Dogs Dollars & Sense

Finally ! Functional Fashion for the Big Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000

With dog show exhibitors, a common term tossed around is 'form follows function'....that term doesn't usually apply to dog products. A lovely or fun product often is shown to be impracticable when we actually use it.

Karen Friesecke has tackled head on the beaded and decorative dog collar industry and developed beautiful, functional and strong dog collars for big dogs! I urge each and every one of you to visit her website as it not only has fab collars but a DIY section for everyone...you know we like DIY stuff! So whether you have a large dog or a small one, you can gain a lot by paying her a visit.http://www.doggiestylish.com/store/

Save Money on Rescue Remedy

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:17:00 +0000

Everyone knows that I am adamant that we all need Bachs' Rescue Remedy at close hand for our canine companions...well now you have no excuse not to buy some, click here for 2 dollar off coupons at Mambo Sprouts http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons/offer/FN39DL

and if you haven't already, read my post from way back on my Canine Emergency Kit. http://dogsdollarssense.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-canine-emergency-kit.html

Halloween Pupcakes and Pumpkin Biscuits!

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:15:00 +0000

Wearing his Halloween Pirate Hat Puff looks like he fears being attacked by the cup cake offered to him by one of the gals from My Best Furry Friend Bakery!!

I suspect that his sad expression is because he has been taught not to take food from strangers and he is bummed that he has to refuse this delectable treat.

To his happy surprise,when we got home, he learned that I had purchased these cute little Halloween pupcakes that were just his size from the bakery and he LOVED them.

Here is their web site http://www.bfftreatsonline.org/ and I highly recommend them. Their home-baked doggie delectable treats are first quality. They are taking orders now for the Holidays. I enjoy baking dog treats but could never ever make pupcakes like they do!

I do however, plan on making this pumpkin biscuit recipe I found at Tails Magazine
http://www.tailsinc.com/index.php?action=getArticle&aid=472&domain=tailsinc.com
I will be forgoing the cinnamon and ginger and adding garlic powder instead as dogs love peanut butter and garlic together, I can't imagine why!

Pumpkin Pie Biscuits
Yields 30 biscuits
Ingredients:1 ½ cup unbleached flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup natural unsalted peanut butter
¼ cup filtered water

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Measure the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger into a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
3. Make a well in the flour and add the canola oil. Mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment until crumbly. Add the pumpkin and peanut butter, and stir until combined.
4. Add the water all at once and mix until dough forms and all the ingredients are combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth and soft. Roll the dough ¼-inch thick and cut the biscuits into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
6. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake 12–15 minutes until they are dry and firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the biscuits in another 20–30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, cool them on a baking rack, and store them in a cookie tin.

I don't know why I get excited over dog treats, I can't eat them...or maybe I could.
I know we will all have our dogs dressed in their Halloween costumes to greet kids at the door, but remember to keep the candy away from the dogs and watch for sensory overload...sometimes there is just too much going on and dogs can get stressed out. That being said, here's hoping you and yours have a Happy Halloween.

An Eco- Friendly Way to Do Pet Clean-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:09:00 +0000

One thing I have learned in the dog world is that there is never just one answer to any problem, be it health,behavioral, grooming or housekeeping.
Recently I had the opportunity to try several of Sea Yu's 'Clean + Green 'products made to clean up the messes our pets create.

The products were, Clean + Green Furniture Refresher,Clean + Green Wood and Tile, and Clean + Green Carpet and Upholstery .
Being an antique freak, I was especially drawn to the Furniture Refresher. I can't use Febreze because I suffer from an environmental illness, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Febreze makes me ill, and even if it didn't, I would be reluctant to use it as a veterinarian once told me it was suspect in the deaths of pet birds. And when you have antiques and buy lots of 100 year old fabrics, a safe furniture refresher that actually works would be incredible!

I first tried it on a damask dog bed that the dog and cat share. I don't wash it as much as I should because it is difficult to dry...I sprayed, waited, took a deep breath and was disappointed that I didn't smell anything. Then I realized that no smell was the point!!!! It is fragrance free and works on contact. I have sprayed it all over the place and just love it.

Now it was on to the Wood and Tile odor eliminator and stain remover.
Before our neighborhood association began neutering feral cats, they made it a point to spray my front door. And in our heat and humidity, you really know it.
Could this product eliminate years of feral cat spray from my front door? Yes, it seems it has. Give me a week of 100 degree temps and I might have to respray but for now the odor is gone.
The third product I wanted to try was the Carpet and Upholstery Odor Eliminator and Stain remover.
The only problem was...I had nothing to clean. I have never had housebreaking issues with my pets, ever. Not even thrown up hairballs on carpet or furniture.
Then I got a text message from a friend who said ugly things about her large dog who had just
eliminated in her van! It seems she let the dog ride in the van on a short trip ( I never leave a pet loose in a vehicle) and the dog peed and pooped all over the van when the owner got out...even in the vans' cup holders!!!And this is an older dog and you know that makes the odor much worse!
Most of the damage was on the upholstery, the passengers side door and the carpet in the rear of the van. Clean + Green took care of all of this and there has been no recurring odor so far.
I think this is pretty amazing. Also amazing is the fact that this is a VOC free product and NON TOXIC.
I wish more pet product manufacturers would pay attention to the chemicals they expose us to.
These products can be used in other ways as well. Your clothes closet, even your HVAC unit can benefit from their remarkable odor capturing ability.
They have a whole slew of products available for any pet clean-up situation so I encourage you to go to their website.http://www.sea-yu.com/

Chemicals can cripple and it really is important that we use SAFE and EFFECTIVE products around our families and our pets.
Clean + Green may not be the only answer in pet clean-up, but I firmly believe it is the BEST answer....

Realtors Rally to Help Abandoned Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:18:00 +0000

For years I have cared for a cat whose owner passed away from cancer. The new home buyers threw him out on the street after she died...I know how traumatized he was to lose his loving owner and his home. This video focuses on a great group of people working to help pets suffering from the home foreclosure crisis.

If You Want to be Green, Get Rid of Your Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Give up your dog or your Audi? Give up your dog AND your Audi?

I read this article from CNET News and didn't know whether to laugh or cry...so I thought I would share it with you...http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10382695-71.html

This is Why I Oppose Dog Limit Ordinances

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Below is an ad that is running on Craigslist attempting to place two dogs that must be gotten rid of because of an ordinance limiting the number of dogs one can have.

You may not be aware of this but the majority of such ordinances are instigated by those animal rights activists who actually don't want us to own dogs...such as pEta. A few are instigated by well meaning, but stupid organizations who believe it will stop puppy millers.

I have said this a hundred times but it always bears repeating.....puppy millers will find a way to breed dogs. Only by not buying dogs from puppy millers will they be stopped...these ordinances create more homeless dogs and often affect responsible breeders as well.

There are enough limitations on our ability to keep dogs as it is....

WE DON"T NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here is the ad:

i am looking to rehome a sweet pair of pekingese. they are akc/shots/ 3 and 4 years old. unaltered.they are passing an ordinance limiting the number of dogs so they gotta go.there is a rehoming fee of $150 for the both.

Response to Pet Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:59:00 +0000

Day before yesterday I did a post about end of life situation for our dogs and one thing I said was to save 20 dollars a month to pay for those end of life vet expenses. Here is part of a response I received from reader Sammie :
'It is true, dogs don’t cost thousands in vet care but there are times when you have to take some object out of your dog’s stomach or they have cancer that requires quite a bit of money. That’s why I would personally recommend doing pet insurance over just saving 20 dollars in your bank account. Or what would even be better is to do both.'
Now because Sammie is with Trupanion Pet Insurance I wanted to do an additional post as to why I don't pay for Pet Insurance.
For starters, if you put 20 dollars a month away for 14 years then you would have over 4 grand to pay for those old dog vet bills...all the pet insurance I have seen is a big crock, especially Banfield's insurance.Banfield calls it their Wellness Plan, it would be better called Pull the wool over your eyes plan. Free office visits, whoopee.Discounted vaccinations, discounted my big toe, those shots cost pennies,pennies! And they charge you an arm and a leg for them. Remember I have spent the last few years selling those vaccines and medications to veterinarians and before that I was working for veterinarians so believe me, I know what I am talking about. Unlike human hospitals, veterinarians are not paying their nurses 32 dollars an hour, they do their own anesthesia, (the gas they get from local distributors and it is not expensive) and they pay some kid minimum wage to clean cages and kennels.
Veterinarians already charge too much and they promote insurance so that they can charge more.
Last week I spoke with a woman whose Belgian Malinois had turned her leg in a sink hole and probably broken it. She took the dog to a Banfield hospital because she had 'paid for the Wellness Plan'..well guess what, this was on Sunday and they TOLD HER TO COME BACK ON WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!! The dog was in pain folks. The Xray machine was out of order...for crying out loud why didn't they at least have her go to a Banfield hospital that had an Xray machine that worked...I told her to get the dog to the emergency clinic pronto...she said 'but I paid for the Wellness Plan..' well apparently they are good at Banfield for doing weight assesments (part of the Wellness Plan I really hooted over)but bad at having the Xray machine fixed.Remember the post where I took Puff to the vet with an interdigital cyst on his foot and was told he had an ear infection which he never has ever had and I demanded (and got) my money back?? Guess where that was...
Now on to my objections about real pet insurance...
It is a nice concept, but it doesn't cover preexisting conditions, like hip dysplasia and the need for surgery, most only cover routine dental cleanings,(which you would hardly ever need if you stayed on top of your dogs teeth, Puff is ten and hasn't had to have a dental yet and he is a toy dog) spay and neuters,(which you can have done at a discount at most city spay clinics)vaccinations...Rabies are easily gotten at Rabies clinics for less than 15 dollars..other shots are not needed after all the puppy shots have been done. Antibody titer tests are a great way to avoid over vaccinating your adult dog but the insurance companies don't pay for titer tests.Office visits are covered but if you are a regular client, most vets will waive the office visit if you actually spend money there.Wormings are covered but a fecal only costs about 10 dollars and you can drop off a fecal sample and save yourself that office visit anyway.
Injuries are covered and hopefully you won't have any...I injured Puffs' back and it didn't cost me anywhere near what pet insurance would have cost.
So as I said before, until the Pet Insurance companies come up with a Pet Health Savings account plan with a nice interest rate...I am not interested.
Enuf said!

Jimmy Kimmel puns Mike Vicks' Endorsement

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:09:00 +0000

If I wasn't already a Jimmy Kimmel fan, I would be now after watching this recent monolog about Dog Abuser Michael Vick, the sound effects are priceless...

Your Dogs' End of Life Situation

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:34:00 +0000

When I was a young girl, around 8 yrs. old,my beloved Collie mix, Sandy died. I can still hear my dad telling Dr. Randall, '' Do whatever it takes, don't let my little girls' dog die.''
We had recently moved and I had not yet made new friends. Sandy was all I had and I spent my time teaching her to sit, rollover, dance, and even pull my Radio Flyer with me in it. She was the best playmate a lonely kid could have, I was devastated when she died. My dad,great guy that he was,painstakingly built a pine box to bury her in and made a concrete headstone that read, '
Sandy, More Than a Friend'....
Sandy was hit by a truck following me around the neighborhood in a city with no leash laws.
These days, most dogs don't meet their maker on the street, and as owners we often have to make the decision as to when they will die...
So when is the right time to say good by?
For us humans, the death of a beloved dog is never easy. I have had many dogs for whom I still ache, years after they have passed.
And to add to our pain we have to be the one to make the decision to euthanize them and when. Often we are plagued with the 'what ifs...
What if the doctor is wrong and they will get better...what if they won't, and you prolong the agony...we look pleadingly in the eyes of our sick or disabled companion for a sign to tell us when is the right time.

We stroke their soft fur as if feeling it for the first time, knowing it will soon be the last, trying to imprint on our brain every last detail of the dog we love so much. We talk to them and remind them of all the good times we shared...and we tell them how much we love them.
Dogs are,by their nature, very stoic and show signs of pain only when it becomes more than they can bear. That dog who turns into a big baby if you accidently quick a toenail is the same one who will hide a life threatening condition from you as long as they can. That is his survival instinct.
There is no easy answer to the if or when do I euthanize question. It raises moral and ethical issues.
If dogs are our companions and we their guardians, do we even have the right to euthanize? Legally, yes as dogs are legal property. Morally, I don't know. I am not comfortable playing God.
We have all had or know of a dog who should have been euthanized, wasn't, and then made a remarkable comeback. Puff is one of those. Often expense is a factor in the decision and with that comes tremendous guilt if you can't afford treatment, or tremendous financial burden is incurred if you decide to go into debt for the dog.
And another question exists...
Is there a point at which prolonging the dogs life is actual cruelty?
Some people base their decision on whether the dog would live in a natural/wild situation. But in the wild, isn't a good measuring stick because dogs have never lived in the wild, only their ancestors the wolf have and their cousins the African Wild Dogs.
Dogs are not so much a domesticated animal as an actual CREATION of man. We developed the dog to suit our purposes and we have a moral obligation to see to it that they live and die with dignity and humanely.
Just like with the rest of your family, you should plan your dogs' end of life situation ahead of time.
Ideally you have a savings account set up for emergency vet care. If you save 20 dollars a month every month from the time your dog is a year old you should have plenty to deal with future emergency vet issues. Most dogs don't cost thousands in vet care...there is always pet insurance but until one of the insurance companies come up with a dog health savings account plan with a nice interest rate , I am not interested.
Decide in advance if you want to bury the dog in the backyard or leave him at the vet to be disposed of.
They will tell you that they will go to Pet Love Memorial Gardens and give you a package to choose from...the economy package means your dog will be put in a garbage bag and dumped in a freezer until the truck from the Pet Cemetary comes and picks up the freezer full of dead animals. They will then be dumped in a mass burial grave. If this bothers you, I suggest you get a more expensive package where your pet will have an individual grave site.You can also choose the backyard if your city ordinances don't prohibit such a burial. Dog coffins of every type are easily available, from the upscale satin padded created by experienced cabinet makers to a pine box to cardboard. You can find them at reasonable prices from time to time on eBay. And you must check out Peternity http://www.peternity.com , it is simply the best site for pet memorials.
Cremation is another option. It has been said that when you receive your dogs ashes that they may contain another dogs ashes as some crematories don't always clear all the ashes out from the previous cremation. Personally I don't want my dog in an urn on the mantel,but if you do, I respect that. Some of my friends have scattered their dog's ashes in the dog's favorite field to say goodbye.
Planning your dogs' end of life situation will be one of the hardest things emotionally that you will ever do. But it will be easier on you both if you do a little planning in advance...and honestly...
there is no GOOD time to say goodbye, but hopefully you will find the RIGHT time.

How Reputable are Private Rescues?

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:04:00 +0000

These days it seems every city and small town has more than its' share of private rescues. The not for profit groups sprang up a couple of decades ago when local shelters began to be overwhelmed with abandoned pets. For the most part, they are staffed by devoted selfless animal lovers who often donate their own cash in addition to their time and households. Many of us have been there, done that, many are still doing it. But the past few days a couple of stories reached my ears that reminded me that all is not always what it seems when it comes to private rescue groups.

Last nite, my friends Becky and James, both professional dog trainers told me of a woman who had contacted a local rescue to adopt a dog. She wanted a big dog, one who was friendly but whose size could ward away burglars to help her and her daughter stay safe. Her daughter was expecting a baby.

The rescue told her they had the perfect dog in a pit bull mix. The woman paid two hundred fifty dollars cash in adoption fees to the girl who was fostering the dog and signed a contract saying if she couldn't keep him he would be returned to the rescue group.

She then enrolled him in a training class with Becky and James.

The dog was highly aggressive in a schizo sort of way. One moment he was fine, the next he didn't know who you were and went viscously beserk.

Now James and Becky have done oodles of retraining for local shelters in a effort to make homeless dogs more adoptable so they have seen many aggressive dogs. After two weeks it was ascertained that this dog was never going to be safe around two women and a baby.

The new owner called the rescue group and was told sorry, they can't do anything about it. They did not take the dog back even though they made the new adoptive owner sign a contract stating they wanted the dog back if she couldn't keep it.

Nor did they offer to refund any money, or even trade the dog for another homeless pup.

Exasperated, the adoptive owner euthanized the dog....

Also this week, a friend of mine rescued a tuxedo cat hoping to foster it until a suitable home could be found. Her own cat would not accept him so she contacted several rescue groups who said they were full....she put an ad on Craigslist hoping a family would adopt him when she was contacted by a 501K not for profit rescue group in a nearby small town. They said they would find him a home provided that she take him to a specific vet and pay for all his shots and vetting...which she did.

This was a sweet deal for the vet ( who employs the husband of the head of the rescue group) and a sweet deal for the rescue group as they get to keep all the adoption fee ( one hundred dollars) but not a sweet deal for the cat who was already up on his shots and had to have them twice. Everyone knows the havoc over -vaccinating does to pets....

These two stories reminded me that when you contact local rescues, check them out thoroughly, both of the rescue groups I mentioned advertise on Petfinders.com. I am certain that the majority of private rescue groups are reputable, but not every single one will be.

Don't let anyone rush you into adopting a pet you aren't sure is right for you and your family, only you can answer that question. The saddest dogs I ever rescued were the repeats...be sure that the one you choose will be the one you keep for that pets' lifetime.

P.S. the dog in the pic is Ruby, she is not the pit mix in the story, Ruby is sweet, well mannered and in foster care waiting on a special someone to adopt her.

Combat Doggy Odor and Repel Fleas at the Same Time

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:33:00 +0000

We had Afghan Hounds before topical flea medications were invented, and because one minute of furious scratching could ruin a years worth of show coat, I did some pretty weird things to keep the fleas away. I wasn't into standard pesticide dips , knowing even then how harmful they are to dogs, humans, and the environment and so I tried a variety of homemade solutions to keep my showdogs flea free.

For example, I used to grow flea repelling herbs like pennyroyal, rue, and garlic and put them in little muslin bags and tie them onto the dogs' collars...mostly that just kept the vampires away....

But the best homemade flea repellant was made using citrus rinds, orange, lemon, lime, even grapefruit and packing the rinds very tightly into a mason jar, covering the rinds with water and setting the jar into the sun for 3 weeks, shaking occasionally.

Then I put the scented water into a glass spray bottle and sprayed the dogs everytime we went somewhere I thought they could pick up fleas.

The best part was they smelled divine, no doggy odor and on rainy days, damp Afghan Hound coat can really smell.

These days I am lazy and since my neighbor wholesales essential oils I get an organic essential orange oil from her and mix 30 drops in one ounce of vodka, mix with 8oz. spring water and put in a glass spray bottle.

If you read this blog you know I like to use lavender spray alot, but it is kind of girly so I often use this organic orange oil spray as a dog cologne for Puff. It keeps him smelling super fresh and I prefer it to store bought colognes, not only is it much cheaper, but I know exactly what I am spraying on him.

Need Funding For Your Rescue Group or Breed Club?

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:36:00 +0000

If you need funding for your rescue group or breed club, (and who doesn't?)Cell For Cash has an affiliate program where you are paid 20% of what they pay to recycle old cell phones. Some phones are bought for only 6 dollars but some go as high as 82 dollars.
Seems like most of us have old cell phones sitting around and this is a great way to help dogs and help the environment.
http://www.cellforcash.com
Go to the site and click on 'affiliate' for how to info.

Problems with Flea Medications

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Jazz and Puff have enjoyed a cooler than usual summer flea free, but many dogs and their owners have had a lot of problems.
I have had many reports of Frontline not killing fleas within a week of application and even more alarming than that is many people have told me that when they complained to the veterinary clinic where they purchased it they were told by staff members to reapply!
Ok folks, lets not overdose our dogs.
I have spoken with people who are not only using topical flea product like Frontline but then spray their house and yard with chemicals!
More is not better, it is dangerous!
If I see a flea, I apply Advantage which is very safe. And I do not use any other pesticide around my pets, PERIOD!
I do not reapply more than once every 4 weeks and generally can go much longer, this year I applied it once in the spring and that was all that was needed as we have been flea free all summer.
If you purchased Frontline and your dog got fleas soon after, call the manufacturer and give them the lot number...they need to know where you bought it as well.
People don't realize that there is a black market in veterinary/pet products just like in other areas of the pharmaceutical business. The product you purchased could be fake.
I spoke last week with a woman who purchased Sentry topical flea treatment and it burned her dog leaving her with a big vet bill.
Remember, if you have an issue with a flea product to call the manufacturer with the lot number, where you purchased it, and ask for a refund or a replacement. I did that last year with k9 Advantix and they could not have been more helpful.
Then I went back to my old favorite Advantage, even though it doesn't get ticks.
And most importantly do not mix products, if you use Advantage, then you don't need to spray your house and yard. For fleas it is all you need I don't care if your dog has a thousand fleas, even the newly hatched will be gone in three weeks at the longest. Generally you will see no fleas in 24 hours. And if you need more incentive to be careful about flea products watch this video...

That Bump on Your Dogs' Foot Could Be Deadly

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:23:00 +0000

Last year I took Puff to the vet for a little bump between his toes. I didn't go to our regular vet who is a 45 minute drive away, I went to the 'fast food' like service at a vet clinic located in a pet store. Big mistake as the vet asked why I was there and I replied,'' You tell me".
Well, he didn't tell me, instead he attempted to say that Puff had an ear infection,( he didn't and never has had an ear infection)...
...I would have thought that the red bandage on his foot would have been a dead giveaway but apparently not.
I impolitely demanded my money back and we made the 45 minute drive to our real vet who confirmed what I had suspected, that Puff had an interdigital cyst...with a good diagnosis, I refused antibiotic treatment saving some bucks, and took him home, put a warm bread poltice on it, some triple antibiotic and rebandaged. It healed without incident.
If this was so minor, you may have wondered why I insisted on paying for an office visit...because bumps and lumps on your dogs' foot can very often mean cancer. Prompt diagnosis means the greatest chance of recovery.
My friends William and Edens' Bernese Mountain Dog, Kip, was a victim of a cancerous tumor on his foot. He required surgery and chemo as the bone was involved by the time they sought veterinary attention...and at that time the bump was still small. Smaller masses mean less expense for treatment. According to a study I recently learned of, almost half of the lumps and bumps were malignant tumors, many of them appeared to simply be small open wounds. These toe tumors can spread to the lungs and other parts of the body before you know it.
If your dog develops a bump on his foot, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Crate Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Back in June I wrote a post about crates and in it mentioned how easy it is to incorporate a crate into your decor. http://dogsdollarssense.blogspot.com/2009/06/choosing-crate-for-dogs-and-puppies-is.html
If you need any inspiration I suggest that you check out the adorable crate decor at BowhausNYC. http://bowhausnyc.com/
A word of warning, lock up your Credit Card first because they have some great stuff for your canine pal. Puff wants me to get him the toile crate cover to match his toile dog carrier from Kings Road in London and his toile dog bed.We'll see, maybe Christmas....

An Unlikely Place for Free Dog Products

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:34:00 +0000

A few years back I was 'between jobs' and took a commission job in a perfume and cosmetics store. My boss, Janel was stunningly beautiful and a part -time fashion model. Her personal clientele in the store were rich and often famous. So you can imagine my shock to learn that she got a lot of pet products for her four rescue dogs by...dumpster diving. She belonged to a group of dumpster divers called the Dumpster Dogs (seriously)and they went around town to the different pet stores and dove into their dumpsters looking for discards ( I should mention they also went to high end clothing stores). One night after closing the store, Janel invited me to participate in a dive at a nearby pet store at the mall. We sat in the parking lot and watched the pet store employees bring out shopping carts full of beds, leashes,collars, brushes, all kinds of stuff! I watched but didn't participate as I have a thing about rats and mice even though Janel said she had never seen one in a store dumpster.
The stores rip the packaging or use sharpies to mark product so that no one will dive for it and bring it back in the store for a cash refund. But if your dog doesn't care that his bed has a sharpie mark on it, it might be something to consider. To tell you the truth, I don't know if dumpster diving is considered legal but I believe that it is... I recently checked a couple of different pet stores, and yes, they still throw away perfectly good stuff...

Dog Dies at Groomers of Heat Stroke

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:58:00 +0000

Fox News posted this story today about a young childs Poodle who was put in a drying cage and left to die of heat prostration. http://ow.ly/k0iF.

I get so mad when I hear of such stories. The woman reponsible should be convicted as there is no excuse for what she did to that dog...in fact there is no excuse for ANY grooming establishment to EVER put a dog in danger under hot dryers because if the groomer was doing your dog correctly, the dog would be hand dryed on a grooming table.

When choosing a groomer, look for one who advertises that all dogs are hand dryed. Oh, and groomers don't give me that we hand dry long-coated dogs and only cage dry the short coats, because I can tell you that even the short coats look better when PROPERLY hand dryed.

There is a trick to making a short coat lay properly to give it the most sheen and if you have a short- coated dog that you take to a salon for bathing then grill your groomer about it. I never, ever, ever cage dryed a dog as a groomer and the ones who do are just being lazy.

I have walked into the back of too many groom shops and seen cages stacked with dogs under fryers, I mean dryers, and the groomers so often lay towels over the door and cage vents to speed the drying process. People, this is so dangerous it should be illegal!

Some of the larger pet store chains with in- store grooming salons now have dryers with timers on them that shut down after ten minutes. These stores do this in an effort to prevent heat prostration deaths. I have no doubt that some deaths have been prevented by these timers but a dog with anxiety issues or a bracycephalic breed like a Peke, Jap Chin, Pug or Boxer can easily die within that ten minutes.

The only real way to prevent these unnecessary deaths is to groom properly and dry by hand. Groomers think they are saving time cage drying but they aren't....I hand dryed and got out plenty of dogs in one day. Yes, sometimes my assistants/friends Monte and Stacy hand dryed for me when I had a lot of dogs to groom but the dogs were dryed by hand nonetheless. If you want them to be safe, you dry them by hand, if you want them to look their best, you dry them by hand,anything else is a disservice to the dog and the customer.

If you take your dog to a groomer you should demand hand-drying. Don't put your dog at risk, they have enough unpleasantries to deal with at the average groom shop ( like clipper burn because groomers won't buy enough blades).

And if for whatever reason your dog shows signs of heat stroke, rapid cooling down is imperative, but remember this important point...do not use ice water to cool down the dog as it makes the blood flow away from important organs, like the brain. Use cool, not cold water.

Should You Spend Money on a Dog DNA Test?

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:15:00 +0000

I have said in previous posts that it is important to know the genetic make-up of your mixed breed dog because it provides clues into your dogs behavior. For example, Labs, like all retrievers are mouth oriented because they are bred to do a certain job...retrieving. And so you have an explanation as to why your Lab mix chews on everything he gets his mouth on...it isn't displacement behavior, it is his genetic make-up. But if your Peke/Pug mix is chewing up everything, then something is wrong and you better get to the bottom of it fast before the behavorial issue becomes a habit.

It has become increasingly popular lately to have your dog's DNA tested to identify the dogs genetic background. And I applaud that. But I also wonder just how accurate these tests are.

Yes, I have read the manufacturers claims as to accuracy. I have also noticed that some of the manufacturers do not have the ability to read genetic markers of all the pure breeds.So if your dog is 50% Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and the DNA Test isn't able to recognize that breed, then how accurate is it?

The dog pictured above is a case in point....the dog group that rescued him swabbed his mouth, sent it off and the response was that he is mostly Doberman and Yorkie...yep, that is what I said....Doberman and Yorkie, wow I would have liked to have seen that liason....perhaps the Yorkie used a ladder.

So let's break this down...now I am not a geneticist, but having bred champions and studied canine genetics for most of my life here is my take on this dog...

The dog's color is red background with black brindle. How many Yorkies do you know who are brindle? None! Yorkies do not carry a brindle gene...they do carry a black and tan gene. As do Papillons.The dog also had a tiny percentage of supposedly Papillon in him.

Now, as I already stated, the Yorkies are silver/blue and tan...this is a dilution of the standard black and tan gene. Yorkie pups are born black and tan, then as they mature the dilution gene fades the black color to steel blue or in some cases silver. (Dilution genes occur in a variety of breeds and produce a lot of different color effects. One you may be more familiar with is a black Poodle who will often times become silver upon maturity.)

Dobermans also carry a black and tan gene. (In red Dobes, the color becomes red and tan, in blue Dobes it is blue tan ( from a dilution gene) and in white (albino) Dobes there is a masking gene,(not a dilution gene) which prevents any color from manifesting, but genetically the dog is still masked color with masked tan markings. So, here we have a brindle dog who genetically is primarily made up of two breeds with highly dominant black and tan genes, and secondarily one who also can carry a black and tan gene (and a parti-color gene but we won't go there ). Doesn't make sense does it? Normally when you combine black and tan genes with brindle genes you get a dog whose tan markings are brindle but the rest of the color pattern is normal... we also have the unlikely liason of a 70 pound Doberman and a 5 pound Yorkie...that doesn't make sense either. And nothing in the supposed background of this dog has a brindle gene yet here is a brindle dog. We do have 3 breeds of dogs that all carry black and tan genes. Remember,two of which, the Dobe and Yorkie breeds, carry them dominantly.

Then there is the dogs conformation. The red arrow points to an arch over the dogs loin. An arched loin is not a conformation feature that you will commonly find in Dobes, Yorkies or even the Papillon. The blue arrow points to the stop, yep, that is the name of the area pointed to on this dogs head, and his stop is extreme, while a Dobes would be only slight. And the muzzle is too long to be influenced by Yorkie or Papillon genes.(Pictured here is a typey Doberman head notice the slight stop...) The brindle dog's head is what we call cheeky. In addition, he has no fill in the front of his chest. The set of the dogs stifle does not reflect any Doberman/Yorkie influence either. These are some of the things that make me think the brindle dog has no Doberman or Yorkie or Papillon in him at all but is a Rhodesian Ridgeback /Whippet mix. A liason much more likely.

I applaud the group who rescued this dog and cared enough to have him DNA tested but if the test is wrong and it certainly appears to be...then this dog's temperment will be highly different from what you would expect from a Dobe or Yorkie and the dog rescue group will have wasted their money. That being said, I have seen a number of dogs tested with the Heritage DNA test and all the dogs exhibited breed characteristics in line with their test results so I don't want it to appear that all at home DNA testing manufacturers are suspect. For obvious reasons I do not divulge the name of the company who made this test. I welcome feedback from breeders and from owners of rescued dogs on this hot button issue as we really need at home DNA tests that we can count on....

(purebred photos from AKC)

http://www.akc.org/index.cfm?nav_area=homepage

..also check out this you tube video, the Am Staff in the video is of the highest quality,and the DNA test she used is NOT the brand used on the brindle dog in this post...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a4CDvK868w

What Can Your Dog Reach From his Crate?

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:55:00 +0000

I saw this pic this a.m. on Twitpics and I was immediately drawn to the electrical cords...
People please, when you crate a dog be sure that there is NO WAY that they can reach out and get an electrical cord to chew on.You would be surprised what dogs and puppies can reach through the crate bars. Not only do I keep crates away from cords, if they are near outlets I use outlet covers to keep toes and tongues away.

What a cute puppy this is, but he wouldn't be if his mouth was burned from biting an electrical cord. Just a reminder to check your crates and make sure everythingis safe.

Unsung Dog Rescue Heros

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Not having had the best weekend,( I put my Ipod in the washer and fell face first into poison ivy) this morning found me out very early enroute to the store. As I was driving, I noticed over on a grassy knoll, just off of Interstate 65, was a woman sitting in the damp grass, kissing a Brittany Spaniel on the cheek, both arms around him, she began to whisper in his ear.
I wondered if she had a vehicle breakdown and was waiting for assistance, but then I saw her van, with the door up and loaded with dog crates...I did a U-turn as I realized why she was there.
''Hi'', I said,'' is this a rescue dog in transit?
He was indeed. He was called Jake.This lovely red and white purebred was found wandering in Oklahoma. His owner was never located and no one at animal control adopted him. He was pulled from the High Kill facility and arrangements were made to locate a person willing to foster him.Finally a forever foster was found....in Delaware. A show breeder was willing to foster him until a permanent home could be found, if no one wanted him, then he would be at the foster forever, hence the name, forever foster home.
The woman I met had driven Jake all the way from Oklahoma to Nashville and she sat on the grassy knoll waiting for someone who was traveling from Florida to pick him up and transport him to Delaware. Just a month ago I met a woman on the same grassy knoll with a gorgeous Bassett Hound. She was there waiting for another person to pick the Bassett up and transport it to Rhode Island. In all, the Bassett Hound would transfer rides five times to get to her new home.
These women ( and some men) are truly unsung heros in the dog rescue network. They are all over the U.S. networking, through various means, (Craigslist is a big contact )and spending their own money, time,and wear and tear on their vehicles to make sure these dogs get to caring homes.
No one gives them money, the dollars we donate don't get to them.
They do it because it has to be done....
Jake would have been euthanized without this transport network...and so would so many other dogs.These women are the REAL weekend warriors, fighting for the lives of homeless dogs who can't get placed locally. And what was she whispering in Jakes' ear? That he was safe and had a happy life ahead of him.I think he understood....

Shedding is Chic...

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:20:00 +0000

When I was showing Afghan Hounds, we had friends from Florida that wanted all the hair we collected from grooming. They also collected hair from Samoyeds and other similiar coated breeds. They spun it into yarn and made stuff like vests and blankets from it. Personally, I didn't want to wear my dog, I thought it was creepy and besides I had so many to groom I was already covered in hair 24/7.

However this post in the L.A. Times is very cool!http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2009/07/pet-yarn-chic-and-the-critter-knitter-guild-give-a-whole-new-meaning-to-dog-blanket.html#more -critter-knitter-guild-give-a-whole-new-meaning-to-dog-blanket.html#more

Just think, this lovely Duchese Brise photographed in Paris is covered in mohair.....perhaps upholstering it in dog hair would solve a lot of our cleaning problems...many fine Persian rugs are woven in goat hair and camel hair, why not a dog hair rug?

Perhaps dog hair could be a substitute for cashmere,after all, cashmere has to be combed out of the goat by hand too, that is why it is so expensive. I can't imagine looking in my closet and trying to decide if I will wear Akita hair or Briard...I wonder would the clothes smell like dog when they got wet?

Well it would be a great way to recycle...

...anyway, it seems we now have an important reason to save the hair our dogs shed....we can sell it to craft people!

A Great Money Saving Coupon Source on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:49:00 +0000

Bookmark this Twitter location and check it regularly for great money saving coupons.
http://www.coupontweet.com/
I was impressed, I think you will be too.

Dog Grooming in China

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:25:00 +0000

I have always said you can tell how advanced a society is...or isn't, by the way they treat their dogs...read this article posted at the Daily Mail in London today. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1199422/Woof-justice-Meet-pooches-amazing-technicolour-dreamcoats.html and kudos to the Chinese for drafting their first animal protection law..

Canine Summer Itch

noreply@blogger.com (Debie) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:47:00 +0000

It is so nice to lie in bed early on a summer morning and take in the sounds of the new day...for some people, that early morning reverie can be interupted by the sound of your dog scratching. Thump, thump,thump on the floor is an annoyance to say the least!
Dogs are 'itchier' in summer.The heat, humidity, pollen, grass , and fleas can contribute to your dog being much more itchy than in winter. You know already how to stop fleas so let me address some other things.
Thinning out the coat can be of some help. I said thinning the coat, not shaving it. Shaving the coat makes the undercoat grow in much thicker.Then it begins a cycle where you shave it again, only to have it thicken up even more. Some dog show people will shave a young dog before starting his show career or between his puppy show career and adult campaign if he has very poor undercoat and needs a nice thick one for the show ring.
Shaved dogs are more prone to developing skin cancer and their natural hair actually helps regulate their body temp. This is why dogs shed in summer and grow thick coats in winter. Nature already designed them to take care of the seasons so a major change by you isn't necessary.
If you are one of those people who just has to help nature along anyway, or the loose hair in your house is driving you mad,use a Furminator or take your dog to the groomer and request a Furminator treatment. This treatment just hurries along nature and does no permanent damage to your dogs' coat. It will look thin though!
For short haired dogs, use a Zoom Groom in a circular motion to remove excess hair or as I mentioned in a previous post, that infamous rubber dishwashing glove can be used to go over your shorthaired dog in a circular motion to catch those tiny hairs that want to adhere to your clothes furniture and everything else.
Just like you, your dog is less itchy when he isn't as hot. But often it takes more than keeping your dog cool. If you dogs' coat looks sparse, he is overweight, itchy, and not as active as you think he should be,a thyroid test at your vet may be in order. Thyroid medication is very inexpensive and can do wonders for a dog with thyroid issues. I should say, from much personal experience that sighthound breeds,particularly Afghan Hounds have readings that are lower than other types of dogs and for them, this is normal. Kelp or Solid Gold Seameal helps sighthounds and other breeds who may have a slightly low thyroid, but not an actual clinical problem.
Fungus infections thrive in summer because of the heat and humidity and this too, can be a cause of scratching for your dog. Ringworm comes to mind, but number one would be ear fungus infections. Using the 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and alcohol and wiping out the ears and ear flaps with a cotton ball daily has helped my dogs a lot. My dogs have all had long pendulous ears that just seemed to trap moisture. The alcohol helps evaporate the excess moisture and the vinegar restores a normal ph making it more difficult for unwanted organisms to set up house in the dogs ear.
For some dogs, spraying the skin with apple cider vinegar diluted ¼ to ¾ cup chemical free water helps calm itchy skin. My mom uses a powder that contains eucalyptus and she swears by it.
Years back when I injured Puffs' back, he was overdosed by an incompetent vet at the emergency clinic with the drug Decadron....I can still remember seeing her draw the drug up into the syringe and as I realized she was about to dose him many times over what a dog of his size required,I couldn't stop her fast enough.
''You are going to give him Cushings disease!'' I screamed.
The vet replied as she punched in the needle, and I QUOTE,'' Oh hell, he will be dead by then.''
Well contrary to what she and other vets believed, he didn't die and he did get well. Now we have to deal with auto immune issues because of the Decadron overdose. You may know the drug Decadron as Dexamethasone.
As of yet no signs of Cushings disease but boy does he have allergies now. He can scratch so much you would think he would lose his mind. So for summer we go off the organic chicken based diet and substitute lamb and rice,real lamb and rice, not the psuedo ones at the store that also contain egg, or beef and sometimes chicken. The manufacturers can call it lamb and rice if lamb is the main ingredient.
But by adding other ingredients it defeats the purpose of feeding a lamb and rice diet for the sake of allergies....(sometimes we also feed the Vegan canned food by Pet Guard available at Wholefoods as the grains it contains are very low inflammatory unlike some other brands).
Anyway, I feed California Natural Lamb and Rice because it is a genuine lamb and rice product. And another thing I add to his diet that I feel is of utmost important for his summer itch is Evening Primrose Oil. I give 500 mg a day because he is small. I can definitely tell the difference when I don't give this, so at this time of year I am very faithful about it. And for Puff, it really helps. He licks it right out of a spoon and reminds me if I forget to give it to him.
If nothing seems to help your dogs' itching and scratching you may want to ask your vet about a RAST test. It is expensive, about 500 dollars, but it will identify the cause of your dogs allergies such as the new wall to wall carpet you installed ( a big factor in many dog allergies).Sometimes though, an itchy dog really just needs a good bath. Believe it or not, I have seen more unnamed skin conditions corrected by bathing in a quality shampoo every 4 to 7 days. A professional dog handler once told me she thought it was because dogs get itchy when they are dirty just like people do....something to consider.