Fitness Program

You've seen those ads on TV promising amazing results from all sorts of contraptions. Well, there's no need to invest in fancy equipment. If
you have (or can borrow) a dog, you have everything you need to get in shape now!!! The following exercises can be done anywhere, anytime.

Inner Thighs: Place the dog's favourite toy between thighs. Press tighter than the dog can pull. Do not attempt bare legged - dogs who favour shortcuts to success will just dig the toy out. You could be damaged.

Upper Body Strength: Lift the dog - off the couch, off the bed, out of the flower bed. Repeat, repeat, repeat. As the dog ages, this exercise is reversed - onto the couch, onto the bed, into the car and so on.

Balance and Coordination, Exercise 1: Remove your puppy from unsuitable tight places. If they're too small for him, they're certainly too small for you.
Do it anyway!

Balance and Coordination, Exercise 2: Practice not falling when your dog bounds across the full length of the room, sails through the air, and slams both front paws into the back of your knees.

Balance and Coordination, Exercise 3: (for use with multiple dogs) Remove all dogs from lap and answer the phone before it stops ringing.

Balance and Coordination, Exercise 4: (alternate) For older dogs, attempt to cross a room without tripping over the dog. Get off your
couch without crushing any part of a sleeping elderly dog.

Upper Arms: Throw the ball. Throw the squeaky toy. Throw the Frisbee. Repeat until nauseous.

Upper Arms: (alternate) Tug the rope. Tug the pull toy. Tug the sock. Repeat until your shoulder is dislocated or the dog gives up (we all know which comes first).

Hand Coordination: Remove foreign object from dog's locked jaw. This exercise is especially popular with puppy owners. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Remember, this is a timed exercise. Movements must be quick and precise (think
concert pianist) to prevent trips to the vet, which only offer the minimal exercise benefit of jaw firming clenches.

Calves: After the dog has worn out the rest of your body, hang a circular toy on your ankle and let the dog tug while you tug back.
WARNING: This is feasible only for those with strong bones and small dogs. Have you taken your
calcium supplement today?

Calves: (alternate) Run after dog - pick any reason, there are plenty. Dogs of any size can be used for this exercise. Greyhounds are inadvisable.

Neck Muscles: Attempt to outmanoeuvre the canine tongue headed for your ear, mouth, or eyeball. This is a lifelong fitness program. A dog is
never too old or too feeble to' French Kiss' you when you least expect it.

Tuesday: Awww thats a cute name! x3! :o)

Tuesday: that pic wasnt 'actually' my cat but does look so similar it could be her! I will email you a pic of me with her!

Tuesday: My Rabbit looks just like your Dylan did?! Wow!!
Thanks, I guessed it may be something like that!

Tuesday: Rabbit, my cat I still have now, looks like this one...
http://www.humanesociety.com/images/lostpippo.jpg


What is a 'have a heart' trap? You did well to capture them & to have them neutered is very sensible too!
Yes they are very mysterious! I love that about them

Tuesday: I had'nt realised it was a defect either.......I had to look it up as when you mentioned them I got thinking why are they are predominantly female!

Not only that... my cat who died fairly recently was a female calico. Looked just like this one...
http://www.pattyb.net/pets/cali.jpg

Why Are Calico Cats Female?
By: Dr. Dawn Ruben



It is difficult to breed specifically for calico or tortoiseshell cats.
It is difficult to breed specifically for calico or tortoiseshell cats.
Section: The Secret of Calico Cats

Calico cats, with their orange, black and white coloration, are almost always female. So are black and orange tortoiseshells. Why?

The answer has to do with genetics. Every cat has 38 pairs of chromosomes; half of the pairs are from the mother, the other half is from the father. Within every chromosome there are thousands of different genes.

Every female cat receives one X chromosome from her mother and one X chromosome from her father, while a male receives one X chromosome from his mother and one Y chromosome from his father. Within the X chromosome is a gene for coat color.

In calicos and tortoiseshells, one X has the black gene; the other X has the orange gene. White coat color is associated with a completely separate gene.

At conception, the kitten is a one-celled organism, which divides until there are millions of cells that make up the final kitten. Each time a cell divides, it passes on its genetic material.

Gene Inactivation

For the sex chromosomes, there is a battle for power. This is especially true for the X chromosome. If two X chromosomes are present, which determines female sex, one X chromosome will become inactivated at some point in fetal development. When this happens, all the cells descended from the activated X chromosome will have the same characteristics, including coat color.

In calicos, if the X-chromosome that is left functioning carries the orange gene, then all the cells descended from it will result in an orange color. The same is true if the functioning X chromosome has the black gene. If both X-chromosomes carry the same color gene, then the calico pattern will not appear.

Since X chromosomes inactivate at various times in each individual cat, color patches vary.

The story is different for male cats. Males have only one X chromosome, and it is never inactivated. Whatever color gene is present on this X chromosome will determine the color of the cat. Males can be calico or tortoiseshell only if they are born with 2 X-chromosomes and a Y (XXY), allowing one X to be inactivated. This genetic defect (XXY) is very rare.



It's Difficult to Breed Calicos

It is difficult to breed specifically for calico or tortoiseshell cats. Breeding an orange cat to a black cat may increase the chances, but it all depends on whether the kitten is female and at what stage during development the X-chromosome becomes inactive. There is no way to predict or force an X chromosome to inactivate at a certain point in development.

Tuesday: they are very rare as its actually a genetic defect!

Tuesday: I have heard the same..

Tuesday: OMG!!! 477 dogs!! aaaaawwwwwwwww

Tuesday: I know what Id like to do to people who abuse animals!!!

Tuesday: (just read Baxtor Bulletin) aww those poor dogs!! thats horrendous!! 477 dogs!!!

Great new board!!

Im also passionate about animals. I will add this board to my favourites!

I have been a strict vegetarian for almost 2 decades due to the horrific meat industry.

I have adopted many rescued animals over the years, but at present I only have one cat, called Rabbit! She has lived with me for about 15 years.

One of the most exciting things I have done in my life was to be awarded a fellowship from Earthwatch to go to Costa Rica to help collect scientific data through field research on caimans, crocodiles & manatee.

I have also been an animal activist for many years and am opposed to hunting, especially for sport!

anastasia: aaaawwwwww sounds like you get to go through some special times now with him. That is what is always so scary for me.. Growing up we had a dog named Ginger.. she was a Golden Retriever.. We mated her not realizing she was actually too old to do so.. so her pups all had something wrong with them.. She had a total of 3 pups: one was a still born, one had a cleft palet and the third one had a blue heart?? I wonder if that is the correct term.. anyway.. her heart wasn't too good. We couldn't sell any of the pups due to their medical conditions.. when they were around 1.. my parents had gone away for 2 weeks and left my Older brother and I in charge of the house and dogs.. Amber, the one with the heart problems ended up dying.. and I was the one who found her.. It was sad.. I was 16.. my brother Tom was 18, but was at work.. I remember calling my boyfriend in tears.. he came over and helped take Amber to the vets to bury her.. Ginger, the mother.. Heck.. we ended up having to put her down in the end of the 80's I wanna say 89.. but I am not exactly sure.. she was so full of tumors.

anastasia: yes she was.. she is though getting her adult coat.. much more like a chow.. she is so sweet.. and demanding.. too funny

she bouncie bouncies all the time..

ScarletRose: oh,btw...HOW CUTE!!! Like wittle tiny balls of fuzz!!!!!!!!!!

ScarletRose: Thanks...when I get some more time I am going to get more posted..hope the word spreads about this board..I love animals,maybe more then people,lol.....We have a dalmatian.We got him when he was 6 months old and he is now 11 1/2 years and geting very tired.He is on meds for his hips (artheritis) and for his bladder (he dribbles pee all the time) so he also wears a wrap (denim so he is stylin' LOL) We almost lost him this past summer due to a nasty infection running through his body that we didn't know he had till it was almost to late.He lost about 15 pounds during his illness and we can't get him to put 1 pound on now,he is all skin and bones...but Dr. says his heart hi really strong.He is in early stages of alzhimers now too...I am hoping when it is his time that he will go peacefully in his sleep but if not our vet will come out to the house to put him down...I don't even want to think of that though!! His name is Patch but we call him everything from bobaloo to monkey butt,lol!! he is my baby!!

Kewl to see this type of board..

I received as a gift a pomeranian this past Holiday Season. She has been so spunky and jumpy it is kewt. She is a black pomeranian and is full of love. I feel like making her a tutu and training her to do acts. LOL

She has made friends with my parents dogs.. which are Golden Retriever Cross ??(not sure with what because it all happened so fast) but they are Black.. but it is cute sometimes how she sits and whines at the door when she hears the others dogs are outside.. she wants to go play..

hello all...Tuesday and I had an idea for a board and well,here we are.I would like to give you an idea of our idea....we would like to here about your pets,lol....any and all pets!!! also though,I will be posting stories of goings ons with animals else where and they may bother some sensitive readers...I will try to post a warning in titles before that is done.Stories that are posted like that are NOT for some sick entertaining factor but rather to bring attention to animals that have no voice and cannot speak for themselves.I did volunteer work at a shelter and saw some terrible things while I was there and it broke my heart.To me,people that abuse or hurt animals are as low as people that hurt kids or the elderly and I have NO tolerance for it AT ALL.Have fun posting and sharing your pet tails...oh,no pun intended,lol....I know some debates over issues may start and that is fine,but lets keep it friendly,ok..Thanks for visiting!!!