Home Dog Breed Selector Dog Quiz Links Owners Talk About Their Dogs AKC Dog Groups Dog Factoids Dog Survey Mission Statement Marketers' Opportunities

SelectSmart.com Dog Recommendation Form. SelectSmart.com allows you to find the dog you want by trait and characteristic. Dog, puppy, canine. SelectSmart.com
Before you decide

FACTOIDS:


Protect Your Pets From Ticks
Tick season - spring through fall - is upon us in America and in many foreign countries.

Among arthropods (the largest phylum in the animal kingdom, that is jointed leg insects) ticks are public enemy number one in transmitting diseases to domestic animals. These blood-sucking parasites run a close second to mosquitoes in arthropod borne human diseases. Ticks transmit a variety of infectious agents, cause disease and illness directly, are responsible for anemia due to blood loss and dermatosis. Some of the more noted tick borne diseases are babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichia, East Coast fever, relapsing fever, rocky mountain spotted fever and, of course, Lyme disease. There are many different species of ticks which can become attached to pets. Once they are securely attached by imbedding their mouth parts into the of the pet's skin, they begin feeding off of the host's blood.

Frontline Flea Control for cats and Frontline Flea Control for dogs is a once a month topical treatment which is a highly effective protection.

Most collars don't work well because they often don't ward off ticks attaching to areas near the back and hind end of the animal since the collars are up front around the neck. However, the Preventic collar for dogs, is effective since its mode of action differs from most collars. It actually releases a compound by contacting the skin of the pet and thus provides whole body protection.

Photo by Laurie Erickson, courtesy of Wendy Marquardt

  • The only true barkless dog is the Basenji (above), also known a the Congo Barkless Dog.  It makes a sound more akin to a low soft yodel or a quiet chuckle.

  • The Boston Terrier is a breed native to America, that was started in Boston.
  • The Boston Terrier is also sometimes called "the American gentleman among dogs."
  • The Giant Schnauzer was developed to be an alert, vigorous, versatile, and intelligent dog able to herd cattle.

    According to Earthlink:

  • Seventy nine percent of all pet owners give gifts to their pets on holidays.
  • Twenty five percent of British households have at least one dog.
  • Dogs eat grass to provide fresh, raw vegetable nutrition not included in most dogs regular diets. The small barbs on blades of grass create internal agitation and induce vomiting.
  • Three percent of Americans wash their dogs by showering with them.
  • Forty percent of all U.S. households have one or more dogs.
  • Dogs have a great perception of time.

  • The Giant Schnauzer should closely resemble the Standard and Miniature Schnauzers, but it is important to understand the Giant Schnauzer, Standard Schnauzer, and Miniature Schnauzer, are three separate and distinct breeds.
  • The Giant Schnauzer is not a giant dog, but he is the largest of the Schnauzers standing 23 to 27 inches at the withers.
  • Not until just before World War I did the Giant Schnauzer begin to come to nationwide attention in Germany as a suitable subject to receive police training at the schools in Berlin and other principal cities.
  • Information about your business or product could appear here. Contact "Selectsmart.com Marketing Assistance"

    ZuZu, an e-zine states:

  • All dogs are probably descended from an animal called Tomarctus.
  • This animal lived approximately 15 million years ago.
  • Stone-aged people tamed dogs to help them track game. About eight thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians raised Saluki hunting dogs. Saluki is an arabic word meaning noble one. These dogs are probably the oldest known breed.
  • Argos or Argus, Ulysses' hunting dog, was the only creature to recognize the Greek hero when he returned home disguised as a beggar after 20 years of adventure.
  • Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek mythology, guarded the gates to the underworld.
  • Laika became the world's first space traveler. Russian scientists sent the small animal aloft in an artificial earth satellite in 1957.
  • Irish Wolfhounds rank as the largest dog, and Chihuahuas as the smallest dog.
  • The St. Bernard is the heaviest dog and other breeds range in size between these extremes.
  • A dog can hear sounds 250 yards away that most people cannot hear beyond 25 yards. The human ear can detect sound waves vibrating at frequencies up to 20,000 times a second. But dogs can hear sound waves that vibrate at frequencies of more than 30,000 times a second.
  • Dogs cannot see as well as humans and are considered color blind. A dog sees objects first by their movement, second by their brightness, and third by their shape.
  • A dog's heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart which beats 70 to 80 times a minute.
  • A female carries her young about 60 days before the puppies are born.
  • "A barking dog never bites."- describes people who sound more dangerous than they really are.
  • "Barking up the wrong tree." - means to look for something in the wrong place.
  • "Dog in a manger." - describes a person who keeps others from using something that he himself cannot use.
  • "Let sleeping dogs lie." - means to leave a situation undisturbed.
  • "Tail wagging the dog." - means that an unimportant member of a group is actually directing everyone's activities.
  • "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." - is often used to describe a person who refuses to change their ways, or to learn a new way of doing things.
  • Canis Major - The Great Dog The great dog follows his master, Orion, as he makes his annual journey through the sky. Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is located on the shoulder of Canis Major. It is the brightest in the heavens, and its name means sparkling and scorching, as it is nearest to the sun during the height of summer.
  • The hot, summer days - Dog Days - which Sirius was thought to cause, run from July 3 to August 11th. The three stars of Orion's Belt point at the Dog Star, Sirius, in Canus ajor at Orion's heels. It is best seen in the northern hemisphere during winter, between December and March. - first published in the May/June 1994 issue of ZuZu illustrations by Kirsten Wehmann