As old as the mankind and his (or her, depending on your political correctness) domestication of animals, there have been quarrels, arguments, and even warfare that men have waged against his own kind. Of course, the man is a genius when it comes to instrumentation of physical harm and destruction, including the use of the animals around him.

As much as it is the ‘right thing’ to say that this is a form of animal abuse, I would have to refrain from pointing fingers at anyone because who’s to say what’s right or wrong in war? If men only killed men, is that any better or more fair than getting animals involved? Who’s to say. No, instead of making subjective or even political statements, I would like to point out the stupidity of using animals in something they are so foreign to: wars.

When I first researched this, I thought this was a joke. A story made by some military PR person.. or some comedy written during the times of war to lighten up the soldiers and the cilivians.

First I heard of the dolphins trained by the Navy in the past to act as kamikaze torpedos to blow up enemy ships and cut off air supply hose from enemy divers:

They are being turned into Kamikaze torpedoes, or trained to attach magnetic explosives to the bottom of enemy ships. Dolphins are also being trained in the swimmer nullification program, where a long, hollow hypodermic needle is placed over the snout of the dolphin for injecting compressed CO² into the enemy frogmen, the pressurized gas forcing the frogman’s internal organs out of his body orifices.

Right out of a sci-fi movie? Perhaps. It gets even better. The Soviets and the Germans trained dogs to act as kamikaze anti-tank bombs during WWII:

Anti-tank dogs (Russian: Собаки-истребители танков or Противотанковые собаки; German: Panzerabwehrhunde or Hundeminen, “dog-mines”), were dogs taught to carry explosives under tanks and armored vehicles where they would detonate and inflict the most damage upon the vehicle, killing the dog in the process. They were actively trained by the Soviet and Russian military forces in 1930–1996 and used in 1941–1942 against German tanks in World War II. The US military trained anti-tank dogs in 1943, but never deployed them. Dogs strapped with explosives were unsuccessfully used by terrorists in 2005 in Iraq.

This is serious stuff people. Not made up.

To me, this is dumb (more than cruel and unusual). Why go through ALL that training, treats, and pat-on-the-head just to blow up your hard earned trust? I’m no genius but doesn’t this equate to nearly zero ROI? It’s not like these animals secretly approach the enemies, drop the bomb, and safely return home to go on more missions. It’s a one time bing-bang-boom! Wouldn’t it better just to shoot a long range canon?

If dogs were so dispensable, why did the US military even bother making gas masks for dogs?

Protect them against gas attacks, so you can blow them up later?

Smart? No. Practical? No. Expensive? Yes. Just like Hummers.

If the leaders of the militaries of the world were ever to read this blog, I have a suggesti0n for a new crazy weapon that’s going to give you guys a new edge in modern warfare:

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1. Place him on his back.

2. Hold his four paws together with both your hands - 2 paws per hand makes it easier.

3. Slowly and gently lift him in the air.

4. Call his name and tell him to look at the camera.

5. Wait for it…..click! Done.

As you can see, my dog is ready to get roasted on an open fire. He even posed for the picture! Believe me, this is not torture. Our dogs are quite willing. Remember TaeWoo eating Brownie? That was the face of an unfazed dog.

I wonder if we were stuck on an island and dogs could talk, if they would say something like “Masters, please eat me. I love you.”

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I recently attended the South Bay Chihuahua Meetup in Milpitas. It was a terrific turnout! The organizers are incredibly organized and friendly. After everyone split up, a bunch of us went to ToGos to have a late lunch while our dogs were by our feet, roaming the pavement, or sitting on our laps. Good Times! As we were chit chatting with fellow Chihuahua lovers, I noticed the dog next to me had some unusual paws — something I’d personally never seen before. When I got home, I googled this oddity. According to Wikipedia, the pet is said to have double dewclaws.

Here’s a picture of the Chihuahua/Greyhound I met this past Saturday.

Apparently, double dewclaws are common in certain breeds such as Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees’, Kuvasz, but almost any breed can get this recessive gene.

My next question would be whether it’s better to have them removed since it’s possible that the claw would catch onto things and harm the pet. Of couse I’m not the only person who’s questioned this possible hazard.

Dewclaws, both front and rear, can cause a bit of worry in dog owners. Fear that nail will catch on something during a run and be torn off and cause injury to the dog is a valid fear. Some breeders will have them removed before the pup is of age to be placed, but many dogs are left with their dewclaws intact. Dewclaws can be removed from any dog that is eligible to be anesthetized, and it is often done during a spay or neuter (it’s cheaper done at this time too). Dewclaw removal involves removing the entire toe, not just the claw, and cost may increase if the toe is firmly attached.

In any case, if you have a pet that has a dewclaw or double dewclaws, you may want to talk to your vet to see if it’s something you should worry about. I’m sure if the toe is tight against the body and not spread out, with trimming, there shouldn’t be a problem.

I know cats can have lots of toes too. If you have any interesting facts to share, please do! We love learning about new things =)

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According to this site, there are several options related to taking care of your pets body after it has passed. They list the following:

Home Burial - Digging a hole and  putting your pet in your backyard. My family has always done this.

Cremation - This seems to range anywhere from $30 to $350 bucks depending on how you want it done.

Pet Cemetaries - Prices will vary and can be costly if you’re paying a monthly fee.

Pet Taxidermy or freeze-drying - I wouldn’t want to see my pet frozen on my counter, but some ppl do.

Veterinary Hospital Care - Basically you’d surrender their body.

Educational Memorial - Basically turning them into cadavers for research.

Personally, I’ve had many pets buried in my backyard….dogs, birds, rabbits, fishes….but as of this moment, I think I would actually like to cremate my dogs and scatter their ashes somewhere nice when it’s time for them to go.

This may be a sensitve subject for some, but just like human bodies, I feel that it is important to think ahead to save the financial headaches down the line.

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According to TopTenz, the following are the top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities:

10. San Diego, CA
9. Long Beach, CA
8. Carmel, CA
7. Portland, OR
6. Seattle, WA
5. Chicago, IL
4. New York, NY
3. Orlando, FL
2. Colorado Springs, CO
1. Austin, TX

I’m not sure how they chose these places, but I’m going wherever the dogs are at.

 Cocoa is sporting his pet tag. More Product pics & Info coming soon!

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