The Obama puppy and mutts

You have by now seen that the Obama family has a new dog. It is not a mixed breed from the local animal shelter or rescue but a purebred Portuguese Water Spaniel. The fact that the Obamas did not rescue a dog or puppy from the local animal shelter has gotten a lot of people up in arms. It is true that there are many dogs that are awaiting to be adopted from rescues and animal shelters all over the country but those dogs are there for a reason. Often they were given up by owners because the owner acquired a cute puppy with unknown parentage from a backyard breeder that had puppies for sale. When the puppy grew it often took on the personality and size of the unknown breed or mixes of breeds that the owner was not aware of. That in a nut shell is the number one reason against indiscriminate breeding of unregistered dogs.

The Obama family wanted a dog that they knew what it's breed characteristics would be. They did not want surprises 6 months down the road. Acquiring a purebred dog is the only way to insure that. The Obamas did quite a bit of research on different breeds before acquiring "Bo", the dog that they decided on.

There are several internet directories that list Dogs for sale or Puppies for sale so check them out, you might find what you are looking for in a lifetime companion. At least by acquiring a purebred puppy you will know what size, color and temperament it will be when it is fully grown.

Cute poster, t-shirt

I just happen to run across this during my time on the internet:I think it was on a t-shirt but it would also make a great poster. Heck print it out and have it laminated so it can be placed under the dog food bowl. If they sold it in the stores I wonder how the barcode scanner would handle it?

Flea control

Fleas become more active when it starts to get warmer and drier. I live in the Pacific Northwest so our flea season doesn't start until the rainy season is over with. Fleas don't like moisture so a wet lawn and damp or wet cement around your home will help control the flea population from entering your home on your clothing.

For dogs it is a simple matter of using some sort of flea control to keep the fleas at bay for the warm months. I use Advantage spot on flea control.

Advantage comes color coded for the weight of the dog it is used on. Green Advantage is for dogs 10 lbs and under. Teal Advantage is for dogs 11-20 lbs. Red Advantage is for dogs 21-55 lbs. Blue Advantage is for dogs 55-100 lbs.

You can often find Advantage on eBay at discount prices but watch out for counterfeits.

Dog friendly hotels in San Diego

Planning a trip to San Diego this year? How about this handy list of dog friendly San Diego hotels -

• Hotel Solomar: no deposit for pets and no size limit. Includes pet bed, distilled water, pet treats.
• Loews Resort: $25 deposit per stay, no size limit. Room service for pets with a wide variety of foods. Pet beds, treats and list of pet friendly parks and local attractions.
• Su'ruff Camp: Dog surfing lessons at Dog Beach are included in the room accommodations.

As you can see, more and more hotels and resorts are catering to dogs.

Muddy dogs

The spring rains are here and so is mud, lots of it. One of our dogs loves to run down to one of our creeks and roll in the Outer Banks of it to cover herself in mud. I don't know what it is about that dog but she just loves to roll in the muddiest part of the creek.

To clean herself off she then rolls in tall grass and she comes out clean! Interesting behavior to say the least.

Overweight dogs

How to tell if your dog is overweight. You should be able to feel your dog's ribs without digging your fingers into their sides. The ribs should be only slightly noticeable while looking at the side of your dog. The ideal dog would have their ribs not seen by the eye but easily felt when touched. They waistline should look trim and not bulge below the ribcage.

That is only a rough idea of what you should look for in your own dog for the ideal weight. What do you do if your dog is overweight? You can't just find a website that lists best rated diet pills for dogs, they just aren't there and are not recommended. Feeding them less would be the first step. Look for a dog food that is high in protein and low on filler foods like grains. The more meat and less grains in their diet would make a huge different in their weight. Dog foods that list rice, wheat, soy or other grains as their first or second ingredient should be avoided. They are simply dehydrated bread with meat flavoring.

If you cannot locate a dog food that is low in grains you might want to look into the option of making your own dog food. Organ meats such as hearts and livers when cooked and poured over a small amount of dry dog food will add the much needed meat to an overweight dog's diet.

Wagging tail damage

Have you ever had a dog that wagged it's tail so fast that it hit the coffee table or tv stand and injured the tail? I have had 2 dogs that did that. I wonder if it is just more than a coincidence that they were both lab mixes. If Dobermans and Weimaraners did not have docked tails would they also have a high incidence of damaged tails from frantic wagging? It seems that the heavier breed dogs suffer more from wagging tail damage than the lighter breed dogs. Anyone else have a dog that damages it's tail all the time just by hitting furniture with it? I would love to hear your stories. Just leave a comment.

On the road with Rover in Texas

Are you planing a trip to Dallas this year? If you are then you can take your dog too. Among the many Dallas Texas hotels there is at least one that accepts pets. It is called the Hotel Lawrence. They cater to both dog and cat owners. There is one catch, the dog must be under 30 pounds so you have to keep your giant breed dog at home or in a boarding kennel.

Some of the amenities that the hotel offers dog owners is a list of all the local businesses that welcome dogs, from restaurants to dog parks. They even have a dog walking service. There is no excuse to not go on vacation this year without your dog.