An App for Dog Lovers

Posted on November 22, 2010 by daysofourdogs

If you have an iPhone or iPod, I found an informative series of apps.

Work’s Out has a breed series for 99 cents each. I downloaded “Schnauzers” and “Dachshunds” recently.

On the first page of the app you get a menu with “Facts,” “Photos,” “Videos,” “News,” and “More”. What I like most is the “News” section, which aggregates stories about the dogs of your breed from all over the country.

On your phone in the iTunes store type in the breed you are interested in. Note that is says “Work’s Out” with the breed and download.

 

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Lazy Dog

Posted on November 19, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Please, do not disturb.

 

Windy is trying to become a con artist.

On days I work at home and need to pass through our bedroom to get to the bathroom, Windy will follow, plop down, roll over and wag her tail—all the while next to our bed.

Windy wants to go back to bed, preferably with me accompanying her. On these upcoming drab, winter days, she may win an argument or two.

 

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It’s a Mystery

Posted on November 18, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Jake chews a treat after a walk.

Out neighborhood has many dog lovers, most of whom are responsible. The problem is with the lax ones.

A few days ago I was putting a flowerbed to rest for the winter. I knew I had to patrol the yard first. Five piles of unknown poop were there. The suspects: two elderly shelties, a lab and a yorkadoodle who all live in my end of the cul-de-sac.

Jake, Hope and Windy are not to poop in the front yard. It is not fenced. If one should have to do it while on a walk, it gets picked up. And I know my dogs’ poop.

If you live with dogs for a while, you can tell whose poop is whose. This may sound bizarre, but that is good because if one is sick you can see the evidence.

I am debating putting a “No pooping” sign in the front yard. I have seen then in stores and online. Should I?

 

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Cuddle-Bunny Dogs

Posted on November 17, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Windy props her head on my knee while I read.

Jake is my first dachshund. When my father died, there was no question Jake would have a home with us.

We had a dachshund-terrier mix, who showed us some lovely wiener-dog traits, but Jake opened our eyes to all the benefits of his breed.

Jake and Windy are cuddlers. They love people. They love attention. They love soft and warm areas. If you want an active, boisterous dog, then a dachshund may not be for you.

If you want a snuggle bunny, a wiener dog will fit the bill.

 

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No Butts About It

Posted on November 16, 2010 by daysofourdogs

One of the little joys of living with dogs is waste management.

When a dog has a bowel movement, some fluid is excreted from its anal sacs, which are on each side of the rectal opening. This gives a smell unique to the dog, and this is one reason why when two dogs meet they want to sniff each other’s butt.

The bad news is the sacs can become clogged, which happens more to older females.

One night Jake was licking Hope. We noticed a terrible smell. Somehow Jake managed to expel some that fluid.

The room was filled with the nastiest order you could imagine. We removed the bedspread and put it immediately in the wash, the dogs were ordered to the backyard to get some air to them and the house, and air freshener was deployed.

I blame myself because the day before I saw Hope scoot once on her butt while we were on a walk. Now I will be on the alert.

If your dog scoots, you can get your vet to expel the sacs. Some groomers and experienced owners know how to do it. Just don’t stand behind your dog while it is being done.

 

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Sister Dogs

Posted on November 15, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Hope, left, shares an ottoman with Windy.

Windy prefers people to dogs. Hope prefers dogs to people. Yet somehow these two have bonded.

Hope has been more accepting of Windy, whom we have had now for a little more than three months, than Jake has been. I think Jake wants to maintain his authority as the alpha dog.

Hope allows Windy to snuggle next to her. She never has growled at Windy. Sometimes Jake will give a soft growl to Windy if she is butting in on his lap time or toys.

The day we picked up Windy, we were told she “didn’t like to be left alone.” With Hope, Windy never is alone.

 

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A Day At the Spa

Posted on November 12, 2010 by daysofourdogs

A freshly groomed girl.

Hope got a haircut yesterday, and the groomer, and old friend, said she had the best behavior ever.

When Hope first saw my friend, she said Hope tried to jump out of the tub. She could not use the hairdryer on my nervous dog. Now Hope is fine with getting a bath and allows the hairdryer around her head.

When you select someone to groom your dog, please be careful. Some awful people out there will drug dogs to make them more compliant for grooming. If your dog seems lethargic or listless after a groom, don’t assume the dog is tired. Check her pupils. Watch her gait. Talk with the groomer.

Groomers may need to use muzzles, but drugs are not an acceptable option.

 

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A Sniff On the Hand

Posted on November 10, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Hope is inching toward a little more trust.

Jake and Windy started barking and wanting my attention while I was seated. Hope watched. They were nagging me for a walk. While they were being petted, Hope came up and joined them. I held out my hand, palm up. She touched it with her nose and sniffed. This is another breakthrough.

Hope’s behavior may not seem like much in the world of a normal dog, but remember with five years in an Amish puppy mill trust is a major issue.

If you want to rescue a puppy mill dog, you are in for a challenge. You must have patience and be able to appreciate tiny accomplishments. If you don’t have the time and fortitude, get another rescue dog. Sometimes pets wind up in puppy mills, and their rehabilitation in a true home is not as complicated. If the dog has been in a mill all her life, then her progress is slow in learning to be a pet

My girl is smart and can learn. Her spirit was broken, but I believe in her.

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She’s Got Her Bark Back

Posted on November 9, 2010 by daysofourdogs

Windy continues to improve. She has been quiet since her surgery until yesterday. She got her bark back.

Windy’s bark, though, is not normal. One of her previous owners had her debarked. Debarking is a cruel procedure of cutting a dog’s vocal cords. An ethical veterinarian would not do such a thing. In puppy mills, it is not uncommon for some low-life to hit a puppy’s throat to smash its vocal cords.

When she barks, Windy sounds hoarse in a low register. Evidently her debarking wasn’t successful.

Behavior modification training and specialty devices can be used to cope with excessive barking. If your vet even suggests such a thing, run out of that office with your dog and tell everyone you know not to use that vet.

 

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She’s Not Happy

Posted on November 8, 2010 by daysofourdogs

This inflatable collar keeps Windy from licking her incision.

Windy is recovering from being spayed a few days ago.

To keep her from licking her incision, I have an inflatable collar. Most vets will give you a plastic cone, known as an Elizabethan collar or e-collar. I found the inflatable one Windy is wearing in a catalog. I think they are more comfortable. She may disagree.

Jake wore this collar when he had a benign growth removed from his flank. I know I will have dogs, and dogs inevitably will need surgery, so the inflatable collar is a staple I keep in my doggie medical kit.

Check dog supply websites if you think you want an inflatable collar. I never found one in any of the major pet store chains, and my vet does not stock them.

Now Windy wants on my lap. When she gets lap time the collar comes off. And she has demanded much lap time.

 

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