I just turned 7!

It's been a very long time since I updated my diary ... so sorry! What can I say? I've been busy helping Mommy teach her foster dogs good house manners and also helping guard our new home in Oklahoma City from the squirrels, cats, and birds that want to come into our back yard.

I had a pup-tastic birthday! I got a new collar and leash and a paw-some new skin-eez toy that has 19 (count 'em!) squeakers! I LOVE it!!!

Have a wonderful day everyone ... I will try to write in my diary more often from and hope to tell you all about my new fur-brother and fur-sister one of these days!

Trip to vet & pupaccinos

This morning I figured I must be something really special because mom & dad took me and only me on a ride in the car. We left Ziggy and Baxter at home and it was nice to have mom's lap all to myself for a change. My excitement/gloating was short-lived, however, when I noticed we pulled up in front of the vet's office. For the record, I do not like this place. It smells funny and something icky happens nearly everytime we go here. I tucked my tail and started trembling from the second dad turned off the car but the vet and his assistant were very nice and after I got all my shots (3 of them!), I relaxed and gave them a bunch of tail wags and kisses and got very excited because I knew I would soon be out of there. The vet said my tail had apparently been temporarily out of service before my shots.

Oh, and BTW, did you know that you can get a pup-a-ccino (shot of whipped cream) at Starbucks?!! YUUUUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Swimming is the bomb!

I went swimming yesterday, yes I did! Mom & Dad put up a pool for their grandson and I had a fit when everybody was in there playing with splash balls and leaving me out! Dad threw a ball outside the pool and I ran after it but I still wanted in the pool. So Mom picked me up and put me in and I swam my little heart out! I even retrieved a couple of the balls floating in the water. The pool isn't too deep so I can stand on my toes like when I do my ballerina impersonations but swimming is THE bomb!

Flexi-lead recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2008
Release #08-387

Firm's Recall Hotline: (888) 296-3807
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Worldwise Inc. Recalls Retractable Dog Leashes; Metal Clasp Can Break
and Cause
Facial and Body Injuries to Dog Owners

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation
with the firm named below, today announced voluntary recalls of the
following
consumer products. Consumers should stop using recalled products
immediately
unless otherwise instructed.

Products: SlyDog Retractable Dog Leashes

Units: About 223,000

Importer: Worldwise Inc., of San Rafael, Calif.

Hazard: The metal clasp connecting the leash to a dog's collar can bend
or break
while in use, causing the leash to recoil back unexpectedly. This poses
a
serious risk of injury to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Worldwise has received five reports of injuries,
including
facial cuts, a broken tooth, displaced eye lens, and a bruised collar
bone.

Description: This recall involves the SlyDog Retractable Dog Leash with
a metal
clasp. The leash has a handle composed of a blue plastic case with a
black
plastic grip. The leash is made of a black woven strap and measures
approximately one-half inch wide. The end of the leash has a metal clasp
which
connects to the dog's collar. The SlyDog retractable leashes with a
plastic
clasp are not included in this recall.

Sold by: Dollar General Stores nationwide from September 2007 through
August
2008 for about $5.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these leashes immediately and return
them to
Worldwise Inc. for a full refund, including shipping costs.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Worldwise toll-free at
(888)
296-3807 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit
the firm's
Web site at www.squareonesystem .com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including a picture of the
recalled
product, please go to: http://www.cpsc. gov/cpscpub/ prerel/prhtml08/
08387.

Weird happenings around our house

Okay so first our mom took off for almost a week and today when she came home and took her clothes out to put in the wash, everything smelled like a bunch of other dogs. Her jacket smelled really good - we think it was some kind of beef or something.

Anyways, after she came home, the doorbell rings and in walks their friends with the Havanese puppy named Kosmo the Million Dollar Dog (KtMDD). Then the doorbell rang again and in walks the lady with the funny table and scissors, clippers, and hair dryer. Oh, and that baby child thing she brings too.

Well her baby is 9 months old now and sits on the floor and lets us sniff at her and give her kisses. We like this. Then the lady with the table (mom calls the groomer) started giving all us fur-children a bath and then she proceeded to cut our hair and make us bee-yooo-teee-fullll.

Then mom drops the bomb. She starts talking about a fur-boy named Arnie that she met when she was gone and how he's going to be our foster brother. Then mom & dad loaded us up in the car and took us for a ride to one of our favorite places -- the pet store!! Yayyyyyy!!!!!!

They bought all kinds of stuff today. They got lots of food for the kitty, and some new kind of food for this fur-boy named Arnie, and some other new things like a couple of big metal fencing thingies they called xpens. When we got home, Dad went out to the yard and set them up. We suddenly have a lot less room to run in our yard but it looks kind of cool! ZiggyJ and I had to run around and around to show Mom & Dad how much we liked it this way.

Tomorrow Mom & Dad will pick up this Arnie kid and I guess we get to meet him. Until then, good night everyone!

PS...Mom says you can read about Arnie and others like him at http://unitedanimalnations.blogspot.com/

First beach walk since oil spill

It was great to finally go back to the beach today but also kinda sad. For some reason there was all kinds of broken pieces of wood and trash on the beach. Usually it's very clean so this was a shock. We found a tampon applicator ... ewwwww! We also found a jellyfish but mom was a killjoy and told us to 'leave it' and called us over to her. Like any well-behaved pups, we came and sat in front of her and waited for our treat. Mom says she saw a bird at the high tide water line that looked like it died from the oil. We didn't see it cuz I surely would have sniffed at it if we did!

I hope our pup-friends are all doing well and staying warm and dry during this cold and wet winter. A special bark-out to my cousins Zoe & Carson in Kansas City. Love ya lots, cuzs!

A Dog's Purpose

Mom wanted me to share a story that she received in email this morning:

A Dog's Purpose
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old
Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa,
and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and
they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family
we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would
be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as
though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for
the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away..

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any
difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's
death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are
shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly,
piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next
stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good
life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"
The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that,
so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply..
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be
pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle
them gently.
Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing you have.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
That's what dogs teach us...

YAAAAYYYYY!!! I can splat!!

Today mom decided to teach me and ZiggyJ how to do a moving down for Rally-O. She decided to name this move "splat". A moving down is different because you have to do a down while heeling. So mom started by sitting on the floor and teaching us to lie down from a standing position. Then she stood up and had us do the same move. Then we took turns sitting in our crate while mom walked with a heel and asked for a splat. After about 4 tries, ZiggyJ and I both had it perfect! Mom is SO proud!! Of course this is just the beginning. Any good mom knows that a splat in the living room does not translate to a splat anywhere else. Later this afternoon we're gonna try a splat in the front room and on turkey day mom and dad will practice splats outside on our walk down the hill to Starbucks.
*YAWN*
All this hard work made me sleepy so I think I'll take a well-deserved nap now!

PS....at the doggie doctor on Saturday I weighed in at a hefty 16 pounds!

A fast and furious few days

First let me say that Halloween was kinda cool because Mom put a pup gate in the front doorway so that when the trick-or-treaters (or TOTS) came and she opened the door, those scary costumed children could not get in and get me!*

When the TOTS rang the doorbell it made me and ZiggyJ bark and bark but then when Mom took us to the door she made us sit and everytime the TOTS got treats, so did we. It was an amazing night!

*(note from Mom -- the gate was to prevent Clementine and ZiggyJ from running outside while we were distracted with handing out treats and it worked beautifully)

Okay so now I'm gonna move forward to talk about the last three days. Mom has been keeping me 'n my lil' bro very busy. On Thursday we went to daycare all day, on Friday night we went to the SPCA to do something called Sports Sampler (more on this below), and today we had to go to the doggie doctor....ewww! Well at least all I had to do was get my bordatella vaccine updated. Poor ZiggyJ had to go through all kinds of stuff. I'll have to let him tell you about that cuz they didn't let me go in the back wiff him.

Sports Sampler was a training class Mom & Dad decided would be good for me and ZiggyJ. The first night was last night and we learned some commands for Rally-O which is a competition that uses a course laid out with signs indicating specific commands a doggie has to do at that location. For instance, we start at the sign that says "Start" and we have to "heel" all the way through the course. The next sign may be a 360 degree right turn, or a halt/sit, or any one of 23 commands that are used in this competition. The hardest one we learned last night was something where I had to sit square in front of Mom, then come around to her side and sit again, all on a couple of simple hand signals.

It's been a long time since I went to a training class (May 2006) so I kind of forgot how to "work" but after about 20 minutes of practicing, I was an A-number-one student. Mommy was very happy with me by the end of the evening. At next class we will learn more difficult commands like a moving down...this one looks very hard. The two weeks following that will be Agility training. You may have figured out it's called a sports sampler because we get to have a little taste of what Rally-O and Agility are all about before committing to 6 full weeks of training in one or the other.

Happy Turkey day to everyone!!

Is your pup ready for Halloween?

IS YOUR PUP READY FOR HALLOWEEN?
The San Francisco SPCA and the ASPCA



Traditional Halloween festivities can be frightening for pets, with people in disguise, spooky noises and knocking at the door. Be careful that your pet doesn't bolt when you open the door for trick-or-treaters. Keep pets away from candles, jack-o-lanterns and hanging decorations. Keep Halloween candy safely out of the reach of animals. Candy can make your dog or cat sick. Chocolate can be toxic to pets. Buy your pet some special dog or cat treats to enjoy on Halloween.

Halloween can also be an opportunity for training your dog, says Jean Donaldson, director of the Academy for Dog Trainers at The San Francisco SPCA. Here are some Halloween training tips from Donaldson (and her dog Buffy):

Children in masks and odd costumes can be scary to dogs, even dogs that generally like children. Why not get your dog used to this ahead of time? Don a cheap mask from the drug store, wear hats that you own, throw on a sheet as a cape, walk with a limp, carry odd items in odd ways, all the while handing out treats and "happy talking" to your dog. If he seems spooked by any of the images you create, do that one over and over with extra treats until he's comfortable.

If you have a puppy under five months of age, what a marvelous opportunity for him to meet a variety of children. Get as many trick-or-treaters as you can to hand-feed the puppy his meal ration. You'll not only increase his level of socialization to children but reduce the risk of him being a mask- and costume- shy adult. If no children trick or treat in your neighborhood, it's worth taking your dog for a walk Halloween night in a neighborhood where there are lots of kids. Bring his food in a zip-lock bag to distribute to trick-or-treaters who come to pat him.

Putting costumes on dogs can be a fun way of getting them used to being handled. Everything from T-shirts to tail ribbons to tiaras, all paired with cookies, treats and lavish praise teach him that having his body manipulated is a terrific thing.

If your dog is inclined to be boisterous when people come to the door, Halloween is a potential gold mine of training opportunities. Put out two treat bowls, one full of candy for the kids and the other full of small tasty treats for your dog.**Make sure your dog can't get into the kiddie candy; remember that chocolate contains a chemical that, in sufficient dosage, can be toxic to dogs.

Before the doorbell starts ringing, spend a few minutes teaching your dog to lie down near the door by holding a treat in your hand and lowering it from his nose to between his front paws, until he lies down. Once he does, give him the treat. Repeat until he lies down right away. Then, whenever the doorbell rings, practice his down right after giving the handouts to the kids. With repetition, your dog will start to associate the doorbell and visitors with an opportunity to earn rewards by lying down in his special place.

Safety around dogs is crucial, especially as the holiday season approaches. If you have kids, teach them to respect dogs by reminding them that dogs have feelings. Young children should be supervised around all dogs at all times. Teach children never to approach a strange dog without first checking with the owner to see if the dog is comfortable with strangers. Then they should "check" with dog: invite him to approach by talking to him and crouching down. If they get the "green light" from both the owner and the dog, they can go ahead and pat the dog.





NO SCAREDY CATS THIS HALLOWEEN: TOP 10 SAFETY TIPS FOR PET PARENTS

Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to call your attention to these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year.
1. Please don't leave your pet out in the yard on Halloween. There are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, and even killed pets on this night.

2. Keep your outdoor cats inside several days before and several days after Halloween. (P.S. It’s also our duty to remind you here that kitties are healthiest and happiest when they live inside ALL year round!)

3. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Sammy. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe or bark. Keep a look out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not obstruct her vision in any way. Even the sweetest animals can get snappy when they can't see.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.