I’ve just returned early from holiday as I received an emergency call for one of my dogs. My galga Carmela had bumped her head – who knows how, the lovely animal sitter didn’t know – collapsed and had been rushed to the vet. Diagnosis is possibly a stroke. She is doing ok on medication but in the meantime I’m trying to catch up on podenco stories. So for the time being here’s another article I thought you might be interested to read.

I have lived with dogs all my life and can’t remember us ever brushing their teeth. We’ve tended to give them bones and chews to do the job. Having said that, my little podenca Bebe came as a 6 year old with her teeth in a terrible state – from bad nutrition as a puppy according to my vet. But apart from having the 4 lower front teeth removed, the rest haven’t caused problems and she is now 15 years old.

Here’s a slide show of how to clean your dog’s teeth.

Here is an article from Whole Dog Journal on the subject.

Understanding Your Dog’s Vocalizations

Barks, growls, howls, whines, and whimpers – your dog is talking to you, and he’s got a lot to say! Here’s a quick run-down of what your dog might have to say.

Barking

Dogs bark for many reasons, including alert (there’s something out there!), alarm (there’s something bad out there) boredom, demand, fear, suspicion, distress, and pleasure (play).

The bark of a distressed dog, such as a dog who suffers from isolation or separation distress or anxiety, is high-pitched and repetitive; getting higher in pitch as the dog becomes more upset. Boredom barking tends to be more of a repetitive monotone. Alert bark is likely to be a sharp, staccato sound; alarm barking adds a note of intensity to the alert.

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Ann Marie Payne of Ann’s Canine Care in Malaga is a gifted poet. Here is the weblink to one of her verses, well put together with instructions for people who have taken on a foster or adopted rescue dog.