Contest Entry #3 Wyatt

Wyatt graced the pages of our premier issue of "Writer With Dogs:The  Magazine Where Dogs Meet Art". Here he is in his favorite spot - the garden!

Wyatt helped start tomato seeds early last spring. Then Wyatt helped prepare the soil and plant the tomato plants and water the tomato plants.

Little did Wyatt know, that we would have an extremely cold summer and the tomatoes would never get ripe! But Wyatt is a dog and he knows that sometimes the journey is it’s own reward!

Plus, green tomatoes are like tennis balls and make for good fun!

Happy Digging,

Wyatt

Visit Wyatt's blog Gardening With Wyatt.

Remember to vote for your favorite dog by leaving comments. Contest ends Feb. 14th and the photo with the most comments get the grand prize of  $300 for the winner's favorite animal rescue group.

#2 Ruby - Second Entry In The Love My Dog Contest!

Ruby- The Smart Lab - Being Caught On The Furniture!

Entry number two is Ruby! Her person is creative coach, Elizabeth Cassidy. See another great photo of Ruby and Elizabeth on her web, Coaching For The Creative Soul.

Remember the dog with the most comments win. You have til Feb. 14th to leave comments.

#1 Our First Contest Entry From Writer With Dogs Magazine

Cheska: entry number l in Writer With Dog's Magazine Contest.

(See side bar to link to magazine for contest details. The dog with the most comments on Feb.14, 2011 wins!)

Our dog, Cheska, is a rescue: we found her on PetFinder.com where she was listed by a lady who had gone to the animal control shelter in Harlem, NYC to pick up a golden retriever, and they begged her to take this sweet dog, also, because she was due to be euthanized because of overcrowding there.

We've had her DNA tested and she is at least 25% German Shepherd, at least 25% Chow Chow, and (to our surprise) at least 25% Labrador Retriever.

Since we've had her she's survived cancer (lost one of her back toes in the process), xylitol poisoning (she "counter-surfed" and ate some sugar-free gum while we were out), and anaplasma (tick-borne disease with ultra-high fever).

She may have racked up some hefty vet bills (in the thousands), but she more than justified the expense last year when she prevented our house in upstate New York from burning down:

One morning around 6am she was pacing nervously and woke me up.  I assumed that a thunderstorm was approaching (she's terrified of them), so I went downstairs to shut off our battery backup units (so their alarms wouldn't go off if the power went out).  Cheska followed me, and stood at the top of the basement stairs staring at the door and doing the classic "Lassie Whine".  Curious, I opened the basement door and heard a strange and ominous crackling sound.  It turned out to be the electrical panel, which was sparking loudly/dangerously!  We called our electrician who told us to turn off the main breaker to the entire panel/house immediately and he'd be right over (on a Sunday morning, no less!).  Long story short: due to a badly installed gasket in the electrical meter on the outside of the house (by our local power company), water was leaking in and down the cable directly into the panel.  If Cheska hadn't warned us, the entire house could have burned down!  (The entire panel/meter had to be replaced.)

So it turns out that we have rescued each other - talk about manifestation of good karma! :-D



Dogs And Thanksgiving: Some Safety Tips To Remember

Keep An Eye On Fido This Thanksgiving!

Don't find out that your dog has gone through the trash to get a share of your Thanksgiving turkey!

Cooked turkey is safe for your dog to eat, in small amounts. Remember that any change in diet can cause stomach issues for a pooch. So don't go overboard with table scraps as a treat for the holiday season.

Dogs like to snatch anything that smells yummy. Be careful of the things you use and discard after cooking your bird. Even good dogs go bad around the aroma of turkey. Skewers, string, pop-up timers, roasting bags all have that yummy turkey taste and, if left unattended, or disposed of without thought, there is a good chance your dog will grab them. Swallowing such things can cause an intestinal blockage or perforation. 

Turkey bones and all poutry bones splinter easily and can lodge inside and also perforate a dog's intestines. Watch when you discard turkey bones and other garbage. Be sure to keep trash away from your dogs and in cans they can't sneak back to and rummage in.  

Turkey skin is another treat your dogs will want to snarf up.  The fat in poultry skin can cause stomach problems and Pancreatitis, a serious inflammatory condition of the pancreas that causes vomiting and dehydration.

Let your dog join in your celebration by adding a few pieces of boneless, skinless turkey meat to his/her kibble. You and your dog will be thankful you kept safety for fido top on your holiday menu.

Sometimes It Feels Like This At Our House With Six Dogs Waiting To Be Fed

Wishing Everyone A Happy Thanksgiving!

Fashion and Dogs, Art Deco Ladies Artist Giovanni Nanni

Giovanni Nanni was an Italian painter and illustrator active in the mid 1915 period of Italian postcard designs. Most noted and loved are his fashion postcards of beautiful Art Deco style women in wonderful hats and exotic fashions. This group of six grand postcards show how fashionable women loved their dogs. (Giovanni Nanni 1888-1969). So elegant and stylish each with her own special breed of dog.

Enjoy the view. Feel free to copy any of the images for your personal use.

The StubbyDog Project And A Call For Help

The StubbyDog Project is working to break down discrimination against these once favored family pets. Pit Bulls are getting a bad rap in the media. The problem is bad owners, not bad dogs.

StubbyDog will be one of the groups featured in my online dog magazine that launches on December lst. Want to get the premier copy for free? Contact me with your e-mail! bb-bjd@comcast.net and put magazine copy in the subject line.

Check out StubbyDog on Facebook.

The Pit Bull Positive Show is putting together a video to show the many faces of American Pit Bull Terrier owners and they need your help! All you have to do is submit a short video of you saying this line " I am (your name and occupation) and I am an American Pit Bull Terrier owner." That's it! Send your videos (an...d any questions about the project) to danmeagher@pitbullpositive.org.

Prevention Magazine Says Dogs Help Stress Management

I am so relaxed with my little doggie to hug. And I promise this is a faux fur I am wearing.

The December 2010 issue of Prevention magazine (the print issue and online) lists six new stress management strategies. Their article, Everything You Think You Know About Beating Stress Is Wrong, suggests cuddling with pets, instead of talking to friends and family, as the new boost for stress relief.  It is number three on the list.

Prevention cites: "Having your pet, whether a cat or a dog, with you during a stressful event turns out to be more soothing than a best friend or a spouse," says James J. Blascovich, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara."

To read the full article online, visit Prevention magazine by clicking on this link.

No wonder I can nap during the day and sleep for hours at night. My stress level must be zip. I have my six stress relievers living under my roof. Or is that woof?

The ladies and gentlemen in Victorian times knew this too! But I bet that one of these dogs was stressed out by his owner. Can you find which one?