When your cat shuns the litter box 

One of the most frequent questions cat owners ask is what to do when a pet suddenly loses interest in using the litter box. No matter how much someone loves their pet, it is hard having an animal in the house that eliminates inappropriately. Find Out More…

Height: 6-5. Weight: 205. Age: 31, born July 20, 1975 at Castle AFB, Merced, Calif. College: Connecticut. Find Out More…

Want to hear a scary story, just in time for Halloween Last week, a pit bull and her two puppies got loose in Newberg and killed a wallaroo. The wallaroo, an exotic pet that looks like a miniature kangaroo, was in its backyard when the pit bulls broke through a fence and attacked it. Find Out More…

A Question On Pomeranian Instinct

To what extent are dogs guided by instinct? Can one train Pomeranians to forget their natural instincts and just obey without question?

The relevant meaning of instinct given in a dictionary is as follows: “The natural impulse apparently independent of reason or experience by which animals are guided.” This sounds very sensible. Take a Pomeranian puppy: every time he is asked to do something he doesn’t want to do, or if he fears the approach of a bigger or fiercer dog than himself, he quickly lies on the floor with his legs in the air and tummy exposed to the enemy. This attitude has come down through generations of domesticated dogs; yet it is the remains of an instinct of the wild. For in the wild no young puppy would have been attacked in this position; it is against the laws of nature. This habit is a great hindrance in training, for when a dog does it and you try to put his lead on, he just waves his legs in the air and bites, especially if you try to get hold of his collar. Therefore we must train these dogs to understand that this position will not save them from being made to do what we wish them to do.

Pomeranians are guided a lot by instinct, but a lot more by smell, and smell can vary considerably with individual persons, according to their state of mind. For example, why is it that dogs take instantly to some people and won’t go near others, especially when those they don’t wish to know want to be friends with them? I think each human being has a friendly or unfriendly smell, which dogs can always detect. Fear, I believe, sends out an unpleasant smell, for dogs sense nervous people yards away.

Why do Pomeranians go and sniff at the base of another dog’s tail? It is the old instinct to find out whether that dog belongs to his pack or another by the scent from the anal glands. Why do dogs roll in something dirty, in spite of knowing quite well they will get beaten or bathed for their sin? Because in the old times of wild dogs they wanted to show their enemies they were about, by leaving their own scent on something not carrying it. That is also why they lift their legs where any other dog has lifted his leg; a dog’s particular scent indicates to his pack where he has gone.

Certainly one cannot give in to instinct when training a Pomeranian to be obedient. A dog must do as he is told without question, providing the thing he is asked to do is fair and reasonable. For example, I do not think jumping through fire is fair or reasonable, and I hate to see animals made to do it as a trick. Animals have an instinctive fear of fire from the old days of forest fires, and to train them to do this trick must involve a certain amount of cruelty.

Wherever possible we use the Pomeranian’s natural instincts if they can be guided into the right channels. Take tracking, for example. A dog’s natural instinct is to find food by using his nose, and most trainers agree that food at the end of the trail is a great incentive when teaching a dog to track. That is the ancient instinct to stay free.

A Question About Smelly, Oily Pomeranian Dog Skin

My Pomeranian dog has a very bad, oily smell to her skin. What is the cause and is there any way to get rid of it?

Your Pomeranian may have a seborrheic skin condition. Chronic low-level inflammation of the skin causes increased production of fatty acids. Bacteria grow more easily in this bed of extra fatty acids, and they create that “dog smell” that you are complaining about.

You can treat mild cases using a medicated antiseborrheic shampoo once a week. Moderate to severe cases will probably need to be seen by your veterinarian, who can prescribe steroids and other medications that will help to decrease the inflammation in the skin. When using medicated shampoos, remember to let them sit in contact with the skin for ten minutes.

There are many types of medicated shampoos on the market. It is recommended that you buy one from your veterinary hospital. However, if your doctor prescribes one from the pet store, that is also alright. Just be sure you get the directions for its use from the doctor. Don’t rely on the pet store clerk to give advice on this condition.

Thirty-Three Homeless From LR Apartment Fire 

More than thirty people are without a home tonight as fire tears through an apartment complex in Little Rock. More…

The battle between man and beast gets kicked up a notch… By Scott Harrell. More…

Meet the Sonics 

Height: 6-5. Weight: 205. Age: 31, born July 20, 1975 at Castle AFB, Merced, Calif. College: Connecticut.
Source: seattletimes.nwsource.com

Local couple vow to rebuild home, lives 
MANITOWOC Sandy Londo struggles with the idea of moving back to the only home shes ever lived in after it was damaged by fire on Saturday, killing her two dogs.
Source: www.htrnews.com

Educate yourself on popular dog breeds of the world: 
THE Pomeranian is a breed of dog in the Spitz family, named from the Pomerania region of Poland and eastern Germany. The name Pomore or Pommern means “on the sea”. It was brought to Europe to be employed to herd sheep. The Pom ancestors weighed up to 30 pounds.
Source: www.dailynews.lk

Readers offer opinions on election issues, candidates 

I intend to vote for state Issue 2, which will increase Ohio’s minimum wage because it’s simply the right thing to do. At the present $5.15 per hour, which hasn’t been increased in 10 years, workers make only $10,700 per year, way below the federal poverty level. Read More…

All kinds and all sizes of pure- and mixed-breed dogs came to the Maryville Pooch Party last week, almost as excited as co-chairwomen Cindy Jones and Diana Hedrick were to have them there. Read More…

A young mother on her way to a job interview in Everett disappeared earlier this week. Colleen Schaefer, 25, got on a bus about… Read More…

The celebrity set goes barking 

If you want to play with the stars, get a toy dog. Adam Edwards examines the soaring popularity of the miniature four-legged fashion accessory.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Some pit bull owners just don’t get it 
Want to hear a scary story, just in time for Halloween? Last week, a pit bull and her two puppies got loose in Newberg and killed a wallaroo. The wallaroo, an exotic pet that looks like a miniature kangaroo, was in its backyard when the pit bulls broke through a fence and attacked it.
Source: www.dhonline.com

The celebrity set goes barking 

If you want to play with the stars, get a toy dog. Adam Edwards examines the soaring popularity of the miniature four-legged fashion accessory. More…

Want to hear a scary story, just in time for Halloween Last week, a pit bull and her two puppies got loose in Newberg and killed a wallaroo. The wallaroo, an exotic pet that looks like a miniature kangaroo, was in its backyard when the pit bulls broke through a fence and attacked it. More…