Your Trash Can Help Save a Dog's Life

Save your old empty ink jet and laser printer cartriages and they can be recycled to earn cash that can save an animal's life. Noah's Wish is an animal welfare organization that goes to great lengths to keep animals alive during major disasters, but they do need our help to ensure their ongoing efforts.

While cash donations are always appreciated, this recycling program is one of the ways that everyone can help, no matter what the family budget looks like.
Donaters don't even have to pay for postage, as a free UPS shipping label for the cartriages and phones will be provided.
To learn more about the program, visit the Ink Cartriage Program page.

While you're on the site you may want to look around and read about some of the amazing things that Noah's Wish has done to aid animals involved in some of our country's worst disasters, including Hurricane Katrina and the more recent Merced California flood.

How did you name your dog?

I ran across a 'Net post the other day about someone who had bet $20 on the Kentucky Derby one year and, after winning the bet (on a long shot), they used the money to buy a dog... Thus they named it "Derby".
Then, a couple of days later I met a woman in PetsMart who had an Peekapoo puppy, which she called "Pikachu." She said her kids were crazy about the cartoon and she liked the way the names rhymed.
In our business we run across a huge variety of dog names, but these two really tweaked my curiosity about how other owners name their pups.

For us, Jay, Lance, and Princess Francis were all named by their previous owners and/or rescue center (though we do refer to Princess as "Hurricane Francis" from time to time!), and we didn't want to confuse them by changing their names. Mia didn't respond to any name when we got her from her abused situation, and we literally spent 2 days calling out female dog and human names to her until we found one that made her wag... she chose her own name.

So how did your dog get his or her name?

A Kid & Dog-Related Rant

Ok, none of us here are generally prone to rants, but this was just too much. Yesterday we had a strange young man come to our backyard fence and begin smacking it with a stick, teasing and barking at our youngest Boxer, Francis. When she went towards the fence, he starting poking the stick through it, trying to hit her. The weirdest part (besides the fact that he was bold enough to come into the yard like that), was that we were sitting right there on the patio! I told him to knock it off and go home, and his reply was basically something you can't repeat on family-oriented websites. He did leave though (after telling us he'll mess with our dogs any time he pleases), so I just chalked it up to poor parenting and kid stupidity.
Then he came back today.
I put Francis in the house as soon as he started his routine, so he then chose to ride his bike back and forth on the road yelling cuss words and "where's your dog, lady?"
I don't know what the kid's malfunction is, but this is a really quiet neighborhood where anything unusual attracts a lot of attention, so the next door neighbor called the sheriff out. He took the kid (who turned out to be 14 years old!) home in handcuffs, and told us that if he came back they would arrest him for tresspassing, harrassment, and a few other things if we would press charges. You bet your britches I will!
I'm truly boggled at why a kid of that age would think such a thing was amusing, and even further boggled by what sort of parents raised a kid to act so rotten!
And folks say that *Dogs* should be on leashes? Hmmm..

A Quick Thank You...

Kyle, thanks a bunch for all your help in restoring the blog! {{{hugs}}}

Dog Blog Mess

Ok, if you come to the blog and it looks crazy (weird colors, fonts, etc.) then it's not your computer or anything. We just changed blog software versions and we're having some problems getting the old template to work correctly. We're also trying a few new things. Do any of our readers happen to be a blog template guru?

Winter Care Tips for Outdoor Dogs

Here are some tips to help you keep your outdoor dog safe:

1. Provide them with a good dog house, one that is as watertight and wind-proof as possible. Hang a heavy rug or piece of carpet over the doorway to help block wind, and try to place the dog house where it can get sun during the day. Ideally, their house should have a raised floor, but if not then try to provide some sort of a buffer between them and the cold ground. A thick bed of straw is a good idea in any dog house--- it is very inexpensive, and quite easy to sweep out and throw away as needed.

2. If you keep your dog in a garage or shed, be aware that though such buildings give them good protection from the elements, they will not neccessarily keep your dog as warm as they need to be. Large spaces won't heat up with the dog's body temperature like a well-fitted dog house does, so be sure to provide them with a "cubby" space in the shelter so they can climb in and get warm.

3. Check their water bowl often. If it ices over, run hot water in it to break the ice free and then refill it with *cold* water (cold water freezes slower than hot water). Don't believe that eating snow or licking the ice chunk in their bowl will save them from dehydration.

4. Feed them a couple of times a day (if you normally feed only once, just split the portions in two), and consider adding some warm water to it. Eating raises body temperature slightly, and a warm meal can go a long way in keeping your dog comfortable.

5. Check your dog's paws frequently for signs of frost bite.

6. Keep your dog as dry as possible. Big dogs especially seem to like to play in the snow, but do try to towel them off and keep them as dry as possible before bedding down at night.

7. If you know the temperatures are going to drop below freezing, do try to find a way to bring them indoors.

National Pet Dental Month

Though it can be difficult to clean your dog's teeth, it is a highly important part of dog ownership that many people tend to ignore. February is National Pet Dental Month, a time for all of us to educate ourselves and begin an oral care regimen that will benefit your dog's health for many years to come. To help get you started, the makers of Greenies dog treats is offering a free care package that includes a $20 rebate for a teeth cleaning at your vet's office. Their site also offers some very useful information about pet oral care. You can visit them here: Chews to Care.

PetDental.com also has some very useful information, as well as a kid's section to get them involved too.

Last but certainly not least, the folks at the Dog Breed Info center have a step-by-step guide, complete with pictures, to show you how to clean your dog's teeth.