Raise a Green Dog! |
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Raise a Green Dog!
Monday, May 3, 2010
All Things Dog Blog
All Things Dog Blog |
| Adopt a Dog Park Program Starting Small Posted: 03 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko  Will You Adopt Your Dog Park? I'm just one person. How much can one person do alone? Last year, just before spring I hatched an idea--encouraging people to help care for their dog parks, so we don't lose them. All over the country, free dog parks are in jeopardy, with tax dollars waning. The funds to maintain parks are simply not prioritized as highly as roads, schools and healthcare. That's to be expected. I started a website, Adopt a Dog Park, to aid in this effort. After announcing NATIONAL CLEAN DOG PARK AWARENESS WEEK, to be honored the first week of spring each year, I put up a few signs at local dog parks, encouraging dog owners to do their part. This year I was out there doing it again. Yet it seems the dog park crews remove my signs when they come to collect trash. I wonder if they read the signs? If they knew that I was encouraging people to help them with their job, wouldn't you think they would want to leave my 1 little sign there? Go figure! While I am off to a slow start, this year's campaign brought in a new sponsor: Lupine Collars and Leads. You know them. They make nice leashes, collars and harnesses right here in America ( yes, jobs for Americans!), and they replace them when damaged, even if your dog chews them. That's an unheard of guarantee in this industry. I hope you will help me in thanking Lupine Leads for supporting NATIONAL CLEAN DOG PARK AWARENESS WEEK and Adopt a Dog Park. No! You don't have to call them or write them. You can simply support their products. You'll find them in all major pet supply stores. My dog's Invisible Fence collars are also made by Lupine. Yours may be too. Dog owners need to step up to assure that our parks are kept clean and safe for all of us. It's really not such a huge task if we all help. Simply walk your park, while your dog plays. Pick up broken toys, trash and doggie landmines left by others. Remove dangerously sharp sticks and other hazards. That's all there is to it. You'll be able to walk out of the park knowing you did your part to care for your dog's playground. Pat yourself on the back. Would you like to officially adopt your dog park? Don't worry; it's FREE! I'll put your name, or your dog's name on my website, if you do. Just write to me at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com and tell me the park name, town, state and your name or your dog's name. You can be proud to call yourself the park caretaker. Hope to hear from you soon. One last opportunity. If you are one of the few Americans who are not in financial distress, and you would like to support the funding of a foundation for Adopt a Dog Park, this is your place. I am going to begin taking donations for the beginning of this effort. I know it will be a long term project. First, we will need to collect enough to create a 5013c--a non profit organization. Then, as funds grow, I will be able to start a foundation that can help keep struggling dog parks from closing, and assist with funding new ones. I will rest peacefully knowing I have left this behind when my time comes. If you can contribute to this goal, please contact me for an address at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. I thank you from the bottom of my dogs' cute little toes--the same ones that enjoy running at their local dog park every week. If you'd like to support Lupine, right here and now, you can click on any pattern you like and search for a matching accessory of your choice and size: Visit Adopt a Dog Park to learn Help protect our precious dog parks  Follow All Things Dog at Twitter Find me at Facebook  
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Sunday, May 2, 2010
All Things Dog Blog
All Things Dog Blog |
- ASK THE VET: Strategies for Caring for Your Dog's Nails
- Big Dogs Can be Lap Dogs too, but Should they Be?
- Porch, Please? The 'Odd Duck' Communication Methods of My Goofy Golden Retriever
| ASK THE VET: Strategies for Caring for Your Dog's Nails Posted: 02 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT  Dear Dr. Jacki: Oxnard,--my mastiff, has very heavy nails. I get them clipped at a groomers because they are so hard to do. Anyway, when they are clipped they are very sharp for a long time. Sometimes he scratches himself and creates scrapes that get inflamed. A couple of times recently he scratched so much he opened up a wound and it took a long time to scab over. The groomer told me to use Bactine on it. My question is this. Should I get his nails ground. I hear it leaves them smoother, but I don't really know if it is safe. I also wonder if it will scare him. What do you think? Thanks, JJ *************************************** Hi JJ….I have a few ideas that may work for Oxnard. After the nails have been clipped at the groomer, it would be nice to walk him on asphalt or concrete as this will help to smooth them a bit. Actually, walking dogs on concrete (sidewalk) or asphalt really helps the nails stay nice and short. Some groomers offer 'Dremeling' which is done using a type of tool. This is probably the best way to grind the nails down but it has to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. The tool can get very hot and cause pain on the nail for the dog.He may be scared initially but he will get used to it. Maybe you could call around and ask different groomers if they Dremel nails or not. If you cannot find anyone, continue walking on the concrete. Good question! Good luck, Dr. Jacki  Dr. Jacki, D.V.M. ASK THE VET on All Things Dog Blog For more information on Dr. Jacki and her practice, you may find her at 4 Paws House Calls. A personal appointment will likely provide more specific information on your dog and your specific questions. Dr. Jacki's opinion or advice does not replace an actual exam with a veterinarian. *************************************** If you are interested in doing this yourself, please be sure to get proper instruction: Want to read more of Dr. Jacki's ASK THE VET columns? Here's a few links: 
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| Big Dogs Can be Lap Dogs too, but Should they Be? Posted: 02 May 2010 12:33 PM PDT by Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved Find me on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Write to Dr. Jacki, ASK THE VET ASK THE DOG TRAINER at All Things Dog Blog  Tanner Snuggles In for a Snooze on Alan's Lap At 68 pounds, Tanner really doesn't look much like a lap dog, huh? On the other hand, he does look comfortable and sleeping soundly. The flash didn't even budge his dreams. Not a twitch! So, what do you think? Should big dogs be allowed to sit on our laps? This has been a subject of great controversy in many of the dog forums, and among trainers and other dog experts. I happen to agree that too much of this could lead to a dog believing he is the Top Dog, if you know what I mean. Fortunately, with Tanner, we're in pretty good shape. He's a fairly submissive boy who generally listens and follows instructions well. As I looked on, Alan asked him to get down. There was no pouting, no pushing and no problem. Tanner just did it. I think that's the key. He knows who the real boss is. Me! Occasionally when my husband is out of town, Tanner will lie right up against me in bed. It's sort of like puppies that enjoy snuggling with their litter mates. He seems to get something from the connectedness with me. I have to admit that I rather enjoy it, as well. Knowing he is there is like a feeling of safety--my alarm system is sleeping beside me. Now it's your turn. What do you think about this? Do we send the wrong message when we allow a bigger dog to lie on our laps or our couches or beds? Do you think small dogs get that same message, or are they aware of their smaller size and feel it is more acceptable? Here is your chance to sound off...hit that comment link and go for it! 
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| Porch, Please? The 'Odd Duck' Communication Methods of My Goofy Golden Retriever Posted: 01 May 2010 04:00 AM PDT by Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved .JPG) Tanner's Way of Requesting Porch Time Tanner, my goofy, lovable Golden Retriever, has a few quirky behaviors. He's a master of Houdini-style escapes from all manner of containment. However, when he cannot open a door (i.e. the old fashioned round doorknob seen here), he has a habit of staring it down, or simply looking outside, as if OUTSIDE will come to him, if he waits long enough. When he concentrates like this, he looks like a statue. I've found him staring down an outside doorknob, after wondering when he would bark to come back inside from a potty run. He just doesn't do that--bark to get my attention. Strange, huh? Yesterday, he was outside on the porch playing with pool toys when he decided he needed a fetch partner. His approach was to stand at the door and stare inside. Who knows how long he was standing there before I discovered him. Even though he had other options, what he really wanted was ME. As soon as I caught sight of him, his ears perked up and he did a little "I'm happy to see you too" maneuver. What was I to do, but play Fetch. It's great training time for us, as we get to do this alone. We practice sit, stay, leave it, take it, fetch and swim--all commands he knows and loves. Perhaps this summer we'll work on Jump! Oliver watches from inside, while Xena keeps her distance. These days she's the typical old lady in the pool, "Don't splash me and get my hair wet, you adolescent, you!" Have you got a lovable doggie story you would like to share? My forum is open to guest posts. You can reach me at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Tell me your dog's tale.........Meanwhile, I'll get to work on trying to elicit a bark that says, "Come on, door. Open!" Visit Adopt a Dog Park Help protect our precious dog parks © Carrie Boyko, all rights reservedFollow All Things Dog at Twitter Find me at Facebook © copyright Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved 
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Raise a Green Dog!
Raise a Green Dog! |
| Posted: 01 May 2010 05:08 AM PDT  After our big move to Tennessee, one of the first priorities for Mum was finding us all a source for healthy and safer food, including meats, fruits and veggies.Before our move Mum switched us to our high quality kibble, because she new that it may be a little time before we could find a good organic source for our raw food. In the process of finding sources, Mum asked new friends we have made here, and did a search on Eat Well Guide and Local Harvest, and found a great source for much of the raw meats we will be eating in the near future. But before deciding, my ever vigilant Mum called up River Ridge Farms and asked if she could stop by, take a quick tour, and get up some raw meats to tie us over until we could move all our meats to raw (with veggies (steamed) and fruits, of course, for a balanced diet:). And of course, check out the facility to make sure it as up to our green and healthy standards :) No we're not going to eat Two, the kittie, (above). He was there to greet Mum when she got out of the car :) He has a job at the farm, keeping the vermin at bay. She arrived and right away asked to help with some of the work as she toured much of the farm. First up was feeding the chickens. They had two kinds, broilers (which I will be eating) and Red Comets, who are the laying hens, our source for eggs. Mum had fun getting a little video of the Red Comets at feeding time. They sure can sing for their supper! After the chickens, Mum was off to meet the pigs and 7 weeks old piglets on the farm. They had a great place to live. Many times when you see farm pigs they are all rolling in the mud. But not here. These pigs had a great shaded forest area that they called home, with only one mud hole. You can see in the vid that the piglets just loved chewing on Mum shoes, which we got to investigate at great length when she got home. If you've ever seen Food Inc., well you know that production farms are much, much different than these types of local organic farms. The animals are not treated like production facility animals, they don't stand knee deep in their own waste (creating a perfect breeding ground for salmonella/e. coli that could potentially be passed on to us dogs and humans through their meat and move through the land to contaminate the veggies. The pigs are very friendly, happy animals, that live a good life until it comes their time to feed us. Mum talked with the owner about potentially coarse grinding meats for me and Gracie, and they were very interested. So after a few phone calls, some Internet searches, and asking some new friends in the area, we now have a great source of our primary meats, and even some veggies and fruits in season to dive right into our raw diet. The best part is Mum brought back some raw chicken necks and chicken feet for us which we quickly dove right into. And she roasted a nice whole chicken for herself, which she says tasted better than any chicken she had ever had, so fresh, and not filled with any chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or seasonings. Just wonderful chicken, that she also shared with us. One of the great things we like is that we now know where our meat is coming from, we know what the animals are being fed, we are free to visit anytime we like and we are buying local which cuts down on the environmental impact as well. Can't wait to tell you more about our upcoming trips to River Ridge Farms. And a big thank you to Dave and Verlinda for providing such a welcome, friendly and wholesome experience!          |
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