A Jack Russell Terrier Was a Hero.

Tue May 8, 2:53 AM ET., WELLINGTON (AFP)

Nine-year-old Jack Russell terrier, George, is being honored with a posthumous bravery medal for saving five New Zealand children from an attack by two pitbulls.

The medal from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) comes after US Vietnam veteran Jerrell Hudman said he was sending his Purple Heart medal to George's owner after hearing of the dog's bravery.

George, who had a heart problem, won fame after defending five children from the pitbulls in the small North Island town of Manaia a week and a half ago. The two pitbulls rushed at the five children on the street, prompting George to charge the much larger dogs as the children escaped.

The Jack Russell was badly mauled by the two pitbulls and later had to be put down because of his extensive injuries. The two pitbulls were also put down.

The SPCA medal is usually awarded to people for their bravery in defending animals.

"George was a very brave little dog who almost certainly prevented severe injury, if not death, to at least one of the children," SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said.

"It's truly tragic that he paid with his own life for his instinctive act of courage."

Hudman, 58, of Austin, Texas was a US Marine for 30 years and said he decided to send his Purple Heart to George's owner Alan Gay after reading the news on the Internet because the dog was "a little warrior".

The Purple Heart is awarded to those killed or injured fighting for the US military.

Your Dog's Diet

Do you know what kinds of food to allow your dog to eat? Surely, you are not having him try to survive on table scraps only!!

Things that humans eat or use may be toxic to Fido. Even your favorite, chocolate, can be harmful to him. Non-food items should also be out of reach for man's best friend.

Click HERE for information on bad things to use for doggy's nourishment. Be careful, also, about overfeeding this good friend of yours.

Click below for a good doggy diet information book.

Dog Food

Cleaning Up After Puppy Poops

Oops, the dog peed at the wrong place again. What can you do about it? How do you clean up the mess, whether it is wet or semi-solid refuse?

Have you ever wondered why after you have spent hours of cleaning your carpet, your dog still returns to the same spot on the carpet to urinate and/or defecate?

Do you know what is the most effective ways of ensuring successful removal of your pet odors and stains in your home?

Click on the HERE for the answer.

There is no need to live with bad doggy odors or embarrassing piles in your own home.

Amusing Dog Photos

How about seeing some cute dog pictures for a change of pace?

Click here to see a few.

Taco Bell dog in a cup

We all like the Taco Bell dog when we see it in a commercial. Some people even choose one simply because it is cute on TV. This is a special dog for special kinds of people, however. It is not for everyone.

They used to be advertised as a dog that fits into a teacup. Small ones actually do fit into a cup as the picture above shows. They sometimes are a bit to large for a cup, though.

These dogs are short-tempered and do not like other breeds of dogs. If you have a dog already, do not buy a Chihuahua unless your present dog is of that breed. The little Chihuahua will challenge even very large dogs and get the worst end of any fight that may break out. Their bark is bigger than their bite.

Older people living in a small apartment will enjoy the Chihuahua but will find that the dog tends to try to set the rules, even choosing a favorite chair for itself, even the owner's chair. This breed of dogs tends to manipulate even its owner many times. This is not a dog for small children as its temperament does not make allowance for childish behavior.

We usually think of this dog as looking like the Taco Bell dog. That dog is a short-haired Chihuahua. There are long-haired Chihuahua's also. The long-haired variety does not have the 'shakes' as badly as the short-haired ones since it retains its body heat better. See the photo here of the long-haired Chihuahua.
They usually weigh between two and six pounds when full-grown. Coloring varies a lot. Their ears tend to look like those of a terrier, usually looking alert and upright. Much like a human baby, the Chihuahua puppies have a soft spot on the top of their heads. Sometimes it does not completely close so a blow to the head could be fatal, even to an adult Chihuahua.

Click here for more detailed information on this frisky and sassy teeny breed of dog. There is a lot to learn about them.

Do you know your Chihuahua well? Read this book to find out.

The Everything Chihuahua Book

Does thunder or fireworks scare your dog?

It's unsettling when your dog has a fear of thunder, fireworks or other loud and sudden noises. Dogs often express their fear in destructive behavior, barking, cowering, and throwing various fits.

There are two mistakes we often make which only make the situation worse:

1. Never reprimand or punish the dog for being afraid - He will only become more frightened.

2. Never verbally or physically try to reassure or comfort the dog when he is acting fearful - If you stroke, cradle or hug your dog while saying things like, 'Oh poor baby, it's OK, there's nothing to be afraid of,' the dog doesn't understand your words, but he does understand that he is receiving a gentle, soothing reward by your actions and tone of voice. The dog usually concludes it is doing the right thing by acting nervous because you are so approving of it.

Sometimes simply stopping the unintentional reward stops the fearful behavior. But until the dog is over his fears, it is best to confine him to a place where he can't hurt himself or completely destroy your property. A crate is ideal. Accustom the dog to his special place so that he feels comfortable and secure there. Don't wait until the storm has arrived to introduce your dog to his 'safe haven.'

Below are two methods to help your dog to overcome his fear of thunder, fireworks and other loud noises:

Method 1 - Distraction Training And Fear

Brush up on some obedience training and teach your dog a few tricks and games. It is difficult for a dog to be afraid when he is enjoying his favorite game of fetch. It is difficult to think about the thunder storm outside when he is concentrating on a quick series of Come, Sit, Heel, Sit, Shake Hands, Down, Roll Over, etc. The idea is to distract the dog from the noise. You can then shower the dog with lots of affection and attention, but for obeying a simple command of sit-shake hands, instead of for acting fearful.

The key is patience and practice. Do not wait until the night before the thunder storm or the third of July (fear of fireworks) to begin teaching your dog a few tricks. Be sure he knows them well beforehand. He will probably have trouble concentrating at first, so the better he knows the games and tricks, the easier it will be for him to perform them under pressure.

Method 2 - Desensitization And Fear

Another method of helping your dog overcome his fear is to slowly and gradually accustom him to the noises that frighten him. This can be done by making a recording of the sounds and playing it back to the dog while he is enjoying everyday life and activities. Many music stores have soundtracks of fireworks, thunder storms and rain that you can purchase. Start by playing it back at such a low volume that you can barely hear it, but the dog's keen hearing will. The dog should show no signs of fear at this volume. Gradually, over the course of weeks or months, increase the volume by tiny increments. The volume is increased so slowly that the dog hardly notices the change. Eventually he will be used to hearing the sounds at full force. If at any time, your dog shows signs of fear, decrease the volume again and proceed a little more slowly. This procedure will work more quickly if you combine it with distraction training.

Remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

The Use of Chew Toys in Dog Training

Many pet owners give chew-toys to their puppies, hoping that their puppies will not chew up their good shoes, table legs, couches, etc.

But unknown to them, chew-toys are the number one cause of destructive chewing.

Probably below are the common misconceptions pet owners have for giving chew-toys to their dogs:

1. It's instinctive for a puppy to chew.

Since he's going to chew on "something", it is better to give him a chew-toy and not our new shoes.

It is the instinctive nature for a puppy to chew. As humans, we will instinctively pick up a new object to feel it; a puppy will investigate a new object by first smelling it, followed by chewing on the object to see if it's good for eating.

So it is unrealistic to get rid of such instinctive behavior in our dogs. However, what we can do is to modify or control this behavior by enhancing and strengthening desirable behaviors and diminishing and suppressing undesirable ones.

2. Chew-toys relieve boredom.

Often a puppy chews things because he's bored so it's better for him to chew on a nylon bone (chew-toy) when he gets bored.

But so is chewing a table leg. Think of it this way. If your dog is going to chew to relieve boredom, guess what's going to happen when he gets bored, and his chew toy is in another room, and your shoe happens to be handy?

3. Puppies need chew-toys to develop their teeth and jaws.

This is totally a misconception! By feeding a good diet to your puppy, including raw bones, your puppy will NOT need to chew nylon or rawhide to develop his teeth and jaws.

The Remedy

It is important to remember that from the time you bring your puppy home, you have to teach him not to put his teeth on anything that isn't food.

If he picks up a stick in the back yard and chews or plays with it, say nothing. However, once he is inside the house, tell him firmly to "leave it" if the item he picks up is not food. Then make sure to help him to change his focus to something else.

By doing this, we are helping the dog to suppress his instinct to chew.

Yes, your puppy will still get bored sometimes. Since nobody ever taught him to chew to relieve boredom, he will not chew to relieve his boredom.

So is there any legitimate use for toys?

Toys such as canvas dummies, bird wings, Frisbees, and especially balls, are invaluable training aids. Very often toys like a ball can be used to motivate a dog in his training routines and for bond building between you and the dog during play sessions. We must always remember that the ball is not his. It's yours. So after playing or training, always remember to take the ball away from your dog. In doing so, you are getting your dog to relate to you and not the ball. That way, the ball and the play session become a strong motivator. By leaving the ball with him all the time, your puppy would have little interest in playing with it, and you would lose your best means of motivating him.

So, there are legitimate uses for toys but certainly not for chew-toys.

Remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!