Each year, they race 1,971 miles through the snow and ice of the Alaskan wilderness, weighed down by sleeping bags, a small tent, a stove that weathers the wind, flares, a hatchet and other gear they’ll need to survive if conditions deteriorate. McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin hugs her husband Todd on February 10th, 2008, at the start of the Tesoro Iron Dog, the longest snowmobile race in the world. From Wasilla, Alaska — the hometown of John McCain’s vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin — northwest to Nome and then east to Fairbanks, two-person teams compete in the Iron Dog, the longest snowmobile race in the world. While many Washington types and political families might never dream of subjecting themselves to those conditions, that’s not the case for Palin and her husband, Todd. A professional snowmobiler, Todd Palin is a four-time race champion, winning his last title in 2007 with competition partner Scott Davis. Two weeks ago, Todd Palin signed up for the February 2009 race, which would be his 16th run as a competitor. read more

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Matthew Seigneur

What is canine diabetes?

Canine diabetes is a condition where there is a deficiency of the hormone insulin or maybe insensitivity to it. Inside the islet cells of the pancreas insulin is produced.

Insulin is usually responsible for controlling the body’s main fuel, glucose. Insulin does this by preventing the glucose production in the liver and it also ensures that glucose that is taken in from food that is in excess is put into body stores.

In a dog that has canine diabetes, they do not have enough insulin to turn off the glucose production by the liver or to store it efficiently.

What this means is that the glucose rises and will exceed a level in which the kidneys let the glucose into the urine. This will cause the need to urinate more frequently.
What are the signs of canine diabetes?

Excessive urination is one of the first signs you will notice, with also the intake of more water. Dog with canine diabetes also tend to lose weight because they breakdown stores of fat and protein in order to make glucose and ketones in the liver.

Other signs may include cataracts, increased appetite, decrease in activity, and recurring infections.

How do you treat canine diabetes?

Insulin is the best treatment for canine diabetes. It has to be given by injection because it is a protein and would be digested if given in a tablet.

With careful treatment of mixing the insulin you will be able to treat your dog with care. Your vet will be able to prescribe the correct type of insulin and help you know exactly how to mix and how to administer the insulin.

How do I keep my dog’s diabetes stabilized?

Your vet will help with getting the correct dosage of insulin. Every dog is different as every human is different, so please always check with your vet before changing the amount of insulin for your dog.

Make sure you keep your dogs diet constant each and every day; this will help in keeping canine diabetes under control. It is best to use commercially produced special diet formulas for dogs with canine diabetes.

As long as you keep your dog on his proper diet and give him his insulin as prescribed by your vet, your dog will be able to live a long and happy life.

About the Author

http://www.dog-pictures.co.uk/ A dog lovers website with plenty of dog breed information and pictures.
http://www.dog-pictures.co.uk/dog-supplements/ provides dog supplements and dog health care information.

A neighborhood in Peru’s capital, Lima, has passed a law prohibiting families living in apartments from having more than one dog. People living in houses are allowed two dogs, while those found with more will be subject to hefty fines. According to an order published in the country’s official gazette on Thursday, residents of Jesus Maria, a middle-class area in Lima, have said there are just too many dogs, and too much barking. Families with more than the permitted number of dogs will face fines of up to 700 soles ($237), and could have their furry friends removed. But Maria Solano, 70, said she would never let that happen to her two dogs, Boni and Fiama, adopted off the street 5 years ago. read more

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A resident who lives near Ithaca’s Thompson Park says she urged the heavily tattooed man to steer his dog clear of a bat lying on the ground in the park Sunday. She says the man picked up the bat intending to place it in a tree and it bit him. She alerted health officials but the dog walker left before they arrived. The bat was later determined to be rabid and officials are appealing for the man to come in for rabies treatment. Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. read more

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Lee Dobbins

A poorly trained dog is a nuisance and can even be a danger to himself and others. A properly trained dog, on the other had, is a wonderful and pleasant companion. In addition to helping you bond, it can even protect your pet from being hurt if he listens and will come when called.

When training always remember that dogs respond best to positive reinforcement - yelling at your dog and hitting him will not accomplish the task, instead use rewards such as treats and your approval - this will make the task much more pleasant for both of you!

There is a common “process” to training, no matter what you want the dog to do. They key is to get the dog to perform the action and at that exact moment give the command for the action, then praise the dog and reward him with a treat. After a while, he will catch on and associate the action with the command.

Here’s some steps you can use to train your dog with the most basic command - Sit.

1. The first thing you need to do is to get your puppy or dog to associate the act of sitting with the command. To do this, simply hang around with your dog and when he sits give the “sit” command.

2. Getting down to your dogs level will allow you to present his reward (treats) quicker so grab a handful of bite sized treats and get down on the floor.

3. Bring the treat up over the dogs head. He will smell the food and follow it with his nose. This action will cause him to sit (or backup, but obviously we are hoping for the sitting action).

4. The key to the training is to present the reward at the exact moment the dog sits, but you must also give the command at that moment as well so that he associates command with action. So as the dog sits, say “sit” and then immediately give him the treat.

5. Give the dog praise - show joy in your voice and he will really respond.

6. Repeat three to five times at each session but no more than that. Training should be fun and not a boring chore so don’t overdo it in one sitting. You may have several sessions throughout the day.

When you spend the time to train your dog, you get much more than just a dog that does some tricks. He loves to do things with you. He learns to listen when you say his name. He gets used to being with you and doing things on your initiative. Through good training your position as leader is strengthened. You should plan to spend a couple of minutes every day on practicing his “tricks”. This type of repetitive reinforcement will help him to remember and also create the bond between you.

About the Author

Get more dog training tips and find out which dogs are easier to train at http://www.train-the-dog.com

Shoes left outdoors in the Montgomery County community of Waveland began disappearing one by one in June, reappearing near the town’s fire station. Acting town marshal Rob Kiger and others have seen a stray brown and white dog, possibly a beagle, around town carrying a shoe in its mouth. Others have seen the dog lying in the sun near the fire station. Susie Calvert, who works near the fire station, says she finds shoes in the area and places them on the ledge at the station, hoping that the owners will collect them. read more

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Authorities say this cane corso mix attacked two children and a woman at a Boys and Girls Club in northeast Washington. Two children playing basketball at a Northeast DC Boys and Girls Club were attacked Tuesday by a dog that was brought into the building. The dog attacked the children, grabbing the back of the girl’s head and attacking the boy on the legs. A five year old Maryland boy, setting out on his first day of school, would end up taking a scary trip home at the end of the day. read more

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Rolf Rasmusson

Good dog health and happiness for Charlie

Our Charlie’s dog health was a very important issue to us in our family. It all started when he was a puppy of course. Aside from the fun and laughter he brought into our lives he brought us new found responsibilities we hadn’t concerned ourselves with BC. With some common sense and attention dog health shouldn’t have to be a major family issue. Here’s how we dealt with Charlie.

A few dog health issues:

Feeding -

This is normally the easy and fun part. Be careful though because there’s so much ballyhoo about the great stuff various products can do. Major brands are tried and true with a normally safe harbour. Avoid going off into generic diets. Competing with the major brands on research and quality control is pretty tough. Better to take the high road for your doggie’s sake. Vitamin and mineral supplements would be a great addition to the diet helping to keep the immune system strong. Remember, dry food helps keep the teeth nice and strong too.

Bathing -

The primary concern here is to use a pet product. Not shampoo made for us people. We want to use a very mild shampoo. The pH balance of our doggies is quite different and if not careful we’ll dry out the skin so bad that scratching, itching and all sorts of other fireworks will go off. Bath less not more. Chances are that a good wash job every 30 days or so will be just fine. Don’t forget to drop a couple of plugs (cotton balls will do)into the ears before you start along with a nice brush job on the coat before and after. Keep the shampoo away from those gorgeous heart breaking eyes, if you slip simply wash with warm water or even a saline. Hey, a nice little designer outfit afterwards really makes your great little buddy a spiffy looking dude.

Those nasty tick and fleas issues -

Give me a break, how’d you like to run around itchy and biting, scratching and jumping around all day. That would be enough to drive anyone nuts. A topical oil usually placed between the shoulder blades will do the trick. Your best friends natural oils will spread it evenly over your pet. Be watchful about exposing the oil to the kids and put it in a safe place. Try and have your pet really dry for a few days before and after application. This process will rid your doggie of fleas and ticks. Good riddance for sure. A super blow on those nasty critters ensuring good dog health.

Puppy housetraining -

The all time favorite issue. Potty training! No different than when we potty trained our children, the process is somewhat similar. Patience, consistency and confinement does the trick. Do yourself a favor, get a crate for your doggie big enough for it to stretch out in and also take a snooze being able to nestle into a little corner.

Your best pet friend needs to be in there when you’re asleep, gone from the premises or to be left unattended (you’re busy cooking dinner and doggie treats. Doing so teaches them to hold it for awhile. Putting them in a crate for 6 - 8 hours during the training period is alright too.

While home have your little sweetie out with a timer going off around each 60 minutes or so. You and the doggie hit the turf outside for 10 minutes or so giving them a chance to potty. When they do reward them with positive comments, petting, stroking - some real love if you will which is positive reinforcement( something we all would like to have,right?). Chances are pretty good your doggie will catch on very soon. Be patient, take your time and no accident frustrations. Your new best friend needs a little time to learn, adapt and assimilate your wishes. Keep in mind that your doggie loves you. Cleanliness goes a long way for good dog health.

About the Author

Interesting dog information surrounded by love and compassion at www.dog-stuff4u.com

Dog Walker, Jaime will be visiting community gatherings to promote pedestrian safety as well as the safety fashion products. For more information, or to schedule time with Jaime, please call Dog Walker Safety Gear at (954) 796-4070 or email customerservice@dogwalkersafetygear. Dog Walker Safety Gear - MarketWatch Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real Time Services , a division of Interactive Data Corp. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data . Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. read more

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Dixie Dogs & Cats is sponsoring a contest to name the Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year in Bradley County. From there, the group that is planning to open a low-cost spay/neuter clinic later this year, will have a dog walk and finish the effort with the 2009 Pet of the Year Calendar. The winners of the Cat of the Year and Dog of the Year contest will be announced at the Dixie Dogs & Cats dog walk on Saturday, Oct. The Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year will also have their images incorporated into the logo for Dixie Dogs & Cats’ Dixie Day Spay low-cost spay/neuter clinic. The guardians of the Dog of the Year and Cat of the Year will receive and 8×10 photograph of the shot that is chosen for the calendar cover as well as a copy of the calendar, which will be sold throughout the community later this year. Each month will carry a photograph of the pets who received the most votes after the Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year was selected. read more

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