Tag Archives: dogs

Advice/How To

Top 5 animals to have as pets

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By: Cleo Newton

Photo by Gilberto Reyes on Pexels.com

If you plan on getting a pet, I think the following animals would make good pets.

Dog

Dogs are one of the most common pets to have. They’re known to be very loyal and smart. Dogs are also easier to train compared to certain other animals. Dogs can be brought into certain workplaces as long as they’re properly trained. Some of the most popular dog breeds include the Siberian Husky, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, and a poodle.

Cat

Cats are the other most commonly owned pet. According to Helpguide.org, cats serve as a good outlet for fun and play. They can also be calming to be around. Cats are pretty affectionate and loving towards their owners and/or people they trust. 46.5 million households in the United States own cats. Cats that live indoors by their owners live longer than those that are allowed to wander outside. Keeping your cat inside protects them from dangers such as large birds and traffic.

Betta Fish

If you want to let your kid take care of a pet, Betta fish are an easy pet to take care of. They don’t need much attention other than feeding them and cleaning the bowl daily. They are very pretty and come in many different colors. According to Animals.howthingswork.com, putting two male betta fish together isn’t something you should do as they could end up fighting.

Rabbit

Rabbits are social animals and are smart enough to be trained how to use the litter box. Rabbits may enjoy playing with and sitting next to their owners, but they prefer not to be hugged or snuggled with. Some rabbit breeds include Polish rabbits, Netherland Dwarf rabbit, and the American Fuzzy Lop.

Hamster

Hamsters aren’t considered domestic animals like dogs, cats, rabbits, and Guinea pigs. Just keeping one hamster is fine because like the ones that still live out in nature, they are also solitary creatures.

After reading this article, I hope you’ve learned a bit more about which animals make good pets.

Getting To Know/History

Most popular pet names

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By: Karl Salkowski

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

Pets have lived alongside humans for millennia. Pets provide a variety of mental and physical benefits. According to Health.ucdavis.edu pets have been found to help lower stress and anxiety, ease feelings of loneliness, and give a sense of purpose to pet owners. That’s not all. Pets have also been proven to help owners establish healthy routines. 60% of dog owners meet the recommended weekly amount of exercise compared to 31% of people without a dog.

Names are very important for how we go about our lives. They contribute to how our communities see us and how we see ourselves. According to Students.ubc.ca names carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections. Because of how important they are, lots of thought is often put into assigning them.

Human names often follow patterns or trends. This is why you may associate some names with older or younger people. The same is true for pets. Name popularity rises and falls over time.

According to various sources including Akc.org, Amcny.org, and Embarkvet.com, these are the top dog and cat names in 2024:

Female dog names:

  1. Bella
  2. Chloe
  3. Luna
  4. Daisy
  5. Lucy

Male dog names:

  1. Milo
  2. Charlie
  3. Buddy
  4. Leo
  5. Max

Female cat names:

  1. Luna
  2. Nala
  3. Lola
  4. Willow
  5. Coco

Male cat names:

  1. Milo
  2. Oliver
  3. Charlie
  4. Loki
  5. Oreo

There are many similarities between the most popular dog and cat names. Milo and Luna seem to be the most popular pet names overall, but not very far behind them are the names Lucy and Charlie.

Although the most popular pet names are very different from the most popular human names, there are still some similarities. Pet names and human names tend to stay popular for similar amounts of time. For example, according to Amcny.org the name Max has been one of the most popular male dog names for over a decade from between 2013 and 2023. Overall, names are extremely important to how we perceive and connect with our pets.

Advice/How To

Pros and cons of mutts

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By: Kara Fini

Mutts are dogs that are a mix of different types of breeds. Many people don’t know about all of the wonderful things that come with owning a mutt, so here’s some pros and cons of owning a mutt.

To start off, mutts are less likely to develop health problems. This is because purebreds have a history of genetic diseases that have developed. This makes mutts less likely to develop spinal disease, heart disease and cancer. Overall, they are stronger and healthier and have longer lifespans.

The next reason that can make a lot of difference for many people, is they are more affordable than purebreds. The initial cost of purebreds usually cost from $500 to $3000 dollars while mutts are generally only about $0 to $250 since most of the time they come from shelters and rescues.

If you want to help save a dog’s life then try adopting a mutt! Most mutts come from shelters or rescues. This means you are providing a home for these dogs in need. Around 75-90% of dogs in shelters are mutts.

The last pro for mutts, is they are not trained to perform certain tasks. Purebred dogs have been bred for years to create a nearly perfect dog for certain tasks, for example shepherd dogs are specifically designed for herding cattle and hounds are designed for hunting. While this is useful when performing these tasks it can become hard to handle in a household environment, especially with children. In mutts these instincts can still exist, but the severity of the traits are a lot lower.

Even though there are so many great things about mutts, here are some cons to consider.

The first is that because they are not a specific breed, if you adopt a mutt as a puppy there little chance you will know how big it will get. This can be difficult for families who need or want a specific sized dog to fit in their life. It can also be more difficult to guess the age of the dog if they didn’t come into a shelter or rescue, not as a young puppy.

The next con is that many mutts come from a background of trauma. This can make it difficult to train, especially if they are in this traumatic event around the age of 8-12 weeks, as this is the time they are most impressionable.

The last reason a mutt might not be for you is that they are most likely not hypoallergenic. Even if a mutt has poodle or other types of hypoallergenic breeds in it, it’s hard to know if they are 100% hypoallergenic.

Getting To Know/History

History of Greyhounds

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By: Cleo Newton

Greyhounds have been around for a very long time. They have around 8000 years worth of history.

According to Gapsa.org.au, Greyhounds are the oldest purebred dog breed dating back to the time of Pharaohs. They have shown up in the ‘Bible’, and in Greek and Roman mythology. This breed was very much admired and respected, and only royalty and people of noble status were allowed to have them.

Many famous historical people have owned this breed of dog such as Queen Elizabeth I and Christopher Columbus. Even Shakespeare wrote about them in ‘Henry V’.

Greyhounds almost went extinct in the Middle Ages during times of famine. Luckily, they were protected and saved by clergymen who bred them for nobility. King Howel of Wales made killing a Greyhound punishable by death in the 10th century. If commoners were found owning a Greyhound, they would be severely punished and unfortunately for the dog, it would get its toes lawed, which would include removing the middle toes, to stop it from hunting.

Greyhounds have a high prey drive which is why people use them hunting (unfortunately even today). Greyhounds are the fastest domesticated dog and based on Dailypaws.com, they can run at speeds up to 40-45 mph. Those who hunt with Greyhounds prefer to own ones with brindle, fawn, red, or black fur.

It’s the complete opposite for nobles though. They favored the ones with white and spotted fur. This was so that if their dog was to ever escape, it would be easier to spot it in a forest.

It wasn’t until around the 1700s that Greyhounds became a dog that not only nobility were allowed to own. Did you know that every purebred greyhound can be traced back to just one dog back in the late 1930s, King Cob? King Cob was born in England in 1839. He was the first dog available for public stud service as stated by Racecourse.co.uk.

According to Ngap.org, Greyhounds started being used for racing in 1919. I think that Greyhound racing is not a sport that should be supported, many of them die in the process.

After reading this article, I hope you’ve learned a few things about my favorite breed of dog and maybe even considered adopting one yourself.

Advice/How To

Why are dogs a good pet to have?

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By: Isabel Strack

There are many benefits to owning a dog. Here are some of the health benefits that a person may get from having a dog as a pet.

Dogs are good pets to have because they can help you feel less alone. Dogs can help a lot with your mental and physical health and they can help you even when other people can’t. Owning a dog can lower your chance of feeling socially isolated, which can reduce the risks of heart attacks. When someone is socially isolated it can affect your mental health.

Dogs encourage you to move and get out of the house. Owners spend almost 300 minutes every week walking their dog. That is 200 more minutes of walking than for people who aren’t pet owners. When walking your dog, it can make you look more approachable and give someone a good conversation starter. Researchers found that about 40% of dog owners have a easier time meeting new people and making new friends. Dog owners can interact with more people like other dog owners they encounter on their daily walks.

Dogs can help lower your stress level. Many studies have shown that dogs can help relieve stress and anxiety. Just petting a dog that you may know can help lower your blood pressure, slow your breathing, and help relax tense muscles. Research has shown that a bond between humans and dogs can lower your stress levels, which is a big cause of cardiovascular problems.

Dogs help you increase your activities. They give you reasons to go outside and get physical activity everyday. Dogs force you to get up and move. A research study has found that people who own dogs are more likely to do regular physical activities, then for people that don’t own any dogs. They require daily exercise. Over time this exercise can help strengthen your muscles, bones and joints. You might notice that your usual walk or run with your dog will start to feel easier.

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Getting To Know/History, Sports

Iditarod

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By: Kara Fini

The Iditarod Race is an annual Alaskan sled dog race held early March. It starts in Anchorage and travails nearly 1,000 miles through the Alaskan terrain all the way to Nome, Alaska. Each team starts with 14-16 dogs, a musher and sled. A musher is the human who directs and helps the dogs throughout the race. There are 3 required stops, one 24 hour stop and two 8 hour stops. During these the dogs get medical care and a check to make sure they can keep going.

Before Alaska was settled by Russia, Native Alaskans found that sled dogs were the most efficient way to get to places because of the harsh climates and rough terrain. Russia settled in Alaska in the early 1800s and found native sled dog trails. They decided it would be a good place to set up a fur trading post.

When Alaska was bought by the US from Russia, most of inland Alaska had not been explored except by the Natives currently living there, but once gold was discovered, people came rushing in from all over in hopes to become rich off of their finds. The three major places where gold was found were in Hope, Nome and Iditarod.

As miners and traders spread across Alaska they realized that the Natives’ way of using sled dogs was the easiest way to transport mail and tools to the miners in the areas. They created a path leading from Skagway up to Nome that later changed to be Seward to Nome because many people reported it was less dangerous. Along the trail up to Nome there were road houses where mushers could sleep and get food for them and their dog.

In 1925 a diphtheria epidemic broke out in Nome causing many people to fall ill. Being a small secluded town, there was no serum to help there, but in Anchorage there was a serum. They needed to get it to Nome quickly. They were able to send it partially there by train but there was still quite a way to go, so they used mushers and sled dogs on the Iditarod trail to send it the rest of the way to Nome. It took only 5 days after departing Anchorage to arrive at Nome. This run is the most historic part of the Iditarod Trail.

Throughout the next several decades, the trail saw little to no use with the gold industry declining, and airplanes being able to deliver mail.

In 1973 a race along the Iditarod started to honor the history of the gold rush and bring awareness to the Iditarod Trail. This race has continued every year since then with tons of people coming every year.