The Blender

I bet you think this is about a dog who can operate a blender. While it may be a great guess, this is actually about the news.

I was looking at the news on the net and came across not one but three stories that really stood out. Being Friday, I like my stories to be light. However, sometimes the news just can't wait till the weekend's up. Anyhow, I found a mix of all kinds to share with you before the weekend starts.

THE GOOD

Photo by the Daily Mail

Sabi, a 10-year-old Labrador Retriever who worked with the Australian Military, was thought to have been gone for good. 14 months ago, she was lost in the Afghanistan desert while in the midst of a battle. It's very rare for a dog to survive by itself but Sabi not only survived but came back in excellent health. So good in fact, it's believed that she was cared for by a human during that time.

She was initially found by an American soldier who could tell she was a military dog. It was an amazing stroke of luck that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had made a surprise visit the same day the dog's announcement was to be made. After she passes veterinary tests, Sabi will be sent back to her Australian homeland to live and enjoy life as a retired military dog. For more on the story, find it here.

THE SAD

Some of you may remember Oreo. She was the dog who was thrown of a Brooklyn roof last June. After surviving two broken legs and a broken rib, the incident had affected her in the worst possible way. It turns out that she is too aggressive to be adopted. She was given the best care, had therapy for two months and seen by a specialist. None of that was enough to keep her from growling and snapping at her handler.

Photo by Hiroko Masuike

With all the inquiries about adoption, it's a shame that this dog was too traumatized to trust people ever again. The ASPCA did everything they could to rehabilitate her, but it just was not enough. The only silver lining I can find is that the person responsible pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on December 1st.
Read the Associated Press article.

THE TRIUMPHANT

Another story in the news that caught my eye was the story of Kaleb Drew. He was the 6-year-old boy who could not have his service dog for autism at his school. Today, the Illinois Court allowed him to have Chewy accompany him to his school.

Personally, I think this is a good thing. Service dogs are taught to serve and they are taught to protect. This will teach kids that dogs aren't just a pet, and that they do special jobs just as some human beings do.

Photo by Robin Scholz for the St. Louis Dispatch

More about this...

Related Posts
Dogs and Autistic Children
Two Stories of Miraculous Survival

I hope you found these as worthwhile as I did. What are your thoughts on any of these stories? Thanks for stopping in and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Dog Sweaters

Their Origins

Dogs first started wearing clothing in King Arthur's time in Britain (around 520 A.D.). Since knights had put coverings on their horses to protect them from their elements, they had the same idea for their dogs since they would travel with them. Now, you normally see them dressed up for fashion, some do dress up their dogs for warmth.

I never thought much about dog sweaters until Elvis joined my family. Elvis was a Rhodesian Ridgeback that my brother had picked up from a local breeder. Since Elvis was a short haired dog, he would need a sweater in the winter to protect him against the harsh winter elements. We always picked up a knit sweater from Pet Supplies Plus every season. It really made a difference with Elvis too. You could tell from looking at him that he didn't mind wearing the sweater at all. He has since passed but I will always remember how much sweaters helped him through our rough winters.

Dog Sweater Breeds

If you live in a cold weather climate and have a short-haired dog, if your dog falls into one of these breeds, you may want to get them a sweater for winter. Most of these dogs have short hair and/or thin skin. However, some short-haired dogs have a dense enough coat. If that's the case, you probably won't need a sweater for them. Here are some dog breeds that can fall into this category:

• Basenjis


• Chihuahuas


• Chinese Crested


• Dalmations


• Dachshunds


• Great Danes


• Greyhounds


• Italian Greyhounds


• Weinmaraners


• Xoloitzcuintle(Mexican Hairless Dog


• Yorkshire Terriers

What to look for

When you are looking for a good sweater for a dog, you want to find one in a knit that doesn't shed much fibers. If you have a dog with allergies, you will want to check the fabric contents to make sure it doesn't aggravate their allergies. Measuring a dog is important. The best fit for a dog sweater is by measuring the largest diameter of the chest area. Some packaged sweaters will give you a breed size, others will give a measurement in inches so it's always good to measure beforehand. Most sweaters are priced starting at $10.00. If you love to knit, you can make your own. There is a very good resource at this site.

Where To Get One

Chilly Dog
Dog Supplies.com
Etsy
Petco
PetSmart
Pet Supplies Plus

Related Posts
Acc essory of the Week: Dog Raincoat

Do any of you use sweaters for your dog?

More Dog Fonts

Hi All! I was looking on the web for more fonts for this site. I can only put the links on the blog. These are some really creative dog fonts out there. The uses for these are endless. Just click on the font and it will take you to the download page. Most of these are dingbats but there are one or two letter fonts that I couldn't resist. These are all made for PCs

Font Name	Font Type	License
Blue's Clues	TTF	Free
Cats vs. Dogs	TTF	Free
Doggie Print	TTF	Free
Ennobled Font	TTF	Free
FL Firehouse	TTF	Free for Personal Use
Good Dog	TTF	Free
Good Dog OTF	OTF	Free
JLR Doggon	TTF	Free
Kiltro	TTF	Free
Summer's Doggie Bone	TTF	Free
Puppins	TTF	Shareware
WM Animals	TTF	Free for Personal Use

Other Dog Art Resource Posts

Dog Fonts
Paws Social Media Icons

So while we are on this topic, what are your favorite fonts? Leave a comment and share.

Sometimes They Can Get Along!

CATS AND DOGS

I've always heard that cats and dogs don't get along. Since Friday is here, I thought I would do a pictorial piece that shows some who do. (I've always thought that having both is the best of both worlds). As some of you may know, in addition to Cookie and Gigi, I have a cat named Kat (who is also called Katerina). Gigi loves her and Cookie loves to chase her.

Anyhow, this post is dedicated to all the posters who have a soft spot for felines. If any of you have both, I would love to hear about them. Have a great weekend you guys!

Four Cats and a Dog

Peas in a Pod

Bed Mates

Gathered for a Nap

Hello There!

Just Snoozin'

What Next?

More Photo Posts
Dog Photos
The Dogs of Summer
Hogs for Dogs

Resources for More Photos
Morgue File
Wikimedia Commons

Dogs in the News: One to Ten

You ever have those days where you come across a story that's too good to pass up? Well, I came upon this story from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

How It Began

It all started when Gary DeNicola was driving to a Sunday brunch. He noticed a small reddish dog wandering through a traffic intersection. Not wanting it to get hurt, he took it to his home and was planning to take her to the shelter the next morning. Little did he know, that this little dog was pregnant. In fact, she wound up giving birth while she was staying in his back yard to nine puppies.

The Next Day

The next day when he had called the local shelters, he ran into the same thing. All of the shelters were full, mostly because financially struggling families couldn't afford to care for their animals so they gave them up. One shelter even required to give the newborn pups vaccination shots before they would be accepted. It's believed that her owners gave her up when they learned she was pregnant. They looked for a microchip and there wasn't one to be found.

Where Does One Go From Here

Around Thanksgiving, one of the shelters will have expanded their space. If Mr. DeNicola still has puppies, they will take them in.Right now, Gary is doing what he can to help these dogs by keeping them in an area of his basement. He has a 12-year-old Cairn Terrier named Tiger who has been a solo dog for quite some time, so he's keeping the pups separate to avoid territorial issues with his dog.

He also has some neighbors who are helping him to find good permanent homes. His neighbor's three-year-old son named the mother Ruby for her reddish color. He has succeeded in finding Ruby a permanent home when she's done nursing the 5 week puppies. He's not planning to take in any puppies himself, but you never know.

If you or someone you know would like to take in one of these cute pups you can e-mail Gary at gdenic@aol.com. If you would like to read more about this story visit this website.

Other Dogs In The News Stories

Coming Home
The $32,000 Flight
Two Stories of Miraculous Survival
Still Shocked
Puppy Flushed Down the Toilet

Have any of you been in similar situations? Thanks for stopping in.

When Your Dog Is Beyond Chubby

The Aha Moment

I decided to take both dogs on a long walk on Halloween. A huge part of this was to tire Cookie out so that she wouldn't be barking like a maniac when the trick or treaters came to visit. It turned out to be a day full of surprises.

I had found a grassy area and decided I would run them for a little. Cookie tended to get tired out easily but Gigi came to life running in a set of circles just like she did when I got her a year ago. In that moment, I realized that I had not been doing enough to give my dogs adequate exercise. I was being cautious with Cookie because of her injury. However, time has passed since then and she has recovered pretty well and Gigi's higher activity level was not being met. Both wound up calmer that day and weren't as antsy as they usually are.

Our Society Today

The way our dogs live, is a direct result of how we raise them. We all slack off now and then. I myself have done so on more than one occasion. However, four out of ten dogs are either overweight of obese in the U.S. While there are medical factors as well as some breeds having a disposition to a slow metabolism, this post isn't about those dogs. Some of the breeds that tend to gain weight easily are: Golden Retrievers, Bassett Hounds, Pugs, Cocker Spaniels (like Cookie) and Collies.

For some dogs, giving them an extra dog treat a day is like us having an extra candy bar. Giving them table scraps isn't much help either. It can just make them more finicky and throws their feeding schedule off track. Dogs are best when they have a solid routine for feeding and exercise. Our society has changed from having a more physical workday to having a more sedentary one, especially with all of the technology we have.

Even now, there's even a drug by Pfizer called Slentrol which was created for dog obesity. I think any drugs for that should be used as a last resort, but after cruising their site, they do have a great obesity risk indicator.

If you feel that your dog doesn't have the energy that he did compared to when you first brought him or her home, then you may want to step up the exercise regimen and/or reduce calorie intake. Doing this gradually is the best method. Dogs don't become obese overnight and it's not healthy for them to lose weight that way either.

Steps for prevention

Watch the fat content! Dry dog food can contain anywhere from 11 to 16 per cent fat. If you feel you're feeding them the right amount of food, then you may want to switch to a food with a lower percentage fat content. Some of you may want to make your own food for them. When you do that, there's less preservatives involved but it can be time consuming.

Make time for exercise! Many days can be really stressful. Sometimes the last thing a person wants to do is go out and exercise. Really, it helps both the person and the dog because it helps to release the stress.

While Cookie is overweight, she is still healthy enough to enjoy a run or chase the neighborhood squirrel. Anything extra I'm doing for her now, is to improve her quality of life as she gets into her senior years. Also, I aim to keep Gigi as active as she used to be.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do?

Well thanks for stopping by. I hope your week is off to a good start.

Related Posts and Articles
The benefits of walking your dog part I
The Benefits of walking your dog part II
Obesity in Dogs
Preventing Dog Obesity

Halloween Parade

Cookie, Me and Gigi before the Parade

I've never been one who's been big on Halloween. I really hadn't done much with this holiday since I was a kid. Then one day, a couple of my friends convinced me to wear a costume. I discovered how much fun dressing up could really be.

A few weeks ago, I was in Target with my mom, we came across the pet Halloween costumes. Since Cookie barks like crazy at all of the trick or treaters, I thought it would be a good idea to have her dressed up. So Cookie will be a ladybug and Gigi will be a Pumpkin.

Flash forward to last Saturday. A local nursery was having a pet parade. There were over 81 dogs that participated. They took our picture. One of the dogs was Cinderella who won the Most Creative costume. Another dog, a Boston Terrier, was dressed for the Boston Tea Party, and received Most Breed Appropriate. It was on the cold side (48 degrees F, 9 degrees C) so I was all zipped up in the photos.

Cinderella with her Pumpkin Coach

Below are some of those photos, I thought I would share.

Gigi talking to an Astronaut

Going As Bananas

A True Cub Fan

Hot Diggety Dog!

Monkey Dog

A Pair of Super Dogs, both Boston Terriers!

Dan the Watch Dog, (pun intended!)

What are you all doing for Halloween this year? Well, whatever you do, I hope you all have a safe and happy one. Thanks for stopping in.

Gigi After Dental Surgery

Hello Everyone! Just wanted to let you know that Gigi turned out to be a real trooper. Everything went ok. We still don't know what caused the tooth to crack but did learn that her tooth was like this for quite some time.

I will bringing her in for a follow up visit because the area that the tooth was removed from was large and she needed sutures. I also will be administering pain medication and antibiotics until the prescription runs out. Now that the initial medication has worn off, Gigi is feeling the soreness from the extraction. Still, even after all that, it was well worth it, and the peace of mind knowing she'll be more herself now is priceless.

Thanks again for stopping by. Have a great day.

An Extraction for Gigi

Last week, I was brushing the dogs' teeth. While I was working on Gigi, I was spot cleaning an area with the brush. I heard a click that sounded like something cracked. As it turned out, she did have a small crack in her teeth. I immediately called the doctor and set up an appointment.

As it turned out, she had a slab crack. It's a rare occurrence where a dog has a cracked tooth, as in Gigi's case. It's even rarer when the dog is as young as she is (two years old). Tuesday, I'll be taking her in for a teeth cleaning, where part of the process is putting the dog under anesthesia. As part of the preparation, I have to give her 1.5 tablets of Clavamox (amoxicillin trihydrate clavulante potassium is the scientific name) two times a day with food.

It turns out that smaller breeds such as the Chinese Crested, Poodles are prone to having bad teeth. Hairless dogs like Chinese Crested and Xoloitzcuintle have a gene mutation that causes them to be hairless. It's that same gene mutation that causes their teeth to be weak. With smaller breeds like Lhasas and poodles, which Gigi is a mix of both, it seems that it's due to the teeth being spaced more closely together and as a result, plaque builds up in greater amounts.

Strange as it may seem, Greyhounds are also prone to having bad teeth. Many Greyhounds are given soft food as their meal during their racing days. As a result, they are going to have more plaque and future teeth problems. When they retire, some of them will have weakened teeth.

For those of you who may want to learn more about oral hygiene for canines, you may want to check out:

Dental Hygiene
Greenies

Thank you all for stopping by. I will write a follow-up post to let you all know how Gigi's surgery/cleaning goes. Bye for now.

Bo Obama Six Months Later

Official White House Portrait

In April, we got to see Bo Obama become the newest member of the White House. Since then, he's been a busy pup.

In the summer, the White House released an official portrait of Bo. Not only does he have a portrait, but he also has a special baseball card and also a greeting card.

In August, he accompanied the First Family to Martha's Vineyard. There's even a Twitter account in his honor which you can find here.

Cappy, Bo's Brother

Most importantly, Bo turned a year-old. He had the opportunity to celebrate with his brother Cappy. Bo's birthday was October 9th, the same day the President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize.


Here's wishing you a great weekend. As always, share your favorite comment or thought about our First Dog.

Related Posts
Bo's Arrival
Checking in with Bo