Play it cool… real cool…

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Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I have a few interesting items to share with you this morning, including two great causes and a big thank you to some pet blogging pals.

First, I’d like to highlight this week’s cause at Be the Change for Animals – saving dogs from hot cars.  Last month, I wrote a post about this topic after reading a tragic story about a careless owner and a very unlucky dog.  The title of the post should give you a clue about my feelings on the subject:  Horrible woman does terrible thing… and now I’m angry.I encourage you to check out the ways you can help on the Be the Change for Animals site.  You can also find more information at My Dog is Cool.  It’s important to know the facts, as well as what you should do if you see an animal in distress.

Next, check out Bocci’s Beefs for some information about International Homeless Animals Day, which takes place Saturday, August 21.  The goal is to raise awareness about pet overpopulation.  Personally, I take Bob Barker’s daily advice to heart (I loved the Price is Right as a kid), and always have my pets spayed or neutered.  It’s the responsible thing to do.  Bocci has taken the lead in organizing something among the pet blogging community, and is asking for suggestions regarding how we can help our local shelters and rescue groups.  Swing by and check out the discussion (or add some ideas of your own).

Finally, I want to say thank you to House of Carnivores and Arwen’s Pack for giving us another awesome award – I really appreciate it!  Apparently we are in a mutual appreciation society – I just gave an award to both of them as well.  Thanks again to you both.

This time, I’ll just encourage you to check out my two earlier posts (here and here) passing on awards and highlighting some fun new blogs.  And, as always, I encourage you to check out my blog list at right… I have linked to many fantastic pet blogs in the Puppy Love category for your reading pleasure.

Until next time, fellow pup enthusiasts…

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Oh, Toto

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… and by Toto, I mean the dog.  Not to be confused with the band who blessed the rains down in Africa.  (Full disclosure – I used to think the lyrics were “I miss the rains down in Africa.”  I love a good misheard lyric… aka the mondegreen.)

Anyway… the 71st anniversary of the Wizard of Oz (the film) was Thursday, August 12.  I learned this fact thanks to Google’s cool logo and Life with Dogs.  Man, I was so scared of those flying monkeys as a child.  For years, I couldn’t make it past that part of the movie.

Given the recent anniversary, it seemed like a good time to dig this Wizard of Oz-themed post out of the pup archives and share it with you:

Leonbergers and Terriers and Airedales – oh my!

Enjoy!

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Celebrating the cone of shame

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Speed Bump
(Speed Bump via Comics.com)

Ah, the cone of shame.  Immortalized by Dug, that awesome dog in Up.  Speaking of, how awesome was Up in general?  So much fun, and so many quotable lines in that movie.  (One of my faves?  “My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you.”  Very dog-appropriate.)  Anyway, it seems like someone I know mentions the cone of shame at least once a week.  Although Bella’s never had to wear one, the mere mention makes me smile.  For that reason, it’s the theme of today’s No Frown Friday.  Here we go…

  1. As always on Friday, I bring you punny pet names.  Given this post’s medical undertone, this week’s names are doctor-inspired:  Dr. Cliff Pupstable, Dr. Chewingsbone (I presume), and Doogie Howler.  You should be proud… I didn’t go for the more obvious Doggie Howser joke.  Oh wait, just did…
  2. Looking to spice up your decor?  You can even decorate with the cone of shame.  Check out this awesome dog bowl from me me me.  (Thanks to under the blanket for the link!)  Perhaps you’d prefer this cone of shame nightlight.  Want something a little more cozy?  How about these cone of shame pillows?
  3. You can even wear your own cone of shame – in t-shirt form.  Check out this cute shirt featured on PetSugar.

The pup in the video below battles his cone of shame, then battles a water bottle.  The result is magic.

(Seriously… how could that not make you smile?  If that’s not enough cuteness for you, go check out another fun cone of shame video over on phetched.)

Because this post was inspired by Dug, I’ll leave you with a joke from the movie:  “Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, ‘I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.’ Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead.”

Tell it to your dog – I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

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More doggie bloggy fun

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Happy Thursday!  More bloggy fun in store… I have another award to pass on today.  The lovely George the Lad bestowed an award on this humble blog, and now it’s time to paw it forward and spotlight more awesome blogs.  (In fact, it’s kind of perfect… it was so hard to choose just 10 last time!)

Find out more (including the rules), after the jump.

Continue reading →

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Citizens on paw-trol

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I love this cartoon over at Draw the Dog.  The pup keeping a close watch on his domain reminded me of Bella.  She’s always keeping an eye on things.  I often find her barking at dogs down the block – she can see them, so they must be on her property, right?

Anyway, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to share some photos of Bella’s daily patrol… enjoy!
 

 

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Puppy-saurus

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Another No Frown Friday is upon us… let’s get to it:

  1. Your punny pet names for the week (meant for a duo):  Fred and Wilma Flintsbone.
  2. Speaking of… it’s almost the weekend, so you should make like Fred Flintstone and slide out the door to freedom.  Not literally, of course, since cartoon physics never seem to translate to the real world and you probably don’t have a brontosaurus handy.  (If you do happen to have one on hand, I hope you’re not thinking of opening your own Jurassic Park… we all know how that ends.)  Anyway, that’s my long-winded way of telling you to go watch these videos of dogs sliding down stairs.  It’s the next best thing to sliding down a brontosaurus on your way out of the office.  (So much cooler than an elevator.)
  3. As you have probably guessed, I’ve got dinosaurs on the brain today.  Believe it or not, that Jurassic Park reference above has a puppy connection – I recently watched the Futurama episode “Jurassic Bark.” (It’s one of my favorites.)  If you haven’t seen this episode, you owe it to yourself as an animal lover to check it out.

Hmmmm… that Futurama episode can inspire the waterworks, so I may be stretching the bounds of No Frown Friday a bit with that one.  I need something silly, stat!  Quick, watch this:

Whew… that’s better.  Have a great weekend!

(Also… weekend TV alert!  The National Geographic Channel is airing a new special called “and Man Created Dog” on Sunday at 9pm.  If you’ve ever wondered how wolves became man’s BFF, then this special may be for you.)

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Protecting people and their pets

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Bella’s serious face

[Update (1/16/11):  The PAWS Program is no longer at American Humane.  However, you can read up on its current status here.]

Every now and then, I get serious for a moment.  Today is one of those days.

When you give your heart to a dog, you get so much in return.  In addition to unconditional love, a furry friend (like my Bella) provides companionship, comic relief and so much more.  Seeing my pup after a long day always makes me smile, and snuggling with her while sharing my troubles helps melt away the stress of the day.

We always talk about rescuing animals, but sometimes an animal rescues its person.  I read a moving story yesterday courtesy of the lovely folks over at FIDO Friendly Blog called “The Dog Who Saved Me From Abuse.”  The author tells the story of how adopting Baby (a Chiweenie – great breed name, right?) changed her life.   She was stuck in an abusive relationship with no way out – at first, Baby gave her an excuse to get out of the house, and then Baby’s unconditional love helped the author survive and find the strength to leave.  It’s an inspirational tale, and I hope you will take a moment to read it.  Grab some tissues.  In fact, you may want to have your pup handy – I know I needed a Bella hug when I finished reading.

The post also contains information about a great program that I want to share with you.  It’s called the Pets and Women’s Shelters Program (aka the PAWS Program).  American Humane developed this program to encourage domestic and family violence emergency housing shelters to allow residents to bring their pets with them.  (This post is getting a bit long, so you can find the remainder after the jump.  I have lots of info to share with you today.)

Continue reading →

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My deer Bella vs. the garden

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Yesterday, I decided to tackle some chores around the house.  In particular, I decided that the gardens (both front and back) could use some work.  Maintaining a garden will keep any homeowner busy – having a dog who likes to run through the flower beds with reckless abandon presents an additional set of challenges.

Bella seems to have “new plant” radar… she walks outside and makes a beeline for the newest addition to the yard.  She will then run over it and flatten it, among other things.  What’s a pup devotee and flower fan to do?

 

Pet Project has posted some useful info about gardening with dogs (check out Part I and Part II for lots of tips).  In addition to the great tips, there are also links to other helpful articles about gardening with dogs (including two articles from HGTV about pet-proofing the garden and training your dog not to garden).

I particularly liked this piece from Sunset about how to create a dog-friendly garden.  The piece discusses some of the keys to a good “dogscape” in which your pet and your plants can coexist.  (As a bonus, there are also links to photos of dog-friendly gardens and additional tips.)  Pet Project also led me to this great site that contains a comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when you have both a dog and a garden.

 

However, Bella isn’t the only hazard to my garden these days – recently I came home to find that a mysterious creature had eaten my Hostas.  If you take a look at the photo at right… those jagged stems used to be home to some very nice leaves.  Now, they’re just a mess.

The primary suspect in the investigation is a deer.  Maybe even an entire deer gang.  (In my mental landscape, apparently deer are tough, like bikers.)

Deer love Hostas.  However, my Google-fu has revealed some natural, non-toxic ways to keep the deer from coming back for seconds.  I may try some of these ideas, although I’m not sure how well they will work as a long-term solution.  I’m also considering trying different plants out front (there are some out there that deer don’t view as appetizers).

When deciding what to plant in your backyard, don’t forget to think about pet safety in addition to aesthetics.  Check out the ASPCA’s list of toxic and non-toxic plants before you buy.  Happy gardening, fellow pup fans!

 

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Say hello to your Boston for me

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Welcome to this week’s No Frown Friday… it’s time for another breed spotlight!  This week’s focus is on an adorable breed that I like to think of as the James Bond of puppies – always in black tie and ready for a formal occasion – the Boston Terrier.  Given this introduction, I need a video of a penguin and a Boston Terrier hanging out, stat.  Does such a thing exist?  Anyway…

  1. Your punny pet names for the week:  Boston Powers (he’s an international dog of mystery) and Bark Wahlberg (a Boston native… who talks to animals).  (I know, I know… I’ve linked to that clip before. I can’t help myself.)
  2. Enjoy Boston Terrier puppy overload by watching this collection of videos.
  3. I also recommend checking out this adorable Boston Terrier cartoon over at Draw the Dog.
  4. If you’re feeling confident, why not test your Boston Terrier IQ?

And of course, here’s this week’s featured video offering (which inspired the theme of this post):

(via Pet Sugar)

Have you fallen in love with this breed yet?  If so, consider adopting a Boston Terrier – I hear that some pups even come complete with their own built-in formal wear.  (Not all Bostons are black & white… but they are all adorable!)

I have to stray from the theme for a moment… but I cannot wait to share this picture of a zebra/donkey hybrid with you.  It’s called a Zedonk!  (Since zebras are black & white, let’s just all agree it fits into the theme that way, okay?)  Cute, and a pretty awesome name… seemed like the perfect way to close out this post and send you into the weekend.  Hope it’s puptastic!

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