The ball rolls under the couch and your dog can’t reach it. He looks over at you, sticks his head under the couch with his tail wagging, and looks back over at you. What do you think he is saying to you?

“Get my toy!”

Most dog owners already know that their dog communicates with them, but scientists recently confirmed this, reporting that dogs use specific gestures to communicate their “wants” with humans!

Not only do dogs take commands, such as “sit” and “lie down,” with words and hand signals, but they give commands too! Dogs communicate with their bark, it’s true, but also with their body movements and gestures (or signals). The scientists reported that dogs use different gestures to coax their owners into “performing” certain commands.

The commands were:

• “Give me food/drink”
• “Open the door”
• “Get my toy/bone”
• “Scratch me!”

They discovered 19 different gestures that dogs used to get their owners to fulfill their commands. Sometimes a dog would call on several different gestures to get a single command fulfilled. This could have been due to a delay in the response from the pet owner.

The most common gesture was a head turn, where the dog turned his head from side to side, usually between a human and an apparent object of interest. This gesture was used for all the commands noted above.

Just as certain gestures were used for different commands, other gestures were used exclusively for a single, specific command (want). For example, rolling onto one side of the body and exposing the chest, stomach, and groin always meant “Scratch me!”

An interesting take away from this study is that this type of gesturing in animals (other than humans) is quite rare. It has been observed in the great apes (chimpanzees, orangutans) and some bird and fish species, but limited to one or two gestures and only with members of the same species (with the exception of apes in captivity where they have been observed to gesture with their human caretakers). To observe such “cross-species” behavior (between a dog and a human) is rarer still.

For years we have known that dogs understand the commands we give them, using signals (gestures) as well as words, but now we know for a fact that dogs use their own gestures to give us commands, and understand what they are telling us!

The human-canine bond goes back thousands of years. Over this time, dogs and humans have clearly developed the knack to understand each other’s gestures – and wants.

The next time your dog wants the door opened to go out, pay attention to the signals he sends – does he paw the door? – jump up and down at the door? – look from the door to you and back to the door again? You might be amazed at the way your dog is communicating with you to get what he wants!

August 15^th is Check the Chip Day! No, not potato chips, or chocolate chips, but pet identification microchips! Thousands of pets going missing each year, but those with microchip identification are much more likely to be reunited with their families.

Every year there are stories in the news about cats and dogs being reunited with their owners weeks, months, or even years after they have gone missing. Just this past June, a lost cat was reunited with his owner after 10 years in the United Kingdom, and earlier this year, a lost dog was reunited with her family after 10 years in Pennsylvania! These are examples of pets being separated for long periods of time before being reunited, but there are far more examples of pets being returned to their families within just a couple of days or weeks

What is a microchip?
A microchip is a tiny computer chip about the size of a grain of rice. Each microchip has a unique number that is entered into an international database or registry. This unique number is associated with information that the owner has provided (owner’s name, address, and phone number; and pet’s breed, sex, and colour etc.). If the pet was microchipped by the breeder, the chip may be registered with the kennel club or the breeder from which the pet was purchased.

Update your information!
Microchipping is important for the identification of your pet but keeping the contact information associated with the chip up to date is even more important! In the case of the cat in the UK, the owner never gave up hope that his cat would be found – every time he moved, he updated his contact information with the registry. That action paid off when his cat turned up at a shelter, was scanned for a microchip, and the owner was identified and contacted!

Anytime you move, it is important to update the contact information associated with the microchip. Getting a new cell phone? Make sure you update the number with the registry! When you are travelling with your pet, this phone number becomes extremely important – your cell phone is the number where you can be reached, not your home phone!

Check the chip!
Check the Chip Day reminds pet owners to make an appointment with their veterinarian to have their pet’s microchip scanned. This ensures that the chip is where it should be and allows the pet owner or veterinarian to check if the chip is registered to the correct person and not the breeder or kennel club. It is also a reminder that if you have moved or have a new cell phone number, you must update that information with the registry.

Know your microchip number?
If you already know your pet’s microchip number, there is a free online tool available that allows owners to enter the number and find out which database the microchip is associated with. By visiting the corresponding database website, a pet owner can check the registered contact information and update it if necessary. The website for North American microchip registries is: http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/ (in the UK, the website is http://www.check-a-chip.co.uk/ and in Australia, the website is http://www.petaddress.com.au/).

We all take steps to prevent our pets from running away, but sometimes they will out-smart us and make a bee-line to a gap in a fence or slip out the door when we grab the mail. Even indoor cats should be microchipped – they can escape too! The odds of having your pet returned is greatly increased if your pet has a microchip.

You have worked hard all year and summer vacation is almost here! The big question is, are you prepared to travel with your pet this summer? Some vacations are well-suited to include your furry friend, but it is important to keep a few things in mind when preparing to travel with a pet, so your trip is memorable…in a good way! Here are a few tips to consider before you set out on your summer road trip!

• Use a pet restraint device or keep your pet in his crate while travelling.
• Always leash your pet BEFORE you stop for an exercise break. Your pet may dash out of your car as soon as the door opens.
• Make frequent exercise breaks. Dogs need to take regular walks on road trips. Stopping at busy gas stations is not ideal, so try to plan your stops at rest areas or parks where your dog can be leash-walked to stretch his legs and go to the bathroom. Build extra time into your schedule for these stops.
• If travelling with a cat, keep a small litterbox in the pet carrier. Scoop the litterbox frequently to keep everyone happy.
• Make sure your pet is adequately identified in case you become separated from him. Microchipping is a permanent way for your pet to be identified, but it’s also a good idea to have an ID tag attached to his collar that has your cell phone number on it. Be sure that the contact information – including your cell phone number – associated with the microchip is up-to-date.
• Bring enough food and water for the whole trip. Changes in diet often lead to gastrointestinal upset and an upset stomach is not fun for anyone. Taking an ample water supply with you for your pet avoids any problems with local water supplies.
• Carry the proper paper work for your pet and ensure you know the regulations for travelling across state/provincial borders. If travelling to another country, you will need to investigate the requirements of doing so. Keep a copy of your pet’s health certificate (verification that your pet will not carry infectious diseases/parasites across state lines) and bring a copy of your pet’s medical records in case of an emergency with your pet.
• Be sure to bring your pet’s routine medication(s) including flea, tick, and heartworm preventives. Check with your veterinarian about any parasites in your destination area. Ticks may not be of concern in your hometown, but your destination may be a different story. Your veterinarian can advise you of any preventives you may need.
• If your pet is prone to car sickness or stress-induced diarrhea, speak to your veterinarian ahead of time for recommendations. Your veterinarian can give you tips or prescribe medication that can help.
• Try feeding smaller, more frequent meals instead of large meals right before hitting the road.
• If you plan on long hikes with your dog, build up his stamina before you head out on holidays. Be sure to bring along a collapsible water dish, or other water dispensers and make sure you have packed plenty of water for both you and your dog. Stop frequently for water breaks. If hiking in the mountains, provide water breaks every 20-30 minutes. It is easy to become dehydrated in higher elevations. Make sure your pet is comfortable drinking from these water dispensers before you head out on your hike!
• Take time for rest. Vacations can be hectic, so schedule in some “down time” for you and your pet.
• Finally, consider if taking your pet with you is the best idea. If you plan on doing a lot of sight-seeing in museums or galleries, your pet is going to spend a lot of time alone in your hotel room. Sometimes the reality of vacationing with your pet is much different than what you envisioned! If you decide to leave you pet behind, rest assured, he will enjoy his own “vacation” at a boarding kennel or staying with a Pet Sitter.

With a little planning and preparation, you can make great memories while vacationing with your pets this summer!