THINK YOU KNOW DOGS? TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR BEHAVIOR, HEALTH AND ANATOMY
By Kim Campbell Thornton
How much do you know about dogs? Take this quiz and find out. The answers are at the end. Feel free to consult your dog if you're not sure of the answers.
1. Chasing cars, skateboards or other fast-moving objects is a form of what type of behavior?
a. social
b. predatory
c. territorial
d. both b and c
2. Dogs wag their tails when they are feeling which of the following emotions?
a. happiness
b. curiosity
c. aggression
d. all of the above
3. Which of the following is not a reason that dogs mark territory with urine?
a. to indicate sexual availability
b. to warn other dogs off their territory
c. to get back at their owners for leaving them alone d. to express their superiority to other dogs
4. Which number does not indicate a dog's normal body temperature?
a. 99 degrees Fahrenheit
b. 100 degrees Fahrenheit
c. 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit
d. 102 degrees Fahrenheit
5. Whiskers aid which of a dog's senses?
a. touch
b. sight
c. hearing
d. both a and b
6. Which of the following is not an example of dogs' abilities as rocket scientists?
a. They have orbited the earth in spacecraft.
b. They can plot the trajectory of a moving object and predict its landing point
c. They can navigate using the earth's magnetic field.
d. They helped to design the Mars Rover.
7. Which of the following dog breeds is hypoallergenic?
a. poodle
b. soft-coated wheaten terrier
c. greyhound
d. none of the above
8. "Coprophagy" is a term used to describe which behavior?
a. dogs who eat coffeecake
b. dogs who chase police officers
c. dogs who eat poop
d. dogs who dig for fossils
9. Which of the following terms has not been used to describe canine vocalizations?
a. the bells of Moscow
b. chop
c. big bawl mouth
d. trill
10. Which of these is not a reason that dogs dig?
a. to hide food for later use
b. to plant their own strawberries and tomatoes
c. to make a comfy bed
d. to find prey
ANSWERS
1. d -- Dogs react to territorial incursions by chasing the invader, whether a cat or a car. Fast-moving objects also trigger their prey drive, causing them to give chase.
2. d -- A dog's tail wag can mean many different things, depending on the tail's position and the speed at which it's moving.
3. c -- Dogs with separation anxiety may urine-mark because they are nervous, but they aren't capable of complex emotions such as spite.
4. a -- A dog's normal temperature ranges from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. d -- Whiskers enhance a dog's senses of sight and touch by detecting air currents, sensing obstacles that might otherwise go unseen in the dark, and transmitting information about an object's shape and texture.
6. d -- The Mars Rover might resemble a robotic dog, but dogs were not involved in its development -- except perhaps as companions for its engineers.
7. d -- All dogs, even hairless breeds, have allergens in their dander (dead skin cells), saliva and urine. Individual dogs may be less allergenic than others, but no breed is completely hypoallergenic.
8. c -- This unattractive behavior is named for the Greek words "copros," meaning feces, and "phagein," to eat.
9. d -- A trill is more often attributed to cats. All of the other terms have been used to describe hound sounds. George Washington likened the voices of his hounds to the "bells of Moscow."
10. b -- Dogs often enjoy these fruits of gardens, but the only planting they do is of bones.
Q&A
'Sick pet' probably not
covered by trip insurance
Q: My fiancee and I are booking a Mediterranean cruise for this fall. My 10-year-old dog is not in the best of health, and I'm concerned that we might have to cancel at the last minute if he has a setback and requires emergency care. Would trip insurance cover that situation? -- via email
A: I was in a similar situation some years ago. We were planning a two-week trip to a far-off country, and I was concerned that Bella, our aged cavalier, might go into heart failure just before the trip. It wasn't all that likely, but for peace of mind, I purchased cancel-for-any-reason insurance. It was more expensive, and we didn't have to use it, but I was glad the option was there.
Most trip insurance plans cover cancellations only in the event of illness or death, either your own or a family member's. Some may cover work-related cancellations. It is highly unlikely that a pet's illness will be covered -- even if we consider them family members -- so if you are truly concerned, a cancel-for-any-reason policy is probably the way to go. Your travel agent or insurance agent can help you find an appropriate policy.
How much will it cost? In his book "How to be the World's Smartest Traveler," Christopher Elliott says travel insurance typically costs between 4 and 8 percent of a trip's prepaid, nonrefundable cost, with cancel-for-any-reason policies running 10 percent or slightly more of the nonrefundable cost.
These policies have certain requirements. Usually, they must be purchased within one week to one month of making the initial deposit for the trip. Cancellation usually must be made 48 hours prior to departure. You may also be required to notify the airline, hotels and cruise line within that time frame. Read the policy carefully before purchase and make sure you understand all the requirements. -- Kim Campbell Thornton
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
It's a bird! It's a plane!
No! It's a dog star!
-- Look up into the sky for a vision of celestial canines. On view this month are four canine constellations, says Joe Rao, skywatching columnist on Space.com and an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. Keep an eye out for sparkling Sirius, the "dog star," the brightest star of the constellation Canis Major (Latin for Greater Dog). Procyon, known as "Little Dog Star," is one of two stars that make up Canis Minor (Lesser Dog). It rises about 20 minutes before Sirius. Finally, look for the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), Chara and Asterion, which, according to myth, were placed in the sky to assist Bootes, the Bear Driver, as he pursues Ursa Major (Great Bear).
-- You might have heard that all calico cats are female. If you were to make a bet that a particular calico is female, you would probably win, but there's no guarantee: Approximately one calico in 3,000 is male, thanks to a genetic oddity known as "Klinefelter syndrome." Those cats have X and Y chromosomes, making them male, but they also have an additional X chromosome, which allows for the expression of the calico coat pattern.
-- The Morris Animal Foundation is looking for a few good goldens. If your golden retriever is healthy and younger than 2 years, you may be able to enroll him in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which seeks to identify genetic, environmental and nutritional risk factors for cancer, which is the cause of death for more than half of all goldens. Participants agree to participate for the dog's lifetime, complete online questionnaires regarding the dog's diet and environment, take their dog to the veterinarian for annual examinations and collection of blood, urine, feces, hair and toenail samples, microchip their dog, and allow collection of tumor samples for evaluation when applicable. For more information, go to www.caninelifetimehealth.org. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Kim Campbell Thornton
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.