Happy Easter!
We hope you have an egg-cellent day!
Family Section
To all our new Pupdate subscribers…hello!!! Welcome to the weekly newsletter that breaks down all of the stuff we are up to!
Bunsen continues to be on rest recovering from his sprained ACL and we do feel bad that he can’t frolic out in the snow (which is quickly melting!). We all know that it’s for his own good and that rest now avoids further aggravation and possible surgery. I mentioned on Pet Chat that I’ve been really bonding with the chaos wolf as with Bunsen on the injured reserve, Beaks and I have been exploring the farm. She is totally different without her big brother and is less confident. Perhaps she knows she doesn’t have a bear guardian to back up her nonsense if she gets into trouble.
I’m now on holidays this next week which is much needed - last week was super busy as the grade 8’s who feed into our high school came to tour the school and I was doing science experiments with them all afternoon and then again in the evening. Nothing like explosions to market science at our school as being the best class ever to take. HA!
Adam is currently in France and Kris is using spyware (Find my Friends) to track his amazing trip. They have been to Vimy Ridge (a huge battleground for Canada in WW1) and Juno Beach (where Canadians landed on D-Day). Kids study this stuff in school, that young men not much different than Adam went off to a foreign country to fight and die, so we heard it was a somber and moving tour. Two students of LTCHS way back then were among the casualties on Juno as when they turned 18, they enlisted and died on D-Day.
Kris is really enjoying teaching high school and is instructing advanced math. I don’t even understand it, it looks like gibberish, but she’s the smartest person I know. The school is really happy to have her and they want her to stay on to build out the science and math department with her dual skills. She’s like some kind of DnD multiclass character like a Fighter-Mage or something. SciMath Warrior? I dunno.
You’ll find the DEAL of the WEEK here or at the bottom of the newsletter.
Ok! On to the rest of the Newsletter!
PET TIP CORNER
Don’t hug your dog!
I’ve already written up a thread about this for Monday which is “Hug Your Dog Day” - and there is huge problems with that day.
The Science pretty clearly shows that dogs don’t like being hugged. Close to 90% of dogs, when videotaped or photographed when hugged show signs of stress. Our dog training experts on Pet Chat this week echoed that sentiment.
I thought I would post the info here in the newsletter for everyone:
While many people love to show affection to their furry friends by hugging them, it's important to understand that dogs don't always appreciate this gesture. In fact, some dogs can find hugs stressful or even threatening - dogs flee under stress and trapping them is super stressful. Dogs communicate through body language, and hugging can be seen as a form of restraint, which can cause anxiety or fear. Additionally, dogs have sensitive bodies and a tight squeeze can actually be uncomfortable or even painful. It's much better to show your dog affection in ways they enjoy, such as playing, petting, or offering treats.
Now, dogs can be trained to give hugs and service dogs can give hugs as well. Beaker does NOT like hugs. She likes cuddles on her own terms and LOVES pets. Bunsen gets super affectionate and loves a short hug from his family, but he hates it from anyone else. So our advice, is really think twice about hugging your dog - and watch their body language!
Our Favourite Social Media Posts!
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Audio Shows!
On The Science Pawdcast This Week:
Season 5 Episode 8: Yummy Giant Snails, Cats HEAR You, and Dr. Taylor Hendricks on Dirt and Cows!
Try listening on Goodpods (it’s a cool way to listen to podcasts!)
(The snail science breakdown is slimy yet satisfying)
Scichat: Tuesdays at 7PM Mountain/9PM Eastern
Our live audio show this week has a primate scientist
Petchat: Saturday at 6PM Mountain/8PM Eastern - our zany and wholesome show allows the community to share their pet stories, win prizes and who knows what kind of amazing guests will drop by!
BEAKERS DEAL OF THE WEEK
We are keeping the March Madness prices on The Bunsen and Beaker stuffies and with the coupon code BEAKS10 you can save an additional 10% on the stuffies! This coupon code is only for the newsletter subscribers and will change week to week!
We are also really proud to announce that with a portion of the profits of the Bunsen stuffie going to science camp for low income kids - we have fully funded TWO kids to a week long amazing science experience! Click the button to go to our stuffie page!
Absolutely loved the winter video and your descriptions of how Bunsen enjoys it all so much. I do hope there's a bit of snow left for him to play in when he's fit to go again. Wishing you all love and blessings at Easter, thank you for sharing your beautiful pets with us all.
Happy Easter from sunny California!