Knowledge is power and one of my favorite forms of knowledge is vocabulary. When I took a field course in Costa Rica for three weeks, studying rainforest animals, I committed to memory three terms that I use often when talking about animals and pets. In college, I was also taught that one of the best ways to not only remember,
Read moreCrikey! I was infatuated by Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, while I was growing up. The way he could highlight an animal and change our negative perception was remarkable. During a summer vacation in elementary school, my family was lucky enough to go camping at my aunt and uncle’s camp site. It was located in the remote Arrowhead camping grounds
Read moreOn this day throughout history lots of powerful things have happened. In 1947, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier, by becoming the first African-American player in Major League Baseball. The sport had been segregated for more then 50 years. On a related manner, on this day in 1865 Abraham Lincoln died from his assassins attempt from the previous day. He
Read moreSpring has sprung. Birds are migrating back to WNY, trees are waking up and the refreshing spring rain is coming down to push up those May flowers. Of course, this means that allergens are at an all time high and kitchen floors have so much mud from (human) children’s boots and our (canine) children’s paws that some time you wonder
Read moreAs promised here are some more summer reads that just came out that are all about our critter companions. Both books were released mid June 2014, and although they are quite different from one another, both would be a valuable asset for your in-house library. The first book is a reference book titled, “The Cat Encyclopedia: The Definitive Visual Guide”
Read moreI’m ready for summer and I bet many of you with seasonal jobs (such as teachers and students) are ready too! When I had written the above title, I didn’t know that I wasn’t the first person to say those words in that order. Frank Zappa, the American musician, bandleader, songwriter, composer, recording engineer, record producer, and film director, beat
Read moreAt the end of January Putnam books released, “Team Dog: How to Train Your Dog – The Navy SEAL Way” by Mike Ritland with Gary Brozek. The press release states that with 83.3 million canine companions living in an estimated 47 percent of households in the U.S. it is clear that Americans love their dogs. The press release then says,
Read moreK9 Krunchers was co-founded in 2010 by Janelle Harris who dabbled in making treats for her own furry family. Her dabbling has now led to a business that reaches out to critter companions across the United States. Harris, along with her recently retired mom, bakes up concoctions that will make tails wag, “when they sniff the bag.” Most of the
Read moreOne of the draws of pet keeping, for me, has always been the connection to the wilderness. Pets could take me to faraway lands, without ever having to leave my living room. The environment, animals and climate and the interaction between them, has constantly piqued my interest. Watching countless hours of wildlife documentaries I was able to recognize archerfish, a
Read moreEnclosure accessories which increase natural behaviors in your pets fall under the large umbrella term called enrichment. Enrichment can also be changes in routines, new food items or rearrangement of cage furniture. When you first give an animal a new enrichment device, observing their interaction is essential. After the initial observation, revisions can be made to the enrichment item to
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DANTAisms 