The FDA has a proposal for tracking pet food related illnesses in the works. (Look for PDF icon towards the top to download. Bit easier to read.) FDA Pet Food Tracking Proposal

And a great site for staying up on pet food recalls. PetSitUSA

Also click on the FDA Widget to the left for the latest recall info, too.

Now why would that make Rocksie happy? Click on the clip below of Rocksie and her brothers as 9-week-old pups. She’s the main player and maybe you’ll see why she’s so excited about high-level racing coming to town. (Or maybe this was just a bit of a stretch to show an old, cute clip of her and brothers?)

Hey!? Who says girls don’t like cars? Rocksie sure does!

According to a Sears press release, 320+ products will be available in stores and online starting August 1, 2010. The Rebecca Bon Bon image will be on everything from pet items, to apparel, to cosmetics, even home decor. (Sounds as if this snub-nosed mug can sell it, she will be on it. )

Check out some of the items already available online by clicking the photos below. (Some items are still being loading up to websites and can’t be purchased yet.)

See the entire Sears collection of Rebecca Bon Bon here.

See the entire K-Mart collection of Rebecca Bon Bon here.

Brace yourself. Once the back-to-school crowd finds these items, it will be Rebecca Bon Bon mania! Sears and Kmart have that figured out. They are already working on their Holiday 2010 and Spring 2011 collections.

Who the heck is Rebecca Bon Bon?

Visit this site for her story: Rebecca Bon Bon

Or watch this video and brush up on your French and Japanese!

What does this have to do with Frenchies? While shopping at local pet stores, couldn’t miss the very LARGE Tuffy’s Bevo the Bull Dog Toy. We have a few Tuffy toys and they do seem tough. (Even so, we still supervise while our guys enjoy them.) While football season is still a ways off, that just means you have time to purchase or order a Bevo toy for your Frenchie and be ready for the fall football season (or pre-season for those truly fanatical Texas football fans.)

Locally, check Tomlinson’s, Pet Supplies Plus, and Bark ‘n Purr. For online shopping, Bevo can be found at Amazon. And yes, looked to see if a Reveille toy was available, but only found a bobble head. Sorry Aggies!

But wait, there’s more! What would a football game be without a cold beverage? Your Frenchie is covered there, too. Check out the various “bottles” of fun. We found a wide selection of these toys locally at Zingers Hardware for about $10 each, but also available online at Amazon, K-Mart, and other online stores, such as Posh Puppy Boutique. Note: These are play toys, not chew toys.

Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Bark’s Root Beer”
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Cataroma Extra”
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Killer Bite”
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Mountain Drool”
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Drools”
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers “Heini Sniffi’n”

They even have a line for wine snob dogs!
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers Dog Toy – Wine Bottle – Kennel Relaxin
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers Dog Toy – Wine Bottle – Grrrobert Slobbery
Tuffy’s Silly Squeakers Dog Toy – Wine Bottle – Crispaw

There ya go. All you need for half-time fun with your canine pal. Hook ‘em Horns!

Unlike many articles dealing with the hot topic of getting a purebred puppy, this one is well-balanced and outlines the difference between types of breeders, and doesn’t resort to lumping all breeders into the “bad” category. The article gives the excellent advice that if you must have a purebred puppy, do your homework and get one from a reputable breeder. It also gives general instructions how to go about it and how to identify the characteristics of a reputable breeder, along with info about the option of rescue adoption.

Kudos to the Statesman for publishing this information and recognizing there really is a difference between getting a pup from someone who’s an advocate for their breed vs. someone who’s simply breeding to make a buck.

Need to point out, while the article mentions finding a breeder who is a member of the American Kennel Club (AKC), only national parent or kennel clubs can be members. AKC’s founding purpose is to keep a registry or studbook up-to-date and accurate on all dogs registered with them. This allows tracing a dog’s lineage, and now with the use of DNA on file, even performing DNA-testing to verify parents. An AKC pedigree simply means the dog and ancestors have been registered in their studbook. A UKC pedigree means the parents are registered in the UKC studbook. Swap out the acronym for other registries, and you’ve got this figured out.

Breeders can be members of local kennel clubs, and regional and national breed clubs. Breeders who show in conformation or compete in obedience or agility, do so at events organized under the guidance of  the AKC, UKC, or other clubs with acronymed names.

One of the main reasons people choose a purebred dog is the ability, and expectation, of predicting behavior, appearance, and temperament of the adult dog. When these expectations aren’t met due to poor breeding, the way the pup was raised, or a poor choice of breed by the owner, then the future of these dogs can include a shelter. If the dog-seeker encounters a reputable breeder, they will be educated and guided as to whether the breed is a good fit for their lifestyle. This makes for a more successful choice of a furry friend and less chance of abandonment or ending up in a shelter for the dog. What many folks overlook, is that reputable breeders assist with the prevention of shelter dogs by educating about their breed, carefully matching pups to families, and insisting pups be spayed or neutered. Now you are looking at a successfully placed pup in a happy home, with no chance of “oopsie” puppies with the neighbor dog later. Add in the bonus that most reputable breeders remain in contact with owners, working as a source of information about the health and well-being of their pup, further ensuring successful dog ownership and keeping dogs out of shelters. A win-win-win for all!

IABCA shows are different from AKC shows, as they are based on the European model of a written critique by the judge and puppies aren’t allowed to compete with adults. The nice thing about this show is the judge does the traveling, not you and your dog, but you can still get an international title because the dog is judged by an international judge. Make sense?

These shows are also more laid back than most AKC shows, but with two shows per day, a total of four shows a weekend, it keeps things lively when you have a dog or two entered! The shows are small and people stick around most the day, giving a real chance to visit with other dog people and get to learn about other breeds and rare breeds, such as Mi-Kis, Miniature Australian Shepherds, and Biewers (pronounced “beavers.”)

Rocksie loves shows, whether she wins or not, but it’s sure nice bringing home some medals and ribbons to decorate her room with. Though, gotta watch her around that big rosette ribbon – she has that Cat Toy gleam in her eye…

You can read more about the story at CBS News here.

Read the New York Post story here.

Please, please, keep those flat-faces cool in this hot weather! Don’t let this heartbreaking story be yours.

HEAT STROKE

Heat stroke is a serious and life-threating condition for a French Bulldog. Now is the time to review the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and what you can do to treat or prevent them. If you see the symptoms below, act immediately to cool down your dog and get him/her medical attention.

Symptoms of heat stroke

• extremely heavy panting
• staggering
• loss of consciousness
• seizures, convulsions
• high body temperature (107°F+)

Your dog is having a medical emergency and needs to be cooled immediately! But careful with giving them water. If the airway is blocked from swelling, they could choke on the water. Give water in small amounts or wait till they have cooled down a bit before offering water.

Download an excellent article on how to keep your Frenchie cool and deal with heatstroke here.

From the Discovery/TLC site:

Super Pooches

Premieres on July 21 at 8 PM ET/PT
SUPER POOCHES reveals what it takes to raise and train show dogs and takes an in-depth look at their dedicated and obsessive handlers. Cameras follow four handler teams as they pull out all the stops to ensure their dog ends up on top. Some of these top handlers show dogs at a whopping 180 different shows a year, and tend to be on the road constantly. Keeping their dogs happy, healthy and perfectly groomed is their number one priority. SUPER POOCHES captures all the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the business and the entertaining life on the road that each handler leads. While each of the teams intersect at the competitions, the pressure is on and drama ensues backstage as each of the handlers fight for the coveted prize.

SUPER POOCHES is produced by Departure Films for TLC.

First a few tidbits gleaned from clicking down the list and doing a little blog hopping ourselves.

What a great widget from the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine! Click for tips on animal safety or current updates (such as food recalls) from the FDA. (Spotted at Pet News and Views.)

A beautifully photographed, narrated, and scored video about dogs. Created by Trent Boswick at www.dogs4ppp.com and spotted at Jeannie B Goode’s blog.

• Link up your blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below. You only need to add your link once to be seen on all the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop Linky Tools for that week.
• Grab the “Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop” button at the upper left of this blog and include it in your Saturday Blog hop post so that your readers will know what is going on. *Note – posting is optional.  Feel free to just link and follow.
• Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool.
• Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you’d like
• Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from the blog hop.
• Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Bloggers Blog Hop

But several years, and a few too-pudgy Frenchies later, we are reformed treat dispensers. Do we still reward with treats? Of course! We just don’t hand them out in the super-sized quantities as before. What we’ve discovered is that the ACT of treat giving seems to be just as rewarding as the quantity of treat given. Let me explain.

In the beginning, we’d buy a box of average-sized treats. Hand out two or three of cookies at a time, resulting in happy, but rotund Frenchies. What’s wrong with that? For a Frenchie, extra weight is extra stress on the spine and hips; parts which can break down or wear out quickly in a dwarf breed. (Not to mention get a few unflattering comments from show and ringside judges.) Extra weight also creates stress on their paws and toes, causing them to spread out and pasterns to drop. While the breed standard doesn’t call for “catlike feet” like a Chow’s, it does call for “compact and firmly set” feet. Hefting those extra pounds around can contribute to splayed feet and weak pasterns, as well as back problems.

Another issue with added weight is the effect on breathing. Just a few pounds over makes it harder for a Frenchie to breath and causes him or her to quickly overheat, both from toting extra weight and insulation caused by fat.

Since we didn’t like what we were seeing, or the potential health issues, we cut down on the quantity. Gave one cookie instead of three. Did the dogs still love us? They sure seemed to. Then we switched to small dog treats. Yup. Dogs still liked us and were still as enthusiastic about their treats, just a bit more svelte, limber, and active.

What does an overweight Frenchie look like? If you look at a Frenchie from above, he or she is supposed to have a pear shape. (The actual type and shape of pear is an endless debate amongst breeders and show people.) The neck of the pear should be the waist, and the wide part of the pear the shoulders. If fruit references don’t do it for you, think of a body-builder: small waist, big shoulders. A Frenchie should NOT look like an apple (or an overstuffed couch).

As the pet treat market has changed over the past few years, high-quality treats without corn or grain are now available. Many even come in tiny sizes. And you know what? Since we are so big on positive food rewards and hand them out so much, we even break these tiny-sized ones in half. Dogs are still as crazy about getting them as if they were big cookies. If you think about it, it’s really the ritual of treating they adore. The anticipation of getting something from you, the interaction and praise. When you break the treat down into small pieces, you can make the ritual just as long as before, maybe longer. Better quality treats makes it easier to feel good about treating, too. (If you’ve spent a ton of time choosing the right kibble or diet, you don’t want to blow it with unbalanced treats.)

We do let them splurge one in awhile. Birthdays are a good example. Check out Rocksie’s birthday “cake” of ground beef, shredded carrots, and melted cheese icing. Yum!