimulate physical activity. For instance, I think it is helpful to take the stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible. Also, parking at the end of the parking lot away from stores and businesses forces people to walk a little bit more with their normal activities. Owning a dog and walking it are more examples of easy changes to implement.

What this study did not address, but most dog owners will tell you, is that the benefits of having a dog are not just seen with physical activity. Most of my friends who have a dog point out the happiness that comes when their dogs greet them when they get a home from school or work. They also love taking their dogs to the park and the beach. So to everyone out there who owns a dog – get outside and walk with your four-legged friend. It just might improve your health too.

These dogs are friendly with children

American cocker spaniels make great adoptees as rescue puppies. These are agile, friendly and bold dogs that are keen to work and they are suitable both as pet dogs and as hunting dogs. These are the dogs whose aim is not to catch and bring an animal but to seek out the place where it hides. American cocker spaniels make great adoptees as rescue puppies.

The smallest member of the sporting group, the cocker should be compact and sturdy. Its gait is ground-covering, strong and effortless. The coat is silky, flat or slightly wavy, not overly long. Excessive coat can hinder the dog in the field. The head and expression are hallmarks of the breed; the expression is soft and appealing. Though seldom used for its original purpose, the cocker should still be able to spend a day in the field and should be balanced and athletic. It is true, however, that most cockers now have too much coat for field work.

This breed is known as the "merry" cocker, and the name is most fitting. It is playful, cheerful, amiable, sweet, sensitive, willing to please and responsive to its family's wishes. It is not known for retaining its hunting instincts, but it is inquisitive and will appreciate a country outing. It is equally at home in the city and will happily walk on leash for its exercise needs. Some bark a lot; some are overly submissive.

They are friendly with children, other dogs and even strangers. They are playful, tolerant and devoted animals with average intelligence and an abundance of kindness. They have a tendency to humanize and, thus, must be socialized from the very beginning. American cocker spaniels make great adoptees as rescue puppies.

African elephants and Asian elephants

When one says that an elephant is the largest land animal, one refers to the African elephant. Male African elephants grow up to the height of 12 ft to 15 ft and the female African elephants grow up to 9.8 ft tall. They are also heavier, compared to the Asiatic elephants, as African elephants weigh around 3,600 to 4,600 kg.

Though elephants are huge animals, their needs are minimal. All they need is plenty of food and water and a bit of privacy! African elephants live on the savannas and other dry woodlands. They also live in the Sahara desert, where there is scanty vegetation. You can also find African elephants in the grasslands or in dense rainforests, in countries like Congo. The other African countries where elephants are found are, Kenya, Zaire, Zimbabwe and Mauritania.

Asian elephants are smaller in size compared to African elephants. They weigh up to 500 kg and grow between 8 ft to 10 ft. Asian elephants are found in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, dry broadleaf forest as well as tropical deciduous forest, grasslands, mountains, tropical savanna and tropical rainforests. The Asian countries like Nepal, Burma, Thailand, India etc, which have the above ecosystems are lucky to be the homes of these elephants.


Elephants are one of those species of animals that can adapt to almost any habitat. Forests, woodlands, grassy plains, savanna, swamps and deserts are some of the ecosystems where they easily survive. Research on elephant history revealed that elephant fossils were found in all continents except for Antarctica and Australia. But now, elephants live mainly in Asia and Africa. In Africa, they are found mainly in the Southern regions. Due to poaching, the number of elephants has decreased alarmingly, largely in West Africa, and in lesser proportions in North and East Africa.

As we all know, elephants are herbivores. The diet of the African elephant is similar to the diet of the Asian elephant. Asian elephants feed on bamboo as it is found abundantly, while the African elephants generally feed on fruits and shrubs. Talking about how much they can eat, well, elephants eat about 149 to 169 kg of food daily. Besides fruits and leaves, elephants can also consume tree barks, bushes, roots, grass and small plants. Tree bark is their favorite food and it is also beneficial to them as it contains calcium and roughage.

Pity the poor peacock

Pity the poor peacock. He can truss himself up in iridescent blues and greens built of billions of intricate, light-catching nanostructures in the feather barbules; he can fan his train of tail feathers that open their hundred eyes to a peahen like an adoring audience; he can coo, bob his head, and shiver so that he positively glimmers like blue bonfire in the forest; and still, the female — who isn’t even that hot — can sniff and walk away. He is the product of millions of years of sexual selection for extravagance, and possesses the most spectacular, show-stopping plumage in the world, but he is far from irresistible. Having seen plenty of peacocks in my life, nowadays I’m more intrigued by the peahens and their discerning gaze. So frustratingly fickle! So charmingly coy! It’s that pickiness that has undoubtedly driven the male to such desperate majesty.

Who hasn’t felt a little like a peacock at times, trying their best to be noticed by the object of their affection and falling short no matter what? What am I doing wrong?, I’ve asked myself. What am I missing? What could she possibly be looking for? I find myself sympathizing with the peacock and his unrequited attempts at winning love on the zoo lawn, coldly rebuffed time after time until he’ll display for any toddler in a pair of brown overalls. Because peacocks look more or less equally fantastic to us, we can’t imagine why a female chooses one and not another. Some guys just don’t have it, the biologists tell us, after a peahen takes a pass on a shimmering fountain of male grandeur. Not wanting to guess the mind of a peahen, they throw up their hands and decline to say what “it” is. That certain something that captures the peahen’s heart. That je ne sais quoi.

Well, to hell with that! Je veux savoir “quoi”! If the peacock can look like that and still get shot down in flames, unless it possesses that je ne sais quoi, I think I speak for males of all species when I say I sure as hell want to know what the “quoi” is.

The Proud National Bird symbol of The United States- Bald Eagle

The bald eagle, with its snowy-feathered (not bald) head and white tail, is the proud national bird symbol of the United States—yet the bird was nearly wiped out there. For many decades, bald eagles were hunted for sport and for the "protection" of fishing grounds. Pesticides like DDT also wreaked havoc on eagles and other birds. These chemicals collect in fish, which make up most of the eagle's diet. They weaken the bird's eggshells and severely limited their ability to reproduce. Since DDT use was heavily restricted in 1972, eagle numbers have rebounded significantly and have been aided by reintroduction programs. The result is a wildlife success story—the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has upgraded the birds from endangered to threatened.
Though their numbers have grown in much of their range, bald eagles remain most abundant in Alaska and Canada. These powerful birds of prey use their talons to fish, but they get many of their meals by scavenging carrion or stealing the kills of other animals. (Such thievery famously prompted Ben Franklin to argue against the bird's nomination as the United State's national symbol.) They live near water and favor coasts and lakes where fish are plentiful, though they will also snare and eat small mammals.
Bald eagles are believed to mate for life. A pair constructs an enormous stick nest—one of the bird-world's biggest—high above the ground and tends to a pair of eggs each year. Immature eagles are dark, and until they are about five years old, they lack the distinctive white markings that make their parents so easy to identify. Young eagles roam great distances. Florida birds have been spotted in Michigan, and California eagles have traveled all the way to Alaska.

Does a Tiger Belong at a Truck Stop? Judge Rules No

A Louisiana judge ruled this week that Tiger Truck Stop owner Michael Sandlin's 550-pound Bengal-Siberian tiger can no longer be kept at the truck stop in Gross Tete, Louisiana. Judge Michael Caldwell ruled that Sandlin's current permit to keep the cat, issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife Fisheries, was illegally issued, must be revoked, and can't be renewed.
The ruling by Judge Caldwell favors a motion set forth by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) to force the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to revoke the permit that allows Sandlin to keep the tiger at the business. Since he was 11 weeks old, Tony has been a draw for gawking motorists who patronize the truck stop, buying food, gassing up and sticking around to get a picture with him.
Sandlin argues that moving Tony now would be cruel and indicates that the truck stop is neatly kept, flowers blooming outside, on a quiet road away from the interstate. Tony's cage has a grassy area, a large water tank for Tony to swim in, hanging tire and other toys — even shade and an air-conditioned den. His 3,600-square-foot cage is surrounded by a 10-foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire, set back several feet.
The ALDF contends it's dangerous holding a big tiger at a business, recalling last month's exotic wildlife

5 Tips to prevent cat hairballs

　　April 30th is Hairball Awareness Day. Why build such awareness? Turns out, hairballs aren’t just gross annoyances. They’re actually a kitty choking hazard! As the weather gets warmer, cats tend to overgroom to alleviate shedding hair, and although you think your clothes and furniture suffer the brunt, much of the hair ends up ingested. Feline-only practitioner Dr Arnold Plotnick offers a few tips on how to keep your cat healthy and hairball free.

How to prevent hairballs in cats
1. Be diligent about grooming
Decrease the amount of hair the cat ingests by using a grooming tool like the FURminator deLuxe deShedding Tool, which can reduce shedding by 90 percent. Proactive grooming removes the excess hair that causes hairballs and is a more holistic preventive measure than giving your cat a laxative or allowing him to cough up the blockage.
2. Kitties need fiber, too
Add a little canned pumpkin to the cat’s meals once or twice a week. The fiber in the pumpkin can help move any hair clumps through the system, and your cat will love the tasty treat. Butter can have the same effect, but is high in calories, so pumpkin might be a better choice.
3. Keep your cat hydrated
Encourage the cat to drink plenty of water by placing bowls throughout the house, as the water will help flush out the hair before it has time to clump in the stomach. It is also a great general practice to keep water bowls separate from food bowls to encourage the cat to drink more water.
4. Make over the cat's menu
Several specially-formulated cat foods aid in the fight against hairballs. Always consult with a vet before making any drastic changes to a cat’s diet. Sudden food changes can sometimes upset the stomach.
5. Know the warning signs
If a hairball problem persists, ask a veterinarian to recommend a supplement to help prevent ingested hairs from clumping. Here are a few signals a cat may have an excessive hairball problem:
• Frequent dry hacking
• An overly matted coat
• Cylindrical (cigar-shaped) masses on the floor or furniture
• Lethargy or lack of interest in playing or eating
• Swollen abdomen
• Constipation

A guide to raising and breeding crickets for food

　　Crickets are a common source of food for lizards and other reptiles. However, constant trips to your local cricket supplier can be bothersome and costly. For this reason, many reptile owners choose to order crickets in bulk to keep for feeding, and even opt to breed and raise their own cricket colonies.

This option can be favorable in that it gives owners the option of 'gut loading' their crickets (that is, feeding nutritious foods to your crickets so that they may pass it on to your reptile when they feed). Crickets can also be dusted with a multi-vitamin supplement before being fed to your pet so that it may receive optimal nutrition.
A warm place to stay
To maintain and eventually breed crickets, you should start with a batch of about thirty. Keep them in a container that is ventilated, yet escape-proof. A plastic or glass container with a screen over the top is fine. Keep in mind, however, that crickets may eat through nylon screens, so choose what kind of screen you wish to use wisely. Be sure to give the crickets things to climb on and places to hide.
It's very important to keep their living space warm. This can be done with a lamp or heater. Ideally, the habitat should be kept at a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit -- never under 70 or over 95 degrees. You should also provide your crickets with food and water. But be careful: crickets drown easily, so use a very shallow dish with an object to be used as an"island" in the middle. Then, use another shallow dish exclusively for food -- store bought cricket food and/or veggies can be fed from the dish.
set the scene
Once your habitat is ready, go ahead and set up a breeding dish. You will need a separate container -- a two-inch deep plastic storage container, or something similar, will do. Then, fill it up with dirt from your backyard or turf substrate bought from your local pet store. Just be sure whatever dirt you use does not have some sort of pesticide in it. Next, fill up the container with about half-an-inch of water and place it in your crickets' habitat.
C'mon, baby
In a few weeks, your crickets should have laid eggs. Sift through the dirt in the breeding dish with your finger to find eggs. They are usually laid about half an inch deep into the dirt. When you are certain the crickets have laid their eggs, remove the breeding dish and place it in a separate container from the adult crickets. It is important to keep the adult crickets separate from the baby crickets, as adult crickets tend to eat the younger insects.
growing pains
After the eggs have hatched, the baby crickets will be about the same size as the eggs. To become fully grown, you will eventually need to place them back into your main cricket habitat.
Here are a few more things to remember when keeping and breeding crickets;
Crickets chirp.They can be noisy. Though their song is pleasant for some, make sure this will not be an annoyance to you or whoever else you live with.
It is likely your crickets will escape. But fear not, a good way to round them up is by luring them into a container with heat and food.
We hope you enjoy raising and breeding your own crickets. Your reptile (and wallet) will thank you!

NEW Bear Shows

　　Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice

A new generation of spy cams takes us closer than ever before to one of nature's largest predators: the polar bear. In Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice, we share their lives as they roam across shifting sea ice, negotiate glaciers, swim between ice flows and hunt for prey.
Blonde vs. Bear: Breaking Point
Bear protector Ann Bryant faces an emotionally charged start to her summer campaign to save the black bears of Lake Tahoe. She has her hands full when a mother bear charges a tree surgeon, a bear terrifies a tourist and a young bear is accused of breaking into a home. As the situation escalates, Ann is pushed to the breaking point in her fight to protect her beloved Tahoe bears.
Blonde vs. Bear: Crime & Punishment
It's mid-summer and Ann Bryant's battle to protect Lake Tahoe's black bears rages on. Hungry bears are breaking into houses and Ann must stop them before someone gets hurt. A series of emergency calls puts Ann on the trail of a mother bear and her three cubs who break into a vacation home, unruly young bears looking for food and big bears attracted by trash. Ann must unleash her unique brand of tough love if she's to save these bears from death.
Blonde vs. Bear: Breakdown
As the tourist season reaches its climax in Lake Tahoe, Ann Bryant of the BEAR League is hit with a crisis that could jeopardize the future of her bears and put her own life in danger. A notorious black bear's crime spree starts to endanger lives, forcing the authorities to issue a "shoot to kill" order. And Ann takes a dangerous risk to stop a 300-pound bear climbing onto a motel roof in a busy tourist town. Will protecting bears take its toll on Ann?
The Bear Whisperer: Big, Bad & Bold
Bear season has arrived in Mammoth Lakes, as huge male black bears rumble into town. Steve Searles, "The Bear Whisperer," deals with a bear who has to be evicted from an inappropriate sleeping spot, and a badly wounded bear whose injuries force Steve to make a heart-wrenching decision.
The Bear Whisperer: You Bad Bear!
One bear ends up making a scene at a local outdoor mall filled with people, while another breaks into a home. When Steve tries an aversive conditioning technique, it backfires. Finally, one bear's life hangs in the balance after a horrifying situation.
The Bear Whisperer: Breaking and Entering
A bear named Blondie goes on a rampage breaking into trash bins, cars and even houses in search of food. "Bear Whisperer" Steve Searles attempts to teach her that bad behavior will be punished, but when Blondie goes too far, a "shoot to kill" order is issued.
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom: Panda Makers
In China, a rescue operation is underway. Using top-notch science and procedures, a team of vets is breeding panda cubs in captivity. If successful, the cubs will be released into the wild and the giant panda may be pulled from the brink of extinction.
Natural World: Pandamania
Premiering Thursday, August 4, at 9PM e/p
A devastating earthquake has destroyed China's largest conservation center for the giant panda. Now, instead of focusing on repopulating the dwindling species, the race is on to relocate the existing captive-bred pandas to a new home.

Friends of Animals rescues 34 dogs from area home

　The energy at the Friends of Animals (FOA) shelter this week was palpable as the already-crowded humane facility took in 34 dogs that shelter employees said appeared to have been part of either a “puppy mill” operation or hoarding situation at an area house.

　　According to Friends of Animals Board Chair Linda Towne, the FOA was alerted by area law enforcement officials last Friday of an overpopulation of dogs at a home in the area. Upon further investigation, 34 Yorkies, Miniature Pinschers and Dachshunds were found to be living in crowded, squalid conditions. Towne said 15 of the dogs were in the house and the rest were outside in two pens filled with feces.

　　“There was a small tool shed-type structure no bigger than a bathroom that was filled with cages piled up on top of each other up to the ceiling,” said Towne. “That must be where the dogs were kept at night.”

　　She said the lone water dish found in the outdoor pens was “totally filthy.”

　　Staff and volunteers transported the dogs back to the shelter, and for the next two days it took many helping hands to assess the dogs for health issues, bathe and groom them, trim their nails and begin working with their socialization. They were also given the necessary vaccinations.
　　“They were all very matted and dirty and it was a big job,” said Beth Wendroth, medical coordinator for the shelter. “We can’t thank Kennelz and Bitz [Pet Boarding and Grooming of Moose Lake] enough for offering their assistance in helping to clean up and groom the dogs.”

　　One of the dogs did not survive, and four or five of the others have severe dental issues. Towne said the FOA is hoping to start an “Angel Fund” to assist with dental care for these special needs dogs so they, too, can be adopted into loving homes.

　　Some of the other rescued dogs exhibited signs of various skin conditions from the unsanitary surroundings in which they were kept, but Wendroth said all conditions appear to be treatable. The majority of the dogs, which Wendroth said range from approximately 4 months to 5 years old, are in good condition and surprisingly affable considering the overcrowded conditions in which they were raised.
　　She said that adoption applications are now being taken for the dogs, adding that they all appear to be purebreds. Each will require a neutering contract as part of their adoption agreement.
　　The investigation into the case continues, and no further details have been released at this time.

Fantastic Animals Nature Photography

　　Most of us take for granted the wildlife photos that we see on books, magazines or even on television. The truth is, there is much more involved in shooting wildlife images than just going out on a whim and photographing a few animals you encounter. Fast shutter speeds are necessary for most wildlife shots to keep away from distorted images from the animal’s movement. Many wild animals are very fast, particularly those little ones. Also, it’s not required to shoot the whole animal on all your shots, you can give attention to on parts of the head, much like a human portrait. Below are some of the finest animal photography that you can find online.