PawPurrry

Cuteness & Conservation

2011-11-02T06:42:00.001-04:00

Just how cute can conservation be? You’ll find out with one of thecutest books ever. ZooBorns Cats! features the cutest photos of newborn felinesfrom accredited zoos and conservation programs from around the world. This is not just your average picture book. Each newborn photo delivers importantinformation about each of the featured felines. Adorable AND educational?

I couldn't put it down.

ZooBorns Cats! is available onshelves at local bookstores and major retailers. It’s the gift that can keep on giving becauseevery sale of ZooBorns Cats! supports the Associationof Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund.

If you like ZooBorns Cats!, you’lllike these other titles by ZooBorns and Simon & Schuster

ZooBorns! For Young Children

ZooBorns! For All Ages

Be the first on yourblock to have a copy of

ZooBorns! Cats

The 25th post of a photo of your cute kitten at
PawPurrry on Facebook

receives acopy to share with your family.

Driving In Cars With Dogs

2011-10-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

Thumper
LoHudBlogs.com

Yesterday, a beautiful Pitbull named Thumper managed to liberate himself from his owner's truck on the Tappan Zee Bridge in NY. Said owner, neglected to get a receipt for his toll so he pulled over, hopped out, left the truck door open, and Thumper went for a walk.

This story reminded me of my own experience, at the age of about 10 when my own dog, a poodle named Heidi, liberated herself from our car...while it was moving.

My mother had been driving us in her 2-door, blue Plymouth Duster - we are talking about 1980, after all - with no air conditioner so the windows were open. This was before doggy seat belts were a "thing".

Heidi the Daring

Heidi was in the back seat and I was holding the leash over my shoulder. I was 10, what did I know? No sooner did my mother notice this that she said to me, "please secure the leash to the back seat". In all my youthful cockiness I replied, "oh don't worry, I am holding the leash, she won't go anywhere", and as the last word exited my mouth, Heidi had seen a dog or something, so decided that 35mph was no big deal and she jumped over my shoulder, and out the window. Because I had been holding the leash, luckily (or maybe not so lucky...who knows?) she ended up only hanging outside the door, by the neck, rather than landing to the pavement. My poor mother was trying to negotiate traffic, and slow down so we could pull over and stop...but because Heidi was so light I was able to drag her back in. I am just lucky she didn't break her neck. I often wonder what that must have looked like to the people in the car behind us. Suffice it to say, I never did that again and have ALWAYS secured my dogs in the back seat, even before doggy seat belts. In fact this incident made me obsessive about securing my dogs.

I don't know about you, but it makes me crazy when I see people driving in cars with dogs....NOT SECURED! Especially now, given that there are so many options for comfortably securing your dog while driving - especially in the back seat. There are so many reasons to secure your dog when in a car.

It will keep your dog from potentially climbing all over you while you are driving. I know my dogs love to drive but I don't like them behind the wheel.

Most importantly, for the safety of the dog, it prevents the dog from flying off the seat every time you stop short and even more so from flying through the car should you be involved in a serious collision. If your dog is not secured, and you are involved in a collision, your dog can fly through the car and into the windshield, just like a child could.

The Pack
Weaseling their way into the car.

If you should, by some chance, get into an accident that renders the humans unconscious, your dog will also be highly stressed. You have to remember that strangers will be responding. You don't want to put emergency responders in a dangerous position to not be able to help you because your unsecured dog is suddenly, and understandly, protective and aggressive. You can imagine what would happen if your responders are confronted by an aggressive, possessive, unsecured dog. This also holds true for simple traffic stops. You don't want a police officer to be confronted by an unsecured dog...PERIOD!

The Pack
Gets their ride!

If your dogs are like mine, and love riding in the car (more so than walking) and sticking their heads out of the window, first of all, the window should be open no wider than the head of the dog. Additionally, the security of the belt will keep your dog from being able to jump through the window. As an aside, if you have automatic windows, you should also put on the safety window lock once you have it open so that the dog doesn't accidentally open it more or worse yet, accidentally close it on their own heads.

Luckily, despite not being tagged or identifiable in any way, Thumper made it back to his owner. All dogs should be so lucky!

The Blessing Of The Animals

2011-09-27T13:24:00.000-04:00

St. Francis of Assisi and the Wolf

As we enter the autumn season,and October approaches quickly, with the changing color of the leaves and thearrival of a slight chill in the air, my pack – Suede, Ellwood & Jake- are,as always, part of this idealistic vision of The Fall. Suede tentatively shuffles through the fallenleaves while Ellwood & Jake bound around, bouncing through nature’s carpetof color, probably practicing for the winter snows to come. With the approach of October, however, also comethoughts of my pack’s place in my spiritual life – especially given that Ibelieve they chose me. October 4^this the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of all creatures bigand small.

During the weekend of October 4^thand throughout the rest of the month,
many churches, regardless of denominationrecognize the importance of animals in our lives by offering a “Blessing of theAnimals”. I remember the first time I ever took any ofmy pets to a “Blessing of The Animals” event. Max was still in my life and we had just found a little Yorkie namedTrigger, whose family we had been trying to locate. We took them both to the blessing, and boydid Trigger need it…he was pretty mean. When we got there, there was every type of animal from common dogs &cats to the more exotic snakes, insects and even a pigeon that a little boy hadnurtured back to health and traveled with him on his shoulder.

I will be attending the ceremonyat St. Francis Xavier in The Bronx to get the pack blessed. If you are a person of faith – any faith –you may want to check out any animal blessing events in your neighborhood…andwhile you are having your companion pets blessed, please remember all of theabused, neglected and abandoned animals who don’t have anyone to care for themor about them the way your animals do. Blessings travel wide and far!

Ice, Ice...Baby!

2011-07-29T01:00:00.016-04:00

Having just suffered one of the more brutal heatwaves here in NYC, ice and I have become best friends. When you get hot, you want something cold. No? It's no different for dogs. Naturally, I provided a continuous supply of ice or ice water during this heatwave for The Pack as well. I have always provided ice for all 7 of the dogs that have been part of my family. I have had no problems with this practice. Most of them have waited until the ice has melted to drink the cool water, but a few of them, Suede in particular, actually like licking the "icebergs" I sometimes put in their bowls. But a dog's appreciation of "cold" is not terribly surprising given that I have also noted that most of my dogs love to eat up snow when let loose after a storm. What's up with that? The air is already cold...why would they want to eat the snow too? Go figure!

I also have those water bowls that have a portal for a standard plastic water bottle. I freeze the water in the bottle and then put it in the bowl. I do this for several reasons. The most obvious is because it provides a steady supply of cool water throughout the day, but at a relatively controlled rate. So if you are like Suede who will drink up water like you just exited the desert, there is a certain amount of control over how much or even how fast she drinks.

I have never had any issues with the practice of giving my dogs ice. In fact, my friend Ron says his dog, Sam, loves ice cubes. So imagine my dismay when I received a link, via Twitter, to an article warning dog owners about the dangers of feeding ice to dogs. WHAT? Ahuh! Supposedly, we should not be feeding our dogs ice or ice water because it can cause bloat. I am well aware of the dangers of heatstroke...now it becomes a balancing act. Hmmmm...bloat or heatstroke? I am not a vet, but this just seems so impossible to me...so I did what any intelligent skeptic would do...

...I Googled!

Basically, bloat is when the dogs stomach becomes full of gas. You might think, "doesn't the dog burp or fart though? I know that's what happens to me when my stomach is full of gas!" Unfortunately bloat can be life threatening to a dog especially when coupled with another condition called volvulus which is a condition in which the intestines become twisted up so the gas cannot escape.

As with most ailments, these symptoms are not exclusive to this condition but it is still important to know the symptoms as the dog would require immediate medical attention. Some symptoms you might observe are

Distended stomach
Extreme discomfort for no apparent reason.
Weakness,
Depression,
Difficulty breathing,
Excessive salivation.
Dry heaving
Loss of appetite
Weight loss

I am not disputing the dangers of bloat but I am questioning the relationship between feeding a dog ice and a dog suffering from bloat. Why? Because the next time there is a heatwave, an owner may think twice before giving their dog ice or ice water...and then the poor dog succumbs to heatstroke.

According to Dr. Patty Khuly of PetMD, the inferences in the letter referenced by the author, have been circulating via email since about 2007. This letter indicates that ice or ice water can cause bloat in the dog. I am not a veterinarian so, once you have read this post, it is in your best interest, and that of your dog, to do a little more research yourself about canines, ice & bloat...I learned something new myself, having done so.

Maybe I should let The Blues Brothers read the article...
clearly they aren't aware of the bloat danger!

Not So "Mile High" At JFK

2011-06-30T08:30:00.003-04:00

Pilots at New York's JFK airport had to brake for Diamond Back Terrapin Turtles on their annual booty call to reproduce. Good thing that the pilot was conscientious enough to "ask the question" of the control tower when he spotted the parade of paramours crossing the tarmac. The turtle's journey to their love nests on the sandy banks along the bay caused the shutdown of a runway for more than an hour.

Attention Will Be Paid!

2011-06-29T01:00:00.003-04:00

Jake tries once again
to compete with the laptop!

HEY!

HEY YOU!

RUB MY BELLY!

WHAT THE HELL?!

AAHHWOO!

DAMN IT!

~ Sigh ~
Guess It Didn't Work!

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Wordless Wednesday Pawsomes!

Crikey!

2011-06-22T01:00:00.002-04:00

Me Mum is a koala!

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Dog In The Hat

2011-06-15T06:58:00.003-04:00

Sam
Loves to dress up...in her propeller hat!

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Retractable Safety

2011-06-13T01:00:00.065-04:00

So, I live in New York City where retractable leashes are in use everywhere for every size dog - from small Chihuahuas and Poodles to larger, muscular dogs like Weimaraners and Rottweilers. I have had dogs in various size groups - from 8lbs up to 75lbs - and will admit I did buy a retractable leash for one of my smaller dogs. I used it once and discarded it. Even for my little pup, something just didn't feel safe about it. One of my biggest objections to them is the lack of a loop through which to put my hand. This loop is important because it is one of the ways to keep the leash from being yanked right out of ones hand when your dog suddenly takes off for any reason. I also have a problem with the length that some of these retractable leashes reach - some going up to 26 feet. The leash laws in NYC are that no dog is to be on a leash longer than 6 feet...so why are these retractable leashes sold in New York? Just asking.

Image via Wikipedia

If you haven't been able to tell as yet, I don't like retractable leashes especially after being jumped by a very happy and excited 80lb Weimaraner who was on a retractable leash out about 16 feet with a little old lady at the other end. Although in this case, the length should have made no difference because as I noticed the dog LONG before the owner (who was around the corner on the other end of the leash) I took my dogs out into the street to put some MORE distance between us and it, but the dog took off from the owner and yanked the leash right out of her hand. The leash was out so long that the owner couldn't even grab the end of it because it ended up underneath a car. So there we all are - little old lady on the ground underneath a parked car trying to retrieve the end of the leash, and me, out in the middle of the street with 4 dogs - two 75+ pounders and 2 little 10 pounders - all tangled up around me because the owner had no control over her dog.

Kosoku Retractable Leash
at Quirky.com

I never thought I would entertain the idea of buying another retractable leash in my life, but one day I was checking out Quirky.com. This is actually a really cool site to shop on, but more about that later. As I perused the site I noticed the pet section and naturally went to check it out. There weren't a lot of products in this section but one item totally caught my attention. It was a retractable leash...but not like any I had ever seen before. The Kosoku Retractable Leash appeared to address every single thing I HATE about retractable leashes and "fixed" them.

It has a loop on the end which allows the human to comfortably loop their hand through it thereby diminishing the possibility that the leash will be yanked out of the human's control.
It is only 6 feet long which I appreciate because all those folks who THINK they control their dogs will have the appropriate amount of control over their dogs so that they aren't pouncing on me and mine.
It also has a side pocket to carry poopy bags
The entire leash is flat and is made of reflective 3M tape surface for extra visibility.
Good for dogs up to 90lbs.
There is nothing clunky about it.

I read through the product description and I was sold. I placed my order and upon hitting "submit" I noticed a message saying "We’ve sold enough units to move this product into production." WHAT?

Okay, so I was also new to @QuirkyInc too and didn't realize how they operate. They basically "make invention accessible". They are a social product development company, so when I placed my order, the product now had enough orders to move it into production...so I would have to wait for my product. While this did annoy me just a lil' bit...I still love the concept and encourage everyone to check out Quirky.com. Now back to the Kosoku Retractable Leash.

I am a pretty smart girl as I assume all my readers are (smart, but not necessarily all girls). Based solely on the images, the story and the description, I KNOW this is going to be the perfect product for all you retractable-loving dog owners out there who firmly believe you have control over your dogs...and for all you retractable-haters out there (Ooo Ooo....That's me!) this leash may yet turn you into a lover...I know it did me...and I haven't even received it yet.

Knick-Knack...Patty Whack!

2011-06-08T06:44:00.003-04:00

Give the Jake a bone!

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Surf's Up Dawg!

2011-06-06T01:00:00.029-04:00

Courtesy of Zeman Designs

As we approach the summer season, we will be going to the beach more often. Many of us like to bring our beloved animals to the beach with us - especially our dogs. Just as how we are concerned with the safety of ourselves and our children, when we go to the beach, we should be just as concerned with the safety of our dogs.

Suede
Takes A Dip In L.I. Sound
On Her First Day Of Freedom

For those of you who know me, you may be asking "Why would a girl from the Bronx be concerned about beach safety for her dogs?". Well, we do have beaches here in The Bronx and five years ago, beach safety for my dog wouldn't even have been on my radar. While I always had dogs, I never took any of them to the beach. For that matter none of them had even come close to water outside of their groomings.

Then I adopted Morby. The first time I took her to the dog run at Pelham Bay Park, she walked me right past it, down to the beach at the park. I have to be honest, I had NEVER walked down there before because it was a little scary, but Morby really wanted to go. Little did I know that she would take a dip. She walked right down to the water and right in. I remember thinking "Oh great! Now this wet, hairy pup is going to get into the car"...of course on the walk back, water would become the least of my problems as dust mixed with the water in her hair and became mud....ahhhh the joys of doggy-hood.

Morby

Thanks to Morby...the day I adopted Suede, we went straight to the same park...and she did the same thing...walked me right past the dog run and down to the water...and walked right in...so I wasn't quite as surprised. What is it with these dogs? How did they know about the water? Anyway, it definitely got me thinking about beach safety.

You should make sure your dog is protected from the sun, especially if they have a light-colored coat or a short coat. There are sunscreens designed specifically for dogs.
You should also provide shade for your dog for the same reasons.
Dogs can suffer heat stroke on the beach, so be mindful of the symptoms of heatstroke.
You should carry a bottle of water for your dog. Salty beach water is not the right type of water for your dog to drink. Salt water can further dehydrate your dog, the same as it does to you.
While many beaches do allow dogs off leash in certain places, you should still be mindful of the fact that they may dart off into the water, after unfamiliar wildlife, other dogs or even people.
A lot of debris is present on beaches - natural & unnatural - all of which can end up in our dog's mouth, stuck in their coat or worse yet stuck in their skin and can cause damage if not checked or addressed immediately.
If you have a dog that likes the water, you should invest in a doggy life jacket for them because they too can get caught in rip currents - also known as riptides - and they won't instinctively know what to do. The life jacket may provide them an opportunity for survival.
When you leave the beach, you should make sure to rinse your dog off as thoroughly as possible and inspect their body & coats just to ensure no signs of injury are present.

Remember, summer safety is as important for your canine family members as it is for the human family members.

Art Of The Shave

2011-05-25T01:00:00.004-04:00

Max Gets A Wash & Blowout

Ugh!...An Then A Clean Shave

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Balls To The Walls?

2011-05-24T17:39:00.002-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Not anymore! If you are like me, you understand the importance of spaying & neutering your dogs. Mainly to control pet populations, but also because not doing so can subject our beloved pets to potentially life threatening conditions such as Pyometra.

Admittedly, of course, I have been resistant to getting The Blues Brothers - Jake & Ellwood - neutered because of so many general concerns related to the surgery. This is not an endorsement for NOT neutering, but simply considerations that all pet owners should understand, given that neutering is surgery that requires anesthesia.

Now, thanks to Ark Sciences, there is a new NON-surgical alternative to neutering for our dogs. It is called Esterilsol, the world's first FDA approved chemical sterilant. Esterilsol is a compound of Zinc Gluconate with L-Arginine. When injected into each testicle, it sterilizes the animal.

It's less invasive than surgery
Quicker recovery time with less discomfort to the animal
Less expensive
And so far, is covered by at least one pet insurer.

If you are considering having your dogs neutered, know that you have an alternative which you can discuss with your vet. If you need to find a vet who administers Esterilsol or are a vet that would like to administer Esterilsol, please contact Ark Sciences directly.

I know I am glad to have this alternative available.

What are your thoughts?

Mirá Gato!

2011-05-18T01:00:00.007-04:00

Abby studies her Spanish while
Maxine refuses to give up her fashion magazines

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Can't Stop Laughing!

2011-05-14T10:35:00.002-04:00

I had to post this video...I can't stop laughing every time I play it.

For more fun videos check out klaatu42's channel.

MMmmm...

2011-05-11T01:00:00.004-04:00

Squirrels seem to like Goldfish too!

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Let’s Doga!

2011-05-10T12:42:00.004-04:00

Yoga that you and your dog can do together?

Yoga means “to join or union”. In Doga you get to bond and join hearts with your dog. Think about it. The same stress you feel is probably the same stress your trusty furry friend feels at times. Dogs can suffer from Separation Anxiety every time you leave them home to go off to work. Dogs have no sense of time but they know that something is missing and that is you.

Dax Starts To Pose

What Form!

Is That A Cobra Pose?

We are in a time where dogs are carried around in purses. This demonstrates that we want to be close to our canine companions. Why not have a human and dog class to benefit both dog owner and doggy? Doga has become very popular the last couple of years. Some yoga studios are offering the classes on a regular basis or even as special events. Your dog may not be a contortionist but they can come along with you to a pet friendly yoga class allowing your dog to join in. They can be shown and helped into the simpler poses such as the cobra pose or even an up dog or a down dog pose.

Your dog may teach you more yoga than the yoga teacher. Animals instinctively practice yoga...

we just never really pay attention.

Jake Meditates

Have you ever watched your dog stretch? Those are yoga poses! Have you ever watched your dog pant to cool him/herself off? That’s a yoga breath. Have you ever watched your dog stare out the window in a glazed-over look? That’s doggy meditation. Doga can seem like a not-so-serious and unconventional yoga class but it is very beneficial for owner and doggy. Doga lets you have your dog on your yoga mat with you or to the side of you. Doing yoga with your dog connects you to your dog, creating a mutual feeling of love and affection for each other. Serotonin levels rise, causing great happiness for both of you. Not only are you making each other happy, you are able to spend quality time together.

Strong bonds are encouraged.
Your connection to your pet grows.

Jake Touches My Paw

Dogs are able to de-stress and they become better listeners obeying their owner and having a feeling of contentment. Doga can help improve your dog's visits to the vet and your groomer. Why? Because your dog is being massaged throughout the Doga class letting your pet become aware that petting is wonderful and thus making him/her want more affection from others as well as yourself. Touching paws in Doga is encouraged so that your dog gets a sense of connection through their active legs and this also helps when clipping their nails.

Older dogs benefit from Doga as well. As a dog gets older their joints start to give way and age. Doga lets the dog owner massage these areas and petting the dog also helps ease and sooth an older dogs aliments. This strong companionship we build with our pets helps our human brains feel ease. Stress levels can be decreased. Most dogs and cats love to be around people. Humans are uniting and being comforted by their pets in Doga classes. You are getting to do yoga and relaxing through the stretches and your pet is happy loving you.

Your dog will never tell you that your pose is wrong or even criticize the way you are in your down dog but they will love you unconditionally...forever.

"My goal in life is to be as good a person that my dog already thinks I am." ~Author of Quote Unknown

She's Gotta Notice Me Now!

2011-05-04T01:00:00.017-04:00

Jake Blues
"The keyboard is no competition for my cuteness!"

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Bats In The Belfry? HOORAY!

2011-05-03T13:33:00.002-04:00

Image via Big Dog's Bird Blog

I was visiting my aunt J. the other day and we got into a conversation about all the animals that have made their way into our respective homes. I had her beat by a long shot. She only had a recurring visit from a persistent squirrel...I mentioned to her that was nothing. As I went through the list of animal-visitors, I got around to mentioning the bat that recently visited my husband and me one balmy evening. "A bat?", as she made a face, "what did you do about it?"

I explained to her that I was trying to get it out without hurting and/or killing it. I also mentioned to her that I wish we had more of them. Again she made a face but then asked me a really important question, that more people should ask themselves when it comes to ANY "nature" that intrudes upon "our territory".

What benefit are bats to us?

When most people think about bats, the reaction usually is less than appreciative of what this animal brings to the ecological table. Conversation typically turns to concerns about rabies, blood-sucking and tangled hair. While these are all very valid concerns, the reality is that bats - yes even Vampire bats - get a bad rap. For that matter, most species of bats subsist on fruits or insects. Various types of bats, depending on the species, are incredibly beneficial to us in many different ways.

They provide extremely nutritious guano which is used for a variety of things - most notably as fertilizer.
They are important in the propagation of plants and trees - particularly fruit trees such as mangoes (a personal favorite) and it is believed that they are also significantly responsible for keeping the rain forests forested.
They eat incredible amounts of insects, which living in New York City with the constant reminders about mosquitoes and West Nile Virus, is of particular interest to me. One bat can consume about 3000 insects in a night. That's a lot of mosquitoes.

Image via Wikipedia

Dare I say, we should really encourage their propagation. It is easier than it may seem and can be done safely if one is committed to helping bats to help us. It is all about building, timing, temperature and good eats. Bats can be encouraged by building Bat Boxes in just the right place as to provide shelter, warmth and food sources.

While bats should not be reviled as they typically are, rabies and some other diseases are still a very important concern. If you are ever confronted by a bat, as we were, do NOT touch it if at all possible. The first thing you should do of course is to remove any children and pets from the area and call your local animal care & control agency. I am NOT encouraging anyone to handle a bat but if you feel you are in a position in which you must remove a bat yourself, there are safe ways of doing so. Following are some great resources for learning to coexist with bats.

Resources

BatWorlds
Department of Environment Convservation - Bats of New York

When You See A Bat, Give Thanks! - Letha’s Asian Health Secrets
Bat Conservation International
Penn State - A Homeowner's Guide to Northeastern Bats & Bat Problems (PDF)
NYS Dept of Agriculture & Markets (PDF) - Small Animal Rabies Fact Sheet

Boomer Begs...

2011-04-27T01:00:00.037-04:00

...For some face time because he KNOWS

he is just as "warm & fuzzy" as any old dog!

Boomer says "CHEESE!"

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The West Paw Design Hurley Dog Toy

2011-04-22T12:47:00.053-04:00

When I think about toys for my Pit mix - Suede - I think of that commercial with the owl for the Tootsie Pop. "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?".

Why? Because that is approximately the same number of chews it takes Suede to get through just about any toy that I buy for her.

The Hurley Dog Toy

One day I was Twittering away and shared with my community that I was having trouble finding a great toy for Suede that would hold up to her jaws. I went through the entire list of toys I had tried. I even tried one really popular one that is specifically designed to stand up to the strength of an aggressive chewer. It sure did stand up to her chomp...because she didn't like it. She looked at it like it was garbage and walked away.

Then, out of the Twittosphere came the "voice" of Chris Wagner - CEO of Waggy's Eco Pet Products. She recommended a particular product - The Hurley Dog Toy - provided a link and I went. I looked at the Hurley Dog Toy which is made out of a durable & buoyant material called Zogoflex. Buoyant too? Oh wow! Hope floats!

Okay...to be honest, I really didn't think much of it. There was no way this could stand up to her chompers so I couldn't care less if the toy floats. But as I read the description, the price was right AND I noticed the one-time only guarantee that "We promise to replace The Hurley if it can’t withstand your dog’s chewing". I figured, what did I have to lose? Nothing. So I placed my order for the large in "tangerine" - because I love that color - and I waited.

Suede enjoys her Hurley

She REALLY enjoys it!

When it arrived, I was still skeptical. I still wasn't sure that Suede would be interested in the toy...and then, even if she was interested, I wasn't convinced it would stand up to her. Well, the first hurdle was overcome. I gave it to Suede, and she liked it a lot. It took weeks, before she was able to break away even a small piece and yet this toy is extremely flexible and soft. So the second hurdle was overcome. I was elated. The toy lasted for months. OH! And it floats too! Now I cared. As Suede enjoyed her toy, I proceeded to collect the pieces in a zip lock... you'll find out why later on.

Ellwood & Jake

Customer Service

Eventually it was time to get her a new one. In the time she had the first one, I also noted that my two little 8 pounders - Ellwood & Jake - enjoyed this toy too, so I decided to buy two small ones for each of them. When I placed my order for 1 large and 2 small Hurleys, within a day of placing the order, I received an email from Waggy's confirming that I had purchased the correct sizes because they had noted my previous order did not include any small sizes. When I confirmed that the order was correct, and explained to them that I had two smaller dogs, they also informed me that I needed to be cautious because they did not want Suede to get a hold of the smaller ones and choke. HOW NICE WAS THAT? Now that is what I call "Customer Service"!

Well the joke ended up being on me anyway, because when they all arrived, Ellwood & Jake had no interest in the small Hurleys. They continued to "steal" the big one right from Suede's mouth. Go figure!

So...here are the pros of my purchases

A product that stands up the way they described.
Liberal guarantee by the manufacturer if it does not.
All my dogs LOVE The Hurley
There are also a variety of other West Paw Designs to check out.
EXCELLENT customer service provided by Waggy's
Oh yes...and the reason I collect the pieces? Because the material is recyclable so the product is eco-friendly.

Who could ask for anything more?

Billy & His Bro!

2011-04-20T01:00:00.004-04:00

Sleeping is fun...

Sleeping with a friend?
Even more fun!
Billy & his bro Dax

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"It's Getting Hot In Here...

2011-04-19T19:13:00.006-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

...So take off all your clothes..I am gettin' hot, I wanna take my clothes off." Nelly would probably agree that you could take yours off, but your dog can't.

Last Friday I was running into a food store trying to find the right brand of tomatoes for my homemade spaghetti sauce. I noticed a car with a Lhasa Apso laying down in the front seat, sleeping. The owner had barely cracked the window and the temperature outside was in the high 70’s. I started to panic wondering if this dog was ok.

What was I to do? I decided to go into the store and let the customer service desk know that this poor dog looked as if it was overheated. I couldn’t tell if the dog was ok or not. I waited only to see that the owner came out to the parking lot thinking nothing of it. As she put her groceries in her car, I yelled out “please leave your pet at home or possibly drop your pet off first at home.” She did not hear me and drove off. I was livid! How could a person place a pet, that depends on people for its care, in a hot car? How awful to barely crack a window and think that this is enough to prevent heatstroke?

After seeing this so many times before I decided that we all need to know what happens in a car with no ventilation or air, particularly on a warm day. According to PETA, "On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a car can climb to 97 degrees in just 10 minutes...so they can quickly succumb to heatstroke and suffer brain damage or death". That is an almost 20 degree jump in just 10 minutes, and sometimes that jump can be as high as 50 degrees in as little as 2 minutes. "Recently, a dog died after being locked in a parked car on a sunny, 67°F day in Albany, New York". If it is humid, that contributes to the danger of the excessive heat. By the way, this situation is also dangerous for children and the elderly.

How do you recognize heatstroke? According to WebMD, the following symptoms are indicative of heatstroke.

Heavy panting and difficulty breathing.
The tongue and mucous membranes appear bright red.
The saliva is thick and tenacious,
Vomitting, progressive unsteadiness and bloody diarrhea.
As shock sets in, the lips and mucous membranes turn gray.
The dog eventually collapses has seizures, will lapse into coma, followed by death.

It only takes a few minutes for your dog to suffer, pass out and die from heatstroke. A dog starts to suffer within 2 minutes of being left in a car above 78 degrees. Just think of yourself locked in a car with no way out when the heat outside is stifling. We would start to panic. It's no different for your dog. Remember dogs have feelings and can get sick just like humans.

It is easy to lose track of time when you are in a store and forget that your pet is locked in the car. Especially if your short shopping trip to the grocery store turns out to be a longer trip because you decide “oh I need this item too”. Time goes by and your pet is helpless and sweltering, dying in your car.

What can you do to prevent killing your dog with heatstroke?

When you can, use the drive-thru instead of parking
If you must park, drive your pet home first, then do your shopping
Always bring a bowl and bottled water for your pet (Are you thirsty? Pets sweat through their tongue they are even thirstier)
If you see another person leaving a dog in the car run into the store where the car is parked and ask for the manager. Tell them that someone has locked their dog in a car and that leaving a dog in the car can be harmful and life threatening
Call the police, they can help
Have a family member or friend stay in the car with your pet while the air conditioner is on.
Shop in pet-friendly stores so that you’re pet can shop with you
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A LOCKED CAR.

If you are out and about and see a dog in a car and the dog looks like she/he is overheated please help. Don't just walk away thinking someone else will intervene or that the owner will come out soon. Your voice and your actions can save a life.

Sources
PETA
WebMD

The Mod Squad

2011-04-13T01:00:00.004-04:00

Daisy, Max & Jasmine

Snorin' Like A Roarin' Train....

2011-04-12T17:17:00.003-04:00

Via Flickr

I had never known a dog to snore. Before Suede, I had 4 dogs - Heidi, Max, Morby & Sandy - and had never heard any of them snore. Then came Suede. The first time I heard her snore, I chuckled and thought it was the cutest thing in the world. But then I started to notice that she snores often AND quite loud. Not loud enough to disturb our sleep - and definitely not loud enough to disturb her own sleep - but enough to wonder if there isn't cause for concern.

In humans, snoring can be something of NO concern or something of EXTREME concern. In the extreme, it can cause Sleep Apnea which can lead to even more problems for the snorer. Snoring can be caused by any one, or combination of the following.

Obstructed nasal airways, such that might occur from a stuffed nose (think allergies or sinus infection), deviated septum or polyps.
Poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue which would result in the tongue falling back into the mouth towards the throat.
Bulky throat tissue such as enlarged adenoids, tonsils or being overweight
Long soft palate (the soft part, towards the back of the roof of the mouth) and/or uvula (the piece of tissue that hangs down in the back of the mouth) can hinder the passage of air between the nose and the throat.
Obesity

In dogs, it is very much the same. Yes...dogs can, and do, suffer allergies. And if you have a dog belonging to the Brachycephalic (or "Pug-nosed") breeds, you need to be particularly mindful of any breathing issues, including snoring, as it can be indicative of more serious health issues.

If your dog is a snorer, you should take your dog to the vet to determine what the root cause of the snoring is but there are some things that you can do to make s/he more comfortable and hopefully sleep better.

As with humans, second hand smoke is just as deleterious to your pet as it is to people. It is an irritant and can exacerbate a snoring condition.
If the snoring is occurring while your dog is sleeping on its back - and yes some dogs do sleep on their backs - then you should consider getting a round bed. A snug fitting, round bed encourages the dog to sleep on its side.
If it is determined by a vet that your dog has allergies, aside from any medications that might be prescribed by the doctor, you should make every attempt to eliminate any known allergens from the home.
As with humans, raising the dogs head might actually help alleviate the snoring by opening up the blocked airways.
If the dog is overweight, you then need to work on the dogs diet as well as exercise - both of which would probably benefit you too...I know it benefits me.

So if your dog is snorin' like a roarin' train...visit the vet!

Strike A Pose

2011-04-06T08:58:00.003-04:00

Jake & Suede
Such Posers

Meet Macy - The Lovely Hostess of Re/Dress NYC

2011-04-05T13:40:00.004-04:00

Macy

I went to one of my favorite stores this weekend - Re/Dress NYC. This is a vintage & resale curvy clothing boutique in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill.

I went shopping for something to wear to a dear friend's wedding and ended up leaving with the greatest suit ever. If you are a curvy gal on a budget, this is the place for you. This, however, was not the highlight of my shopping excursion.

When I entered the store, I was greeted by Macy - the cutest, sweetest little hostess ever.

Princess & Coco

2011-03-30T07:51:00.001-04:00

Coco & Princess Recline Comfortably...

...But not as comfortably as this : )

Here Snakey Snakey....!

2011-03-29T16:40:00.005-04:00

Image courtesy of FreeSnake.com

Last week I engaged my husband in a conversation questioning how animals escape or go missing. I specifically sited the Bronx Zoo as an example - NOT because they have any incidences of escapes but simply because they have a lot of confined animals and a lot of handlers. For purposes of this conversation my animal of choice was a lion. I was simply trying to make a point...How would a lion escape The Zoo?

The reason I brought this up was simply because I never understand how people loose their pets, period and The Bronx Zoo was an extreme example. So imagine my chagrin, when the news hit that an animal had escaped from The Zoo. It wasn't a lion, a gorilla, or even a stray bird from the grounds. It was a 20-inch baby Egyptian Cobra that liberated herself. Exotic snakes are not completely foreign to The Bronx, having popped up in Bronx parks and even in apartment building toilets. At least a lion loose anywhere in the Zoo, or The Bronx for that matter, would likely be seen with little difficulty and captured. There would be little question of its whereabouts. But a deadly cobra that can kill a human within 15 minutes of a bite...oh where or where has this Egyptian Cobra gone? Oh where or where can she be? Egyptian Cobra's bodies are compressible, so they can fit into tiny spaces. They live in open fields, and arid countrysides but can often be seen around homes searching for rodents - 2 things there are no shortages of in The Bronx.

Image Courtesy of FreeSnake.com

Egyptian Cobras are native to arid climates and will gravitate towards warmth and water. So this makes me feel a little better about my chances of running into her. It is pretty cold outside so she might still actually be in the house that reptiles built. But what if she did make it out? I am concerned given that I walk my dogs in the park that flanks The Zoo. The staff is confident that the snake is still within The Reptile House so have closed it down, but I am sure they were also confident that the snake was in its enclosure...until it wasn't.

How do you identify an Egyptian Cobra? Basically, if you see the hood, you had better believe that you have encountered the Egyptian Cobra. Short of that, they can typically grow up to 8 feet long - although as a baby, our girl is currently only 20 inches, so she has a little way to go. They will likely be some shade of brown and if you happen to make eye contact with one, you may notice a teardrop shape under the eyes.

If you are in The Bronx and think you may have encountered the Egyptian Cobra, do NOT attempt to catch her. Simply back away carefully and call NYC Animal Care & Control and then you can follow her safely on Twitter @BronxZoosCobra.

What A Cute Pair

2011-03-23T08:42:00.003-04:00

Spotted this pair of beauties in the park earlier this week.

A Home For Scrappy?

2011-03-09T07:53:00.003-05:00

Scrappy is unhappy!

This cute guy is in the Bronx, NY and is looking for a home...

I figure he is a Black Lab mix...but with what? I know not.

If you or someone you know might be interested in taking Scrappy, please CLICK HERE and drop me a line.

**Please note that this is a courtesy posting.**
**I do not have the dog nor do I bear any responsibility for this dog.**

HOLY...!

2011-03-02T20:12:00.006-05:00

I usually don't have much to say on Wordless Wednesday beyond some hopefully clever headline that draws you in. But today I could not resist...and I could think of no more appropriate headline than the one I came up with. Why? Well it started with an early morning walk with The Pack. While The Noisemakers - Jake & Ellwood - will bark at this and that...Suede is usually pretty quiet. On our usual path, we turned down a local street that has a fenced-in lot. Ellwood had stopped just short of the lot to poop and as I stopped to pick it up, Suede of course was in front of this fence and fixated on something in the lot. That alone was unusual but also the fact that she started barking was a little disturbing but I had to pick up the poop. Once I picked up the poop and approached the fence, I got the scare of my life....

At first glance...

This tall, dark figure scared the crappola out of me!

Only to realize it is a statue of some sort...whew!

The Best Pillow is...

2011-02-23T01:00:00.008-05:00

Max & Daisy
...Another Fluffy Doggy!

Cauliflower Ear?

2011-02-22T16:35:00.007-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

I am a fan of UFC Mixed Martial Arts so seeing "Cauliflower Ears" is nothing unusual for me. It's a little funny looking but other than that, it's no big deal for the fighters...it just comes with the territory. So it was a little disturbing, at first, when Suede faced the possibility of getting a "Cauliflower Ear". She may be a Pit-mix - making her a "bully"- but she is by no means a fighter. Not with people or other animals. In fact she is a lover. So how the heck would she face the possibility of "Cauliflower Ear"?

Suede

One day I was playing with Suede. As I grabbed her head to give her a kiss - yes..I do kiss my dog from time to time - she whimpered. It was such a quick, soft whimper that I wasn’t even sure she had actually whimpered so we continued playing and she whimpered again. I checked her head, body, paws - just about everywhere - but couldn’t find anything wrong with her. As we continued to play she whimpered again and this time I realized it had to do with her ear. There didn't seem to be anything obviously wrong with it but clearly she was in pain because she wouldn't even allow me to exam her ear. When I was able to seize an opportunity to examine her ear I got quite a shock. It was puffy like a balloon filled with water. WHAT THE HECK?

I came to find out that she had an Aural Hematoma - or more commonly referred to as a "swollen ear flap". A swollen ear flap occurs when the space between the skin and the ear cartilage becomes filled with blood due to some sort of trauma resulting in busted blood vessels. It puffs up like a balloon filled with water. There are no real symptoms you can look out for except the actual swollen ear and pain in the area. There are however, conditions and behaviors that can lead to swollen ear flap. The two likeliest behaviors to cause this condition are extreme or excessive head shaking or ear scratching.

Jake Sneaks A Kiss

Suede had no history of ear infections or any type of ear conditions. In fact to this point I don't even think I had ever witnessed her even scratch her head. The minute I realized that this is what Suede had, I knew exactly what caused it. We had just introduced her to a new little doggy - Jake - who LOVED to lick her ears. So with the licking, Suede would shake her head quite a bit to get Jake to stop licking her ears. With Suede it was obvious that her condition had been brought on by extreme head shaking.

When Suede's ear became swollen, I went to the vet who presented me with 2 treatment options - both of which are common medical procedures for correcting a swollen ear flap.

Photo via TeleVets

Aspiration is the least invasive and the least expensive of the procedures, but is also likely to be the least effective over the long-term. This treatment involves inserting a needle into the hematoma and draining it. This procedure will alleviate the hematoma, but will leave a cavity or space in which blood and fluid can refill causing another hematoma. The presence of clots in the hematoma, may preclude this procedure from being performed.

Photo via
Camino Animal Clinic

Pie-Crusting Sutures is a little more invasive but is the most common treatment for Aural Hematoma. With this procedure, the vet will incise the hematoma, draining it of blood, fluids and clots. It is also possible that some cartilage could also be removed. The area around the hematoma is then "dotted" with sutures that may actually extend right through the ear. As these multiple sutured areas heal, they create scarring which prevents the space from refilling with fluids.

There are also two other treatments that are available - Teat Cannula Placement and Laser Treatment. Depending on the severity or placement of the hematoma, surgery might be absolutely necessary since it is possible that the result could be permanent, severe injury to the ear. If the dog has an underlying issue with the ear such as an infection or even allergies, this also needs to be addressed as it will precipitate further trauma to the ear from extreme head shaking or scratching.

Hematomas can go away on their own because the fluid becomes reabsorbed by the body. However, with an Aural Hematoma, if left alone, it can also refill with blood and fluids, become infected, scar out of control and develop into a cauliflower ear or worse yet, result in hearing loss. If you notice a swollen ear flap on your dog, the best thing to do is to consult a vet.

Related Article: It Can Save Your Pet's Life

The Accidental Show Dog - Keep Off The Grass?

2011-02-19T15:41:00.001-05:00

Now that Snoopy had patiently been fluffed as much as a dog could be fluffed it was time to go into the ring. Luckily Jean's friend Leroy had collected my number that I apparently needed to wear on my left sleeve.

I was trying to watch the round before us to see what they were doing, but I was also trying to stop Snoopy from lying on the grass. At class it's indoors so this isn't a problem. Here there were leaves all over the floor so Snoopy kept getting them on his coat, Eric was standing perfectly!

Now I knew why Jean had brought a comb to the ringside, we didn't even own a comb for Snoopy, he just had his brush and it hadn't occurred to me to bring it here, not that I had any pockets to put it in anyway, Jean kindly lent us hers.

When it was our turn Jean went into the ring and I wasn't sure if I should follow or not, the judge signalled for Snoopy and I to go in and I explained it was our first time so I wasn't sure what to do, she was very nice.

I think Snoopy thought he was at the park as it was on grass and he just wanted to play. All those perfect stands he'd done at class were nowhere to be seen, he even lay down at one point in the ring.

On top of that I went too fast around the ring and Snoopy got all excited. The buttons on my sweater were also fascinating to him and he even tried to jump up to get them, I guess I had got the wardrobe choice wrong after all.

Despite everything that went wrong, Snoopy had a great time and his tail was wagging away. He got a second place ribbon, we won't mention it was only him and Eric in the puppy class :)

Eric giving Snoopy some tips
as this was Eric's second show!
He's a pro! :)

Snoopy also had a lot of fun hanging out with his brother Eric, sister April and mum Snickers. It was great to see them again and to see how similar Eric and Snoopy looked.

We clearly weren't going to be naturals in the show ring, but we had fun and we will try another few shows before we decide if this is something we want to do regularly. Either way, Snoopy is a champion and we are so thankful he's in our lives, whether he has the ribbons to prove it or not! :)

The Accidental Show Dog - In The Beginning
The Accidental Show Dog - Let The Training Begin!
The Accidental Show Dog - What To Wear?

Paws For A Cause With Yoga

2011-01-31T19:20:00.006-05:00

Hi-Tor Animal Care Center is gearing up for their next cause for paws - Yoga Love For Shelter Pets. In partnership with Sanctuary Yoga Studios and Manduka Yoga Mats, the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center Winter Charity Event is scheduled for February 12, 2011 - just in time for Valentine's Day. Score some major points with your loved one and for some homeless pets...sign up yourself & your sweetheart for this event.

When:

Saturday

February 12, 2011

1:00-3:00 pm

Where:

Sanctuary Yoga Studios

132 Park Avenue

New City, NY 10956

Join the volunteers of HiTor Animal Shelter, yoga teacher Ashley DiMeglio and 3 other esteemed teachers of Sanctuary Yoga Studios and representatives of Manduka Yoga Mats for a healthy, harmonious and rejuvenating yoga class! A welcoming studio filled with yoga, friendship, & healing love for animals that are waiting for their future mom & dad, sisters & brothers to adopt them.

Program will include

-A 90 minute All Levels Yoga Class

-Four of Rockland Counties' Best Yoga Teachers

-Raffle prizes from Manduka, Starbucks and other local businesses

-Something Sweet because you are too!

In addition to bringing yourself and your sweetie, please bring a shelter item with you to donate along with $25 cash or a check made out to Hi-Tor. 100% of proceeds go to the shelter. Look in your closets for blankets you don't use. Maybe you have a pet that has way too many toys, litter, or pet food.

Register now, space is limited. To register call Sanctuary Yoga Studios directly at (845) 548-1090 or Email to SanctuaryYoga@optimum.net. You can also feel free to donate to the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center.

Namaste!

Some Dogs Really Love Their Snow!

2011-01-28T10:51:00.017-05:00

Photo via izismile.com

The Northeast has been experiencing some snow...well...not just "some" but quite a bit actually - a storm a week since Christmas. Many folks have complained despite the fact that we really have been lucky to not have a winter like this one in quite some time. I received an email today with photos of Winter in Russia and this photo just amazed me. I love the snow...and I think this dog does too! In fact I haven't met a dog yet that didn't like snow. We could learn a thing or two from our pups!

Suede enjoys a walk .

Suede enjoys a dip in the pool!

It Can Save Your Pet’s Life

2011-01-25T14:58:00.004-05:00

Canine Pyometric Uterus - Image via Wikipedia

Spaying and neutering aren’t just for preventing reproduction. If you have had the good fortune of having a cat or a dog as part of your family I am sure that you have been well-educated on the importance of spaying & neutering your pets - for the most obvious reason of preventing reproduction. But there are also more important reasons for the practice - ensuring the good health of your pet as they mature. I don't discount the importance of these procedures for the health of my pets but I must admit, I did have one dog that I never neutered and he lived to be 17 years old. This is NOT an endorsement for NOT fixing your pet because there are life-threatening medical conditions which can affect your pet if they are not fixed. I recently experienced one of these conditions. Pyometra, meaning "pus-filled uterus", is a condition that can affect female dogs, cats, rats, ferrets, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Suede

I recently adopted an older Pit mix named Suede. She was in very good health but had not been spayed and had just given birth to a litter shortly before I adopted her. Over the course of 2 months following the adoption, I made several attempts to get Suede spayed by the adoption agency, per my contract agreement. Long story short, it didn't happen. During this period Suede experienced a heat cycle. This is important to mention. Before I knew it, by the third month, she became sick. I had no idea what was happening to her.

The symptoms I observed were

A thick, purulent, vaginal discharge
Increased urination
Change in eating habits – not in the amount she was eating but just the way she was eating.
What appeared to be another “period” which started simply as spotting, however the blood was a very strange shade of red. It was too soon after her last heat cycle for her to be having her period and the spotting quickly escalated to extreme bleeding. At one point she barked and blood literally spewed out of her vagina.

Suede's symptoms progressed rapidly over the course of 1 week. I took her to the Animal Medical Center where she received EXCELLENT care from Doctors Currao, Corbin and Fink. She was diagnosed with Pyometra, which would require emergency life-saving surgery. Pyometra is a uterine infection which is common in older, unspayed female dogs. It occurs when bacteria infects uterine secretions which results in the uterus becoming enlarged, abscessed, and pus-filled. If a dog has Pyometra it is important to seek medical attention immediately since your dog can either already be septic or eventually suffer septic shock.

While it was relatively easy to diagnose my “pup” with Pyometra, it is not always easily diagnosable if it is a closed Pyometra, which means there is no vaginal discharge, so if there are other symptoms, they may be mistakenly attributed to other conditions.

Symptoms of Pyometra include

Vaginal discharge of pus sometimes including blood.
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Depression
Increased drinking
Increased urination
Fever – sometimes
Abdomen may become enlarged

Depending on severity - or if a Closed-Cervix Pyometra – symptoms may include

Signs of blood poisoning
Pale mucous membranes
Cold extremities
Reduced body temperature
Collapse.

Treatment of Pyometra will include administration of antibiotics and possibly intravenous fluids. The treatment of choice is surgery which is basically a Spay but with the added complication of already-present infection.

Can't Wait....

2011-01-12T01:00:00.017-05:00

The Blues Brothers
Anticipating Their Walk Despite The Blizzard!

Check out more
Awesome Wordless Wednesday Pawsomes!

The Accidental Show Dog - What To Wear?

2011-01-07T07:06:00.017-05:00

Wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to welcome you back to the next installment of "The Accidental Show Dog".

Show day was fast approaching, we really weren't ready, even though the instructor at class had gone into overdrive in coaching me. Now she knew we had a show coming up. I guess this was a clear message to me that Snoopy was doing fine, it was me who still needed to do some more work :)

I'd managed to get Snoopy to stop biting the instructor and he was pretty good at standing properly. I'd achieved this by accident. When we went for our walks, some prickly things from the trees had been falling for weeks and getting flicked up onto Snoopy's coat as he walked by. He hates anything on his coat and flings himself to the floor as soon as he feels them. I would make him stand and stay while I checked his coat for the offending prickly bit and I finished by making him show me his teeth. It happened so often he just got used to it, phew!

Another challenge for the show was what to wear? Not Snoopy...but for me. I'd discovered that jeans weren't going to cut it and you had to dress really smart. You also had to wear flat shoes so you wouldn't fall over. So many things to focus on.

Snoopy being fluffed up!

When it came to ensuring Snoopy looked the part, I had no clue what to do beyond his regular bath and brushing routine, which I'd been told wasn't enough. Luckily Jean came to the rescue and told us she'd help us once we got there. The night before the show Mark and I gave Snoopy his bath so at least he smelled good!

On the morning of the show it was an early start on the road. Snoopy was happy though as he got an early breakfast. I was to nervous and to busy for breakfast. I knew Snoopy could do it, I was just worried that I would mess it up. There was so much to remember all at once. This was supposed to be fun, but when I realised Snoopy was against Eric, his brother, my competitive side came out. I really am my own worst enemy!

WNRS BCH

HALNDOG

Two hours later we'd arrived. Well I assumed we were at the right place when I saw the licence plates of the cars that were parked next to us! :)

The Accidental Show Dog - In The Beginning

The Accidental Show Dog - Let The Training Begin!

There Are Few Words....

2010-12-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

Max
Is he doing push ups while he eats?

2010-12-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

Comb Please!

2010-12-22T01:00:00.007-05:00

Ellwood Blues
Wakes up with bed head!

The Accidental Show Dog - Let The Training Begin!

2010-12-20T01:00:00.010-05:00

Our first time at dog show handling class was a family affair, we all jumped into the car and off we went, having no idea what to expect!

The first challenge was the equipment. I naively thought we were good as we had a lead and collar, but we just had a chunky lead that even had a poop bag attached. I was to discover everyone else had very nice dainty leather ones, attached to dainty correction chains. We looked a bit out of place. Luckily, some kind people lent us equipment for our first night. I asked where we could get what we needed and was told you get everything at the dog shows. It seemed like a chicken and egg scenario as we hadn't been to our first show yet.

The next challenge was for Snoopy to show his teeth to the instructor, as this is something they have to do for the judge. Snoopy wasn't at all keen on showing his teeth and kept trying to bite her... and me too when I tried. We had a lot of homework to do!

Nope Snoopy, I don't think you're
supposed to stand on my foot!

Snoopy thought show class was great fun, he just wanted to play with all the other dogs and it was quite a challenge to make him concentrate in those first few weeks. Everyone else seemed to know how to do everything, we really were the new kids on the block.

I allowed him to play when we were waiting and then he was good about switching it on and performing when he needed to. I think Snoopy is definitely the most disruptive dog at the class, but he's only a puppy and I wanted him to have fun. I guess we just didn't take it as seriously as maybe some of the other people, ooops! His favourite bit was at the end when the dogs had to go around the ring with everyone else clapping, Snoopy just trotted around as though he'd won.

So many friends to
play with for Snoopy!

As part of the training process everyone was using treats for the dogs, but I'd already broken the cardinal rule of dog shows and taught Snoopy to sit, sitting isn't required at all in the show ring, so this wasn't going to work! I had to resort to using the old fashioned praise and tickle on the ear approach.

We'd agreed to do a show at the end of November if Snoopy was ready, but by October Jean was talking about a show in Napa that Snoopy's siblings were entering early in November. We entered (which was no easy process) and thought it would be a great day out and a chance for Snoopy to see his brother and sister.

Lots of people at our class were also entering the Napa show and they asked me who was showing Snoopy, when I said I was they seemed surprised, but then encouraging. It seems you can pay a professional handler to show your dog, but for us this was just fun and we didn't want to spend the money. It was fun until people said they'd come and watch us at the show when they weren't showing their dogs and critique us, now I was getting really nervous.

If you want to "hear" what Snoopy has to say, please visit his site at www.SnoopysDogBlog.com

The Accidental Show Dog - In The Beginning

2010-12-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

How do you accidentally end up in the dog show ring?

How do you go from chosing one

of these cute puppies as a pet...

...to learning how to get him fluffed up
ready to go in the show ring?

We wanted to get a puppy and had chosen a Bearded Collie as the breed (how we got to this is a whole other story!), but anyway, this is where we were at and had even found a breeder in the same state. The kids had picked Snoopy from the pictures we'd received as he was the one with blue eyes.

Shortly before collecting him, we discovered he could be show quality. The kids had set their heart on this particular dog and the breeder said we didn't have to show him if we didn't want to, so off we went on the 2 hour drive to collect him.....

Once we got there, we found out that because he was a pure bred, we needed to complete Kennel club papers to say if he was going to be a show dog or a pet. If we chose pet, we couldn't change our mind. After much discussion, we all decided to choose show dog and keep our options open. We were complete novices in the show world, so we didn't expect this would actually happen.

It took all my effort just to

keep him occupied and

out of mischief!

I say I was a novice, although when I was about 10, my nana would take us to dog shows that she helped organise each New Years Day. My siblings and I would borrow a dog to show in the children's class, I think this may have led to my love of dogs. I know that I was never any good though, as I never won anything and I certainly had no idea what to do really, but it was fun!

We agreed that we'd see how Snoopy's initial house training and obedience training went before deciding if we would try to show him. If we decided to look at showing further I would see if there were any show classes near to where we lived.....I didn't give it any more thought until I was talking to Jean, his Breeder, a few months later and it came up again......I'd been more focused on trying to get Snoopy to sleep through the night and continuing my efforts to ensure the house was puppy proof, no easy task! :)

If you want to "hear" what Snoopy has to say, please visit his site at www.SnoopysDogBlog.com

Morby Finds A What?!

2010-12-13T11:05:00.023-05:00

Northern River Otters
Image via Wikipedia

Recently, a young man in Florida was attacked by an otter – believed to be rabid. When I saw the headline, I thought it was just sensationalism to get me to watch the video. When I opened it and read the accompanying article, I was most certainly shocked. I used to work in the Bronx Zoo - one of my favorite jobs. While my official job was working with the human animals, as an animal lover, I befriended a zoo keeper who allowed me to feed, from a distance, some of the smaller animals. One of my favorite exhibits to visit each day was the otters. It would never have occurred to me that I would need to be that afraid of them, however it did get me to thinking about my own experiences with animals here in The Bronx and all of the news about the different types of “atypical” animals – boa constrictors, coyotes, beavers, bats, raccoons, to name a few - suddenly reappearing here. This urban jungle seems to be slowly but surely returning to its roots, as a natural jungle. This “return to nature” comes with a whole host of concerns.

About 2 years ago, my husband was walking our dog, Morby, along our block. Shortly after he left the house, he called me on the phone to ask me to come down the block to check something out. He was adamant that I come. As I approached him and Morby, they seemed to be watching something on the ground. He is not a “nature” person, so he felt he needed me to come down to validate whatever he believed was on the ground.

He explained that as they were walking, he almost stepped on something thinking it was just a leaf. Morby walked right up to this “leaf”, sparing it from my husband’s crushing foot. Morby was extremely attracted to this thing, which concerned my husband so he used his foot to move it off to the side into the dirt. As he touched it with his foot, it moved just enough for him to identify it as….a bat. Once we got past the initial shock of actually seeing a bat, I suddenly realized that this bat had to be injured or worse yet, very sick. Not only was he lying in the middle of the sidewalk, without much movement even when approached or touched, but it was the middle of the day. I told my husband to just hang around while I ran home to call….somebody (wasn’t even sure who I was going to call), and I could get a box to at least cover it, thereby protecting it from someone else potentially squishing him, but also, suspecting that it could have rabies, to protect anyone from being exposed.

I made a few phone calls. I was standing over this boxed bat with my foot on the box to secure it, while waiting for someone from Health & Mental Hygiene to contact me back. In that time, a curious neighbor asked about what was in the box. I told him and he wanted to see. I explained to him that the bat likely had rabies and should be left alone. He explained to me that it was okay because he was very experienced with animals. In my head, I was like, “Ahuh! So experienced that you are ready to handle a likely-rabid animal” (that’s the clean version of the conversation in my head). He was adamant about taking this bat…almost to the point I was afraid it would turn into a fight… so I let him take it because at least I knew where he lived. Shortly after that, a representative from Health & Mental Hygiene contacted me and I explained to him that a neighbor took the bat. He told me that no one should handle the bat because rabies could be transmitted from the skin if the person has an opened wound. I told him that I had explained all of that to the knucklehead but I was not going to get into a fight about it.

They came and claimed the bat from the neighbor. I know this because they actually called me back to let me know. That experience did educate me in a way that I had not ever considered I needed educating. I was raised with dogs in the middle of The Bronx. I learned that stray dogs, and maybe squirrels, were the only animals that we had to be concerned about being rabid. Of course, despite the fact that my father told me on several occasions, there was other wildlife out there - like bats and skunks - in our backyard, for 35 years I had never seen one, and would never have considered them to be rabid, so wasn’t ever concerned about them. As long as I was careful with the squirrels and stray dogs I was good to go.

But with the proliferation of all of these “new” animals making their way back into this urban landscape, it is important that we educate ourselves and our children on the dangers, beyond the actual bite, of handling animals.

Drum Roll Please....

2010-12-11T08:38:00.010-05:00

Snoopy & Annette Vivian
Snoopy's Dog Blog

I would like to welcome a new addition to the PawPurrry Family. Annette Vivian is the human companion to Snoopy of Snoopy's Dog Blog. Snoopy is a Bearded Collie with really beautiful eyes. Snoopy is training to be a Therapy Dog as well as a Show Dog. Snoopy's Dog Blog follows him on his adventures along the way. We always hear ABOUT his "Mum" but we don't get to hear to much FROM his "Mum".

I was very impressed that Snoopy is studying to be a Therapy Dog. I think that is such an important and noble career path. While I do follow this blog daily, somehow the "show dog" aspect escaped me. I attribute this to selective cognition since, my personal feelings about the dog show circuit are a little less than favorable. So when it finally dawned on me that Snoopy was also training to be a show dog I was curious because his "Mum" completely shattered my perception of handlers. When I spoke with Annette, I confessed my "dirty" little secret...Whew! She handled it really well...and stayed my friend : ) Then I asked her to enlighten me about how someone decides to be a dog show participant. The story was incredibly cute but also intriguing. I invite you all to follow Snoopy's adventures with his "Mum" as Therapy Dog and Show Dog...FROM his Mum.

Rats: From misunderstood rodents to heroes, artsy inspiration and beyond

2010-12-10T01:00:00.023-05:00

By Elizah Leigh @ This Dish Is Vegetarian

Okay...so you're just minding your own business, briskly walking to work in the AM after getting off the subway when -- out of nowhere -- an urban rat darts across the pavement, nearly missing the tip of your shoe. What's your first reaction? Do you:

Leap a few feet into the air?
Grab onto the closest tree trunk?
Shriek like a little school girl?
Thrust your foot upward in a lame attempt to send the now-long-gone rat careening through the air like a football?

For some, perhaps the correct answer is "all the above" and yet what we tend to forget about the whiskered, turbo-chomping rodents is that they aren't the vile creatures that we mistakenly presume them to be. Read On!

Reposted w/ permission

from original posting of 12/07/10

Why?

2010-12-07T11:43:00.008-05:00

Suede & The Blues Brothers

When I walk my little pack, I make EVERY attempt to clear the way on the sidewalk when I see people coming - most times walking way out into traffic. So, why is it that, invariably, someone makes sure they walk so close to us that if my dogs were biters, they would most assuredly be bitten? Why?

This morning I was walking my dogs. As I approached the corner, I saw a family crossing towards me, so I held back to give them right of way. They had more than enough space, really, without my holding back but I do like to give people ample space because not everyone likes dogs. When I got the sense that they were clear, I turned the corner. This part of the sidewalk is actually very wide. I was ALL THE WAY at the curb, by a tree. One of the little ones decided to poop. So I bent over to pick it up and as I bent over I noticed some feet walking right up next to me. It was the same family. Where did they come from given that they had just passed me? Why did they need to walk so close to me and the pack? I don't understand the stupidity of people and more so the fact that they pass this stupidity on to their children.

What Is It?

2010-12-03T11:14:00.007-05:00

Hawk? or Falcon?

As a kid growing up in The Bronx, many would be surprised to know how much I LOVE nature. Coming from such an urban environment though, most would think that I don't have much access to "nature". Coming from such an urban environment, it never ceases to amaze me when I encounter an animal I don't expect. Until today, I think the most amazing animal I ever came across, was the little bat that lay in my husbands path as he walked the dog one day - but that is a story for another day.

Our bedroom overlooks our backyard through a rather large window. Yes, we are fortunate to have a backyard here in The City. Not much larger than most NYC living spaces but, thanks to my father's efforts when we first moved into this house 30 years ago, has an abundance of flora, including a 30ft tree in one corner that he planted, and 2 other 30+ft trees in 2 other corners that have held up to the weather and constant threats of being cut down. The other 2 are not in our yard so we don't have any control over those trees...so I just pray everyday.

One day, my husband came home from doing laundry and as he entered the bedroom, his face just lit up as he focused on the window, walking past me uttering the words "Rachel! Is that an eagle? I think there is an eagle in the backyard". At first I just "knew" he had to be wrong. I couldn't imagine an eagle making its way to The Bronx. The sheer excitement on his face had me convinced. I got up to look. While it was not an eagle, it was a large predatory bird - either a hawk or a falcon, both of which exist in New York City- the likes of which I have never seen anywhere near my backyard. We watched it watching something off in the distance that we couldn't see but knowing it must have been scoping out lunch. I managed to get one photo of the bird before it took off to grab & go.

I believe it was a hawk. If you know otherwise, I would appreciate your input.

Rear Window

2010-11-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Jake Blues
Enjoys the view from the back window!

A Fishy Story

2010-11-19T01:00:00.023-05:00

Funny the things you think about. I was sitting here this morning and trying to think about what I would post as my first installment of Fishy Friday. Having not too much experience with fish, primarily because I generally can’t keep them for very long despite trying to take really good care of them. They die. So I just stopped keeping fish because it feels really bad to be a fish killer. But then I remembered an event when I was about 10 years old that, in thinking about it, makes me all “warm & fuzzy”…sort of.

When I was ten, I was suddenly interested in setting up the dirty, old, tiny aquarium that had sat unused in our guestroom, for, only God knows how long. I cleaned it out, and got everything working and now all I needed were fish. I went to my local pet shop, which was right around the corner. At 10 years old, my funds were limited, so how excited was I that they had a sale on pregnant guppies? I bought a whole bunch. I couldn’t tell you how many, but suffice it to say, it was really more than the aquarium could handle. But I just couldn’t wait to see the baby guppies.

So, I waited weeks, and weeks not knowing what the actual gestation period was, and didn’t see any babies. I couldn’t figure out what was going on, until someone told me that guppies eat their young. NO WAY!! I didn’t know that at the time. So I added some additional plants to the already crowded aquarium and waited a week or two again and then I saw them…..the little fleshy nubs with two huge eyes. I didn’t see too many of them but was excited that some had been able to deliver AND survive. But this didn’t last long. I guess just the crowding in the tank made survival for these youngins nearly impossible. So I just sort of gave up and took the best care possible for the fish.

Then one morning, I woke up to a dead, pregnant guppy. I felt so bad. But at this time, I was also going through a very “scientific exploration” sort of phase. So I had some tools. I got the brilliant idea to do a c-section on this guppy and save the babies. I knew that if I could do this, I could definitely save the babies. I put the mama on a piece of paper towel covered with Saran Wrap and took my scalpel and sliced open her stomach as carefully as possible. As I did that, out popped the babies. I was so amazed, and to be honest, wasn’t quite sure it was going to work. But I scooped up the babies in a spoon and dropped them into the little fish “bowl” I had set up for them. They immediately started to move around. I was soooo excited.

Unfortunately, they didn’t last very long. About a week as I recall. I have always assumed that it was because I didn’t have an additional pump and filter but really it could have been anything that caused them to die. But I was happy that I was able to at least save them for a few days.

It's Official - Pitbulls Will...

2010-11-11T01:15:00.010-05:00

Lick you to death!

The Yin-Yang of The Blues Brothers

2010-11-10T01:00:00.007-05:00

Jake & Ellwood
One of Their More Peaceful Moments Together

Suede Strikes A Pose...

2010-11-03T08:59:00.001-04:00

While enjoying the sunshine & heat through the front window.

Suede

NOOOOO!!! I Don't Want To!!!

2010-10-13T20:00:00.006-04:00

This is really funny especially since one of the toughest dogs I ever had to groom was a Chow Chow. You can't help but crack up at this video though! People tell me that I don't know what it's like to have kids? I tell them, they don't know what it's like to have a dog...other than fur....do you see a difference? Resistance is resistance....and it is clearly futile.

Morby Adopts Us! - Blog Hop: Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month

2010-10-12T13:23:00.018-04:00

Morby

Here is the second installment of

Adoption-Over-Shoppin'.

I had Max Headroom for 17 years and shortly before his death, I had actually started looking for a dog to add to the pack – specifically an older dog. My reasoning was that I wanted to be able to give an older dog a home, my senior dog a companion in his old-age, and I was not in position to train a puppy. Whether logical or not, I hoped that the addition of another dog, might help Max and me in our transition at the time of his passing. I had been all over Petfinder sending application after application. I was looking for a small, short-haired dog. Since I had experience with administering medication to my pup and wanted small dogs, I was not resistant to the idea of a pair that “needed to stay together” or a special needs dog. Given this experience and expectation, one would have thought that finding a dog or dogs would have been relatively easy. Well it was not – but that’s okay because I understand that the rescues are looking for the best homes for these animals. Then one day, Morby popped up in my search.

She was the prettiest thing I had ever seen and was NOT what I was looking for. They had her in the “small” category but looking at the photo, she didn’t appear to be small, or to meet my expectations for a small dog, but I couldn’t resist. I HAD to try and adopt her…she was THEE ONE! I put in my application but really didn’t hold my breath for a favorable response since that had been my luck for the last year. Well, I received the call at work. One would have thought I had just received news of being pregnant. I was so happy, but I was still a bit nervous because I expected to meet this huge dog. I mean, compared to Max & Heidi, she was definitely at least twice the size I was accustomed to. But I made the appointment to meet her.

Morby was a Pomeranian/Sheltie mix that actually belonged to a wonderful family that felt that at 12 years old, it was not in Morby’s best interest, at that time, that they keep her. To this day I can’t really understand that beyond the fact that I was meant to have her. A local shelter was facilitating the adoption on behalf of the family. So when my husband and I went to meet Morby and the family, it was actually at her house and what a wonderful looking house this was. We approached the front door which was open so we could see clear through to the back of the house and through the storm door in the back…and awaiting our arrival on the outside of that door was Morby. Just before we rang the bell she started shimmying in anticipation. I took this as a sign that we had just been adopted but in seeing Morby there were some considerations.

Although she was not a large dog, she was 3 times as large as Max and definitely larger than we had been accustomed to. Additionally, upon seeing all of that hair on her – she had a beautiful, full, tan & white coat – my husband suddenly became concerned that he might have allergies to this dog. The matriarch came to the door and invited us in and then brought Morby in. I think she was ready to go with us. The family seemed to like us, and I LOVED Morby but I had to ask the family for about 1 week to make a decision because I wanted to make sure that my husband didn’t have any allergic reactions. I also got a good feeling from her that she would be perfect with Max who was very senior, pretty blind and I believe relatively deaf at this point.

My husband and I left, and neither one of us could stop talking about Morby expect that he kept bringing up this concern about allergies. Before we knew it, 2 hours had passed, and I convinced him that if he were going to have a reaction, he likely would have had it already. We went back for Morby the next day….One of the happiest days of my life.

We brought Morby home. She immediately took to “caring” for Max for about 6 months until his passing. She would guide him through the house when she felt it necessary and she loved us…but it was clear that Erik, my husband, was “her man”. She loved this guy as much as I did.

The most notable feature of Morby, which we could never stop talking about, was her white eyelashes. She had the most gorgeous brown eyes that were framed by the prettiest lashes. When she would lie down in a “Sphinx” position, she always crossed her paws in front of her. Morby was a lady in every way. Whenever we would “woof” at her, she would “woof” back. Whenever my husband and I would hug, this girl, that didn’t usually demand a lot of attention, had to be in on the action. She would start to bark, so we would pick her up for a group hug and she would be happy and go on her merry way. She also liked to watch TV.

She wasn’t that much into other dogs, per say, but not antisocial either. We could take her to the dog park and let her loose and soon came to realize that she preferred to stay with us. She did, however, exhibit 2 distinct behaviors when we went. The first that we noticed was, whenever 2 other dogs were “fighting” in the park, she would leave our side, and go running over to them, start barking up a storm, and then when the dogs separated, she would run back to us. I always imagined that she was telling them not to play so rough because someone might get hurt. She did this all the time. The other behavior I attribute to the herding instinct of her Sheltie half. Whenever there were a bunch of smaller dogs in the run, she would attempt to herd them around the park. It was really cute. But it was clear that she preferred to stay by our side. Probably because she felt she was more human than dog.

Post YOUR story to YOUR Blog and add it the Blog Hop List below.

Can we go for a ride instead of a walk?

2010-10-07T17:29:00.006-04:00

Suede, Ellwood & Jake
Trying to figure out how they can get into the car!

BlogHop: Adoption-over-Shoppin’ - Celebrating Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month!

2010-10-04T18:03:00.017-04:00

In honor of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month and the beginning of the 2nd Annual New York Week for Animals, I could think of no more fitting way to promote Adoption-over-Shoppin’ than by sharing with my readers my experiences with adoption – especially since senior adoptions have a special place in my heart. I will share them in installments since there have been several wonderful pups in my life. I encourage you all to share your experiences...100 stories in honor of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog-Month.

It was 1987. That January, during a wicked NYC snow storm, I had lost my first dog, a poodle named Heidi. I remember, I was getting dressed for school and she was not in my bedroom with me. My mother had called out to me to come into the livingroom because “she was going”. I didn’t believe it since, Heidi hadn’t been sick or anything, she was just old. When I came into the livingroom she had taken a breath and closed her eyes. I picked her up, she opened her eyes, took 3 shallow breaths and closed her eyes again. She passed peacefully in my arms.

Max Headroom

Later that year, my mother asked if I wanted another dog. I told her that I didn’t since I was leaving for college. We lived in a two-family with my grandparents on the first floor and we on the second. On May 6, my birthday, I came home from school and as usual, my grandmother, Ma P. greeted me at her door. She was beaming but she wouldn’t let me into her apartment as I was accustomed to doing when I got home from school. In fact, she was pushing me to go upstairs to our apartment. “You must be so tired!” she kept saying…so finally I gave in, because I was really tired. As I ascended the stairs of our then 80 year old house, coming from the top of the stairs, I started to hear a little chinging sound, that was almost inaudible to the point where I wasn't exactly sure I was actually hearing it. To be honest, I panicked a little bit because I had always believed that our house was haunted, so this was definitely a very obvious sign of haunting. I couldn't see anything yet, but as I got higher on the staircase, the sound became much clearer to me and much more familiar to me. It was the sound of dog tags clanging together. I was now convinced that Heidi was still "here". I proceeded cautiously up the stairs preparing to see her apparition...seriously.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I was greeted at the door by the tiniest little ball of white fluff. I melted. I scooped him up into my arms and immediately started playing with him and loving him. Being a teen of the 80’s my now-husband and I named him Max Headroom after one of my favorite characters of the time.

It turned out that my mother had registered with the ASPCA and, without planning it this way, it just happened that the most perfect little puppy became available on my birthday. My little Max was with me for 17 years. My next “pup” was a 12 year old named Morby.

Post YOUR story to YOUR Blog and add it the Blog Hop List below.

Yoga For A Cause

2010-09-30T11:15:00.015-04:00

Ashley DiMeglio

What a great way to celebrate the 2nd Annual New York Week for Animals! Bring your yoga mat and channel your energy for a cause. Ashley DiMeglio will be posing for a cause at her next yoga charity event benefiting C.A.T.S and the Hi Tor Animal Center. The event will be on Saturday Oct 2nd at the Comfort Inn Suites in Nanuet, NY. The 2 hour yoga class merges the styles of Ashley DiMeglio, Stephanie Sirico, Christina DeFeo and Isabella Cannizzaro. After feeding the soul, you’ll have the opportunity to feed your body with a vegetarian pot luck. Space is limited so R.S.V.P. by emailing ashleygal1977@yahoo.com.

Ashley & Lily Yogi

Ashley found love from her cat, Lily Yogi, which she adopted from a local rescue group. Lily Yogi was abused, left hungry and declawed in a backyard. Now, she wakes up every morning to sun shining through the bay window instead of the cage she spent half her life in. Ashley wanted to return the love and reach out to help animals, like Lily Yogi, get into loving homes. Ashley started these events out of her personal experience with her cat. Help give animals a chance to live a beautiful life with yoga and your donations. For more information on this or other similar events please visit Yoga With Ashley.

Feeding A Dog Should ALWAYS Be This Easy

2010-09-22T14:07:00.031-04:00

Ellwood Blues

Suede asked Jake & Ellwood Blues to handle this post...but they have the same problem she does - no opposable thumbs, so again I will take dictation.

We wanted to let you know that the Pedigree Adoption Drive Blog Hop, which ended September 19, was a success with over 400 bloggers posting about the drive to feed the 4million sheltered dogs. Pedigree is donating a 20 pound bag of Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs for every blogger who participated in the blog hop. But the giving doesn't end there.

Jake Blues

Even if you are not a blogger or didn't participate in the blog hop, you can still help feed sheltered dogs. Between now and December 31, 2010 for every person who "fans" or "likes" the Pedigree Adoption Drive on Facebook, Pedigree will donate one bowl of food to selected shelters. Then share this on Twitter by using the hashtag #dogsrule so we all know that you clicked to feed a dog and that you are encouraging others to do the same.

Click that button and let Pedigree know you "like" them by becoming a "fan" on Facebook.

No thumbs required!

Blog Hop - Write A Post, Help A Dog!

2010-09-19T10:04:00.045-04:00

Suede

Suede wanted to write this blog herself being that she is a shelter dog but the lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult so she asked me to take dictation.

I was in a kill-shelter, so for a few terrifying days I was one of the 4 million dogs that end up in shelters and rescues each year. Thanks to PEDIGREE’s Adoption Drive, attention has been called to the plight of homeless dogs.

4 million dogs also need to be fed and money is difficult to come by to feed these poor dogs. Pedigree will donate a 20 pound bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide for every blog post about the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive. This is a special program which ENDS TODAY – September 19.

Not a blogger? That’s okay, you can still help out. The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs, throughout the year. Through December 31, 2010, for every person who becomes a “Fan” or “Likes” the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook, PEDIGREE will donate a bowl of food for each of the estimated 4MM shelter dogs. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.

Tell as many bloggers, tweeters, Facebookers and social medialites as you can, so we can feed even more dogs. Tweet and retweet about this program by using the hashtag #dogsrule. Share on Facebook & Twitter to spread the word!

Post, tweet, "like", feed a dog!

See other blog hoppers blogging for a cause!

I TOOOLD You Rats Could Be Cute!

2010-09-12T17:32:00.011-04:00

Just ask the eight contestants in The Agile Rat monthly Fancy Pet Rat Photo Contest. Rodent contestants strike a pose for your vote. The monthly winners are awarded beautiful, tailor-made costumes. So if the thought of rats as pets make you a bit squeamish, I guarantee these cute contestants will change your mind. You'll want to cast your vote for the Fancy Pet Rat Photo Contest. You can cast one vote per day.

Related Article: PawPurrry - Even Rats Deserve Some Humanity

Is There a Baggage Fee?

2010-09-08T12:57:00.017-04:00

Wow! People get craftier every day. As reported by the WWF, a live tiger cub was found packed in the luggage of a Thai national. It wouldn't have dawned on me to smuggle a tiger cub this way. But then again, it wouldn't have ever dawned on me at all to smuggle an endangered animal of any type, let alone a tiger-cub. I don't even like putting my 8lb Lhasa Apso in a doggy bag.

Sources:
WWF - Update - Live tiger found in luggage
ITN News

Cruelty - Sign Of The Times? - Update?

2010-09-08T10:44:00.009-04:00

There was a recent report that the puppies shown thrown into a river, as seen in an earlier PawPurrry post, were rescued from the river by the grandmother of the girl shown throwing the puppies into the river.

It was reported by MailOnline that Ruza Pavlovic, the 75 year old grandmother, rescued the pups, but a close look at the photo reveals some fishy-ness. If you believe that these are the same pups, I have a bridge in New York to sell you.

I was happy to find that Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, had put up a nice piece of change as a reward for finding the girl in the video. "You feelin' lucky, punk?"

Sources:

MailOnline

IMDb.com

Is She Shaking Her Butt?....Dog Dances Merengue

2010-09-07T16:06:00.011-04:00

Been trying to figure out for years how to execute a smooth Merengue dance when I accompany my husband to parties. I watch the other couples with such envy because they move as if they have rehearsed for that "performance" - meanwhile they are making it up as they go along. If being jealous of human dancers wasn't bad enough, now I have to worry about being jealous of a dog that can dance Merengue better than me? Sheesh! But this dog can really bust the moves....really! You gotta see this! THE WHOLE THING!

Croc as Hippo Toy?

2010-09-07T07:50:00.011-04:00

Amazing! Who would have thought that a crocodile could be a "plaything" to anything?
I watch this video and it makes me think of my Pit girl, Suede, when she is playing around with one of the two smaller pooches - Ellwood or Jake Blues. The difference being that my pooches are no match in size for a crocodile. I used to work at the Bronx Zoo but after watching this video and seeing the crocodiles in their natural habit next to a hippo, gives me a better perspective of their size. I am amazed at how large the crocodiles in this video are. The hippos are clearly unfazed by their size.

Sometimes Love Really Is A Bitch - My Dog Tulip

2010-09-01T13:15:00.002-04:00

"Animal People" cherish their relationships with their animal companions. Here is one poetic story of just such a relationship. Beautifully animated and featuring the voices of Christopher Plummer, the late Lynn Redgrave, and Isabella Rossellini, My Dog Tulip is a bittersweet retrospective account of author J. R. Ackerley’s 16-year relationship with his adopted Alsatian bitch, Tulip.

Catch it during its two-week exclusive New York engagement!

EXCLUSIVE NEW YORK ENGAGEMENT
TWO WEEKS ONLY! SEPTEMBER 1-14

Houston St. (West of 6 Ave.) (212) 727-8110
Buy tickets online! www.filmforum.org
1:00, 2:45, 4:30, 6:15, 8:00, 10:00

For More Details About The Film

Cruelty - Sign Of The Times?

2010-09-01T12:48:00.012-04:00

Today I received a Tweet with a disturbingly graphic video. It shows a girl throwing puppies into a river. What is wrong with people? To see this happening makes me fearful OF our future. That someone so young could be so callus is beyond belief. Even if the puppies need to be put down....this, in no way, is humane. Not at all! Hopefully they will catch this girl.

**Warning: This video is graphic**

Related Links: Girl Throws Puppies In River - HuffingtonPost.com

Even Rats Deserve Some Humanity

2010-06-15T20:12:00.004-04:00

I live in NYC and, as with most urban areas, rats are a daily part of life, especially in the train stations. To be honest with you I have never understood how people can keep them as pets. One word that comes up often in relation to rats is, “disgusting”. I don’t know that I have ever thought of rats as such, but it doesn’t mean I can appreciate them as pets. Despite these feelings about rats, they are living creatures that are well deserving of humanity – whether that is in life or in death. I am horrified by what I witnessed yesterday.
I was on Fordham Rd. in the Bronx. I was in a business across the street from a car wash. Out of the corner of my eye, I noted 3 men – clearly employees - run out of the car wash waving a bat and 2 brooms. They were laughing, so honestly I didn’t realize what they were doing. I did note that they were hitting something that, at first, I thought was garbage which they had knocked out to the curb. I was able to get a better look at what it was. After a particularly hard hit towards the curb, the “garbage” suddenly started running. That is when I realized it was a rat. They were trying to kill this rat, I guess because it didn’t belong in their place of business. When the rat started running, it actually started running AWAY from these three guys and into the street of this main thoroughfare. One of these guys ran out past the rat and kicked him back onto the sidewalk where the other two joined in again using this poor rat as a hockey puck and kicking the poor rat around. What was particularly disturbing was that, all the while, these goons were laughing and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

I was so disgusted and didn’t know what to do. The reality is that there probably wasn’t much I could do since this whole incident probably lasted no more than 5 horrifying minutes and after all it was “just a rat”. I mentioned the incident to someone who said to me that it was probably more humane than the rat running out into traffic to be hit by a car. This is a heavily trafficked road so I disagreed. I told this person that, at the very least, the rat had a chance running out into the street – either to dodge the traffic and get away or be run over. He would likely be dead in one fell swoop – not knocked around for 5 minutes, probably in sheer terror. No one other than me even noticed what was going on.

Rats As Pets?

I have never given much thought to rats. This poor rat has been on my mind since yesterday. I have wondered what might have been the reaction if this were a dog being treated this way. This begs serious consideration because despite the fact that some of us would never entertain the thought of having a rat as a pet, it doesn’t discount the fact that they make great pets. They are likened to dogs when it comes to keeping them as pets. They are tamable, social, friendly animals. They are easy to care for but NOT low maintenance. They require regular, extended periods of exercise. As a dog owner, this is all familiar to me. We fight for humane euthanizing if a dog has to be put down. That is no less than this rat deserved. I am not suggesting that the rat had to be caught and euthanized but there were more humane ways of killing this rat. Since the rat almost got away, that is the very least he deserved.

It Suddenly Dawned On Me…

2010-04-15T20:04:00.001-04:00

Recently, flea medications have come under scrutiny for their safety. This is alarming because as the human companion to several different dogs, they have all been exposed, at various times, to a flea control product of one type or another. I have never been big on flea collars or shampoos and have never ever tried the topical treatments. This doesn’t mean that I don’t acknowledge that they are necessary. As sure as fleas exist, every human dog companion knows this. But what's a human companion to do?

When my dog, Morby, got a flea infestation, I took her to her regular groomer for a flea dip and when I got her back she appeared to be flea free but within a few weeks she suddenly became infested again. I felt badly but took her back to another groomer for another flea dip, this time I got her back and noted a flea or 2 still on her. It was only 2 so I simply pulled them off. But again, within a few weeks, she was terribly infested and I didn’t want to take her for yet another flea dip. I had to do something, because this time she seemed to be suffering from “flea allergy” – she had developed a bald spot in her beautiful coat right above her tail. She was so uncomfortable.

I remembered reading somewhere that Dawn dishwashing liquid was good for eliminating a flea infestation but I was skeptical – plus I was concerned about how harsh it might be on my Morby’s skin. Then I thought about it. They used Dawn on the animals covered in the oil from the Exxon Valdez and if it was okay for them then it shouldn’t be too bad for my baby. Also, it couldn’t be any harsher than giving her another flea dip so I gave it a try. I bought the Dawn dishwashing liquid and did a patch-test first and waited a few days to see if there might be any adverse reaction. I noted none.

I put her in the tub and on her dry coat I first created a ring of Dawn around her neck about half way between her ears and her shoulders making sure to keep it away from her face and especially her eyes. I then started pouring the Dawn all over her dry coat, adding a little bit of water only to be able to spread the Dawn a little more evenly over her coat. Once I got her fully coated, I let her sit for 5 minutes. Morby was so good for those 5 minutes. I then lathered her up and washed her off, and felt really confident because I noted all of the fleas coming off in the water. When I was finally done, and she was dry, I then did a visual inspection of her body to see if I missed any fleas. They were ALL gone. There wasn’t one flea to be found. I also followed this up with the addition of a dog dietary supplement which included garlic.

I was feeling really good now because I figured that I had conquered the fleas and at least if she was going to get fleas again; there was something milder I could do for my baby-girl. Well, I never had to use it again because thankfully, that was the last infestation she actually got. The Dawn got rid of the fleas and I believe the garlic in her diet supplement kept them away.

The Happy Act!

2010-03-13T19:39:00.007-05:00

As if having a pet wouldn’t be a happy enough act…now pet owners come a little closer to being happy about caring for their pets. H.R. 3501 was introduced to the House of Representatives on July 31, 2009. This act, more commonly known as The HAPPY Act – Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years - would allow an individual to deduct up to $3500 for qualified pet care expenses. Sign the petition to get this passed!

This is great news to me. I have been visiting the accountant and filing taxes since my first job at the age of 16. I have had dogs for all of that time as well. Every time I have visited the accountant and they ask about any deductions, I have always asked about Heidi, Max, Morby and Sandy – each of my dogs. The answer has always been the same – first there is the chuckle followed by, “You can’t deduct for pets”. This is always followed by my questioning, rhetorically, why I can’t. I take better care of my pups than most people take of their children.

Thanks to U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich), that conversation might go a little differently the next time around. The measure was introduced in response to two findings.

According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63 percent of United States households own a pet.

The Human-Animal Bond has been shown to have positive effects upon people's emotional and physical well-being.

According to the measure, any legally owned, domesticated, live animal is a qualified pet. This precludes research animals or animals owned or used in conjunction with a trade or business. Expenses associated with providing care to the pet qualify as deductions, including vet care. The only exclusion is any expense used to obtain the pet.

The effective date will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009. I can’t wait to have that conversation with my accountant after that point. Hopefully when he asks me about any additional deductions I will be able to say “Yes!, My pups.”, and not have him chuckle at that.

Source: The Library of Congress

Having The Groomer Come To You

2010-02-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

I have had dogs for nearly my entire life – 34 years. When I was growing up, I had a “puddle” named Heidi and a “bitchin’ fries” named Max. These are unarguably small pooches which were easy to take to the groomers. I would pile them into the car, drop them off in the morning, usually around 8:30am and then somewhere around 2pm I would get the call that they were ready for pick up. The first groomer we had for Heidi, we used for most of her 12 years of life, so naturally when I got Max, we continued going to the same groomer for about the first 5 years of his 18 years, then we changed groomers.

As an adult with a fiancé, and finally adopting our first dog together, we were adopted by this beautiful fluffy, 12y.o. girl named Morby. She was a Pom/Sheltie mix, about 2/3 larger than the dogs I had become accustomed too. We would take her to the groomer, which was a bit more of a project due to her size but we did it religiously. Morby didn’t mind the groomers the first few times, but then I noticed a change – not the worst – in Morby. The last time I went to pick her up from the groomer, this little “old lady” came bounding out of the back room, leapt over the 4 foot divider, right into my unsuspecting arms. It was time to consider an alternative which was to learn grooming myself and then just do the deed myself.

Shortly after this incident, I came into custody of a Husky named Sandy. Sandy was almost twice Morby’s size and due to her size and condition, was rather clumsy and not easy to lift. It was definitely my destiny to do the grooming for these girls myself. This was no easy task. We decided to take the leap and try mobile dog grooming. At this point it just made sense.

I was not available for the first appointment but was very nervous about how Morby and Sandy would take to being groomed in, what I perceived to be, a small space. After all, they were not small dogs. The groomer – Armando of Trim Down The Hound – showed up on time at the house. My fiancé walked Morby down first to the truck and asked if he could stay with her while she was groomed. This is not a typical allowance since dogs tend to misbehave for others when their families are around. But since we were virgins to the process he was allowed to stay this one time. Turns out there was more than enough space in the truck for the groomer, the pooch and the “parent”. We had asked Armando to trim Morby down with a #5 (that is groomer speak for a particular blade which cuts hair relatively short) , what I call the “boy cut” which is what we always asked for her because we didn’t trust the groomers to be able to trim her properly while retaining the beauty and shape of her coat. Armando was done with her in about 1.5 hours. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to finish her up.

Next came Sandy. Now, as a Husky with an abundant undercoat, my experience with grooming Sandy myself was one that would take hours in drying alone because beyond her toenails, she really did not require any other clipping. Again, my fiancé took her down to the truck, within about 2 hours, she was done.

When I got home to see my baby girls, I was sooooo impressed. First by Sandy because she looked beautiful, her coat was soft, she was not stressed and it was all done within only 2 hours. As for Morby….the amazement was to come. I expected to come home and see her with her “boy” cut. Morby’s coat was as thick and beautiful as when I left in the morning. Armando, using shears, had clipped and trimmed her coat so expertly that she still looked like the beautiful girl that she was. Her hind quarters were beautifully shaped, she still maintained the mane around her face and her skirt was just the right length.

Now I am a dog person, so of course this was all about dogs, but many mobile groomers will groom cats and other animals as well. You'll need to do your research. If you have been considering mobile dog grooming, I highly recommend you take the leap, just make sure, like with any groomer, you get references and check them out before hand. Even though they are right outside your home, you don’t want to leave your “babies” in just anyone’s hands.

Don’t Sit So Close To The TV!

2009-08-26T07:38:00.009-04:00

Morby
Enjoying her favorite show!

There are certain shows I love to watch, and do so religiously. I love to watch Bones, CSI, Law & Order: SVU, and just about any crime programming that details actual crimes and their resolution. I also love Hell’s Kitchen, and just about anything on HGTV. If asked, I could tell you why I like any of the shows I actually watch. Have you ever watched your pet watching TV and wondered what it was about that particular show that they liked? When I caught my dog, Morby, watching TV, at first I thought she was only responding to action on the screen but not necessarily having a “favorite” show.

Research done on cats and dogs infers that is exactly what she was doing. Contrary to what most people believe, dogs are not completely color blind. It is only the reds and greens that dogs can’t see, putting them at a distinct disadvantage at Christmas time. It turns out that dogs can see the color blue very well. I am relieved to know that since blue is my favorite color and whenever I would ask Morby how my navy suit looked, I knew she was answering me honestly when she said “woof”.

I had actually never witnessed any of my previous dogs watching TV, so naturally when I discovered that Morby could be a couch potato I was intrigued, especially when you consider that I understood that dogs were color blind. At first, it seemed that she only reacted to animal sounds that came from the TV – you know, since she was color blind. Specifically, any sound that sounded like a baby animal. I soon realized however, that she was actually able to see the action on the screen, as her head would dart from side to side. Admittedly, when I first got Morby, I was also an Animal Planet fanatic – particularly The Planet’s Funniest Animals – which is what she ended up responding to most times. So cliché, I know. However, I figured that she would really react to anything with a baby-animal sound and any type of animal activity.

Of course, I decided to try an informal experiment. I would find some programming on Animal Planet with similar sounds and footage as The Planet’s Funniest Animals. She would of course be interested enough to approach the TV but it would hardly hold her interest. Then I took it one step further and tried to find similar programming on other NON-animal specific channels. Again, she might show some interest but then she would turn her head or even walk away, sometimes to get us drinks or something. When I would put The Planet’s Funniest Animals on, she would be riveted.

I am sure that she was able to see most of what was going on despite the presence of reds and greens…because she did watch TV at Christmas also. I am also certain that she actually enjoyed this particular show and it had nothing to do with the presence of the color blue…although that was enough for me to watch it….because I LOVE the color blue. I never could get her to appreciate The Smurfs and I could forget about James Bond all together…something about the lack of Bond dogs.

This behavior did, however, cause some additional concerns for me. Morby tended to sit too close to the television. No amount of pleading could get her to move back. So I would just change the channel.

Source: What Your Pets Really See On TV

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