#dog psa

[canidcrazy]

Merle patterning and its associated health issues

alright, let's start with a quick definition

“also know as dapple, merle is characterized by irregular blotches of fur set on a lighter background of the same pigment, such as solid black on gray (called blue merle) or solid brown on tan (red merle).” -American Kennel Club

Merle is a dominant color gene meaning it (almost) always presents itself phenotypically when apart of the dogs genotype even when it is a heterozygous gene. merle is a very popular and desirable color and because of this is often sold by breeders for a higher price, though an ethical breeder shouldn't be charging more for a certain color.

if a merle (Mm) and a non merle (mm) are bred together there is a 50% chance each pup will be merle. if you breed two merle's (Mm) together that chance raises to 75% but, you run the risk of producing a double merle (MM) which have a heightened chance of health issues

The most common health risk with merle dogs is deafness, even single merles (Mm) have an increased likelihood of these issues. Double merles (MM) are at a even higher risk for deafness, one study finding 85% of MM dogs were bilaterally deaf.

On top of the deafness MM dogs often have very small and often non-functional eyes (microphthalmia).

double merle's can occur for a few different reasons

1. in feral/stray populations dogs will be breeding and obviously they don't understand that how genetics works so two merle's can mate producing a double merle. though it's unlikely and deaf and blind dog will survive long without human intervention

2. similar to option one is ignorance on the owners part! it may be an uneducated breeder or an oops-litter but an owner who doesn't understand or know about the dangers of double merle's make accidentally create one.

3. greed! though many double merle's are born infertile if you were to get a double merle bitch (MM) who is able to produce pups and bred her to a regular sire (mm) you would have a litter of all single merle puppies (Mm) which as previously mentioned can be sold for more.

over all, merle dogs are very pretty but you should be aware of the risks this coloring can have especially in double merle's.

thank you for coming to my autism rant, have a good day

[kcvulpinestudios]

I made this PSA due to the amount of fireworks going off by now. As a dog owner, I’m concern with it due to how stressful it could be for my dog. So this is the appropriate message to share at this time of the year.

[mandana-the-service-pup]

Damn the fine print.

I think I’m going to cancel her MRI appointment. As much as I would like to get answers, I can’t run the risk with how our pet insurance is set up.

1. There is an exception for intervertebral disc “conditions” (Not just IVDD. They could mean any number of problems) It’s not covered if it occurred at any point prior to starting the insurance. Unfortunately, the nature of those conditions means they can argue it is almost always preexisting.

2. If she’s deemed “healthy” by the MRI then we might fall into another trap which says testing done on healthy dogs isn’t covered.

3. The way this (and most other) pet insurance works is if a claim is denied then any future claims connected to it are also denied. I was going into this hopeful that the back pain has already been approved so the MRI should be included in that BUT if we get the MRI results and the claim is denied then all things back-related and potentially even things like future arthritis, etc will forever be denied (they like to say things are “side effects” of the denied condition)

So as of now she has been checked by a Neurologist & Orthopedic Surgeon and they both agree she is fine. The Neurologist would like to rule out things that could be causing back pain but Librela is managing her pain so well and costs $100-$200/month. I can’t risk the MRI being denied AND ruining our ability to manage pain & future issues.

[canidcrazy]

this is called cobbing‼️

dogs and wolves will use their little front teeth to groom one another. this is believed to be something done mutually instead of a way to assert dominance

biting your forehead friday

[spicymancer]

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Dog Girl

[jenny-jinya]

TW: Animal Death / Death

Senior pets have a hard time getting adopted. The likelihood of adoption is only 25% compared to 60% for a younger dog. Unfortunately, this is often due to prejudice. I want to raise awareness with this comic (and also get back to my roots, which I haven't really managed to do yet). But I want to start uploading more regularly again. Thank you for your patience so far.

[sableeira]

And Dazai is like: omg how did he figure it out?!?!?!?

[great-and-small]

This is going to sound like common sense to a lot of people but I’m still going to say it because I meet plenty of folks that don’t know- there is a wrong way to pick up your dog. People who don’t have much experience around dogs tend to want to pick them up under the arms like you would a baby, like this

But we humans are primates, with well developed and flexible shoulders built for swinging through trees. Our arms have remarkable range of motion. Dogs are not built the same way, and lifting them this way under the forelimbs (by the “armpits”) is really uncomfortable for them. But you see it all the time! Just looking up “person holding dog�� will bring up tons of photos of people using the inappropriate hold

I had a dog owner bring her newly adopted dog in for yelping whenever he was picked up, and when she showed me that was how she was lifting him, it was clear it was just hurting his shoulders by being picked up this way.

When picking up a dog from the ground, it is much better to support them under the chest and lift them from underneath. A proper hold will distribute the dog’s weight, instead of putting pressure on the shoulders.

[canidcrazy]

i’ve been thinking about it because of Crufts and i would like to make it extremely clear

the use of dogs in police work is not only unnecessarily dangerous for the dogs they also use them as a vessel for police brutality

a dog will bite whoever it’s told to and if you’ve ever seen videos of dogs doing bite work you can just imagine how much damage they do on someone who isn’t in a bite suit. anyone’s reaction to being mauled by a dog is going to be to fight back which not only can and has caused police dogs to get severely hurt and killed it also means that police will likely further escalate and potentially even kill the persons being attacked.

anyways thanks for coming to my ted talk, fuck the police.

[greenevergreens]

I agree 100% but for a very different reason (not that I necessarily disagree with your reasoning, just that my reason for agreeing is different than the one you give), dogs that aren't service dogs often put service dogs (and either directly or indirectly, their owner/handler) at risk. If a non-service dog (which includes emotional support dogs, your dog isn't special because you fell for a scam) decides to jump at, bark at, or try to distract a service dog, it can literally cause a serious health episode if not death, if the dog isn't paying attention to alert their handler of an upcoming health event.

That's not even mentioning if the non-service dog attacks a service dog, it's not uncommon to have to retire that service dog. Meaning that now, while that service dog may still be able to alert and help at home, it can't often be taken out and about because any run in with another dog, will or can cause it to be unable to focus on it's job as a service dog.

So now this disabled person is once again house-bound, they have to spend the YEAR/S to train their service dog to their specific needs, the hundreds to THOUSANDS of dollars to get a service dog, all while being stuck at home, or risking their heath by going without a proper service dog.

Unless a dog is an actual service dog, for the health and safety of everyone, and ESPECIALLY disabled people, keep your dog inside or in specific spaces meant for dogs.

Also people with allergies to dogs exist, they should be able to exist in public without having to deal with allergies all because you couldn't handle leaving Fido alone for a few hours.

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, I have a dog myself, but my love for dogs doesn't supersede my love & compassion for other people who are just trying to go about their day.

I hate hate hate hate how dog friendly everything is in the city now. Barring medical necessity, there is no reason to bring your dog to a restaurant, there is no reason to bring your dog to the grocery store, there is no reason to bring your dog to the nail salon. Dogs do not need to go everywhere you go why am I being forced to be around dogs all the time

[marlynnofmany]

If you're beating yourself up about not being as productive as you used to be, it might help to know that burnout is brain damage that needs to heal.

This isn't a moral failing on your part. This is an injury, caused by prolonged stress.

Or course you can't run as fast on a fractured ankle. Take a rest; rent a scooter if you have to. But don't hurt yourself worse.

[mandana-the-service-pup]

🐾 🏖️ Sunday Swim 🏖️🐾

Ball Safety: When dogs pant their throats visibly expand (pictured above). Balls that normally wouldn’t be an issue can get lodged when panting. Mandana found this ball and we allowed her to play with it a little but when she started to pant harder we exchanged it for our Ruffwear Gnawt-A-Stick. There is a technique for removing balls from a dogs throat that everyone should learn but it isn’t a guarantee. This kind of accident is mostly preventable so choose your toys wisely & monitor play time 😊

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

since new year is around the corner, here’s a very important reminder to be mindful and considerate when it comes to fireworks because hundreds of animals, especially strays, sadly lose their lives every year due to the fear and anxiety they endure. hundreds of pets got so terrified they ran away from homes.

please make sure your pets are safe. please make sure to think about stray animals who don’t have homes to take shelter.

please think about them too.

*I’m obviously not saying you can’t celebrate new years or that fireworks should be banned. I’m only asking for all of us to be considerate of animals who experience fear so intense their hearts literally stop; a celebration should not cause innocent animals’ lives, fireworks are not worth the lives of innocent animals. so please be considerate and think about them too.

[fayeandknight]

More info about my foster dog.

Cade is very social for a Malinois. Though he is suspicious of strangers he makes new friends easily when properly introduced. He's super physically affectionate and loves to give hugs, get pets, and even snuggle with people.

He has great possession without resource guarding towards people or dogs. He also has nice full grips most of the time. Though he can be a bit munchy on the tug/sleeve if he has it for too long.

He is a fairly forward dog and has worked with three different decoys, though not on the full suit so far. Four if you count my coworker messing around with him and the bite sleeve. No hesitation to play the game when given the opportunity. He does not hold grudges and is just as happy to play bitey games as he is to solicit affection from the same person.

We are currently working on dog reactivity as some dogs, particularly those with frantic energy or dogs who initiate (hard staring, posturing, or reacting). But he does participate in our socials, where multiple dogs are tethered and on place without issue most of the time. He did get into a scuffle with Faye when they both went for a toy and she told him to kick rocks. But there was no broken skin as neither were serious about the alteration.

That said, he absolutely adores Forte, my three almost four year old intact Belgian Tervuren. They chase either, wrestle, and enjoy just vibing together. When Forte tells him to calm down Cade will go find a toy to play with instead. He also enjoys the occasional playdate with his sister as well. So a home with dogs about his size shouldn't be an issue but I do have reservations about a home with small dogs.

Unfortunately due to getting him from animal control he does not come with papers so some sports are out for him. But PSA or even personal protection are right up his alley and very doable with him.

Cade absolutely loves to do. Training, playing, running on the treadmill, etc. He's up for anything if it means engaging. We've also done a bit of searches for food and toys which he's happy to do, though the toy search is harder for him at present. I've not introduced any orders to him yet.

He's not shy about carrying things and regularly carries sticks on our walks. He also has no qualms about carrying metal water bottles, buckets of various materials, or pretty much anything else offered to him. Plastic water bottles are irresistible to him. Though I've never just given him one, if he finds one he's chomping on it.

He is crate trained and clean in the crate. He rides well in the car (large ruffland kennel). I've taught him to go potty on cue and he's house trained to the point of stopping play to go to the door if he needs to go.

I honestly love him so much and would keep him if I had a different living situation. We regularly have snuggles and chill time time together. He follows cues just as well from me standing or sitting on the floor.

At one point he was a little weird about people touching him under the chin while on a bite but he's worked through that and doesn't have any known body handling issues. I clip his nails and bathe him 100% force free/cooperatively.

He is such an awesome dog and I know the right home is out there for him. Please feel free to share posts about him or ask questions. He comes with a lifetime support from me/the facility I work for and I will take him back in a heartbeat if a home doesn't work out for him.

I love him so, so much and want him to find the right home.

[ireadwithmyears]

Going up to a guide dog user and saying, to their dog, something along the lines of “your mommy doesn’t let me pet you. I know, it’s so unfair,” in a baby voice is first of all counterproductive, because that’s just as distracting for the dog as petting them would be, and second of all, is actually really casually guilt trippy and I don’t like it

[satanfemme]

nothing makes me as irrationally angry as seeing Incorrect dog opinions online 🙃

ur reactionary thought processes & poor understanding of animal behavior are showing