Blog > Tag: research

If you live on the West Coast, you may have to deal with wildfires. As a pet owner, you need to take preventative steps to ensure you and your animals are ready for an evacuation. There are a few suggestions you can use to keep everyone safe. It's not fun to talk about potential disasters, but you have to prepare for them adequately.

The history of the Chinese Shar-Pei can be traced as far back as the Han Dynasty (200 CE), with Shar-Pei-like dogs being found on pottery dating back over 2000 years. Due to the shared demographics and geography, as well as some physical similarities, the Shar-Pei is believed to share common ancestors with both Chow Chow and Mastiffs. The ancestors of the modern-day Shar-Pei were originally used for hunting, herding, sentry work, the cruel sport of dogfighting, and even as a food source.

The Rat Terrier is thought to have descended from several different breeds, beginning in England in the 1820s when a Smooth Fox Terrier was bred to a Manchester Terrier. This produced a remarkable dog that was both strong-willed and relentless in his hunt for rats and other vermin. They were feisty little dogs, which is why the English first called them “Feists.”

Hound-type dogs historically accompanied immigrants from Europe to the United States. Many of these dogs were imported from England, Ireland, and Germany. Hunting was a way of life throughout the South, and these dogs were essential in putting food on tables, putting clothes on backs, and bringing in money for furs, as well as ridding farms, homesteads, and properties of animals that would threaten a family’s livelihood. They hunted an array of quarry, including squirrels, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, deer, and bears.

Fear is a natural, instinctual response that helps every species survive. This reaction to a perceived threat is essential but excessive fear could be just as harmful. Since we can't explain things to dogs, certain noises, actions, or places may trigger a fear response. But how do we help our beloved pets cope or even conquer their fears?