Advice from Kids on Dogs
Today I was at a loss for what to write about so I asked my number one helpers, my sons for some advice and this is what they came up with. “Mom, why not write about how to make your dog feel better?” Here is some advice from my kids Drew and Lane ages 11 and 9 in their own words.
• Give your dog a nice cool bath, but not with the hose though. It has to be a little warm.
• Make sure they are comfortable.
• The more comfortable they are, the better they feel; you’ll make them feel like a puppy again.
• Play with your dog.
• Love your dog.
• Take them on long walks.
• If your dog has mats, cut them out. Mats hurt.
• Trim their nails, because they can get overgrown and curl into the paw pad and that will really hurt them.
• Take photos of your dog in case they get lost so you can make signs.
• Use good flea products on your dog. (Frontline, Advantage, Comfortis from the vet)
• Give your dog heartworm pills every month.
• Get your dog neutered or spayed.
• Take your dog to the vet if it’s sick or hurt.
• Train your dog to be obedient.
• Check your dog’s ears for ear problems. If they are leaning their heads over, that means they might have ear problems.
• Feed your dog good food.
• Don’t give your dog too many treats otherwise they’ll get fat.
• Some dogs are really silly.
• Give your dog plenty of tummy rubs, they like it.
• Brush your dog to keep knots out.
Not bad advice from kids huh? I guess they’ve been paying attention to me after all. I can’t give any better advice that that! Remember that our children are listening to us whether we are talking to them or not. They will do as we do when it comes to our actions so be mindful of how you act and speak and treat other people and of course your pets.
Kids need to have responsibilities around the house; our kids are in charge of feeding and watering our pets daily. Trust me; our pets won’t let them forget to do it! I’ve shown them how, and what amounts to feed, and if one needs medication I’ve shown them how to put it in the food. They know how to wash the dog dishes too, after all you don’t want to eat out of dirty dishes, and neither does your dog. I have to say I’m proud that my kids came up with this list. It’s about as complete a list on good dog care as I’ve ever seen.
Teach your children from babies how to touch animals and watch them at all times. When we aren’t watching is usually when things happen, kids will accidentally hurt the dog and it will snap at them, and we blame the dog. Most large dogs can handle little kids and take all they can dish out, but some just don’t. Keep your dog’s age and body condition in mind, and little dogs and little kids are a bad combination. A 30 lb. toddler falling on a 10 lb. dog can cause some serious damage by sheer accident.
Likewise, not training your dog can cause some serious damage to small children simply by the dog being out of control. Call your vet, groomer or other pet professional to see what they recommend if you need help with training.
Remember we teach our children how to play nice with other kids; you have to teach your kids and your pets to play nice with each other too. If you do this you’ll have kids who grow up with a love and respect of animals and pets that you’ll be proud to call a member of your family.
3/27/09 Elderly Dogs
Elderly Dogs
There is nothing sweeter than an old dog to me. I really love the old fellows. One problem that I have noticed is that people tend to stretch out appointments because they fear the old fellow can't handle the grooming anymore, but the truth is, they need it more often if they are a hairy breed because old dogs tend to lie down more, and don't tolerate brushing as well, and then they become matted which is very uncomfortable for them.
In addition, elderly dogs often have problems with urine leakage which when added to long hair can actually cause urinary tract infections. Sometimes it’s better to skip the beauty and go for an easy care hair style that will keep the problem areas short and out of the way. Yes, that may mean your “pookie” won't look like his breed anymore, but what is more important?
Keep your dog’s eyes free of debris and build up in the corners. Take a moist cloth and gently wipe out your pets eyes daily. Some dogs have a dry eye problem and simply a couple drops of artificial tears put in daily help.
Another problem of the older dog is tooth problems. If you notice your dog’s breath is getting particularly nasty, there’s a very good chance he has a bad tooth or teeth, or a gum infection. Face it, not many of us really open up Fide’s mouth and peek inside all the way to the rear molars, if you did you'd seen in an instant why your pet’s breath isn't minty fresh. Brushing your dog’s teeth is helpful, but if you don't do it at least weekly, the tarter will harden and will soon require a veterinary dental cleaning to scrape it off.
I know many elderly dogs that are now toothless or very close. Dogs have 42 teeth, and my Bogey has about 6 of his left. I know so many clients I talk to with elderly dogs don't want to have their dog’s teeth cleaned because they fear the risk of anesthesia. Most vets now use a gas anesthesia which is much safer and I've known 17 year old dogs that have had their first dental and not only survived it, but THRIVED afterwards because all the pain in their mouth was gone! Dogs with infections in their mouths that aren't treated end up with the infection affecting all their other organs, such as heart, kidneys and liver. So you aren't saving your pet by avoiding a dental, but prolonging a long, slow and painful death due to infection. So don't fear the veterinarian, ask your vet what kind of anesthesia they use, and if they don't use gas, then go see another vet for a dental.
Lumps and bumps are common with elderly dogs, many are benign and not a problem but if your dogs is scratching them or making them bleed, then it’s time to have them removed. Again ask your vet if your pet is a good candidate for surgery and ask about the type of anesthesia used and make an informed choice. It’s always a good idea to have any growth or lump examined. Many times when a lump is simply written off as a fatty tumor and ignored, it can turn out to be a very serious problem.
Elderly dogs are like elderly people, it hurts to get up when your joints are stiff and sore from arthritis. There are many new drugs available to help improve your pet’s quality of life. Ask your vet what they recommend. Chiropractic care is also an option for your elderly friend. Some vets do chiropractic or acupuncture treatments on pets that can greatly improve his pain without the worry of drug side effects.
Be careful handling your old pet, many old dogs have the reputation of being crabby and most people chalk that up to growing old, but it’s really because the dog is in pain. Dogs are stoic about pain, they don't show it the way we dog. Some signs of pain are licking the joints, trouble getting up and down, shaking, moving slowly or just not being their happy, normal self. Dogs don't often whine when they are in pain because that would draw attention to them and remember dogs are “animals” and in the animal kingdom, if you whine and show weakness, something else comes to eat you, so you keep your mouth shut! Gee don't you wish humans did that sometimes?
Old pets, like elderly people, lose their hearing and sight as they age and that’s not a death sentence necessarily, many dogs that are completely deaf and blind still use their nose to guide them and do remarkable when navigating about the house. My Bogey is almost 15 years old and completely deaf. What that means to me is he is no longer afraid of loud noises, or thunder. When other dogs come to be groomed and carry on and make a lot of noise, he just sort of looks at them with his head cocked as if to say, “I see your mouth moving, but what’s the problem?” At least he doesn't need earplugs to get through the day like I do sometimes!
Only you and your vet can decide if your pet’s quality of life is worth having him euthanized. Personally, I think until you’ve tried all you can to ease your old guy’s pain and woes, then you would have tremendous guilt if you have him put down too soon just because he’s aging. But if you’ve done all you can, and you still can’t make his life comfortable, then the kindest thing is to have him humanely euthanized and stop the suffering. I think that’s the last act of kindness we can do for our dear pets after all the years of love they’ve given us.
There is nothing sweeter than an old dog to me. I really love the old fellows. One problem that I have noticed is that people tend to stretch out appointments because they fear the old fellow can't handle the grooming anymore, but the truth is, they need it more often if they are a hairy breed because old dogs tend to lie down more, and don't tolerate brushing as well, and then they become matted which is very uncomfortable for them.
In addition, elderly dogs often have problems with urine leakage which when added to long hair can actually cause urinary tract infections. Sometimes it’s better to skip the beauty and go for an easy care hair style that will keep the problem areas short and out of the way. Yes, that may mean your “pookie” won't look like his breed anymore, but what is more important?
Keep your dog’s eyes free of debris and build up in the corners. Take a moist cloth and gently wipe out your pets eyes daily. Some dogs have a dry eye problem and simply a couple drops of artificial tears put in daily help.
Another problem of the older dog is tooth problems. If you notice your dog’s breath is getting particularly nasty, there’s a very good chance he has a bad tooth or teeth, or a gum infection. Face it, not many of us really open up Fide’s mouth and peek inside all the way to the rear molars, if you did you'd seen in an instant why your pet’s breath isn't minty fresh. Brushing your dog’s teeth is helpful, but if you don't do it at least weekly, the tarter will harden and will soon require a veterinary dental cleaning to scrape it off.
I know many elderly dogs that are now toothless or very close. Dogs have 42 teeth, and my Bogey has about 6 of his left. I know so many clients I talk to with elderly dogs don't want to have their dog’s teeth cleaned because they fear the risk of anesthesia. Most vets now use a gas anesthesia which is much safer and I've known 17 year old dogs that have had their first dental and not only survived it, but THRIVED afterwards because all the pain in their mouth was gone! Dogs with infections in their mouths that aren't treated end up with the infection affecting all their other organs, such as heart, kidneys and liver. So you aren't saving your pet by avoiding a dental, but prolonging a long, slow and painful death due to infection. So don't fear the veterinarian, ask your vet what kind of anesthesia they use, and if they don't use gas, then go see another vet for a dental.
Lumps and bumps are common with elderly dogs, many are benign and not a problem but if your dogs is scratching them or making them bleed, then it’s time to have them removed. Again ask your vet if your pet is a good candidate for surgery and ask about the type of anesthesia used and make an informed choice. It’s always a good idea to have any growth or lump examined. Many times when a lump is simply written off as a fatty tumor and ignored, it can turn out to be a very serious problem.
Elderly dogs are like elderly people, it hurts to get up when your joints are stiff and sore from arthritis. There are many new drugs available to help improve your pet’s quality of life. Ask your vet what they recommend. Chiropractic care is also an option for your elderly friend. Some vets do chiropractic or acupuncture treatments on pets that can greatly improve his pain without the worry of drug side effects.
Be careful handling your old pet, many old dogs have the reputation of being crabby and most people chalk that up to growing old, but it’s really because the dog is in pain. Dogs are stoic about pain, they don't show it the way we dog. Some signs of pain are licking the joints, trouble getting up and down, shaking, moving slowly or just not being their happy, normal self. Dogs don't often whine when they are in pain because that would draw attention to them and remember dogs are “animals” and in the animal kingdom, if you whine and show weakness, something else comes to eat you, so you keep your mouth shut! Gee don't you wish humans did that sometimes?
Old pets, like elderly people, lose their hearing and sight as they age and that’s not a death sentence necessarily, many dogs that are completely deaf and blind still use their nose to guide them and do remarkable when navigating about the house. My Bogey is almost 15 years old and completely deaf. What that means to me is he is no longer afraid of loud noises, or thunder. When other dogs come to be groomed and carry on and make a lot of noise, he just sort of looks at them with his head cocked as if to say, “I see your mouth moving, but what’s the problem?” At least he doesn't need earplugs to get through the day like I do sometimes!
Only you and your vet can decide if your pet’s quality of life is worth having him euthanized. Personally, I think until you’ve tried all you can to ease your old guy’s pain and woes, then you would have tremendous guilt if you have him put down too soon just because he’s aging. But if you’ve done all you can, and you still can’t make his life comfortable, then the kindest thing is to have him humanely euthanized and stop the suffering. I think that’s the last act of kindness we can do for our dear pets after all the years of love they’ve given us.
3/13/09 Spring Cleaning
Spring Cleaning
Ahhh! The smell of spring is in the air, the birds are singing, and I've seen some flowers poking up through the soil. Maybe it’s just me but I've been impatiently waiting for this season to arrive for a very long time. When we get a nice mild day and the sun is shining, I get in the mood to spring clean the house and all the pets in it!
Unfortunately, so does everyone else and my phone has been ringing off the hook so my pets will have to wait. For all of you “do it yourselfers” out there who groom your pets at home I thought maybe I'd go over a few things to help you get your pet spring cleaned.
We all know with springtime comes mud, and naturally our four-legged friends are bound to bring some of it in on our freshly cleaned floor, so here are a few hints to help you out.
(Ideally any trimming should be done on a freshly bathed and dried pet to save your equipment. Nothing dulls a clipper blade or scissor faster than dirt or oil from your pet’s coat.)
If your pet has long hair especially on the bottom of his feet, trim that off either with scissors carefully, or clippers and be sure to get between the paw pads and make sure there are no mats, burrs or rocks hiding in there. Now brush up the hair on the top of the foot, and it should pull up the hair in between the toes, and you can trim that off too.
This will keep the mud down substantially.
While you are working on the feet, don't forget to trim your pet’s nails. Long nails will hurt your dog’s feet, and scratch up your floor. Use a nail file, emery board, or Dremel® type tool to smooth off the edges.
Since the days are getting longer, you'll notice more hair shedding in most breeds so make sure you brush and comb your dog or cat thoroughly to the skin and get that dead coat out of there. Be sure to pay attention to any lumps or unusual bumps or boo boos you find and take note of them. It won't be long until ticks are out, and it’s very important to make sure you get them off of your dog. Lyme disease is common around here and you should talk to your vet about prevention.
Be sure to check under your dog’s tail and trim any hair that tends to gather “cling-ons”. Yeah, I know not a pleasant job, but necessary. This is a good time to do a “sanitary” trim and clipper off the underside of your pet so you have less trouble with matting and soiling.
Don't forget your dog’s ears. If you have a pet ear cleaner squirt some in your dog’s ears and squish it around while your dog enjoys the ear rub. Then let him shake it out and you can take a tissue or paper towel and wipe out the ear canal with your finger and get rid of any debris. There are numerous things you can use for ear cleaner, but it depends on the condition of your dog’s ears as to what you want to use. If you have a dog with inflamed and sore ears, rubbing alcohol is going to hurt. Your vet may have some ear cleaner that fits the bill.
If your dog has a lot of hair around his ears, be sure to slide a comb under any matting before you cut the hair out! I've found wounds on dogs that the owner innocently tried to “pre-trim” before going to the groomer. It’s easy to do if there are mats, so be careful.
One of the very first signs of spring I'm told is not robins, but skunks! I've had several calls lately from desperate owners whose dogs have gotten skunked, bad for the owner and dog, but hey if that means spring has arrived, I'll take it! Here is the recipe for ridding your dog of the skunk odor. Be sure you are wearing clothes you don't mind destroying if needed.
1 quart of hydrogen peroxide (available everywhere)
¼ cup of baking soda
1 Tbsp. of Dawn® dish soap.
Mix this up in a non-metallic bowl and do NOT cover it, it can explode! Apply it to your dog on his dry coat and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes. Be careful you don't get it into his eyes, if you do be sure to flush them with water for several minutes. If you've covered the right spots on the dog you should notice a difference in the odor soon. Then rinse and repeat if necessary, then bathe as usual and be sure to put conditioner on the dog, this is a very caustic mixture but it has to be to get rid of the skunk odor. Skunk musk is oily and you have to degrease it in order to get rid of it. Use it all up, you can't save this mixture at all, but it is very effective. Tomato juice is not going to cut it, trust me.
If your dog has a collar on, don't try to save it, it’s not worth the effort! Skunk musk is practically impossible to get out of fabrics and nylon collars. Do yourself a favor and buy a new collar. Besides, now that your pup now smells nice and spring cleaned, you’ll want him to look good with a new collar as a finishing touch.
Ahhh! The smell of spring is in the air, the birds are singing, and I've seen some flowers poking up through the soil. Maybe it’s just me but I've been impatiently waiting for this season to arrive for a very long time. When we get a nice mild day and the sun is shining, I get in the mood to spring clean the house and all the pets in it!
Unfortunately, so does everyone else and my phone has been ringing off the hook so my pets will have to wait. For all of you “do it yourselfers” out there who groom your pets at home I thought maybe I'd go over a few things to help you get your pet spring cleaned.
We all know with springtime comes mud, and naturally our four-legged friends are bound to bring some of it in on our freshly cleaned floor, so here are a few hints to help you out.
(Ideally any trimming should be done on a freshly bathed and dried pet to save your equipment. Nothing dulls a clipper blade or scissor faster than dirt or oil from your pet’s coat.)
If your pet has long hair especially on the bottom of his feet, trim that off either with scissors carefully, or clippers and be sure to get between the paw pads and make sure there are no mats, burrs or rocks hiding in there. Now brush up the hair on the top of the foot, and it should pull up the hair in between the toes, and you can trim that off too.
This will keep the mud down substantially.
While you are working on the feet, don't forget to trim your pet’s nails. Long nails will hurt your dog’s feet, and scratch up your floor. Use a nail file, emery board, or Dremel® type tool to smooth off the edges.
Since the days are getting longer, you'll notice more hair shedding in most breeds so make sure you brush and comb your dog or cat thoroughly to the skin and get that dead coat out of there. Be sure to pay attention to any lumps or unusual bumps or boo boos you find and take note of them. It won't be long until ticks are out, and it’s very important to make sure you get them off of your dog. Lyme disease is common around here and you should talk to your vet about prevention.
Be sure to check under your dog’s tail and trim any hair that tends to gather “cling-ons”. Yeah, I know not a pleasant job, but necessary. This is a good time to do a “sanitary” trim and clipper off the underside of your pet so you have less trouble with matting and soiling.
Don't forget your dog’s ears. If you have a pet ear cleaner squirt some in your dog’s ears and squish it around while your dog enjoys the ear rub. Then let him shake it out and you can take a tissue or paper towel and wipe out the ear canal with your finger and get rid of any debris. There are numerous things you can use for ear cleaner, but it depends on the condition of your dog’s ears as to what you want to use. If you have a dog with inflamed and sore ears, rubbing alcohol is going to hurt. Your vet may have some ear cleaner that fits the bill.
If your dog has a lot of hair around his ears, be sure to slide a comb under any matting before you cut the hair out! I've found wounds on dogs that the owner innocently tried to “pre-trim” before going to the groomer. It’s easy to do if there are mats, so be careful.
One of the very first signs of spring I'm told is not robins, but skunks! I've had several calls lately from desperate owners whose dogs have gotten skunked, bad for the owner and dog, but hey if that means spring has arrived, I'll take it! Here is the recipe for ridding your dog of the skunk odor. Be sure you are wearing clothes you don't mind destroying if needed.
1 quart of hydrogen peroxide (available everywhere)
¼ cup of baking soda
1 Tbsp. of Dawn® dish soap.
Mix this up in a non-metallic bowl and do NOT cover it, it can explode! Apply it to your dog on his dry coat and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes. Be careful you don't get it into his eyes, if you do be sure to flush them with water for several minutes. If you've covered the right spots on the dog you should notice a difference in the odor soon. Then rinse and repeat if necessary, then bathe as usual and be sure to put conditioner on the dog, this is a very caustic mixture but it has to be to get rid of the skunk odor. Skunk musk is oily and you have to degrease it in order to get rid of it. Use it all up, you can't save this mixture at all, but it is very effective. Tomato juice is not going to cut it, trust me.
If your dog has a collar on, don't try to save it, it’s not worth the effort! Skunk musk is practically impossible to get out of fabrics and nylon collars. Do yourself a favor and buy a new collar. Besides, now that your pup now smells nice and spring cleaned, you’ll want him to look good with a new collar as a finishing touch.
5/8/09 The Wild Unknown World of Rescue
The wild unknown world of rescue
One thing I never knew before the Internet and getting involved with so many pet people, is what “rescue” dogs were, they weren't just dogs at the city pound. I had no idea how many breed rescues, and all breed rescues there were in the world. When you go to www.petfinder.com you will see for yourself just how many organizations are out there that help place homeless pets.
Another thing I wasn't aware of before is that there are transports for pets from one area of the country to another! Usually by way of volunteers who will drive a “leg” of a run on a weekend usually. It amazes me to this day how many good hearted souls are out there trying to get pets to their “forever” homes or into a good rescue from a high kill rate shelter.
There are Internet groups that have truck drivers volunteer to meet at specified locations at certain times to pick up animals and drive them to the next leg of their trip, and meet up with other truckers or volunteers, to get them to the next leg.
I truly am in awe of the entire process of saving these pets!
I get e-mail from these groups several times a day that sometimes I can pass on to people I know that live in the areas they are transporting through. Usually the road trip legs range about an hour or so each, and are covered by many volunteers.
From what I know so far, this is the way it works:
A person who may work for a high kill rate animal shelter, or has contacts through one will go to the shelter when they are over capacity and pull as many of the adoptable pets out of there as they can and they work to get them into rescues. Someone arranges a transport to the rescues if the rescues cannot come down to get them or are too far away. The e-mails fly and people will sign up to drive a leg or two of the trip. The animals are given health papers, vaccines if needed and any information on the pets known to them.
The animals are then pulled from the shelter and started on their way to the rescue that will help find them a permanent home, or possibly to a foster home if they are full.
These animals are then many times put on the Internet rescue sites in hopes of finding them a new home.
Foster homes are another important link in the chain of rescue. People just like you and I can do this! Fostering an animal is just like having one of your own, except they are up for adoption and many times it’s a short term home. Some animals may need a foster home because of a health issue that is being taken care of before adoption and the rescues want to make sure the animal is healthy first. While in foster care, the foster home can evaluate the pet and see what its “quirks” are and work on training. The vet bills are taken care of by the rescues, but most foster homes are responsible for providing food and grooming for the pet they take in.
Rescues get the pets checked out thoroughly by vets and they are almost always spayed or neutered before they are put up for adoption. The rescues rely on donations from the public through fundraisers, and have volunteers that help them by being foster homes for the animals, or helping with adoptions. Many of the pets that the rescues receive have health issues such as heartworm and that is very expensive to treat. Many vets will give the rescues a discount, but even with a discount it adds up to hundreds of dollars spent on one pet. Good rescues want to find the best home for the pets and they try hard to match up the families to the pets they want to adopt. Not all pets work for all homes and not all homes work for every pet. A good rescue will take your family’s lifestyle into consideration and have you fill out paperwork and answer a lot of questions and sometimes do a home visit before you will be considered to adopt. It’s a lot like adopting a child! Some people can't believe how picky some rescues are but really it’s for the benefit of the pet and the prospective new home. After all, the idea is to find a home that is “forever”.
The rescue has an adoption fee that is normally less that what it would be to buy a purebred puppy, and you end up with a dog that is healthy and already spayed or neutered to boot! You will know beforehand most of the time if the pet is good with children or other pets and good rescues will ALWAYS take the pet back should something happen and it doesn't work out or your life changes and you can no longer keep the pet you adopt.
So why not be a link in the chain of rescue and help out some pets that don't deserve to die in a shelter? Get on the Internet and look up some rescue groups or transport groups online and see what you can do to help. We may not be able to help them all, but together we can change the lives of many!
One thing I never knew before the Internet and getting involved with so many pet people, is what “rescue” dogs were, they weren't just dogs at the city pound. I had no idea how many breed rescues, and all breed rescues there were in the world. When you go to www.petfinder.com you will see for yourself just how many organizations are out there that help place homeless pets.
Another thing I wasn't aware of before is that there are transports for pets from one area of the country to another! Usually by way of volunteers who will drive a “leg” of a run on a weekend usually. It amazes me to this day how many good hearted souls are out there trying to get pets to their “forever” homes or into a good rescue from a high kill rate shelter.
There are Internet groups that have truck drivers volunteer to meet at specified locations at certain times to pick up animals and drive them to the next leg of their trip, and meet up with other truckers or volunteers, to get them to the next leg.
I truly am in awe of the entire process of saving these pets!
I get e-mail from these groups several times a day that sometimes I can pass on to people I know that live in the areas they are transporting through. Usually the road trip legs range about an hour or so each, and are covered by many volunteers.
From what I know so far, this is the way it works:
A person who may work for a high kill rate animal shelter, or has contacts through one will go to the shelter when they are over capacity and pull as many of the adoptable pets out of there as they can and they work to get them into rescues. Someone arranges a transport to the rescues if the rescues cannot come down to get them or are too far away. The e-mails fly and people will sign up to drive a leg or two of the trip. The animals are given health papers, vaccines if needed and any information on the pets known to them.
The animals are then pulled from the shelter and started on their way to the rescue that will help find them a permanent home, or possibly to a foster home if they are full.
These animals are then many times put on the Internet rescue sites in hopes of finding them a new home.
Foster homes are another important link in the chain of rescue. People just like you and I can do this! Fostering an animal is just like having one of your own, except they are up for adoption and many times it’s a short term home. Some animals may need a foster home because of a health issue that is being taken care of before adoption and the rescues want to make sure the animal is healthy first. While in foster care, the foster home can evaluate the pet and see what its “quirks” are and work on training. The vet bills are taken care of by the rescues, but most foster homes are responsible for providing food and grooming for the pet they take in.
Rescues get the pets checked out thoroughly by vets and they are almost always spayed or neutered before they are put up for adoption. The rescues rely on donations from the public through fundraisers, and have volunteers that help them by being foster homes for the animals, or helping with adoptions. Many of the pets that the rescues receive have health issues such as heartworm and that is very expensive to treat. Many vets will give the rescues a discount, but even with a discount it adds up to hundreds of dollars spent on one pet. Good rescues want to find the best home for the pets and they try hard to match up the families to the pets they want to adopt. Not all pets work for all homes and not all homes work for every pet. A good rescue will take your family’s lifestyle into consideration and have you fill out paperwork and answer a lot of questions and sometimes do a home visit before you will be considered to adopt. It’s a lot like adopting a child! Some people can't believe how picky some rescues are but really it’s for the benefit of the pet and the prospective new home. After all, the idea is to find a home that is “forever”.
The rescue has an adoption fee that is normally less that what it would be to buy a purebred puppy, and you end up with a dog that is healthy and already spayed or neutered to boot! You will know beforehand most of the time if the pet is good with children or other pets and good rescues will ALWAYS take the pet back should something happen and it doesn't work out or your life changes and you can no longer keep the pet you adopt.
So why not be a link in the chain of rescue and help out some pets that don't deserve to die in a shelter? Get on the Internet and look up some rescue groups or transport groups online and see what you can do to help. We may not be able to help them all, but together we can change the lives of many!
4/24/09 Allergic to Dogs
Allergic to Dogs
It’s springtime and those of us with seasonal allergies are just beginning to feel the effects of the pollens before us. One thing I'm grateful for is that I do not (at this time) have an allergy to dogs. Talk about ruining a career! As much as I've been exposed to hair, dander and saliva surely I'd have built up immunity for life, but that isn't the case with many of my clients.
I have several clients who are allergic to dogs. So why are they clients you ask? Well, to help keep the hair and dander down on their beloved pet they are allergic to, or because they have found breeds which are less allergenic than most dogs and they can tolerate them better. So which breeds are best for dog allergy sufferers? The best breeds are those who are low-shedding breeds or those who need to have their hair cut regularly; however there are no truly hypoallergenic dogs. Poodle, Maltese, Shih-Tzu, Bichon-Frise, Bolognese, Havanese, Coton de Tulear, Lowchen, Komondor, Puli, Irish Water Spaniel, Portuguese Water Dog, Chinese Crested, Schnauzer,
Take for example the Obama family. Our new first dog is a Portuguese Water Dog. They have children with allergies to dogs and had to be especially careful about the breed they brought into the house. Hopefully the new “Portie” will grow up and not become a source of allergies for the family. The reason I say that is because puppies don't shed and rarely cause allergy problems until puberty when the puppy hair goes out and the adult coat comes in. Many people with puppies find out the hard way that the beloved puppy they have raised grows up to become a big problem for the allergy sufferer in the family. Porties are low shedding, like a poodle, they can have a curly, wavy or “whirly” (a mixture of wavy and curly) coats. They don't have a seasonal shedding undercoat such as a sheltie or golden retriever. But they have the love of water and personality of a wonderful family dog. I hope it’s a good match. I happen to know a groomer in
So what do you do if you are allergic to your dog? Well I know what I would do if it were me. First of all I'd be heading to my doctor and getting some medication for myself, and looking into immunotherapy shots. I've actually done that years ago when it was discovered I had a mild allergy to horses and cats amongst other things. There was no way I'd give them up! So I had weekly to monthly needle pokes, that were so easy I never even felt them, and after about a year and a half, I stopped them. I can't say for sure that they worked because I learned to avoid grooming my horses in springtime; I let my friend’s kids brush them in exchange for riding time. Springtime shedding was the only time my horses ever bothered my asthma. Once that was over, it was smooth sailing. I had myself tested a few years ago again for dogs and cats when an allergy flared up, and it turns out that I am showing no signs of allergy to either one, however I'm allergic to guinea pigs. Go figure! The doctor thought that my constant exposure to the dander and hair was actually a good thing for my allergies and apparently has built up my immunity to cats. He also discovered that my immunotherapy shots from years before did not have any cat dander in them all that time that I was on the shots, so I was never being treated for my cat allergy. I have two house cats now.
One thing that can really help you is to have your dog groomed for you by a professional groomer and be sure to tell them you are trying to help your allergies. Groomers can really get out undercoat that would take you weeks otherwise. Frequent bathing helps control the dander, as do some rub on treatments such as Allerpet® that you rub on your pet weekly between baths. I know many people who swear by it. A really good diet for the dog also helps the skin so it doesn't produce as much dander.
So allergies don't always have to mean finding a new home for Fido, sometimes it just takes a little more care to keep the hair and dander under control as well as taking good care of yourself and perhaps a little medication. Singulair® has been enormous help to me with my allergies, I haven't had an asthma attack since I've been on it, and I can feel the difference if I forget to take it. So I live with taking a pill daily. Some things you can't avoid, other things you choose not to avoid. That seems to keep life happier for me.
4/10/09 Hoosier Corn Dog
Hoosier Corn Dog
Well another creative grooming show came up in Knoxville, TN and since this was a new show and at a better time of year for me, I decided we needed a little working vacation so the whole family and one dog loaded up and headed to Knoxville last weekend to compete.
After the last show in Chicago, I swore off creative grooming and said I'd be money ahead to do a design, have a photographer snap a photo and buy my own trophy. While this is indeed true, there’s just something way too competitive inside me and no sooner did I get home from Chicago, inspiration hit me.
A groomer friend of mine, Gloria in South Carolina e-mailed me and suggested a design that hadn't been done before that she thought of and wanted me to do it. A corn dog!
No, not a brown dog with a stick coming out of you know where, but a dog that is dyed and carved to resemble an ear of corn! Well, this was shear brilliance in my mind, and I took the idea and ran with it.
Trying to find dark green hair dye was no easy feat, I came upon three different shades of green, that by themselves were either lime green, or Easter egg green and too pastel. Not exactly what I had in mind for stalks of corn so I got to play Dr. Frankenstein and added some black and a dash of orange to it and hoped for the best. What I ended up with was a sort of sage or olive green, not perfect but good enough.
This was the first contest I had ever done “live”. Other contests you already had the dog cut and colored and just set up in the ring and were judged. This one, you had 2 hours to cut the dogs design in, going in with only a dyed dog, and maybe a design you had carved in several weeks before. Talk about pressure!
The contest began in the back part of large conference room at a hotel in downtown Knoxville. There were 4 divisions to enter in; First Timer, Novice, Intermediate, and Open for more advanced stylist. You had to have at least 3 first placements to advance to the next level. Well that made me an easy “novice” competitor since I've gotten only 2nd and 3rd placements in my creative grooming career thus far.
I went in thinking two hours is a long time, I'll be easily finished by then, after all she’s already washed and dried…all I have to do is cut hair, I guess I never timed myself. That was the fastest two hours of my life!
Periodically we'd hear the judge tell us, “thirty minutes left”, then “fifteen minutes left”, then “five minutes”. I found myself not way ahead of the game as I had planned but cutting corners and just trying to finish as best I could.
My “Hoosier Corn Dog” theme turned out pretty well all things considered and I used my boys as scarecrow props. My husband came to this show and it was his first grooming show, oddly enough he seemed to be enjoying himself. He sat there the entire two hours, eyes glued to the stage, and when time was up, he jumped up and started putting my background and props together while I got myself and the boys into our costumes. We made it and the cameras were busy flashing photos of us while the judge went down the line inspecting our work.
My hopes were high but alas, it was not to be. Bypassed again! DRAT! Nevertheless, we were a crowd favorite and I heard many groomers say to me “you were robbed!” That at least made me feel a little better. The judge gave me a good critique and I knew where I needed to improve. After it was all over, we took Jasmine outside for a walk and then we were mobbed! I can't tell you how many people stopped cars, snapped pictures and posed with her! (You'd think they never saw a green and yellow corn dog before.) Three young teens saw her and instantly fell in love; one boy said “I'll bet she cost $10,000.00!” I told him, “Nope, her adoption fee was only $300.00”, then he said, “Want to sell her?”
“No, I'm afraid not, she’s priceless to me” I replied. Greetings like that made it worth the trip. Besides the next day was our vacation portion and we headed to Dollywood, and Jasmine had a room booked at the kennel there “Doggywood”.
Walking in from the parking lot and getting on the tram to go inside Dollywood with our “corn dog” created quite a stir! Even worse was after we had spent the day there and were heading out to go home, we were completely mobbed, people were hugging her, feeding her their sandwiches, asking all sorts of questions about her and making me feel like quite a celebrity all in all. If I had a nickel for every photo taken of her I'd have more money than Dolly Parton! Patrons of Dollywood got a treat that day and didn’t have to pay extra! What’s not to love?
After coming back home without a trophy, I decided we deserved one anyway so I ordered one online. I bought a nice gold cup with a poodle on top, it reads:
After the last show in Chicago, I swore off creative grooming and said I'd be money ahead to do a design, have a photographer snap a photo and buy my own trophy. While this is indeed true, there’s just something way too competitive inside me and no sooner did I get home from Chicago, inspiration hit me.
A groomer friend of mine, Gloria in South Carolina e-mailed me and suggested a design that hadn't been done before that she thought of and wanted me to do it. A corn dog!
No, not a brown dog with a stick coming out of you know where, but a dog that is dyed and carved to resemble an ear of corn! Well, this was shear brilliance in my mind, and I took the idea and ran with it.
Trying to find dark green hair dye was no easy feat, I came upon three different shades of green, that by themselves were either lime green, or Easter egg green and too pastel. Not exactly what I had in mind for stalks of corn so I got to play Dr. Frankenstein and added some black and a dash of orange to it and hoped for the best. What I ended up with was a sort of sage or olive green, not perfect but good enough.
This was the first contest I had ever done “live”. Other contests you already had the dog cut and colored and just set up in the ring and were judged. This one, you had 2 hours to cut the dogs design in, going in with only a dyed dog, and maybe a design you had carved in several weeks before. Talk about pressure!
The contest began in the back part of large conference room at a hotel in downtown Knoxville. There were 4 divisions to enter in; First Timer, Novice, Intermediate, and Open for more advanced stylist. You had to have at least 3 first placements to advance to the next level. Well that made me an easy “novice” competitor since I've gotten only 2nd and 3rd placements in my creative grooming career thus far.
I went in thinking two hours is a long time, I'll be easily finished by then, after all she’s already washed and dried…all I have to do is cut hair, I guess I never timed myself. That was the fastest two hours of my life!
Periodically we'd hear the judge tell us, “thirty minutes left”, then “fifteen minutes left”, then “five minutes”. I found myself not way ahead of the game as I had planned but cutting corners and just trying to finish as best I could.
My “Hoosier Corn Dog” theme turned out pretty well all things considered and I used my boys as scarecrow props. My husband came to this show and it was his first grooming show, oddly enough he seemed to be enjoying himself. He sat there the entire two hours, eyes glued to the stage, and when time was up, he jumped up and started putting my background and props together while I got myself and the boys into our costumes. We made it and the cameras were busy flashing photos of us while the judge went down the line inspecting our work.
My hopes were high but alas, it was not to be. Bypassed again! DRAT! Nevertheless, we were a crowd favorite and I heard many groomers say to me “you were robbed!” That at least made me feel a little better. The judge gave me a good critique and I knew where I needed to improve. After it was all over, we took Jasmine outside for a walk and then we were mobbed! I can't tell you how many people stopped cars, snapped pictures and posed with her! (You'd think they never saw a green and yellow corn dog before.) Three young teens saw her and instantly fell in love; one boy said “I'll bet she cost $10,000.00!” I told him, “Nope, her adoption fee was only $300.00”, then he said, “Want to sell her?”
“No, I'm afraid not, she’s priceless to me” I replied. Greetings like that made it worth the trip. Besides the next day was our vacation portion and we headed to Dollywood, and Jasmine had a room booked at the kennel there “Doggywood”.
Walking in from the parking lot and getting on the tram to go inside Dollywood with our “corn dog” created quite a stir! Even worse was after we had spent the day there and were heading out to go home, we were completely mobbed, people were hugging her, feeding her their sandwiches, asking all sorts of questions about her and making me feel like quite a celebrity all in all. If I had a nickel for every photo taken of her I'd have more money than Dolly Parton! Patrons of Dollywood got a treat that day and didn’t have to pay extra! What’s not to love?
After coming back home without a trophy, I decided we deserved one anyway so I ordered one online. I bought a nice gold cup with a poodle on top, it reads:
“The "SMILEY" Award” (which stands for)
"See My Incredible Losses Each Year"
Sandy Blackburn
Creative Grooming
"See My Incredible Losses Each Year"
Sandy Blackburn
Creative Grooming
At least I kept my sense of humor. My husband really surprised me by giving me ideas for the next contest, and I thought he wasn’t interested in what I do, I guess the competition bug has bit him too. Maybe she’ll have enough hair by September for Hershey, Pennsylvania...
2-16-09 Lessons in Government
I knew I should’ve paid more attention in Government class in high school!
Funny how we discover many years later that we get to revisit those old subjects and learn about them in REAL life.
I went to the statehouse to propose some animal welfare changes, and boy did I get an education of how our government operates!
I went with a group of people to lobby for changes on some proposed bills. There were several groups there to lobby for the same thing, so we met up at the Indiana Historical Society and were briefed on what to say, how to say it, and not to get too carried away and be thought of as “the crazy dog lady”. There was a question and answer period and then we walked to the statehouse and stood on the steps, many had signs and were holding them towards the traffic, “Honk if you hate puppy mills” and the like.
We listened to some guest speakers on the subjects and then the representative that authored the bill we wanted came out and spoke to us.
I was told before we went there to take her off the side and speak with her about MY changes I wanted to see added to her bill, and luckily, I was able to do so. Representative Linda Lawson is the author of the bill and a fellow animal lover. Just as rally was ending, we heard there is already opposition to the bill by another representative because his daughter breeds dogs.
They aren’t after hobby breeders, but the puppy mills that are cranking out HUNDREDS of dogs per year. They want to stop the abuse and mistreatment of the dogs. I can’t imagine anyone NOT being for that. If they have a problem with it, do they have a guilty conscience? Makes you wonder huh?
Then it was on to the inside of the capital building and through the metal detectors. I’ve seen some beautiful courthouses and buildings but WOW! This one blew me away. Where was my camera when I needed it? Marble floors and columns, huge statues, and inside the dome is stained glass. It was gorgeous! Then we looked up, and they told us one side is the House of Representatives, the opposite side is the Senate. We went upstairs to meet with our reps, and it was nothing like I expected. The House side has a huge picture window to see inside the room where all the decisions are made. It’s full of desks and chairs and a podium up front, and there is a speaker to the hallway so we can hear what they are saying.
There are two entrances to the room, one side for democrats, and the other side for republicans. Kind of makes you wonder how we will ever get bi-partisan leadership when the entire room is divided that way huh?
There is a desk outside each entrance, with an attendant and a doorman who is CONSTANTLY opening and closing the door for everyone.
Our job was to go up to the attendant at the desk, write a little note on who we wanted to speak with and give it to them to take to our Rep. Then our Rep. would come out of the room, stand there and talk to us for a minute then go back inside.
I was glad to find all the Reps. were so polite and easy to talk to, I was thinking I had to have a speech or something, nope, just tell them what you want…some wrote down little notes so they could research it, and then they shook your hand, told you “I’m in your corner”, and back they went.
When the house session started, I was actually a little surprised to hear them open with prayer! Division of church and state and all, but it made me feel good.
The Senate side was similar but no picture window, instead a large screen TV so you could see what was going on. Again it was divided and again I went to the wrong door first, I asked them why the room was divided, the answer was “Because that’s the way it’s always been”….so much for forward thinking. I said, “So I’m in enemy territory now right?” laughing, they said, “No, we’re the good guys” joking back. What, no middle of the road people? Neither Democrat nor Republican? Clearly, I would not fit in with this place.
I actually felt sorry for the doorman because he was constantly opening the doors letting the reps in and out, not like they can’t open the door themselves, heck if it were me I’d block it open. Save the state money on the salary for the doorman.
Honestly, it was so crazy in there, and I really don’t know what my Reps. look like, face it; they all sort of look the same in suits. One woman said she was waiting on her Rep, he was supposed to be a shorter man with gray hair, which described the majority of the Reps. in the room.
I was thinking we would speak to the Reps either in a room with a few others, or maybe in an office. Nope. They all just came out, talked for a minute then back to work. They were constantly coming in and out of session to talk to the lobbyists. The hallways were scenes you see on CNN about Wall Street. There are hundreds of suits walking around, darting in and out of session doors.
When Senator Phil Boots came out to talk to me, I asked him if it was always this crazy, he said “Yeah, pretty much”.
No wonder our government is the shape it’s in, how can any work get done when you are constantly having to go in and out of session to talk to people? Yet, I’m told when you show up to the Capital to talk to them it’s supposed to mean something special, taking time out of your busy schedule and it’s supposed to really help when you want to see a law passed. Frankly, it looks more like we are bothering them. I don’t know why they don’t limit lobbyists to one particular day and then not allow interruptions while they are working.
Well, at least I can say I did it. I tried to help. I pray it works, they vote on it tomorrow, then it can be passed, not passed, or more changes made and voted on again later. Then it goes to the Senate for the same. Then if it passes both House and Senate it goes to the governor who can veto it, but if he does, his veto can be overridden. Sound like a complicated mess? That’s because it is. Still, I have to admire those who are in politics and do these jobs, they must thrive on stress. I know I came out with a splitting headache and sore feet. I saw all these women in high heel shoes on that hard floor! OUCH!
I know I’m ready to shed the dress clothes and hose and get into some comfortable things to wear that don’t squeeze me so much!
Dale Grubb told me to keep watching for changes online to the bill, problem is they can’t update it fast enough, they’ve already added an amendment to it before I went today, and they lumped both of the bills I was after together. He told me they do make changes fast. It’s going to be hard to keep up with it.
Whether or not I’ve done any good, I don’t know. Nevertheless, I can say I tried, and I was the only person in my district so I did it alone. I’m still proud of myself, I saw a problem, and wondered why nothings being done, and it’s because there was no law against it. So I said, who do you have to talk to about a law? They said, talk to your rep and I did, E-mail and in person. I came, I saw, I rallied, and hopefully, I’ll conquer, for the animals’ sake.
Note: As of February 12th, the amended bill has passed and goes on to the full house for a 2nd reading and vote. It’s not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s a start. I expect more changes before it passes as a law.
You can keep track of legislation on www.IN.gov I urge you all to e-mail, write or call your Representative on issues that concern you and voice your opinion.
Funny how we discover many years later that we get to revisit those old subjects and learn about them in REAL life.
I went to the statehouse to propose some animal welfare changes, and boy did I get an education of how our government operates!
I went with a group of people to lobby for changes on some proposed bills. There were several groups there to lobby for the same thing, so we met up at the Indiana Historical Society and were briefed on what to say, how to say it, and not to get too carried away and be thought of as “the crazy dog lady”. There was a question and answer period and then we walked to the statehouse and stood on the steps, many had signs and were holding them towards the traffic, “Honk if you hate puppy mills” and the like.
We listened to some guest speakers on the subjects and then the representative that authored the bill we wanted came out and spoke to us.
I was told before we went there to take her off the side and speak with her about MY changes I wanted to see added to her bill, and luckily, I was able to do so. Representative Linda Lawson is the author of the bill and a fellow animal lover. Just as rally was ending, we heard there is already opposition to the bill by another representative because his daughter breeds dogs.
They aren’t after hobby breeders, but the puppy mills that are cranking out HUNDREDS of dogs per year. They want to stop the abuse and mistreatment of the dogs. I can’t imagine anyone NOT being for that. If they have a problem with it, do they have a guilty conscience? Makes you wonder huh?
Then it was on to the inside of the capital building and through the metal detectors. I’ve seen some beautiful courthouses and buildings but WOW! This one blew me away. Where was my camera when I needed it? Marble floors and columns, huge statues, and inside the dome is stained glass. It was gorgeous! Then we looked up, and they told us one side is the House of Representatives, the opposite side is the Senate. We went upstairs to meet with our reps, and it was nothing like I expected. The House side has a huge picture window to see inside the room where all the decisions are made. It’s full of desks and chairs and a podium up front, and there is a speaker to the hallway so we can hear what they are saying.
There are two entrances to the room, one side for democrats, and the other side for republicans. Kind of makes you wonder how we will ever get bi-partisan leadership when the entire room is divided that way huh?
There is a desk outside each entrance, with an attendant and a doorman who is CONSTANTLY opening and closing the door for everyone.
Our job was to go up to the attendant at the desk, write a little note on who we wanted to speak with and give it to them to take to our Rep. Then our Rep. would come out of the room, stand there and talk to us for a minute then go back inside.
I was glad to find all the Reps. were so polite and easy to talk to, I was thinking I had to have a speech or something, nope, just tell them what you want…some wrote down little notes so they could research it, and then they shook your hand, told you “I’m in your corner”, and back they went.
When the house session started, I was actually a little surprised to hear them open with prayer! Division of church and state and all, but it made me feel good.
The Senate side was similar but no picture window, instead a large screen TV so you could see what was going on. Again it was divided and again I went to the wrong door first, I asked them why the room was divided, the answer was “Because that’s the way it’s always been”….so much for forward thinking. I said, “So I’m in enemy territory now right?” laughing, they said, “No, we’re the good guys” joking back. What, no middle of the road people? Neither Democrat nor Republican? Clearly, I would not fit in with this place.
I actually felt sorry for the doorman because he was constantly opening the doors letting the reps in and out, not like they can’t open the door themselves, heck if it were me I’d block it open. Save the state money on the salary for the doorman.
Honestly, it was so crazy in there, and I really don’t know what my Reps. look like, face it; they all sort of look the same in suits. One woman said she was waiting on her Rep, he was supposed to be a shorter man with gray hair, which described the majority of the Reps. in the room.
I was thinking we would speak to the Reps either in a room with a few others, or maybe in an office. Nope. They all just came out, talked for a minute then back to work. They were constantly coming in and out of session to talk to the lobbyists. The hallways were scenes you see on CNN about Wall Street. There are hundreds of suits walking around, darting in and out of session doors.
When Senator Phil Boots came out to talk to me, I asked him if it was always this crazy, he said “Yeah, pretty much”.
No wonder our government is the shape it’s in, how can any work get done when you are constantly having to go in and out of session to talk to people? Yet, I’m told when you show up to the Capital to talk to them it’s supposed to mean something special, taking time out of your busy schedule and it’s supposed to really help when you want to see a law passed. Frankly, it looks more like we are bothering them. I don’t know why they don’t limit lobbyists to one particular day and then not allow interruptions while they are working.
Well, at least I can say I did it. I tried to help. I pray it works, they vote on it tomorrow, then it can be passed, not passed, or more changes made and voted on again later. Then it goes to the Senate for the same. Then if it passes both House and Senate it goes to the governor who can veto it, but if he does, his veto can be overridden. Sound like a complicated mess? That’s because it is. Still, I have to admire those who are in politics and do these jobs, they must thrive on stress. I know I came out with a splitting headache and sore feet. I saw all these women in high heel shoes on that hard floor! OUCH!
I know I’m ready to shed the dress clothes and hose and get into some comfortable things to wear that don’t squeeze me so much!
Dale Grubb told me to keep watching for changes online to the bill, problem is they can’t update it fast enough, they’ve already added an amendment to it before I went today, and they lumped both of the bills I was after together. He told me they do make changes fast. It’s going to be hard to keep up with it.
Whether or not I’ve done any good, I don’t know. Nevertheless, I can say I tried, and I was the only person in my district so I did it alone. I’m still proud of myself, I saw a problem, and wondered why nothings being done, and it’s because there was no law against it. So I said, who do you have to talk to about a law? They said, talk to your rep and I did, E-mail and in person. I came, I saw, I rallied, and hopefully, I’ll conquer, for the animals’ sake.
Note: As of February 12th, the amended bill has passed and goes on to the full house for a 2nd reading and vote. It’s not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s a start. I expect more changes before it passes as a law.
You can keep track of legislation on www.IN.gov I urge you all to e-mail, write or call your Representative on issues that concern you and voice your opinion.
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