Many dog lovers claim to love all canine types and sizes, and in a world where the tiniest breeds average only 5 pounds to those weighing over 150, this is a remarkable range of taste. Nevertheless, it does seem as if Americans prefer larger dogs. Perhaps it is our culture (“bigger is better”?) or perhaps […]
Canine Heroes
From service dogs to shaggy dogs, canine heroes cross all breeds, genders, places and times. The earliest such hero may be the story of Gelert, a legendary dog, alleged to have been a gift from King John of England to Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd. Llywelyn returned from hunting to find his baby missing, […]
An Extraordinary Revelation: Decoding Dog Thoughts
Can you imagine getting a dog – even a service dog – to go into the loud, dark tunnel of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and lie there quietly, without moving, while the machine scans the dog’s brain? I never imagined it could be done or, more accurately, why someone would want to do that – unless, […]
Are Santa’s “reindeer” really Service Dogs?
Have you ever considered the possibility that Santa’s sleigh is actually pulled by . . . service dogs? It makes sense, doesn’t it? After all, what greater service than to help Santa deliver presents to children all over the world! But, you say, all the cards and cups and ornaments and every other conceivable thing […]
Holiday Biscuits and Dangerous Bites (of food, not dogs)
A recent magazine article claimed that the average person gains one to two pounds during the holidays. Gain one to two pounds over the holidays? Are they kidding? That’s about as believable as those television infomercials, which promise a program that will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams and reveal the secret to losing […]
A Thanksgiving Message
In the US, the start of the winter holiday season is marked by a special day: Thanksgiving. It is a tradition that began in 1621 but did not become a national holiday until 1863, when President Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation. In consideration of this important holiday, which encourages us to reflect and consider our […]
A Tale of Tails
Does a dog’s wagging tale tell us how he’s feeling? Scientists think they may have unlocked a key to the emotional communication of a dog’s wagging tail. Most of us know that a wagging tail expresses not only happiness but a host of emotions. In 2007, Italian researchers reported that a wag to the left […]
Hearts and Hands Animal Rescue, Education and Training Center
Wild animal rescue and rehabilitation affords new insights for training at Hearts and Hands, in Ramona, CA.
Canine Fashionistas
This is not an article about fashions for dogs (ha…ha… fooled ya’, although Halloween is coming and we at mymagicdog should really say something about dressing your dog in silly costumes, but we’ll refrain ourselves). This is about what breeds of dogs are in fashion right now. Of course, our all time, absolute favorite “breed-most-in-fashion” […]
Etiquette with Service Dogs
The other day I was in line to pay at an office supplies store with my service dog sitting quietly by my side. Then, quite suddenly, I felt the leash stiffen. My dog suddenly stood up and twisted his head to look behind him. I did the same and discovered that the man waiting behind […]
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