Best Friend

It wasn't by accident that advertising for the company �RCA� once featured a dog cocking his head in front of a speaker horn. There's something about this position that most people find utterly adorable. Dogs know it, too, which is why they do it, even when they aren't trying to hear anything in particular. We give them a positive response, and they remember that. Also, dogs tilt their heads for very practical reasons as well. Tilting the head to the side puts one of the ears up and forward. By turning an ear in the direction of fuzzy or inaudible sounds, dogs are able to hear a little more clearly.

We often forget how confusing human speech is for dogs. Even though dogs understand some of what we're saying, most of our conversation is just a blur of sound to them. Usually, they just ignore it. They can tell from our body language and eye movements when we're saying things that concern them. Once something attracts their interest, they'll often perk up their ears and tilt their heads slightly in order to figure out what's going on.

Dogs rarely cock their heads when sounds are coming from the sides, since their ears are
already in prime hearing position. They mainly do it when people are in front of them, since the sound waves aren't traveling directly toward the ears. You'll see this more in puppies than older dogs. It's not that puppies have more trouble hearing. They just haven't been around us long enough to figure out what's important and what isn't. So they respond to almost any sound with a little head-cock, especially when we're looking at them at the same time. They know something interesting is happening, and they don't want to miss a thing. They often cock their heads to make sense out of the babble of noise. The movement allows them to capture every bit of sound.

The way a dog's ears are designed may play some role in how much he cocks his head.
Pricked-up ears may be slightly more efficient than other ear shapes, since sound waves are able to go right in. Floppy ears present a problem. The sound waves have to pass through a big, heavy ear flap before reaching the eardrum. This probably doesn't make a big difference, but dogs with heavy, hanging ears may have to work a little harder in order to hear what's being said. The inside of a dog's ear is shaped like a cup. This design allows the ears to scoop in sound waves - but only when the opening is unencumbered.

The Poodle's coat consists of two types of hair. The outer coat should be thick, wiry and curly. The undercoat must be soft and woolly to provide warmth. Puppies, however, are exceptions. Poodle puppy coats are soft and fine with little or no curl, but often with a slight wave.
As the dog matures into adulthood, the coat develops a thick, curly quality. The best way to judge a puppy's potential adult coat is to look at the parents. If they carry good coats, their
puppies will likely possess them too.

Ever since the first hunters trimmed their retrieving dogs to prevent drowning, the Poodle hairstyle has been a favorite topic of conversation among dog people. Initially, Poodles sported either a Continental clip or an English Saddle clip. Now, hundreds of years later, these are still popular as they are required clips for show dogs.

Puppies under one year of age are shown in a simple trim known as a �Puppy clip�. Only the face, throat, feet and base of tail are clipped. The tail displays the characteristic pompom at its end. The body coat is lightly trimmed to give it a neat unbroken line for a pleasant appearance.

The �Continental clip� has full hair around the chest and rib cage, with shaved hindquarters and legs. Large pompons are sculpted over each hip above the area of the kidneys (optional) and around the ankles for protection from the cold.

The �English Saddle clip� permits a short mantle of hair over the hindquarters and full
coat from the waist to the topknot and ears. The ankle and knee joints are also protected with pompons.

All Poodles are given a topknot of hair over the skull that is brushed out and groomed to stand erect in a rounded pompon. Adult dogs must be shown in either the English Saddle or Continental clip; the only exception being competitors in Stud Dog classes, for which a Sporting clip is permitted. The English Saddle and Continental are the clips of choice for the conformation ring around the world, except in the UK, where the Lion clip is preferred.

Pet Poodles and those not being shown in breed conformation classes at dog shows are usually groomed in styles designed for ease of maintenance. Often the body hair is clipped short, with the legs trimmed a bit longer. Some male Poodles sport tiny mustaches around the muzzles. The pet style is usually determined by the owner's willingness and capability to maintain the coat in a well-groomed fashion. In addition. Poodles that spend a lot of time outdoors are usually kept shorter because it's easier to keep the coat clean when the hair isn't too long.

Ancient dogs survived on whatever they could find or catch. If they managed to get more than they could eat in a sitting, they had to make sure it would be there when they came back to it later. "They stored spare food by burying it," says Benjamin Hart, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of physiology and behavior at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine at Davis. "It was a pretty resourceful way of keeping leftovers." Dirt may be gritty and hard on the teeth, but it is also protective.

The temperature in the ground is cooler than it is in the air, so burying food helped it stay fresh longer. Buried food did not roast in the sun. It did not immediately get covered with flies and insect. All in all, burying food and juicy bones was a very good solution.

Dogs do not need to bury their food anymore. But when they have an excess of rations, they feel that old urge coming on. So they look for a secluded spot, dig a quick hole, and put some goodies away for a rainy day.

If your adult Pit Bull unexpectedly soils your house, the reason could be some kind of physical or emotional problem. Keep an eye out on your dog to see if there is any change in his physical appearance and/or his behavior. A physical examination is often necessary when a formerly housebroken dog suddenly begins to soil the house. When accidents happen, consider the following possibilities:

1. Older dogs simply do not have the bladder control that they once had when they were younger. The most effective solution for this is installing a doggy door.
2. It is quite common for older spayed females to dribble. When this occurs, ask your vet about drug therapies.
3. Submissive dogs, particularly young females, may urinate because of excitement upon greeting their owner. Punishment in this case only makes the situation worse. To eliminate the problem, keep greetings calm so as not to overly excite your dog. Submissive urination usually stops as your dog gets older and gains more confidence.
4. If you notice several small urine spots, especially if they are dark or bloody, this could indicate a bladder infection. This type of problem causes the dog to urinate often.
5. Accidents can happen due to bouts of diarrhea. If this is the case, restrict the dog's access inside the house. Clean and deodorize the area thoroughly and go back to house training 101.