More Halloween Pictures!

Aren't these just the best? Enjoying Halloween with pets can be fun....just make sure to keep them safe. Hope everyone enjoyed today and will keep checking back with my blog. A few comments to reassure me there are a few of you out there that have now marked this blog as one of your favorites would be nice! Please let me know if you enjoy it and if you have any comments, please feel free to ask me questions or let me know what topics you like best.

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Halloween Doggie Fun!

As Halloween approaches many people love to indulge their animals in the fun!

If you do dress your dog up for the occasion, just be sure that your pets costume is not restrictive in any way that might harm circulation or breathing.

Wow! The creativity that owners have is amazing!

I will be posting more pictures as we approach Halloween, so check back for some more fun.....

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The Pool Plunge-Great Video

In Colorado at the end of the swimming season I guess they have a doggie Pool Party.
Watch this video and see how much the dogs enjoy swimming in the pool. Hey! Purchase a home with a pool and you can have a doggie pool party once a year for all your dog's friends. Sound like fun?

Enjoy this video: http://one.revver.com/watch/384802/flv


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Canines n' Wine...Enjoying the Moment!

If you live in California, you have probably investigated the wine country at some point in your travels. As fall weather sets in, your thoughts might drift to a weekend vineyard drive in the countryside. There is a wonderful photo book Wine Dogs that is a visual feast and best browsed with a glass of vino in hand. As you visit the wineries you might just be welcomed by a friendly, furry face! To order this book, visit http://www.winedogs.com/.

If that doesn't wet your whistle enough and you can't get enough of all things dogs and wine, http://www.dogsuncorked.com/ sells toys, treats and other goodies inspired by the "wine country lifestyle."

A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be one million times greater than that of a human's

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K9 Grass for Your Yard!

My husband and I have just been researching what to do if you are having trouble maintaining grass in your yard and want a substitute for grass. Well, we discovered K9 Grass! They say this is the ideal grass for kennels, pet resorts, vet clinics, and of course, pet owners.
It has knitted backing with flow-through technology that drains instantly and endures years of chewing and digging. It is installed in the City of San Jose, California in their 14,000 sq. ft. dog park. It is the only artifical grass specifically designed for dogs! Wow! Sounds great......

Check out: http://www.k9grass.com/index.html

When you feel really lousy, PUPPY THERAPY is indicated.--Sara Paretsky

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PUP YOUR RIDE; CONTEST TO ENTER!

They say when a dog sticks his head out a car window, it puts him in a state of constant euphoria. I can understand. --Brad Pitt

There's still time to get in the running for a "Pup'd-Out" 2008 Jeep Liberty, courtesy of Pup-Peroni. Galpin Auto Sports, the design team behind the MTV car-makeover show, Pimp My Ride, will customize a Jeep to the tastes of the contest's grand prize winners. Features include a dog ramp, water and food bowls, dog-bone wheel rims, a small vacuum for clean-ups, and pull-up screens between the front and back seats. "We're designing a Jeep that finally puts the pup in the driver's seat," says Galpin Auto Sports' chief designer, Beau Boeckmann. Yes, but does he have his driver's license?

To enter, visit http://www.pupperoni.com The contest closes October 15, 2007.
(AKC Gazette, Oct. 2007)

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Nontraditional Therapies Move to the Mainstream

I am easily moved to sympathy for dogs, far more so than for humans, because dogs do not understand. There is no way to explain that you will return, that the vet will make it all better, that they cannot come shooting today because that is not what today is about...Geral Hammond

Alternative medicine is on the rise; 36% of American adults use some form of it and increasingly many pet owners are also asking for complementary and alternative veterinary medicine. Acupuncture, chiropractic and supplements have emerged as the most popular therapies, with animal supplements now a billion dollar industry in the U.S. Dog owners must educate themselves and work with their veterinarian when considering CAVM. Check out http://www.nccam.nih.gov/ . Among the newer therapies:

• Low laser therapy used to heal wounds
• Pulsed-signal therapy, which transmits electromagnetic signals to the body. (Believed to reduce pain and repair cartilage)
• Flower essences, said to help healing and behavior problems.

Two alternative therapies have moved into mainstream veterinary medicine: massage and the use of the supplement, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Their effectiveness in treating arthritis has become well documented--and promoted.

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Interesting Information on Degenerative Myelopathy

DM is an adult-onset, progressive disease that begins with muscle weakness in the dog's rear legs and gradually leads to complete paralysis. It is not to be confused with hip dysplasia. It affects primarily German Shepherd Dogs, but is also seen in Boxers, Welsh Corgis, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Irish Setters, and Old English Sheepdogs and is often considered the canine equivalent of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) or multiple sclerosis.
For those dogs diagnosed with DM, the AKC Canine Health Foundation, in cooperation with Scout's House in Menlo Park, California has made available a free instructional video on caring for affected dogs. The video shows how owners can modify their homes to make it easier to live with a DM Dog, recommends products for more comfortable and functional lives and explains how physical therapy may help slow the disease.
For more information, see the CHF web site at:
www.akcchf.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=194.

Much has been written about the loyalty of dogs, but what I love about them isn't their devotion to me so much as their devotion to being alive. --Steven Bauer

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Who Will Care For Our Pets That Outlive Us?

The dog of your boyhood teaches you a great deal about friendship, and love, and death: Old Skip was my brother. -Willie Morris

When the so-called 'Queen of Mean' Leona Helmsley recently passed away, she bequeathed to the care of her beloved Maltese "Trouble" some $12 million. This case may be extreme, but many of us will be faced with this dilemma some day. Who will care for the pets that outlive us? Pet Trusts are an increasingly popular strategy and it doesn't take millions of dollars. An estate planning attorney can help pet owners set up a statutory pet trust for as little as $100, in addition to the cost of a will. California started allowing these in 1991. Most pet trusts name a caretaker and a trustee to handle the money. Within the trust the owner can specify what food to feed, outline vet visits and even where to bury the pet. After the pet dies, the owner can specify what to do with leftover funds (such as designate a charity). Leaving the care of a pet up to a family member or friend that may not be willing or able to live up to the task is a risk that most pet owner don't want to take.T

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