Dog Harness Restraints Don't Work...

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — A first-of-its-kind crash test for dog harnesses widely used by pet owners showed that none offer adequate protection, with not a single harness passing the test.

The non-profit Center for Pet Safety (CPS) said during its harness tests, crash-test dog dummies turned into projectiles and were even decapitated.

“We tested them to the child safety restraint standard and we experienced a 100-percent failure rate to protect either the consumer or the dog,” said CPS founder and CEO Lindsey Wolko. “That is a very real concern for consumers.”

The Center for Pet Safety would not disclose which harnesses the nonprofit tested out of fear even fewer people will secure their pets.

Wolko said that, while some manufactures do claim to do their own testing, there is no government standard, which creates unregulated industry that can be dangerous for drivers.

Veterinarian Kim Haddad has seen what can happen to a pet in a car accident. “Broken legs, broken jaws, soft tissue injury, it can be pretty traumatic,” said Dr. Haddad.

But while injuries are much worse when drivers let their dogs roam free inside a vehicle, simply using a harness often isn’t enough. In some cases, they can be just as deadly.

“Something is better than nothing, but again, it is only going to be as good as the manufacturer, the fit and the user application of the product,” said Haddad.

According to the American Automobile Association, 20-percent of dog owners admit to allowing their pets to ride unrestrained inside their vehicle.

While having your dog in your lap as you drive violates distracted driving laws, no state currently requires drivers to buckle up their pets.

Some states have proposed bills that could require harnesses, but CPS worries such laws would create a false sense of security as owners assume if a product is legislated, it meets some kind of safety standard.

CPS is now calling for standardized testing similar to child safety seats and for lawmakers to educate themselves on safety standards before legislating the restraints.

One auto manufacturer, Subaru, is currently partnering with CPS to create a testing standard.

Human Society of the U.S. is a scam...

Doggy love!

From the Terrierman Blog

Ahoy red dog!

Here are a couple of pics of "Red"... red setter owned and loved by Ron and Karen Cassidy of Newark Ohio... Red likes to assume command of the yacht and does a great job of keeping things moving (except during nap time).

Dogs, Cats May Be Heart Healthy

Dogs, Cats May Be Heart Healthy, AHA Says

By Chris Kaiser, Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today

Published: May 10, 2013

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner

People who own dogs or cats may have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, but the AHA cautions the evidence is only suggestive.

After reviewing the literature, writing chair Glenn N. Levine, MD, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues found that having a dog or cat in one's life was associated with beneficial cardiovascular effects, including:

• Increased physical activity
• Favorable lipid profiles
• Lower systemic blood pressure
• Improved autonomic tone
• Diminished sympathetic responses to stress
• Improved survival after an acute coronary syndrome

The studies are by no means definitive and do not necessarily prove that owning a pet directly causes a reduction in heart disease risk, researchers emphasized.

They concluded that the data supported a possible association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk. "We saw the most robust data for dogs helping to increase their owners' exercise ability," Levine told MedPage Today.

And although randomized data on this topic are scarce, Levine and colleagues concluded that a causal link may exist between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk -- again, the data being more robust for dog ownership.

The investigators noted two randomized trials in their evaluation. One of them randomized 30 people with borderline hypertension to either adopt a dog from a shelter or defer adoption.

At 2 and 5 months follow-up, the group that adopted dogs had significantly lower systolic blood pressure. When all participants had adopted a dog, the drop in BP was similar between the two groups (Abstract presented at 22nd Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine; March 24, 2001; Seattle, WA.).

The second study randomized 48 hypertensive stockbrokers to dog or cat adoption or no adoption. Researchers wanted to gauge the level of stress reduction. Compared with nonpet owners, the pet owners demonstrated significantly "diminished increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma renin activity when exposed to mental stress at 6 months" (Hypertension 2001; 38: 815-820).

The data on pet ownership and hyperlipidemia is sparse, but trends toward modest reductions in total cholesterol for pet owners.

Studies looking at obesity and pet ownership have been conflicting because of several factors including type of pet, different patient populations, and how much interaction there is between owner and pet, researchers said.

However, "dog walking, as opposed to pet or dog ownership, does appear to be associated with a lower incidence of obesity," they noted.

Finally, in people without cardiovascular disease, pet ownership did not appear to have an impact on survival. In contrast, dog ownership in those with established heart disease was strongly associated with decreased mortality, with the likelihood of mortality being four times greater for those who did not own dog.

Based on the evidence, the AHA recommends that pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, may be reasonable for reduction in cardiovascular disease risk (Class IIb; Level of Evidence B).

A second recommendation states that pet adoption, rescue, or purchase should not be done for the primary purpose of reducing cardiovascular disease risk risk (Class III; Level of Evidence C).

In conclusion, the authors state, "Further research is clearly needed on this important topic, including studies of risk factor modification, primary prevention, and pet acquisition as part of a strategy of secondary risk reduction."

Some red setter dudes working in Canada...

Al & Ed traveled up to Clinton Ontario to judge the Region 13 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship... had a great time... the club treated us like royalty... big thank you to Spencer Ray of Creek Haven Ranch  http://www.creekhavenranch.com/index.php  

Named Champion was Bad River Frankie (Tom Vanecheck)

Runner Up was One Shot Remington (Greg Hilla)

Congratulations and thanks for a great weekend!

NEW RED SETTER NSTRA CHAMPION !!

Congratulations to Steve Witz of Grangeville Idaho and his red setter NSTRA CHAMPION Pal Holiday.  "Pal" was recently awarded his NSTRA Championship on April 6, 2013.  He is only the third Irish Setter in the history of NSTRA to achieve this difficult and prestigious award.  NSTRA dogs must be outstanding bird hunters and must work in close tandem with their owner to bring home their game.  Pal and Steve have been a great working team and their hard work has paid off.  Pal was whelped in 2008 out of King Cormac and Flushing Whip Flash Edition.  Pal is a proud product of the Purest Challenge in Sportsdom.  Thank you Steve Witz for Honoring the Purest Challenge.

Steve Witz with Pal Holiday.

Also pictured are Gary Moen and Lisa Gloss.

NSTRA Champion Pal Holiday