December Newsletter

Welcome to the December Edition of the SausagesStuff.com Online Newsletter, The Sausage Press.

What a busy month! As you can see, Sausage has been getting into the Christmas spirit (somewhat reluctantly I might add). A lot has happened since the last edition of 'The Sausage Press'. Due to an increased need for extra space and a bigger yard, we have moved house. This will enable us to greatly increase production over the next few months as well as give Sausage some much needed room to run around and find interesting new places to hide his bones!

Thank you to all those of you who have sent in cards and pictures, as well as all those who have provided us with valuable feedback. We are always looking for ways to improve and new products to add to our range and we welcome any and all suggestions you might have.

We are pleased to announce the release of our limited edition Xmas 2005 collars, doggiechiefs and leads. We have introduced 12 brand new doggiechiefs just for christmas and there are some great specials and discounts for all purchases in the month of December. All orders received will receive a free gift. In addition we have an outstanding SUPER special SUBSCRIBER ONLY offer (see further down for more details). We also have an extremely limited 'Hello Kitty' doggiecheif available.

Christmas is just around the corner so be sure to order today to ensure that you get your purchase in time for the holidays. All orders received will be prepared and sent within 24 hours. Australian customers can expect a 2-3 day delivery time and USA and EU can expect 4-7 days. Express postage is also available.

SausagesStuff collars and leads make the perfect gift for your dog and dog loving friends and family. We are also offering free gift wrapping on all items purchased in december, so why not let us take care of your christmas gifts!

SPOKANE, Wash. - An animal researcher in Spokane, Washington is gaining world-wide attention for what may be a breakthrough in understanding canine communication.

Scientists and animal behaviorists say they are stunned by an audio recording that convincingly shows that dogs make a specific kind of sound, a type of laughter, when they are happily playing together.

What's more, when that sound is played over speakers in a kennel full of barking dogs, the dogs go silent within a minute and then seem completely at peace.

The ground-breaking research was headed by Patricia Simonet, an animal behaviorist who began the study four years ago at the Sierra-Nevada College and continued it at the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, or SCRAPS program, in Spokane, Washington.

The director of the SCRAPS program says she was stunned by the experiment when it was demonstrated for her.

Simonet says she was told by dog owners that they believed their pets laughed, and now she says it looks like the science backs them up.

The 'doggie laugh' sound is similar to panting, but tests show it is indeed different, and the effect it has on other dogs is unmistakable.

At a kennel full of dogs, a television reporter armed with a sound level meter walks the hallway between two long rows of occupied dog pens.

Normally, the din of baying hounds would make it necessary to shout for a conversation, but after the laugh track is played and the dogs quietly respond, he speaks in a regular voice, and the sound meter hovers near zero.

Simonet says the audio also calms the dogs and greatly reduces their tendency to wet and defecate in their pens.

Video of the dogs shot while the sound is playing showed dogs of all different breeds sitting passively in their pens.

Simonet is now in high demand across the country after a persuasive demonstration of the research in front of 500 colleagues.

And the capper: Simonet says that even when she imitates the doggie laugh, dogs respond by willingly following her into kennels.

Lost dog? As of next March, pet owners will be able to drop the photocopier and staple gun and pick up the phone instead. That's when PetCell, the first cell phone for dogs, is due to hit pet-store shelves.

Hung off Fido's collar, the PetCell is a bone-shaped cell phone that will let dog owners talk to their best friend over a two-way speaker. Developed by PetsMobility, the PetCell works with standard cellular networks and has its own number. It automatically answers when the owner punches in a code on their telephone keypad that means, "Lassie, come home!"

The PetCell will ship in early 2006 and will sell for $350 to $400, the company said.

President Cameron Robb said he got the idea for the phone while sharing a hotel room with a colleague at a convention.

"I overheard him talking to his dogs," said Robb. "I was mimicking and making fun of it, but the reality was his wife was holding the phone down to the dog."

The ability to track a lost pet has most dog lovers excited. The PetCell has a "call owner" button in case Rover strays. It also includes assisted GPS, or A-GPS, which works indoors, allowing dog owners to map their pup's coordinates from any web-enabled device or by dialing a voice-enabled call center.

"When dogs disappear, it's the first 15 minutes that are the most important," said San Francisco dog trainer Youngblood Harris. "If your dog runs out of the dog park and you don't see if he went left or right, (PetCell) would make life a lot easier," Harris said.

The PetCell will also have an option called GeoFence that will alert owners whenever their dog wanders beyond preset parameters, and built-in temperature sensors to indicate if the dog is too hot or cold.

Additionally, the PetCell will support a small wireless camera, an application Robb believes could be useful in search-and-rescue or bomb-squad missions. But for patrons of doggy day care, it may become the canine equivalent of a nanny cam.

While a cell phone for pets may strike some as silly, the economic reality is not. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says U.S. pet owners spent an estimated $35.9 billion on their furry friends in 2005.

Sturdy and slobber-resistant, the PetCell isn't just for dogs. PetsMobility's parent company, On4 Communications, is simultaneously rolling out models for kids, the elderly and outdoor sports fanatics who enjoy snowboarding and kayaking.

"It's a rugged, waterproof cell phone with GPS, so there's a bunch of other markets for that technology besides the pet industry," Robb said.

One obvious user is left out of this calling plan. At 3 inches long, the PetCell is too unwieldy for your average feline. Although the company is working on further miniaturization, the battery has proven to be a formidable obstacle.

Still, Robb wasn't ruling it out. He said optimistically, "The kitties will have to wait."

And so this is Xmas (war is over)
For weak and for strong (if you want it)
For rich and the poor ones (war is over)
The world is so wrong (if you want it)
And so happy Xmas (war is over)
For black and for white (if you want it)
For yellow and red ones (war is over)
Let's stop all the fight (now)

Be sure to grab a copy of the Nov/Dec edition of DogsLife Magazine. Available in all good newsagents across Australia and New Zealand.

DogsLife and SausagesStuff.com are giving away 5 collar/doggiechief sets. Buy the magazine to find out how to enter!

This offer is only available to readers of 'The Sausage Press'. It cannot be found on the website. Get your orders in quick because stocks are limited.

Check our Ebay Store for some great Christmas specials. Be sure to check it out regularly to make sure that you don't miss out on a bargain! From time to time we put up some one off and discounted items so it's well worth a look.

You can join Monte and be in the running to win a $30.00 SausagesStuff.com Gift Voucher. All you have to do is send us a picture of your dog. We'll put your picture up on Sausage's Friends page and you could be our next winner! Good Luck! Winners are announced each month in 'The Sausage Press'.

This offer is available for a limited time only. To celebrate the introduction of our new red collars + leads, we are having a introductory offer available exclusively to readers of 'The Sausage Press'.

We are looking for exciting dog recipes and training tips to publish in future issues of The Sausage Press. Please Send us your ideas and/or suggestions so that we can share them here!

It's no secret that SausagesStuff.com customers and friends love their dogs. Our custom shop is there for when you want us to design you something really unique. We are always happy to work with you to create that special something just for your dog. If you have an idea or would like a quote on a particular item, please send us an Email

Thank you for the lovely collar and lead. I have been looking for good quality, brightly coloured dog collar for 2 over years! All the other dogs are very jealous and every time I go on a walk, we're always getting stopped by people wanting to know where I got my collar from! Of course I send them straight to your site!

EVER wanted to know what your dog gets up to when you are out of the house? Relax.

A new government study has found while some dogs bark, chew on shoes or dig holes in the garden, most spend their days sleeping.
Department of Primary Industries researcher Dr Amanda Kobelt set up spy cameras to watch 55 labradors in their gardens over 48-hour periods.

The cameras revealed that 65 per cent of the time labradors were either sleeping or just lazing about.

Dr Kobelt conducted the study to examine what could be done to prevent problem behavior in dogs confined in back yards.

"Neither the size of the back yard, the complexity of the yard, the presence of another dog, nor the time spent with people, on its own or out walking, were related to dog behavioral problems.

"What appeared to be important was the type of relationship between the owner and the dog."

Dr Kobelt said research suggested that dogs with a very strong attachment to their owner were often more stressed and anxious when left home alone.

The dogs paced around the yard or waited at the back door in a bid to get as close as possible to their owner.

Dr Kobelt said techniques recommended by vets and dog trainers to reduce separation anxiety were useful, like ensuring arrival and departure times were kept low key.

But she said dogs also needed to spend time with their owners to prevent loneliness and boredom.

"Keeping your dog happy may not be as simple as having two dogs to keep one another company, walking your dog . . . or giving them toys," Dr Kobelt said.

Dr Kobelt said while the dogs in the study played with toys for short periods during the day, most waited for their owners to come home to play.

Dr Kobelt said the best technique for keeping your dog happy was giving them a bone. "It keeps them entertained for hours and hours," Dr Kobelt said.

Dog owner Tim Harris, of Hawthorn, said his labrador Molly was kept entertained with food toys and bones during the day, and tricks training at night to keep her mentally stimulated. "I'm not at all surprised that she sleeps all day -- she is a labrador! It only takes 20 minutes of running around the park in the morning and she is knackered," he said.

"She does go nuts when we first get home from work though, wagging her tail, jumping around and grabbing the nearest toy for me to play with her."

Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron said the research was important to help dog owners keep their pets happy and well-behaved when left alone at home.

We at SausagesStuff.com would like to encourage all our readers to click on This Link to the Animal Rescue Site every day or whenever you get a chance. We recommend that you bookmark it and visit as many times as possible. Each time you click on the 'Feed an animal in need' button, it pays for 0.6 bowls of food and care to an animal in a shelter or sanctuary.

Visitors to The Animal Rescue Site homepage click on the "Feed an Animal in Need" button, and are then shown sponsored ads on the Thank You page. 100% of sponsor ad dollars go to feed animals at shelters and sanctuaries, which is given by The Animal Rescue Site's charity partners, Fund for Animals and North Shore Animal League.

For those of you who are familiar with Myspace.com, Sausage has his own page. He has proven quite popular and has over 500 friends and even his own group, The Hot Doggies!

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