Have a great Christmas Day everyone

I have treats for my dog and the day will be spent at home. No worries about putting up with noxious smoke from uncle Bert's Padron cigars or having to deal with endless guilt about leaving my dog at home while I go out and visit others and their pets. This day I will be selfish and enjoy my home, my dog and my time. Next year might be different but that is how I feel today.

Enjoy this day how YOU want to spend it. Give your dog a hug and have a Merry Christmas.

Blog updates

If you have not visited my new page called "Resources and Links" please take a look at it. It has lots of links to some very informative articles on dog care. There is also a nice link to a blog that has coupons and free stuff for pets in general.

So how do you like the new look to the blog? I am enjoying adding some extra widgets and that extra page. If I can think of another page to add I will do that, any ideas?

I would like to get some more of you to leave comments, of course spammers can move on especially the ones who leave links to gaming sites and pushing diet pills or some other junk that is not related in any way with dogs.

Service dogs

We all know that dogs have helped those who are handicapped. From the Guide Dogs for the Blind to the service dogs for those with mental disabilities, dogs are invaluable to those that need their help.

Something that I have often wondered is if a specially trained dog is covered as health insurance expense like durable medical equipment or does disability insurance cover the expense of a service dog?

If you have a service dog I would like to know if your health insurance covered the cost or not. Leave a comment.

Dog breed names

Some names of dog breeds are obvious, they describe what the dog was bred to do. Retrievers and pointers help hunters with their tasks and sheepdogs help with herding sheep. Their breed names often have another descriptive name added to the dog's breed to differentiate the breed from similar breeds of dogs. That other word might be a location, city or country name or the name of the person who help originate the breed.

That being said, now I have to wonder about those made up at the spur of the moment dog breed names. You know what I am talking about, those names that often smack of crosses and mutts. The Cock-a-poos, the Labradoodles, the Peek-a-poos and many others. Oddly enough the Labradoodle is an actual breed of dog that was developed in Australia for work as a guide dog.

When someone came up with the name for the Labradoodle Dogs, I wonder if they could have come up with a better breed name that did not sound like a type of cookie or a breed mix. Something like the "Australian Curl" or the "Aussie Wavy" would have been better. Since the breed has been around for decades now maybe a name change is in order.

Please weigh your dog

Have you ever bothered to check what your dog's weight is? Unless you have your dog at the vet about once a month you probably don't know what your dog weighs. Human weight scales are fine for the job provided your dog weighs more than 25 pounds.

Why do you need to check your dog's weight? For example:

• To properly use spot on flea products they are dosed according to your dog's weight.
• Many illnesses are marked by weight loss, the sooner you realize your dog is losing weight you can have your vet do an exam.
• Just like humans, many illnesses are caused by too much weight on your dog. The sooner you know your dog's true weight you can determine if he/she has any weight related problems if and when they occur.

Sights at the mall

Christmas shopping finally hit me today and I got the urge to go to the local mall for that annual gift buying trip. It was while I was at the mall that I saw an older woman walking 2 small dachshunds and pushing a small stroller. It looked too small of a stroller for a child and then it dawned on me that the stroller was for the dogs! Considering that dachshunds have very short legs then it was probably not a bad idea.

Next I saw some really interesting electronic dogs. They were at the electronics store and could do all kinds of "tricks." No thanks, I'll take the real thing over a robot any day of the week.

I'll be out shopping tomorrow so I will see if I notice anything odd and doggy related. I have got to remember to take photos next time.

Dogs can get "high" on smells

Dogs can get high on all kinds of smells. You can see their reactions by rolling in the most obnoxious smell, curling their upper lip or just digging and sniffing and digging some more. I have seen dogs get a kick out of the smell of Ben Gay cream, a muscle pain lotion that my mother use to use and of course that dead animal smell. Yuck, just plain yuck.

Oh well, it keeps us busy with giving them baths and the doggy cologne business is booming I suppose.

Headaches in dogs

I was curious to know if dogs got headaches so off I went to do an internet search. Headaches are a type of  pain that a dog would have a hard time letting their owner know that they had one. There is a large consensus that dogs do indeed get headaches just like humans do. Their headaches can be caused by allergies, sinus problems and head injuries. I don't know if they suffer from migraines since human symptoms would include nausea and other more severe signs. Even if dogs did suffer from them, what would a migraine treatment for a dog? I could not find the answer to that question.

Puppyhood to full grown dog

It takes about 2 years for a dog to mature. The first few weeks are baby to toddler time. At about 12 weeks old they are about the equivalent of a 5-6 year old human child. They are mentally ready to leave their mom and litter mates. The American Kennel Club does not recommend separating them from their mom and litter mates earlier than 12 weeks. From 12 weeks to 6 months they are in their childhood years when they are learning at a very fast rate. This is the time best suited for basic training but not leash training since the pup should have all its vaccines before being exposed to other dogs and the sidewalk of dog viruses.

From 6 months old to the pup's first birthday is a time of sexual maturity. Male dogs are able to father a litter of puppies and females often go into heat as early as 6 months old. These are their teenage years and be thankful that you don't have to worry about how to get rid of acne fast but just getting that vet appointment for spaying or neutering before an "accident' happens.

The second year of their life is when their bodies and minds mature. They get more muscle tone, become more mellow and you find out their average daily energy level.

Get that pup on the phone for me

I came across that photo above while looking for cell phone accessories. All I can say is "how cute." It is amazing what kind of poses people will come up with for photographing their dogs. This cute little pup can answer my cell phone any time......just as long as he doesn't lick the keys.

Your dog needs more than just a walk

When you take your dog out for a walk, do you do more than just walk? The reason I ask that is the fact that most dogs need to jog or trot to keep their heart, lungs and body in shape. Most dog owners do not walk fast enough to truly give their dogs any meaningful exercise. In order for the larger breeds of dogs to get enough exercise they must be trotted or jogged for at least 20 minutes each day. It is one way to get an abs workout for your dog and you.

If your dog does not get enough proper daily exercise, your dog will suffer the same health problems that you might experience if you did not get daily exercise. Those problems include heart problems, weak lung capacity and obesity.

Protect your dog in the car

I have seen way too many dogs loose in cars while they were in motion. Most of the neglectful owners allow their overly active dogs to sit in their laps while they are driving. What the dog should be doing is just like all the human passengers in the car, they should be strapped into a seat with a harness or a doggy seat. Even if you have auto insurance that covers your dog (you did make sure that you searched for cheap auto insurance quotes that included coverage for your dog...don't you?) you still have to make an effort so your dog does not get injured in an auto accident.

Please protect your dog from being thrown into the windshield should you break suddenly. Your dog doesn't know what could happen in a car accident, but you do.

Greyhound health problem

When you look at the athletic build of the fabulous Greyhound, you would never think that they had a serious health problem. No they don't have hip dysplasia like other dog breeds, nor do they have a problem with needing belly fat removal from being overweight. The problem they have is a loose intestine. Their intestine can become twisted much like a horse's intestine can. It can flip over and cut off the flow of digestion. If not treated right away the dog will die within days. Discomfort is the first signs of the problem followed by lack of poop. Surgery is the only cure for a twisted intestine. Most other dog breeds do not have this problem.

Fun dog movies

So what are your favorite dog movies? Did you cry during the last few scenes of Ol' Yeller or did Hachi: A Dog's Tale, get to you? That does bring up an interesting fact, why are the majority of dog movies have to have a sad ending? Even Marley and Me was sad. The only series of dog movies that have remained light hearted and fun are the Beethoven movies. So next time you are looking for that special dog flick on DVD or blu ray, keep in mind that you may have to get a box of tissues to go with it.

Traveling the dog show circuit

Have you ever been to a dog show? I have been to several in the past 20 years. At first it was to show one of my pups and later just as a spectator. Unless they were local shows I did not attend them. I knew several people that would travel thousands of miles between dog shows just to get those precious points towards their dogs' championship title.

As a spectator at those later dog shows and events, I would wander around the kennel areas to view the dogs being prepared. Most of the time it was out in the parking lot were many of the owners of the dogs were being prepared beside their car. The professional dog handlers had trailers and 5th wheelers that had been adapted to house several dogs, a full grooming station and room for them to eat. sleep and carry on a life on the road. Some of those rigs were extremely elaborate. I would hate to see the cost of the 5th wheel insurance on those puppies (pun intended).

I don't I could ever get use to traveling from dog show to dog show for a full time living. I guess I am too much in love with my home life to exchange it for being on the road all the time. More power to those who choose to do that though.

Dog birthday parties

When you think about dog parties you are probably thinking about birthday parties with a dog theme, not parties for dogs but I am going to tell you about parties for dogs.

They are becoming very popular now. Companies are catering to the craze by making everything from invitations from dogs to dogs, decorations and party favors all with dogs in mind.

The food is strictly for the dogs. Doggy treats and jerkys. Now how about entertainment? Some dog parties are also pool parties, complete with doggy fetch in the pool. Of course the dogs can't play pin the tail on the donkey but they can play hide and seek with the human party goers.

After the party some grateful party attendees send baby thank you cards, since some baby cards have puppies on them.

So will you attend a dog party with your dog or throw one just for fun?

Using human medications on your dog

Unlike cats, dogs are more tolerant of human medications in their system. Aspirin, under the guidance of your vet can be given for pain but dosage is very important since too much can cause problems or death. First aid creams and lotions are OK to use as long as they are not licked off and ingested. You might be tempted to use a human ointment or cream simply because of one ingredient in the product, don't use it if it is not for dogs. Products such as hemorrhoid creams, lotions for acne treatment and even scented sprays to mask your dogs odor should be avoided if they were not made for dogs. It might be just one ingredient in that product could be toxic to your dog so err on the side of not using it.

Removing tear stains

If you have a white or light colored dog then you probably have had to deal with those yellowing stains that are around the eyes and streak down towards the dog's nose. They are made from the acid in the dog's tears. Some dogs will exhibit more staining than others due to eye problems. A dog that has eyes that are being constantly irritated will have more tears.

There are many dog products on the market that will remove or reduce the stains, but the best way to keep the staining under control is to remove the irritation of the eyes. Irritations can be caused by air borne particles, allergies and nutrition. Yes nutrition even plays an important part.

If you plan on asking your vet or a dog groomer for advice I would stick to the vet, since a dog groomer might only know how to remove the stains and not prevent them. It is like asking someone "what is best eye cream for dark circles" rather than finding out that the best treament is getting enough sleep. Your dog's vet can also isolate any underlying allergies that are constantly bothering your dog.

A puppy for Christmas

How many times have you heard the saying, "never give a puppy as a Christmas gift?" I am going to bet that you hear that at least once a year on the TV news, right before Christmas.

Now I am going to go out on a limb and say that if a dog needs a home (from a shelter or rescue) then why not at Christmas? It would surely make that dog happy as well as the family. A dog is better than a toy, cell phone or other electronic entertainment device. Sure the dog will need care and someone responsible for it, so maybe having a member of the family learn how to be responsible is better than them learning how to text message. A dog or puppy would be one of the great christmas gift ideas for teenagers. Walking that dog will keep a teen healthier than sitting and playing video games. Having interaction with the dog will help with a teens' mental stress level. Having a dog will teach responsibility and allow interaction between two living things that have a positive benefit for both.

Yes, a puppy for Christmas is a good idea.

Poor quality dog foods

If you are having a problem with finding a dry dog food for your dog that lacks any real nutrition for your dog, you are not alone. Sure the main ingredient might be meat, but what kind of meat? Meat can mean anything from chicken to pork and even deer meat. When you have those elusive words "by products" in the list you can add animal hides, bones and internal organs. Next comes those "filler" products. They might be listed first on the dry dog food ingredient list and include wheat, corn, rice, or another type of grain. What most people do not know is that some dogs have allergies to grains. Wheat is often the culprit for "hot spot" allergies. After the meat and filler products on the list are all those vitamins and preservatives. If the product claims to be high in protein then you might see soy or protein powder on the list. The protein powder might be made out of animal bones, soy or even sea shells.

As you can see, dog food can contain some very dubious ingredients at best.  You need to shop around and read those labels on the dog food bags.

Biking and running with your dog

You know that your dog needs daily exercise to stay healthy, just like you do. Daily walking is great for smaller dogs as your stride makes the little dog almost run to keep up, but what about the mid-size to larger dog? It is sad to say that most larger dogs do not get enough exercise, just like their owners. Breeds like the German Shepard need to be trotted for at least 40-80 minutes a day to stay in shape and not have any heart and lung problems. That being said, how can you help your dog get that much needed daily exercise?

Daily jogging is the quickest way to get your dog on the right track to getting and keeping them in shape but often us humans cannot keep up the pace that is needed for the dog to get the best benefits of the workout. Biking is the best choice for those who have to keep their dogs on a leash while out in public. I do not recommend that you hold the dogs leash but use a leash holder like in the photo above and work with your dog to get them use to it. Both biking and jogging with your dog are the best fat burners for both you and your dog, but what if you are unable to do either?

If you are not physically able to jog or bike but can walk, here is my suggestion. Walk to your nearest open area, dog park or place where your dog can be off leash and not be breaking the law. Play long distance fetch, allow the dog to go swimming in a near by pond or lake or otherwise engage the dog in long distance fast running while remaining under you voice command. Daily swimming is actually recommended for retrieving dog breeds so if you have a swimming pool don't close it for the winter but use it as a place for your dog to get daily swimming exercise.

Spam comments on the blog

I don't know what possessed me to check out my approved comments section in my dashboard just now. But I am glad I did. Somehow several really weird comments got published and I am not even sure how that happened. Then again maybe I do. I allow ping backs to appear in the comments section. Normally they are just excerpts of the blog post that wrote about my blog post, but I think that someone has done something different. Both weird comments were completely off topic (isn't all spam that way?). One was inviting me to join a blogging community, no thanks I have my own blog and the other one asked does hoodia really work?

I am going to have to keep a closer watch on ping backs since those things are sneaking through the approval process.

Guardian dogs

When you think of guard dogs I bet the first thing that comes to your mind is a ferocious junk yard dog behind a chain link fence. Guard dogs in reality are guardians over more than just "junk" or stuff. They protect livestock as well as their families.

Just picture a small child answering the front door with a Great Dane standing beside her. The front door visitor would think twice before doing any harm to the child. The dog might be a big pussy cat, but its size is intimidating.

Dogs are better than security cameras and alarms because they can take action to the situation. Unlike an camera, a dog can also hear an intruder long before that intruder can be seen.

Dogs are the preferred companions to a jogger who needs protection from danger while out running. Guardians, our dogs, our pets.

Dog in the news

I was searching to see if there was any odd or strange dog news around. I did come up with the story that a dog was supposed to buy 5,000 xbox game points from MicroSoft, or so his owner claims. This story appeared just over a year ago on Fox and then was retold on CNET. The owner claims he was in bed when the mysterious purchase was made. He also claims that he found his dogs saliva all over the xbox controller the next morning. Now here are my questions:

• If the xbox requires a password to purchase points how did the dog know it? Accident maybe?
• Why did he leave his xbox turned on?

It just sounds suspicious to me.

Coupon codes for dog supply stores

If you need a discount code for dog supplies, vet medications or food you had better check out the coupon and free stuff page at All the Creatures. The blog owner has special deals just for their readers. So if you need a free shipping coupon or a percent deal off your order then head on over there.


The coupon page at All the Creatures

Human products you can use on your dog

Products like baby shampoo, human hair conditioners and even saline eye drops can be used safely on dogs. Cats on the other hand are an entirely different matter since you can give a dog a baby aspirin for pain but it will kill a cat or make them extremely sick.

Some human products, while not useful if used in the same manner can be used in  pinch for a dog. For example the Avon product Skin-so-Soft bath oil can be used as a light spray to repel flies and ticks from a dog. Also a human acne wash can be used on a dog with skin irritations.

Other products that make great dog area fly repellents are pine-sol and vinegar. Mixed in equal amounts and put in a garden sprayer attached to a hose, it makes a great yard, dog run and patio fly repellent that lasts for several days. It also kills that doggy odor from the area.

High survival rate of puppies in a litter

I once adopted a beautiful Chow dog that had 4 litters of puppies by the time she was 4 years old. Her prior owners basically bred her for the cash the pups provided and did not care about her health. I don't even think they knew her bloodlines. When I asked about grand sires they had no clue. It was after I acquired her that I did a pedigree search and found out she had Belgian and Canadian Champions as her Grand sires and dams. It was then that I decided to breed her to my stud for one more time.

Her prior owners told me that she only had 4 pups in each of her litters and at least one pup died out of each litter. That told me that they provided very poor prenatal care for the dog. After doing a search for prenatal vitamin reviews for dogs (believe me, there were not that many, 18 years ago) I decided on feeding her Eukanuba puppy formula dog food.

The resulting litter was 7 very healthy pups. I kept one and since I had a waiting list the other pups already had homes waiting for them. The mother of the pups was spayed after the pups were weaned and lived with us until she died at a ripe old age of 17. 

Your dog and caffenine

Did you know that caffeine is toxic to your dog? Caffeine can cause death from a heart attack if dogs ingest it. Caffeine is not just in coffee, tea and colas, it is also present in chocolate, many different supplements and some of the best diet pills, so keep your dog away from those items.

Caffeine in conjunction with other toxins will speed up their effects so keep an eye on your dog, especially if your dog likes to get into the garbage or visit the neighbors house.

There is NO ANTIDOTE for caffeine poisoning. Signs to look for are:

• Excitement
• Increased breathing rate
• Increased heart rate
• Muscle tremors
• Fits
• Bleeding

Don't let your dog become a victim of caffeine poisoning, be a good dog owner and keep an eye on what your dog eats and keep caffeine items out of reach.

The little pup who wanted attention

I was told this cute little tale of a puppy that was bugging her college age owner. The student, in order to spend more time at home with the new pup, had signed up for some online college courses. It was during one of her Forex training webinars that the pup decided it wanted outside. She got up and let the pup out into her small backyard. Five minutes later she went to the door to let the pup back in and opened the door to find her pup had a new friend, a kitten!

The kitten ended up staying and the college student never did find out who the owner was nor where the kitten came from. That college student was one of my college teachers (when she was younger) and she told us that tale as part of her writing class. She asked us to write a paragraph describing her pup. My description came up very close to the photo above. In reality she told us her pup was a Great Dane.

Strange skin ailments of dogs

Dogs can have some of the strangest skin aliments. Everything from flea dermatitis (caused by an allergic reaction to fleas) to acne. Quite often the skin aliment can be corrected by a well balanced diet. A correct diet acts like a natural acne treatment for dogs. Diet can also be the cause of many odd skin ailments as well. Some dogs have an adverse reaction to soy or wheat in their diets, so you have to look at the ingredients closely on the dog food.

In determining the cause of a dogs' strange skin condition it is often just a matter of a process of elimination plus making sure the dog is on a well balanced but basic diet.

Warning dust settling - blog maintenance

Just doing a bit of blog maintenance. Adjusting the blogs' feed length and removing some spam comments that slipped under the radar, the ones that mentioned teenage acne treatment were hilarious but did not fit into the blog post discussion at all. I guess that it was the broken English that got me at the wrong time. I also removed some dead links to article or websites that have disappeared.

The blog dust will settle and then to play fetch with the little dog sitting at my feet.

Dog furniture

This post is not about furniture for dogs but furniture with a doggy theme. First is this coffee table with sitting labs for legs. It is not exactly the style of contemporary coffee tables, if it was, it would not be on this blog.

Next is this tall table with Dachshunds as "legs".

Both of those tables can be found at dogmt.com

Just in case you think you might like one of these, just be warned they cost around $950.00 and up.

Caring for your older dog

Dogs unfortunately get old rather quickly. The first signs of aging in a dog is those gray hairs that show up around their muzzle at about their 7th year. By the time they are 10 or 11 they start to slow down and sleep more than they use to. Around their 12th year you are now battling arthritis, tooth loss and often they start to lose weight. Here are some of the things you can do to help your older dog live their twilight years more comfortably:

• Provide a bed that is off the floor and out of drafts
• Feed senior dog food to your dog as it will be easier for the older dog to digest
• For arthritis feed your dog a supplement with yucca in it. Yucca has anti-inflammatory properties and works great for arthritis.

Caring for your older dog does not have to be difficult, just caring.

Why do people need diet pills for their dog?

I know that my vet actually prescribes diet pills for dogs. Now I fully understand why people take pills to curb their appetite because us humans have a problem saying no to food when it is constantly available to us. But dogs are different, we have to give the food to them in order for them to eat. All we have to do is restrict access to the food for the dog not to gain too much weight. Why do we need to give them a pill? Anyone have a thought on that?

Is it too early to talk about Christmas?

Ok, so it is only September but have you thought about the winter holiday season yet? Are you planning on going somewhere and leaving your pup in the care of others or boarded for the holidays? Some people think that not having their dog around during all the festivities is best for the dog as it might put undue stress on the pet. That could not be further from the truth. In fact the dog will experience separation stress from not being around their owner. So what are your ideas for the 2010 holiday season? Should your dog be with you as you exchange gifts and have visitors over? Or will you isolate your dog, thinking that your guests and your dog are better off? I would like your thoughts on the subject.

Indoor dogs shed the year around

Does it surprise you that dogs that are kept indoors shed all the time? It shouldn't since their bodies no longer have to adjust to extreme temperature changes. A dog that lives outdoors most of the time only sheds twice a year. So the next time you are vacuuming up bags full of dog hair or cleaning out your humidifier filters of dog hair, don't blame the dog, blame it on the fact that you keep your home temperature controlled.

High tech doggy style

I had to chuckle when I saw these products that are modeled after dogs and puppies. First up is a neat set of speakers for your computer:

Then I found this cute little flash drives in the shape of doggy paws:

Then of course there is this robot dog from Sony that is all the rage in Japan for families that cannot keep a dog.

Dog obstacle course

If you are at familiar with dog sports then you would have seen a dog obstacle course. The sport is more commonly known as agility. Below is a photo of a typical layout of obstacles found on an agility course. Many of them you can make yourself or adapt another piece of equipment for use in the course. Children's playground equipment like slides, titter totters and pull up bars can all be adapted for the sport in one way or another. The tunnel takes a bit more ingenuity to make but they are also found in pet stores now.

The dog park

Today we have a guest blogger:

Guest post written by Stuart Robbins

Part of the reason that I chose the location of my apartment is because it’s right beside of a dog park . That’s really hard to come by in a city like this.

Most days I’ll take my dog there at least once and catch up with neighbors who also bring their dogs there while Oscar plays around and does his business. It’s open to the public rather than just the neighborhood so it gets pretty crowded sometimes. A few days ago I was standing by the fence watching Oscar play with a few other dogs, when I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I hadn’t seen anyone that I knew when we came to the park so I just brushed it off until my next-door neighbor came up and told me he had been calling my name for five minutes trying to get my attention.

Except that was just one of several instances where that had been happening lately. So after that I called my brother and asked him his opinion of hearing aid brands he’s used. He suggested a few and I looked up miracle ear hearing aid prices and thought they were pretty reasonable. I think I’m going to make a decision pretty soon and buy some so I won’t miss out on seeing friends randomly.

Wow, great blog news

I just had to share this with everyone. In about 10 days this blog will be 2 years old!!! In dog years that is full grown. If you were around when I first started this blog almost 2 years ago, then you would know that it was started out as an example of how to start, monetize and promote a blog. I can honesty say that it has worked out great. This is my 198th post.

In that time the blogger format has changed and yet I still like the clean look of this blog as it is. I might change it in the near future but for now just plain white with just a few ads are fine. For those of you who are interested, the most searched word that leads people to this blog is "saluki."

Life insurance for your high valued dog

I was visiting some of the many dog breeding message boards today and one of the questions that came up was life insurance for an expensive litter of puppies. The breeder had 8 puppies that were valued at over $2K each and she was looking for a company that offered life insurance for dogs. Now she was NOT looking for medical/vet insurance for the pups but mortality insurance. Many people gave her some suggestions and she called them all. Most of the companies were out of business or were limited to livestock and not domestic animals.

So I went on a search to see what I could find. Boy, did I find a lot of mis-information out there. Many bloggers were simply not informed at all about the difference of the many types of dog, livestock and pet insurance policies there are. Most were confusing insurance related to vet care should the dog get sick or injured not mortality insurance should the dog die. Their poorly written article might also be an attempt at affiliate marketing for life insurance leads but they are misleading their readers. What I did find is that there is a very limited number of companies that do insure show dogs or prize breeding dogs.

If you are looking for such insurance I suggest you start on the AKC website and your own breed club website. They often have the best resources for breeders of high quality show dogs.

Insurance with your dog in mind

When you buy insurance do you have your dog in mind? Not many dog owners do. Quite frankly most people are looking for the cheapest auto insurance or homeowners insurance they can find. They often don't realize that some auto insurance policies will cover their dog should they be also involved in an auto accident with you. Some homeowners insurance policies actually discriminate against dog ownership.

The next time you are shopping for insurance, keep your dog in mind and ask questions. Often the cheapest policy is not the best.

A touch of personalization

Call me a bling fanatic, but I love little touches of personalization for my dogs. After all, they all wear dog tags with their name and my contact info on their collars. One of them has a food mat with his name on it (presented to me by a good friend) and another one has everything color coordinated.

Of course I love giving personalized gifts too. One friend had a dog that would always get out so I got him a dog collar for his dog that had the dog's name and his phone number on it, in neon, because the dog was always getting out at night. It actually came in handy once when he got a phone call from the local vet. Someone had found the dog and turned her over to the vet to call the owner. The people were just traveling through and did not have the time to wait for the owner.

Walking the dog, or how to explore a healthier lifestyle

I have a neighbor who has, to my recent knowledge, only just started to walk his dog. He is, or should I say WAS, a portly young man in his late 20's. I started to notice that he was losing weight and his dog was getting muscles.

I managed to talk to him just yesterday as he was passing by with his dog. I remarked how good looking his dog was getting. The conversation went on for another 5 minutes when he confessed that his doctor put him on a diet pill and that one of the diet pill side effects was excessive energy. His solution was to take his dog for long walks.

So now not only is he benefiting from his doctor's orders and pill but his dog is too. He did confess to me that he enjoys the walks so much that he will continue them after he is off of the diet pill. I am such that his dog will like that too.

Dog stories that inspire

A few years ago I was contacted by a wonderful woman that represented an animal shelter. She had a brilliant idea to raise money for the shelter. She decided to publish a series of books about the dogs that had been saved from animal shelters. She went one step further and contacted websites and blogs so that she could get the word out that she needed stories. She asked people to submit their own dog rescue stories for inclusion in a series of books. Each of the dog books were to be separated according to breed. So far there are books about pugs, pit bulls, dachshunds and ......... well you get the idea.

It did not surprise me when I found out last year that her books were now on Amazon and they are doing rather well. The proceeds from the sales of those books benefit dogs in animal shelters. Here are just a few of the books:




Just click on any of the books to find out more about them. I wish much more success to Kyla Duffy, editor of Happy Tails Books and the Lost Soul series of books.

Free books for dog owners on Amazon

Did you know that Amazon is a great place to find free books? They have lots of free dog related book for you and they are FREE, FREE, FREE.

First up is this list of FREE, yes I said free books for your Kindle (what, you don't have a Kindle!). Psssst, if you don't have a Kindle, Amazon has a free download that you can read those Kindle books on your iPhone, iPod touch and even your computer.



Now for that list of FREE dog books:
The Dog Crusoe and His Master A Story of Adventure in the Western Prairies
True Stories about Dogs and Cats
Dog of St. Bernard and Other Stories
Rags (The Story Of A Dog)
Dogs and All about Them
A Dog of Flanders
Beautiful Joe An Autobiography of a Dog

Well, what are you waiting for............go and download and start reading!!

Notes and thoughts on becoming a vet tech

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ashworth College. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you love dogs enough to work with them everyday? Ever thought about becoming a vet tech? I have, and I have also looked more into the subject. There are 3 ways you can become a certified veterinarian technician. The first way is to attend your local community college. Expect to attend for about 26 weeks of 8 hour days and the cost is usually around $5K or less. You can also attend an online college like Ashworth, which does have a very comprehensive vet tech course. The third way is to be hired by a veterinarian and learn on the job with the ability to test at the end of 2 years for the vet tech certification/license. 

In all 3 cases you will want to find out what your particular state's requirements are for working as a vet tech. Some states, like Oregon, require an on hands vet tech course so online learning would not work in that state. In California, a friend of mine attended a vet tech school part time and it took her close to 2 years to complete the course. Most states will require you to be employed by a vet for an "X" amount of time before they will allow you to take the state licensing test for vet techs.

If you are looking into online learning, first make sure that your Online degree will be accepted in your state or where you plan on working.