Bully Sticks

How to donate a Puppy to be used as a Service Dog…

Are you a Breeder who wants to donate a puppy to be trained as a Service Dog?

According to 4Paws for Ability there are all kinds of Service Dogs including:

• Hearing Ear Dogs
• Autism Assistance Dogs
• Multipurpose Assistance Dogs
• Mobility Assistance Dogs
• Seizure Assistance Dogs
• 4 Paws GSD Rescue
• Rover Rehab
• Foster Puppy Program
• Prison Program Dogs, Handlers, and News

The health of you puppy is important both before the donation and after the donation.  You’ll need to provide all Health Records and background on your puppy.  Breeds that are known to have hip and joint problems will need to be Xray-ed unless they are too young.

What happens to your puppy after the donation: 

Most puppies are placed in a family to be raised until they are old enough to begin formal training.  Many are placed in 4-H families that acclimate the puppies to a family environment.  The puppies stay in ownership of the Service Organization which oversees his care.  There are strict guidelines for Veterinary care and training and constant supervision to ensure the puppy’s health and safety.

Even after the dog is placed in Service with a family,they remain in the supervision of the organization.

You can be assured that your puppy will have a healthy, happy life filled with love, affection and a proper diet including all natural dog treats.

Dogs and Cats

Are cats really smarter than dogs? Sometimes it appears that way, but have you ever seen a “seeing eye” cat?

The battle between cats and dogs and cat owners and dog owners seem to rage on, with strong arguments on both sides.

In my home, our cat seems to be the older wiser one, with our dog a bit on the slow of brain side. It also seem to take more to keep the cat entertained, with the dog …. it’s give him some dog bones and he’s happy all day.

If Dogs could talk….

Don’t you ever wonder what your dog would say, IF he could only talk? Wouldn’t it be nice if he could let you know what he was dreaming about?

Instead of jumping around like an idiot every time he wanted to go for a walk, wouldn’t it be nice if he just politely asked you to open the door?

I love to be able to ask where he hid my shoe and get an answer instead of a blank stare.

How about a “Thank you for the bully stick, Mom”?

After watching this video, I think it’s only a matter of time before dogs everywhere will be demanding more all natural dog treats and better sleeping conditions..

On second thought…. maybe it’s better they don’t talk.

Drug Sniffing Dogs invade Teens Bedrooms

Yes, it’s true.   Our faithful companions are at it again.  Dogs are proving once again they are not “man’s best friend”…. at least not for some drug using teens.

A small company in New Jersey is now offering to bring Specially trained dogs and their handlers to your home to “sniff out” the drugs.  For a fee of $200, parents can have their teens’ room searched.

The dogs are trained to sniff out marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Xanax and ecstasy.

Some have said this is an invasion of privacy and recommend drug testing your children instead.   Duh!  Isn’t a drug test more of an invasion?

Parents are legally responsible for any illegal substance found in their home and have every right to insure that drugs are not being stashed.  For most Parents this is a last resort in their attempts to keep their kids drug free.

The firm has five Labradors trained to sniff out marijuana from 15 feet away.  Each dog is assigned a Handler.  According the company co-owner, Debra Stone, Sniff Dogs has received inquiries from nearly every state.

PS:  Hey kids, don’t try confusing these hot sniffing pooches with hidden bully sticks, these dogs can’t be tempted.

 Dog Poo

The strangest gift my son ever received was a book entitled “Scats and Tracks”.  As we soon learned, “Scats” is the technical term for “Poo” or “Poop” or maybe I should say that it’s the Hunter’s technical term..  I doubt too many Ivy League types use that term.

The book arrived just before the Holidays and came all the way from the wilds of New Hampshire.  We’re still not sure why on earth my sister-in-law would send a twelve year old boy in Virginia a book on how to track Moose in New Hampshire by following a poo trail, but we sure did get some good laughs.

Strangely enough,  you can learn a lot about the size and health of many different animals by looking (disgusting though it might be) at their Poop/Scat.  That includes your favorite puppy.

A dark smallest dry Poo means your puppy is constipated.  Too much fat in his diet will result in a “greasy” foul smelling Poo.

You may also discover “strange” objects like pieces of string or your missing ear ring, after all, what goes in must come out.

Most dogs have very sensitive digestive systems and even small changes in their diets can result in diarrhea or constipation.  Keeping an eye on their Poo can help alert you to problems before they become serious.

Never feed your pets table scraps, or “cheap” dog food.  Feed only quality foods made specifically for your pets size and weight.  Feed only all natural dog treats and make any changes to your pets diet gradually.

Puppy Piddle Pads

Most of us have seen those Puppy housebreaking pads in our local Walmart or Pet store for years now.  They’re those special square pads that are treated with God knows what to attract a puppy to “piddle” on the pad.  Much easier and less messy than using newspaper.

They are great for training but can sometimes confuse a dog into believing that “going” in the house is the place to go.

It took extra time and not a few all natural dog treats to get my Shih Tzu, Bonkers to agree to “go” outside.  We would walk, and walk, and walk….. he would sniff and sniff and sniff and then as soon as we walked in the door…. off to the piddle pad he’d go.  We even had to take a piddle pad with us when he went to the groomers.

Having a dog trained to only go on a piddle pad does have it’s advantages.  My 75 year old Mom has hip problems and is unable to take her tiny little Baby for a walk and leaving Baby outside alone could be dangerous, so with a little encouragement we trained Baby to use the piddle pad.   Makes for a much happier Mom and Baby…

Because of the “scent” of the pads, it’s very easy to train your pooch to be attracted to the pad as their new “Go to” area.  I found that placing the pad in a quiet area of the laundry room or near the back door, gives dogs the privacy they need.  Also, by confining a new puppy to a small area with a piddle pad until they have better bladder control they will quickly associate that area as the proper place to “do their business”.

Whether you use Piddle pads as a first step training method or as a more permanent solution, remember that your dog does need fresh air and time to play outside.

Tips for preventing Dog Bites…

Dog bites are a common problem that sends more and more people to the hospital each year.  Many of these bites could be avoided by taking time to learn some basic dog behavior.

As a dog owner it is your responsibility to keep your dog under control, either on a leach or safely confined.  But what do you do when you encounter a strange dog?  Are there steps you can take to avoid being bitten?

According to the American Kennel Club, following these principle steps will lessen the chances of a dog attack.

• Do not run away from the dog and do not yell or make loud noises.
• Stand very still like a tree. Cross your arms over your chest, as if you are giving yourself a great, big hug. (This shape forms the trunk of your tree.) Look away from the dog. Dogs sometimes think direct eye contact is a challenge for power and control. You do not want to challenge the dog. You want the dog to go away.
• Toss an object away from you and away from the dog. This should attract its attention toward the object - and away from you. The dog should move toward the thrown object to sniff and investigate it. This will give you a chance to slowly turn and walk away.

Never try to feed a strange dog… this is not the time to pull out the bully sticks and dog chews.  Some dogs can become very aggressive when it comes to food.

Home Treatments for Dog Diarrhea

I once made the grave mistake of leaving my Chinese Kao Pao Spicy Chicken dish in the reach of my fast action Shih Tzu, Bonkers. It didn’t take him long to get a fiery mouthful, and it also didn’t take long before it came out the other end.

I had never seen a dog poop so much. The ensuing diarrhea convinced me to never make the mistake of leaving spicy food anywhere if the vicinity of Bonkers. He now knows to wait for his bully stick.

Dr. Andrew Jones gives us some quick at home tips that we can use to help our dogs through the trauma of diarrhea.

Wish he also had tips on how to get the mess out of my suede couch.

Natural Ways to treat Dog Ear Infections

It never fails. Two weeks after I take my Shih Tzu for a haircut and bath, he gets an ear infection. My Vet gave me some drops to put in his ear to keep them dry, but they irratate his ears.

In this video, Dr Andrew Jones shows you several Natural Methods you can use to treat your dogs ear infections with the help of his faithful pet, Louis. I think Louis deserves a few all natural dog treats, don’t you?

A Boy and his Dog

A cute video of a Toddler and his faithful and ever so patient yellow lab.  After a day of being poked, stepped on, climbed on and ridden like a horse, this pooch still remains loyal till the end.  Hope he had lots of all natural dog treats and bully sticks waiting for him at the end of this long day.