Gotta Dance?

So, who knew? Jake likes the dancing dogs?

Kate and Gin are definitely darlings on Britain's Got Talent. Frankly, I'm crazy about them, too. It's fascinating how they work together. These two best friends wowed the audience and the judges, but it's worth noting that no one seemed familiar with what has become a very popular dog sport known as "musical canine freestyle" or simply "freestyle."

This lack of familiarity with the sport made Gin's performance even more dramatic because she wildly exceeded everyone's expectations. Simon Cowell was exclaiming "OMG!!" repetitively to seeing Gin rear up and walk backwards. Put another way, they had no expectations of the dog before she began the act, so the impact of her fine performance was intensified. Kudos to Kate, because she chose great music and developed a dynamic choreography. Kudos to Gin for executing the commands brilliantly.

Still, freestyling is really more popular than many of us might expect. There are many associations dedicated to it in the US and around the world, including the Musical Dog Sport Association, the Canine Freestyle Federation, Inc. ; World Canine Freestyle Organization; and Pawfect K9 Freestyle Club (Japan).

While Gin's performance would be admired by all, I would also think that many people in the sport might not be as surprised by its strengths as were the audience and the judges.

I can't help but wonder about all the folks working with freestyle. Jake is a very smart dog. I spend lots of time with him, having fun and training him. I look at Gin's performance and wonder, how much time do Kate and Gin spend together on training? Probably much more than one can imagine. It looks like it might be a full time occupation – along the lines of an Olympic training schedule. I sure hope it is fun for Kate because one might fear that she wouldn’t have any time for human friends. Indeed, if I followed her quote correctly on the program, “if it weren't for Gin, I wouldn't have much of a life.”

In parting, let's compare Kate's perfect choreography for the James Bond theme with that of a "Gladiator Dog." You know, there really is a difference between men and women…have fun watching this:

Border collies have talent...

That Debs, so worried about me, but, trust me, I’m OK. At least I think I’m OK. Sure, I may walk on three legs after we get home from the dog park, but, while I’m there...I run like the wind. And, after walking around on three legs, the fourth one kicks in after a while. A good long nap helps, too, along with a Bufferin sandwiched in some cream cheese. Yum!

Today, Debs took me to a local dog park where I can swim in Lake Michigan. Cool, very cool -- especially at this time of the year. She thinks swimming is great exercise for me – something about no impact. I just think it is great fun – the farther out she throws the ball, the more fun to go get the ball. (To think I was ever scared of swimming!) I even tried to bring back two tennis balls today, but my mouth wasn’t big enough, so I made two trips. And, I was doing a much better job of taking the ball back than any of those dopey black labs there today. They just wanted to run around in a pack and chase my ball – but they walked away from their human and their own ball. Dopey! And, they are also not very polite!

A dog that definitely is not dopey is Gin – the new girl of my dreams. Yes, I love Phoebe, but, take a look at this girl and you’ll see why I love her from afar. Gin is on Britain's Got Talent. On of the judges said that she may be the first non-human to win the talent contest! Maybe Debs can find her whilst in the UK!?

I'm going to take another snooze now, and I'm going to dream of Gin. I heard she made it to the finals. On behalf of border collies everywhere, I'm so proud!

Canine hip dysplasia hits home...

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). If you had asked me about hip dysplasia two months ago, my know-it-all answer would have been: A congenital infirmity of poorly and over bred dogs commonly seen in the larger purebreds such as German shepherds, sheepdogs and golden retrievers. I’d have told you to make sure you have your purebred puppy OFA certified before you bring her home from the breeder and to ensure that the breeder will take the dog back in the event it develops.

That was then, this is now. This week I learned that Jake, my handsome, agile, active, border collie -Australian cattle dog mix from the shelter, who lives to run has hip dysplasia. I’m shocked, I’m worried, and I’m very, very sad. How could this be? He doesn't fit the profile.

Less than two months ago, I took Jake on a weekend holiday to a remote part of Wisconsin. Jake has been going there since he was a new puppy in our household and he enjoys his time in the northwoods immensely. He loves running in the woods, bounding over obstacles, and chasing all the other critters away (although I’m always worried about the coyotes and porcupines). He loves running on the beach there and swimming. The beach is part of a bay that stretches as far as the eye can see to the north and south. We both like that beach and, frequently, we have it all to ourselves. Jake is a happy camper there.

We were returning home one Sunday, and with a five hour drive ahead of us, it seemed a good idea to give Jake all the exercise he demands. We did just that. Even if it was spring, the weather was still winter, so it was not time for Jake to swim in Lake Michigan, other than to walk in around the shore. So, we played with Jake’s obsession – the ever present tennis ball – most of the way up and back to the tip of the bay from the midpoint. Jake hustled for that ball, as he always does. Hustles to go get it, hustles to bring it back to me. On the shoreline. Into the dunes. He was going to be one tired doggie, that was for sure.

And, he was, indeed, tired. He slept most of the way back to our home. We stopped along the way, and as he arose in the back seat, it was a clear he was in no hurry to get out. On the ground, it looked like he had pulled a muscle. My first thought was that it isn’t easy being a “weekend warrior” and I considered whether he had worked too hard in comparison to the week. Still, Jake’s always running about, chasing squirrels, tennis balls and frisbees in the backyard.

In retrospect, it was as if someone had just flipped on the pain switch that day - and I wish I could find the switch and turn it off.

Jake seemed to improve during the week and, so, we visited the local dog park on the weekend. Normal visit to the park – chasing tennis balls, running with other dogs, a swim in the pond. By the time we were home, Jake was having trouble walking away from the car. I told myself that perhaps the pond had been too cold. No more cold ponds for Jake. That would fix it. And, I thought, he just hasn't recuperated yet from overdoing it in Wisconsin.

Then, it began to happen after our evening walk – no run, no chasing balls, no real exercise. Just a nice walk. It was more subtle at first – a slow movement to standing, a bit of extra stretching. I couldn’t tell if it affected his left leg or his right, until the day, after being at the dog park, he held his left rear paw up off the ground. But, I thought, it seems to be his right leg, too. I called his vet, Dr. Grogman, and we agreed to wait a little while to see if it would clear up on its own. It didn’t occur to me that he could have hip dysplasia until the evening I massaged his legs and confirmed Jake wasn’t sensitive at any point on them. It was then that I knew the trouble must be with his hips.

Dr. Grogman agreed it was time to diagnose his problem. Under general anesthesia, Jake’s hips and legs were x-rayed, and the doctor could manipulate his legs to see the range of motion. The tests confirmed hip dysplasia in both hips -- with the worst of it on the right side. The doctor reviewed the x-rays in detail with me. Not the worst case she’d seen, but on a scale of 1-10, about a 4. Any number on that scale would upset me in light of the difficulties Jake was having.

I listened carefully to Dr. Grogman as she covered the alternatives for treating Jake. Frankly, it was difficult to hear her because my mind, at that moment, was focused on what will become of Jake if he can’t run? if he can’t stand? and how can this be? why? In any event, I had researched hip dysplasia before our visit to the vet and knew that none of the solutions seem very good for Jake.

In future blog entries, I’ll describe the treatment we’re going to follow. Whatever comes next, we'll do it together. Jake deserves the best -- he's such a fine doggie. He loves running and we're going to keep doing that for as long as possible. Meanwhile, if you’ve had experience with canine hip dysplasia, please share it with us – especially if it will be positive! You'll find below some general information on CHD.

Your dog can give blood too!

My sister e-mailed me about an animal blood bank in Seattle which I had never really considered before and once I did, I thought (as did she) this would be an interesting thing to mention on the blog.... who knew???

Learning about dog blood banks caused me to see if there was a similar service in Chicagoland. Somewhat unsurprisingly given the size of the city and the vast number of dogs who live here, there is at least one local canine blood bank: Chicago Veterinary Emergency Services has a blood bank and actively seeks canine blood donors.

During my research I found a report in the Chicago Tribune that there is a national shortage of dog and cat blood, particularly dog A negative blood. While I suspect this story is an example of public relations cleverly packaged as news, the story also serves to raise awareness. The link to Hemosolutions is a giveaway that they have "created" news to promote their services, but at least now people know about an apparent shortage of dog blood for transfusions, at least in Colorado.

Animal blood banks seem to be a fairly new phenomenon. This raises the question of where most of the blood needed for surgeries or transfusions comes from. There is a clue on the Hemosolutions website where they write "rather than using kennel kept dogs as many blood banks do" they seek out dogs that live with people. I'd really just as soon not think of special kennels for doggie donors....

Alas, dogs need to be at least 50 - 55 lbs to be a candidate for giving blood, so unfortunately Phoebe doesn't qualify.... which is probably just as well because I don't think she would be a willing participant. But if you have a dog of the right size and temperament, being a donor is definitely something worth considering.

The Groomer Had It - Now You do!

“The Groomer” has definitely had it - and I haven't even seen it. Yet, this seems a good time to mention the big grooming effort going on in our house – trying to trim Jake’s nails.

First, a word about Jake’s nails. I think of them as WMD protruding from his nice padded paws. From time to time, Jake tries to attract some attention by running his paw across my outstretched leg on the coffee table (or, he’s just trying to teach me some better manners). With summer coming up, I’m not fond of revealing the major scratching and bruising that can result when Jake’s nails aren’t kept reasonably trimmed. There just isn’t enough self-tanning cream in the world to cover up Jake’s handiwork on my legs.

So what’s the big deal, you might well ask? When Jake first came home, I bought a guillotine clipper. Problem is, it is too scary to use. Jake’s nails are very black and I can’t see where the quick is. They are also very dense and it seems unlikely that I’d be able to cut through in one motion. Maybe they could have named the clipper something less frightening. I read too much French literature to use a guillotine of any sort. So, somewhere in my house is yet another tool that will never be used.

Jake hasn’t liked having his nails trimmed since the third time I brought him into the local Petsmart for a trim. The groomer of the day, a creative young woman, with multiple body piercings and tattoos, grabbed Jake very fast without making what might be considered a proper introduction. She just kneeled down to the floor and grabbed his paw and used the guillotine. Jake’s reaction to this was immediate – I feared he might nip her and was glad he did nothing more than make a move for her. After that Jake didn’t even like walking into Petsmart – and when forced to, well, he made it quite clear that he wasn’t going anywhere near the grooming station.

So, Jake’s nails have been kept short by Jeff, our favorite vet-tech, who is very patient with Jake. Overall, it has been a positive experience. Jeff says that Jake is well behaved – and Jeff even gives him kisses on his nose during the process. This has allowed Jake to visit the vet’s frequently and bond with Jeff, all without any major pain being inflicted (unlike that time when he went in happy and left with a collar around his head). This has kept his anxiety about going there to a minimum (though still very evident). This routine is not, however, convenient for me, and it comes with a $19 charge every few weeks.

So, I heard that using a Dremel is the way to go. Unlike the “guillotine” which compresses the dog’s nail before it slices off the end, the Dremel (when used properly) doesn’t seem to hurt. I’d bought a Dremel for a house project and, after many months, finally decided to proceed and introduce it to Jake – even if it is a power tool. My mentor in this process is Dawn. She does so a fantastic job of explaining all the details on her website, I’ll leave it up to you to go there. Also, on YouTube there are several videos, and you’ll find my favorite below - the woman does such a great job of making things fun for her dogs.

So, after one week on introducing the Dremel to Jake, Wags helped me focus Jake on some treats while I tried to figure out how to file down his nails. This was definitely a two person job at the beginning. I think we were both surprised that Jake – who hates to be manhandled – took the procedure so well (though we didn’t do all the nails). And, I’m am exceedingly pleased to report that yesterday evening he allowed me to file several of his nails, including a few while he was lying down on his side in a nice calm state of repose. You don’t have to do all the nails at once!



If your dog has WMD at the end of her paws, consider the Dremel. And, as everyone will say, don’t just grab the Dremel and your dog’s paws. It is, after all, a power tool, and you want ensure that your dog is ready for it. Make the whole routine positive and you can be your dog’s best groomer. Good luck!

Groomer Has It: trying to untangle the knots….

Apologies for the hiatus.... I'm still recovering from suffering through the first episode of "Groomer Has It."

In the interest of the blog and due to my dedication to the thousands of “Two Wet Noses” fans (okay, handful) who valued (and more importantly, agreed with) last week’s review of “Groomer Has It,” I decided to confront another week of a bad reality tv program. So, I watched (endured really) the second episode of “Groomer Has It.” In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I was unable to watch “live” on Animal Planet and had to view the show on the computer a few days later, but I suspect my reaction would be pretty much the same….

Just like last week, the script is appalling. Must we be subjected to these pathetic “plays” upon words, including such pearls as “claws come out” “a leg up,” and something about a hydrant.

In addition, Jai Rogdriguez is still a terrible host. He has the personality of a fire hydrant….and he certainly doesn’t demonstrate any charm (smiling is not charm) or knowledge of the material a la Tim Gunn of Project Runway, or even Tom Colicchio, taciturn chief judge on Top Chef.

And speaking of judges, these three don't hold up in comparison to the teams on Project Runway or Top Chef: Xavier Santiago is just unpleasant and unattractive; Joey Villani seems to hold the most promise in terms of being personable and willing to tell Xavier he's full of it; and can you even remember what "Doc" Halligan contributed to the episode? This week's guest judge didn’t add any value to the program…. we care about her, why???

In the end, these shows succeed or fail based on the contestants. This crew is not only dull, but tedious. Do we have to hear more about who is the real "celebrity" groomer? These people certainly aren’t interesting enough to root for. In last season's Project Runway, from the outset, when Elisa spit on her material, we all knew she was a nut. And Christian was just a little arrogant (yet very talented) twerp…. In the case of GHI, either they are dull ego maniacs or even duller also rans. I mean really, who cares who wins this “competition?”

It’s too bad that we don’t get to bond with the dogs during the course of this tanglefest….. Then maybe it would be worth watching to see who gets bitten by a real dog as opposed to by those dreary judges.

Please tell me I don't have to watch another episode.....

"Groomer Has It" needs to be snipped! Quick!

I have quite a high tolerance for what others might deem to be bad television, but I think that last Saturday I may have stumbled across one of the absolute worst television shows of all time: Animal Planet's Groomer Has It which among other things has a tedious host, dull competitors, is scripted with appalling doggie related word play (the show’s title should be your first clue about the low level of creativity of the writers) and a lame prize: a mobile grooming truck, $50k and the title “Groomer of the Year” -- which will be meaningful to who?

This show is a complete knock off of Bravo’s Top Chef one of my favorite shows, especially this season since it takes place in Chicago…. but I digress

First we have our host: Jai Rodriguez formerly of Queer Eye. I’m sorry, but after watching this show, it is clear that your ten minutes of fame are over.

Then we have our twelve contestants who will be residing in "The Dog House." Doesn't sound very attractive to me, and when you see the inside, it's not... festooned with awful doggie art. Two of the competitors -- Jonathan and Jorge -- are engaged in a 'sub-battle' of who is the 'real' celebrity dog groomer..... who cares?!?!? If you are really making so much money making house calls to your celebrity dog clients, what are you doing on this ridiculous show?

Format wise, we have the “Quick Sniff Challenge” (sounds like.... "Quick Fire Challenge!") where the winner gets an advantage over the other clippers…. not immunity, at least in the first episode. As part of this challenge, one of the groomers sniffed one of the dogs in the derriere! Gross!

Then we move along to the "Elimination Challenge" which is launched with an inspiring: “Ready, Set, Groom!” In this first episode, the contestants had to groom yarn dogs… basically a stuffed animal, to find out “which groomer has it.”

One groomer broke his dog’s leg!
One groomer colored her dog completely pink (magenta really)!
One stenciled “I love NY” on his dog.

If you “meet the standard” you are safe; if you win the challenge, you get the “pick of the litter” for the next Quick Sniff Challenge; if you are the second worse, you “go back to the dog house with your tail between your legs” and if you are at “the back of the pack” you have to leave the “dog house” immediately. Can you see how awful the scripting is???

When we thankfully got the the point of getting rid of one of these people, Jai says “Every dog has its day. Lisa, it’s not your day.” I can’t believe I even lasted the whole hour….

Thumbs down, paws down, tail down.... no treats for Animal Planet....

In honor of my big black dog

Did you see the article on CNN.com “Big Black Dog Syndrome leaves them homeless?” The article discusses many people’s fear of big black dogs. As a result, black dogs, regardless of size, are the most difficult shelter dogs to place. The article also mentions blackpearldogs.com a site dedicated to the cause of the black dog.

Fear of black dogs is something I am familiar with because, until recently, I had a (sort of big) black dog. It was not uncommon for people to cross the street when they saw him coming, but Sherman, a border collie lab mix, was the sweetest dog in the world.

Sherman was found wandering the streets of the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago by a co-worker. He was probably about a year old and was such a mess that she called him Grizzly. When I was first introduced to him, he smelled terrible, his fur was coarse, and he was very gangly and uncoordinated, with thin legs too long for his body. Not a very appealing prospect really. But, one look from his steadfast gaze and the pressure from his head leaning against my leg, and I was hooked.

Sherman had a gentle disposition. Sherman’s tail wagged like a metronome, steadily and rhythmically, while you petted him. He grew into his legs and was just the right height that his chin fit perfectly on your lap. He was just the right weight that when he put his head on my chest at night I could still breathe. He loved to chase the tennis ball, but wasn’t very good at giving it back. He loved walks and when we would stop to chat with the neighbors, he would lean his head against their leg -- this always resulted in getting his head petted. He would abandon me at the dog park because he always found someone who would throw the ball for him which he would chase unendingly until, oftentimes, his pads bled. He loved to swim and to fetch the ball in the lake.

Sherman was a truly great black dog. He was a steadfast and wonderful companion. We were together for more than 11 years. I miss him very much.

Welcome to Flea Season, Chicago!

Welcome to April and flea season, and the heartworm season will be just around the corner, too, in Chicago. Our blog and dog friends live around the world – we’re now visited by interesting people and fabulous doggies in 16 countries – so we know it is always flea season somewhere.

This morning, as the ground is beginning to warm here (even though the tv weatherperson said this morning that there could be snow showers later in the week – will it never end?!), I began to ponder Jake’s fleas and heartworm needs. Peering into his stash of supplies in the kitchen “Jake drawer” (and it is difficult to do so without Jake trying to nose around in there at the same time), it seems the supplies are getting low.

I’ve always purchased our supplies directly from Jake’s vet – whom we both adore – yet the office has always given me the impression that they may charge a bit more than others. Sometimes I’ve been lucky enough to tap into a special manufacturer’s deal for vets' patients and get an extra vial in a 6 pack. My impression has been that Jake’s vet sells the medications as a convenience (and for profit) for the pets and their owners (to make sure they take them for the pet’s health), and that I could rest assured that Jake would be getting the real stuff and not a knock-off. So the additional cost was acceptable to me. Indeed, sometimes when I would see Frontline hanging in some pet supplies stores (that shall go nameless), they appeared dusty and worn – making me wonder, are they knock-offs?

As I've always say – “nothing but the best for my dog!”

Today, for a change, motivated in part by my desire to be of some use with this blog by having my fingers do the walking for you, I decided to pay a visit to Doctors Fosters and Smith to do a bit of comparison pricing. They look like a couple of nice guys, although Jake didn’t take a shine to them the way he does to Dr. Grogman.

Surprisingly, not only did Dr. Fosters & Smith have some good prices, they were also helpful in my general research. Searching for Frontline Plus (the brand Jake uses), I found a complete, up to date comparison table for pricing several pet supply companies.

Turns out that Jake’s 6 pack of frontline at Dr. Grogman’s is $88.80 and that Drs. Fosters & Smith charges $73.99. A similar exercise for Heartgard Plus (12 tabs) was $80.04 and $65.52.

So, just as I was about to tell you that I was going to purchase from Drs. Fosters & Smith, I took a stroll over to Amazon and found a vendor who will sell a six pack of Frontline Plus to us for $59.99, but I don't know what the shipping is. Drs. Fosters & Smith doesn’t charge for shipping on these medications. . .and they have a well known brand. So, you figure out for yourself which is the best deal. (And, I'll leave it to Wags to put up the Amazon contact info to the right...)

Yes, I’ll feel a little guilty buying from someone else - I do like supporting my local vet. And, don’t tell Jake. In any event, I’ll make it up to him with a visit to Dr. Grogman and Jeff, the best vet tech, soon.

Tails from the backyard

The past few days were very active here because Jake was visiting. He’s pretty fun to have around in spite of his ridiculously big pointy ears. Did you know, when he was a puppy his ears were bigger than his whole head!

When he visits, one of the first things I do is remind him who is Queen of the Castle. This weekend we only had one knock down drag out over the tennis ball. Wags had to yank us apart.

Wags also paid a lot more attention to Jake than to me these past few days. This is because Jake is not as well mannered as me. He has a habit of running out the back door and barking like a maniac at Tango, the neighbor’s new dog. (It was even worse with the neighbor’s old dog, but that dog just vanished one day….)

Wags doesn’t like all the noise when dogs bark at each other for no good reason (at least from her perspective)…. Something about disturbing the peace. So, she invented a game for Jake. She would open the back door, they would run out together, she would tell him to be quiet, and if he was, he would get a treat. If he barked, they would go back inside right away. This back and forth, in and out, seemed to go on for a long time. But, Jake loves treats so it wasn’t very long before he was running outside, being quiet and not paying any attention to Tango at all. He’s not 100% yet, but good progress was made. Wags seemed very proud of herself and of Jake.


In the meanwhile, it was my job to watch and look beautiful. I have included a photo of me just so you can enjoy looking at me!

Queen Phoebe

From the Dogs Around the World Category...

The big news in the UK is that, starting this weekend, if you lose your dog, your dog may be lost to you forever. At least that is the concern. Seems a brand new law was put into place this weekend that has relieved the police from any responsibility to take care of strays and placed it squarely though not definitively on the shoulders on the local authorities. UK animal charities, like Blue Cross (not be be confused with Blue Cross in the US which is designed for humans who only feel from time to time that they are treated like dogs), Dogs Trust and the http://www.rspca.org.uk/ are worried. See news article.

Seems that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has faith in the local authorities (and, it would be helpful if someone from the UK could help translate this term to me, because back where I come from, the local authorities are the police) will do a good job of tending to local strays. Taking care of one's own, so to speak. Seems that the DEFRA unloaded £4 million pounds from the police budget to local authorities as part of this recent change of law. Still, the animal charities don’t think this will cover the expense, pointing out the enacted law was vague. They note that the law requires local authorities to create 24-hour drop-off points for the dogs “where practicable” but, then again, what’s your definition of practicable?

The charities think that, when £4 million is divided up, this will be less than £10,000 per local authority. Huh? How many dogs are escaping from each UK hamlet every year? What are fences and leashes for, anyway?

Of course, the greater concern is that “stray dogs may be left wandering the streets during times when dog wardens are not available, such as weekends” or, worse yet, local authorities have the right to destroy dogs after seven days, according to the charities. (Isn't that what police do? All this goes to show that we may think we speak the same language but we don't.)

Yet, wanting to end today on a happy note, sometimes one person's stray dog is another person's life saver. The Daily India reported today from Chennai that Julie the stray dog is saving lives at Marina Beach. Seems Julie has been assisting the patrolling policemen (local authorities, perhaps?) by keeping a watchful eye over children and barking and preventing people who are practicing unsafe beach and water use from running into the water. “The regulars on the beach say that they have been noticing the dog for the past one month rendering extraordinary humanitarian service to the society.” Now that Julie is around, no one drowns at that beach. So, the police are now training several more strays. Won't someone bring them home? What more do they need to do to earn a nice place at the foot of the bed?

Doggies around the world – we love them. Ta - and have a great weekend!

Skidboot's afterlife...

It’s hard to love and lose. I loved and lost a dog in less than three weeks. His name was Skidboot.

About three weeks ago, I fell in love with Skidboot and David on Pet Star. Well, I really liked the man, but I loved the dog. What a team. They did an incredible routine – “the sneak” – in which Skidboot worked with David in response to every command about approaching and, ultimately, taking a toy. David’s control of Skidboot, and Skidboot’s intensity and self-control, were the amazing.

Jake and Skidboot share a common heritage – the Australian Cattle Dog. Perhaps I connected with Skidboot because he reminded me so of Jake. Perhaps it is because Skidboot gives me a better idea of what Jake can achieve . I’d like my doggie to meet his own full potential. Jake knows 30+ commands so far and, for a brief moment today, I toyed with the idea of sending him to David because he could do so much with Jake. Still, Jake and I are a team and we’ll just do our best together. And, Jake won’t have to share me with lots of other dogs or be taken about the country for performances (he doesn't like new places or even new people much, but David could probably have helped him with that). He can just perform for his biggest fan.

Meanwhile, after remarking to a friend that I wish she had seen the recent program with Skidboot, she sent me a link to tv news report. All very hot news, it seemed. I must have seen a rerun on Pet Star, I thought. Watching the report, last night, my eyes welled with tears to learn that Skidboot was “now” going blind and how this affected his relationship with David and their enjoyment of life. This morning, on Skidboot’s website, I learned that Skidboot was laid to rest on March 25, 2007. That’s more than one year ago – and apparently, almost 623,000 viewings ago on YouTube, as well as performances on Oprah, Jay Leno, etc. And, no, I don't get around much -- I work for a living.

Now we know…there is life after death. And we know where to find it.




(PS to David Hartwig – if you ever read this, please come and visit us – see what you can do with my little guy! Jake and I hope you and Barbara are well now, a year after losing Skidboot, though we know that, like Mr. Bojangles, after 20 years you’ll still grieve for him.)

Doggie Fun or Torment?

Credit goes to my sister and Andrew Sullivan for bringing this to my attention.

Phoebe would probably love such a contraption for what it does but she would be afraid of it in the first place...

Winter is fun, even in spring...

Woof! Humans are strange creatures. Phoebe, too. They complain and complain about winter – at least here in Chicago. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with winter. It’s the best time of the year for many dogs like me (although I can’t speak for my small and hairless doggie friends or Princess Phoebe). Why, you ask?

Let me tell you the top 10 reasons why I love winter and snow (and, yes, I like to stay up and watch Letterman with Debs – where else did you think I learned to think like this? By the way, I was thinking of submitting Debs to Letterman for some stupid human tricks. She does this really funny thing of picking up my poop, no matter where I put it!)

Jake's Top 10 Reasons for Loving that Cool Season - Winter:

1. It’s usually cold enough that when I run after the ball, even for more than an hour, my tongue isn’t hanging out like it does in summer.
2. I can stretch out in the snow and really cool my hot spots.
3. My feet stay nice and clean in winter snow – the minute the big melt arrives, Debs doesn’t stop until mid-summer with this annoying towel routine at the door.
4. There is an endless supply of white balls that Debs can make with her tennis ball thrower.
5. I can stick my nose into the snow to find my tennis ball and amaze everyone that I found it in 2 feet of snow. I’m so proud!
6. We can go into the deep north woods and know we are the first creatures to explore the path.
7. When we’re out at the dog park and I get thirsty, I can make and eat my own snow cones.
8. I can leave creative yellow drawings in the snow for others to read later. I just haven’t mastered the alphabet yet, but all my doggie friends know exactly what I’m saying and they can read it for a longer period of time.
9. I can store the bones Debs gives me in the snow and defrost them later. Refrigeration for dogs!
10. I can forget where I put some of my rawhide strips and then have a wonderful surprise finding them in the spring! So wet and chewy!

By the way, it may be spring, but it sure doesn’t look like it here. It snowed and snowed today. In any event, I thought you’d like to see some good Chicago snow and me. Click on my movie and I’ll show you how simple it is for me to make Debs happy. Just a little hustle when she asks me to come. She is so easy to please. Humans can be so simple.

See you soon! Woof! Woof!

Blood, guts and fluff on the floor

I know I've been awol from the blog for a little while, so I thought I would share with you what I've been up to.

Here is a picture of me chewing a lovely bone -- beef I think. It was full of yummy marrow. I don't get bones very often.... well actually, ever. Wags is a veg, so there is seldom any meat in the house. If there is, it's usually for bribery purposes -- i.e., to get me to do something I wouldn't usually. This lovely bone is courtesy of Debs.... she is a nice human companion and sometimes gets bones for Jake. So she very nicely got one for me too! That's because one day when I went to Jake's house I discovered one of Jake's bones just lying around and claimed it as my own! Now I know the joy of bones.

Bones are also good for cleaning my teeth since Wags doesn't believe in taking me to the vet and letting them put me under the gas to have my teeth cleaned.


It hasn't all been mindless chewing however. Here is a picture of me displaying my softer side. Every good dog should get to experience the joys of disembowling of a hula monkey. The hula monkey is one of my favorite toys. I have lots of other soft toys, many of which I have ripped apart -- like squirrels, cats, and hedgehogs. There are others that I am more gentle with. In fact, I still have a little rubber tennis shoe that I got when I was a pup.






In this photo, you can see that I ripped the eyes out of a snake and some other silly stuffed creature. I'm not terribly discriminating really.

So now you know what I've been up to. Chewing and disembowling is an inside activity which I resort to because it is winter -- still -- and I don't get to spend much time outside. But soon -- they say -- it will be spring. Then I'll be able to show you what a good digger I am!

Pick your party

There is often a day, week or month to celebrate a variety of worthy causes. In anticipation of a new month, I thought I would let you know of some of commemorations taking place in April:

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month

National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Prevent Lyme in Dogs Month. Also, check out this sort of PSA from You Tube.

National Pet Month (UK)

Apparently, April use to be Pets Are Wonderful Month but I can't find any information about a 2008 edition. Also, one of my personal favorite commemorations previously occured during the last week of April: National Scoop the Poop Week.... seems like it isn't being 'celebrated' anymore.

There are also some special days in April. They include:

April 10 --- ASPCA Day

April 26 – Bulldogs are Beautiful Day

April 27 --- International Day of the Dog

Given the above listing, if you're looking for an excuse for a party, it seems like there are plenty of reasons to throw one. Maybe you could host a theme party and serve Salty Dogs or Greyhounds to get everyone in the right spirit, as it were....

Can you hear me now...?

Hey Wags – NCAA basketball? That really is March Madness. All those squeaky gym shoes on the wood floor…and, in any event, you might as well just watch the last minute of any game which stretches out for ten minutes – something that usually can happen only in science fiction. Better yet, read a Ray Bradbury novel, save your time, and read the results in the newspaper. And, don't forget...no betting!

As for me, March is the time to celebrate the spring equinox. Happy spring to everyone in the northern hemisphere and fall to everyone else! As for those of you hanging around the equators, well, just continue enjoying the great life!!

All this confirms what we already know -- that we each have our own perspectives on everything from how to spend leisure time to where and how to live. And, when it comes to dogs, even the most dedicated dog lover does not love all types of dogs.

Clearly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to our own pooches. We each love some special attributes about our dogs and have breeds to which we’re drawn. I sometimes think of it as the difference between pug and lab owners. There's something about the face. What do you find most appealing about your dog?

When it comes to Jake, I’ve learned to love his ears but it didn’t start this way. Until Jake, I have never, ever, preferred pricked eared (or erect eared) dogs (and, yes, it is a good question which term is most likely to attract the most unintended readers to this blog). Jake has changed my life in many ways, including my appreciation of this very distinct ear type.

Pre-Jake, my definition of the best dog was the golden retriever. This was the dog of my childhood. A gorgeous, AKC registered golden, with an impressive name: Rebecca of Bark Point, Huntress of Gold, known to family and friends as Becky. Her mother and father were very fine representatives of their breed, especially in an era—the 60’s--before goldens became so popular and, what appears to me, overbred. Becky’s father, Mr. Toast, was legendary and deep in color. Indeed, he will be remembered throughout time in his eponymous children’s book series by his owner and best buddy, Stuart Brent, including my favorite, The Strange Disappearance of Mr. Toast. (If you have children and a golden, this is a great book to share with your children.)

A golden retriever's ears frames it noble face. Becky’s ears met the golden's AKC standard: “Ears rather short with front edge attached well behind and just above the eye and falling close to the cheek. When pulled forward, tip of ear should just cover the eye.” Her soft, floppy ears, begging to be petted and pulled up and back, suited her kind, loving and intelligent face. Indeed, they helped enhance her beauty and "friend to all" look.

A dog’s ears are so important that they are specified within the dog’s breed standards. They can’t be too big or small – they have to be “just right.” They also affect how people perceive them. As a golden retriever fan, I used to find dogs with erect ears a little threatening. Come to think of it, I still do.

A pricked ear gives the appearance in many, though not all, breeds of a certain alertness associated with guard dogs. Like a German Shepherd. Perhaps this is why boxer's ears have been cropped, to make them look more like a pricked ear guard dog than they would with their natural floppy ears. They are guard dogs, so their owners modify their look to make them look more alert and “professional.” By the way, congratulations to boxer owners who let their dogs go "au naturale." They are really handsome with their real ears.

Dogs with ears in between floppy and pricked – “semi-erect”—can be quite appealing, and are frequently used in TV or movies as these ears look quite funny when they are flopped about in the process of a dog moving its head quizzically from the left to the right. There is a good reason Lassie was such a popular dog. Collies have such ears and the AKC notes that for this breed, “a dog with prick ears…cannot show true expression and is penalized accordingly.” (I'd disagree with this viewpoint as I've learned that even the slightest tilt of Jake's ears express volumes.)

Border collies are one of the few (if not only) dogs that are allowed some real ear options within the breed standard. Border collie ears should be of medium size, but they can be either semi-erect or fully erect. Indeed, border collies can have one or both of the same kind of ears. Still, most of the border collies I see have semi-erect ears. So, when I first laid eyes on Jake, described as a border collie mix with Australian Cattle Dog, and saw his semi-floppy ears, I assumed that both of his cute puppy ears would be like that throughout his life.

I didn’t know much about ACDs dogs but could have anticipated Jake’s future better if my canine education was better. ACD’s ears are of a moderate size, “preferably small rather than large, broad at the base, muscular, pricked, and moderately pointed neither spoon nor bat eared…the inside of the ear fairly well furnished with hair.” By the way, as an adult, Jake can be very proud of his very well furnished in brown tones ears (but it wasn't always that way).

Off I went from the rescue organization with my tri-colored, multi-speckled shelter puppy and his cute, floppy, half-erect ears. Still, upon seeing Jake for the first time, among the first words of reaction from my sibling were “let’s just hope that those ears never pop up straight up one day and stay there.” I couldn’t agree more at the time because Jake's ears, even half-erect, were, well, er, rather, a little too big, a little too funny and dominated his entire head.

We enjoyed another two weeks of semi-floppy ears, but it seemed that the break point on those ears kept getting higher and higher.

Soon, Jakie’s ears stood up, fully pricked, and have remained there since. Lucky for him, his ears waited to stand at full attention until we got home. He might not have gone home with me if I had seen that he was, indeed, a fully pricked eared dog which presaged his life as a very alert and watchful dog.

I hope you enjoy a photo of Jake taken a few days before the transformation that would define how others would see him, and would challenge my previous definition of a dog beauty. Needless to say, I love those ears now, but it took me many more months to accept that they were, indeed, pricked and seemingly growing at a faster rate than the rest of Jake. More on the evolution of Jake’s ears soon.

Canines and the Battle of the Bracket

NCAA Tournament time is one of my favorite times of year. First, you get two full days of back to back basketball as 32 games are crammed into two days. And the next two weekends are just chock a block full of exciting games. What a great way to avoid doing anything productive!

In honor of the blog, I decided to do a close textual analysis of this year’s bracket to see how many teams had canine mascots. The answer is 8. The breakdown is as follows:

Bulldogs: Butler, Drake, Georgia, Gonzaga, and Mississippi State
Huskies: Connecticut
Retrievers: UMBC
St. Bernards (though they go by Saints): Siena

I visited the Westminster Kennel Club website to learn what characteristics these dogs have that might cause a school to pick them as an appropriate representative of athletic prowess.

Bulldog: member of the Non-Sporting group; traits of courage and tenacity have made him a symbol of determination. Despite his tough-guy good looks, he is fun-loving and extremely affectionate.

Husky: member of the Working group; the fastest, most enduring and most versatile of all purebred sled dogs. He is extremely affectionate, even clownish, but is also independent and sometimes head-strong.

Retriever: member of the Sporting group; its physical characteristics and its willing, adaptable, trainable nature have also fitted it for usefulness in many other endeavors such as service dogs, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs and search and rescue. While the Golden is an ideal family dog, it requires training and exercise.

St. Bernard: member of the Working group; Within the Saint Bernard standard the words "powerful", "muscular", "strong" or "strongly developed" are often repeated. Neither the tallest nor heaviest of breeds, he is a powerful dog whose soundness of body and mind are evident at first glance.

First of all, the most popular mascot, the Bulldog, not only isn't in the Sporting Group, but it's in the Non-sporting group! What's up with that? Then, I wonder, do the myriad Bulldogs want to be known as a affectionate? The UConn Huskies as clownish? The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retreivers as requiring training? The Siena Saint Bernards probably have the best characteristics, though they have dropped Bernard and just call themselves the Saints. What that might mean could be the topic of a whole other post.

Upon reflection, it seems to me that the represented canine mascots do not convey the fierceness, tenacity, skill, etc, that you want in a team name. While I was doing my research I noted that I was encountering a lot of feline related mascots: 11 to be exact – five of them Wildcats. But then I looked up wildcats, and they don’t seem to be much to write home about, described as extremely timid and living a solitary life.

What were people thinking when they chose these mascots? At least I come from a long line of Tigers!

Dogs in the work space

Check this out. I just discovered that Amherst College allows employees to bring their dogs to work! Very cool.

Separate from service dogs (which we discussed earlier) I have always thought it would be fun to bring the family pooch to work. They say it helps to reduce stress in the workplace which is always a good thing. At the same time, it would probably be quite distracting, kind of like when people bring new babies to the office.

When I was in graduate school, during the summer I would occasionally bring my beagle to the office. It was quiet, the doors were closed, and we would only run into folks in the elevator or the hall.

Unfortunately, Phoebe would not be the best dog to bring to work. She is nervous around strangers and tends to shrink back from them, snarl or bark. If I had the opportunity to bring her to work when she was a pup, that probably would have helped with her socialization process. She would have been exposed to lots of people, noises and activities. As it is, we have a pretty quiet household.

It’s hard to find information about which companies are pet friendly which is why the Amherst information was so surprising to stumble upon. But I want you to know, this year Take Your Dog to Work Day is Friday, June 20.

Shoo! Dogs hired to rid us of the scourge of bird poop!

It seems like poop of various sorts may be a recurring theme here on the blog. This morning I heard a story on the radio about a local company Wild Goose Chase that uses border collies to help shoo wild geese from green spaces surrounding office parks, golf courses, etc. In addition, a few years ago the City of Chicago hired border collies to chase sun bathing seagulls from the lakefront beaches. One of the main reasons the geese and seagulls need shooing away? Poop! Among other things, the city concluded that sea gull poop contributes to high e coli counts which result in closed beaches during the hot Chicago summers.

Here in northern Illinois we have quite a problem with Canadian Geese. Guess what, they are not seasonal residents anymore. They are year round residents. Or the ones that actually fly south in the winter have decided Canada is too far away when it's time to head back up north. They probably don't have such nice lawns there, what with all that frozen tundra, so the geese stop here in Illinois. Wherever they set up home, they leave a lot of gross poop that makes the area they occupy unsanitary and unusable by humans.

It seems that Canadian Geese are especially attracted to wide open green spaces because it provides clear sight lines and thus potential predators are more visible. I don’t know what kind of predators they would have in an office park or a golf course, although a coyote was spotted in a Quizno’s restaurant in the Loop one day last spring, so I guess that is a likely candidate.

During my lunch hour last summer I would sometimes walk around Chicago’s Grant Park and the old band shell area. Since the area is no longer used for concerts (we've got a new band shell), it has literally gone to the geese. The whole area is just disgusting – and very slippery!

Anyway, a number of firms have popped up in the area that use dogs, particularly border collies, to chase the geese away. This is great exercise for the dogs. For example, the job of chasing sea gulls occurred every half hour, about four to six hours a day, seven days a week for at least a month. Chasing the birds is a seemingly humane way to shoo them away. But you have to wonder how long it is before the geese or the gulls return when the dog isn’t there anymore. Sounds like full time employment to me.

Can Fido have too many toys?

Amidst all the dreary economic news of the moment I recently read that there remains at least one hot spot in the economy – businesses catering to the four-legged family member.

Spending on pets and pet products is expected to increase 6 percent in 2008 to $43.4 billion, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. This is more than double the amount pet owners spent about a decade ago. Compare this to annual retail sales, which are expected to grow 3.5 percent. The fastest growing segments are services such as spas and day care, higher priced toys and pet health insurance.

According to the ASPCA, in addition to your basic acquisition and ‘set up’ costs (leash, crate, etc), the average dog will cost from $580 to $875 a year, depending on size. They include health insurance ($225) that I don’t think many people have (which might explain why it is a fast growing product category). I think they grossly underestimate how much people spend in the toys/treats category (from $40 - $75). Overall, I think their numbers are low.

According to Pet Style News, there is a shift from mostly low-priced toys to higher priced pet toys, which range from robotic to electronic to organic. This is why the pet products industry is thriving.

I realize I’m going a bit back and forth on this, and I admit to checking out the toys aisle when I go to the pet store to see if there’s anything that Phoebe might like. It’s not like she doesn’t already have a big box full of toys, including some that haven’t been given to her yet, but something new might be fun. At the same time, I recall that when I was a kid, the dog didn’t have specially purchased toys. We would throw an old tennis ball for him, or stuff a tennis ball and an old gym sock (probably one with a hole) into another sock, tie it up and toss that now and then.

What happened? First, our four-legged friends have morphed from 'animal' to family member... and now one that often lives for much longer than versions in previous generations. Second, clearly the pet products industry is very good at identifying new product opportunities: designer accessories: outfits and furnishings; day care related services and travel related products and services. The newest trend in pet oriented products are “green” pet products” and I don’t mean the color of Jake’s favorite toy… Finally, obviously, more disposable and discretionary income -- which it seems, even in a recession, spending in this category may be recession proof. Given that this is a growth industry, one can only wonder, what’s next?

A good chew toy is worth a lot...

Arf!

The best part of living with Debs is that she always tries to make some fun for me. The problem is that some of the things she gives me that I think are real cool are real gone in a few minutes. See, I like to chew. A lot. And I've got the teeth to do it. Ever since I was a puppy. And, believe me, I’ve chewed a lot. Let’s see, as a puppy…the bottom of all the door moldings in the kitchen (yes, it’s great to be left out of the crate!), the window sill on the floor to ceiling windows in the living room (not particularly tasty but very convenient and relaxing when guarding the house), a pair of eyeglasses (a special treat because they sit on the nose of my beloved), and the $20 bills left on the dining room table (which didn’t taste very good, so I didn’t eat it but only pulled it apart into little teeny-tiny shreds (great fun to watch Debs put the puzzle together -- who says I don't enhance her day?). For some reason I can't quite understand, Debs didn’t seem to be very happy about all this but she didn’t yell at me or punish me…instead, she usually says, "here, chew this instead!"

I’ve really liked all the stuff that Debs has given me to chew on and play with, even if I destroyed it in a minute. It’s just that she isn’t happy with the short term toys. Something about money…what’s that? Frankly, I like pulling the stuffing out of mallard ducks that squeak and, for the most part, I don’t even eat the stuffing. Getting to the squeaky part is GREAT!

Lately, though, one of my favorite toys is this green gel ball. It looks like I could tear it apart, and I’m confident that if I just keep trying, one day I will. So far, I haven't made a dent. But for now, the real fun is getting the treats out of it.

Debs puts my kibble in it and even it tastes great when you’ve had to work hard to get it out of the this puzzle ball. She usually gives me the ball when she’s leaving the house which is nice because it gives me something to do when she’s gone. Even though I pride myself on being a tough chewer, this ball really lasts and lasts. Some times, Debs puts almost my whole dinner in there. What fun! When she really wants to challenge me, she puts in a whole dog biscuit. I can break down the biscuit into little pieces that come tumbling out after I’ve run that ball all over the room or thrown it against the wall a couple of time. Still, usually there are a couple of pieces that get stuck in there, so I climb on Debs' lap in the evening and we work out the last details together. She can be a big help, for a human, that is.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this...the green ball bounces really well. Though it doesn't have the fuzz I like to rip off of a ball, it's almost as much fun to play with as a tennis ball even if it doesn't have treats in the middle.

Jake’s rating on the Triple Crown Everlasting Fun Ball: 5 BONES!

Human's best friend...

Wags, thanks for letting us all know about the ASPCA's efforts to help homeless pets. It was quite the coincidence to read that you (in Chicago) were thinking about homelessness at just about the same time as was I (in London).

People walking along the rush hour crowded Piccadilly Street near Green Park in London last week may have seen two very sweet dogs within the confines of two blocks. It would have been hard to miss them, especially for the dog lovers among us. Unfortunately, in focusing on the dogs, they may have missed noticing the human companions.

The large German shepherd with the nearly blond face and the small black and white terrier mix with some brown spots and a yellow bandana were all the more visible because they were with their human companions who appeared to be homeless and destitute. Or, was it the other way around...were the homeless people more noticeable in the throng of people only because they had a pet? In either event, it was obvious that the futures of the people and the dogs were inextricably linked together.

The German shepherd lay completely on its side on the ground between a man and a woman who seemed to have various of their few furnishings surrounding and under them to make the ground warmer on such a cold day. The dog didn’t move as the heels of shoes clipped close by his face but looked up with mournful (or were they faint?) eyes. The terrier looked alert, sitting on the lap of a man seated in a chair with a cup in his hand and his head held limply over his chest. The man’s face being hidden, the doggie was, in essence, his face, his plea. Clearly, his job was to look cute and attract some donations for the cup. Hundreds of people were passing by each minute. Thousands by the hour. The vast majority not reacting to the human plea.

How many people care more about dogs than people? Let’s face it -- many of us pet owners spend a lot of time focused on rescuing dogs, and far less or none about rescuing people. Many will rescue a dog from a shelter and then spend countless dollars on him or her, giving the dog shelter, meals, health care, and toys, but they wouldn’t write out a check for nearly the same amount to help a needy person, if at all.

It needn’t be an all or nothing issue – some balance can be achieved. Consider that many homeless people have dogs or would benefit from a relationship with them. Like more fortunate people, the homeless love their dogs and are sometimes faced with the sad reality that they have to give them up or take them into a highly unpredicatable and dangerous life. As our economy worsens, there will be more homeless persons. We should expect to see more dogs in need of rescue as our human friends lose their shelters.

Many human shelters will not allow their overnight guests to enter with their dogs. For love of the dog, the humans may sleep on the street with them in spite of the impact on weather to themselves or their pet. Sadly, they may have to abandon their dog to the streets. Consider the people who love their dogs but who are losing their homes to foreclosures or their jobs to the economy.

Perhaps there will be less dogs in shelters if we start by helping our fellow humans.

Back in the U.S., and according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, in 2005, 13.3% of the U.S. population, or 38,231,521 million people, lived in poverty. And that number is only rising.

In 1996, a New York Times report (“Fancy Shelter for Dogs Is Deemed Fit for Homeless Humans”) covered the opening of Maddie's Pet Adoption Center. This is a $7 million shelter opened by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Seems that Maddie’s had a controversial proposal – they wanted to work with agencies to offer homeless adults nightly shelter in ''dog apartments.'' The president of the SPCA chapter was quoted as saying ''It would give our dogs a chance to know what it would be like to have an overnight roommate...For the homeless people it's an offer to get them off the street and give them shelter with a dog buddy who will be their best friend overnight.'' For the obvious reasons, this idea met with significant opposition and I wonder what happened with this proposal. I didn’t see any mention of it in the SPCA’s website but you may wish to take a look at Maddie’s Pet Adoption Center where dogs have apartments with windows and skylights, with toys and TVs. A lovely environment, really.

Just think about it. $7 million in contributions for a dog shelter perhaps more worthy of humans.

I’d like to explore more about what happens to the homeless and their dogs, and to find out what we can do to help them both. Meanwhile, think about achieving balance in your financial contributions. Make sure that we respect and help our own species and by doing so we can also help our doggie friends. I hope the homeless of Piccadilly Street, London, or Anystreet, USA, found food, friends, family and warm shelter, with their pets, for the evening. I wish the same for all of us.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

March 5 was Uno the Beagle Day in Illinois. Uno was born in Illinois, so we are very proud of him. He'll ride on his own float in the next Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I wonder if fellow beagle Snoopy will be joining him. Did you know, he isn’t even three yet and he is now retired. What a lucky pup.

Tonight, Rachel Ray is hosting a special on on the Food Network where she will prepare homemade dog food. Check out the air times and the recipes.

The ASPCA has teamed up with AnimalAttraction.com, a free online community for pet lovers that helps homeless pets. For each new registration on the site, Animal Attraction will donate $1 to the ASPCA. And, for every new day you log in, they’ll give an extra penny. That would be $3.65 in a year. It may not seem like much, but it can add up if all of you sign up! Click here to check it out!

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Jake is staying with us for a few days while Debs is traveling for work. Overall Jake is a very fine houseguest. He has stayed here many times so we have established a routine at our house. Nevertheless, since we all have different routines, I have been reflecting on how animal companions can best prepare both the dog and their temporary doggie caregivers for their time together. (Please note, none of these tips are meant to suggest that I don’t have the information I need to take care of Jake!)

Some of the things below may seem obvious, but that’s why it’s important to remember them. You have adapted to your little treasure’s quirks, but many of them will be new to the temporary caregiver. Covering as many bases as possible ahead of time will make the temporary experience more pleasant for all.

First, make sure your dog is comfortable with the person who will be taking care of them, and anyone else in the house (animals or people!). Your dog should be up-to-date on all vaccinations. Provide emergency contact information, especially vet information. If you are going to be unreachable, write a letter authorizing the caregiver to seek emergency treatment for your dog.

Day to day stuff
1. Are there special dietary needs: times to eat, allergies, etc.? If available, is the ‘house dog chow’ acceptable? Needless to say, if the dog requires special food, you should provide it.
2. Is there a fixed or flexible walking schedule? If there are any idiosyncrasies related to the dog taking care of its business, let us know! How long can the dog last without having to go outside?
3. If your dog needs pills or vitamins, not only do you need to let us know how much how often, but it’s also a good idea to advise the caregiver on effective strategies to get the dog to eat/swallow them. Some dogs will let you shove pills down their throat, others have to eat them themselves so the pills have to be effectively disguised and administered.
4. Tell the caregiver the basic commands your dog understands. For example, Phoebe drops the ball to “drop it” while Jake (sometimes) drops the ball to “give.”
5. Let us know if the dog has any unusual “triggers.” Whenever someone else is taking Phoebe for a walk, I tell them to hold on tight to the leash because she is prone to want to chase after all manner of moving vehicles.
6. What about bedtime? Does the dog sleep in the bedroom (or expect a spot on the bed?), a crate, another part of the house, on their own special bed? When I was a kid, our dog slept in the laundry room. Phoebe sleeps in the bedroom, but not on the bed.
7. Is there anything else I should know? Does the dog dig or jump fences? This is important if it is going to spend time in a yard. Does the dog like toddlers? This is important if there are little kids around. When you go on a walk are there certain types of people or animals the dog doesn’t like – children? men? rowdy teenagers? other dogs? Does the dog scratch or chew on the furniture, wires, walls, or doors if it is left in the house by itself?

I’m sure this doesn’t cover everything, but the list should get you thinking about the kind of information you should provide to anyone who might be taking care of your favorite canine companion.

Hair today, hair tomorrow

One of the pet peeves of many dog owners is dealing with dog hair. I don't know about you, but there is dog hair basically everywhere in my house, on me, on my clothes, and in my car.

All the dogs I’ve had have been prolific shedders. Phoebe has the longest and finest hair of any of my dogs and it really sticks on things. However, when you have two dogs in the house at the same time, this is when the hair really gets out of control.

In one place I worked, there was a chair in the meeting room that was designated as my chair because it was seen to have dog hairs on it. Once I was chatting to a stranger who asked if I had a cat because of all the hairs on my jacket. My mother insists I get the car cleaned on the inside before she will ride in it because if you open the windows, blowing hairs surround you.

I’m not sure how much of a difference regular brushing does in terms of reducing hair in the house. While I don’t pretend to regularly brush my dogs, sometimes I do, especially in the summer. Then at least the hairs can blow around outside. Every day the same quantity (lots!) of hair is removed. It never lessens. I’ve tried all kinds of brushes too, but their effectiveness is really dependent on the type of hair you are dealing with.

In the house, I could sweep and vacuum every day and there would still be big hair balls all over the place.

Needless to say, I’m a big fan of those tape roller things for clothes, the couch, etc. Someone could make a fortune if they could come up with an easy and inexpensive way to manage dog hair.

A good day's job...

Arf! One of our favorite weekend activities is going to a dog park. There are a few not too far from where we live. Today we went to the dog run -- our City fences in a big area where the golf course driving range is – and there is a lot of room to run around with hills and everything. This is good because I had a big job to do today.

My job at the dog park is to pick up after Debs. We went in with three tennis balls, and at one time, we were up to four! She likes to throw them around, and my job is to get ‘em! I take a lot of pride in my work and no matter which way the balls go, no matter how far, I’ll find them and bring them back to Debs. It’s hard work but much nicer at this time of the year when I can get my own drink of water from the snow.

We can have a good day at the dog park or a bad day. Today, I liked all the dogs and people but, sometimes, I don’t. My vet says dog parks are places that keep her in business from all the dog fights. I don’t like to fight, and I won’t pick one. Still, I’m no weenie and if a dog gets in my face and acts wrong, if he picks a fight with me, I’ll defend myself. If necessary, I’ll also defend Debs. That’s why a good dog park will have rules and regulations.

One of the parks in our area publishes its rules and one of the rules is that the humans need to be in control of their dogs. It upsets me that some dogs go up to Debs and jump all over her. They haven’t been taught their manners. They don’t pay attention to their humans or, even worse, the humans don’t even care what their dogs do. Some of these dogs are real “in your face” kinda guys and I don’t like that at all. In any event, I hope you know the rules of having fun at the dog park. If you bring your small children, make sure that they don’t run around screaming. I wouldn’t chase them, but some of my friends think that all that screaming is just a small human’s way of begging to be herded. Herding dogs don't just run around in circles. A lot of herding dogs use their teeth to deliver "special instructions" and, trust me, you don't want your children to be herded. And, you don't want to even think about dogs that were bred to search for prey.

Also, don’t reach down for a ball unless you know where all the doggies are – especially me. We can get to that ball a lot sooner than you think, and we don’t want your hand in the way of our ball.

And, don’t pet a dog you don’t know. I just think that is rude! Ask its human first if it's OK. Really, a dog park isn't just a stroll in the park. Read up on dog park safety and etiquette. What do I know? My sense of etiquette seems to get some people upset...particularly when I'm doing the check on "is it a boy or a girl." Time to nap…all that exercise is just so relaxing. I’ll sleep like a puppy tonight.

Arf, arf!

On service dogs

A friend who has multiple sclerosis was recently telling me that she was going to have her golden retriever trained as a service dog, primarily to help her with her balance and picking things up.

During our conversation I learned that there is no ‘official’ certification or licensing of service animals. It seems that an individual with a disability may have a dog trained to perform whatever service they might need and then the dog is a service dog. While some dogs might wear something like a coat that states that they are a service dog, this is not required.

I found this news somewhat surprising.

Recently, in my workplace, we had an issue related to a service animal needed to assist with hearing impairment. Since this wasn't your typical "guide dog for the blind" service dog, its presence caused a certain amount of conflict in the office. The building management wanted to know what a dog was doing in the building. Then, some people were afraid of the dog (a little terrier type, go figure) and others found the barking to be distracting and unprofessional (a young dog, still in training). The person had to present documentation about their disability and the fact that the dog was a service dog to HR before the dog was officially 'allowed' to come into the work place.

My research reveals that allowing a service dog into the workplace is different from allowing access to public places or “privately owned businesses that serve the public.” Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require automatic access to the workplace for service animals. Instead, allowing a service animal into the workplace is a form of reasonable accommodation (like agreeing to provide an ergonomic chair). An employer must consider allowing an employee with a disability to use a service animal at work unless doing so would result in an undue hardship (presumably on the organization).

On the other hand, Title III of the ADA is about public access, and service animals must be allowed access to anywhere the public can go. This includes in “privately owned businesses that serve the public” -- including, interestingly I thought, taxis. The answers to some commonly asked questions can be found on this Department of Justice page.

While allowing reasonable accommodation and access are important, at the same time, it seems to me that the absence of any type of certification or licensing might open up the possibility of abuse. (Note yesterday’s post where Chicago dogs have to be licensed just to go drink water on a restaurant patio.) Someone could declare their dog to be a service dog if they wanted it to be allowed access to places where dogs are not typically allowed. What is to stop me from taking Phoebe into a restaurant or the post office and stating that she is a service dog? Like my friend who has MS, disabilities are not always obvious.

Just another something to ponder for today....

Dog-friendly developments in the Windy City

While anticipating yet another snowstorm, a doggie companion’s thoughts naturally turn to warmer weather and the opportunities for Phoebe and me to get out and about. This causes me to appreciate one of the newer dog friendly developments in Chicago. As of January 1, 2008, dogs can enjoy a liquid refreshment along with their human companions on outdoor patios of restaurants and bars.

It must be said that a fair number of the city’s outdoor patios, particularly in residential neighborhoods, already allow dogs on their patios. To me, the presence of a dog gives a place a particularly friendly feel, don’t you think? Phoebe and I have been to several bars and restaurants together that are within walking distance of home. However, for some reason (liability?, public health? surely not as a creative revenue generating opportunity?) the City Council felt the need to sanction the practice in writing.

Allowing dogs is at the discretion of the restaurant owner, so it's not as if dogs will be running amok on every restaurant patio.

Here are some of the guidelines to keep restaurants both dog and human-friendly:

• dogs will only be allowed in restaurants that have been licensed and registered to have dogs on their patios. (I wonder how much the license costs….. we may have stumbled upon a reason for the new ordinance!)
• dogs must have a city license and proof of vaccinations to utilize dog friendly patios (another fee collecting opportunity related to the ordinance…. Hmmmm. Do I have to carry papers in my pocket?)
• If a restaurant won’t allow dogs, a clear sign must be displayed to notify pet owners of the restaurant's dog unfriendly policy.
• The ordinance does not apply to establishments where patrons must pass through an indoor seating area to reach the patio.
• Dogs cannot be served food, only water, and servers can’t pet them.
• Dogs will not be allowed to sit or place their paws on furniture.
• If an attack occurs, 311 must be contacted by the establishment (this is Chicago’s non-emergency phone number).
  

It will be interesting to see how the new ordinance shakes out in practice, never mind how it is enforced. I wonder if it will be enforced by the same folks who are enforcing our bans on foie gras and indoor smoking.

The Daily Scoop - Poop!

Wags, thanks for bursting everyone's bubble about the Winter Poop Elf. Winter is the best time for cleaning up after your dog. After all, you can find poop so much more easily, even at night. It’s just sitting on top of nature's white frozen snow cone, begging you to pick it up. You can't miss it in my neighborhood during the winter we've been having.

In any event, there is more to dog poop than we think.

When I was a kid in suburbia, we cleaned up dog poop only to be a nice neighbor. It didn’t seem right for our neighbor to inadvertently step in it. There were only a couple of dogs in our neighborhood and anything left on the front lawn could be recognized and traced to your front door. Today, it’s a much bigger environmental problem.

Consider that 2,200 tons of horse manure were plopped out each and every day over the streets of New York in the 19th century. They say that the architecture of the brownstones of NYC, with the entrances on the second floor, reflect the environmental mess outside the door. They were built to distance its owners from the odiferous and unsanitary conditions rising from the horses in the streets below. All this according to Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt, authors of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything." (See their archived column in the New York Times.)

The answer to this problem? The car, the bus, the subway. End of that environmental problem, beginning of another. . .

It's not quite as bad with dogs, but still a major consideration. According to The Humane Society of the United States, there are approximately 74.8 million owned dogs in the U.S.; 39% of U.S. households own at least one dog. That’s a lot of poop. For most us, cleaning up after our dogs isn't just a nice thing to do for the neighbors, it's the law. But what’s the best way to do this?

There is a whole dog poop industry. You can pay people to go out to your backyard and clean it up for you. For we “do it yourself-ers,” a simple visit to the bricks and mortar or virtual pet store will offer many ways to clean up after Jake and Phoebe. Some are even designed to help the most reluctant, compulsive, hygienic person to do the right thing.

Of course, like many people, Wags will take any old plastic bag that brought something home from the store and transform it into something useful, like a pooper scooper. She’s so creative and practical! As for me, I am so averse to picking up poop that this almost prevented me from bringing a dog home. And when I brought Jake home, for the first couple of weeks, I’d be nearly retching my way down the street holding a bag off to the side.

So, believe me, I definitely don’t want to see or inhale Jake’s creation for any longer than I have to, nor do I want to take a chance that my Wall Street Journal delivery wrapper will have a hole in it in just the wrong place. So, yes, I buy “Bags on Board Refill Bags” for the two plastic holders (in the shape of a red hydrant) that are attached to each of Jake’s leashes. Yes, it seems silly to pay for something you can get for free, but at least it helps me do the job and get over my aversion to picking up the stuff.

Yet, I've become increasingly conscious of our environment and am now really worried that this bag isn’t “green” enough. There are others sold with bigger claims to biodegradability, but I'm not sure if that is anything more than a claim. If you have some solution to this dilemma, let me know.

An intriguing candidate for my backyard is the “Doggie Dooley Pet Waste Disposal System.” They say it’s like a miniature septic tank for dogs. Which leads me to something else I’ve read – that people take the poop home and flush it down the toilet. Ugh! Once I’ve bagged it…well, let’s just say that I didn’t want to see it in the first place.

Sorry for all the scatological talk. It’s just that we have dogs and with it comes this new focus. And, as I’ve always said to Jake, “Just when I think I’ve got you trained...you poop – and I pick it up. So, who has trained whom?”

It's great to be alive! Phoebe's Daily Diary

So, you want to know what an upstanding Chicago dog does on a daily basis? Here you go!

Phoebe's Daily Diary:

6:00 am: Slowly open eye.... good, still no movement from the big bed!

7:00 am: Descend from sleeping chair, move to sleeping bed, all the better to espy any movement from the big bed.

8:00 am: Movement observed! Run to back door to be let out. Stand at top of the stairs to survey the estate.

8:01 am: Scratch at back door to be let back in.

8:30 am: A walk! My favorite thing!

8:45 am: Scratch at back door to be let out. Finish doing what I didn't do on the walk.

9:00 am: Breakfast. Sniff. Turn up nose. Go sit by back door.

9:02 am: Begin "Mexican Jumping Bean" game: scratch at back door. Get let out.

9:03 am: Scratch at back door to be let back in.

9:06 am: Continue "Mexican Jumping Bean" game: scratch at back door. No luck this time.

9:08 am: Give up at the door. Put ball under Wags feet while coffee is made.

9:10 am: Nudge ball closer to feet. Good! Ball is kicked across the floor! Chase, slide on floor, capture ball.

9:11 am: Put ball under Wags feet again. Success! Ball is kicked again! Chase, slide on floor, capture ball.

Repeat as long as the ball gets kicked.

10:00 am: Re-examine food. Decide it's worth eating after all.

11:00 am: Bark for no apparent reason.

12:00 pm: Go outside to survey the estate.

1:00 pm: Bark! Alert Wags to domestic incursion by the mail carrier.

2:00 pm: Hear sound of car keys! Run excitedly to garage! I love car rides.

3:00 pm: Rummage through toy box! Find squeaky toy. Make lots of noise.

4:00 pm: Treats! Yum!

7:00 pm: Dinner time. Sniff. Decide to eat.

7:30 pm: Bring ball to Wags. Stare. Success! Ball is thrown. Chase, slide on floor, capture ball.
Repeat as long as ball is thrown.

8:10 pm: Run up and bark at dog in tv commercial. Stay out of my house!

9:00 pm: Leap on Wags whose snoozing on couch. Give Wags kisses!

10:00 pm: Listen carefully for sound of remote control turning off tv. Jump up! Dash to door for evening constitutional!

10:30 pm: Bed time. Settle down in my sleeping chair. Get ready for another day!