Keeping Your Dog From Jumping

Whenever I come across a dog who loves to come to me and jump up I think that dog really likes me. Other people are not comfortable with that idea. Many have had a bad experience with dogs in the past or are really afraid of dogs. As happy as we are to see our dogs, the last thing we want is for them to jump on us while we are wearing shorts and scratch the front of our thigh because they are so excited.

Part of the Canine Good Citizen exam requires your dog to greet people without jumping on them. Here are some things you can do, to keep your dog from jumping:

• Turn your back on them. Let's say you've just came home from work. Your dog is so excited to see you. If he or she starts to jump on you, turn your back until the dog has stopped jumping up. This way the dog learns that jumping on you is not the right way to get attention.
• Giving the dog lots of exercise will make him or her less likely to jump up on guests. If you are expecting people over, take the dog out for a long walk beforehand. Other things you can do is play fetch or take the pooch on a quick run.
• Tether your dog by tying the leash to a sturdy object. Walk away from the dog about 30 feet. Approach the dog, keep approaching if he's sitting. If he starts jumping up, stop. By the time you reach the dog, give positive reinforcement for staying seated and you can reward the dog by giving a treat.

One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is: Always use positive reinforcement!

Dogs will respond better to a calm yes than an angry no. They are simple creatures who's only aim is to please. Repetition and recall will help the dog retain the training and will give you more satisfaction in being the pack leader.

Some other resources you may want to check out are:

Books by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D.

The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
How to be the Leader of the Pack...And have Your Dog Love You For It.
The Power of Positive Dog Training

Do you have any special tricks you use?

Paws Social Media Icons

I always thought it would be cool to have social media icons for dog fans so I created this small set just using pngs. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you all are enjoying what's left of the weekend. If you would like to download, the link is below:

Paws Social Media Icons

Moonwalking

It must have been a sign. First, I see Dateline and they have a report about things we've never heard from Michael Jackson before. (Yes, I'm paraphrasing). Then, My mom calls me over to show me some dog videos. One of them turned out to be this dog moonwalking on Break.com. I then visited YouTube and found a whole slew of entertaining videos. With that I'm happy to proclaim these "TKD Videos of the Week!"

If I have to pick a favorite, it has to be the last one Liko. The dog learned to walk backwards in order not to slip on the wooden floors in their house. You have to see it to truly enjoy it. So in honor of Michael Jackson, I present to you

Moonwalking: Doggy Style!

Dog Learns To Moonwalk - Watch more Funny Videos

Where It All Began

No Music, But I Can't Turn a Blind Eye to a Pug

This is Sonny's Version. I Think He's A Chihuahua

The Grandaddy of them all! Liko the Maltese

Well, that's all for now. Hope your weekend is off to a good start. :)

More Handmade Dog Treats Part II

*Photo from Tipnut.com

We are back again with some more recipes for those of you who enjoy creating treats from scratch. If you've never made your dogs homemade treats, these should be fun to try.

Oat and Cheese Bunny Cookies

This recipe appealed to me because it doesn't use anything processed. It comes from BunnyRooBeagle.com which is a site the owner dedicated to her sweet Beagle, Bunny Roo, who has dedicated the site in her memory.
Ingredients
1 Cup Quick cooking oats - (uncooked)
1 Cup Beef broth
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Vegetable oil
1 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Wheat germ
3 Cups Whole wheat flour

Directions:
Mix everything in a large bowl. Add more flour if dough is not firm
enough. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with
desired cookie cutter (Bunny requested a rabbit shape for this
particular recipe). Place cuttouts on a lightly greased cookie
sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes. Biscuits should be
firm to the touch. Turn off oven and leave biscuits in for 60
minutes or until hard.

Apple Carrot Nibbles

These are neat because you can mix them by hand. They are ideal if your dog is allergic to wheat also.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
2 eggs
3 tbsp molasses
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 ° F
In a medium bowl, stir together the rice flour, rolled oats, and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, grated carrot, eggs, and molasses.
Make a well in the medium bowl and pour in the applesauce mixture.
Mix thoroughly until well combined.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Drop teaspoon sized clusters on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Storing & Yield: These wheat free dog treats will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. They will be good in the freezer for 4 months. The yield is approximately 70 teaspoon sized treats. You can make them larger for a larger breed dog, just be sure to bake them an additional 5-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuit Recipe with Oatmeal

What's nice about this is that it's all natural and is easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour or rice flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth (I used smooth this time)
1 1/4 cups hot water
Additional flour for rolling

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F
Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix in the peanut butter and hot water. You may need to add more water if the dough is too sticky.
Knead the dough well.
Roll out the dough into 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with dog cookie cutters.
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them cool overnight.
If you and your dog can't wait that long, cool them completely on a wire rack before serving.
After: The cookies get very hard, just the way dogs like them!

Dog Treats-Bacon Biscuit Yummies

I liked this recipe from dogrecipes.org because it's a great way to put that bacon grease to good use. There are times, my whole wheat flour does not get used, and this is a great way to make sure it won't go to waste.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 c. milk
½ c. water
10 TBSP bacon fat, melted
5 c. whole wheat flour

Directions:
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your cookie (or baking )sheet.
In a good size bowl, beat the 2 eggs. Stir in the water, bacon fat and milk until everything’s well blended.
Slowly stir in the flour until you have a nice, stiff dough.
Using your hands, roll the dough into 2 inch balls.
Place the balls on the lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool & Serve!
By the way, you’re going to want to store these bacon-flavored biscuits in the fridge.
Makes 25 biscuits.

Garlic Dog Biscuit Treats

Garlic can be touch and go with dogs. I think the pure garlic is more dangerous than garlic powder or salt. Between onion and garlic, onion is more dangerous for dogs. Still, all dogs are different. If you are hesitant to use garlic, just check with your vet or leave it out.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 c powdered dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon **garlic powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 tablespoon meat drippings
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup ice water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet.

Combine flour, dry milk, salt, garlic powder and sugar. Cut in meat drippings until mixture resembles corn meal.

Mix in egg. Add enough water so that mixture forms a ball.

Using your fingers, pat out dough onto cookie sheet to half inch
thick. Cut with cookie cutter or knife and remove scraps. Scraps can be formed again and baked.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Remove from tray and cool on rack.

Store in an airtight container.

Flea Hater's Dog Biscuits

The recipe for this was originally from marthastewart.com. If your dog is a magnet for fleas and you get tired of the usual powders and flea collars, this may be a great alternative. Remember to use caution when using garlic.

Makes about 5 dozen bone biscuits
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer’s yeast (available at health-food stores)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped medium, or 1 teaspoon powdered garlic (optional**)
1/2 cup chicken stock plus 3 tablespoons for basting
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Mix flour, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine oil and garlic. Alternately add 1/2 cup chicken stock and flour mixture in 3 parts; mix until well combined. Knead about 2 minutes by hand on floured surface; dough will be sticky.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out bone shapes; place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, rotate baking sheet, and baste with remaining 3 tablespoons chicken stock. Bake 10 minutes longer. Turn off oven, leaving oven door closed. Leave pan in oven for 1 1/2 hours longer

Savory Cheese Treats

Lastly, as some of you know, I have a cat named Kat. This seemed simple to make and practical too. For all of you who enjoy the felines, I thought I would add this recipe in just for fun...

Ingredients:
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup cornmeal

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cheeses and yogurt. Add flour and cornmeal. If needed, add a small amount of water to create a nice dough. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one inch sized pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Many of the recipes use cookie cutters. You can use a simple round one for any of these but if you want something more dog-friendly you can find them at any of these places online:

Amazon
The Cookie Cutter
Cookie Cutters and More

Without these sites, none of these recipes would be possible:

Bunny Roo Beagle
Dog Treat Kitchen
Dog Treat Recipes.org
Gourmet Sleuth
Pet Place

You may want to check out this post if you missed it:
Homemade Dog Treats Part I

Well guys, thanks for stopping in. I'm going now to pick up the girls from the beauty shop. Have a great day!

Ozzy Helps The Police

Sometimes the smallest of gestures can mean the most in life. It all started when Ozzy Osborne's son Jack appeared in a reality show called Armed and Famous. The purpose of the show was having a celebrity interact with a local police department. The police department that was part of this show, was located in Muncie, IN. Muncie is a small town that is probably best known for Ball State University. David Letterman went to Ball Stage but I never really heard of Muncie until I went for a technical theatre job interview while I was in college.

Well, now that I've gotten off the beaten path, it's time to get back on. It turns out that Muncie's oldest living police dog Rover, was being retired by the police force. He is a thirteen-year-old dog that was thriving beyond his years compared to other police dogs. Most police dogs retire at age eight or nine.

The Muncie Police Department had suffered many cutbacks. They originally had six dogs but went down to three because of budget cuts. Police dogs are much better at catching bad guys than some police officers. Their intimidation factor alone can be very powerful.

Jack Osbourne had a great experience with this department during his reality show days. Working with the Muncie police department changed his life. He is now looking into working as a police officer in the state of California.

Since the show ended, he kept in contact with one of the officers, Sargeant Jay Turner. Jack was a big part of the K-9 training in their department and forged a true appreciation for these incredible dogs. When Sargent Turner mentioned to him about Rover retiring, Jack knowing that they needed help asked his dad if he would be willing to help them. Ozzy was more than happy to help their department by footing the $10,000 to get them a new police dog.

The dog is being trained in Denver, Indiana and is expected to arrive at the end of this week. The dog will be named Ozzy of course. To help cover the new dog's costs like food and vet exams, the Fraternal Order of Police will be holding a fundraiser to defray the costs from the taxpayers.

I think this is wonderful. It's a small gesture of kindness that can go a long way. Everyone benefits and that's always a good thing. Well, what do you guys think?

As always, thanks for stopping in.

Another Article of Interest:
Police Dogs

Hogs For Dogs

The weather for the 3rd Annual Hogs for Dogs couldn't have been more perfect outside for the Heartland Animal Shelter. Over 100 motorcycle riders participated in this 15 mile ride to Northern Illinois. Being there, I sensed the strong ties that these bikers had for the animals at Heartland. One biker duo brought their Shih Tzu "Spike". Other bikers had huge stuffed dogs decorating the backs of their motorcycles in support for the cause.

Heartland Animal Shelter has been open since 2002 and is run solely by volunteers. It is a no-kill shelter that founded by Dr. Herbert Preiser, a veterinarian determined to find all animals a home. The doctor generously donated his house to the shelter and the shelter has found great success since the beginning. It offers both cats and dogs as pets. Some cats are given room to roam or look out a window while the volunteers are on duty.

This year, they've saved over 1,000 animals, and have found creative ways to have community events such as Cinco De Meow, Bow Wow Bowling and Hogs for Dogs, of course. If you would like to learn more about Heartland Animal Shelter please visit their website.

Due to the fact there was contruction on the same street that the parade was taking place, I had to snap them at the starting line. I would love to hear what you think of the pictures. Enjoy!

Hogs With Dogs

Ready to Go

Spike And His Owners

And They're Off

Shelter Dogs

Shelter Cats

Looking for a Home

A Newer Arrival

You also want to check out:

Woofstock 2009
Loew's Surf Dog Competition

Wiener Dog Races from Cincinnati

Weiner Puppies

The Weiner Dog Races started about three years ago as part of Cincinnati's Oktoberfest. Any dog who is entered has to wear a hot dog bun on them. I got such a kick watching the video, I thought I would share it with you all. I had to do it as a link because it was automatically playing when I tried to embed it here. It's really cute though, the video is played with the Chicken Dance music in the background. Well guys, I'm off to breakfast with Mom. Enjoy the photos and have a wonderful day! :)

*Special thanks to Cincinnati.com

Racing Dogs

Weiner Dog Races Video

Charlie, the 2009 Winner

Coyotes

Sunning Coyote by Richard Spencer

This week I read about how Jessica Simpson's dog was snatched away by a coyote. Ozzy Osborne lost his little Pomeranian to a coyote during the summer when he let his dog out in the yard, while he and his wife were inside watching the tribute to Michael Jackson. These are examples of what happened to famous celebrities. One can only imagine how many times it has happened closer to home.

Coyotes are wild animals. When they are around humans they shy away from them. In recent years, they have been able to adapt to our urban environments. Many people feel sorry for them by feeling they should give them a little food since they are hungry. However, this tells coyotes that the person who gave them food is a source for food. They will think nothing of becoming aggressive towards that well-meaning person.

Adapting to city life coyotes range between 30 to 45 pounds (13.6 to 20.4kg). It's nothing for them to swipe an unsuspecting 10 pound dog,cat, or small child. In fact, cats are even more susceptible to their attacks than dogs.

If these animals are in your area, it is best to do the following:

• Keep all food inside

Leaving your food outside your back door or inside your garage is a huge magnet for this animals. They will dig through whatever they can to get to it.


• Keep your dogs on a leash or keep them close by.

Jessica Simpson's dog Daisy was standing right by her when that coyote swooped in and took off with her. It happened so fast because that is how coyotes are. I can only imagine how she felt when she saw it all go down. Larger dogs are not a target but large-breed puppies are just as much of a target as small-breed adult dogs.


• Keep your cat indoors

Years ago, it was common to let your cat to let your cat outside. Now, there are too many threats to a cat being outdoors like cars and predators. I've had my Kat for 9 years and never let her outside because I've been too afraid of what could happen to her. Luckily, she's enjoyed living as an indoor cat and has plenty of favorite spots to hang out.


• Act Aggresively!

Attempt to frighten away coyotes by making loud noises (e.g., shouting, air horn) and acting aggressively (e.g., waving your arms, throwing sticks, spraying with a hose).


• Don't Give Them A Hiding Place!

Close off crawl spaces under porches and sheds that coyotes or other animals may use.

These are just a few tips for you all. If you would like to read some more please visit this site.

Lastly, thanks for all stopping by. If you have any coyote stories you'd like to share, please don't be shy about leaving a comment. I'll be back with more posts this weekend.

Homemade Dog Treats Part I

There are many different dog treats on the market. With the U.S. economy being uncertain, people are cutting back where they can. Some of you may have dogs that are really finicky (like my Gigi). Others may love to bake for their dogs. This post is for all of those people and all the dog owners intrigued by the idea. Below are six recipes that I thought were the most practical and dog-friendly out of the many out there in the world on the internet. In fact, there are so many good ones out there, I had to make more than one post.

Munchy Crunchy Meat Treats

by Erik

This seems like it would be very tasty. (When buying baby food, make sure that it doesn't have a high concentration of onion powder.)
Ingredients
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup water
5 tsp. chicken or beef broth
1 jar baby food meat (any flavour)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients well. Form into a ball. Roll dough out on a floured surface. Cut out desired shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Let cool. The treats should be hard and crunchy.

Favorite Dog Biscuits

These seem healthy yet tasty. Also the creator of this recipe has an excellent breakdown of the ingredients.

People can eat these too, but the sugarless dough is bitter before baking to its toasty flavored hard-texture which rivals that of bones. Peanut butter is used for flavor, egg as a binder, cereal for texture, powdered milk for nutrition and garlic for flea prevention. No salt or cornmeal since cornmeal is difficult to digest. If your dog can't tolerate eggs, add additional water to make a dough that is just slightly sticky.

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups multi-grain oatmeal or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/4 cups water
1 large egg (or omit and use water - see note above)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
peanut butter to taste


Adjust a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the flour, oats, wheat germ and powdered milk in a large bowl to blend thoroughly. Blend water, peanut butter and egg in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add garlic to dry ingredients, then add all dry ingredients to wet and stir until blended.

Dough will be stiff, so use your hands- it will be easier. roll or pat dough into a 1/2 inch thickness, cut our biscuit shapes with a 3-inch bone shape cookie cutter. Reroll scraps and continue until dough is gone. Place cookies on baking sheet and bake for about 90 minutes. For crisper, drier biscuits bake a total of three hours.

Store well-dried biscuits in an air-tight container - leave the container open for a few days to make sure they are completely dry.

Yield: three dozen

Tempting Training Chews

This one seems like it wouldn't be hard, and has an interesting combination of ingredients. Applesauce and grated cheese (my guess is parmesan would be a good bet)--Who knew?


Ingredients

2 1/3 cup flour- whole wheat or all purpose
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup non-fat powdered milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Roll the dough out to size of a cookie sheet.Place on lightly greased sheet. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and create small pieces. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cool for a few hours. The treats will keep hardening the longer that you leave them. Break apart. Store covered. You can also freeze them. For training dogs use small sizes.

Heavenly Health Dog Biscuits

by KT Baldie

This was created for dogs who are allergic to corn or wheat. Some dogs are just as allergic to corn as they are wheat. My brother's Chinese Crested Harry, is practically allergic to everything. For those of you who have been looking for a treat, for these types of dogs, this may do the trick.

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup golden flax seeds
2/3 cup brewers' yeast
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup brown rice flour
2 cups oat flour
2 tablespoons organic raw sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two cookie sheets.
Combine oats, flax seeds, brewer's yeast, cheese, rice flour, oat bran flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together chicken broth and eggs; mix with oat mixture to make a fairly stiff dough.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls, then flatten into discs. (Or, roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 or 3/8 inch thick and cut into 1-inch x 1 1/2-inch rectangles.) Place on cookie sheets 3/4 inch apart.
Bake until dry and the edges turn a light golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool before serving.

Cheesy Bacon Biscuits

Even though this has salt, the brown sugar and vanilla seem to balance it out. It looks really intriguing because dogs seem to love both of the main ingredients.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups regular oats, uncooked
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup wheat germ
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled

Combine flour, soda and salt; mix well and set aside. Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, mixing well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 16 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for a minute or so before removing to cooling rack.

Veggie Bones

This is a good choice for vegetarians who like their dogs to be the same. The ingredients seem to be easy to get and are very practical too.

Ingredients
3 cups minced parsley
1/4 cup carrots, chopped very fine
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack on middle level. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Stir together parsley, carrots, cheese, and oil. combine all the dry ingredients and add to veggies. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water, mixing well. Make a moist but not wet dough. If needed, add a little more water. Knead for one minute.

roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using cookie cutter or a glass, cut out the shapes and transfer them to the baking sheet. Gather the scraps and reroll and cut.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until biscuits have browned and hardened slightly. (They will harden more as they cool.) Speed cooling by placing them on wire racks. Store in airtight tin.

Here are the websites I used for this post, in case you would like something else to try:

All Recipes
Homemade Dog Treats
Dog Park.com
Bullwrinkle

Also, if biscuits aren't your style, you may want to check out doggy ice cream. Well thanks for stopping by. Don't be shy about leaving comments as you know I love to hear from you.

America's Most Loveable Pets!

Do you have a picture of your dog that's totally lovable? Well then you may want to enter it in America's Most Loveable Pets. Sponsored by PEOPLEPets.com, this contest is running through October 23rd . To qualify you need to send in a picture no larger than 2000px X 2000px or 5mb and tell them what you pet does which is so lovable.

The best thing about this contest is the pet will win $3,000 and the winning pet will be shown on The Wheel Of Fortune during its Pet Lovers Week (November 30 to December 4).

Another contest you may want to check out instead is shown in the post I wrote called the Cutest Dog Competition.

I would love to hear about your most lovable dog pics. Better yet, share them with us in the comments section. I hope you all are having a great day.

Pug Village

Click here for photo credit

Hi Everyone!

This week, I was finishing up my friends website. I am so happy that it's done. Because I was working to finish it up, I just now was able to get back blogging. No more excuses there though. If any of you would like to see it it's located at MCYO.

Still, the real story of the week was this website I discovered a few weeks ago. Have you ever owned a Pug? My mom has always wanted one and is hoping her next dog will be that breed. It's called Pug Village. This is a site that truly embraces the Pug breed of dog. It is one of the most detailed and accurate sites I have ever seen about a specific breed. It helps determine if the Pug is a right breed for you or not and gives all of the aspects of owning this dog, whether good or bad. It even has a forum for fellow owners to discuss various Pug topics.

Well I hope the weekend is being good to you. Thanks for stopping in and if any of you guys have stories of this beloved breed, I'd love to hear them. Please feel free to drop a comment or email. Good night everyone.

iPhone Web Apps

One day, a few months back I was browsing the Apple web site. I came across some of these web apps that were originally designed by the iPhone developers. Below you will find some of the ones that may be worth checking out:

1. Tic Tac Toe - Cats Versus Dogs

This is one of the cutest ways to play Tic Tac Toe I've ever seen. It's created by 1 Web Apps and is lots of fun.
Cats vs. Dogs
or you can play Puppies vs. Kittens for something different.
2. Dog Solitaire
This is a great way to play solitaire online. It's one-card style only but the dog photos one the cards are well worth the time. You can find it here. There's also Puppy Solitaire does have the three card option and is made by iFun 4 Free.

3. Dog Years Calculator
This is a neat way to find out what the age of your dog would be in human years or vice versa. Dog Years Calculator can be found here.

4. Puppy Puzzles
Are you the type that likes a good puzzle? You might enjoy this app.
5. Red Dog is a game where the object is to wager that the drawn card falls between the first and second drawn cards. Red Dog is also known as Acey-Deucey, Between the Sheets, and In the Middle. If you love gambling games, you should try it. To play it just click RED DOG.

* Extra Web App *
This is for all the cat lovers out there. It's called Kitty Cat Match and is fun if you're the type who loves Memory. It times you and is a sound way to destress. Check it out...Kitty Catch Match.

Well, thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed these web applications as much as I did. If you have an iPhone, you may want to see There's An App For That.

A Day At The Dog Park

With summer starting to wind down, I was hoping to take the dogs to the beach one more time. Due to the possibility of rain, our trip changed to the local dog park. One of the ideas my friend Pat and I tried me backing up and having Pat hold on to them. When I got quite a distance away, they would run towards me. These types of sprints are a great way to expend an energetic dog's energy. Below are some pictures from that day.

Running to me

Cookie is First to Finish

Gigi After a Tough Workout

For all of you who would like other ways to exercise your dogs, you may want to check out:

Workouts for Owners and Dogs
Dog Agility
The Benefits of Walking Your Dog Part I
The Benefits of Walking Your Dog Part II

If any of you guys did some interesting activities with your dog this weekend, please leave a comment. Hope you all have a great day!

There's An App For That

The iPhone is like no other. The interface is one of a kind and the amount of applications the iTunes store sells is too numerous to count. With all the applications out there, I found these twenty to be the most interesting for dog lovers. All of these applications can be used for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Free Apps

1. Dog Sounds


This application helps users identify what different breeds of dogs sound like. System: Apple 2.2 OS or later.


2. DogYears


Have you ever wonder how old your dog is in human years or ever wonder how old you are in dog years? Well, now you can with DogYears. DogYears is a Dog to Human and Human to Dog Age converter for your iPhone or iPod Touch. System: Apple 2.2 OS or later.



3. iPet Dogs


This is a social iPhone app for dog lovers. This allows you to adopt your own pet and interact with other friends use the application. This is for iPhone OS 2.1 or later.


4. Off Leash


This application by the Eukanuba pet food company enables you to find places where you can take your dog off-leash. It's always nice to know that a cool dog park is closer than you thought. This is for iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later.


5. Petcentric Places


This app is good for dog fans looking for places that are pet friendly. It also tells you about pet friendly events in your area. This is for iPhone OS 3.0 or later.


6. Puppy Pix


We all love puppies, especially the cutest ones! Check out this application to download, rate, and share amazingly adorable puppy pictures.
Think you've got an even cuter puppy? Then add them to the mix by adding a photo directly from your iPhone and see what everyone else thinks.
This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.


7. Screen Cleaner


This is the cutest way to have your device's screen cleaned. This app employs three very cute dogs to lick your screen clean. Simply choose one of the three dogs, and the dog you choose will lick your screen clean!

The developers plan on updating the three dogs featured in this program, while all of the dogs in the Screen Cleaner Pro App. Choose carefully to update, as your favorite dog may be replaced by another breed or a cute new doggy replacement. (12 dogs seems like a bargain to me!)

Get the original screen cleaning app which features 3 dogs for free, and 12 dogs with Screen Cleaner Pro which is $.99.
This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.



Paid Apps



8. Adorable iSlider Puzzles Puppy Edition $.99


This is good for people who like jigsaw puzzles, games, or brain teasers. Great to do while you're waiting at the doctor's office. This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.


9. Advice Dog $.99



This app contains a collection of the greatest Advice Dog moments: -Giant collection, with custom moments including: Emo Advice Dog, Japanese Advice Dog, etc... Can go through the story mode in order, or randomized. This is for iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later. No need to be connected to the internet.


10. Bark 'N' Woof Ultimate Sound Box $.99



You can shake / tap or use semi-auto (tilt iPhone/iPod) or full-auto loop mode for non stop wOoF action. These are cool sound effects that should get your dog's attention. This is for iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later.


11. Cute Dogs $.99




Do you spend countless hours at school or work visiting websites like: icanhascheezburger, cuteoverload, dailypuppy, and dailykitten? Have you ever received a coffee mug with an image of your pet printed on it as a gift? This iPhone application will deliver a brand new cute dog picture straight to your phone every single day! This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.


12. Cutest Puppies $.99


This application is a photo gallery for puppies. The best thing about this is the faxt that you never have to update, it does it automatically with new pictures for the life of the application. Sounds like a good bet to me.This is for iPhone OS 3.0 or later.


13. Dog-A-Log $.99


An application that gives you all the information on dogs from Wikipedia a dog fan could want. What's better is that the developers are constantly updating it.

Dogs are sorted into groups by name, and you also have the ability to do a rudimentary search of the dogs. This should make it easier for finding information on the dog that you are interested in. This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.


14. Dog Piano


Lackadaisical pets? Unruly children? Insatiable need to annoy everyone around you? Dog Piano is the answer. It's like having a box of wiener dogs — in your pocket. Dazzle your friends. Serenade your pets. Start a band with Cat Piano. Everyone will love your doggy style.


15. Dog Proverbs $.99


This app will show you a Dog Proverb every time you shake or tap your iPhone. I think this would be one that would make a person smile. Choose a hilarious sound. Just tap the speaker icon and play it for extra Umph. There's a search screen to quickly find your favorite comeback.This is for iPhone OS 2.0 or later.


16. Dog Symptoms by PetMD $2.99


It may be pricier than most apps, but the PetMD Topic Center gives you fast and convenient access to hundreds of Dog Health Topics on the go. If you're always wondering about these things, this scientifically written application is a good bet. It is based off of the PetMD website. This is for iPhone OS 3.0 or later.



17. Dog Training Guide-Silent Whistle $.99


Whistler Features whistles from 8 kHz to 22 kHz. They also mimic a human whistle.
There's lots of different types of whistles you can do with this app. You can even use the ultrasound whistle as a form of a human hearing test. Find out how your ears match up to others in your age group. Pretty wild, don't you think? This is for iPhone OS 3.0 or later.


18. iSqueek $1.99


iSqueek is the first virtual squeak-toy that reacts realistically to your touch. Each toy compresses and expands utilizing the iPhone's unique touch screen and speaker capabilities. iSqueek includes 18 individual toys, each with its own unique action and sound. Press on a toy longer, or shorter, to create longer, or shorter, sound bursts and gain the attention of your dog. Choose from the many colorful squeak-toys to find the one your dog loves best. iSqueek will remember which toy you last selected, so that a favorite squeak will always be ready with one touch. Even if "squeek" is spelled wrong, (maybe it's an artistic choice?) this looks like loads of fun
This is for iPhone OS 3.0 or later.


19. Pix Pop Dogs $.99


This is a matching game. The developers of this game say "Find it, pop it! This addictive new game is a joy to look at and even more fun to play. It's a hit with people who like matching games, jigsaw puzzles, hidden objects, and other visually engaging games."
This is for iPhone OS 2.1 or later .

20. Puppy Jumper $.99


Wouldn't this be a great way to spend a lazy day?

The object of the game is to help Ollie the dog clean up Puppyville by recycling bottles and cans. Make sure Ollie jumps over the puppies as he races through the town on his skateboard.

Tap anywhere on the screen to make Ollie jump. The one-touch jump control is great for casual gaming anywhere you can hold the iPhone/iPod Touch with one hand.

The further you go and the more bottles and cans you collect, the faster the gameplay gets. How far can you go and how many bottles and cans can you collect? Find out and post your high scores to the board.
This is for iPhone OS 2.1 or later.

Now for those of you who don't own anything like an iPhone or iPod (including myself), I will be writing a follow-up post called web apps. If you would like a place to browse App Shopper is an ideal place. If you are always looking for the latest deal, then don't miss AppGiveaway for the latest promotional codes. Some of the paid apps have free light versions but I guess it all depends on how much you're going to use them.

Well, thanks for stopping in. I would love to hear your favorite iPhone apps or any other feedback concerning this article. Have a great day!

Dogs and Autistic Children

Kaleb Drew, Nichelle, Kelsey (7) and Chewey

Now that many children are back in school, every school district will have its independent challenges to deal with. There are two school districts one being in Lake Villa, Illinois and the other in Columbia, Illinois which have a unique challenge. Two of their students both are autistic and are in the midst of a battle to be able for their children to be accompanied by their service dogs. Kaleb attends first grade in Lake Villa which is close to the Wisconsin border. Chewey his dog was trained to be his service dog.

In Columbia, Illinois which is just outside of St. Louis, Carter Kalbfleisch was initially told that his service dog Corbin could not accompany him to school. His parents had spent $11,500 in training so that it would not be difficult transition for the teachers to work with the dog.

Having an autistic service dog is a huge responsibility for the school district to shoulder. Still, if it means the difference between an autistic child assimilating better into this new environment, then how can it be a detriment to the school.

The biggest challenge would be the fact that it affects children with allergies. However, autistic children are in special education classes. They are much smaller than a regular classroom. If there are no students in that classroom with no allergies, then how could this be a bad thing?

Children in special education classes are given that extra attention because their require more attention. Service dogs are around to make life easier for all of those around them. These dogs will help calm a child in the middle of an autistic fit much more quickly. These dogs are trained to protect the children from darting out and possibly running into oncoming traffic outside the school.

Schools have the necessary education programs that accommodate special needs children best. Special needs children can't be home schooled as easily as non-special needs kids. Schools are one of the best places to teach learning and acceptance. As long as the service dog has been adequately trained, and all precautions have been made, then how is this a bad thing? It's not something that would be easy, but it is possible with patience, understanding and tolerance.

Have any of you experienced a situation in your home town? Personally, since I do not have children, I've never dealt with this topic firsthand. What about you? Do you think this is a great idea or too much of a risk?

If you would like to read more about these two boys, you can check these stories out:

Associated Press
The Bend Bulletin

St. Louis Today If you would like to read more about service dogs, be sure to check Diabetes Detection Dogs as well.

As always, thanks for stopping in. The weekend is almost here. Have a great Thursday.

Video of the week: Cute and Happy Dogs

Do you ever have one of those days where your want to write it off like last year's taxes? One of the ways I like to forget about a bad day is to counteract it with something really happy and light. That tactic helped me find this video which I'm sharing with you guys. You have to hear the song because it's called Best Days and is just what the doctor orders. Look, listen and enjoy!

Most of all, thanks to you all for stopping in. Hope you all are having a great week! Peace and love to you all. :)

A Sign That Your Dog Is Hungry

There are some dogs that love to eat. Others, are more particular, like my dog Gigi who will eat a kernel here and there when she is fed in the morning. Gigi, is a dog who has a sensitive stomach. So, I've learned through trial and error that I have to really look for the right food that will be gentler on her system.

Before I got to that point, I was buying typical dog food. Two mornings in a row, my Gigi seemed to have an upset stomach and sure enough, she threw up a clear yellow liquid. That liquid turned out to be bile.

It's always best to take your dog to the doctor when you find a situation like this. However, I was curious to see if there were any other pet owners who had similar problems with their dogs. With Gigi not even being two yet, I couldn't imagine it being a health issue. Plus, I would be taking her to the vet in the next couple of weeks.

After doing a Google search I did come across some owners who were in some similar situations. It turned out that the majority of dogs experience a case like Gigi's don't have enough food in their stomach. The bile builds up from the lack of food and well, you know the rest.

So, after I found a new type of food, I gave her some kernels in the morning by making it into a game for her. It may be spoiling her a little, but I wanted to know if that was the problem. After she would up eating some food, she didn't get sick that day. It's ideal to feed your dog twice a day to keep their food intake in balance. Some owners feed more, others less, but it all depends on your dog, I suppose.

That was about a week ago. Since then, she's stayed pretty consistent and is now eating better. It's funny how little changes can make a big difference. Sometimes just giving your dog a treat can suffice if the dog isn't into the food you have. I

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by and if you have any stories you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them. Hope you all have a great day.