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A very real love of animalsThe world of virtual animals welcomes a new Sony addition just in time for Christmas, Angus Thompson writes

Virtual pets have cone along way from the daysof the Tamagotchi - theegg-shaped, pocket-sized electronic pet that

spawned a classroom craze in thelate 1990s.

Tamagotchis may haverepresented the world's first babystep into the virtual petphenomenon but it kickstarted anevolution of digital playtime pals-from the niogwai-like Furby dolland Sony's robodog AIBO, to themore recent Nintendogs videogame for Nintendo DS.

Sydney father of three PatrickLagana has just welcomed amember of the latest generation ofvirtual pets into his hone: anEyePet that conies to life in hisliving room via a Playstation 3console. His two older daughters,Mia, 3, and five-year-old Gracehave named it Daisy. Lagana andhis family interact with Daisythrough a video camera, andappear on the television screenplaying with it and teaching it newskills using so-called "augmentedreality" technology.

"I kind of describe it as a crossbetween a monkey and a cat and adog, all kind of rolled up in one.

"It's actually quite a cute littlecritter," says Lagana, who lovesthe concept of a pet that conieswithout the catches - no vet bills,chewed-up couches or poo toshovel in the backyard.

The list of benefits for parentsare endless ... [and] your kids canenjoy the interaction,companionship and socialdevelopment skills it offers," saysLagana, who is also a marketingmanager at Sony.

Child and adolescentpsychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says virtual pets can havesome benefits.

Appropriate technology canhelp teach children learnproblem-solving skills and values,he says.

"There's nothing wrong withhaving a virtual pet, I think it's agreat preparation for having a realone," he says.

Lagana says that owning Daisyhas taught his daughters theresponsibilities of real petownership, which he and his wifeare now strongly considering.

Although she doesn't die, ifDaisy isn't fed she gets tired, and ifshe isn't bathed then fleas appearon the screen.

Lagana has also noticed one ofhis daughters is now lessfrightened to approach realanimals. "I have definitely foundthat she's a little less fearful ofapproaching animals," he says.

But Lisa Wood, a researcher atthe University of WesternAustralia, says a virtual pet cannever replace the real thing.

"I would say there are a numberof benefits that are probablydifficult [for a virtual pet] to

replicate," says Wood, whorecently published Living WellTogether, a report on the benefitsof pet ownership.

"It's getting people out walkingin their neighbourhood, which hasbenefits for their health ... but italso has a social benefit.

"The social benefits of peoplemeeting other neighbours andgetting to know people in theirneighbourhood through theirpet."

Wood says pets teach childrento care for something other thanthemselves, and that the loss of apet is often a child's firstexperience of grief - an importantpart of preparing for adult life.

Carr-Gregg says it's a questionof moderation.

"It all boils down to if parentshave what I call a'digital spine',"he says. "Can they say, 'no it'senough now, go and play with areal dog'?"

Carr-Gregg admits that for himat least, there's no substitute.

"I just think there's nothing likecuddling up with a warn fuzzy petI don't think anything virtualwould come close," he says.

"Of course, the big advantage isthat I presume you don't have I oclean up digital poo."

orJr-

AAP

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Brief: PETSHIP

Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy

Canberra TimesFriday 13/11/2009Page: 3Section: TimesRegion: Canberra Circulation: 34,354Type: Capital City DailySize: 622.54 sq.cms.Frequency: MTWTFS-

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DOG owners have won a partial victory in their battlewith Gosford Council over a number of exerciseareas.

A total ban on dogs at the reserves has been liftedwith owners now allowed to walk their pets onleashes.

But they are still barking mad at not being allowedto let the dogs off-leash at Davistown's Illoura reserveand other former off-leash sites.

The council imposed the bans amid concerns forthe habitat of the bush stone-curlew.

Almost 200 dog lovers (pictured) gathered at Illourareserve last Friday afternoon to protest against thesuspension of off-leash dog walking while GosfordCouncil ca rries out environme nta l assessments of thearea.

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Central Coast Express-AdvocateFriday 13/11/2009Page: 1Section: General NewsRegion: Gosford Circulation: 66,247Type: SuburbanSize: 866.06 sq.cms.Frequency: --W-F--

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Council still inthe doghouse

From Page 1Resident spokesman Peter Rea,

of Yattalunga, said far from beingenemies of the environment, dogowners were largely naturelovers.

"We are passionate about therole dogs play in our society but

convinced they pose no threat tothe stone-curlew," Mr Rea said.

"Most dogs stay close to theirowners when off the leash andowners will not let them ventureinto treed areas.

The area where we walk thedogs is a strip regularly mowed bythe council.

It is hard to believe there areany birds there."

He said even the small treedarea was unlikely to be a home tothe stone-curlew.

It is full of syringes and cans.There is far more damage done tothe reserve by humans than by thedogs."

Mr Rea said off-leash bans onother reserves in the area werealso hard to understand.

"I agree the Saratoga wetlandsshould be out of bounds - but thereshould also be signs prohibitingpeople from entering thewetlands," he said.

"Even so, there is another areadown there which council mowsregularly and could be an off leasharea."

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Central Coast Express-AdvocateFriday 13/11/2009Page: 1Section: General NewsRegion: Gosford Circulation: 66,247Type: SuburbanSize: 866.06 sq.cms.Frequency: --W-F--

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MrWvlkwtiW

CARING FOR OUR ELDERLY

Pets for seniorsRETIREMENT, debilitating illness,relocation from family homes tosmaller premises and the loss of apartner or friends are just some ofthe challenges the elderly face eachday.

All of this can lead to a sense ofloneliness and insecurity.

A companion animal, such as a cator dog, may help the elderly cope bet-ter with these common challenges.

Many studies have been carried

out to explore the relationshipbetween pets and their owners andthe psychological and physiologicalbenefits they derive through petownership.

"Loneliness is often cited as theworst aspect of ageing and owning apet is acknowledged by manyexperts and elderly people as a wayof decreasing these feelings of lone-liness and isolation," PsychologistWendy Buchanan said.

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Brief: PETSHIP


Daily AdvertiserFriday 13/11/2009Page: 20Section: Advertising featureRegion: Wagga Wagga NSW Circulation: 12,851Type: RegionalSize: 200.84 sq.cms.Frequency: MTWTFS-

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It's a doN ursing homes are

setting guidelinesfor animals.

Most nursing homesdon't allow dogs or cats.It turns out that manyolder people have petsand while it's enoughof a wrench to leave thefamily home for a roomin a nursing facility, it'seven worse - sometimesunbearable - to also leavethe family pet.

Sometimes these petsare the owner's bestremaining friend, and thedecision to have them putdown is heartbreaking.

"Ageing should not beabout giving up any of therights or benefits you hadat other stages of yourlife," says Council on theAgeing ECO Ian Yates.

"Pets are one of the fewinterventions capableof permanently liftingthe atmosphere ofretirement homes andcare facilities."

Marcy and best friend Foxy.

's life

Photo: Kate Elmes

cats be kept indoors orin a cat run, and dogs bekept on a lead and out ofcommon areas such asswimming pools.

"The guidelines make iteasier for people to bringtheir pet to the retirementcommunity," says DrPerry.

Research by WAUniversity's Dr LisaWood showed groupsin nursing homes thatwere visited by pets hadstatistically significantincreases in feelingenthusiastic, attentive,interested and inspired.

Marcy Williams, aresident of Sea ChangeVillage in Goolwa, hasowned Foxy Lady for thepast nine years.

"She found us whenwe lived in Zillmere,Brisbane: we thinkshe was abandoned,"

The new guidelines are Dr Gaille Perry. They Marcy said. "We flew herthe work of veterinarian recommend pets be across when we moved toand animal behaviourist vaccinated and de-sexed Goolwa."

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Brief: PETSHIP


Independent WeeklyFriday 13/11/2009Page: 9Section: General NewsRegion: Adelaide Circulation: 5,894Type: Capital City DailySize: 181.64 sq.cms.Frequency: ----F--

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Virtual petshave benefitsANGUS THOMPSON

Virtual pets have come a long wayfrom the days of the Tamagotchi- the eggshaped, pocket-sized

electronic pet that spawned a classroomcraze in the late 1990s.

Tamagotchis may have representedthe world's first baby step into the virtualpet phenomenon but it kickstarted anevolution of digital playtime pals - fromthe mogwai-like Furby doll and Sony'srobodog AIBO, to the more recentNintendogs videogame for Nintendo DS.

Sydney father of three Patrick Laganahas just welcomed a member of the latestgeneration of virtual pets into his home:an EyePet that comes to life in his livingroom via a Playstation 3 console.

His two older daughters, Mia, 3, andGrace, 5, have named it Daisy.

Lagana and his family interact withDaisy through a video camera, andappear on the television screen playingwith it and teaching it new skills using so-called "augmented reality" technology.

"I kind of describe it as a crossbetween a monkey and a cat and a dog,all kind of rolled up in one.

"It's actually quite a cute little critter,"says Lagana, who loves the concept of apet that comes without the catches - novet bills, chewed-up couches or poo toshovel in the backyard.

"The list of benefits for parents areendless... (and) your kids can enjoy theinteraction, companionship and socialdevelopment skills it offers," saysLagana, who is also a marketing managerat Sony.

Child and adolescent psychologist DrMichael Carr-Gregg says virtual pets canhave some benefits.

Appropriate technology can helpteach children learn problem-solvingskills and values, he says.

"There's nothing wrong with having avirtual pet, I think it's a great preparationfor having a real one," he says.

Lagana says that owning Daisy hastaught his daughters the responsibilitiesof real pet ownership, which he and hiswife are now strongly considering.

Although she doesn't die, if Daisyisn't fed she gets tired, and if she isn'tbathed then flees appear on the screen.

Lagana has also noticed one of hisdaughters is now less frightened toapproach real animals.

"I have definitely found that she'sa little less fearful of approachinganimals," he says.

But Lisa Wood, a researcher at theUniversity of Western Australia, says avirtual pet can never replace the realthing.

"I would say there are a number ofbenefits that are probably difficult (for avirtual pet) to replicate," says Wood, whorecently published Living Well Together,a report on the benefits of pet ownership.

"It's getting people out walking intheir neighbourhood, which has benefitsfor their health ... but it also has a socialbenefit.

"The social benefits of people meetingother neighbours and getting to knowpeople in their neighbourhood throughtheir pet"

Wood says pets teach children to carefor something other than themselves, andthat the loss of a pet is often a child's firstexperience of grief- an important part ofpreparing for adult life.

Carr-Gregg says it's a question ofmoderation.

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Brief: PETSHIP


Maitland MercuryFriday 13/11/2009Page: 18Section: General NewsRegion: Maitland NSW Circulation: 4,331Type: RegionalSize: 188.20 sq.cms.Frequency: MTWTF--

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Virtual pets thecat's meow, butnot the real thingVIRTUAL pets

have come along wayfrom the days

of the Tamagotchi - theegg-shaped, pocket-sized electronic petthat spawned a class-room craze in the late1990s.

Tamagotchis mayhave represented theworld's first baby stepinto the virtual petphenomenon but itkickstarted an evolu-tion of digital playtimepals - from the mogwai-like Furby doll andSony's robodog AIBO,to the more recentNintendogs videogamefor Nintendo DS.

Sydney father ofthree Patrick Laganahas just welcomed amember of the latestgeneration of virtualpets into his home: anEyePet that comes tolife in his living roomvia a Playstation 3console.

His two older daught-ers, Mia, 3, and 5-year-old Grace have namedit Daisy.

Lagana and his fami-ly interact with Daisythrough a video cam-era, and appear on thetelevision screen play-ing with it and teaching

it new skills usingso-called 'augmentedreality' technology.

"I kind of describe itas a cross between amonkey and a cat and adog, all kind of rolledup in one.

"It's actually quite acute little critter," saysLagana, who loves theconcept of a pet thatcomes without thecatches - no vet bills,chewed-up couches orpoo to shovel in thebackyard.

"The list of benefitsfor parents are endless... (and) your kids canenjoy the interaction,companionship andsocial developmentskills it offers," saysLagana, who is also amarketing manager atSony.

Child and adolescentpsychologist Dr Mi-chael Carr-Gregg saysvirtual pets can havesome benefits.

Appropriate tech-nology can help teachchildren learn problem-solving skills and va-lues, he says.

"There's nothingwrong with having avirtual pet, I think it's agreat preparation forhaving a real one," hesays.

Lagana says thatowning Daisy hastaught his daughtersthe responsibilities ofreal pet ownership,which he and his wifeare now strongly consi-dering.

Although she doesn'tdie, if Daisy isn't fedshe gets tired, and ifshe isn't bathed thenflees appear on thescreen.

Lagana has alsonoticed one of hisdaughters is now lessfrightened to approachreal animals.

"I have definitelyfound that she's a littleless fearful of ap-proaching animals," hesays.

But Lisa Wood, aresearcher at the Un-iversity of WesternAustralia, says a virtualpet can never replacethe real thing.

"I would say thereare a number of bene-fits that are probablydifficult (for a virtualpet) to replicate," saysWood, who recentlypublished Living WellTogether, a report onthe benefits of petownership.

"It's getting peopleout walking in theirneighbourhood, which

has benefits for theirhealth ... but it also hasa social benefit.

"The social benefitsof people meeting otherneighbours and gettingto know people in theirneighbourhood throughtheir pet."

Wood says pets teachchildren to care forsomething other thanthemselves, and thatthe loss of a pet is oftena child's first expe-rience of grief - animportant part of pre-paring for adult life.

Carr-Gregg says it's aquestion of moderation.

"It all boils down to ifparents have what I calla 'digital spine'," hesays.

"Can they say, 'no it'senough now, go andplay with a real dog'?"

Carr-Gregg admitsthat for him at least,there's no substitute.

"I just think there'snothing like cuddlingup with a warm fuzzypet. I don't think anyth-ing virtual would comeclose," he says.

"Of course, the bigadvantage is that Ipresume you don't haveto clean up digital poo."

- AAP

Ref: 60030677

Brief: PETSHIP


Morning BulletinFriday 13/11/2009Page: 28Section: General NewsRegion: Rockhampton QLD Circulation: 18,024Type: RegionalSize: 518.89 sq.cms.Frequency: MTWTFS-

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A supplied screen shot of the Playstation 3 game EyePet, part of the latest generation of virtual pets. Througha video camera, multiple users can appear on their television screen playing with the pet, which reacts tosound and movement and can be taught new skills.

PHOTO: AAP/PLAYSTATION

S

r

I

IN

A supplied screen shot of the Playstation 3 gameEyePet, part of the latest generation of virtual pets.

PHOTO: AAP/PLAYSTATION

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Brief: PETSHIP


Morning BulletinFriday 13/11/2009Page: 28Section: General NewsRegion: Rockhampton QLD Circulation: 18,024Type: RegionalSize: 518.89 sq.cms.Frequency: MTWTFS-

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NSW:Virtual pets have benefits but can't replace the real thing

By Angus Thompson SYDNEY, AAP - Virtual pets have come a long way from the days of the Tamagotchi - the egg-shaped,pocket-sized electronic pet that spawned a classroom craze in the late 1990s. Tamagotchis may have represented the world's first baby step into the virtual pet phenomenon but itkickstarted an evolution of digital playtime pals - from the mogwai-like Furby doll and Sony's robodog AIBO,to the more recent Nintendogs videogame for Nintendo DS. Sydney father of three Patrick Lagana has just welcomed a member of the latest generation of virtualpets into his home: an EyePet that comes to life in his living room via a Playstation 3 console. His two older daughters, Mia, 3, and 5-year-old Grace have named it Daisy. Lagana and his family interact with Daisy through a video camera, and appear on the television screenplaying with it and teaching it new skills using so-called 'augmented reality' technology. "I kind of describe it as a cross between a monkey and a cat and a dog, all kind of rolled up in one. "It's actually quite a cute little critter," says Lagana, who loves the concept of a pet that comes withoutthe catches - no vet bills, chewed-up couches or poo to shovel in the backyard. "The list of benefits for parents are endless ... (and) your kids can enjoy the interaction, companionshipand social development skills it offers," says Lagana, who is also a marketing manager at Sony. Child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says virtual pets can have some benefits. Appropriate technology can help teach children learn problem-solving skills and values, he says. "There's nothing wrong with having a virtual pet, I think it's a great preparation for having a real one," hesays. Lagana says that owning Daisy has taught his daughters the responsibilities of real pet ownership, whichhe and his wife are now strongly considering. Although she doesn't die, if Daisy isn't fed she gets tired, and if she isn't bathed then flees appear on thescreen. Lagana has also noticed one of his daughters is now less frightened to approach real animals. "I have definitely found that she's a little less fearful of approaching animals," he says. But Lisa Wood, a researcher at the University of Western Australia, says a virtual pet can never replacethe real thing. "I would say there are a number of benefits that are probably difficult (for a virtual pet) to replicate," saysWood, who recently published Living Well Together, a report on the benefits of pet ownership. "It's getting people out walking in their neighbourhood, which has benefits for their health ... but it alsohas a social benefit. "The social benefits of people meeting other neighbours and getting to know people in theirneighbourhood through their pet." Wood says pets teach children to care for something other than themselves, and that the loss of a pet isoften a child's first experience of grief - an important part of preparing for adult life. Carr-Gregg says it's a question of moderation. "It all boils down to if parents have what I call a 'digital spine'," he says. "Can they say, 'no it's enough now, go and play with a real dog'?" Carr-Gregg admits that for him at least, there's no substitute. "I just think there's nothing like cuddling up with a warm fuzzy pet. I don't think anything virtual wouldcome close," he says. "Of course, the big advantage is that I presume you don't have to clean up digital poo." AAP stu/jjs

Content Supplied by Australian Associated Press© AAP, All Rights Reserved. See disclaimer at http://aap.com.au/disclaimer.asp Ref: 59999782

Brief: PETSHIPAAP NewswireThursday 12/11/2009Section: NationalRegion: Australia Frequency: MTWTFSS

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Mosman DailyThursday 12/11/2009Page: 18Section: General NewsRegion: Sydney Circulation: 37,017Type: SuburbanSize: 273.47 sq.cms.Frequency: ---T---

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Kitty companionsTwo cats can live as

cheaply as one, andtheir owner has twiceas much fun. -LloydAlexander.

Owning two cats canbe double the fun forboth cats and owners.

The ideal way to owntwo cats is to buy littermates which are used toeach other but often asecond cat is required tomove in with an oldercat which is already wellestablished in the house-hold.

Cats are territorial bynature and may not ap-pear to be overcomewith joy at the initial in-troduction of the newcat or kitten but giventime they will accept thenewcomer and benefitfrom the companion-ship.

Contrary to the beliefthat cats are aloof andindependent they doenjoy company, andwhile not as dependantupon human compan-ionship as dogs, the catwhich is kept as an in-door cat, or in a house-hold where the ownersare absent for long hoursdaily, will be much morecontent with another an-imal for company.

Kittens raised togetherfrom a young age willusually curl up to sleeptogether and play togeth-er. Older cats will usuallywork the relationship outfor themselves, and al-though there are somecats which never becomebest friends they usuallymanage to co-habit suc-cessfully.

Cats which are alonemost of the day willoften benefit from thecompany of another cat.

If the introduction of anew cat or kitten is han-dled sensibly the originalpet will not resent thenewcomer.

MCa44The new pet must not

be fussed over so muchthat the original pet feelsthat its place in your af-fections is being us-urped.

The original pet shouldnot be disciplined forhissing at the newcomeror it will feel resentmentto the new pet. Make afuss of the original petand make sure it knowsthat it is still loved.

Older pets often get anew lease on life when ayoungster is introducedinto the household andoften play in a kittenishway which belies theiryears.

There are few thingsmore relaxing thatwatching two kittens play.

Monkeyfaced dogs

Mention that you owna Griffon Bruxellois andexpect the reply to be "aGriffon what....?" Thisugly -cute little dog orig-inally hails from Brus-sels, hence the secondpart of the name, andGriffon is thought tohave applied to rough-haired small dogs.

Like so many breeds,the history is in dispute -there being severalschools of thought onthe origins.

Some claim the dog tobe of ancient heritagedating back to the 15thcentury and beyond.They claim the dog in avan Eyck painting "TheMarriage of GiovanniAmolfini and GiovannaCenami" to be an earlyGriffon Bruxellois.

Other `experts' claim

that until the late 19thcentury the breed wasrather varied in type andwas developed fromcrosses of Pugs, York-shire Terriers and othersmall rough coated dogs.

It is known that theGriffon was a small rat-ting dog in Brussels andwas adopted by the pure-bred fraternity in the1880s and became fash-ionable.The first World War

had a major effect on thebreed and numbers de-clined, but coupled withthe difficulties of keep-ing dogs during wartime.World War II stoppedthe breeding of mostdogs in Europe and bythe end of the war, veryfew Griffons existed intheir native country.Today, the breed has a

strong following offanciers, and althoughnot one of the more nu-merically strong breeds,it is nonetheless in nodanger of dying out.

Best described as an in-telligent, sprightly, ro-bust, compact dog, theGriflon's most outstand-ing characteristic is themonkey like face andcaptivating expression.

There are two types ofGriffon - the Bruxelloiswhich has the rough,wiry coat, and the PetitBrabancon which issmooth coated.

In all other respectsthey are alike. Their tem-perament is very outgo-ing and terrier like.

The allowable coat col-ors are red, black, orblack and tan. The desir-able size is 2.2kgs to4.9kgs.

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Brief: PETSHIP


West Gippsland TraderThursday 5/11/2009Page: 6Section: General NewsRegion: Warragul VIC Circulation: 12,327Type: RegionalSize: 218.93 sq.cms.Frequency: ---T---

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