Welcome to the Ask Brutus column! For those of you familiar with me, I previously hosted “Ask Dr. Brutus” on my blog. Now that we have The Anipal Times, you can find me here in every issue. As you might have noticed, I’ve changed the name slightly to alleviate any misconception that I am actually a doctor of any sort and might actually know something. Ask Dr. Brutus began when my dear furiend Daffy (@no_crybaby_doGs) suggested that I host an #AskDrBrutus column on Twitter. While I’m not an expert on anything at all, I love to talk and share my opinion so I gave it a shot and here I am in The Anipal Times!
Anyone is welcome to submit questions of any sort by tweeting them to @AskBrutus and I’ll do some research, tell you what I think and we’ll all have a great time.
DISCLAIMER: Of course, as I’m not a vet, medical expert, trainer, psychologist or any other expert, please take my advice as you would that of your furiends and neighbors, and consult a real expert if you have serious problems and issues. I don’t want anyone to get hurt!
So let’s get going!
Question: Why do some Great Danes have pointy ears (like me) and some have floppy ears like labs (like @Paddythegreat)?
Submitted by @OatieDog
Answer: Oatie, originally, Great Danes were bred to hunt wild boar and a Dane’s ears were cropped to prevent ripping and tearing when confronting a wild boar during a hunt. The practice of ear cropping remains today and is purely a cosmetic surgery. In Europe, ear cropping is illegal so all Great Danes will have natural ears (floppy). In the United States, the practice of ear cropping is becoming less and less fashionable although still accepted as a breed standard. (My ears were already cropped when mom and dad adopted me.)
Question: “Duz humans gots anal glands da way us kitties and doggies duz? Duz alligators gots em?”
Submitted by @AylaLab
Answer: Ayla, I love your recent fascination with alligators so let’s start there. Alligators have what are called gular glands which are actually found on their lower jaw. Scientists have theorized that secretions are sprayed from these glands when alligators are stressed and also to attract fish prey. So while we dogs and kitties use our anal glands to mark our territory, alligators use their glands for something different. After reading quite a bit more than I ever wanted to know about the human body’s digestive system, I still don’t know if humans have anal glands and honestly am completely grossed out! All I know is that the same nasty smelling toots come out of dad’s butt and mine. So it appears that we expel stinky gas in the same way, so maybe we mark our territory in the same way, too.
Question: “Why do I feel a need to hide my Kong after I eat da treats out of it? I always do dis.”
Submitted by @no_crybaby_doGs
Answer: Daffy, given your sad history before you came to live with your sweet momma, I would imagine that you are still suffering from your earlier trauma of having to fight and scrap for food. Because things weren’t given to you freely, you may feel that you have to hide any remnants or they will be stolen/taken away from you as things were in your early days. You are a good girl and will now be spoiled and doted upon by your momma. Enjoy your treats and have fun with your Kong—you deserve it.
Until next time, keep tooting and zooming!
Love, Brutus
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