Dear Dogs And Cats

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. Theother dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becomingyour food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"nature.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughterwho is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Author Unknown

You've Got 'Doggie-Mail'

(NewsUSA) - If you're hearing dogs talk to you, don't panic. It may only be
your e-mail.
Petcentric.com, a Web site devoted to information and stories about pets,
recently introduced a feature called "Doggie-Mail," an interactive service
that allows dog lovers to send free e-mail messages in the voice of their
very own customized canine.
When visitors log on to the site, they can choose one of three animated dogs
to convey their message and then customize the character's wardrobe, props
and scene. They can choose to deck out their dog in a cowboy hat and dress
shirt, or jazz up the pooch's panache with a feather boa and sunglasses. They
can then pick a variety of backdrops for the dog, including a dude ranch or a
festive Hawaiian beach.
After choosing a dog and customizing its outfit, users select a prerecorded
message for the dog to speak, or type in their own message and choose a voice
to accompany it. Petcentric.com also offers a toll-free number where users
can record a message in their own voice. Once the e-mail has been customized,
they can send the talking dog and its message to as many friends as they
like.
Visitors to the site can also watch clips of actor and author John O'Hurley
reading excerpts from his new book "It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First
Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs."
"Dogs bring out a host of emotions in us," said O'Hurley, "not the least of
which is humor."
For more information or to start using Doggie-Mail, visit www.petcentric.com.
The site also contains a gallery of pet photos submitted by subscribers,
feature articles, product and book reviews and other pet-related content.
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This article was brought to you by Jane Smart, owner of My Small Dogs. Keep
up with all the latest news. Subscribe to Small Dog News:
http://mysmalldogs.com/sign-up.htm

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Pet Insurance In The USA

Pet Health Insurance In The USA
My Small Dogs-Jane Smart

Pet health insurance companies are hoping that someday pet owners in the United States will catch up with European pet owners. A recent poll taken of American pet owners suggested that approximately three percent of American pet owners had purchased pet health insurance for their family pet. A veterinarian who was interviewed after the survey was stunned by the results. She felt that the survey was generous. She believes that less then one percent of her patients have any health care insurance.

In Europe approximately twenty-five percent of all pet owners have some sort of pet health insurance on their pets. The numbers are even higher in Sweden where approximately fifty percent of all pet owners rely on pet health insurance to help pay their pet’s medical expenses.

Some experts believe that the reason so many pet owners in the United Kingdom have pet health care insurance is because of an act passed in 1971. In the United Kingdom dog owners are liable for any accident that their pet is found responsible for. This means that if a dog darts out into traffic and causes a seven car pile up the dog’s owner is responsible for paying all the damages. Unwilling to dip into their own pockets to cover their pet’s misadventures, pet owners in the United Kingdom purchase something called third party insurance. Third party insurance is a simply a liability insurance specifically geared to pet owners.

Many American pet owners don’t realize that there are similar pet liability insurance plans available in the United States. Pet owners who would like to purchase pet liability insurance to cover any damages their pets might be responsible rather should be aware that certain breeds of dogs are listed as high risk insurance cases and the owners will be required to pay extra high
insurance policies.

It is unclear why more pet owners in the United States don’t purchase pet health insurance. One possibility is that pet owners simply don’t understand exactly how expensive pet health care is. Fifteen minutes spent in a veterinarian’s office can sometimes cost as much as a hundred dollars. When a pet owner finds themselves facing the cost of an emergency surgery or has to
take their family pet to a university hospital to have an illness treated they quickly find themselves whishing they had something to help cover the enormous vet bill. All too often pet owners who find themselves in an emergency situation are forced to euthanize their beloved pet for economic reasons.

Pet owners who are city dwellers probably feel that they don’t need to worry about something like pet health insurance because they can’t possibly for see when they would need it. Their pets live inside, what could possibly happen to them? What these pet owners don’t realize is that illness can sometimes affect house pets the hardest because their immune systems haven’t had a chance to build up any resistance.

Farmers and ranchers have a very clear cut idea of how fast an accident can happen and how expensive vet care is. Most of them would like to insure the health of their pets but there simply isn’t enough extra money to afford the monthly premiums. Ranchers and farmers also tend to have a working knowledge of illnesses and injuries that lets them treat their pets on their own.

Would you be ready to pay expenses for your pet if an accident happened? Did you know that you could get pet insurance for as little as 20cents per day? Discover how you can protect your pet today:http://mysmalldogs.com/petinsur.htm
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Jane Smart is the owner of http://mysmalldogs.com/ Her partner, Dr. Kristie Ponce,DVM is a licensed vet in the state of Wisconsin who specializes in small dog care. Get answers to all of your questions:http://mysmalldogs.com/sign-up.htm

Keep Your Small Dogs Safe...........

Hi Guys,

Boy was mom upset with us this last weekend! Of course it was my dumb brother, Mike Jones's fault!

We went to MN for a BMX race. Our human brother races in BMX races. Anyway, when we got to the race track, we barked and tried to get to every other dog we saw. Mike Jones got away from dad one time and actually attacked another dog. He was big too! He didn't do anything. He just backed away from Mike Jones. We barked so much, mom said that she was going to buy us muzzles. Gee, I hope it doesn't hurt! As angry as mom was, they probably will!

We hope you enjoy the article we have for you.

Until next time,

Crash

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Keep Your Small Dogs Safe From Parasites and Protect Your Children From Disease
My Small Dogs-Jane Smart

(NewsUSA) - Sometimes pets can give a child more than just a wet, sloppy kiss and endless affection. When pets aren't protected, they could spread diseases called zoonoses, to which children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people are especially vulnerable.
Purdue University research estimates that 5 percent to 20 percent of children are infected by dog roundworm larvae at some time, and that an estimated 10,000 human cases of Toxocara (roundworms) infections occur each year in the United States. Some zoonotic diseases can be transmitted by fleas and intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms, which is why the Companion Animal Parasite Council (www.petsandparasites.com) recommends year-round protection for pets.

It is unknown whether transmission can occur from casual contact with your pet. Even if a pet does not have intestinal parasites, a parasitic zoonotic disease could still be contracted.

Backyards, sandboxes, public parks and beaches accessible to dogs, cats and wildlife often are contaminated with parasite eggs from an infected animal's feces. To help reduce the risk of your child contracting a parasitic zoonotic disease, the Companion Animal Parasite Council offers these tips:

* Minimize your child's exposure to potentially contaminated environments, such as uncovered sandboxes.

* Clean up your pets' feces.

* Decontaminate soiled concrete surfaces with bleach or ammonia.

* Practice good personal hygiene and have children wash their hands after playing with pets or after playing in potentially infected environments.

* Treat your pet year-round for intestinal and external parasites. Ask your veterinarian to recommend a monthly heartworm preventative, the broadest spectrum and most pet-friendly dewormer, and a monthly flea-control product.

* Ask your veterinarian to perform fecal examinations each year (two to four times for puppies or kittens) to assist with diagnosis of potential zoonotic infections.

* If your pet is diagnosed with a zoonotic parasite, inform your physician and pediatrician immediately.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, treatment for parasitic zoonosis is not necessary in most cases, but some serious health problems, such as blindness or swelling of the body's organs or central nervous system, can occur.

Prevention is key, to ensure that children do not become infected. Discuss zoonotic risks and symptoms with your veterinarian and pediatrician. To assess your family's zoonosis risk, visit www.noworms.com, and for more information about zoonoses, pets, and children, log on to www.petparents.com.

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Jane Smart is owner of http://mysmalldogs.com Her partner, Dr. Kristie Ponce, DVM, is a practicing, licensed Veterinarian in the state of Wisconsin, specializing in the care of small dogs. Have questions about your small dog? Ask Dr. Ponce here:
http://mysmalldogs.com/forum

Dogs Have Value Too!

Dogs have been with man for ages, even in Prehistoric times, according to early cave drawings. We think dogs might have been scavengers.At first dogs were used for amusement, but their value as guard dogs were quickly realized.

In ancient Greek Mythology, the entrance to the underworld was guarded by a mythical three-headed dog named Cerberus.

Dogs are used as companions at home and as helpers in the workplace.

Quick fact: Laika, a mixed Siberian Husky, was the first person to orbit the earth in 1957.

Dogs are also used on TV to advertise all kind of different products.

Crash and Mike Jones

Dogs Vs Wolves?

Many theorists believe the wolf is a direct ancestor of the modern dog. Others say it seems impossible that 400 varieties of dogs descend from just one species.

Here are some of the similarities between the dog and wolf:

-Both bury bones
-Both turn in circles before going to sleep
-Both lift their leg to mark their territory
-Bith frequently howl at the moon
-Both have a gestation period of 63 days-
The birth and development of their young is almost identical
-Both have a Alpha role model

When it comes to our pets, we (their masters) should be the alpha role model.

We will continue this interesting discussion in the next posting.

Thanks for reading,

My Small Dogs

Breed of Dogs Directory

Hello all,

The newest buzz at the fire hydrant today was that Butch was going into the Vet today to get fixed. He's already a grouch. I hope he's not any grouchier!

I think getting fixed made my brother dumb. My master's are talking about getting me fixed. I don't want to be dumb like my brother!

Crash

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Directory of Breed of Dogs

A directory of breed of dogs is a good place to start when you are considering getting a new dog because all the dogs have different personalities and they have different characteristics that can affect the quality of your life.

By researching the information from the directory of breed of dogs you will be able to determine which breed of dog is most suitable for your lifestyle and the lifestyle that you intend to keep for the next ten to fifteen years.

By doing the necessary research from a directory of breed of dogs you will be able to make a better decision and that decision is crucial because you need to take care of your dog for a considerable part of your life and your personal circumstances can change over the period of the lifespan of the dog.

The directory of breed of dogs will also give you information about various factors including any health concerns that a particular breed might have that could also affect your financial position over time requiring additional expenses.

Until next time,

Crash and Mike Jones