DOG STORIES

A quick  search on Amazon  brings up dozens of musical choices for pets , from CDs to preloaded Bluetooth speakers. Spotify even has its own has dog music channel.  But will a dog actually cock a floppy ear for music, or is this product onslaught just savvy marketing aimed at owners who feel guilty for leaving their pets home alone? We spoke with industry pioneer Lisa Spector of Through a Dog’s Ear  to find out more about whether dogs like music, and why. Music designed to soothe dogs Spector and her team create arrangements of classical music designed to soothe anxious dogs and cats. Spector is a concert pianist and Juilliard graduate who discovered that music could help dogs. Her findings led to 15 hours of albums, a portable player, the iCalmDog, and now, music for cats. “There’s a big difference” between their arrangements and the traditional versions, Spector explains. “Classical music is such a range … Our arrangements are ...

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (May 23, 20121)  -- They make this job look easy. But make no mistake, without extensive and continuous training, the Army wouldn't have any military working dogs.  Many consider the dog-handler profession to be an art form as there are so many nuances that the human must be able to interpret. Indeed, not just anyone can step in and perform the job. The hours are long, and the missions require the kind of autonomy that not everyone is mature enough to handle. Then, there are the dogs, which have distinct personalities just like humans do. The practice of using dogs for hunting is not a modern concept. Ancient cave hieroglyphics depict the animals alongside humans. Surviving Persian and Assyrian documents demonstrate those civilizations' use of the animals during battle. Archaeological digs have even uncovered armor worn by dogs. And, Napoleon used them as guard dogs chained to the walls of Alexandria to ward off attackers.  ...