No Saddle Required

What is a Sato?

2011-10-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

Satos=the term used in Puerto Rico for stray dogs...

For those of you that aren't familiar with the island of Puerto Rico, we have a huge stray dog problem here. It is very sad! I am a very lucky house dog that gets all the comforts of a wonderful life. I get really good food everyday, I have all the fresh water I can drink, I have comfy beds to sleep on, a family that loves me, toys to play with, healthy treats, even air-conditioning for this hot climate. Many of my kind, however, aren't that lucky. There is a pack of about 10 dogs that live at the beach close to my house. They sleep in the hot sun and have to search around for food. I have watched them drink from muddy puddles and pick through trash. Luckily many people go to that beach and feed them, but it still isn't the best life for them. Lately there have been two doggies hanging around our condo and they both are so cute. The humans have been feeding them and giving them water, but they still need a home. I don't know where they came from, but aren't they cute?

One of the problems here is a shortage of no-kill shelters. If a dog catcher takes a dog, chances are they will be put down. There is also a huge population of strays and although there are organizations that try to help, there are just so many dogs. I feel that I am so lucky and I just wished all dogs could have a happy home and a good life.

To read more about Puerto Rico's stray dog population, please see the links below.

Save a Sato A non-profit organization that works with stray and abused animals on the island
All Sato Rescue A non-profit working to reduce the number of strays and tackle the root problem
A.R.F A non-profit in Rincon, PR, close to my home, that fosters dogs and has a really cool program that educates kids on how to treat animals!
NAIA An interesting article that examines the global stray dog population problem and argues against shipping dogs from Puerto Rico to the U.S.

This is just a few of the sites you can find to learn more about the problem here. I wished I had an easy answer, but hopefully the problems with homeless dogs here will continue to improve. If you or anyone you know is interested in adopting the dogs above that live in my neighborhood, please contact me!
Love,
Branson the Great Dane

Foto Friday

2011-10-14T11:33:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful sunset enjoyed with a friend

I'm Back!!!

2011-10-01T14:47:00.000-04:00

Wow everyone! I am so sorry I have been gone for so long! I have been busy playing, sleeping, and having fun at the beach. Right now though I am laid up resting, as I just had stinking surgery. My humans made that mean vet do something to me called neutering. I don't really get it, but the good news is that I get to lay around and mommy and daddy have been loving on me even more than usual. I also had a surgery called gastropexy that I think has something to do with my stomach. My mom said that it will help me if I ever bloat and will hopefully stop my stomach from ever twisting. I hope so, as stomach twisting doesn't sound like fun.

How is everyone else doing? I hope you guys are all having fun and I promise to write soon. I don't really have much else to do since the vet said I can't run and play for 2-3 weeks! Write me if you can and I can live vicariously through you other doggies.

WOOF!
Love,
Branson

Treat Time

2011-06-13T19:00:00.004-04:00

So a few days ago I shared what I eat for meal time (to read more about that, check out my post "So what do you feed that horse?"), now let's talk treats! Mommy always jokes that I eat healthier than she does and that there are things she eats that she wouldn't feed to her dog, but I don't think that's a joke. She won't let me eat just any treats, so here is a sample of what I CAN eat:

Apples! I love plain apples and get those a lot as treats. Wait, don't horses eat apples too? Maybe those strangers are on to something...do I need a saddle? Green apples are my favorite, but sometimes mommy buys the red ones and they are okay too. Sometimes she makes a plate full of them with peanut butter for her snack, but I found that if I am patient she will share.

I mean really, how could you turn down this face? I know how to work it, don't I? Now my favorite treat that I get on special occasions is a frozen Kong filled with delicious goodies...

I have watched mommy make it and this is what she does:
1. Dabs a little peanut butter on the smaller opening of the Kong and freezes that for a bit.
2. In a bowl she mixes some of my kibble with yogurt. If I have been really good she uses the Greek kind. Yummo!
3. She then stuffs the Kong with the mixture, places it in a cup to keep it from spilling out, and freezes.

Sometimes she will throw some cut up baby carrots in the mix too. I also get plain carrots sometimes as treats, told you I had to eat healthy. Now I have to be really patient while my treat is freezing, but when it is ready I have a blast!

This is a delicious treat here in Puerto Rico since it is always hot! It cools me down and keeps me entertained for awhile so my parents can get some work done. Sometimes I lick my Kong standing up...

Sometimes I like to chill out on the floor with Kong...

And usually I fall asleep after finishing my Kong...

As you can see I love my Kong. I also get some store bought treats on occasion, only if they are grain-free. I like the Wellness brand Venison and Salmon the best, but mom said she is going to make me some homemade baked treats soon! I will keep you posted and share the recipe after they are Branson tested and approved. WOOF!

What is your favorite treat or way to stuff a Kong? Please share and give my humans some ideas....

Until we bark again,
Branson the Great Dane

Foto Friday

2011-06-10T09:34:00.002-04:00

Rocks by my house, doesn't it look like kinda like Mars?

"So what do you feed that horse?"

2011-06-07T20:16:00.042-04:00

Yep, horse! Can you believe people would call me that? I bet all you Great Danes have heard this once or twice. Am I right? Well actually it is a good question, but they could be more sensitive to my feelings! Before my mom and dad even got me they did ALOT of research on what to feed me. They didn't really know what was the best food and there are limited options here on the island, so they decided to have my food shipped in....

I get so excited when the big box arrives!

Through all their research they found some great information about quality dog food and Great Danes, so they decided to feed me Orijen 6Fish. Oh how I love Fish! People often comment on how shiny my coat is and how healthy I look. Orijen 6Fish is a grain-free food that is actually made in Canada. It has no preservatives, corn, rice, or wheat. It does consist of 80% fish and 20% fruits and veggies! Check out the ingredients HERE, as well as see their other products. FYI...I don't get paid to say this, but I think the company should hire me as a spokesdoggie. :)

Smells delicious!

Now getting it here proved to be a problem at first, as many companies won't ship to Puerto Rico, but we then we found Luke's All Natural Pet Food store! Mommy says they provide great customer service, but I like them because often they send free surprises (the all-natural kind of treats that I can eat)!

Deciding what to feed your pet is a very important decision, especially for us Great Danes that are prone to so many health problems. There are many great options out there that are healthy and that your dog will love. Here are some resources to help with your research....

For Great Dane Owners:
The DOL Great Dane forum is an excellent resource for all your food related question and much, much more.

For everyone:
Check out Dog Food Analysis. This is an independent site that rates and reviews dog food brands. It is an excellent resource for all dog owners.

Another option is to feed a Raw diet and many dogs seem to do well with that. There is great info. on the DOL forum about this too. E-mail me at sunblisslife@yahoo.com if you have any questions. Also be sure to LIKE my Facebook page or sign-up for email notifications of new posts.

Update:
Apparently there are 2 schools of thought on how much protein a growing boy like me should have. I tried to get mommy to explain it to me, but it was really confusing. I went to dad for help, but he was worse and started talking about vortex ring state and something about Bernoulli. GHHEEESSSHHH! For more info. see Faust's post HERE on the DOL Forum (you will need to scroll down to the end).

Until we bark again,
Branson

Branson Goes to Boqueron

2011-06-06T12:50:00.008-04:00

Well, really I have been to Boqueron three times now and I love it....or should I say Boqueron loves me! I don't know what it is about this place, but it just seems that everyone here loves big dogs. It is one of the friendliest places I have been to so far in my young life. Every time I am there I always draw in the crowds...

Me and my daddy in Boqueron, PR

Boqueron is a quaint little village in the southwest section of Puerto Rico. Mommy says it reminds her of Key West, Florida and that it has the most beautiful sunsets around (to read more about it check out Sun Kissed Bliss). There is also a large public beach here where some cool dogs like to hang out...

Cool dogs wear bathing suits!

There are many little bars, restaurants, and shops that line one small street. One of the bars there offered me a drink of cold water. They were surprised when they realized my head could actually rest on top of their bar. Mom put my bowl on the bench to make it easier for me to drink and so I didn't scare away the customers. This still got a ton of stares!

Step right up...I think I will!

Whenever I go I get to hang out at La Marea Eat and Drink, a place where the people food smells delicious (of course I don't get any, but the staff is nice to me). They have a cool outside area for hanging out and people watching. Here are some of my recent admirers...

Photo credit: Ripp Motion

These people were so nice...here are some more...

Photo Credit: Ripp Motion

And here is a cool group of new people that I hung out with one Sunday, along with some of my family...

Fun times! If you see me in Boqueron be sure to say hi!

Foto Friday

2011-06-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

Wow! I am so sorry I have not been blogging lately. My daddy's cousin came to visit and we were really busy and then we have had tons of rain and I just got lazy. Well really mom was the lazy one, but don't tell her I told you! Promise?

So for this Foto Friday here is a little preview of what I have been doing....

Lots of road trips....

I met a new friend...

I went to a bar in Boqueron.... (update: Read about it HERE.)

I stayed at another human hotel....

Plus...

I did sleep a bunch...I guess I was a little lazy after all! Good news though, all the rest allowed my paw to completely heal and I am ready for more adventures and blogging!

Until we bark again,
Branson

Foto Friday

2011-05-13T20:46:00.000-04:00

13 May 2011

Daddy caught me sleeping!

Foto Friday (on Island time)

2011-05-07T21:53:00.001-04:00

7 May 2011

I'm not always at the beach.
Sometimes I like to dress up and go to the city!

New Contest From Another Cool Dog

2011-05-02T17:33:00.000-04:00

My friend Reilly over at CowSpotDog is having a contest. It looks like fun and is open to all you doggies out there. I have to post a picture of me either enjoying or avoiding water. Well that is hard for me because I LOVE water and mommy has so many pics of me in the water...which to choose.....

This is the winner. Mom said to pick this one because I am just chilling in the water and trying to cool off on a typical day in Puerto Rico. Of course I am giving her a mean look because she was making sit still so she could take my picture. If you guys want to enter the contest head over here and read all about it.
Until we bark again,
Branson

My Weekend in a Pet Hotel

2011-05-02T17:00:00.004-04:00

As you guys know I have stayed in a human hotel, but never in a pet hotel. Human hotels are nice, but they are awfully boring and sometimes people who don't appreciate my awesomeness give me funny looks. When it came time for me to stay on my own Mom spent a great deal of time finding the best place. Here in Puerto Rico there aren't a lot of good options and the best babysitters (my grandparents) live too far away. So she was happy when the PetSmart PetsHotel opened. Because I had never been there before they needed a bunch of information. They had to verify that my shots were up-to-date and mom had to fill out some paperwork. They asked all kinds of questions about me and my personality, which was cool as they wanted to get to know me and make sure that I was safe! Mom had been to the hotel to check it out without me a few weeks prior and had showed the nice women there pictures of me, so they were looking forward to meeting me in person. Mom was impressed by how clean it was and how they documented all of my needs. When I arrived everyone was very excited and so was I. The craziest thing happened right before I checked in to the hotel. This little dog came up to greet me, but I guess he got scared and he growled....

at me!!! Can you believe the nerve? If I wasn't such a nice guy I would have chomped on him, but to tell ya the truth that little guy kinda freaked me out! So dad ushered me to the nice people that work there and they took me to my suite. Yes, suite, complete with my own t.v. Mom and dad then went off on there journey to El Yunque, which is a Rain Forest here in Puerto Rico. I wasn't allowed to stay at their hotel (can you believe it?) and they thought some of the trails might be too steep and hard for me since I am still growing. Anyway, here is what they got to see...

Pretty cool! They wished I could have been there and they said they missed me for the few days that we were apart. They also wished that the pet hotel had cameras so they could watch me while they were away and see what I was up to (eh, eh...I am glad to get a little freedom). However when they came to pick me up they were so happy that everyone there loved me so much. My new friends didn't want me to leave! They also made a page all about me for their scrapbook and my parents received a progress report letting them know how well I did.

That is cool!!! Now when I go into the store many people recognize me and give me hugs. I like that store not only because the people are nice, but they also have toys and treeeeaaaatttttsss!!
Until we bark again,
Branson

Look...It's a Whole Pig!

2011-04-30T16:27:00.004-04:00

A fews weeks ago we journeyed over to Rincon, PR so that my humans could try out some lechon at Shipwreck Bar and Grill. I had never heard of lechon but I soon found out it is roasted pig! Wooo-hooo does it smell delicious. I have been to Shipwreck before and usually they recognize me and give me a good table, but this day they were particularly busy. We had to sit in the back, but it was okay as it gave me a good view and some shade.

I chilled out for awhile and people watched. Some tourists came over and visited with me for awhile and of course took my picture. I was good and posed for the camera. I am telling you I should get paid for that, or at least they could give me a taste of that pig! After awhile our area started getting invaded by these furry creatures...

I wanted to investigate but mom was trying to keep me away from them. She said they may be poisonous. There were a ton of them around on all the plumeria trees so we had to move. The goods news is I got to sit closer to that good smelling PIG!

I look a little sad here because I am starting to realize that I am not going to get any lechon! Mom and dad brought my mat for me to lay on, but as you can see I love laying in the rocks. They don't bother me as I am tuff, but my humans are always worried about my elbows. Anyway, in case you are wondering I didn't get to try the pig, but I heard it was delicious. If you live in PR head over HERE and read more about the pig roast at Shipwreck. If someone out there is listening, please talk to my humans about letting me taste more human food!

Foto Friday

2011-04-29T18:16:00.002-04:00

29 April 2011

Branson (19 weeks old) and Daddy in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Branson (13 months old) and Daddy in Condado, Puerto Rico

Foto Friday

2011-04-22T17:41:00.002-04:00

22 April 2011

I am King of the world!

Mom took this with her phone the other day at my favorite swimming hole. What a view!

Foto Friday

2011-04-15T09:55:00.000-04:00

15 April 2011

Up close and personal

Branson and Chunky go to the Beach

2011-04-09T11:40:00.006-04:00

The other day my parents loaded me up in the back of my car along with our beach stuff....

Even with the beach chairs, my bed, toys, and my water cooler I still have plenty of room. I LOVE my car! Sometimes my parents and their friends have to keep their stuff up front and it gets crowded, but I still have it made in the back!

Once we got going they told me we were picking up my friend Chunky! I love little Chunky, he is so much fun to play with. Look at how excited I was to hear the news...

I even had room for Chunky to ride in the back with me, if I could convince his parents to let him. I hope they don't think I will squish him with my big bottom. I know I am a big guy, but I am gentle. Plus, he is my best buddy, I wouldn't hurt him. Guess what?

Woo-hoo, they let us both in the back! We had so much fun playing around, but occasionally we had to see what our humans were up to in the front. Isn't Chunky cool? If we could talk we would have been asking, "Are we there YET?" We were getting pretty hot from all the wrestling around. Look at our tongues...

So, we finally made it to the beach and it was so beautiful. I couldn't wait to get in and cool off from the ride. Look at that water....

I jumped right in and swam out to my daddy. I am like a little fish, well more like a big fish! You can hardly see my dad, but I promise he is behind me. (Mom apologizes for the spots on the picture..she was using the underwater camera and it must have had sand or something on it).

Now Chunky is a bit younger than me and still getting use to the water. His parents try to get him in sometimes, but he doesn't like it too much yet. I also tried to play with him in the ocean, but sometimes I get too excited and get carried away. He has plenty of time to decide if swimming is his thing, so we decided to hang out a little in the shade and relax.

We ended up eating our lunch and then taking a little nap while our humans spent some time in the water. They let me get one more swim in before we packed up. It was such a fun day with my friend Chunky. You will learn more about him as I keep blogging, he is a great little guy! I hope to see him soon for more island adventures.

If you want to read more about the beach, Playa Sucia, click HERE.
Also, keep in touch by being my Facebook friend, or signing up above for email updates!
Until we bark again,
Branson

Foto Friday

2011-04-08T10:29:00.001-04:00

8 April 2011

And humans call me a horse...this is a horse!

Why the name Branson?

2011-04-07T08:05:00.002-04:00

Ok, I get this a lot when around town, so here we go....
My humans wanted a name that meant something special to them, they say it is because I am so adorable. WOOF! One of their favorite memories was sailing in the British Virgin Islands on their honeymoon. That was way before I was born, but I hope to go there one day. It looks beautiful...

Do you think I would like being on a sailboat? I do! I wonder if I would have to wear my lifejacket the entire trip? I bet my parents would make me! Anyway, as they were sailing around the islands my dad was reading Sir Richard Branson's autobiography called Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way
. It is all about how he became a billionaire by building his business and having fun at the same time. Sounds cool to me. So dad is a huge fan of Sir Richard Branson. Here he is reading his book in Anegada, B.V.I.

Mom and dad said that my namesake even has his own island, it is called Necker Island, and they sailed by there on their trip. Here is a picture of the island (mom says the picture doesn't show how beautiful it is, but it is the only one she has).

If you want to learn about Sir Richard Branson's island, you can go here. I would love to stay here, but it looks a bit out of my budget right now. Maybe if I get a movie deal one day I could rent the entire island for all my Great Dane buddies out there.

So now you know that I am named after Sir Richard Branson. He seems like a pretty interesting guy who loves to have fun and goes on all kinds of adventures. Hey, kinda sounds like me, huh? I hope I am living up to my name.

Until we bark again,
Branson

I got Dog of the Day!

2011-04-05T20:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we got some exciting news....

I was picked as the dogtipper.com Dog of the Day!! Dogtipper is a cool website that has all kinds of information about dogs, such as: product reviews, contests, dog of the day, recipes (for doggie stuff, of course), a blog directory, and much more. Plus I even noticed they had some information for you cats out there. WOOF! Check it out if you get a chance. If you click on the badge above or to the right you will see my info. Sorry I am late in getting this out, I had a busy weekend traveling. I am a busy boy!

Until we bark again,
Branson

Branson the Great Dane Goes Shopping

2011-04-04T12:28:00.000-04:00

I know to some of you other cat and dogs (wait...do I have any cat fans out there?) it may not be a big deal to go to the pet store, but for me it is a major event. Most people have never seen a dog my size and many of them want to pet me or take my picture, so it can create quite a scene. The store was crowded yesterday and I had to do lots of posing for the cameras, but I don't mind at all. WOOF! Mom and dad think it is good for me to get the socialization, whatever that means, but I just think it is fun to get all the attention....

It almost looks like I am in a zoo with all the humans behind the glass, what do you think? Although I love people I also LOVE other dogs, especially the small kind. I got to hang out with this one for awhile. Too bad we didn't have a chance to play...I bet we could have ran really fast through that store. I am sure the humans wouldn't never let that happen! Come on, we wouldn't knock anything over...

After the pet store we headed down to Condado to go to Mercado Urbano. You can read all about the market on my mommy's blog Sun Kissed Bliss. She said it was a great place to get all kinds of fresh products made here on the island, but the only bad things is they wouldn't let dogs in the park area where the market was. Can you believe it, no dogs on the grass?? Grass was made for dogs, right? The cops said I had to stay on the sidewalk, but I got as close as I could to the line....

After my parents took turns going into the market we rode over to Old San Juan. I got to see all of these humans flying kites at the park and then we walked around the town. I meet lots of very nice people, both tourists and residents, and even some children that gave me hugs! I am very gentle with kids, so they love me!

I had a fun day with the family and I am sure I will be in San Juan again soon. Hopefully we will go to the pet store again and I can see some of my new friends!

Until we bark again,
Branson the Great Dane

Foto Friday

2011-04-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

1 April 2011

I'm dreaming of coconuts!

The Life of an Island Dog

2011-03-29T16:47:00.004-04:00

So you all know that I am a true island dog/beach bum. I spend my free time strolling the beaches, playing with my favorite toys (coconuts), swimming, and napping in the shade. Well guess what I got my paws on over the weekend? Bet you all will be jealous!!

You know what this is, don't ya? Yep, it is a Pina Colada! Did you know that I am Puerto Rican and that Pina Coladas were invented right here in Puerto Rico?? Cool, huh? Well my mommy made up a blender full the other day and man could I smell the coconuts. So, I wondered over to check it out.

They smell so yummy! I had never used that plastic thing sticking out of the glass, but I am pretty smart so I knew I could figure it out...

It wasn't as easy as it looks though and I had a hard time getting my mouth on that plastic thing. But finally....

Yummo! Mom says that they are made with something called Cream of Coconut (I knew I smelled it), pineapple juice, and rum. I told her to put a blue umbrella in it next time for me. Pink isn't my color! Yep, I am living the life!

Until we bark again,
B

Doggie Disclaimer: No dogs were harmed in the making of this blog post. These photos were made by luring the Great Dane in with a peanut butter enhanced straw. Branson did not consume any adult beverages during the photo shoot.

Don't miss another post! Sign up on the top to right to follow me by email. Also LIKE my Facebook page! Woof!

Foto Friday

2011-03-25T07:52:00.002-04:00

25 March 2011

Branson at one of his favorite swimming holes

My First Hotel Visit

2011-03-23T18:20:00.002-04:00

View from my suite

This past weekend my dad completed the half Ironman in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since my parents were busy and didn't plan ahead, my usual petsitter was booked up. Silly humans! Now my parents are a bit overprotective and are afraid to leave me alone with just anyone, so they decided to try to take me with them. They knew I would want to spend the days at doggie daycare, but they wanted me to stay with them in a real human hotel at night! FUN! So my mom spent hours online and on the phone trying to find a place that would take a big boy like me! Many of the smaller hotels and inns were booked up, so she finally decided to call one of the bigger chains. One of them that has an 80 lb. doggie limit agreed to allow me to stay anyway. Mommy was sure to explain to them that I was an exceptional-sized dog, but they said it was ok. I guess they heard that I was somebody and am actually getting to be quite famous on the island! She was a bit worried that I was going to freak out the hotel guests, but of course they loved me, and I got my picture made a bunch!! Look at what the hotel people left for me to use....

I love the pet bowls and drool mat, I don't slobber that much (no really, I promise), but it sure does look cute. Look at the adorable little pillow they left for my head! I really only like my own bed and blanket, but mommy put it next to my bed in case I changed my mind. She snuggled on it next to me for awhile and said it was comfy. Of course I am too big for some silly little pillow, but it was a nice thought.

I loved spending the night away from home with my parents. It was quite the adventure. I even got to watch my daddy swim in the Ironman competition before I went to daycare. Of course I wanted to jump in and go swim to him, but mom said it was too far! I do get to swim at daycare, can you believe they have a pool for dogs? I will have to show you some other time...

I have to say it was all an adventure!! I love San Juan and all the people there. Be sure to visit if you have a chance. Puerto Rico is a cool place. Bark at you soon.