DOG OWNERSHIP

While a brand new car has its attractions, many people have found that a car with some mileage on it runs just as well, has had the kinks worked out, and costs a lot less than a new vehicle. So it goes with dogs. A mature dog usually has plenty of life left. In addition, the behavioral kinks have likely been taken care of, and a mature dog often costs a lot less than a 2- to 3-month-old puppy. The advantages break down as follows.

Noise levels in shelters can easily exceed 100 decibels (think jack hammer or power lawn mower), and 6 months of exposure to that amount of noise results in hearing loss for dogs. Shelter dogs are also often confined to small spaces and dont get to interact much either with other dogs or with people, leaving them socially isolated. They sleep less in shelters, too, about 11 hours a day, according to one study, compared with 14 hours a day in a household environment.

Dogs barking at the mailman are fairly common, but some 6,000 attacks on letter carriers occur each year, according to the U.S. Postal Service, and some are quite serious. Among the cities with the greatest number of attacks: Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Minneapolis. But attacks occur all over the country, involving not just bites but also knocking letter carriers to the ground, sometimes necessitating emergency room visits.

People who lose a dog often experience what social workers have called disenfranchised grief, says veterinarian Karen Fine, a graduate of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts. By which she means that the grief one feels upon losing a pet often is not considered socially acceptable and is given short shrift by others. Youre still upset? people will ask cavalierly, Dr. Fine says. That was a couple of weeks ago. They dont realize that people often have a closer bond with their dog than they do with many of the other loved ones in their lives, caring for their pet every single day and developing a daily rhythm through walking with the animal, feeding her, and being greeted by her when coming home from work.

Americans are starting to get the hang of bringing reusable tote bags to the supermarket so we dont pollute our oceans and landfills with more and more plastic. But dog owners by and large continue to use rolls of plastic poop bags. Its understandable - they're so convenient.

Want to learn about the new frontiers in DNA tests for dogs? Or how dogs can increase support and motivation for increased physical activity - and increased health? Or even about non-dog animal matters, like how people and cheetahs can be expected to share the same landscape? And would you like to learn about all these things for free? Well, you can.

While all dogs like to run to a certain degree, some make better running companions than others. Dalmatians, Doberman Pinschers, Labrador and Golden Retrievers tend to make good running partners, as well as herding dog breeds (but they can get easily bored and look for something to herd along the way, such as a car).

Apparently youve subscribed to the right publication for information on how best to take care of your pet. Your Dog has won an award from the Dog Writers Association of America in the category of best newsletter or newspaper devoted entirely to animals.

The results are in for which state has the highest proportion of households with dogs - and the winner is Idaho, with 58 percent of homes having at least one, says the American Veterinary Medical Association.

According to one informal survey, three out of four dog owners allow their pet in bed with them at night. Chances are you do, too. Is it okay?

Simply put, its nearly impossible to resist the cuteness of a puppy. Some people prefer the idea of training a young puppy with the hopes of creating the adult dog of their dreams. But what are the things to anticipate when planning to adopt?

Service dogs are taught to perform all kinds of duties that keep their owners safe - everything from barking into a speaker phone to signal an emergency to alerting other people when their owner is in distress. They can also provide tactile stimulation for someone in the throes of a panic attack, or even react if someone is experiencing dangerously low blood sugar.