📰 NEWS

Another step against cruelty

The pandemic has not only been hard on us but also on our pets.

Many people wanted to use the extra time they had on their hands to become dog or cat owners.

As a result of owners going back to their normal lives, these same pets are now given up to shelters and oftentimes in poor conditions.

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (California) wants to pass a bill called the 'Dog and Cat Bill of Rights' which would give our pets a legal basis that could be reinforced. 👩‍⚖️

The main seven rights are:

1. They have the right to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect and abuse
2. The right to a life of comfort free of anxiety
3. The right to daily mental stimulation and appropriate exercise
4. The right to nutritious food and sanitary water and shelter
5. The right to preventative and therapeutic health care
6. The right to be properly identified through tags, microchips or other humane means
7. The right to be spayed and neutered to prevent unwanted litters

While these might sound like the bare minimum to you, you would be surprised how many owners do not fulfill these conditions.

If everything works out fine it could be law by January 2023 and must be posted in every shelter and adoption agency.

📑 STUDY

Your dog knows it's you

Do you remember that time when you got lost as a child in a busy mall and you finally hear your mom's voice that you could recognize among thousands?

A new study from Hungary found that dogs can do the same...to some extent.

The researchers tested 28 dog-owner pairs by recording their voices and playing a little hide and seek with their dogs.

To add some difficulty, they added voices of 14 different strangers which they tested through multiple rounds.

Results: The dogs were able to find their owners 82% of the time which means that they are pretty good at recognizing voices. 🗣

Although they might not use the same voice recognition parameters as we do, they can also detect slight changes in tone.

But don't be discouraged if your dog doesn't show any interest when you want to talk with him on the phone.

Most devices are limited to accommodate only the human hearing range and do not sound realistic enough to dogs.

💊 HEALTH

Dogs also need ab workouts

Just like in humans, any form of exercise reduces the risk of injury in dogs.

This especially applies to the abdominal and back muscles which can prevent one of the most common knee injuries.

But how would you go about engaging your dog in a 10-minute ab exercise Youtube video?

Luckily it's simpler than that and you only need to focus on the exercises that strengthen the core the most - balance exercises.

Think wobble boards, see-saw or walking on a trampoline.

Running short distances is the worst exercise for ligaments with the agility sport flyball being the riskiest. 🎾

The study of 1,262 agility dogs also found that activities such as dock diving, barn hunt, nose work, or lure coursing also decreased the odds of injury.

At home, you can strengthen your dog's core by practicing position changes such as stand-sit-stand or sit-stand-down.

Tricks such as figure 8 or spin also work the core and the brain.