Pet Blog By Bocci @ Bocci's Beefs: 3/1/15

Monday, March 30, 2015

Spring Break With Your Dog: Five Dog-Friendly Vacation Spots

Hey Parental Unit, when are we takin' a vacation? I can be packed in a few minutes!

Our friends at DogTime Media have put together a few of the niftiest places you and your dog can go right now...together...on a real vacation! And I bet you've never thought of at least a few of these top five, canine-friendly destinations. Key West, Florida or Alexandria, Virginia, anyone?

Let us know if you would like to visit these locales or can share some other places you think are Fido-worthy.

This Dog Really Listens!

We can't think of anything more adorable to start your Saturday than this Labradoodle, who listens so intently that we're afraid his head will do a 360 spin... Enjoy!

Immersive Summer Camps For Children Who Love Animals

You know how we love to share information about pets and children because, well, they go so wonderfully together, like cake and ice cream. In fact, we just brought you a story about canine camp counselors a few weeks ago. The camp, kids and pets combo just got dialed up a few notches by our good friend, Caroline Golon, one of the co-founders of BlogPaws and the author of several cause awareness and fund-raising blogs, like Romeo the Cat and The Happy Litter Box.

Camps with kids? I love kids!

Since Caroline is both a parent of young humans and pets, she decided to create another blog, Crayons and Collars, that offers education, resources, activities and entertainment for pet loving children. Caroline and her latest blog are featured in this AP article that highlights immersive summer camps especially for children who love animals. And guess who sponsors these camps? Local animal shelters! According to this article, "thousands of youngsters ages 6 to 17 will attend day camps this summer at hundreds of animal shelters across the country." And the benefits to the animals, the kids, the shelter and the community are many: "They are designed to introduce children to animals and show them how the creatures fit into their world", says one of the shelter education directors. "Campers learn to feed, exercise, wash, train and care for dogs and cats", and older campers can even watch surgeries and monitor an animal patient to test whether they might be interested in a career helping animals.

Caroline first learned about these camps a couple of years ago when she heard about shelters across the country that were offering birthday parties for kids, and wrote a story on that phenomenon for Vetstreet.com, touting it's win-win-win outcomes. Yep, kids and animals go together like cake and ice cream! She soon realized that the shelters and communities were offering "fantastic options for animal loving kids...[and] not enough parents know about these wonderful programs." Caroline promptly established a national database of these camps on Crayons and Collars to help remedy this problem, and so far she's listed over 250 shelters with camp offerings. What an incredible resource!

A famous kid and his famous dog...

Caroline says, "I'd love to see more families be aware of these programs so this next generation of kids truly understand what we can do to combat our pet overpopulation problem and be better to all animals. My site, Crayons and Collars is designed to support that goal. I'm on a personal mission to get more families and kids involved in their local shelters, humane societies and rescues!" We couldn't agree more, Caroline. Thank you!

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Today's Wordless Wednesday "theme" over at BlogPaws showcases some dogs who look quite, ahem, "studious" or "bookworm-ish" while blogging...

Well, what can I say... fab photo of me by John Clark

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop to "meet and greet" our pet blogging friends!

Don't Make These Kitty Litter Box Mistakes!

You know we enjoying sharing healthy pet tips from one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, and today we thought these litter box strategies would help you start spring with a healthier, happier cat and a tidier home.

A healthier, happier cat? Now you're talkin' my language—MEOW!

First, don't fix what ain't broken: If your kitty is using his or her litter box like a pro, don't change a thing! Just keep the box scrupulously clean, and keep an eye out for any changes in stool or urine or deviations from her regular litter box use.

Dr. Becker also reviews the various types of cat litter on the market and her opinion of their pros and cons. She advises against scented litters or litter with odor control additives, because cats don't seem to like them, and since cats clean themselves so much, they can ingest the added chemicals over time. Parental Unit transitioned me to a corn litter many years ago, and I've been a happy kitty ever since.

If you're a part of your cat's staff, let us know what type of litter you've chosen and how it's working. And if your cat is having "litter box" issues, check out "The Happy Litter Box", a great resource for everything concerning cats and their "bathrooms".

Well, that's enough advice for me...I'll think I'm ready for a snooze...

It's National Puppy Day!

Adorable (and obviously bored pup) Photo credit: Reuters

Although we're a bit late, we didn't want to miss out on National Puppy Day . Yes, this holiday of all holidays was founded in 2006 by Coleen Paige "...to help save orphaned puppies across the globe, and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills. " It was also established to "further our mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores."

To this we say "Hooray" and Happy National Puppy Day to one and all! Let us know what you did to celebrate this special day—we'd love to know!

Yep, this is me as a puppy (8-10 months old) on my first day home from the shelter in 2008.

The Unbreakable Bonds Of Children And Pets

Illustration courtesy of The New York Times

How many of you still think about your childhood pets? For that matter, how many of you still dream about them, like Parental Unit? Well, this beautiful article from the Times "Menagerie" column, should put your mind at ease: you're not crazy and you're definitely not alone.

The Times asked 10 artists to recall their childhood pets in both illustration and words, and they are indeed, quite a menagerie. Some of these brief stories are sad, others are sweet and funny, but all remind us of the intensity of children and their capacity for love.

Please send us memories of your childhood pets—we'd love to hear them!

Horse Indulges In Glorious Roll In Grass

If you live in the city like we do, you'll enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful horse indulging in a springtime roll...in the grass. We can't think of a better way to spend at least part of this first full day of spring, 2015! In fact, I've been doing the same thing in our back yard...and Parental Unit wishes she could do the same. (She said so!)

Dog Adoptions Multiplied With Clever Ideas

Humans are finally usin' their noggins to help spur adoptions. I'm not the only one who can be clever!

We love hearing about the clever ideas humans come up with to help shelter pets get adopted as quickly as possible. But we really love is giving these ideas a shout-out on our blog, so our friends can pay it forward to their local shelters and rescues. A shelter in California has hit upon a winning idea: Check each dog's DNA to better market them to loving homes. The Peninsula Humane Society, just a 30 minute drive south of San Francisco, "began free DNA testing under the slogan "Who's Your Daddy", and the effort has been hugely successful.

Infographic courtesy of the Peninsula Humane Society website.

The idea is to let prospective families know about the breed traits that make up each blend (approximately 75% of shelter dogs are mixed breeds), so they can better access a good fit for their family, and to "come up with clever 'breed' names that can boost adoption odds." Think: a Yorkshire terrier and beagle mix dubbed a "Yorkle" or a golden retriever-miniature pinscher-Chihuahua mix now known as a "goldenChinscher". This latter strategy is a good play for those who want the latest "designer dog" and pay a small fortune to get "golden doodles" or "puggles" for example. Remember when you first heard about those "breeds"? Now they're everywhere!

Let us know what you think of this latest adoption technique, and what your local shelter is doing to help increase their adoption rates.

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

The Wordless Wednesday "theme" over at BlogPaws today is "Countdown"... a 71 day countdown, that is, to the annual BlogPaws Pet Blogger and Social Media Conference in Nashville! We don't know if we're going yet, but we sure hope so! Let us know how many of you are already signed up.

Meanwhile, back at the Ohio Ranch...I finally went to the dog park—Woohoo!

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop to meet some new blogging buddies. Don't miss out on the fun!

The Luck Of These Hearty Irish Dog Breeds!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! May the wind be always at your back...

Our friends at Pet MD have put together a slide show of nine beautiful Irish dog breeds for your perusal this fine St. Patty's Day. Put these breed photos and descriptions alongside this fun Irish Dog infographic from Rover.com and you'll have your Emerald Isle dog fix for the day!

I look a bit like those Irish Terriers, especially with my green, gem-stoned collar and green "Throver", don't ya think?

Canine "Camp Counselors" Help Children at Flying Horse Farms

Photo courtesy of Mercola Healthy Pets

There's a very special camp right here in Ohio, about 45 minutes from Columbus, for children with serious illnesses. Flying Horse Farms, a non-profit organization, maintains a 200 acre spread in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, with all the regular camping accouterments like a lake, swimming pools and outdoor amphitheaters. But it also has camp counselors of the four-legged variety.

According to this article on Dr. Karen Becker's blog (she's one of our favorite holistic veterinarians), "The canine counselors play two roles with the children. One of their jobs is to allow the kids to work with them, running them through agility courses and teaching them tricks. The dogs also visit various activities throughout the day to give the campers an opportunity to play and laugh and connect with them." And the benefits provided to these children (and no doubt to the dogs as well—what dog wouldn't want to run around a camp all day playing with kids!), are many: The canine counselors reduce the childrens' anxiety while upping their confidence, provide quiet companionship when necessary and "raise the camp's overall happiness quotient."

The camp's motto is "For a week at a time, being sick takes a back seat to being a kid." Hooray for Flying Horse Farms and all of their camp counselors (especially the pups!).

Professional Dog Walkers Have A Secret Language

Did you ever wonder what professional dog walkers said about their clients—both the dogs and the dog's owners? Well, neither did we...until we saw this clever "Walkie Talkie" chart in today's New York Times. The author divides his "secret language chart" into the following categories: Types of Dog, Equipment, Technique, The Biz, and Clients, with examples of dog walkers' code language for each category. For example, an "N.D.F." is a "Not Dog Friendly" dog, "Belly Rub Tax", describes "The extensive petting a dog demands before it is prepared to get up and walk", and to describe clients who are fans of the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, the code word is "Cesaritis".

I've never had a dog walker, professional or otherwise (just Parental Unit and one friend), but I have no doubt these folks have lots to chat about...in code, of course!

Hmmm. I think I'd be called a "Puller" or "Marker". What about you?

Sweet photo of me by John Clark.

Dog And Human Take on "Canine Freestyle"

This is the first we've heard of the Musical Dog Sport Association, a non-profit whose "mission is to advance the sport of canine freestyle and to share the joy of the canine/human bond achieved through positive training, enhanced by the artistry of music and choreography." Sounds like a lovely way for dog and human to spend some quality time together, don't you think?

This pair— a Doxie named Henrietta and her human, Emily—really "cut a rug" with their clever dance routine. It's 93 seconds of pure fun!

Are You Ready To Adopt A Second (Or Third!) Dog?

We're a two pet household quite by accident—Parental Unit found tiny, two month old Bella over 10 years ago on the street and had planned to give her away to a friend...but instead, she's been with us (quite happily) ever since. At the time, Parental Unit had my predecessor, Carson, so she serendipitously had a two pet household.

Here's Bella torturing Carson like she now tortures me.

But if you're planning to add a second dog to your household, the ASPCA has some mighty fine strategies to first, help you make the decision (is this the right time for your family to add a second pooch?), and how to best integrate the new dog into your family.

With so many dogs in need of loving forever homes, adding another dog to your family is certainly something to consider. How many of you already have multiple canine households? Let us know how you decided to take the plunge and what tips you have for others about to add a second or multiple dogs to their home.

Wise Words From A Wise (And Good!) Dog

The artist, Rae Dunn, and her dog, Wilma. Photo: Drew Kelly for The New York Times

Rae Dunn has been creating beautiful ceramics for over 20 years, so one would expect her first book to be about, well, ceramics. But it was not to be so. She instead was inspired by her little dog, Wilma, to create a book of doggie wisdom—in Wilma's words—aptly titled: Wilma's World, Good Advice From A Good Dog. Dunn says, "She [Wilma] basically wrote the book. It's what Wilma and I experience as we go through the world together."

When we read this charming Times interview with Ms. Dunn (and Wilma), we fell in love...and hope you do too.

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Today's Wordless Wednesday theme over at BlogPaws is "Pets Gone Wild"! Maybe because all animals go a little "wild" come spring, or because "Wild Calling! Pet Foods is sponsoring this month's BlogPaws photo contest. Who knows? Check it out—there are prizes to win!

Meanwhile, back at the Ohio ranch...the weather has finally turned March-like: warm-ish, rainy, muddy and windy. But it's better than the 15 degrees below zero we hosted just last week. What's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Are we ready for a road trip, Parental Unit? That's sure to get me feelin' a little wild!

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop to meet some new blogging buddies...

The World's Most Expensive Dog House!

We thought we'd brighten up your Monday with some uber posh dog houses—the kind you'd like to curl up in if given the chance. Samsung has designed a a $30,000 dog house for the canine who has everything...and then some. Check out the short video below to get the details.

This article from the Huffington Post also provides a fun slide show featuring an array of dog houses to suit your style (and budget!)

Here's just one example: A Hacienda style, luxury dog house with an asking price of $30,000.

By the way, does anyone actually own or need a "dog house" anymore? I thought Parental Unit's entire house was my dog house—how about you?

Me taking over Parental Unit's bed...who needs a dog house?

Finding A Lost Pet: What Some Humans Do To Reunite

This story from our friends across the pond at the BBC demonstrates the lengths people will go to find their beloved lost pets. Although not all end in a reunion, we're struck by the time and monetary cost pet parents give to find a lost pet—only fitting for a missing family member.

The fellow below orchestrated a successful social media campaign to find his lost Border Collie, Jasper. Although coordinated on social media, searchers used a mountain rescue team, helicopter and the police to locate Jasper.

It can take a community effort to locate a missing pet, and these days that effort is often propelled by the power of social media. But we still see the old-fashioned missing pet flyers posted to telephone polls (all too frequently), and Parental Unit always stops to read about the pet and appropriate contact should we happen to see the missing dog or cat on our walks. Let us know if you've ever helped someone track down their lost pet, or if you've received help to find your four-legged companion. We'd love to hear your stories.

Why Dogs Are Sloppy Drinkers (And Cats Are Neat Drinkers)

We know you're fascinated with the science behind the liquid lapping habits of both dogs and cats, and we even wrote about it just a couple of months ago. But this time the scientific research comes from MIT and one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, tackles the topic.

Yes, dogs are sloppy drinkers, and the bigger the dog, the bigger the mess! But there's science behind their sloppiness.

But cats are incredibly neat drinkers (unless they splash their paws in my water dish, as Bella is want to do). and there's scientific reasoning behind this feline proclivity.

The basic differences are that cats do "an elegant plunge and pull" with their tongues, and "dogs punch the water surface with their tongues, then pull their tongues back in a greatly accelerated motion (about five times that of gravity). Even from this basic description you get the picture.

Ironically, in our house, Bella is the messier "drinker" because she insists on using my water bowl as a bathtub. She loves to bat her paws in my water and then clean herself, and when she's finished, it looks like someone's been swimming in our kitchen. If you have both a canine and feline, who's the messier drinker in your home?

Rescued Dog's Paintings Sold On Etsy

Newman, an 18 months young rescued dog, posing with his paintings. Photo courtesy of DogTime Media

Now we know there's no excuse for you or your pup to claim boredom during the cold winter months. Newman, pictured above, hails from Minnesota, so if he and his parental unit can keep Newman occupied, well, off the couch for all of you! Our friends at DogTime Media featured this story just a few days ago.

Newman's parental unit, a veteran at fostering dogs, realized this energetic, mixed-breed pup needed to channel his energies during the long Minnesota winter, so she...of course, taught him to paint. Wouldn't you think of that to help your pooch stave off the winter blues? By teaching Newman both how to hold a paint brush in his mouth and how to paint, his parental unit figured that would help demonstrate that rescue dogs are smart. "And I wanted him to be an ambassador for rescue dogs."

Indeed, she's selling his beautiful paintings on his own Etsy shop, and all the money goes to Circle of Friends Humane Society in neighboring North Dakota. Don't Newman and his parental unit put some zip in your step as you head into the weekend?

BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop!

Today's Wordless Wednesday theme over at BlogPaws is "The Red Carpet Edition", as in...the finalists for the 2015 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards are official! Check 'em out and put your paws together in congratulatory applause all around!

Meanwhile, back at the Ohio ranch... I'm sniffin' the air for signs of spring—I'll know it when I smell it!

Now on to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Pet Blogger Hop. Maybe we'll find some folks who have warm weather right now...

A Dog's Life In Shadow

Photograph by Thomas Roma/Howard Greenberg Gallery

As you know, we love to bring you articles from "Menagerie", The New York Times ode to all things animal. We were entranced by a piece in yesterday's hard copy edition of The Times, highlighting a photographer's unusual pictures of dogs' shadows, as they appeared on the moonscaped surface of a dog park. The article was written by the photographer's son, Giancarlo Roma, who explained the context of the photos and his father's picture-taking techniques. He describes the shadows the dogs cast as "...long and wild, startlingly unlike their physical forms." Thus his father, Thomas Roma, named the collection "Mondo Cane", literally translated as "Dog World" in Italian, but more loosely construed as an idiom meaning "a world gone mad".

We think these photographs of our playful friends are just gorgeous (don't miss the slide show), and as the article points out, offer humans a glimpse into the wilder, more spiritual nature of the canines you call pets.

How To Predict Your Dog's Lifespan And Ease Their Senior Years

This article by one of our favorite holistic veterinarians, Dr. Karen Becker, helps us predict our dogs' lifespans and targets several ways to help ease your dog through his senior and geriatric years. Dr. Becker recommends three main strategies, explained in greater detail in the article, to care for dogs seven and over:

__Provide physical and emotional comfort

__Provide high quality dietary protein (according to Dr. Becker, dogs actually need more protein as they age, not less).

__Provide daily exercise, socialization and mental stimulation

As Dr. Becker says, "...dogs don't just don't suddenly die when they reach a certain age. They grow older in stages just as we do, but at a tremendously accelerated rate compared to humans." Our responsibility as pet owners and pet caregivers extends well beyond the roly-poly puppy stage, and although it might be more difficult and time-consuming, we owe it to our loving pets to help them age gracefully, don't you think?

It's hard to believe that handsome me is officially in the senior category at a trim and fit 32 pounds and about 7.5 years young.

Is your pooch a senior or geriatric? The information on the chart below may surprise you.
The medical community and pet parents differ on ages for seniors and geriatric pets.

Chart developed by Dr. Fred L. Metzger, DVM, State College, PA. – Courtesy of Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, 4th Edition Graphic courtesy of Mercola.com/Healthy Pets

Tell us your stories, tips and tricks for easing your pet into her senior years—we'd love to hear them!