Recent research into doggy tail wagging has shown that most dogs wag their tail to the right when they see someone they know.  When they feel threatened they tend to wag to the left - before they make a dash for it or go on the attack!   This is to do with the way the right and left halves of the brain control emotions.   It's already known that most dogs prefer to use one paw over the other - most male dogs are left-pawed while the girls are right-pawed.   'Shake hands Fido' takes on a whole new significance!

Don't leave me mommy!

It's depressing to read that an anti-depressant medication for dogs is now on the market.   The drug company who make Prozac have come up with a beef-flavoured version for dogs who exhibit behavioural problems such as separation anxiety and chewing when left alone.

This new canine mood modifier is to be marketed under the name Reconcile and isn't that a smooth sounding name?   But should drugs be give to our canine companions because it suits us?   Is this the Brave New World for dogs where people can alleviate the symptoms of inadequate or unsuitable management by drugging them?   What about the side effects?

Amid reports of possible changes to current rabies controls, vets have warned that the current rules should not be relaxed too much.

The UK Pet Travel Scheme currently allows pet owners to vaccinate their dogs and confirm the effectiveness of that vaccination with a blood test six months before travel. However, some believe that the UK should allow animals to travel just 21 days after vaccination.

Jack Russell

Their hair comes in all varieties too - tight wound curls, harsh and spiky, silky soft waves, even hairless.   The characteristics of dogs are as diverse as their looks.   The breeds include dogs that are fierce, friendly, lap-dogs, fighters, working dogs - by selective breeding over the centuries, man has shaped the genus canis to his own requirements.

When Kelly Lee, a Los Angeles dog breeder, advertised a litter of pedigree Yorkshire Terriers for sale, she didn't expect to be the victim of a gunpoint robbery.  But it wasn't the family silver these heartless criminals were after, it was the dogs.

Kelly and her family were forced to lie on the floor while the mother dog and her four puppies were snatched.  The family are understandably heartbroken at the loss of their dogs and extremely worried about their safety.

 It's Crufts Dog Show this week at the NEC Birmingham (8-11 March) and there will be four new breeds of dog on show for the first time.

Good News 

After a group of environmental activists called the Sea Shepherds had chased Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic Ocean, peppering them with smoke bombs and other irritants, the Japanese hunters suddenly announced they were going home, having caught far less than their intended quota.

The whalers had killed 550 minke and three fin whales. There'd been scuffles throughout the hunting trip as the environmentalists kept up the pressure. 

Maybe now the people who hunt whales will realise that this is not something the rest of the world will tolerate.

Greenpeace, who have also chased the Japanese whale hunters, sent them a message this week telling them never to return.

What are you doing on Saturday night?  Whatever it is, if the skies are clear, forget it for an hour or two, wake up the dog and the two of you get outside to watch this years first lunar eclipse. 

This is a Blood Moon, a spectacular celestial show - why not take the dogs and cats out to see it also?