September 8th, 2010

off-bsk news

What causes agressive behaviour in dogs?


       First, I would like to say welcome to the OFF-BSK section of the news. This is written by me, Fallen, and will usually contain informative things about dogs, or interesting stories in the news about dogs.

        The control of different behaviours is a complex process that is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors. A new study throws light on interesting connections between canine aggression and genes that are involved in neurotransmission in the brain.
         Behavioural problems in dogs, particularly aggression towards people, are often the reason why healthy dogs are put down. Aggression and anxiety-related behaviour also has a horrible effect on the animal's welfare because stress influences both the mental and physical health of dogs.
           Different breeds of dog with different forms of specific behaviour act as isolates and are therefore used in studies of characteristics such as behaviour. Similarities in diseases in dogs and humans also provide good opportunities for studies in the field of medical genetics and dogs can therefore be valuable genetic models for various human disorders.
           The central nervous system, its neurotransmitters, and intricate networks of receptors play a key role in this study of behavioural genetics. Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters in the brain and have an important function in the control of behaviour. Many of the medicines that are used for the treatment of psychological problems have an effect on these neurotransmitters.
           The neurotransmitter systems have many different receptors and enzymes that regulate the production and breakdown of psychoactive substances. All stages of these reactions are controlled by genes and can be sources of behavioural changes.
             Doctoral studies have revealed a variation in genes related to serotonin and dopamine in dogs. Scientists used these variations as placeholders in the study and discovered connections between individual variants of genes and aggressive behaviour in dogs.

What do you think? Do you think it's all in the dogs brain, or do you think it also has something to do with the people around the dogs? Have you had a dog with behaviour problems? How did you deal with it?

on-bsk news

        Welcome to the On-Bsk News section. This article will be posted every thursday along with off BSK news. A lot of things have been going on in the past week, and the week before, which I must make up for, of course.
          The first thing I think we should mention are birthdays! RebelPupRare's birthday was on the 7th, so be sure to wish her a very happy birthday. My birthday is also coming up on the 23rd. Be sure to message me and let me know if you have a birthday coming up and if you don't mind being featured in the newspaper.
             The next thing I think I should mention are kennel renovations. Someone most of us know as Ava, or Mythological Wonders, is re-doing EVERYTHING, including her layout, and her breed of choice. If you didn't already know, Ava used to breed top of the line Dalmatians. Her dogs covered the top Dalmatian spots, and she never inbred or overbred. She had many great show quality dogs. However, she has decided to move onto a new project and breed Border Collies. Don't worry, though. Her Dalmatian lines are still around and will be for a very long time. Also, you should check out her new layout, it looks great and is totally Collie-centered. Ava also does wonderful graphics, so be sure to check those out if you have the time.
               Another user who is re-doing everything is a fellow BSK oldie by the new kennel name of Misery. She has decided to breed Border Terriers, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Ibizan Hounds, Fila Brasilieros, and the Wolf. Her main breeds are Wolves and Ibizan Hounds, with the side breeds Fila Brasilieros, Border Terriers, and Neapolitan Mastiffs.  She has also decided to breed more carefully, and not inbreed or overbreed her dogs.  Her females will have up to two litters and males will have up to three. You should probally take note of these things if you're planning on going to either of these users for dogs, because they are doing it a little different now.
                  Well, that's all for now folks! I apologize for not posting last thursday, and I hope you enjoyed reading my articles. Feel free to give me feedback.

0 comments posted by FallenAngel™

September 8th, 2010

0 comments posted by c.o.a.s.t

September 7th, 2010

Dog Care Article - Grooming Tips.

Hey guys! It's Ninetails, and I'll be writing the Dog Care article every Tuesday. I apologise for not posting an article last week, but some things came up so I was unable to.

Anyway, here are some tips to groom your dog!

Long-haired dogs -

Slicker brushes are best for long coats, and they can be used to remove tangles. With a bristle brush, you can remove dead and loose hairs. Combing your dog's tail adds a finishing touch. Repeat this routine weekly.

Short-haired dogs -

To loosen dead skin and dirt, make sure to use a rubber brush. Following this, a bristle brush, best on short coats, can be used to remove loose and dead hairs. Then, polish your pooch with an old cloth. You only need to do this once a week.

I hope this article was helpful! Make sure to read next week.

0 comments posted by Ninetails

September 6th, 2010

Hello, Bsk. This is Bloody (Ares) with the advice column for this week. The topic was voted on by the people of Bsk and the topic for this week is “To Get a Pet or Not.” I will be taking advice and giving advice about whether or not you should get a pet based on your life as of right now. I have seen people on the message board asking for advice about this subject and I think it would be beneficial to just go over this topic in a column for everyone to read. I have taken advice given to me from my animal behaviorist friends, Misha and Sirena, and a friend of mine from Bsk, Devine Japanese Kennels.

            If you want to get a pet but you’re not sure whether or not you should based on your life, consider these questions. If you are ready and willing to give time to animals, whatever breed or species you decide to get, you are on the right track. Animals require time with their owners if you wish to get them to trust you and be your friend. If you are not willing to spend time with a pet or you are too busy for them, then you should not get one because animals need love and affection from their owners. Trust and friendship develops over time and that time needs to be spent with your pet to get a good relationship with them. My friend, Sirena, also says that you need to have the patience to deal with a young animal if you decide to get one. Young animals are just learning the things they will need to know throughout their life, such as becoming potty-trained and not biting or scratching. They are just starting out in life and if you have the urge to spank them or punish them severely every time they do one little thing wrong, then you need to consider getting a pet a little older. Young animals need time and patience to learn and the owners of these animals need to understand that.

            You should also take into consideration that animals cost money to obtain and keep. Say you get a dog. You have the cost of actually buying the dog, taking it to the vet, feeding it, toys to entertain it, and a bunch of other costs that must be taken care of. If you want a pet, you must be ready to spend money to keep your pet happy and healthy. Another very important key factor is whether or not you will be able to keep the pet for years to come. If you know you won’t be able to care for your pet in a few years, you should consider not getting a pet. It is better you not get a pet at all than to get a pet, teach it how to love and trust, and then abandon the animal to the streets. That is animal cruelty.

            Devine Japanese Kennels has always told me that animals are like babies. They take time, effort, and we become attached to them. Pet owners need to be willing to give time, love, and understanding to their pets. If you cannot even give your pet a little time every day to play with them, then you should not consider getting a pet. Or get a pet that does not need play time, like fish. Some pets need a lot of time given to them and some just need to be fed and cleaned. What type of pet to get is another topic altogether.

            My friends and I offer good advice that anybody and everybody can use but I am sure there is even better advice floating around in the minds of the Bsk people. Why not share your advice and help someone make up their minds. If you want to share your advice, message me (Bloody) and tell me. I will keep your names anonymous if you don’t wish to be mentioned. Just message me at Bloody Greek Kennel ID #69300.

0 comments posted by ☠Bloody Greek Kennelϐ

September 5th, 2010

A note about the newspaper.

No, it's not supposed to be random posts, and I apologize for things not going as planned.
Unfortunately, unforseen circumstances made some of our Authors unable to post, including myself!
Computers had to be rebooted, computers weren't accessible until late at night, some people seemed to forget to post, others seemed to not care to post, etc.
But here's my promise to you guys!
From now on, we'll be posting at least every other day!
If someone can't post on day one [we'll just name them day one and day two for this example ^^], and someone hasn't posted by 9pm EST on day two, then I'll come up with something to post for that two day period! It might be winnings from a show from the past week [off BSK], it might be a list of the top dogs by sections, I don't know! But it'll be something!

So for right now I'd like to thank those authors that have either posted, or have attempted to, but couldn't for one reason or another, and apologize for those that just decided not to give something to the newspaper on their day to post. :)

And I have news!
Bloody is now taking over the advice article! Everyone thank Bloody for being awesome! :D
And she will be in cahoots with Kitten for her posts, so say thanks to Kitten for helping out, too!

Also in newspaper news...
You can win up to 800k$ and the official slot for the BSK Newspaper banner!
I'm holding a contest to get a banner for the BSK newspaper [now titled "Barking Mad Times"].
Each person can enter as many times as they want. Up to 5 graphics are paid for [5k$ per graphic entered!], and up to 2 of them can be used in the rotation for the banner. Only one will be the official banner, though!
All entries are welcome, and the top two from each person will be used in the rotations! So you'll not only be showing off your work for everybody on BSK to see, but for everybody that so much as visits BSK to see as well!
It's a great opportunity to get your name out on BSK, as well as on any other sites people play that visit BSK, and to share your talents with the world!
Professional graphic abilities are not necessary. So long as the graphic is your original work, it's welcome! :)
Each person has a chance to win up to 2 slots in the top 5 slots for the contest! So if you send in your best work, you can potentially win both first and third [I won't allow first and second to be taken by the same person, sorry!]!!

So send in your work! You can either message it to me at ID# 63610, or post it as a reply to the post titled "Newspaper Banner Contest! Everybody's a winner!" in the Contest section of the BSK message boards!

Thanks to everyone who's entered so far, and who will enter in the future!
The contest ends either when we have enough entries to pick the top 5 and then some, or when the post is bumped off the boards. Whichever comes first. :)
So go enter, guys!!

3 comments posted by izzanomoly