PetMeds-Plus.com

Jack Russell Terriers Ranked #3 Breed In Dog Aggression Study

By now you must be thinking… “Where the hell are all the big ferocious dogs?”  According to a recent study done by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in July of 2008 — the top three most aggressive breeds (in order) are the Dachshund, the Chihuahua and the beloved “Eddie” the dog from from the Frasier sitcom - the Jack Russell Terrier. 

I know, I know… its unbelieveable that the Pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans are not taking the Top 3 spots and at first I was dumbfounded.  But the more I study the breeds the more it makes sense that the smaller dogs could actually be more aggressive than the larger dogs. 

Hear me out…

If you take into consideration that this is a study about “aggression” — NOT a study about “dog attacks” it will put it all in perspective for you (as it did me).  Aggression and attacks are of course too completely different things. 

Look at it this way - the aggressive behavior study takes into consideration the number of times the breeds “attempted” to bite people or other animals and NOT the actual number of actual bites.  In smaller dogs, the aggression levels (attempt levels) were as high as 20% towards strangers and 30% toward unfamiliar dogs. 

Until now, most studies only used actual dog bite statistics to analyze. And let’s face it — headlines like these never make the news:

“Child Attacked & Mauled by Vicious Chihuahua!” 

Or

“Wild Pack of Weiner Dogs Terrorize Neighborhood”. 

When you really think about it …  you can see that the majority of the snapping, and “near biting” experiences usually are from the smaller dogs.  At least I can say this has been my experience.  Granted, a Chihuahua may have never put anyone in the hospital - but he certainly may have “tried to” more often than the bigger breeds of canine!

Back to the Jack Russell Terrier 

“Moose” aka “Eddie” is pictured below with actor Kelsey Grammer, star of the hit comedy series “Frasier”.  During the height of Frasier’s popularity, Moose received more fan mail than any of his human co-stars!

Again, a popular TV dog and the demand for the breed goes up as well.  People see the loveable dog on TV and think theirs will behave the same way.  They do not study the breed at all to even see if it is a fit for their family or lifestyle.  Jack Russells are known to have extremely high amounts of energy.   

They are considered spirited and obedient, yet absolutely fearless.  Experts say that they can be a slightly difficult breed to train and need a firm, experienced trainer.  In other words, this is not the type of doggie you just go out and buy for your kids to train and help them learn some responsibility.  

Jack Russells think they are a BIG dog in a LITTLE dog’s body.  And did you know they are climbers?  They can climb over fences and easily jump five feet. 

The  lesson here is — do your homework on the breed you THINK you want — before you even ponder bringing a dog into your household.

Next up — the top three breeds scoring ”average” or “below average” marks for hostility towards strangers.

Jack Russell Terriers Ranked #3 Breed In Dog Aggression Study

Chihuahuas Ranked #2 Breed In Dog Aggression Study

This new agression study is really shaking up the small dog owners.  July 2005 researchers from the University of Pennsylvania did a dog aggression study using 33 dog breeds and questioning 6,000 dog owners.  

Second highest on the Aggression list (with 1st place awarded to the Dachshund) are those little purse pooches and Taco Bell doggies — the Chihuahua.

All together now… awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! 

People absolutely love the breed because the dogs are cute and compact — many believe these pocket pooches are easier to take care of because of their size.  Although I have never personally owned a Chihuahua — I have been around several.  And I’m sorry to say that my experiences were never pleasant. 

I have found the breed to be snappy, jittery, and down right snarly at times.  Perhaps they have a wee Napoleon complex?  It seems their owners are always shouting warnings of…  “he bites”, or “watch out - she’s mean”, etc. etc. 

Hard to believe something so cute and tiny could become so — ahem… vicious?  Personally, I would put them on the list as waaaay more aggressive than a Doxie. 

And who can forget the little Taco Bell Dog.  Remember him?

Some say the whole Chihuahua craze started with the fast food chains commercials starring “Dinky” the superstar of those Taco Bell commercials.  His winning slogan was “Yo quiero Taco Bell” — or – “I want Taco Bell”. This 500 million dollar add campaign turned into a national phenomenon in 1998. 

The little chalupa loving dog lost his job in the year 2000 when the campaign was scrapped.  Perhaps his unemployment had something to do with that fact that Taco Bell was sued by Thomas Rinks and Joseph Shields in 1998 who claim the chain stole their idea for an ad campaign featuring a talking Chihuahua. The two men claimed that Taco Bell executives reached an oral agreement to use their idea, but then went ahead and introduced the doggie ads without paying them!  (Shame on them!)

Justice prevailed in 2003 when a federal judge ordered Taco Bell to pay the two men a total of 41.9 MILLION dollars!  Way to go Tom & Joe!

Other Popular Chihuahuas

The popularity of the little breed continued on when the “Legally Blond” movies appeared on the big screen.  Starring in these films is Reese Whitherspoon, playing a character who carried a Chihuahua named “Bruiser” around in her pink purse.

And when Paris Hilton appeared on the cover of Seventeen Magazine with her little chihuahua “Tinkerbell” and took her along as she tried to live “The Simple Life” — there seemed to be an explosion of the little buggers everywhere. 

Other Hollywood stars who have also been smitten by the wee dogs include:  Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Noah Wyle, Christina Ricci and Hilary Duff - to name a few!

Unfortunately, when a breed is in demand (no matter what breed)… that is when the unscruplous breeders and puppy mills churn pups out litter after litter with no regard to temperment, inbreeding or proper socialization.  Which in my opinion, is a MAJOR factor in the disposition and health issues for any breed.

Tomorrow — Breed #3 on the Canine Aggression Scale!

Chihuahuas Ranked #2 Breed In Dog Aggression Study

Doxies Rank #1 In NEW Dog Aggression Study

Number one on the dog aggression list — (which comes as a complete shock to me) … my beloved, darling dachshunds! That’s right, the study showed that weiner dogs rated tops on the aggression scale out of 33 breeds! Can you even believe it???

Just look at these little faces! (These are MY two girls Hanna & Kasey)

They are just the sweetest things! But alas, apparently new research found that one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, a similar number have attacked other dogs, and one in twelve doxies have snapped at their owners.

The Study

July 2005 researchers from the University of Pennsylvania did a dog aggression study using 33 dog breeds and questioning 6,000 dog owners.  Their study analysed the behavior of thousands of dogs and the results may surprise you! 

Until this study, canine aggression research was done almost exclusively using dog bite statistics.  Researchers say that “big dogs” may have gotten a bad rap because their bites were more likely to be reported because they required medical attention.  While the bite or attack of a smaller dog may have gone unreported because there was no injury or it was not as severe.

Although Doxies were originally bred to hunt out badgers living underground in their dens, they have really never had a fearsome reputation - until now.

Hanna is 7 years old and Kasey is 3 years old.  And I feel it important to say that neither of them have EVER bitten or snapped at me, my husband or anyone else.  In fact, I have owned several dogs over the years, including 2 Dobermans, a Chow/Mix, and a Rat Terrier and have never had any bites, snaps or growls from any of my dogs. 

I wholeheartedly believe that 99.9% of how well a dog behaves is a direct result of how well that dog’s “person” is trained.  In my opinion - it is the exact same thing with people who have children.  I believe that eople with “brats” (canine or human) have raised them to be that way.

Watch a few episodes of the “Dog Whisperer” and you will see that Cesar Millan, renowned dog behavior expert proves week after week that it isn’t the dogs that need training — it’s the dog’s owner who is in need of training.  Here is a link to Cesar’s website — lots of good stuff here: 

http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/dogwhisperer/aboutshow.php

Stay tuned… tomorrow I shall blog about the Breed that ranks Number 2 on the dog aggression scale. 

“I rehabilitate dogs. I train people.” 
~ Cesar Millan

Doxies Rank #1 In NEW Dog Aggression Study

Christian the Lion - The full Story on Video

This video clip has got to be one of the most beautiful stories of all time.  It actually made me cry.  There are many versions of it on YouTube but this one is my favorite so far…

“>

In 1969 John Rendall & Ace Berg saw a lion cub for sale in Harrods.  He was cramped and lonely in a small cage, so they rescued him and brought him home. 

A local vicar allowed them to exercise the cub, now named Christian, in the church grounds — but he very quickly became too big for their flat (apartment).  The only thing they could do was try and reintroduce him to Africa - which they managed to do successfully.

A year later they wanted to visit him in Africa… they were told that he was the head of his own pride now and that he was completely wild and would not remember them.  Undaunted by the ney sayers, they went anyway 

After many hours of searching for Christian and his pride, they finally found him.  This video shows what happened when the three were reunited.

Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?

Well if he or she is… they are certainly not alone!  Many people have animals or know people who do — that are deathly afraid of lightening and thunderstorms.  And unfortunately many people believe that there is no reason for this fear other than that the animal is just being a “big baby” when a storm brews up. 

Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Research has shown that many animals can actually “feel” the static electricity in the atmosphere.  You all know how keen a dog’s sense of smell is  — it’s a zillion times better than a humans right?   Keeping that in mind, it has been proven that some animals have a similar sensitivity to this static electricity and it is that “feeling” that scares them and makes them uncomfortable. 

Sure, many animals do not like loud noises, etc.  My “girls” (The Wee Weiner Dogs) do not particularly care for fireworks of any kind.  But the girls don’t seem to mind a nice thunder and lightening storm at all.  I am very fortunate in this respect!

However, I have one friend who’s dog is so deathly afraid of the noise of the storms he would find her (Lab Mix) terrified and hiding in the closet.  Another friend of mine has to be with her dog (Boxer) comforting him through the entire storm or he is so fearful she thinks he may harm himself.  (((Poor Doggies!!!))) 

So — what do you do to help them over their fear of storms?

Well, one thing that the study showed was that it helps immensely if you rub your animal’s fur thoroughly with a dryer sheet the minute you know a storm is coming.  Yes, the very same dryer sheets you use for your laundry.  It will remove any static electricity in their fur and keep them from actually “feeling” the affects of the storm. 

If you happen to live in a part of the country where storms brew often like I do — (Florida is the lightening capital of the world!) — make the dryer sheet rub down a regular regime with your dog.  And keep in mind an animal can sense bad weather long before the storm is near… so keep a watchful eye on your local weather channel and prepare accordingly - especially if you are not likely to be home with your furry buddy when the storm hits.

Your animal has a lifetime of anxiety and fear built up & they will need patience on YOUR part help them get over it.  All they know is that a storm is coming — and the noise of one may still upset them because they know what to expect when they hear these noises.

And for heaven’s sake… don’t just use a dryer sheet one time and go “well that didn’t work”.  Some pets may always continue to be fearful of  storms.  BUT - at least you know that if you use the dryer sheets – your pet won’t have to FEEL the affects of the static electricity that may run through their bodies.

Hopefully this post will help someone and their animal have much better storm experiences in the future.

Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?

Happy New Year!

Indeed another year has come and gone and I must say it has been a wonderful year for PetMeds-Plus.com and the Pet-Speak.com Forum! The Forum has blossomed with a terrific bunch of folks who all share a love for God’s creatures! We’ve had a lot of fun this year — and as we say goodbye to 2007 let us ring in the 2008 New Year with happiness and joy!  Give your pets an extra special hug for the unconditional love they provide you with day in and day out.

A special thank goes out to all of my beloved Forum Members — because without YOU — none of this would be possible!

I will be in South Dakota visiting my Mom for the next few weeks — but no worries!  I shall return soon and blog away with more Pet Health Info & Pet News! 

Happy New Year 2008

Happy Boxing Day to all my good friends in Canada & the UK!

 I’ll admit I had to do some research on this topic.  I have heard about it for years but never really understood it.  Well my American friends…. let me tell you what they do in the Great White North, Across the Pond, and in many other countries.

According to Snopes.com

Claim:  The name of Boxing Day comes from the need to rid the house of empty boxes the day after Christmas.

Status:  False

Origins:  Few Americans have an inkling that there even is such a thing as Boxing Day, let alone what the reason might be for a holiday so named.  However, before one concludes we’re about the rag on Americentric attitudes towards other cultures, we should quickly point out that even though Boxing day is celebrated in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada, not all that many in those countries have much of a notion as to why they get the 26th of December off.  Boxing Day might well be a statutory holiday in some of those lands, but it’s not a well understood one.

Despite the lively images suggested by the name, it has nothing to do with pugilistic expositions between tanked-up family members who have dearly been looking forward to taking a round out of each other for the past year.  (Darn — I liked that idea!)  Likewise, it does not gain it’s name from the overpowering need to rid the house of excess wrappings and mountains of now useless cardboard boxes they day after St. Nick arrive to turn a perfectly charming and orderly home into a maelstrom of discarded tissue paper.

Click the link below to find out what it’s really all about! 

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/boxingday.asp

happy boxing day

We wish you many CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS from our family to yours!

Oh, and from me and Jamey too!

Merry Christmas

Pet Dental Cleaning

Yes, pets have teeth too!  Or in Hanna’s case (my Dachshund) — she has teeth — just 8 less than she did a few days ago.  I am very happy to report that she has had absolutely NO down time from having these 8 teeth removed.  It is absolutely incredible!  I kept waiting for the meds to wear off and have her moaning around the house — not so!  She is still gets 1/2 a pain pill (Deramaxx) and 1/2 an antibiotic pill every day and that is it. 

I am not going to put her back on hard food for a few days yet.  Although she wants her dry food — I don’t think she will be too happy with it the first time she chomps down on it and remembers her gums are a bit tender.

So, what has Hanna’s Mommy learned from all this?  Pet dental care is important.  Here are some facts I dug up to share:

Periodontal disease affects 85% of adult dogs and cats and can lead to pain, bad breath and tooth loss.  Even worse, chronic oral infection can spread harmful bacteria to other parts of the body, including the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys.  Fortunately most periodontal disease is preventable through a program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.

Here is my Doxie Hannabell — doesn’t she have a purdy smile?

pet dental cleaning

Doggie Dental Work

It’s about 8:00pm now… we picked Hanna up from the vet around 5:30pm.  As I blogged earlier today, her simple teeth cleaning procedure turned into a nightmare and they ended up having to pull eight of her teeth!  

I’m happy to report that she looked great when we went to get her!  She was happy to see us (no kidding!)… and gave Crissy the Vet Tech many kisses so I knew she was happy with her treatment.  Crissy is just awesome anyway — she pays special attention to all the animals and she just so happens to love our Doxies!  (((Crissy)))

Vet says the usual  “go easy on the food and water” tonight and tomorrow… make sure she can keep it down.  He also talks about the extractions and tells us that she will have no problems going back to eating her dry dog food in a few days or so.  I am like….. how is she going to do that with EIGHT teeth missing?  He reassures me (Geez this guy knows me so well) that Hanna still has plenty of teeth left, still has her back molars top and bottom and she will be just fine.

I of course am skeptical — because I KNOW my dog.  So, $380 later and a bag full of pain meds, antibiotics and doggie mouth rinse — we walk out the door to take Hanna home.  We are both dreading the minute that her pain meds from the surgery wear off and she begins writhing in pain.  But so far so good… she is sleeping next to my feet and seems quite content.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings and I am not looking forward to it.

Doggie Dental Work