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Pampered Pooch Parties Easy Dog Recipes and Crafts to Create a Howling Good Time, is a great book for dog lovers.
Pampered Pooch Parties
Patricia Griecci has written a fabulous guide to the perfect pooch party. If you are one of the millions people that celebrate their dog’s birthday, and you would like to celebrate in style, then this is the perfect fit for you. You will find everything you need to know to start planning, decorating, making homemade treats, doggie goodie bags and even what to serve your human guests.
Pampered Pooch Parties guides you through the easy steps needed to throw your own successful pooch party. It includes great ideas for specific types of parties such as birthdays, holidays, play dates, pool parties and even a doggie spa party. Once you have decided what to celebrate, let the planning begin. When it’s time to bake and decorate, this guide will walk you through it. Included are many healthy recipes for birthday cake, Ice Cream Cone Cookie, Apple Cinnamon Bone Cake, Bark Cookies just to name a few. Included in the back of the book are templates for some fun doggie party favors. There are also some great ideas for doggie spa get-togethers, including recipes to make your dogs smell great. I loved the real color photographs of dogs enjoying their celebrations throughout the book.
Socialization is so important to a dog’s happy and healthy lifestyle, and what better way to socialize than to throw a party. This book is a great help for someone who loves his or her pet as a family member. There are so many ways to celebrate with your pet and this book guides you through the in and outs. I highly recommend, Pampered Pooch Parties Easy Dog Recipes and Crafts to Create a Howling Good Time by, Patricia Griecci. It is the perfect guide for everything you need to pamper your pet and their guests in an easy to follow format.
Although a dog’s ears need to be regularly monitored for his entire life, a little basic maintenance is generally all that’s required to keep them clean and healthy.
Because of the twisty, curvy design of a dog’s inner ears, it’s easy for parasites, bacteria and yeast to hide and thrive in them. This also means that any debris in the canal must work its way up to escape. Infections can result from trapped debris. Dogs with allergies are particularly vulnerable, as are those with floppy ears, like Cocker spaniels, basset hounds and poodles.
Your dog’s regular grooming/maintenance routine should include regular ear checks. This is especially important for dogs who produce excessive earwax or have a lot of inner-ear hair:
If you’re not careful, frequent bathing and swimming can lead to irritation and infection. To prevent this from happening, place cotton in your dog’s ears before baths, and be sure to dry her ears as thoroughly as you safely can after all water sports and activities.
If your dog is prone to ear infections, you might want to pour a tiny amount of an ear drying solution made for dogs into her ear canals to help evaporate any water trapped inside. These ear washes, usually witch hazel-based, are available at better pet supply stores.
Contact your veterinarian if you notice any of the following symptoms affecting your dog’s ears:
Please also be aware that brown or black ear wax-and dry, dark wax resembling coffee grounds-are classic indicators of microscopic ear mites. Only your vet can tell for sure, so please don’t delay bringing a gooey-eared pooch in for a checkup.
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You may think your dog’s pudgy rolls are adorable, but a veterinarian will assert that an overweight dog is at greater risk for health problems relating to joint strain, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, cancer and canine diabetes. Controlling your dog’s weight is one of the most important things you can do as a pet owner to keep your pet happy and healthy.
Most often, a dog’s weight problems are due to poor diet and lack of exercise. Weight gain may also occur as a result of hormone issues like Cushing’s syndrome or hypothyroidism. Certain breeds like beagles, pugs, cocker spaniels and bulldogs are more genetically prone to being overweight. For most dogs though, obesity is a result of improper care.
Veterinarians generally classify dogs that weigh more than 20% above the normal weight as obese. At the ideal weight, you should be able to feel your dog’s ribs and he or she should have a clear waistline. Overweight dogs will have a belly that hangs and no visible waist. If your dog falls in the latter category it is time to make changes in his diet and routine.
A healthy diet is essential to changing and maintaining your dog’s weight. Consult with your veterinarian to determine a healthy weight and diet plan for your dog. A low-calorie regimin may be recommended that will satisfy your pup’s hunger while providing essential nutrients and vitamins.
To avoid causing an upset stomach, gradually ease your dog into his new diet. Start by including just a small amount of diet food mixed with his regular food. Add a little more diet chow each day while decreasing the amount of regular food so he has time to adjust to the changes.
Family meal time should be for the human family only. Many dogs gain weight because their table-side begging tactics work, gaining them a morsel of steak or leftover dinner scraps. If begging is a problem, keep the dog in another room while you are eating and resist the temptation to feed him from your plate.
Cut back on treats and use verbal cues or toys as an alternative reward. If you can’t resist giving treats, make them healthier by offering apple slices with a touch of peanut butter or homemade oatmeal balls.
Exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight. If your dog is overweight, chances are that you need more exercise too. Make exercising together part of your daily habit. Obese dogs may need to start off slowly but will eventually work up to taking long walks. A rousing game of fetch can also burn calories, build endurance and improve muscle functioning. A trip to the dog park will provide both exercise and socialization google+
Literally millions of dogs are in shelters waiting for someone to rescue them. One is bound to be the perfect
Adopting a Shelter Puppy Smiling Dog Bakery
companion for you. But, as you head to a shelter to pick your new puppy you feel some anxiety. You don’t know what you might find when you visit a shelter. Is it the old, scary dog pound that you see in movies?
The Facility Many shelters have come a long way since the days of the dog pound. There are still a few dreary shelters, but many are warm and inviting. Two such shelters are the Dumb Friends League (DFL) in Denver, Colorado, and Operation Kindness in Carrollton, Texas.
“We strive to make this a positive and uplifting experience,” says Kim Bunker, adoptions manager of the DFL. “We want to encourage adoptions. We place comforting items, such as blankets and toys, with the dogs and puppies.” DFL has a lobby where people can meet with adoption counselors, rooms to meet with their prospective pets and even an outside courtyard so meeting with a pet can be less stressful.
Operation Kindness also has a state-of-the-art facility. “We’re lucky that we have a lovely shelter on four acres of wooded land that has a residential look, “says Jonnie England, executive director of Operation Kindness. “We have skylights, open windows, cathedral ceilings and lots of glass. We also have a screened-in cat porch. When people come to our shelter they can watch the cats play or nap.”
The Process Adopting a new puppy is more than just walking into the shelter and walking out with a new dog. From the moment you enter the shelter to the time you walk out with a new pup, expect to spend two to four hours to complete the entire adoption process. This isn’t intended to make adoption a grueling experience, but rather to make sure that the dog you adopt is the right one for you.
Some shelters have adoption counselors available to help guide your decision-making process-even before you look at the dogs. Counselors will ask questions about your lifestyle, such as whether you work or have kids, to determine what dog or puppy is a great match for your family.
Some of the questions you might expect a counselor to ask are: Who will be the primary caretaker of the puppy? How many hours per day will the puppy be left home alone? What do you expect monthly expenses for your new puppy to be? What is the activity level of your household?
At DFL, they also ask you about your previous pets, your current pets and whether you have a fenced-in backyard. Operation Kindness asks lifestyle questions, and uses the answers to determine which puppy would best suit you and your family.
“All our questions are aimed at making a match with the right person,” England says. If its a Great Dane puppy and you’re in an apartment, its not a good match. If you like to sit and watch television all the time, an active Jack Russell Terrier isn’t right for you. You may feel like the counselors are grilling you, but it’s an attempt to learn about you so they can help you pick the right puppy.
The Puppies When you walk into the area of the shelter where the dogs are held, you may be surprised to hear so much barking. “Barking is completely normal,” Bunker says. Dogs bark when they see new people, they bark at other dogs, it may be close to feeding time, or there may have been a dog walked through the kennel.
However, the barking can be frightening, especially for kids. “We love for kids to be here,” England says. “But barking dogs can be intimidating. If you bring your kids and they’re intimidated by all that barking, maybe one adult can wait in the lobby with the kids while the other adult checks out the dogs in the kennel.”
Likewise, if you have a particularly sensitive nose, some shelters may have a pungent odor that comes from housing many dogs in a relatively small area. This isn’t necessarily a reflection of the care taken at the shelter-some facilities may be older, and despite vigorous cleaning, its sometimes difficult to completely mask the odors. However, the animals shouldn’t look sickly or dirty, or have diarrhea, vomiting or weepy eyes.
But how do you decide what puppy is best for you? As well as assessing the puppy’s personality (is it active and outgoing, or shy and calm?), also look for one that’s healthy. The puppy should be happy and alert with clear eyes and a clean, shiny coat. It should have good muscle mass (you shouldn’t be able to see its ribs) and act like a puppy-playful and eager.
If kennel cough is going around, a puppy may have goopy eyes and runny nose, but the shelter should be treating the puppy, so be sure to ask. Kennel cough is a highly contagious upper-respiratory infection that is spread through the air, and is common wherever dogs are housed closely together.
The Paperwork Many shelters require potential adopters to show identification and proof of residence. If you rent, the shelter wants to be sure that your landlord will allow a dog of the breed or size you plan to adopt. You’ll need to show a copy of your lease agreement or have written permission and contact information from your landlord.
When filling out the adoption paperwork, the counselors will go over the shelter’s adoption contract. At DFL, all pets are spayed or neutered before they’re adopted, regardless of age. At Operation Kindness, the age for spaying or neutering is 16 weeks and older. Younger puppies are required to be spayed or neutered by a veterinarian once they reach 16 weeks of age. Some cities have arrangements with local veterinarians who offer a discount on spaying or neutering pets adopted from the shelter.
Adopting a puppy from a shelter takes time and a little work, but the rewards of rescuing a dog in need of a loving home will provide you both with years of unconditional happiness and companionship. google+
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The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a motion by Councilmember Koretz that should put an end to the puppy and kitten millsby banning the commercial breeding of dogs, cats, rabbits and chicken and the sale of those animals in pet stores.
Instead animal shelters will work with licensed pet stores to make shelter animals available for adoption at those stores.
Commercial Creation Of Animals Done In Inhumane Conditions
The commercial creation of animals for sale is done in inhumane conditions, creates unhealthy animals and aids animal overpopulation, saidCouncilmember Koretz’s email.
The City Council ordered the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services to draft the law and create the adoption program. The law also creates a program to publicly and visibly identify stores that excel in meeting rigorous humane requirements and conditions, and it asks the department to arrange frequent adoption drives for shelter animals at licensed pet stores.
According to MyFoxLA.com, Koretz said he unknowingly purchased a “puppy mill” bichon 20 years ago, and it required expensive medical care.
In Shelters, 25 Percent Of Dogs And 50 Percent Of Cats Euthanized
From MyFox/LA.com:
The Department of Animal Services took in about 55,000 animals last year and expects that number to rise this year. It euthanizes about 25 percent of dogs and 50 percent of cats that wind up in shelters.
“We’re not only protecting the animals, but we’re protecting the people in the community, the people who don’t know that when they go into a pet store they are paying hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for an animal that is likely to be sick (or) have genetic defects,” Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette said.
Barnette said she knows there are puppy mills in the city, but not how many.
“A lot of them fly under the radar illegally. They’re very clever, and they have their little lookouts and they will move from house to house to house, and move their animals with them and stay one step ahead of law enforcement,” Barnette said.
California Leading The Way
The banning of animal mills, which seems to be where most pet stores get their animals, has been gaining traction but it appears once again that California is leading the way. Toronto is considering a similar law, and Texas has a bill going through the motions that would require more than 11 unspayed female dogs to need a license.
Congratulations, Mr. Koretz!
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Patricia Griecci Pancreatic Cancer Foundation
Patricia Griecci has written a fabulous guide to the perfect pooch party
They all promise the same thing. “Use our online dating service and find your soul mate.”
Pampered Pooch Parties Dog Birthday Parties
Despite your reservations, the thought of spending yet another Friday night home alone, and hearing about Sally’s weekend adventures with Bob on Monday morning at the copy machine is enough to make you decide to go for it.
Lucky for you, your profile receives many hits aka “compatibles.” You carefully read through the ones that they have determined to be your “soul mate.” You decide on Mr. Right and take the plunge. Believe it or not, you two actually hit it off marvelously, all is right in your world and you can’t wait to brag to Sally about your weekend adventures.
Before you know it the time is here. It is a fate far worse and stressful than meeting their parents. Meeting their dog.
A poll on dogchannel.com asked: Would You Date Someone Who Didn’t Like Your Dog? Sure (1.39%); If I liked the person enough (7.25%); No Way (91.36%). A study by the American Kennel Club says, 8 in 10 dog owners consider their pets “family.” So, for most dog owners it seems, Mr./Ms. Right, Must Love Dogs.
For many, introducing Fido to Mr./Ms. Right is very stressful. What if they don’t like each other? Getting Fido to like your new guy/gal has much has you do can be a challenge that requires patience. However, if your guy/gal really is your soul mate, isn’t it worth it?
Petplace.com offers the following advice. The goal of all of these is help your dog associate your guy/gal with good/pleasurable things.
Neutral Field Advantage. The first meeting may produce better results if it takes place away from home. By doing this, you squash any dominance issues that may surface on your dog’s home turf. Both before and after the meeting give Fido one of his favorite treats. Do this for the first few meetings.
First Move. Let your dog make the first move. Allow the dog to approach your new guy/gal on their own. Remember patience. Sometimes it takes awhile, but the important thing is not to force it. Also, be sure that Mr./Ms. Right is calm and relaxed. Dogs can anticipate fear and are expert readers of body language, so, a tense significant other will result in a fearful Fido.
Home. Once you get the two on the home field, encourage the new boy/girlfriend to feed Fido his meal/giving him some of his treats etc. Eventually, the three of you should go on walks together. Also, encourage play time, but avoid any roughhousing, and/or games of chase that can get out of hand too easily.
Mine, not yours. Lastly, usually not a concern with Labs, but, some dogs are more aggressive and/or protective than others. Protecting, and acting aggressively to outsiders are a dogs way of “protecting the pack” (in this case, you.) This behavior is commonly seen when you and your guy/gal start getting affectionate with another. This can occur even after they have become “friends.”
Finally, if Mr./Ms. Right have a Fido of their own, it is important the introduction between these two potential “siblings” are independent of meeting “dad” or “mom.” google+
7 Things You Need to Know about Canine Cancer
1.) Cancer is the cause of nearly half the deaths of older dogs (10 years and up), according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
2.) Early detection is vital. You should routinely examine your dog for any physical or behavioral abnormalities and bring your dog in for regular veterinary exams. Things to look out for include: abnormal swellings, lumps under armpits and under the jaw, sores that won’t heal, foul breath, weight loss/poor appetite/difficulty eating, difficulty breathing, or bleeding/unusual discharge from any orifice on your dog’s body.
3.) Mast cell tumors are one of the most common cancers found on and under the skin of dogs. Any breed or mixed breed can get them, but Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Pugs, and Shar Peis have shown an increased propensity for them, according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Between 10 and 15 percent of dogs with a mast cell tumor end up getting more of them throughout their lifetime, the ACVIM reveals.
4.) Not all skin growths and masses on your dog are cancerous. Just like with humans, some tumors are benign (harmless), while others are malignant (harmful). Veterinarians confirm tumors in dogs through x-rays, blood tests and ultrasounds, and diagnose benign or malignant tumors through a biopsy, where a tissue sample is taken from the dog and examined under a microscope.
5.) Spaying and neutering reduces your dog’s risk of certain cancers. This is particularly true of uterine and breast/mammary cancer in females, and testicular cancer in males (if neutered before six months). This is important because breast cancer in dogs is fatal in about 50 percent of cases, according to the ASPCA. And let’s not forget, spaying and neutering helps control the pet population, as well.
6.) Chemotherapy isn’t just for humans. That’s right—this treatment you’ve heard about for human cancer patients is also used to put canine cancer into remission. Chemotherapy can extend the life of a dog with cancer, even canine lymphoma, and in some cases, even pose a cure. Chemotherapy damages rapidly growing cancer cells in dogs, slowing or stopping their growth entirely. The bad news is chemo can produce some rough side effects in your dog, like vomiting and nausea; however, the good news is dogs rarely lose their hair from the treatment like humans do, the ACVIM says.
7.) Cancer treatment for dogs is expensive. This is especially true of advanced treatments. You may want to consider getting a pet insurance policy when you decide to own a dog, especially if you have a high-risk breed. A pet insurance policy can give you peace of mind that you won’t go broke when obtaining the best cancer care for your dog. google+
Treat your new rescue dog like a 2-year-old child, and you’ll make friends fast, says Jean Smith, coordinator of Collie Rescue of the Carolinas. “It is important to establish right away that this is his new home and he is staying,” she adds.
Here are 10 tips to help you welcome your rescue dog.
1. Know your dog. “Get as much information as possible from shelter or rescue organization personnel about his behavior and daily routine,” says Emma Parsons, adoption intake coordinator for Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. Continuing the feeding, exercise, and grooming routine he was used to gives your dog confidence in his new home.
2. Clarify dog-care duties and limits in your home. These duties include who will walk the dog and when, who will feed him, and whether any furniture or rooms will be off-limit to four paws. Make sure no duty goes neglected and that everyone enforces limits consistently.
3. Check the dog’s health. “Take him for a veterinary exam, including a heartworm test,” says Lori Blackburn, director of Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio, Inc. Arrange for spaying or neutering, the Humane Society of the United States recommends.
4. Take it easy. Bring your rescue dog home when you have a few full days to get used to each other. For the first two days, let only immediate family have contact with him. “Slowly introduce the new dog to other pets during short supervised sessions,” Parsons says.
5. Give him security. “If the dog is used to sleeping in a crate, continue making his crate available,” Blackburn suggests. Your dog will feel protected there.
6. Give him frequent potty breaks. Assume the dog is not housetrained. Take him outdoors often to eliminate to help prevent accidents and learn how to signal to you that he needs to go. “Dogs don’t know which door to go to in a new home,” Parsons says.
7. Walk, don’t sit. Your companion needs to run and play with you. Those activities not only boost his health, but also strengthen the bond between you.
8. Go to school. Enroll in obedience classes, even if your dog already knows the basics, the Humane Society suggests. Learning together establishes you as the leader.
9. Keep him leashed. “Don’t let the dog run free too soon,” Parsons says. If you must chase him, escapes become a game. “When people manage their dogs well, the dogs naturally fall into the kind of behavior people want from them,” she says.
10. Be patient. Give the dog time to adjust to his new life, the Humane Society recommends. Just as with people, taking your time helps you both to ease into a happy lifelong relationship.
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There are many reasons why your dog could be scratching himself. The number one reason is that he or she might have a case of fleas. Once you rule out that fleas are not the issue, there are other possibilities that you might never have considered. Your dog could have some kind of food allergy!
If your dog is scratching and biting all the time, there’s obviously something wrong. Contrary to what some dog owners think, it really is not normal for dogs to scratch constantly. Just like with humans, excessive itching is an indication that there is something the matter.
EXCESSIVE SCRATCHING
What is excessive? Let’s just say that if it is enough to be getting on your nerves, then it’s too much. And if it’s getting on your nerves, imagine how your poor dog feels!
Constant itching is not just annoying for you and your dog; if you don’t do something about it, it could seriously affect your dog’s health. Chronic scratching and biting at the skin can lead to all sorts of problems over time – from infections to hearing loss.
I think I have a food allergy!
DOG FOOD ALLERGIES
There are many reasons why your dog might be excessively itchy. One of the most common (and most overlooked) is dog food allergies.
As you know, when your dog suffers from any type of food allergy it makes sense to change your dog’s diet to exclude the allergic food. Obviously, that is easier said than done because your dog can be allergic to a whole food item or just a part of that food item (a particular element of that food item such as a preservative or even an enzyme).
HYPOALLERGENIC FOODS
Unless you are able to determine exactly what food is causing the allergy (and that would be hard to do, unless you can trace the development of the allergies to a change in food), switching to a high-quality hypoallergenic dog food is a good move.
Your dog might be allergic to any of the ingredients in the normal packaged dog food or any of the major ingredients, preservatives, colorings, flavorings, or any of the multitudes of chemicals (even natural chemicals) that go into the preparation of the dog food. Therefore, you should try giving your pet a diet prepared to exclude allergy-causing foods and chemicals. This could be the answer to the itching issue.
Once you have attempted to try the hypoallergenic food, you can determine if your food is causing the excess scratching. If, after all, he continues to scratch, then it will be time to go to the Veterinarian to determine why your dog is scratching. Hope the above tips help with your scratching dog and that he or she is on the mend. google+
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