Lilyruths Dogcents

A dog can lick his fur, but it isn't enough to make him clean. Your dog may need extra help from you to keep his skin healthy. He cannot do it on his own so you, the pet owner, will have to ensure that not only is your dog kept clean and well-groomed, but that his environs are kept clean and sanitized, too. Your dog's den must always be kept clean, free from dirt and trash, and regularly treated for infestations. In addition, his environs, and that include your house, your garage, your yard, should also be kept clean and tidy. Start from your ... Read Full Story

Posted on Friday, 18 January, 2008 | 5:07 | Comments: 6 What would a dog say if it could talk? "Stranger", "fight", "walk", "alone", "ball" and "play", according to scientists who have developed a computer programme to translate dog barks. The special programme analysed more than 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs in six different situations. In a series of tests the team of scientists, from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary led by Csaba Molnár, discovered that a computer could recognise whether a dog was in a stranger, fight, walk, alone, ball or play scenario. Computer can tell what kind of situation a dog ... Read Full Story

This story has a happy ending. Hooch is back with his owner Two dogs saved from a destruction order by a magistrate earlier this week have been returned to their owner in east Belfast. Mongrels Roxy and Hooch spent the last year in a dog pound, because it was thought they were pit bulls. The animals were seized by Belfast City Council last January after a report that their owner, 64-year-old Irene Chambers, kept dangerous dogs. However, on Wednesday a magistrate accepted the dogs were mongrels. Dismissing the charges he said the dogs were owned by a "loving and caring lady". Roxy has also ... Read Full Story

Cats 'used as dog fighting bait' The cats are often used to rile fighting dogsAn animal welfare charity has warned that cats are being used as bait by the organisers of illegal dog fights. The Scottish SPCA said they had found video footage of Staffordshire Bull Terriers being turned on domestic cats. Investigators said the involvement of domestic animals was a "sickening new twist" in the long-standing problem of dog fighting rings. However, they said it was often difficult to gather enough evidence to prosecute those responsible. The charity said cat remains had been found at the scene of a number of organised dog ... Read Full Story

Thinking of giving a dog as a gift? You might want to think again. Animal shelters say they see an increase in the number of animals given up after the holidays. The holidays are a very busy time and having a pet dog is a big responsibility. Dogs live 10-15 years or more and adopting a dog is a long-term commitment that needs to taken very seriously. There is a reason why there are so many homeless dogs and it is usually because the owner and dog were mismatched and not because there is something wrong with the dog. Owners often do not realize ... Read Full Story