Making Friends with Fur
If the dog hair industry were a large as the mink industry I would be a billionaire!
As pet parents across the globe know, dog hair is a constant battle. We are constantly vacuuming and sweeping the floors to try and keep the mess to a minimum.
There is nothing more embarrassing then having a guest come over and sit on your couch then leave with their once black pants now a lovely shade of beige.
Here is a warning to all our future guests: DO NOT WEAR BLACK PANTS TO OUR HOUSE!!!
Over the years we have tried many tools to help combat this never ending fur-war. Here are our top tools:
Vacuum: we use the Shark Navigator with the pet hair removal accessories. I love my vacuum! It does a great job a getting the hair up from carpets, hard floors and furniture. (see this post about how this is not the dogs favorite item)
Shop-Vac: In addition to our Shark Navigator, we also use a Shop-Vac for removing the dog hair from our cars after taking the pooches on a car ride. The shop-vac also works great on area rugs and awkward corners that the vacuum can’t reach.
Furminator: Without this tool we would be swimming in dog hair. The Furminator is THE BEST “brush” for dogs in our opinion. It does a fantastic job on de-shedding the dogs and works best when used daily or at least weekly. The huge pile of fur that comes off the dogs is mind boggling! Here is our Furminator at work –
Look at all the hair that comes off after just a few minutes . . .
I know it pretty gross to look at.
One way some people are embracing the dog hair that takes over their abode, is to use it in creative ways. I file this next item under “I cannot freakin’ believe that this is a thing” category . . .
If you would like more information on this lovely book, you can buy it on Amazon. I love the subtitle to this book, “better a sweater from a dog you know and love then from a sheep you’ll never meet”!
This book has received some great reviews on Amazon, here is my favorite: “I love this book. I made an afghan from my afghan. The only problem was he started getting mad when I curled up with it at night instead of him.” 🙂
On a serious note, click the image below for information on the
Humane Society’s Fur-Free campaign.
Animals need their fur more than we do. The HSUS is committed to ending cruelty and killing for fur–in favor of compassion in fashion.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We are thankful for so much this year, as always our health, family (human and canine) and friends are at the top of the list. However, there are a few more things to be thankful for as well . . .
Toni: “I am thankful for bike runs, walks, car rides, scratches behind my ears, the big bed I get to sleep on, treats, my sister and brother (kind of), and my parents.”
Otis: “I am thankful for couches, lizards, squirrels, peanut butter, treats, car rides, my sisters and my parents.”
Penny: “I am thankful for tennis and racquet balls, long walks, belly rubs, treats, my sister and brother, and my parents.”
Don’t Pass the Gravy!
Happy Thanksgiving Day Eve! We are excited to celebrate 2 Thanksgivings this year, one at Jeff’s Mother’s house on Thursday and then off to my Sister’s house on Friday!
Last year we hosted Thanksgiving at our home and had a fabulous time! Toni, however, did not have a fabulous Turkey Day 😦
Toni and the other 2 dogs were enjoying a special treat that evening. Someone (no names will be mentioned to protect the innocent and the guilty) 😉 put some of the leftover gravy on top of their normal dog food that evening and they of course gobbled (pun intended) it right up!
Later that night and into the next morning Toni was not herself she was very sluggish and began vomiting and not able to keep anything down, not even water. The next morning we called the vet and brought her in where she was given a blood test. Diagnosis = pancreatitis 😦
(Here she is at the vet’s office, she looked so pathetic)
The vet said we could take her home and give her the meds ourselves, but that she was not to be around any food or water at all.
The other option was to keep her at the vet in their Animal Hospital so they could give her an IV and keep her calm and quiet while she recovered. After talking to Jeff we decided to keep her there. With the other 2 dogs we thought it may be more difficult to keep her away from food/water and she would probably recover faster at the vets.
That Friday I left her at the animal hospital and we didn’t get to pick her up until Monday. It was a very long weekend for us. We missed her so much and were very worried. When Jeff picked her up she was doing very well but was quite tired.
(Here she is at that Monday afternoon at home sleeping on her couch)
She made a full recovery and has not had any problems. We of course know that giving “people food” to our dogs is not the right thing to do. Unfortunately, we had to learn the hard way just how bad it can be.
Here are some resources on food hazards and pancreatitis in dogs …
From WebMD/pets: Information on Symptoms and Treatment of Pancreatitis in Dogs
From Best Friends Animal Society: Holiday Hazards for pets (all year round)
From Pedigree: Thanksgiving Hazards and Your Dog
The Digging-est Dog
Did you ever read the story “The Digging-est Dog” as a child? . . or perhaps as an adult!?
The story is told in the voice of the dog. In the story a boy named Sam adopts the dog from a pet store and names him Duke. Duke had never been out of the pet store and was beyond excited to be free. He loved running around Sam’s farm.
However the other dogs that Duke met poked fun at him because he didn’t know how to dig, he had never learned how. In the end Duke learns to dig too well and gets into trouble. Its a great story about forgiveness and friendship. I wish I had a copy right now to read!
I was thinking of this book today because I walked out into the backyard and saw this . . .
Penny has decided she is now a digger. Great, like our yard isn’t a mess already! The other two dig as well and have a lovely “hole” next to the shed that they love to get in when it is hot. I was certainly annoyed, but she looks so darn proud of herself!
To anyone who may read this, I hope you had a great weekend and did something you are proud of!
I’m Posting every week in 2011!
I’ve decided I want to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now. I will be posting on this blog at least once a week for all of 2011. I know 2011 is almost over, but as the saying goes “it’s never too late”!
I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and the community of other bloggers with similar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.
If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.
Signed,
Brenda
ASPCA Dog of the Year 2011
Congratulations to Ricochet!
Ricochet has been chosen as the
ASPCA 2011 Dog of the Year.
source
As a pup Ricochet was chosen to be a service dog, however her love of chasing birds took her out of that career. With the help of her human, she now is a champion surfer-dog working with disabled surfers and helps with fundraising for “Surfin’ for Paws-abilities” to help raise money for those in need. Ricochet has helped to raise over $125,000!
Visit Ricochet’s Website to see more about her amazing life and learn about donating.
Visit the ASPCA’s Website to see information on all the 2011 award winners.
Scaredy-Cat Dogs
Like many dogs, two of ours get anxious/scared during thunderstorms, fireworks, and high wind and all three get anxious around the vacuum cleaner.
When they see the vacuum cleaner they instantly start to run around the house with their tail between their legs trying to get as far away from it as possible – and that is before we even turn it on!
Most times we put them outside when the evil vacuum is needed. But with storms its not so easy. Penny and Toni will certainly not go outside even if their bladder has other ideas.
Penny tends to shake and run around the house until she finds a “safe place” which usually is under a bed, in a closet, or under Jeff’s computer desk. She pants and shakes continuously until the thunder goes away. Toni has tried to get under the bed (perhaps a learned behavior from watching Penny) but mostly she will pace around the house and pant until things calm down. (Otis could not care less about storms and doesn’t see why the other 2 get so worked up about it!)
I have heard of many “treatments” for doggie fear/anxiety over the years, here are a few of them . . .
Thundershirt
$39.95, www.thundershirt.com 
I have heard of this product from acquaintances and on TV, all the reviews have been positive. The Thundershirt uses gentle pressure to help calm a dogs anxiety. The website recommends using their product to help with various types of doggie anxiety and fearfulness, even problem barking and leash pulling can be helped with this product.
It makes sense to me, our dog Penny goes under a blanket or finds a small confined area (like under our bed) when she gets scared. The small, enclosed environment seems to help her work thru her fear, this product seems to do the same thing. And, with three color choices and embroidered name available, its stylish as well!
Check out the Thundershirt website for more details and testimonials.
Dryer Sheets
We had been told by a family member that if you rub a dryer sheet on your dogs back to helps to calm them. I assume this has something to do with the static/electricity that builds up when a dog senses a storm. I don’t love this idea. Don’t those sheets have a bunch of chemicals on them? I think we did end up trying this one time but quickly gave up on it. Click here for an article about this method from Pet Connection.
Treats and Distractions
Some pet owners and experts claim that giving your dog a treat will help them associate the storm with a yummy treat. I image this would work best when taught to the dog as a puppy. The other option is to distract the dog during a storm by playing music or the TV loud enough so the thunder can’t be heard, and/or playing a fun game right as the storm is approaching.
Medicine and Natural Remedies
There are over the counter remedies available as well. We have used a product called “Kalm and Gentle” to give to the pups if a storm is approaching and to help Otis with his fear of going the the Vet (I’ll post about that adventure another day). There are many supplements on the market that claim to help ease a dogs fear. With any medicines and for severe sufferers your veterinarian should of course be consulted.
In the end, the only thing that works in our home is time and comfort. Giving our dogs a safe, comfortable place and being calm ourselves while we wait out the moment seems to be the best medicine.
Honor
Veterans Day 11/11/11
Today we honor and remember our past, current, and future Military members.
Furry Angel
by Christopher Dion
She is my guardian angel
Clad in 2 tone fur
Ever there beside me
In the darkness as in the light
Her nose ever seeks out
That which would destroy
She walks head long into danger
All to see me safely home
No gold or glory does she seek
Merely my love and a little praise
No truer angel has man ever known
Than this dog that walks beside me
In this far off foreign land
It's a Dog Blog! 