We took over 1,000 photos at ClickerExpo [0] Lexington. There was fun and excitement, learning and laughter, as well as an abundance of beautiful dogs.

Click here to see a small selection of what we saw [0].

Concern about chemicals in our environment—especially those inside our homes—is growing. From water bottles, baby bottles, and Teflon pans to cleaning chemicals, products that many of us rely on may be making us sick. This may be even more true for our beloved animals. Unfortunately, the US does not regulate the chemicals that pets are exposed to, including those used in manufacturing chew toys and pet accessories.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. Founded in 1993, EWG works to protect human health and natural resources. EWG's groundbreaking investigations into human body's toxic burden led to the creation of Pets for the Environment [1].

In a study released April 17, 2008, EWG reveals that pets are indeed carrying a toxic burden—one that is even higher than their human owners.

"In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group found that companion cats and dogs are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns.

"Dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels higher than those typically found in people, according to our study of blood and urine from 20 dogs and 40 cats. Average levels of many chemicals were substantially higher in pets than is typical for people, with 2.4 times higher levels of stain-and grease-proof coatings (perfluorochemicals) in dogs, 23 times more fire retardants (PBDEs) in cats, and more than 5 times the amounts of mercury, compared to average levels in people found in national studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and EWG.

"Just as children ingest pollutants in tap water, play on lawns with pesticide residues, or breathe in an array of indoor air contaminants, so do their pets. But with there compressed lifespans, developing and aging seven or more times faster than children, pets also develop health problems much more rapidly. Pets, like infants and toddlers, have limited diets and play close to the floor, often licking the ground as well as their paws, greatly increasing both their exposures to chemicals and the resulting health risks."

Wondering how to protect your pets? Here's a list of tips to keep your pet healthy [2]. You can also read EWG's press release [3] or visit Pets for the Environment [4] for more information.

A member of the first graduating class of Karen Pryor Academy, Terri P. Tepper of Barrington, IL, was recently profiled in the Barrington Courier Review. Terri's training business is the Cultivated Canine, [5] also located in Barrington, IL. An excerpt from the profile:

"Terri Tepper, a Barrington area resident for over 40 years, is a former teacher, published author and portrait photographer but recently shifted her attention to her love of dogs and is the only certified clicker [5] method dog trainer in Illinois.

"Clicker training [5] is a dog obedience course that stresses positive reinforcement [5] and Tepper said the training is more fun for dogs and the animals are more receptive to learning."

To read the full article, click here [6]. You can also learn more about Karen Pryor Academy [7] or find a great dog trainer near you [8].

Japanese scientists have taught a rodent species, Degu, to use a rake tool to obtain a food reward. After training, it was determined that the Degu could recognise a functional tool from a non-functional tool when given options.

Karen Pryor was recently interviewed for an article posted at CinCHouse.com, a website for military women and wives. The article details how clicker training [8] helped a traumatized rescue horse.

Blue had clearly been abused. The then-7-year-old Arab/Appaloosa/Percheron gelding was petrified of horse trailers. His owner, Lei Ryan, Army wife and former active duty officer, could tell her rescue horse had been traumatized in a trailer. 

After clicker [8] training:

Blue now not only willingly loads in a trailer, but also trusts Ryan to guide him through all kinds of situations that used to terrify him. The horse that used to shy away from human contact recently took part in a parade through downtown Leavenworth. "He's very much my buddy," she said. "He chooses to be with me. He chooses to do the things I do. He's very cooperative."

Once again, clicker training saves the day—and the horse. Read the full article here [9].