Top Indoor Dog Toys

Our buddies at DogChannel.com (Dog Fancy's online presence), has compiled a list of cool dog toys that are perfect for the indoors. With the subzero temps in many parts of the country, it's the perfect time to add some new play things to your dog's indoor activities. Speaking only for me, I'd love that movable, barking bushy tail—puts me to mind of a squirrel!

I must admit to loving my new duck—when I squeeze it, Parental Unit thinks there's a whole flock of geese flying overhead.

Let us know what you think of Dog Fancy's list of indoor dog toys, and what you use for indoor playtime for your dog.

P.S. Our giveaway of a terrific book: Travels with Casey, My Journey Through Our Dog-Crazy Country, by Benoit Denizet-Lewis, ends tonight at midnight. You still have time to enter!

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Puppy Bowl Preview!

How many of you are counting the days till the Puppy Bowl? Well...anyway, we're here to tell you that next Sunday, February 2, Animal Planet will air Puppy Bowl X from 3:00-5:00 pm EST. And if you still haven't gotten your fill of puppy cuteness, it will repeat the rest of the day and night, with new content each hour—whew!

What we really love about the Puppy Bowl (besides the cuteness overload) is that all 66 of this year's participating puppies are from shelters across the country, and all are looking for their forever homes. There will also be a kitty halftime show sponsored by Bissell, with adorable little felines from New York City's Animal Care and Control. Read more about Puppy Bowl X in this super article from our friends at Dog Channel.com. Don't miss the live streaming of the pups' back-stage antics and a roster of the starting line-up—and don't forget to vote for your MVP (Most Valuable Pup)!

But wait, there's more! We're once again participating in the Super Dog Sunday event co-hosted by our good friends at Dog Tipper and All Things Dog Blog. Check out all the fun they have planned for Super Bowl Dog Sunday, and don't forget to enter your dog's picture for a chance to win some great prizes!

                                         Super Dog Sunday here I come!

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January's Dog Fancy Features Story On Sundance Avalanche Rescue Dogs!

Here goes Parental Unit, tooting her own horn (she embarrasses me on a regular basis), but she thought you'd want to read the feature article she wrote about the Sundance Resort's avalanche rescue dogs for the January issue of Dog Fancy. Since the February issue is already on newsstands , she's free to share this link with you which allows you to read the entire issue online.

She visited the Sundance Resort for one overnight stay in June of 2012 following the BlogPaws Conference in Salt Lake City. Long a fan of Robert Redford for his massive contribution to the arts and his environmental activism, Parental Unit was in heaven during her too short visit. While she was there, she happened to hear that Sundance had an avalanche rescue dog program, and she was off and running to pitch an article!

In case you didn't see it, our good  friends at Dog Tipper recently interviewed Parental Unit about her visit to Sundance and experience writing this article. We hope you enjoy both the January issue of Dog Fancy and Dog Tipper's interview! And thanks for indulging Parental Unit...

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Great Shelter Dog Photos Equal Saved Lives!

Photo of dog photographer Seth Casteel, courtesy of Dog Channel.com

We bet most of you have heard of Seth Casteel, famed dog photographer and author of the best-selling book, Underwater Dogs. But did you know that Mr. Casteel has volunteered countless hours taking really cool photos of shelter and rescue dogs around the world to improve their chances of getting adopted? Now he's teamed up with The Animal Rescue Site, Greater Good.org, John Paul Pet and the Petfinder Foundation to start the "One Picture Saves a Life" program, that teaches shelters and rescues the best practices for taking their own, award-worthy pictures of incoming dogs. He's "made it his mission to empower shelters and rescue groups across the country to take great photos", through in-person and videotaped workshops.

                                    Casteel in action...

Read more about Mr. Casteel and the One Picture Saves a Life program on Dog Channel.com, Dog Fancy magazine's online presence. And speaking of Dog Fancy magazine, Parental Unit wanted to let everyone know that she has a feature article in the January issue of Dog Fancy, on newstands now! The article features the exciting and often life-saving work of the avalanche rescue dogs of the Sundance Resort. She had a great time interviewing members of the Sundance Ski Patrol and learning about these hard-working human/dog teams, following her visit to Sundance last year. Pick up a copy and let us know what you think of the article!

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: De-Stress Your Dog Before and During Travel

     Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

Beautiful July is one of the top months for taking a vacation, and because so many of us want to take our favorite canine on vacation with us, there are "travelling with your pet" tips galore. But these strategies from our friends at Dog Fancy are a bit different because they take a natural, holistic and preventive approach to helping your dog stay calm and happy on any trip. And they get you humans to ask the right questions to help determine the best ways to make us more relaxed and comfortable. 

And please don't forget (as we unfortunately have done for short trips) that a dog roaming loose in a car is a disaster waiting to happen. Let us know if you find any of these tips helpful and please share some of your own that have worked particularly well. 

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: A Mutt By Any Other Name...

     Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

This article titled "In Defense of the Word Mutt",  posted just recently on Dog Fancy's website, dogchannel.com, is what we'd call a real conversation starter-just maybe not at a fancy cocktail party. Although this article doesn't discuss standard pet care tips, it might give humans some food for thought when it comes to evaluating "what's in a name". A lot, we think.

The title of the article might be misleading because it suggests (at least to us), that the term "mutt" might best be left in the dustbin of history, in favor of a more flattering word-one that will make humans think they've gotten a real prize when they adopt a mixed breed from their local shelter, for example. 

We all know that the language we use when referring to both humans and animals is mighty important, and often shows how we (really) feel about them. (Take heed Paula Deen!)

As this piece points out, 75% of dogs that end up in shelters are "mutts", and just maybe, what we call them may have something to do with how we value them....and why they're three times more likely to end up in shelters than "purebreds". 

Mike Arms, the president of Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, and one of our heroes in the animal welfare world, is adamant that how we describe and price (no "sales on seniors"), these "beautiful orphaned animals", help shape how we value them, and in turn, might encourage adoption of shelter pets. By the way, the Helen Woodward Animal Center does not use the word "mutt" or "mixed breed", but prefers "blend" to describe their pups of undetermined breed.

So what do you think? Will a change of words help us to place a higher value on mixed breed dogs? It's interesting, too, that we don't use the words "mongrel" or "cur" anymore... 

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Holistic Veterinary Resources

    Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

Our friends at Dog Channel.com, Dog Fancy's online presence, provided these excellent resources for you to research alternative and holistic veterinary practices. If you're anything like Parental Unit, you  take care of us every day with exercise and high quality food, check us out during grooming and bathing for anything suspicious, and take us to our yearly vet check. But holistic and alternative care practitioners for both humans and pets, advocate different treatments than those used in traditional western medicine, like acupuncture, for example. And also take a more proactive and, well, holistic approach to creating and managing health, rather than simply treating disease.

We're printing out this list to keep handy, so Parental Unit can remember to be proactive rather than reactive, if at all possible. How about you? Have you sought alternative and/or holistic medical treatments for your pet? And if so, let us know which ones and whether they were successful.

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Glaucoma In Dogs A Trending Topic

      Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

We cannot tell a lie...we've never heard about dogs losing their eyesight from Glaucoma...until today. But we did know about cataracts in aging dogs-in fact, my predecessor, Carson, was nearly blind from what we were told were cataracts when he died at 16. So we hope you'll find this detailed article about doggy Glaucoma from our friend at the Dog Channel (Dog Fancy's digital presence) as informative as we did. 

And we certainly did not know that Glaucoma is the leading cause of dog blindness. But this article details the definition of Glaucoma that most of you humans are familiar with: increased pressure in the eye from a build-up of fluids, the warning signs in canines, and the possible treatment options. Because this disease "feels like a headache that won't go away", your four-legged companions can't just tell you this, so look for signs like glassiness to the eye, redness in the white part of the eye, excessive tearing, and sensitivity to light, among others listed in this article, and ask your veterinarian about a Glaucoma check.

Although Glaucoma can be treated, eye removal is the only way to guarantee a lack of pain. But it's certainly better to know what's causing your pooch's eyesight problems and possibly treat the symptoms rather than to remain oblivious, as we like to say.

After all that...we hope you enjoy a Happy Easter Sunday! This gorgeous pooch sure looks ready for Easter!

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips: Traveling And Exercising With Your Pet In Winter

         Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

Today, we're bringing you two different pet care tips that have a lot in common: Both involve winter weather (hello Mid-West blizzard!) and making sure that both you and your pet stay happy and healthy, despite the wintry chill.

First up are winter travel tips from our friends at Dog Fancy, that run the gamut from protecting Fido's sensitive paws from the elements to packing a winter survival pack. And we believe that travel and exercise go together-if you're bound for a long drive to Grandma's (and then plan to eat copious amounts of her delicious food, it's a good idea to exercise at least a few of those calories away. But daily exercise isn't just about weight maintenance for either you or your furry friend-it's about using that excess energy in a positive way, clearing your mind, strengthening your resolve and helping both you and your dog feel more invigorated. So here are some tips from Cesar's Way to exercise both the canine mind and body, indoors. Sign up your dog for an indoor fly ball class, or play hide and seek, for example. One of the many things Parental Unit has learned from Cesar Millan is that dogs appreciate and need mental as well as physical exercise, and mental games that challenge your dog can be just as physically draining as a long walk. Good to know when you don't feel like trudging through mounds of snow or risking your vertebrae on icy sidewalks!

Now that you're armed with these tips for traveling and exercising with your pooch in winter weather, we hope you'll use them to have a safe and fun trip and holiday.

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Sunday "Living With Your Pet" Tips: The Basics of Detox

We think this article from Dog Fancy's "Natural Dog" section of their magazine and online presence is just enough out of the mainstream to be both interesting and provocative. We've all heard of humans fasting, and trying all sorts of other treatments, whether endorsed by the medical establishment, in an attempt to cleanse or "detoxify" their body. It turns out that some veterinarians recommend the use of certain detox procedures for pets, too. This article sticks to detoxing dogs who have been ill and/or on various medications, and recommends a short, 24 hour fast to start the process, along with the judicious use of herbs and natural supplements to aid elimination of toxins.

But with these tips, we must stress: don't try this on your own! Please consult a veterinarian well-versed in integrative medicine to guide your process for your particular dog, and include a full, in-canine check-up before using any of these tips.

So what do your think? How far would you go with integrative medicine, including a detoxification process, to help your dog recover from an illness-or for that matter, to maintain wellness? Let us know!

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet Tips" Trim Your Dog's Nails Safely

You know, Parental Unit had never trimmed her dogs' nails...that is until she got me and invested in a quality pair of nail clippers. All her other dogs had to be professionally groomed, so she had the groomers do the nail clipping. Now Parental Unit fearlessly handles all of my grooming needs-and saves some bucks in the process!

We saw these awesome tips for trimming your dog's nails on Dog Channel.com, Dog Fancy's online presence, and when we realized how exacting and thorough they are, we knew these tips would be perfect to pass along in our Sunday column.

We hope you put these tips to good use-and here's Parental Unit's addition: don't trim off too much, just   cut off the little hook or the tip and trim more frequently!

Happy relaxing Sunday!

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Understanding Your Dog's Separation Anxiety: And How to Help

Since I suffer from just a touch of separation anxiety (On some days, I wail for an undetermined amount of time after Parental Unit leaves), she has been looking into ways to ease both my anxiety, and her resulting anxiety from hearing me wail when she departs without me. Symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs can be a lot more severe that just some short-term wailing though. Can you say: spinning in circles, pacing, digging, urinating and defecating in the house (when otherwise housebroken), destroying furniture and other sundry items within reach, including compulsive chewing on our own paws-yikes!

You're not leaving, are you?

We rounded up some excellent information to share with you from a variety of sources: The ASPCA, Cesar's Way and Dog Fancy, about the possible reasons for separation anxiety and tips for easing it. And after reading through this information, it seems that there's agreement on several key points:

1. Pay a visit to your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for unusual symptoms. For example, urinating in the house can signal a urinary tract infection.

2.. Exercise your dog before you leave (how about that long daily walk all dogs crave?) We think it's true that a "pleasantly tired" dog (resulting, say, from a good romp in the park) is both a good and happy dog.

3. Don't make a big fuss when you leave or when you return home. Wait till your pooch is in a totally calm state before lavishing affection.

4. Provide a special chew toy right before leaving to keep Rover busy for at least a little while, and to help him or her associate your temporary departure with something pleasant.

5. Slowly desensitize your dog to departures by leaving for only short periods of time, say five or ten minutes, then gradually extend that time until you've reached your full work day (This one seems pretty difficult to do if you're already working...anyone have any ideas?)

So check out these sources and tell us what you think: Does your pooch have symptoms of separation anxiety, and if so, how have you dealt with it. Have you been successful? Will you try any of these tips?
www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/overcoming-separation-anxiety.aspx
www.cesarsway.com/tips/problembehaviors/5-tips-for-separation-anxiety
www.cesarsway.com/news/dognews/Study-Claims-Separation-Anxiety-in-Dogs-Causes-Pessimism
www.dogchannel.com/dog-health/dog-separation-anxiety.aspx
www.dogchannel.com/dog-training/treating-dog-separation-anxiety.aspx

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Rescue Dogs Need Some Extra TLC

We wanted to pass on these useful tips from Dog Fancy for easing the transition from shelter to home for your new rescued pooch. The article was posted on DogChannel.com, Dog Fancy's online presence, which always provides loads of useful information. "10 Ways To Welcome Your Rescue Dog",  provides some "tricks of the trade" to help smooth the way for your new dog to become a new family member.

 We're embarrassed to admit that Parental Unit was so excited to get a pooch after the loss of her dear Carson, she didn't read anything! But had she known some of these tips in advance, it would have been a lot easier for me to feel comfortable in my new home. For example, she let me run free in the house right away to explore, when she should have slowly walked me through my new digs on a leash, room by room. And she trusted me a little too soon: I was used to roaming the streets, and a  day after I arrived, Parental Unit opened the door for the mail, and I dashed out, squeezed through the gate and across the street-good thing I stopped and let her take me back-she almost had heart failure!

Here I am in the first minutes after arriving (see kitty hiding under the coffee table)

Parental Unit did know enough to keep me well-exercised, although I came with kennel cough and tired easily those first few weeks. And of course, she took me to her longtime vet for a thorough check-up and to update my vaccines.

Here I am on my first visit to Dr. Mike-don't look real happy, do I?

We hope you enjoy reading these tips before you adopt your new canine family member!

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A Round-Up Of Holiday Tips For You And Your Pooch

We thought we'd share these excellent tips from several of our favorite dog magazines and rescue organizations to keep your best friend safe, happy, and healthy over this long holiday weekend.

We'll start with this article that focuses on traveling with your dog from our good friends at FIDO Friendly magazine:
dogtime.com/thanksgiving-roads-fido-friendly-bryant-sims.html

And here's some tips from Dog Fancy to make sure your dog has a Happy Thanksgiving:
www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/keep-dogs-safe-on-thanksgiving.aspx?sc_cid=4638717

And finally, here are even more tips to keep your pooch safe over the Thanksgiving holidays, particularly concerning all that rich food, from Found Animals.Org:
www.foundanimals.org/index.php/20101108329/Features/holiday-feasts-are-for-people-not-pets.html

Hope you enjoy this information and find it useful in the coming weeks-I know we did!

P.S. Please check back late tomorrow afternoon-we'll be hosting a very generous toy give-a-way from our friends at Hartz! Lots of fun and great toys guaranteed!

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