Faith, the two-legged dog.

Meet Faith, the two-legged dog who has been made an honorary sergeant in the U.S. army By Daily Mail Reporter

A two-legged dog who has learned to walk upright has been made an honorary sergeant in the U.S. army for inspiring disabled war veterans.

Faith, an eight-year old labrador-chow cross is a favourite at army bases and hospitals, where she 'marches' around on her hind legs, dressed in a military jacket.

Her owner Jude Stringfellow, from Oklahoma City, is now trying to bring the remarkable canine to Britain to meet troops wounded in Afghanistan.

'Faith seems to inspire these young men. It's very emotional watching them respond to her,' Ms Stringfellow said. 'She shows what can be achieved against the odd. I'd love her to bring a smile to the lips of British soldiers.'

The dog was born with one front leg missing and the other, which was severely deformed, had to be amputated.

Her mother rejected it but Ms Stringfellow's son Reuben, 18, found the tiny animal and brought it up.

He and his mother had to carry the puppy for the first few months of her life, but eventually helped her learn to walk by using peanut butter on a spoon as a lure.

The little dog now moves quickly, and with confidence, and has even become a minor celebrity, appearing regularly on U.S. talk shows.

Ms Stringfellow, who runs a website devoted to her dog, said she receives hundreds of emails and letters each day.

Her decision to take Faith to veterans' hospitals was inspired by her son's service in Iraq.

Inspiration: Faith the dog learned to walk after being born with a deformity

Hope: Faith's owner is hoping to bring the dog to Britain to meet injured soldiers

'She just walks around barking and laughing and excited to see them all,' she said.

'There is a lot of crying, pointing and surprise. From those who have lost friends or limbs, there can be silence. Some will shake my hand and thank me, some will pat her on the head. There is a lot of quiet, heartfelt, really deep emotion.'




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Source :  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303762/Meet-Faith-legged-dog-inspiring-injured-troops.html#ixzz1wjiA1SZx

Debunking the Palestine Lie

Bloggers boiling mad over trader who poured hot water on dog

BLOGGERS have called for a boycott of a noodle stall in Petaling Jaya after a hawker allegedly poured hot water on a stray dog, Guang Ming Daily reported.

The photographs of the hawker and the injured dog were also circulated on Facebook.

The hawker admitted to committing the act but claimed that he had done so on impulse to chase away persistent dogs which came to seek scraps.

He said the dog had taken a piece of chicken placed by his customer on the ground.

“My customers have been harassed by stray dogs and the restaurant became unhygienic because of them,” he added.

However, the hawker denied that he had poured hot water on other stray dogs and cats, as claimed by the Internet reports.

He said it was up to Netizens to lodge a report against him.

“But I cannot accept that some people had placed notices about the incident with my picture on them near the restaurant,” he added.

It was reported that the injured dog was now being looked after by a woman staying in the area.
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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/12/nation/10898756&sec=nation

How Old is My Pet?

How Old Is My Pet? Correctly Calculate Your Dog or Cat's Age!
By Gayle Hickman for PetsAdviser.com

Most people think that calculating the age of dogs and cats in “human years” is quite simple: multiply their age by seven. For example, a 4-year-old dog or cat would actually be 28 years old in human years.

But when you really begin weighing out the arithmetic, this method doesn’t add up. Say a 1-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 7-year-old human -- get out of here! How many 7-year-old humans are sexually active and capable of reproducing? Dogs and cats are much more likely to have babies at 1 year old or even at 10 years old, than any person who is 7 or 70.

DOGS

Aging is much faster during a dog’s first two years but varies among breeds. Large breeds, while they mature quicker, tend to live shorter lives. By the time they reach 5 they are considered “senior” dogs. Medium-sized breeds take around seven years to reach the senior stage, while small and toy breeds do not become seniors until around 10.

Many veterinarians agree that a pretty good guess on the age of pets can be made using the following formula. Although still simple, it is much more accurate than the seven-year method.

Assume that a 1-year-old dog is equal to a 12-year-old human and a 2-year-old dog is equal to a 24-year old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old dog would be 32 in human years.)

Since this method takes into consideration the maturity rate at the beginning of a dog’s life and also the slowing of the aging process in his later years, Martha Smith, director of veterinary services at Boston’s Animal Rescue League, feels that this is the more accurate calculation formula. Here is a chart, for easy reference:

A dog’s average lifespan is around 12 or 13 years, but again, this varies widely by breed. The larger your dog is, the less time it will live. Female dogs tend to live a little longer.
CATS

Now let’s take a glimpse at a simple formula for calculating feline age in human years.

Assume that a 1-year-old cat is equal to a 15-year-old human and a 2-year-old cat is equal to a 24-year-old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old cat would be 32 in human years.)

The following chart shows this formula of calculation:

Cats generally live 12 to 15 years, although outdoor cats live an average of only 10 years or so.

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http://www.webvet.com/main/2012/02/28/how-old-my-pet-correctly-calculate-your-dog-or-cats-age

How often to feed?

Some general rules of thumb with respect to feeding puppies ...

(a) How often to feed? ... Feed between 2 to 3 times a day ... small portions until pup is about 10months old (or thereabouts) ... After that, for small breeds, you can continue to feed 2 meals a day (they have small stomachs and seem to do better on 2 small meals rather than one big meal) ... for larger dogs - once they hit adulthood, one meal should suffice.

(b) How much to feed? ... This depends from dog to dog and from breed (size) to breed ... Observe their poop, if the poop is soft, reduce food ... if the poop is very hard, increase the amount of food ... (In both cases, increase or reduce gradually ... until the poop is firm to the touch, and can be picked up in one piece) ...

General cautions:

Do not overfeed a pup/dog ... overweight pup/dogs will not be as healthy and can have health problems ... Slight underfeeding (especially with the larger breeds is recommended) ... It is better for a pup to grow slowly with time to build strong bones, then to grow too fast and have skeletal issues later on ... Slightly underfeeding your dog will NOT affect it's eventual size or growth ... The dog will still grow to its genetically determined size, just that it will grow slower and be more healthy.

With pups especially - I would concentrate on quality rather than quantity ... Good nutrition when dogs are young means healthier and stronger adults (just like people) ... Check the threads on nutrition and what is good nutrition.

A healthy pup is active, with bright eyes ... generally alert (but do remember, pups do sleep a lot) ... responsive and playful ... A dog that is sick will generally want to just lie down in a corner and not move so much ...

Cheers !

A Dog Humor: Adam and his companion.

Adam said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me every day. Now I do not see you anymore. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me,"

And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will know that I love you even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself."

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal,"

And God said, "No problem! Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG."

And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well."

And the Lord said, "No problem! I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration."

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the supreme being. And Adam learned humility.

And God was pleased. And Adam was greatly improved. And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn't give a damn one way or the other.

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Anonymous

The Surprising Health Benefits of Love

The Surprising Health Benefits of Love
By Lisa Collier Cool
Feb 09, 2012

Love actually can make us healthier, so much so that if you could bottle it, you would have an incredible wonder drug, a Nobel Prize, the thanks of a grateful population and more money than Bill Gates. If a growing body of research is to be believed, love can lengthen your life, ward off stress, boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, protect you from colds and flu, blunt your response to pain, hasten wound healing, and lower your risk of dementia in old age.

Studies have shown that health-wise, men are a lot better off married than their still-single pals; their wives are less likely to suffer from depression than their unmarried bridesmaids. Let a little romance into your life, and you’re less likely to end up in a nursing home when you’re old and gray. Love and marriage (or even love without marriage) turns out to be really, really good for us. Here are the main reasons why:

Love Defuses Stress

Unchecked stress can undermine your immune system, leaving you prey to all kinds of physical ills. Some studies have shown that happy couples produce less of the hormone cortisol when they’re stressed. This is a good thing because too much cortisol suppresses the immune system leaving us open to colds, flu and worse. It also prompts the body to store fat around the abdominal organs.

This kind of “visceral fat” is linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Marriage appears to be particularly good for health: rates of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic ailments are all lower in married people than in single ones.

Love Heals Wounds

A study at Ohio State University used a device designed to leave little blisters on the arm and to enable doctors to monitor the immune system’s response at the tiny wound sites. The researchers used a study grant to pay 42 married couples $2,000 each to agree to the blistering procedures and then to talk about topics that provoked tension and at another time to discuss topics that engendered supportive behavior. The upshot? The blisters took a day longer to heal after sessions when the couples disagreed than when they discussed something pleasant. The wounds took two days longer to heal when there was high hostility during arguments.

Better Brain Health

The give-and-take of marriage—or living with a partner—helps keep your wits sharp.

Living as a couple in midlife was linked to lower risk for cognitive impairment (unusually poor memory and mental functioning) in a Swedish study, while other research shows socializing, including getting together with friends, belonging to a club, or doing volunteer work also helps keep your brain nimble.

The Power of Touch

A study at the University of Virginia showed that holding a spouse’s hand can diminish stress set off by a mild electric shock. A total of 16 couples took part; first the wives received the shocks while their brains were monitored via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Next, each woman held the hand of a stranger during the shock--this dampened the stress response seen in the brain. Finally, the women held their husbands’ hands during the shock and the fMRIs showed that the reduction in stress was even greater.

The Cuddle Hormone

Women who get the most hugs from their partner have the highest levels of oxytocin, a hormone sometimes called the “cuddle hormone,” University of North Carolina researchers reported.

Oxytocin is believed to play a role in social bonding and has a powerful effect on the cardiovascular systems. In the study, the frequent huggers had lower blood pressure.

Togetherness and Health

Another clue to the power of love to keep us well comes from a study showing that health suffers after a divorce or when one spouse dies. The researchers found that being single after being married brings about a decline on physical health. The divorced and widowed in the study had 20 percent more health problems such as heart disease and diabetes than mid-life couples who remained married to their first spouse.

Even worse, the positive health benefits of marriage were cancelled out for the divorced and widowed people in the study: they had worse health problems than men and women who had never been married.

The Happiness Factor

Here are some startling statistics illustrating how vital love is to our mental as well as physical well-being: rates of major depression are nine times higher in unmarried men; divorce or separation more than doubles the risk of suicide in men; married men and women drink less alcohol and use less marijuana and cocaine than the unmarried; 70 percent of chronic drinkers were divorced or separated - only 15 percent were married.

So there you have it, love is good for almost everything. The only exception: it doesn’t help you lose weight.
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http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/surprising-health-benefits-love