Furby and Sam Celebrate YUM!

Furby times 1 plus Sammy times 4 equals tons of birthday fun.  Furby's the little black and white girl tucked under Laurie's right hand and Sammy's the guy woofing down his treat on Laurie's left.

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Twin Bagels

Lady and Quinn are our beagle sisters; they're sweet as can be and share everything with one another.  We call them our twin bagels.   Lady was woofing her way through her birthday Frosty Paws when Quinn stood up to partake. 

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Emmy turns three

Emmy's a good sport about wearing a party hat, but sharing her Frosty Paws with her playpals is not her idea of a birthday!  Happy 3rd, anyway, sweet Emmy!

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Ebby's 7th Birthday

Ebby has turned 7 and she's quite a lady about birthday treats.  She doesn't do competition.  If one hands her a tidbit, and only to her, she will eat daintily.  If others barge in, well, that's just beneath a girl of her class.

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4 Tips for Finding a New Dog

VISIT AN ANIMAL SHELTER FIRST

Even if you're looking for a purebred.  At any given time, a significant percentage of the dogs in a shelter are purebred and awaiting adoption alongside their mutt counterparts.  Besides, looking at the mixes that are available for adoption can either confirm your decision to look for a purebred, or change it.

FIND A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER AND VISIT THEIR PREMISES

Ask your vet or contact local breed clubs to find the most reputable in your area.  Be sure to visit the facility to see where your dog was born, whelped and exercised.  If possible meet your prospective dog's parents.

 DON'T BUY YOUR DOG ONLINE OR FROM A PET STORE!!

It's most likely going to be from a puppy mill.  Dogs born in puppy mills tend to have more health problems due to the poor conditions into which they are born, and in which their mother lives.

TALK TO A BREED RESCUE GROUP

Even if the nearest group for the breed of dog you seek is cross country.  Oftentimes, they'll help arrange transportation in order to get the animal to you.

Reprinted from Angie's List Magazine, August 2010, p. 64.

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Laurie and the Pups

It ROCKS in the medium dog play area at The Doggie Den.  No slackers, everybody's up and about.  Dinero and Clancy are both determined to win the tug of war and Chester, he's into "fetch".   Eva and Charlie just want to be part of whatever's happnin'.

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Things to think about before getting that puppy

Basic Dog Care     


There are lots of responsibilities in acquiring a dog,and you should probably consider them before making your decision. Taking care of them is not easy. You need to be very careful and responsible in taking care of them so you will not unwittingly harm them, or find yourself a victim of their destructiveness or their
expensive health problems.  Being a dog owner is daunting, though lots of fun.

You need to do some research to learn the basic needs of your prospective dog. For example you need to know you can keep up with his or her grooming needs. You don’t have to worry, because these basic grooming needs are not hard to meet; you only need to make sure that you won’t neglect anything since the basic ones are the most important.  Here are some  things to keep in mind:

1.  Do not leave your dog alone for long periods of time.   This should be the most important factor in your decision whether or not to get a dog.  Particularly as puppies, but all through their lives, dogs are bored, anxious and/or depressed when they're alone.  They are pack animals and pets see their people as their pack.  If your life style obliges you to be away from home for 10-12 hours a day, don't get a dog!  It's not fair to him or her;and you're likely to find yourself stuck with behavioral problems like chewing on furniture, soiling the house, chewing on themselves, excessive barking and on and on.

2. Clipping your dog’s nails – it is very important to get your dog’s nails clipped every couple of months.  If you do it yourself, make sure that you know how.  Cutting into your dog's vein is painful and will cause him or her to bleed profusely and to avoid you in the future if you have a clipper in your hand.

 You can get a good clipper from a grooming shop but if you are hesitant, you can also bring your dog to a dog salon or to a veterinarian but of course, you will be spending a few dollars on it. A well manicured dog can walk easily, without hindrances.  A dog with long nails has to constantly compensate for the awkward angle his toes are forced to assume.

3. A good bath every 6-8 weeks – it is important to bathe your dog to make his fur shiny and clean. It will also Keep him/her free from diseases and pests.  You shouldn’t forget to wash your dog’s face, eyes, and ears since these areas are the most important ones to keep them healthy and free from pests.

4. Keep a balanced diet – there are dogs that eat anything they see, which will eventually make them sick. You need to watch what your dog eats; make sure that he or she gets an adequate type and amount of food. If you only rely on processed foods, you need to very particular about the brand, since these foods usually contain unhealthy preservatives. READ THE LABEL and remember that most of the food is made up of the first two or three ingredients listed.  You should look for dog foods that contain vitamins, minerals, pro-biotics and antioxidants. These are good because they boost the canine immune system, helping to keep dogs healthy throughout their lives.   Most of all do not overfeed your dog!!! 

5. Exercise your dog - this is the one people slack off on over the months and years.  Yet it may be the most important thing you can do to keep your pet physically and psychologically well.   Dogs with behavior problems often get better with increased exercise, because the lack of it makes many breeds nervous, bored, anxious and generally prone to bad behavior.  Long, brisk walks on-leash are excellent, as are unleashed workouts in a fenced-in area where you can play fetch or just encourage your dog to run around for half an hour or so.   If your budget allow, put your pup in doggie daycare a couple of days a week.

Information provided by Kelly Dawson - for more dog information by Kelly, take a look at airline approved dog carriers & labrador retriever from animal-world.com.


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You won't believe this morning pee!

It's been a long night and a guy needs to take his time with his first pee.  Plus it can be boring if you don't get creative!

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Cody's 7th Birthday

Cody turned 7 on July 10th.  He's our all around good guy who likes everybody.... provided they don't come on too strong.  Definitely more a lover than a fighter.  In the end he even left some Frosty Paws treat for his pals.


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It Takes All Kinds

Some dogs hang out by the pool; some dogs wade in the pool; some dogs dig in the pool; aaaand, some dogs, well, you'll see.


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Q&A on Adoptions - GUEST POST FROM ADOPT-A-PET!

Common Questions About Pet Adoption

Q: Although there are millions of pets in shelters needing homes each year, many pet-owners-to-be don’t think about pet adoption when they’re looking for their new four-legged friend. Why do you think this is, and what can be done to turn that around?

A: Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many great pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets in shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem with pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn't have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please. Rescued pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.

Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these animals are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these animals are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in shelters as well, but it is important to note that puppies require a lot of work and training and can be quite destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great, but often people are much happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size and temperament is a known quantity.

Through Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local shelters and see pictures and descriptions of the pets available for adoption. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific animal.



Q: What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new pet?

A: We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/guides/permanentpets.html.

1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.

2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.

3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight

4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.

5. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence to provide for your pet’s safety.



Q: What are 5 positive aspects of pet adoption, and why it’s a good option?

A:

1. When you adopt an adult animal, you can see his/her size and temperament. This helps ensure that the pet is right for you and your family.

2. It feels great to know you have saved an animal’s life and everyone you meet will give you kudos for that for years to come.

3. Adopted pets are very loyal and know they have been given a new home.

4. Adopting a pet can be an important lesson to teach your children-- both about the value of life, and also about civic responsibility and even recycling- in this case recycling a living and loving animal into a new home.

5. Choosing a mixed breed animal can help avoid many of the genetic health problems that have developed in purebred animals due overbreeding and inbreeding.



Q: If someone reading this isn’t in a position to adopt a pet right at this time, but still wants to help homeless pets, what are 5 things they can do to get involved?

A:

1. People can do Social PETworking and Twitter Critter! They can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, find a pet they want to help get exposure for, and use the share tools on our site to post the pet link on their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other social network page. Or, they can email the link of a pet in need from our site to their friends.

2. They can place a link/graphic or even a search widget for Adopt-a-Pet.com on their personal website to encourage they users to see pets in need at local shelters. (hyper link "link" to our links page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/links/index.html where we have graphics to be used as links)(hyper link "search widget" to our search module page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/searchtools/ which itself is a link from our links page)

3. People can add their info to our volunteer database (link http://www.adoptapet.com/volunteer/signup) so shelters who need volunteers can find them.

4. People can search Adopt-a-Pet.com to find a local shelter, and make a cash donation to that shelter to help them with the costs of housing, feeding and medical care of shelter animals.

5. People can encourage other pet owners to spay or neuter their pet (link to our spay neuter page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/spay_and_neuter/index.html) to help prevent unwanted births.

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Wally's 3rd birthday

Wally is a born party boy.  He loved his party hat, his birthday candle and, especially, his Frosty Paws treat.  His mom asked that he eat half of his treat, so his play pals shared in the bounty!



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Clancy rocks! Itsa party boy.

It's Clancy's first birthday today and he and his pals had a fun party.  There was a problem, though.  How does a guy carry his rubber bone around and eat his birthday treat at the same time???



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Cleo's 3rd Birthday

We call her Cleo the Shy.  Try as she might, Laurie couldn't get Cleo to eat her birthday treat, though she was a good sport about the party hat.  After we stopped filming Cleo consented to eat a few bites if Laurie hand fed her.  That's our Cleo.



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Today is Sweet Eva's First Birthday

Eva turned 1 year old today and Laurie fed her a doggy ice cream while envious playpals looked on.  Eva was a good sport and even wore a party hat!



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Cuba is June Dog of the Month

Meet Cuba, a dog who thoroughly enjoys life.  She's easy-going as can be, but will stand up for herself  if another dog steps on her.  Cuba loves to be cuddled and talked to.  She's our June Dog of the Month and will get a free bath and nail trim.  She says it's about time!

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Birthday Party for Corinna's 1st!

Corinna the Swiss Mountain Dog mix turned one year old today and she graciously shared her beautiful birhtday cake with her 26 Doggie Den friends.  Good job, Corinna!


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Hi I'm Polaris and I'm an Alaskan Klee Kai

Most people refer to me as a "mini Huskey" but ahemmm...  I am my own breed and I'm very fancy.  Klee Kai.  I'm extremely shy; yet Susan insisted on pointing that black box thing at me for what seemed like forever!


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Lucy is May Dog of the Month

Lucy is a chihuahua/maltese mix and she's as cute as a button.  Maybe that's why she's 2010's May Dog of the Month - her little face is as welcome as the fresh spring flowers.  She LOVES to play - The Doggie Den's May Sweetheart!!

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Molly and friends enjoy her 2nd birthday

Molly insisted that Susan hold her birthday treat while she licked it.  She didn't mind at all when friends decided to join her.  Happy birthday, good girl Molly.



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