The problem is….on even a mild 75-degree day, the temperature inside a car – even with the windows cracked – can reach 120 degrees in 30 minutes.

Now, suppose you were sitting in that car as it heated up. As your body temperature started to climb, your sweat glands would kick into high gear and you would perspire heavily, which makes your body temperature go back down.

Unfortunately, your dog doesn’t have all the sweat glands we have. He can sweat a little bit through his paws, but mostly he sweats through his tongue, by panting. But when he has only hot air to breathe, his body temperature climbs so rapidly that he cannot lower it simply by sweating through his tongue and paws.

That means he is going to overheat quickly….and probably die.

If you see a dog in a car on a hot day, even with the windows cracked, note the type of car and license plate number. If you can tell which store the owner is in, ask the store manager to page the vehicle’s owner. Otherwise, call the police, who usually respond faster than Animal Control.

The post How hot does a car have to get for your dog to overheat and die? appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

GeddiLee needs surgery

GeddiLee needs surgery for a serious perineal hernia that can become strangulated at any time. His owner has exhausted all financial resources and has come to IMOM for help. Poor GeddiLee can’t even go to the bathroom without feeling terrible pain.

His owner says, “GeddiLee is a great dog: cheeky, silly, playful and always smiling. Even now he is stoic and laying low awaiting help. He is an outstanding watch dog, protector and most especially my best friend (truly) and we all love him dearly.”

If you’d like to donate a few dollars toward GeddiLee’s surgery, please visit his IMOM forum page.

Please share this post with your Facebook friends and any pet lover you know!

The post Pet-in-need at IMOM: GeddiLee needs help appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Veterans of Christmases Past will take it in stride, but new puppies and adolescents will be wide-eyed and curious. With the sudden appearance of so many chewables, mouthy canines are at especially high risk.

Watch out for:

The Christmas tree. Trees are tippy. Anchor the tree in a sturdy stand. Some owners of large enthusiastic dogs actually tie the tree to the wall to keep it upright. Be aware that live needles cannot be digested and can puncture the throat or intestines. If your dog won’t stay away from the tree, consider putting decorative fencing around it. Be aware that some confused male dogs may lift their leg on a tree.

Decorations can lacerate your dog’s mouth, throat, or intestines. Tinsel, angel hair, and artificial snow can cause digestive upsets or strangulation of his intestinal tract. Fasten decorations tightly to branches or hang them only on the higher branches — or again, put up a decorative fence.

Tree preservatives added to the water can make your dog ill if he drinks it.

Eating wrapping paper can cause gastrointestinal upset. Swallowed ribbons can become tangled in the intestines. Put torn paper and ribbons straight into a garbage bag, rather than leaving it strewn on the floor.

Don’t let your dog unwrap his own presents….unless you want him to conclude that ALL wrapped gifts are fair game and then some day you will be very, very sorry. Yes! It happened to me!

After you open and admire a new gift, watch where you set it. It may look like an inviting new toy to your dog. Children’s toys are especially dangerous, as they often contain small parts that can be swallowed.

Tempting sweets left in open dishes on the coffee table can make your dog very sick. Remember that chocolate, in particular, can be deadly to dogs.

Burning candles, potpourri, and incense can cause nasal or respiratory irritations in dogs.

Christmas plants should be put up high, out of reach. If your dog nibbles on Christmas cactus, hemlock, holly, ivy, mistletoe, or poinsettia, the results can range from a mildly upset stomach to seizures.

Rawhide isn't safe...even if Mom sent it.

On a delicate note, friends and relatives may give your dog unsafe or unhealthy gifts, such as rawhide chews, or a box of chemical-laden treats from the supermarket. Remember: “It’s the thought that counts” so be appreciative and diplomatic, but you shouldn’t let your dog actually partake of these unsafe toys or processed products.

To sum up, if you have a new puppy, or a curious dog who loves to chew, or a dog who is experiencing his first or second Christmas, you need to stay alert. Treat him like a toddler. “Stay over here….don’t touch that….play with this instead….no, sweetie, mustn’t touch….” Vigilance! You want him to make it through this Christmas safe and sound and having learned good rules for next year.

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COOKED turkey bones can kill your dog....so can too much rich food.

RAW poultry bones can be safe for dogs because they’re rubbery and typically pass safely through the digestive tract.

But cooked poultry bones are very dangerous. Cooking “crystallizes” the bone structure so that it shatters into long, razor-sharp slivers, which can puncture or lacerate your dog’s mouth, throat, and intestines, or obstruct his bowels and require surgery.

Don't give rich gravies or sauces, or food that's spicy, buttered, or salted.

This doesn’t mean your dog can’t partake of your holiday meal, especially if his REGULAR meals already consist of (or include) real food – which they should. See my feeding page.

The best Thanksgiving Day leftovers to add to your dog’s dish are wholesome:

• Plain turkey meat. No gravy, or just very minimal gravy.
• Plain vegetables such as squash or sweet potato. Unsalted and unbuttered.
• Crumbled cornbread.

Add only a tiny bit if he’s unaccustomed to real food, and remember – no rich, spicy, or high-carb foods like sauces, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, or pies.

The post Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Dogs appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Great lion costume for a Pit Bull! Costumes should never affect a dog's vision or hamper his ability to walk comfortably.

Halloween Caution #1: Unexpected dogbites occur on Halloween because many dogs don’t recognize costumed children as human beings. If a 3-foot-tall sheeted ghost totters up the walk and suddenly thrusts out a hand to pet him….well, just imagine what that looks like to a startled dog. Monitor carefully so your dog (or your child) doesn’t become one of the statistics.

Halloween Caution #2: The doorbell rings again and again, and nervous or excitable dogs bark frantically, their nervous system kept on edge for hours…which builds stress, which is bad for health. Consider putting a highstrung dog in his crate in a back room with music playing, then position yourself (perhaps with a good book) near the door, so you can intercept approaching kids before they ring the bell. Or put up a Doorbell Broken sign!

Halloween Caution #3: When you’re passing out candy to a mob of clamoring kids, it’s easy for your dog to slip out through the cracked door, unnoticed. So unless he’s 100% reliable when tempted by an open door, put him in a closed room for the evening, or at the very least, keep him leashed or in your arms.

Halloween Caution #4: Don’t leave your dog outside in the yard on Halloween, else he could be targeted by roaming kids up to no good. In fact, don’t leave him outside in the days leading up to Halloween either. Black dogs (and cats) are at highest risk for disappearing around Halloween, the victims of cults who engage in bizarre rituals where animals are butchered. Now granted, this last one is a little far-fetched, but why take a chance for these few days?

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Tobee needs help

A Poodle named Tobee is a current pet-in-need at IMOM, my favorite charity, which helps indigent pet owners raise money for their sick pet. IMOM screens and verifies financial status and sends all monies raised directly to the vet.

Tobee is an 8 year old neutered male Poodle. He dislocated his hip and needs surgery. He can’t get around at all and is on painkillers.

His owner says, “He is so loving. He knows how to wink, shake your hand and give you a kiss when you ask him. He is afraid of the vaccum sweeper. When he see other dogs, he barks and kicks his hind legs. This is so funny because he is afraid of all dogs, big or small.”

If you’d like to donate toward Tobee’s surgery, visit his IMOM forum page.

The post IMOM Pet-In-Need: Tobee Needs Help appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Carrie Ann is a Shih Tzu cross available for adoption

Looking to adopt a new friend?

Hearts United For Animals is a Midwest-based rescue group that does long-distance adoptions. You don’t need to live in the Midwest to adopt one of their dogs, but you do need to meet other requirements and pass a “home visit”.

There is an element of trust here, where you either need to accept what HUA tells you about your new prospective pet, or you need to fly or drive there to look at the dogs yourself.

But if you’ve been looking in your own area for some time and haven’t found the right dog for you, you should visit HUA’s website — you might just find your next best friend waiting there. They do have many small dogs, which can be hard to find.

The post Long-Distance Adoptions appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Official State Dog of Alaska: Alaskan Malamute

I was so pleased to learn that 11 states actually have an official State Dog. This is exactly what our state legislators should be spending their time voting on, don’t you think?

Anyway, here’s the list:

Alaska: Alaskan Malamute. Big surprise there. 

Maryland: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Pennsylvania: Great Dane (not because the breed hails from PA but simply because the state’s founder, William Penn, had a Great Dane). By the way, when Pennsylvania’s speaker of the House called for a vote to approve the Great Dane as the state’s dog, legislators responded with various barks. The “arfs” won.

Louisiana: Catahoula Leopard Dog (a hunting/ranch dog)

Massachusetts: Boston Terrier

New Hampshire: Chinook (a sled dog)

Virginia: American Foxhound

North Carolina: Plott Hound (a coonhound and big-game hunter)

Texas: Blue Lacy (more of a cross/mix “type” of hunting dog)

Wisconsin: American Water Spaniel

South Carolina: Boykin Spaniel (very similar to the American Water Spaniel and known as “the dog that doesn’t rock the boat.”)

The post Official State Dog Breeds appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Mandy needs help

A Yorkshire Terrier named Mandy is a current pet-in-need at IMOM, my favorite charity, which helps indigent pet owners raise money for their sick pet. IMOM screens and verifies financial status and sends all monies raised directly to the vet.

Mandy is a 14 year old Yorkshire Terrier. She has a mast cell tumor on her vulva. Her veterinarian says it has grown rapidly in the last 2 weeks, and without surgery Mandy may have to be euthanized.

Her owner says, “She’s been my very best friend. Now in her time of need, I want to do everything I can to see she gets the care she needs. Unfortunately, I can’t do this without help.”

If you’d like to donate toward Mandy’s surgery, visit her IMOM forum page.

UPDATE: All necessary funds have been raised for Mandy’s surgery. You can continue to follow her story here.

The post IMOM Pet-In-Need: Mandy needs help appeared first on Your Purebred Puppy Blog.

Gray sable is one of the less common colors in German Shepherd dogs.

Most people think of a German Shepherd Dog as black-and-tan, and indeed, black-and-tan is the most common color in the breed.

But by no means the only color!

German Shepherds come in a variety of other colors, including black-and-red, black-and- cream, and black-and-silver. These three colors, along with black-and-tan, can cover a German Shepherd Dog in one of three “patterns”:

Saddleback or blanketback pattern, where the black color overlays the German Shepherd’s back and both sides of his body (like a saddle, or more extensively, a blanket). The rest of the dog is some shade of tan, red, cream, or silver. Most German Shepherds also have a black mask on their face.

Bicolor pattern, where the the black color overlays almost the entire dog, with the tan, red, cream, or silver markings confined to his face, throat, chest, and legs. (Same pattern as a Doberman Pinscher or Rottweiler.)

Another German Shepherd color is solid black.

A less common German Shepherd color is sable, which is an overall shade of gray, reddish, or golden-ish, with black-tipped hairs so that the dog appears to be “dusted with black.” (For those of you interested in genetics, sable is actually the “dominant” color in German Shepherds.)

Even less common are two German Shepherd colors that are frowned upon by German Shepherd purists:blue and liver. Blue German Shepherds and liver German Shepherds have inherited a color-modifying gene that dilutes their black pigment into smoky gray or brown. Blue or liver can occur as solid colors, or in any of the patterns I described earlier.

Solid white is another German Shepherd color that’s not accepted by the mainstream German Shepherd clubs. But it’s popular, nevertheless. In fact, fanciers of white German Shepherds have formed their own club.

So….German Shepherd colors include black and tan, black and red, black and cream, black and silver, gray sable, red sable, golden sable, solid black, solid white, and the dilute colors of blue or liver.

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