THE Merchart it’s the middia of summer, and we thought, it would be a really good time fer a contest THE Merchant Nothing that's too difficult, time consuming, but an easy little brain teaser that will keap those grey cells busy. All you have te do is read the feature and then wi zate> ie THE Merchant with the products ‘ pictured in the feature and if your answer is right, then you could hundreds of doilass in valuable prizes. So watch for it on Wednesday August 4th in the north shore news Huzman's name: Greigh, age 7. Pet's nama and age: Bear is a three-year-old German shepherd cross. Favourite activities: She loves to spend her days catching baih balis and Frisbees. Favourite treat: She's never above accepting a hot dog or a cookie. Pet tafe: After discovering her gone, Bear's worried owners found her strofling near Mosquito Creek with some newfound “toster tiiends.” if ycu would fike to appear with your pet in Pet Pause, write to Teny Peters c/o the North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver, B.C., V7 2H4. Or send e-mail to . * : dation. A3,000 square fost extle counyerd, for social interaction, or just a cool drink on the patio, uses i ° Every r Raya The suite is complete with | fireplace and sink in sofas. Perhaps a haircut, pedicure matic massage in the spa later, followed byt baths, herbal shampoo treatment and pie: ga casual stroll along the creek ‘that, flows Ko the adjoining Parkland. : "309 Mansfield Place, North Van> 984-0611 _ PETs joggie doings are Ssirange “EEEW!” the little girl squeaked. “What’s your dog doing?” I looked down to see Alex, my doberman, froth- ing at the mouth as he sniffed a spot on the ground. EF tried to think of a way to explain zo her that Alex was releasing saliva into his mouth and running it over his tongue into his nasal passages — like wine con- noisscurs do with 3 fine wine — fo increase the intensity of the odour. Instead [ looked at her .and said, “He’s just weird.” And it occurred to me that there are lots of strange canine behaviours and myths that may confuse people. The first bit of confusion I'd like to clear up is the subject of crates. Some peo- ple feel that it is crue) to keep a dog in 2 crate, or even a small apartment. Regardless of what your personal beliefs are on this matter the. fact is that dogs are perfectly fine in smal} spaces. Dogs are den ani- mals. This means they have a natural instinct, which is a hand-me-down from their wolf cousins, to live and be quite comfortable in dark, contined conditions. They feel safe in their den envi- ronment. You may witness dogs of all sizes trying to squeeze themselves under a coftee table or chair. Some dogs even like to sleep with a blanket over their heads so they have the sensation of being in a cave. It is not the size of the dog’s living area which is the major concern, it is the quality and quantity of both physical and mental exercise the dog reccives outside of its living quarters. As long as the dog has enough room to stand, stretch and lay down they are content. It is believed that only male dogs mark territory. Fiction! Both male and female dogs mark territory. Males are just more obvious about it. Both sexes use urine and feces as a marking tool. You may sce a pile of poop on the top of a tree stump. What the dog is say- ing by doing this is “I am the top dog around here. Lvok how high I can place my poop. I dare any other dog to place their poop - higher than mine!” You may also see dogs scratching their feet after they have done their busi- ness. It is belicved that the dog is spreading its do-do around its territory. This is not entirely false. The dog may be doing that in conjunction with the more obvious reason — a dog sweats from the bottom of its feet, the same way humans do from their armpits. This sweat contains an odour, just like our own, which is released from the pads of its sweaty feet when the dog scratches them on the ground. It is believed that the odours from a dog’s urine, feces and sweat pads contain biojogical and social infor- mation such as the dog’s sex, age and pack status, Dogs are not colour blind nor do they only see in black and white. The fact is that a dog’s vision is almost as good as a humans. They see in colour, just not as intensely as humans. Rut have you ever caught yourself asking your dog “Why can't you see it, you're looking right at it?” Dogs lack the ability to see objects clearly when they focus on it. The harder they try the blurrier things get. They are also much more sensitive to movement and light than humans. To us, there could be no thing in the worid more dis- gusting than 2 dog cating feces. But to a dog there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s believed that when a dog does this it’s craving some- thing in its diet. This is not entirely false. Horse poop is mainly made up of fresh grass, hay and oats which may be coated in molasses. All of these.things are sweet. So it may be the dessert your dog was crav- in; ‘Commercial dog foods have a high grain content and added sugar and salt to make the dry crunchy nuggets more palatable to your dogs. When your dog smells this sweetness or saltiness it may want another taste. If you are concerned with your dog's health because of stool cating, please consult your veterinarian. Yup, some of the stuff they do is weird. But it’s also what makes them dogs. — Joan Klucha is the owner of Sierra KO Training on she North Shore. For advice or questions, you can reach her at 657-8605 ar by e-mail at . The North Shore News welcomes com- ments about any columns or stories in letters to the editor. Pemberion Ave. TALKIUS | papers By