| dogs to be on leads so birds can get sexy! From the BBC
 Thursday April 09 2009
Dog lead threat to amorous birds
Dog walkers in Berkshire have been asked to keep their pets on leads to help protect amorous birds and their unborn offspring.
Nesting birds on Greenham Common are easily scared by roaming dogs and often fly away until the threat has passed.
This leaves their eggs at risk from predators or to go cold and not hatch.
A team of wardens will be on the common until the end of July, when the breeding period finishes, to offer advice to dog owners.
Paul Hendry, from West Berkshire Council, said: "Dogs by their very nature... are running about and will disturb what is on the ground.
"That causes the birds to fly and it is possible the eggs will become cold and not hatch."
Jacky Akam, from the local Wildlife Trust, added: "We are just trying to help people understand just how vulnerable they are.
"If they can help by keeping their dogs on a lead until the end of July then we will continue to have a fabulous area for nesting birds."
President Obama and family decide on dog
Sunday March 01 2009
Michelle Obama has told People magazine that the family will be adopting a Portuguese Water Dog after the April Spring break vacation. Sasha and Malia are of course very excited, as any children would be, at getting a pet dog. They are having fun thinking up names for their future pet. However Michelle is not too struck on her daughters' ideas so far, saying
"There are names floating around and they're bad. You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn't a moose? Moose. I'm like, no, come on, let's work with the names a little bit."
Watch this space!
Hollywood films go barking mad
Sunday March 01 2009
Dogs have been all the rage in Hollywood films recently with the Disney animated movie Bolt fetching a fantastic £2.8m in its first weekend in UK cinemas. The film is about Bolt, a dog who is the unknowing star in his own TV show who thinks his super powers are real. He goes on the loose from the TV film set and meets Mr. Mittens, a female cat, and a hamster called Rhino. During his incredible journey he learns that he doesn't have superpowers and that the show is not the real deal.
The film is being shown in 3D and normal 2D.
Another canine caper on offer is the film Hotel for Dogs. Starring Emma Roberts and Jake T Austin the story follows the antics of a brother and sister who convert a closed up hotel into a home for stray dogs. The film has already grossed over £1.5m showing that dogs are in fact mans best friend!
The actor Mickey Rourke mourns his Chihuahua
Sunday March 01 2009
The actor Mickey Rourke is mourning his beloved Chihuahua Loki, who at 18 passed away while being held in the actor's arms.
Rourke said of the dog's passing: "Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I feel blessed that she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."
Mickey Rourke, star of The Wrestler, praised and thanked all of his dogs, both alive and dead, during his Golden Globe acceptance speech. He said: "Sometimes when a man's alone, all you got is your dog."
According to RadarOnline He is now so lonely he is planning to get a new dog as soon as possible.
"Mickey has other dogs but he misses Loki terribly. He doesn''t want to wait long either - he wants to get his new pooch this week,” the Daily Express quoted Rourke''s friend as telling the website.
"The new dog won''t replace Loki but by naming it Oscar Mickey says he''ll make his comeback year even more special," the friend added.
From BBC News: Want good health - get a dog!
Sunday March 01 2009
Dog-owners 'lead healthier lives'
Dogs can provide companionship
If you want to live a healthier life get a dog, research suggests.
The companionship offered by many pets is thought to be good for you, but the benefits of owning a dog outstrip those of cat owners, the study says.
A psychologist from Queen's University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular "walkies" may partly explain the difference.
Dr Deborah Wells reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership.
In some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support than another human could offer
Dr June McNicholas
Health psychologist
She confirmed that pet owners tended in general to be healthier than the average member of the population.
However, her research suggested that dog ownership produced more positive influence than cat ownership.
As well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog-owners suffered fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.
There was also the suggestion that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses such as heart attacks, and act as 'early warning' to detect an approaching epileptic seizure.
Stress-busting
Dr Wells said the precise reason for the benefits was not totally clear.
"It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill-health.
"The ownership of a dog can also lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner."
Dr June McNicholas, a health psychologist who has specialised on research into the health effects of pet ownership said that an important reason for the improved health of dog-owners was not just the exercise received while taking it for walks, but the opportunity for social contact with other dog-owners.
She said: "For older people, an animal can fulfil the 'need to be needed', perhaps after children have left home.
"In some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support another human could offer."
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