A Tribute To Uggie

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Uggie, the adorable Jack Russell terrier and famous star of the silver screen. If you weren't aware of his back story, his owner and trainer saw potential in the adorable pooch and adopted him just before he was headed to the shelter. He'd been previously relinquished by two owners who didn't know how to channel his energy.

Turns out he was a superstar all along! Although he was deemed not eligible for an Oscar for his mesmerizing performance in "The Artist", Uggie's paw prints are on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Uggie is the perfect, international example of why all dogs are special, and each and every one deserves a loving, forever home. Enjoy this beautiful tribute from CBS Sunday Morning.

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Jamie Eaton, a dog therapist, with Milky, the offending pooch. Photo courtesy of The Washington Post

We loved this piece from yesterday's Washington Post about therapy, of sorts, for dogs-and can't help but have some fun with it. It's actually an informative read, but I couldn't help emitting a yelp at the part where the humans break down crying while talking to the animal behaviorist/therapist. These poor humans have internalized the blame (or shame) for their poorly behaved dogs...hehehe.

 Of course, that therapy staple of talking out your problems is more for the humans, just like all that other stuff like dressing us up and putting us in your purse or a baby stroller, if you get my drift... We're happy-go-lucky canines who just want to romp around and sniff each others butts, O.K.? 

Let us know what you think-do canines and/or their owners need therapy?

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Sunday's "Living With Your Pet" Tips": Housebreaking A Puppymill Dog

          Fabulous photo of me by John Clark of Clark Creative

We think these strategies from Cesar's Way, specifically designed for housebreaking a dog rescued from a puppy mill, are thoughtful, and with a lot of patience, seem (fairly) easy to accomplish. Sheri Lucas, who wrote these tips, is a dog trainer and rehabilitation expert and operates a humane society called "Second Chance at Love". She also has trained with Cesar Millan for many years.

And it seems that strategies like "closely supervising your dog" and taking him or her outside as soon as you see sniffing and circling behavior, rewarding your pooch after eliminating outside, and maintaining calm, assertive energy throughout the process would work for any puppy or adult dog new to your home, regardless of their past. The article also includes several links with related training tips that we think round out the basics for bringing a new dog into your home.

We hope you find this information helpful...and always remember to have patience with your pets. You know, not all dogs can read and write like I can, so they may need a little extra help to learn even basic commands, especially those with a puppy mill background. Whoever said "patience is a virtue" sure was right!

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Can Dogs And High-Rise Apartments Co-Exist?

           Photo courtesy of Mother Nature Network and CNN

Although parental Unit has never lived in a "high-rise" building (and hopefully never will!), she knows quite a few New Yorkers for example, who don't have a choice. And when you're both a dog lover and high-rise dweller, problems can ensue-for you, your pooch and your neighbors-some of whom may not love canines as much as you.

So when we came across this recent article posted on CNN's website that discussed some practical ways to keep your dog and your sanity in tow if you both live in a high-rise building, we thought we'd better pass it on. In fact, most of the tips in this article can be used for just about anyone who owns a dog. For example, our neighbors are in very close proximity, and I can assure you they can hear me barking after Parental Unit leaves (she and I are working on that!) So if your dog displays separation anxiety, is scared of loud noises, or has an aversion to strangers in close quarters, take a look at the corrective measures offered in this piece and see what you think.

As always, please let us know your thoughts: Do you live in a high rise building with your dog or in very close proximity to neighbors? Does your beloved pooch display any of the "problems" described above...or others-and what have you done to ease these behaviors? We'd love to know!

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