Katz And Other Tales

Katz Tales by Ellen Whyte Book front cover image

Logomania by Ellen Whyte Book front cover image

I have two new books out! Click on the images above for free sneak peeks.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Repost Friday: The Alpha Dog Myth and The Perfect Mate

Dog Talk is out tomorrow in the print version of The Star, Weekender section. It's all about how doggy social life and how scientists who thought they had it licked 20 years ago are now saying they got it all wrong. Apparently hierarchy schemes, dominance, and all that sort of stuff just doesn't happen in natural dog or wolf society. Plus, the story features Bushy, my Yorkshire terrier friend from across the street.

As promised, here are some links on this topic:

Click on Alpha Dog Myth

All about new wolf research

Discover more about Mech, the man who studies wild wolves

New thought training tips

Wild wolf researcher blog

And here is a repost from Monday, July 24, 2006 The Perfect Mate...

Lunch with a pal last week turned into a discussion about life, love and loneliness. As he has a nice house with a garden, and is at home quite a bit, I suggested he give a home to a stray - or preferably two!

The discussion quickly turned to the merits of cats versus dogs. A non-animal lover who was no doubt bored witless by my enthusiasm, my pal cut me short after a generous ten minutes by saying,

"I value independence, loyalty, intelligence, and hard work. I want a companion who can look after themselves if I'm busy but who isn't standoffish when I'm in the mood to play games. I also like beauty and I think family are important so it will have to be a pedigree of some kind. But I can't figure it out, should I get a dog for it's loyalty and capacity to work or a cat because of it's independence and brains?"

Stunned by this catalogue I answered before engaging my brain, "No wonder you're single!" I gasped. He bought me lunch, but I don't think he's forgiven me.

PS the picture is Haurvatat or Khordad, the personification of perfection according to Persian mythology. This image is courtesy of Hannah M.G. Shapero whose scholarly specialty is the ancient and still-living religion of ZOROASTRIANISM.

PPS My pal is still single and decided not to take on a pet either. But he has forgiven me!

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Labels: dog talk, repost Friday

posted by katztales @ 7:08 AM (4) comments links to this post | 4 comments

Friday, November 20, 2009

Freaky Dogs and Other Horrors

Dog Talk is out in The Star, Weekender section, print version only. It stars Girl, our friend from down the road, and discusses the pedigree controversy.

For those of you interested in reading what the big Crufts scandal was all about, check out these stories:

Story: The Big Question: Is the breeding of pedigree dogs leading to cruel abnormalities?

RSPCA Australia explains why pedigree inbreeding is cruel

Story why RSPCA withdraws from Crufts show

Story why Pedigree drops Crufts sponsorship

The official BBC statement explaining why they did not televise Crufts this year.

Story how Kennel Club asks for permission to change breeding rules to end cruelty

How new rules will change breed looks story: Healthier new bulldog will lose its Churchillian jowl

Learn about the film that opened up this issue worldwide Pedigree Dogs Exposed

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 8:12 AM (8) comments links to this post | 8 comments

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Coco is missing in SS14 Subang Jaya Malaysia

Update: Coco is back home! Sharlene says, "Coco came home after disappearing for 2 weeks, smelling really nice! We suspect she was taken in by a good family who bathed her, then she escaped and came home."

Sharlene and Her Spice Cats report that Coco, the family pooch, is missing in SS14, Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Sharlene writes,

"On Wednesday (31st Sept 2009) morning, Coco bit through the gate and escaped from my mom's backyard. We searched everywhere around the neighbourhood and asked the neighbours. We also went to PAWS and MPSJ dog pound in Puchong, but we did not manage to locate Coco."

"Coco is a small dog, weighing about 7kg, with short black and brown fur. She is about 1.5 years old and is extremely friendly. Her 2 hind knees were problematic ever since she was young and she is constantly under medication and supplements."

"We miss Coco terribly and sincerely hope whoever see or find Coco to contact my mom at 016 653 8278 (Mrs Phuah)."

Friends, if you know someone in Puchong, please spread the word?

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 10:29 AM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments

Friday, August 14, 2009

Cash is top dog

Dog Talk in the print version of The Star Weekender tomorrow stars Cash, a little fuzzy Shih-Tzu from the Klang Valley. She's the one with the green ribbons on the left, her friend Baby is the pretty one on the right, and the lap space is provided by Melissa.

Cash isn't just cute, she was also the K9 Olympics Musical Chair Champion in 2007 and a Runner Up in 2008. Now Cash is thinking of becoming a canine beauty queen. Read all about her tomorrow.

If you and your dog love to get out and compete, check out the Malaysian Dogathon held by The Students’ Society of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at UPM that takes place tomorrow.

Also, if you are thinking of getting a dog companion, please consider adopting Jingle. This pretty girl walked into Friends Furry Farm one dark and stormy night looking for shelter. She's 3 years old and is now looking for a forever home. She has a medium length silky coat and enjoys being with people. However, she is choosy about her dog companions. Jingle is spayed, vaccinated and heartworm prevented. If you want to adopt her, please email sabrinayeap AT gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 7:25 AM (12) comments links to this post | 12 comments

Friday, July 17, 2009

Fat Girl

I have had a tummy bug all week and have been housebound. Target has reacted by becoming the snuggle cat.

He accompanies me on my dashes to the bathroom. Even when he's been roused from a deep, deep sleep in the middle of the night my kitten is there for me without a murmer of complaint - and with a meep of compassion.

Au knows I'm feeling lousy so he lets me cuddle him. A privilege I appreciate. But our senior cat has his limits.

As I haven't been able to get to the market (or the bank or post office for that matter!) we ran out of chicken yesterday. This is Au looking annoyed at the inconvenience I'm causing him.

We can't order him take-out because Au has strong views on what is acceptable. He is not fond of processed chicken meat and he doesn't like chicken that's been dunked in boiling water and then roasted.

Seeing our senior cat is getting very short-tempered, Tom ran out to buy him some chicken. It's now roasting in the oven.

And this here is our friend Girl. She is a darling but getting rather prosperous around the middle. As such she is the star of this week's Dog Talk column, out tomorrow in the print version of the Malaysian national daily The Star Weekender section. Check it out!

About the Katz Tales book: it is being published by Marshall Cavendish and will be sold in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Hong Kong. I'll give you more details as I get them. Soooooo excited!

Labels: Au, dog talk, target

posted by katztales @ 2:31 AM (5) comments links to this post | 5 comments

Saturday, May 16, 2009

How To Stop Your Dog Barking

This bit was left out of Dog Talk published today in Weekender, the Star Malaysia:

How To Stop Your Dog Barking
You need: one dog treat and one barking dog.
Method: When your dog barks, say, “quiet” in a calm voice and hold up the treat by the dog’s nose. Your dog will automatically stop barking because of the treat. The second he or she stops barking, praise and pet. Count to three and give the reward.
Repeat next time but praise during 5 seconds of silence before giving treat.
Gently increase the time between the command “quiet” and the treat. Eventually you can replace the treat entirely with praise.

Also, please note that Lisa Kuok is holding an event "In aid of Furry Friends Farm and the rescue of the Pulau Ketam dogs" on Sunday, May 17 at 12:30pm.

Event: In aid of Furry Friends Farm and the rescue of the Pulau Ketam dogs "Putting your money where your mouth is - for a good cause."
What: Fundraiser
Host: Lisa Kuok
Start Time: Sunday, May 17 at 12:30pm
End Time: Sunday, May 17 at 2:30pm
Where: Sri Nyonya Restaurant, 14 Jalan 22/49, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Phone: 0122138233

The menu looks absolutely yummy!

To see more details and RSVP, follow this link

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 10:50 AM (4) comments links to this post | 4 comments

Friday, February 20, 2009

Animal Ethics

Dog Talk is out in print version of Weekender in the Malaysian national daily The Star on Saturday.

As everyone is horrified by the story of the dog pound people at DBKL in Malaysia who beat cats to death and break dogs' necks and drag them around until they died, I've written about animal ethics.

I've written about animal culture and ethics mainly because I'm too bloody angry to write what I think about the monsters at DBKL. If I were rulers of the universe, there would be no mercy for those creatures. So I guess it's just as well I don't have that type of power.

If you're interested in animal cognition, emotion and culture, take a look at the piece, and then check out the other resources at the end of this post.

Also, this week's candidate for adoption is Ben (pictured right).

Ben started life on the streets. When he was knocked down by a car, he was rescued and sent to Friends Furry farm. Now Ben is 1 year old, castrated, vaccinated, dewormed and totally healthy, he needs a good home.

Ben is a very playful and energetic. He loves people and female dogs but he’s not keen on male dogs.

If you want to adopt Ben please email sabrinayeap@gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

Limited Preview of FANTASTIC book by Google Book The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff and Jane Goodall (2007).

Limited Preview of FANTASTIC book by Google Book "Chimpanzee Politics" by Frans de Waal.

Animal Intelligence, a 1911 classic by Edward L. Thorndike that's worth a read.

Animal Intelligence, the latest research reported.

Wikipedia Animal Cognition, good starting point for research.

Elephant dies of grief

Mama gorilla won't let go of her dead baby

Animals that kill their young

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 1:08 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments

Thursday, February 12, 2009

No Tales or Talk This Weekend

There will be no katz Tales or Dog Talk in Weekender, The Star this weekend. The next Dog Talk is out in print version of Weekender in the Malaysian national daily The Star on Saturday 21st February.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 11:56 AM (0) comments links to this post | 0 comments

Friday, January 30, 2009

Nature Deficit Disorder

Many city kids are terrified of animals of all kinds: even squirrels in the park. Today scientists think that "Nature Deficit Disorder" is linked to the increase in hyperactivity, ADD and other behavioural disorders as well as stress.

Dog Talk is out tomorrow in the print version of the Weekend section in The Star, the Malaysian national daily. It discusses what nature deficit disorder is, and how you can get kids to connect more with nature.

I've mentioned that a pet like a dog can be a great way to get kids to connect with nature. But as mentioned before, there are some things to consider.

Generally speaking, medium sized shorthaired dogs are big enough to be robust and easiest to groom. Kids must be old enough to be able to care for their pets properly. We were given our first dogs when we were 11 years old.

Also, consider adopting a puppy aged 9 to 16 weeks and then making the kids take the new family member to training classes. This will teach kids and dogs to take care of each other.

Remember that the average dog lives for 15 years. This means it is likely kids will go off to college when the family dog is medium aged. At this point the adults left behind will have to take care of the pet.

If you don’t feel a dog will be a member of your family, don’t adopt one. Instead, get your kids to help out at the local animal shelter, or take them on outings where they can interact with nature. The a Malaysia Nature Society offers some fantastic opportunities.

As promised, here are some extra resources:

What is Nature Deficit Disorder?

Nature Deficit Disorder: The Disconnect Between our Children and the Environment

Do kids have nature deficit disorder?

Are your kids really spending enough time outdoors?

Parents worry about 'nature-deficit disorder' in kids

Combat Loaded & Mission Ready! Blog written by Ee Lynn, the woman who runs Green Living, a Malaysia Nature Society venture that gets kids out in the country.

SPCA and Paws: Malaysian organisations that always need volunteers to help with the animals.

Also, please keep an eye out for this missing pet:

Arjun, missing from SS1 Petaling Jaya:

Arjun is male, 10 years old, tan/brown colour, medium-size local breed, very friendly dog (does not bite)

Arjun may still be wearing a blue collar with red MBPJ 2008 license & silver identification tag (with owner's address, phone numbers etc. engraved).

Last seen on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 @ 2pm around Jalan SS1/11, 47300 Petaling Jaya (nearby SRK Kampung Tunku primary school, 7-Eleven convenience store & Kampung Tunku Post Office) and he may have travelled >8km away.

Arjun was spotted by residents in SS24, SS25 Taman Megah PJ & SS26 Taman Mayang PJ between January 13 - 24, 2009 walking into people's homes looking for help but was chased away every time unfortunately.

If you have seen Arjun, please do contact:

Ramin 012-2172721
Chan 012-2183698
Teh 012-6121833

More Photos, Video, Info & Updates @ http://arjuncreamie.blogspot.com/ & any useful information leading to Arjun being found will be rewarded, thanks for your kind help!

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 5:16 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, January 16, 2009

Dog Talk Treasure Hunt

Is your dog bored with unending monsoon weather? When it’s too rainy to go out and play, an indoor treasure hunt is the answer.

Treasure hunts are simple: hide the toy in the house and get your pet to find it for you. Learning treasure hunting involves teaching the fetch, drop and search as well as learning toy names. Tomorrow's Dog Talk published in the Malaysian national daily The Star explains how to go about setting up this game.

Reminder: The Star will only publish one Katz Tales and one Dog Talk a month from now on. Dog Talk is out tomorrow on 17th January, Katz Tales will be out 31st January.

Adopt me! Yuni pictured on the right here is not a good guard dog because she’s very friendly. But she’s a very loving companion and likes kids. Yuni has been vaccinated, dewormed and spayed. Her daily expenses are covered by the Furry Friends Farm’s LACES project (Love and Care for Every Stray) but she now needs a forever home. If you want to adopt her please email sabrinayeap AT gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

If you're in Malaysia, send in a snap of your cat or dog with a caption and win a gift basket from Heartguard (dogs) or Friskies (cats). Send entry to:

Katz Tales and Dog Talk Photo Competition
StarWeekend
Star Publications
Menara Star
15 Jalan 16/11
Petaling Jaya 46350
Email: weekend@thestar.com.my

Don't forget to include your name, town and contact number so the prize can be sent to your home/office.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 2:56 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments

Friday, December 26, 2008

Doji is missing

Doji the dog next door went missing a few weeks ago. I thought he was out with his mum and dad a lot so it was a few days before I realised he'd gone missing. And as his dad wanted to give him a bath because of ticks (I know! I told him about Frontline!) Doji wasn't wearing his collar.

I hope that little dog has found a good home with people who think he's a stray. Doji was a kind and gentle person. We miss him.

Missing pets are always a nightmare. I've taken an interest in search and rescue for some time now, and have found some interesing papers online about the science of hunting for lost people.

However, there isn't one for lost dogs, which makes me think we should write one. I've made a start in tomorrow's Dog Talk article in The Star that talks about how to find lost pets.

In the meantime, here are some interesting web sites to check out:

Predicting Lost Person Behaviour: a basic overview of how the science works.

Behaviour Characteristicts (of the Lost) from the Canadian BC Council. Great if you have lost your kid while out nature rambling!

Also, if you're in Malaysia, send in a snap of your cat or dog with a caption and win a gift basket from Heartguard (dogs) or Friskies (cats). Send entry to:

Katz Tales and Dog Talk Photo Competition
StarWeekend
Star Publications
Menara Star
15 Jalan 16/11
Petaling Jaya 46350
Email: weekend@thestar.com.my

Don't forget to include your name, town and contact number so the prize can be sent to your home/office.

The picture is this week's Adopt Me! candidate Browny.

Browny was taught to sit and shake paws when he was little. But when he grew up, his family didn’t want to feed him.

Today he is at Friends Furry Farm where he gets on well with people and dogs. This 2 year old neutered male dog now needs a loving home.

He’s had his injections, heartworm and worming tablets. If you want to adopt him please email sabrinayeap AT gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 1:08 AM (10) comments links to this post | 10 comments

Friday, December 12, 2008

Puppies For Christmas

Buying a puppy for Christmas looks like a great idea but looking after a pet takes time and money. Tomorrow's Dog Talk in the Malaysian national daily, The Star, Weekend section, looks at what it takes to keep a dog healthy and happy.

The article covers vaccinations, parasite prevention, and diet costs per month and per year. It also looks into how much time you need to spend with a pet dog to keep it happy and healthy.

If you're thinking of buying a pet, please do read it first. And do consider that giving someone else a dog is often a disaster as it is a present that demands loads of commitment. Every year there are thousands of dogs dumped at shelters a month after Christmas and Chinese New Year. Almost all are impulse buys or unwanted gifts.

If you want to buy a dog for the holidays, buy a cuddly one from a toyshop!

In the meantime, here are some links to more info about basic dog care:

Dog Inoculation Schedule and Information

Are Annual Vaccinations Necessary?

Frontline that kills fleas and ticks.

Heartgard against heartworm and other worms.

People Food That Kills Dogs

About Lonely Dogs

PS I came across this picture in Wikicommons that shows Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek. I like it because it shows how close dogs and people can be. Reese and Grek are obviously great pals. Pity they're in a warzone though.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 1:26 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, November 28, 2008

Storm Warning

In Dark Age Europe storms were associated with the Norse goddess Freya who traveled about on the crest of a storm in her chariot pulled by two smashing looking felines. As Freya was the bringer of fertility and love but also death and magic, dog owners appreciated advance warning from their pets that Freya was on the way.

The Welsh kept pet dogs to warn them of the presence of the hounds of Annwn and the red-eyed Gwyllgi, both supernatural spectres that forecast death. In the rest of the British Isles devilish dog spirits were called Bargest, Gytrash, Black Shuck. Skryker, and Ronguer d’Os aka the Bone Crusher.

In Ancient China barking dogs meant the presence of ghosts. Mediums would smear a little fluid from a dog’s eye on their own in order to see these ghosts too.

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, there's no denying dogs can predict an incoming storm so accurately that you’re better off deciding if you should take in your laundry on your dog’s recommendation than on what you can see in the sky or what yesterday’s weather report said.

Check out tomorrow's Dog Talk article in the print version of the Weekender in the Malaysian national daily The Star.

In the meantime, here are some links to further information on dog superstitions and thunderstorms.

Devil Dogs

Encyclopfdia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World (Volume II)

Fiske, John, 1842-1901 Myths and myth-makers: Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology

Paul Henri Thiry Holbach, 1723-1789 Superstition In All Ages (1732)Common Sense (English)

Charles Southwell Superstition Unveiled

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 1:35 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments

Friday, November 14, 2008

Dog Talk Dangerous Dogs

Dogs are not enjoying much good press this week. The world media showed pictures of President Bush’s dog, Barney, biting Reuters reporter John Decker last weekend. At the same time Singapore headlines revealed politicians are mulling a dangerous dog policy that would forbid some types of fighting dogs to live in Singapore.

Thor, a 7 week old American Pit Bull Terrier asleep in his bed.

This week's Dog Talk in the Weekend section of The Star, the Malaysian national daily, takes a look why dogs bite and dangerous dog legislation.

As promised, here are some extra resources:

How to stop your puppy biting

Another how to stop your puppy biting article

Best barking dogs

Worst guard dogs

Best security dogs

Spoof: dog bites reporter: why he did it

BBC how to fend off a dangerous dog

Wikipedia Dangerous Dog Act

Wikipedia Dog Attack and Dog Bite

PS these images courtesy of WikiCommons. Top is Thor, a 7 week old American Pit Bull Terrier asleep in his bed. Bottom is an adult American Pit Bull Terrier out for a walk while wearing a muzzle and leash.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 3:30 AM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments

Friday, October 31, 2008

How dogs think

Last week I witnessed a dog being smacked for coming when called; his mum was upset because the dog had been running out in the street and it has no traffic sense. Anyway, this prompted me to consider the differences between our thinking and dog thinking.

I've been reading up on some animal behaviour research and have come across some wonderful stuff from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. One piece in particular, Making Inferences About the Location of Hidden Food: Social Dog, Causal Ape was very interesting.

Check out Dog Talk tomorrow in the print section of the Malaysian national daily The Star, Weekend section. And check out the original paper at in PDF format or in Google's HTML version.

For more excelent dog research check out Juliane Bräuer's site and Juliane Kaminski's site.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 4:39 PM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, October 17, 2008

Dog Talk: Of Friends and Fences

Most dogs guard their territory fiercely but Doji, the little spitz mix who lives next door to us is a real sweetheart. He stands at his gate every morning, waiting for his friends to come round and say hello.

Read more about Doji in Dog Talk in Weekender, in the print section of the Malaysian national daily, The Star.

For more about dog thinking, check out these pages:

Wolf.Org for kids colouring pages, pics etc. Click here for ideas about wolf pack etiquette.

The Fox Site has loads of info on this member of the doggy family. Check this page for information about fox family behaviour.

Wikipedia's Dog Society page and Dog Pack page are also good kicking off places. Enjoy!

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 10:38 AM (0) comments links to this post | 0 comments

Friday, October 03, 2008

Mournful Mutts

The basset hound with its big jowls, long floppy ears, and big mournful eyes is one of most recognised breeds in the world. Think Droopy Dog, Fred Basset, and the Hush Puppy! Yet surprisingly the basset doesn’t make the top 20 in the British, Australian or American Kennel Club listings most popular breeds. And that’s odd because bassets have so much going for them.

Tomorrow's Dog Talk in the Weekend section of national Malaysian Daily, The Star will be all about bassets.

It also has a cameo appearance by Bessie (pic left). Bessie is only 8 months old but this pedigree basset has already had a litter. She’s only just arrived at the SPCA Selangor shelter and needs a good home. She likes people and also gets along with the other dogs in the shelter. For more information, call 03-4256 5312 or 4253 5179.

And as promised, here are some basset links:

Fred Basset Cartoons

Lists of most popular dog breeds

Caring for Bassets

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 1:23 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, September 19, 2008

FInd Your Furry Soul Mate

Think you want a dog but not sure what sort of dog suits you? This week's Dog Talk article in the Weekend section of the Malaysian national daily The Star discusses 6 steps to finding your furry soul mate.

And as promised, here are some useful URLs:

Dog Breed Selector Quiz An interactive quiz that matches your requirements with suitable breeds.

Dogs That Need Lots of Exercise Border Collies, Dalmatians, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and more.

Dogs That Need Less Exercise Dachshunds, English Toy Spaniels, French Bulldogs and more.

Also, check out Minnie looking sweet and shy in a grass field.

Minnie is a 2 year old Sharpei crossbreed. She is spayed, vaccinated, de-wormed and heartworm free. She has a very smooth short coat that’s easy to maintain, and is the size of a Shit-Tzu.

Minnie is quite timid but very, very loving once she gets to know you. She needs someone very gentle who will spend a lot of time with her. If you want to adopt her, please email sabrinayeap AT gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 12:29 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, September 05, 2008

World's Smallest Dog: the Chihuahua

Dog Talk tomorrow in the print section of The Star is all about Chihuahuas. And here as promised are some great online resources:

Pet Health Chihuahua One page pet summary worth checking out.

American Kennel Club Chihuahua page Simple, useful, informative.

About Chihuahuas, British Chihuahua Club Simple, useful, informative.

The Chihuahua Is A Chihuahua if you want to adopt a Chihuahua, don't be caught out by unscrupulous traders trying to sell "special" breeds.

Making sense of sex appeal Why big eyes, little noses etc make people and Chihuahuas so lovable.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 4:16 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments

Friday, August 22, 2008

Dog Talk: Do Dogs Listen?

Girl (pictured left) was showing off her best party trick last week. Her father asks her to sit, give one paw, then give the other paw, and then to “speak”. Girl dutifully sat, shook one paw after another with him and barked just once. Then she jumped up, barking happily, tongue lolling out, pleased as punch at her own cleverness.

Thing is, does Girl know what her dad is saying or is she operating on some other level? Check out Clever Girl or Clever Hans in the print version of the Malaysian national daily The Star Weekend section tomorrow.

And FYI here are some of the sources for the piece:

Word Learning in a Domestic Dog: Evidence for "Fast Mapping"
Juliane Kaminski, Josep Call, and Julia Fischer prove that a border collie, Rico, is able to fast map. Rico knows the labels of over 200 different items.

Clever Hans the Math Horse A nicely written account of how the Clever Hans trick worked.

The Skeptics Dictionary Clever Hans phenomenon article has some interesting resources for further reading.

Also: This is Joey. She runs around Friends Furry Farm all day, playing with people and her furry friends. The only time she likes to be alone is during feeding time: Joey is very greedy and pushes the others away from their food bowls with fierce barks! This 3 year old girl is very smart. She comes whenever you call her name, and she can scale tall fences with no problem. She’d be a great candidate for an agility training programme. Joey needs a loving home. If you want to adopt her, please email sabrinayeap AT gmail.com or sms to 016-6319018.

PS: Sorry I'm a bit behind on the blogging. I've got piles of work and just haven't had the time. Plan to clear the decks soon and then catch up with everyone!

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 2:42 PM (4) comments links to this post | 4 comments

Friday, August 08, 2008

Dog Talk: Sniffer Dogs

We saw some K9 unit dogs at the airport last week. Very sweet looking dogs and so clever!

The dogs we saw were a collie and a lab. In theory any sort of dog with the right attitude can work as a sniffer dog. But in practice some breeds have some natural advantages over other breeds.

Dogs with bigger muzzle like bassets and labs have more scent receptors than dogs with short snozzles like pekingese. Also, hounds were bred to have big long ears that "scoop" up scent from the ground and waft it right into their noses.

Anyway, the Dog Talk column is out tomorrow in the Weekend section of the Malaysian national daily, The Star - print version only.

As usual here are some links to info about Man's Best Friend's sniffer...

Search and Rescue Dogs Great for kids who want to learn more about search and rescue dogs.

Dog Games Some ideas for playing hide and seek with your pet. Not sure about the food thing, especially in our tropical climate rich with bugs but the other games look like great fun.

Electric Nose Could Put Dog Out Of Business A CNN article about threat detecting technology.

How A Dog Can Sniff Through Concrete Interesting BBC article about sniffer dogs.

Dogathon Tomorrow's dog games day in Serdang's UPM college. Check it out!

Labels: dog talk, scoop

posted by katztales @ 4:46 AM (7) comments links to this post | 7 comments

Friday, July 25, 2008

Dog Talk: Tricky Poodles

Like poodles? Check out the Dog Talk column tomorrow in the Weekend section of the Malaysian national daily, The Star. Print version only!

And as promised, here are some useful links:

A list of dog tricks, arranged in order of increasing difficulty.

Fancy trying to beat super poodle Chanda-Leah’s record? Check out Love Your Dog Tricks

There is also the Poodle Web Ring that has lots of interesting sites ranging from pure breeder ads to fan sites.

PS the poodle pics are courtesy of Wiki Commons...

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 3:27 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments

Friday, July 11, 2008

Old Dogs

Here's Mona, the mixed Spitz who lives a few roads down from us.

She doesn't look it but Mona is 12 years old. She the feature dog in Dog Talk, the column published in the Malaysian national daily The Star, Weekend section tomorrow.

If you have an old dog or live with a middle aged dog, check out these articles online:

The Older Dog

Senior Dog Project

Thinking of adopting a mixed Spitz? Duke aged 2 is waiting for adoption at the Selangor SPCA shelter. He’s very friendly, well-behaved, highly intelligent and deserves a loving home.

Call 03-42565312 / 03-42535179 and make an appointment to meet with him.

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 3:28 AM (0) comments links to this post | 0 comments

Friday, June 27, 2008

Chester

It's been one horrible week... I've been super down and the cats aren't much better...

Target's instincts triumphed over his cat brain this morning when he jumped up into the window when he saw a squirrel sitting outside. Our junior cat bounced off the glass and fell into the sink which was full of soapy dishes. I didn't laugh so we got through that without too much hurt pride but I can tell he's not happy.

Au was beaten up by Yow Yow, the wickedly huge stray in our area, earlier in the week but he's now recovered from the shock. Now he's getting back his own on the world by sitting on our neighbour's wall and teasing Bushy the little Yorky who lives across the street.

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Here's a picture of Chester, the subject of tomorrow's Dog Talk column, only in the print version of Weekender section in The Star. There will be a nice surprise for readers soon so keep an eye out for it.

Labels: Au, dog talk

posted by katztales @ 3:25 AM (6) comments links to this post | 6 comments

Friday, June 13, 2008

Howling Success

We've got a new guy in the minaret near to us and there is something about him that sets off our friend Doji, the little Spitz who lives next door.

When our new man chants the call to prayer, Doji sings along. And as our doggy pal is tone deaf, it's one weird way to be woken up at the crack of dawn.

Am thinking of entering him into the Akademie Fantasia contest - the Malaysian Idol competition. Here he is, looking modest.

If you've a chance, take a look at the following blogs that came to my notice this week: RWee: "14 hours to save the earth" and other dangerous tales… that has plenty of thought pieces plus The Bolehland Political News & Jokes that's full of coffee shop humour...

Have a good weekend!

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 7:45 AM (7) comments links to this post | 7 comments

Friday, November 30, 2007

Bark In The Night

Dog Talk is out tomorrow in The Star, Weekend section. Doji, the dog who lives next door to us is barking. Doji's friends, and I include myself in that, are happy that he's feeling so confident. Only a few months ago Doji was far too shy to bark at anyone.

doji

But the pooch who'd been beaten into a pulp when a puppy by a nasty master is reveling in newfound confidence. Doji is barking his head off whenever he senses a threat. Unfortunately his idea of a threat isn't mine. Fallen leaves and sudden clouds don't need to be announced at 4AM with sharp barks!

But I guess he'll become more discriminating over time. At least, I hope so.

By the way, I'm selling some books on Lelong Auctions:

Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

Angel eyes by eric von lustbader

Hunter-Killer Squadron by M. Brennan

Pandora by Jilly Cooper

Starting prices range from RM2 to RM8. Auction runs out in 6 days time. Need I say, "hurry, hurry, hurry?"

Labels: dog talk

posted by katztales @ 6:21 PM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Dog Talk

black lab

If you're buying the print version of the Malaysian national daily, The Star, peek into the Weekend section for a new column called Dog Talk.

I'm chuffed that I've been asked to write a second animal column, one totally devoted to Man's Best Friend. Au is totally unamused as he loathes me talking to dogs.

Unfortunately we don't have a dog at the moment because our landlord is a Malay Muslim. Luckily we have plenty of doggy pals.

Today's column is about Tina, a dog who did some remarkable things to keep her family together.

I heard about Tina in the pub when telling a friend about Swansea Jack, a black Labrador dog who lived by the River Tawe in Swansea in Wales in the 1930s, and who became a hero by jumping into the water and saving people.

Swansea Jack is reputed to have saved 27 people from drowning. He was given two "Canine VCs" as the bronze medals for bravery given out by the UK National Canine Defence League are nicknamed.

Sadly Jack’s life was cut short when he ate some rat poison.

He died at the age of 7 in October 1937 but as his grateful friends and admirers put up a monument to him, this brave dog’s memory is still bright 70 years later.

Swansea Jack memorial

Also in today's Star and available online is My diva dog, Chai Chai by William KC Kee who has the cutest Pomerian.

PS The picture of the Swansea Jack memorial was taken by Alex Thomas of Swancam and is used here with permission. The black lab comes from Wiki Commons!

Labels: Au, dog talk

posted by katztales @ 12:05 PM (5) comments links to this post | 5 comments