Not all the well groomed well behaved dogs at the show are all grown up! This pup was about as good as a doggy could be, just waiting to get his well earned praise!
Scooter, above, is a 6-month-old Maltese whose owner, Cheryl McKnight of New Zealand, believes will one day hold the title of smallest dog by height. Scooter is just over 3 inches tall, measured from his feet to the top of his shoulder blade. Although he's still a puppy, McKnight says he hasn't grown at all since he was 2 months old, and she believes he won't grow any taller -- certainly no taller than the current recordholder, an American Chihuahua.
And what of their health? Scooter "weighs less than a block of butter at 400 grams -- and that is while he is wearing clothes," according to the New Zealand Herald. He wears a brightly-colored sock as a shirt to make him stand out, presumably to prevent the inevitable injury that would result if his owner were to make a wrong step. Tom Thumb "can fit inside a teacup and cannot reach his mum to feed when she is standing up," the Daily Mail reports.
We're sure many teacup pups are in fine health and enjoy the attention they get for being cute, traveling about in purses and the like -- still, we can't help but wonder if we're doing them a disservice in the long run by making them just too small for their own good.
Predatory Drift is a sudden, and drastic change in a dog's demeanor that is characterized by behaviors associated with hunting small prey.
The term is most often used to describe a medium to large dog who has suddenly and uncharacteristically targeted a smaller dog as prey (dinner).
Predatory Drift is NOT Aggression, but it can mean injury or death for small dogs.
Predatory Drift happens when the larger dog's instinct to hunt are triggered.
These instincts can be triggered when play escalates or gets too much like the real thing (an out of control chase game). It can happen when a small dog gets scared or injured and squeals or wriggles in a way that makes them look like prey (dinner), Predatory Drift can happen just because thesize difference says, "You are comparatively bite-sized, or move like something that is bite-sized, and I am a canine predator."
The most alarming fact about Predatory Drift is that it can happen even with well-behaved, well-socialized, playful dogs who play well and often with no aggression, and no fights.
Dogs who are triggered into predatory drift, may or may not have ever been in a dog fight, and may or may not be generally well-behaved and obedient. There is NO protection against predatory drift. It is not a good dog/bad dog problem.
Predatory Drift is not about how brave, strong, feisty, or fearless the small dog acts. Predatory Drift is not about how well your medium or large, or extra large dog plays, listens to you, or how many times they have met, played with or been around a small dog.
Predatory Drift can even happen between two dogs that know each other well and have lived, played, and or known each other for years. In the right situation, a sudden shift happens and the predatory sequence (like dominoes falling) is triggered and completed with lightening fast speed.
While it is not a problem seen every day, all it takes is the slightest trigger -an injury, a fight, a response to something startling or scary. Predatory Drift is a SIZE MATTER! It usually involves a grab and shake, which instantly breaks the small dog's neck. There is no time to react. This in not a fight, it does not escalate. There is a trigger and then it is over.
Read more...
Should dogs of different sizes be allowed to play together?
Are off-leash parks and fenced dog parks safe for your small dog?
Pets Product Review- Veterinarian's Best Pet Swabs Tear Stain Guard
Don't know when I've been so blue
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new
And don't it make my brown eyes blue
When I think of tears, I can't help think of Crystal Gayle's haunting lyrics. But when the little Maltese named Baby Cakes who lives down the road runs up to say hi to me and my pup, I look in her tear full eyes, and just want to puke. They are gross.
Thank goodness I don't have animals prone to tearing, and thank goodness they have dark colored hair. But this tearing is perfectly natural, and will happen. So the best thing is to deal with it, and address your little one's tears with comfort and daily attention.
I looked around for a product that would help and found Veterinarian's Best Pet Swabs Tear Stain Guard on www.petsmart.com. Wow! Could there have been a product better suited. These cotton-tipped swabs are filled with therapeutic liquid. You snap the end, kind of liked smelling salts. So cool to see the liquid flow from clear stem into the cotton tip. Wipe around the eyes and viola! In due time you'll have fresh clean eyes.
I trust this product. The liquid is all natural and properly measured, and safe to use on both cats and dogs. Truly you don't want to put anything near your pets' eyes that is not safe. How did my pets react? Well Champ took the application bravely and went to back to sleep. Stinky, the cat put up a terrible fuss and ran under the bed.
My only negative comment is the price. At $8.99 for 24 swabs is costly, especially when you're trying to diminish the unsightly residue of puppy tears. This requires daily treatment.
For a safe home remedy that is certainly more cost effective, try dabbing a solution that has 1 teaspoon of salt diluted in a pint of warm water.
If you have a pet product you think will pass the Secret Shopper test, send an email to: secretshopperblog@gmail.com
