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6A Daily News – Saturday, February 25, 2012 healthPets & By KATHY ANTO- NIOTTI Akron Beacon Journal (MCT) Some people hate wrin- kles. Others adore them, especially if they grace the face of a loved one. A pooch that moved across the country looking for someone to love his wrinkles cashed in on his facial ridges and captured the heart of a Fredericks- burg, Ohio, woman. While some may think that only a mother can love the furry folds on a Chinese Shar- Pei's face, Hoosier the Shar- Pei's folds were cute enough to catch the attention of a Northeast Ohio greeting card company. However, humans in Hoosier's life didn't always view the dog so agreeably. His original owner, who turned him over to a Wis- consin dog pound, asked workers to euthanize the youngster. Full of unbridled energy and enthusiasm, Hoosier, like so many undisciplined dogs, was often punished because humans in his life never taught him manners. Instead, he was branded a "bad dog" because he acted like an unruly child. But dogs aren't as lucky as misbehaving children. They are at the mercy of owners' whims, even when the owner is the one who allows the behavior to become a problem. In Hoosier's case, employees at the pound MCT photo Hoosier, a locally-owned Shar-Pei, pictured at Papp's Dog Services, Feb. 7 in Akron, Ohio, has been chosen to be featured on an American Greeting's birthday card that will be sold at Target stores. intervened and got him a new lease on life by per- suading the owner to put the purebred up for adoption instead of having him put down. "He (Hoosier) had no boundaries. I suspect the man's children didn't either," said Lois Brown, the Wayne County, Ohio, woman who ended up fos- tering, then adopting the 91ST outcast. The pound contacted the North American Shar-Pei Rescue Great Lakes Region which sent a representative on the 1,200-mile round- trip trek to Wisconsin to pick up the dog with the lovable, folded-furry face. As a member of the rescue since 1994, Brown was pre- pared to offer the dog a fos- ter home with her family of 1921 ~ 2012 APRIL 20, 21, 22, 2012 visit us at: www.redbluffroundup.com also on facebook (530) 527-1000 • 1-800-545-3500 five dogs, but ended up giv- ing him her heart. Even though her rescue peers thought Hoosier had animal-aggression issues that might prevent him from finding a home, Brown vol- unteered to take him and introduced him to obedi- ence classes at Papp's Dog Service on Waterloo Road in Akron, Ohio. Two years and several obedience classes later, Hoosier is certified in begin- ner obedience and rally class, and although he is still full of energy, he can at times contain his joyful self. "I only needed to see them together once to know he had already picked out his 'mom,'" Papp's owner and trainer Susan Jenkins said. "He would not take his eyes off her." Tina Elkins, senior pho- tography stylist for Ameri- can Greetings of Cleveland, was looking for a wrinkle- faced Shar-Pei for an age- related greeting card late last year and stumbled on the rescue group's website. Elkins said she searched online for just the right ani- mals to be featured in a new line of greeting cards that are still in the development stages. "I try very, very hard to use breeders and owners of good standing," she said. The cards will be avail- able at Target stores in the fall, Elkins said. Elkins was taken by Hoosier because he has exactly the right features for his breed — deep wrinkles, exactly what people think a Shar-Pei should look like, said Jenkins, who travels with Brown and their dogs when they compete in obe- dience shows. Arrangements were made and the pair met Elkins in Lakewood, Ohio, where the problem-riddled dog that was once given a death sentence turned into a cover boy. Photo by Larry Smith RODEO AMERICA'S ORIGINAL EXTREME SPORT! TICKET OFFICE NOW OPEN FOR BEST SELECTION CALL NOW!!! activities Unwanted to greeting-card star Parakeet needs break from 'mirror mate' By MARC MORRONE Newsday (MCT) Q: My male parakeet has a thing for his mirror. He sits in front of it and regurgitates seeds all over it all day long to the point where I had to buy another mirror. I swap them out so I can always have a clean one handy for him. My hus- band says that the bird thinks the reflection is his mate and feeding "her" is normal. But I wonder if this will hurt him eventually? A: Your husband is correct about the behavior being nor- mal, but what is not normal is that your bird does it all day. This is probably because every time the bird touches the mirror, he thinks his reflection mate is reaching toward him asking to be fed. Even the most loving pairs of birds take a break from each other. I would just put the mirror in the cage for a half-hour twice a day for your bird to fawn over, then take it out. When it is gone, he will just think that his mate has gone off looking for food. ___ Q: Is it possible for a turtle to have epilepsy? We have had two red ear slider turtles for three years. We got them in Chinatown when they were the size of a quarter and now they are both about 6 inches long. Lately, one of them has been facing the other and putting forth his two front legs and shaking his front toes in what seems like a type of seizure. Is this something to be concerned about? A: I am not there to see this with my own eyes, but based on what I know about water turtles, you are witnessing the courting behavior of your two pets. When the male wants to woo the female, he will gently tickle the face of the female with his front claws in the manner that you are describing. That is why his front claws are so much longer than hers. Just enjoy this little bit of natural history that you are lucky enough to witness in your own home. Most people would have to watch Animal Planet or National Geograph- ic Wild to be able to see a turtle mating dance. ___ Q: My friend bought a panther chameleon from a reptile show in Pennsylvania last week. His mother would not let him keep it, so he gave it to me. I have it all set up in a screen cage with a special lighting and water drip system for it to drink from, but this lizard is very scared and upset all the time. I really do not know how to move it around or take it out of the cage when I have to clean it. A: Panther chameleons really do not like to be handled as much as their cousins the veiled chameleons do, and they will let you know this by opening their mouths and hissing and making a fuss. They get stressed out easily, and han- dling such a nervous lizard should be avoided if at all pos- sible. The best way to do it is to have a smaller screen cage handy and then gently persuade the chameleon to climb onto a branch that you are holding. When the chameleon climbs onto the branch, just lift it out of the main cage, lizard and all, and put it in the smaller cage. Transfer the lizard back to the big cage when you have cleaned it out. Most likely he will not even know what is going on with this method. Rex needs endurance training By JEFF KAHLER, D.V.M. McClatchy Newspapers Steve has been an avid runner for 15 years. Recently he bought Rex, a 5-month-old border collie. Rex is intelligent and active, maybe even a bit high-strung, said Steve, who is searching for ways to dissipate some of Rex's energy. He was wondering about having Rex as a run- ning partner, but has con- cerns about possible injuries to Rex's feet and any other possible prob- lems running might cause. Border collies are active dogs and consid- ered one of the most intel- ligent of all breeds. They have been bred as working dogs and are commonly used to herd livestock. In fact, I saw a border collie herd 12 young children at a birthday party, putting them in a tight little group within a matter of min- utes. Dogs like Rex can be extremely sturdy and I would venture to guess they could be excellent running partners. Registration Antelope School District Date: February 29, 2012 Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Place: Antelope School Cafeteria Children must be 5 years old on or before November 1, 2012. If your child's birthday falls between November 2 and December 5, they will be eligible for Transitional Kindergarten. Please bring proof of residency, birth certificate, and immunization. If you have questions please call 527-1272 Kindergarten There are, however, some things to consider. How far does Steve run? How often does he run? At what pace does he run? Rex is a bit young yet to start pounding his body on the pavement. He is still growing, and the growth plates in his bones have not yet closed. This does not mean he cannot go for a run, but it should be shorter distances at this age and not daily. This can change after about one year of age. To be sure, Rex will want to run every time all the time; it will be up to Steve to curb Rex's enthusiasm. Another important fac- tor is teaching Rex all about leash walking. This should start with proper training and with that, exposure to the "outside world." With this solid foundation, physical train- ing will be the next step. Rex needs to be physi- cally trained just as Steve has been in order to run with Steve for the desired distance, duration and speed. One thing I can definitely share is that Rex will get into shape faster than Steve, or any human. Gradual increases in distance, duration and speed will have Rex whipped into shape in no time.