Ned Hardy

Merle Australian Shepherds – 12 Things You Should Know Before Buying or Adopting

Most people have probably seen a merle Australian shepherd but not know what it really is. It’s an Australian shepherd. While other breeds may not be known for having merle dogs, the Australian shepherd standard is merle. It’s the array of colors admirers of this fluffy herding dog know by sight, if not by name.

15 Wholesome Facts About Dogs That Will Show You Why They Are Man’s Best Friend

A guide dog named Roselle led a group of people including her blind owner down 78 flights of stairs before the North Tower collapsed on 9/11. She only stopped to give kisses to a woman who was having a panic attack.

Roselle was asleep under her owner’s desk on the 78th floor in Tower 1 of the World Trade Center when the attack commenced. She was awakened by the plane impacting some fifteen floors above them. Roselle calmly helped Hingson to stairwell B, despite the smoke, confusion and noise surrounding her.

She led her owner and 30 other people down 1,463 steps out of the tower. After descending over half the distance, they passed the firemen who were heading up, who Roselle stopped to greet. The descent took just over an hour. Just after they exited the tower, Tower 2 collapsed, sending debris flying. Hingson later said, “While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job, while debris fell around us, and even hit us, Roselle stayed calm.” Once clear, Roselle led her owner to the safety of a subway station, where they helped a woman who had been blinded by falling debris. Once they arrived home, Roselle immediately began playing with her retired guide dog predecessor, Linnie, as if nothing important had happened.

Merle Poodles – 11 Things You Should Know Before Buying Or Adopting

(photo: christopher.the.poodle)

Multi-colored, speckled and spotty Australian shepherds are well known for their kaleidoscope coats. They are not the only dog breed capable of displaying such furry finery, however. Known to be prim and polished, the posh poodle is also capable of coming in a variety of coat colors. Beyond the accepted tans, browns, blues, and cream coats, merle poodles have been known to exist. Merle is more than just a coat color, though.

Human Foods That You Can And Cannot Feed To Your Dog

We know it’s best to avoid feeding man’s best friend with table scraps, but sometimes those puppy-dog eyes get the best of us and we can’t resist slipping them a treat from our plates.

But just because a food is good for us doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for dogs.

Here’s a list of dog-approved people foods, as well as some items you should never share with your canine companion.

Keep in mind though that every dog is different, so try these foods in small amounts, and if your dog has a reaction to any of them, consult a veterinarian.

10 Things Every Cat Owner Should Know

1. Declawing your cats is like cutting off each of your fingers at the last knuckle

Some people think that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cats nails, this is not true. Declawing involves amputation of the last bone of each toe, removing claws changes the way a cats foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage and bone spurs. Most cats will become biters because they no longer have their claws as a defense. Cats scratch to remove dead husks from their claws, mark territory and stretch muscles.

15 Useful Tips And Tricks For Dog Owners

1. If you’re taking your animal to the vet for an ailment, get video of them coughing, breathing strangely, limping, etc. Animals may not show the ailment at the vet’s office and the video can help the vet diagnose your furry friend.

My dog has had epilepsy for over six years but because she also has a heart murmur every time she had an episode, our old vet would want expensive ekg’s and start talking about heart meds.

We take one video of her episode and immediately the new vet says that has nothing to do with cardiovascular ailment, that’s neurological. And she’s been fine since on the right meds.