Prison Dogs Rehab Program

I was with my mom the other day. While she was reading the paper, she showed me an article about how dogs are being used to rehabilitate prisoners. The prisoners in the article were not cold-blooded, rather young women who would up serving time in situations such as shoplifting. One of the girls who was in the program was planning on getting her GED after finishing out the program. Working to help her dog gave he a new hope. Being able to work with and help train a dog helped her realize what was really important in life.

There have been many programs sprouting up in this country as well as some places abroad. Dogs are brought into minimum and medium security prisons to let model inmates train them. Some dogs are trained so they can be socialized, others are trained to be therapy dogs. There's also a small fraction of dogs who are trained to be assistance dogs such as guide dogs.

With hard work and patience, life has more meaning for those serving time in prison. Yes, their crimes are what got them there in the first place, but after an inmate has served their time, what do they do afterwards? These type of programs give the inmates hope and a chance to start fresh.

The beauty of these programs is that it gives the prisoners a chance work in a situation where they are not judged. Since dogs love unconditionally, they don't need to put up walls or pretend to be something they're not. It helps prisoners to realize that there is hope for them when they finish their sentence. They get the reward of knowing they've helped make a dog's life better and fuller as a result of their hard work.

If you would like to read more about how these programs work you may want to check out 4Paws For Ability or Neads. Neads.org has an incredible video that really captures the essence of why these programs are so special.

Well, thanks for stopping in. I hope that you all are having a great day.

Petco Chihuahua Races Update

Bella

The Petco Chihuahua Races National Championship was originally supposed to happen this weekend. However, due to the fact that Tropical Storm Danny is headed for the New York Coast, it was cancelled in the best interest of the pets' safety. Petco will be rescheduling the contest for later this year.

While learning about the fate of the contest, I read an incredible story I'd like to share with you. In the Chicago regional final, one of the dogs Bella, whom is pictured above wound up winning second place. What is so special about that? Well, it turned out that Bella had ruptured her cranial cruciate ligament. Many of you may remember that Cookie had a similar injury. While Cookie has been lucky enough to not have surgery, —the only trade off being that she can't jump as high as she used to— Bella had to have surgery on the same ligament that required a lateral suture to help repair the injury. She had been recuperating for quite a few months. Her owners had her enter this race for the fun of it. It turned out to be ironic that she beat out last year's finalist Chalupa in the recent race.

If you would like to read the full story you can visit the link here. Well, I have to tell you guys that things have been a little more hectic for me lately with work, school and working on my friend's website. Thanks for stopping in and I will have more for you this weekend. :)

Website of the week

Have you ever had a moment where you found the most adorable puppy but had no idea of what to name him or her? Well there is a website called Puppynamer.com. It was started when the owner first got a puppy and didn't know what to name him. If you select the winning name, you get $10.00. The best thing about this site is that all of the proceeds go to charity. The person whose puppy is being named doesn't have to go with the most popular choice but at least it gives them an idea. Also, giving a puppy a name is just plain fun. They have the cutest pictures on there like the ones of this one...

This Week's Pup

Here is the website link: Puppy Namer

Well, I hope you all are having a great week. Thanks for stopping in.

Dogs In The News: Coming Home

Ed Panosh and Molson, his dog in Chicago

While many of us are comfortably in America, there are many soldiers from other countries fighting for our freedom in the Middle East. One of the soldiers, Ed Panosh, 37, who is part of the Illinois National Guard, was lucky enough to have his dog called Molson, come home to him. It was no easy task. With the help of a charity that helps reunite soldiers with their dogs, they were able to fly Molson 7,000 miles from Afghanistan. She left on May 28 but didn't get to Chicago till July 15. She flew from a Canadian camp southwest of Kandahar, flown to Kabul, then to Islamabad, Pakistan, then to New York, and then to Chicago.

Panosh first met this dog as a puppy when some Canadian troops found her at abandoned checkpoint. They named her Molson after the beer that is a favorite in Canada. She was a great support and lifted the troops spirit. Now that she's living in Chicago, she is adjusting to small things like grass, people and the foot of her owner's bed as her favorite sleeping spot. Panosh, who is now a Chicago police detective is considering making her a therapy dog, so she can continue helping out people.

If you would like to read more about Molson, check out the following sites:

Chicago Tribune
CBS 2 Chicago

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping in.:)

Dog Ice Cream

Being that August is called the Dog Days of Summer, a great way to keep your dog cool is giving them ice cream that's made for dog. You can make your own or buy some.

The recipe I came across that I liked best was from the House Dog where she came up with a recipe for dog ice cream:

• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of non-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup of honey

After mixing all three together, you put the mixture into ice cube trays. Freeze and then give three or four of them to your dog as a treat.

Another cool recipe is a dog pupsicle. This is from the Dog Pound.

2 cups low salt beef or chicken broth
2/3 cup water
2 or 3 ice cube trays
Small rawhide sticks

Mix water with beef or chicken broth and pour into ice cube trays R. Place in freezer and serve cold. Add a rawhide stick halfway through the freezing. This recipe is quick, easy, and fun. It's probably best to serve this dish outside.

There was a great ice cream dessert recipe from Recipe Goldmine called Doggie Dessert:

Doggie Dessert

4 cups rice milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey or peanut butter

Set paper cupcake liners into a muffin tin. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Use a cup with a spout to pour the mixture into the muffin cups. Freeze.

To serve, remove paper liner and place treat in dog or cat bowl.

For a double treat, place a miniature dog biscuit in the filled muffin tin before freezing.

Although some of these recipes have yogurt, the amount of lactose in yogurt should be low enough, not to upset their digestive systems.


Also, there are some companies that make it so you don't have to do any of the work. Some of them are:

Cold Nose Creamery You can pick this up in Ayer, Massachuesetts and parts of Connecticut.

Frosty Paws This ice cream can be found in most grocery stores all over the country.

Waggs Foods in Britain also creates dog ice cream that was formulated by nutritionists. You can read more about it here.

Well, thanks for stopping in. I hope you all have a great day.

When Your Dog is Fearful

The one thing all three of these dogs have in common is the fact they were very fearful when they came to their new home. Fancy, the mastiff is extremely fearful of strangers. Some of you may remember the post I wrote called Understanding Fancy. Fancy for some reason with me always felt threatened. I could be 10 feet away from her and she would still feel the need to bark at me. Being good with dogs normally, I did some research so I would know what to do in the future.

One of the best ways to overcome a fearful dog that likes to bark at you is to ignore them. If you pretend they are not in the room, they will not feel as threatened. (Come to think of it, when I was working in the kitchen, minding my own business, that's when Fancy was really quiet.)

Another thing is don't make any attempt to pet the dog. It's well intentioned sure but the dog thinks your wanting to reach out an hurt him or her. With the right amount of patience, the dog will come around on its own. Some will be more fearful than others. It could be that they came from an abused or neglectful household, or in Fancy's case, it's an inherent trait of the breed. Mastiffs in general, tend to be wary of strangers.

Finally, if you're an owner, it helps to train your dog to give them a job. The two dogs you see in the other picture, were taught how to play the game fetch by his owner. Before they had learned the frisbee game, they were so terrified, they couldn't get out of their crate. Now, that they have their job,--playing frisbee--, they get so excited when they see one of those flying discs. They know they have a job to do, and are ready to do it. All dogs can learn how to play fetch, but some you will have to work on it more than others.

When I play with Cookie, I can throw the toy down the hall and she'll be right after it. With Gigi, she likes to be teased a little and after that, I'll throw the toy. Gigi will wait a moment, and then go chasing after it.

If your dog is into fetch no matter what you do, then there are other tasks that can be taught. For example, if you have a big dog and you're taking it on a walk or taking it hiking, you can put a doggie backpack on the dog. Put some water bottles or suntan lotion and your dog's demeanor will change. If you have a dog like an Alaskan Malamute, you can get it in the habit of pulling a sled in the winter or a wagon in the summer.

I will be curious to see what will happen the next time I'm around Fancy. If any of you have any tips that helped you, please share by leaving a comment. Hope you all are enjoying the weekend! Thanks for stopping in.

Cutest Dog Competition

Riley from the Cutest Dog Competition

Do you have the cutest dog in the whole wide world? What about the picture that captures its cuteness to a tee? If so, then you may want to check out the Cutest Dog Competition.

There are 12 weeks in the contest. Right now, they are on week #3. One lucky winner per week will win $500. From there, they will choose 4 finalists. The three runners-up will win $5,000 dollars and the grand prize winner will win $1,000,000 USD.

You need to know three things though.
1. Pictures can't be larger than 1000 pixels by 1000 pixels.
2. Your photo size can't be larger than 250 kbs.
3. You can enter only one picture a week. Anyone who enters more than once a week will automatically disqualified.

You can find out more at the Cutest Dog Competition Website. Thanks for stopping in. If any of you have entered this contest, I'd love to hear from you or drop a comment in our section.

Home Sweet Homewood

Last Saturday, my friend Pat invited me to an event called Home Sweet Homewood. It was an event all about dogs. They had several vendors, a pet parade where all the dogs were dressed up and a Frisbee exhibition. Here are some pictures that captured the moments best. Enjoy!

Sunshine

Cubs Fan

Flower Dog

Keystone K-9

Minnie Mouse

Statue of Liberty

Tricycle Dog

Ready!

Go Get It!!!

As Always, I love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping in...

To My Georgia Readers

Hi Everyone,

I've never really done this for a blog post before but as you all know, there are many good dogs seeking a good home. This one owner struck me because they have had no choice but to give up their dog. The dog resides in Georgia. If you live in the area and are looking for a new member to join your family, you may want to check out Buddy's story.

Thank you all. Hope your day is full of beauty and peace.

A Fresh Start But Has He Learned?

One of Michael Vick's Dogs at Best Friends

*Photo courtesy of MSNBC

The biggest piece of news that caught my eye was the fact that Michael Vick has now found a team to call home. Just over two weeks ago, he was allowed back into football. For all of you who live in Philadelphia, welcome your newest player. It has been said that Donovan McNabb was instrumental in bringing in this guy. It's nice to see that he stuck his neck out but after reading Michael Vick's comments, I just can't believe what he's saying. I hope he's learned something from this, but only Vick knows for sure.

There are three ironic things about this story. One, Philadelphia was one of 26 teams that had made a public statement that they weren't interested in Michael Vick. Two, Michael Vick's agent said that as soon as a team had an injured player, interest in Vick would increase. Sure enough, a player named Kevin Kolb has been sidelined with a strained knee ligament. I don't know if that was the Eagles' management main desire to sign him, but it sure echoes what his agent said about the interest increasing when he was shopping Vick to other teams. Three, most of the fans in Philly are optimistic about this.

Well, if Philly is ok with this, this is a business decision and the Eagles are willing to give him a shot good for MV, then more power to them. While it's admirable that he's working with the Humane Society, is it genuine or is it part of an act to get back into the good graces of the public?

I think if it's about football, and the NFL finds that he didn't violate their code of personal conduct so be it. Please keep him away from living dogs though. He can do public service announcements with a large poster of a dog in the background but I think he should stay away from real dogs.

He's in a situation that is very volatile. Once he's playing in the game, the public will have a short memory about what he and his friends put those dogs through. I know there will be some who can't forget, but one can't deny the popularity of football and nothing gives sports fans greater joy than seeing their beloved team win. Sad, but true. If you would like to see what other sportswriters are saying about this you can see it all at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have a great night.