I Was Right About Petland.

source: HSUS website - 3rd paragraph is a paraphrase from the article.

I knew I was right about Petland being a trafficker in puppy mill puppies. The Humane Society of the U.S. just finished an 8 mo. investigation of them and proved that fact. They are the largest national retailer of puppy mill puppies. But, when I called them last month to ask them about their puppies and where they came from, I got the same line that the HSUS got. "Oh, we use the most reliable, reputable breeders in the nation," and that their corporate headquarters send people out to check the kennels they buy from, this is false!

And, they are saying they are helping homeless dogs. Their homeless animals are dogs at a discounted price. Seriously, they say they have shelter dogs, but they are just the dogs that haven't sold, so they put them on sale.

The HSUS has a paper-trail and undercover footage of the mills that supply Petlands all over the U.S. And, the footage of the mills is horrendous, as all the video they have gotten through their investigations over the years, is. Now, back to the adoption thing. HSUS contacted all 133 Petland stores throughout the U.S. about their adoption programs. Here is what some said. 56 said didn't bother with adoptions, 23 offer cut-rate "adoption" on older puppies, 16 said they offer "adoption" prices on returned puppies, and 7 said they wanted to help homeless animals, but couldn't find a supply of puppies. Of course, no shelter is going to help a company that is the largest retailer of puppy mill puppies.

Some of the rest of the 133 stores said they take puppies from local people. And some say that they refer people to shelters, but I bet they don't.

Do Not Buy From Petland and support puppy-mills. Go to http://www.hsus.org/ and watch the video for yourself.

Pet Photos With St. Nick.

On Nov. 23rd, from 9am till noon, the Huntington Mall will be having pet photos with Santa. After you get your photo, come down to Just Dogs! Gourmet, across from Steak Escape in the food court, for a little treat. Look forward to seeing all the great pets.

How To Live Eco-Friendly With Your Dog.

With society going green, here are some tips to help you, help our environment and keep your pet healthy.

Feed Organic: Do a low impact diet of homemade meals full of organic meats, vegetables and fruits. If you don't want to cook, supplement your dog's kibble or canned diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can add organic vegetables such as green beans and carrots. Also, try some fruits like blueberries and bananas, or organic yogurts (which I call nature's Maalox) and low fat cottage cheese. Mix in some steamed veggies and organic chicken or salmon.

Zero-Carbon Activities: By this, I mean, instead of driving to your favorite park, walk with your dog. Or, just walk around your neighborhood. Combine errands to cut down on your carbon footprints on the planet.

Choose Recycled Toys: Make your own dog toys by braiding socks together, knotting up old T-shirts and tying up old towels. The lowest carbon-pawprint toy is something homemade. Some toy makers have also jumped on the green bandwagon. They are designing toys made of sustainable materials.

Waste Pick-up: Use bio-degradable bags to pick up your dogs waste. They are designed to break down in a fraction of the time. When cleaning your own yard, use a shovel or a pooper-scooper and a bucket. You can also invest in a composter. There is actually a dog doo composter. You put the worms in, then the doo and the worms eat the do and then make their own doo. Worm castings are some of the best fertilizer out there.

Plant A Tree For Your Pup: Just as it says, plant a tree in honor of your dog. You are honoring your dog and adding oxygen back into the air.

Alternative Dress For Your Pet: If your pet wears clothes, consider buying ones made with alternative yarns and fibers, such as hemp, soy, bamboo, corn fiber or recycled plastic bottles.

Leashes and Collars: Buy leashes and collars made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or hemp.

Green Cleaning Products: Clean with green. It is that simple.

Natural Yard Care: Use natural fertilizers and pest control on your yard and garden. I know of people that use beneficial bugs like ladybugs, to control the aphids and whitefly populations. Also, fish emulsion and corn gluten will prevent weeds.

Winter Walks.

If you have to walk your dog during winter on the sidewalks or the lane in your sub-division, here are some tips on how to keep you and your pet safe. Does your dog pull when you walk? Teaching your dog to heel is imperative. To do this, always walk your dog on your left side. Using a treat, hold it above and a little ahead of your dog, so he/she can see it. Start off, either foot, leash a bit taut, with the command "heel," using your dogs name before the command. If your dog pulls, make a correction by pulling up on the lead, or popping it, and then immediately releasing the tension. When the dog stops pulling and is back at your side, give the treat and the praise, "good heel."

Continue this training and your dog will grasp, rather quickly, the concept of the "heel" command. Now, back to the topic at hand. Once your dog will heel properly, teach "loose leash walking." This is where your dog will walk with you without any tension on the leash. Do this training in the warm weather to get ready for winter weather.

Reward polite pacing: Every few seconds, give your pet a piece of a treat as an incentive to stay close to you and match your walking pace. Also, it gets them to pay attention to you.

Surprise your pet: To get your dog to pay better attention to you, change your direction when you walk. This will get your dog to pay attention to you, along with the treats.

Forbid pulling: Stop dead in your tracks if you feel the leash tightening. Your pet will stop and then call them back to you. Get them situated again, on your left, and start off. Remember to praise and reward for good behavior.

Get help: Super stubborn pullers may need special equipment, that will not harm the dog, like a front clip harness or a head halter. I absolutely and adamantly oppose prong collars.

Hopefully, these tips will help you have a very pleasant walk with your pet.

Does Your Dog Lick Too Much?

Do you have a dog that just won't stop licking, either themselves, or you? This could be nothing serious, or something very serious. Did you know that dogs have mental disorders, just like humans? It is called Canine Compulsive Disorder. It is characterized by repetitive activities such as fly biting, tail-chasing, obsessive barking, circling, and the worst of all, self-mutilation, yes, I said, self-mutilation Just as humans will cut themselves with a knife, a dog will chew themselves until they bleed. This is the most severe of all disorders of this kind.

As I am writing this, I realize Chance, my yellow Lab, has this disorder. He obsesses over flies, and licks me alot, particularly after I feed him, or we go to bed. The flies are the worst, though. Dogs with this disorder seem incapable of stopping this behavior to the point they fore go normal activities, i.e. eating, playing or sleeping. Vet's don't know why some dogs develop this disorder. Some reasons could be:

Genetics - some breeds seem to be predisposed to certain disorders such as spinning in Bull Terriers.

Attention-Seeking: Sometimes this disorder starts as seeking attention, like my dog. And, in the beginning, I used to re-enforce his behavior, thinking the fly obsession, as funny. I also enjoyed the licking, thinking he was just giving me those famous "Chance puppy kisses." By reinforcing it, he continued.

Irritation or Inflammation: Dogs lick irritated spots or inflamed spots to soothe them.

Encouragement: Owners may unknowingly encourage the behaviour their dog is exhibiting by allowing it to continue. You may think your dog is stressed out and say, "it is OK honey, I am here." "He just licks to show his love."

Boredom or Anxiety: Dogs left for long periods of time, sometimes will engage in compulsive behaviors due to being bored or stressed out.

The first step in diagnosing the problem is a thorough exam by your family vet. Ruling out any medical problems is paramount to getting to the root of the problem. If your vet suspects this disorder, he/she may prescibe a treatment with medication or sending your dog to a veterinary behaviorist. This is a vet that specializes in mental disorders and animal behavior.

The medication used is called clomipramine, and anti-depressant, and behaviour modification techniques such as distraction and stress and boredom relief. This disorder can not be cured, but can be managed. Be patient and persistent with your treatment of this disorder. It may take weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the problem, to see major results.

Will vs. Trusts.

I have heard so many stories of dogs being either put down or taken to a shelter, because their elderly owners have gone to be with the Lord. While their owners have gone to a better place, the pets are left to the mercy of family or the State.

Here are some options and information to help with making sure your pet is taken care of when you are no longer here to protect them. If our pet precedes us, we can choose many options to bury them and ensure their dignity in death. There is burial, cremation, taxidermy and cryogenic freezing. The last two are the least popular.

What is the difference between a will and a trust? A trust is effective upon creation and it can also provide for your pet in case the trust maker becomes disabled during their lifetime-it doesn't require the trust maker to die. Plus, it does not require going through probate.
So, theoretically, there are no delays upon disability or death.

With a will, you may own assets jointly with another person and upon death, those assets go to the other person and never reach the instructions in the will regarding care of the pet. Because of long standing, traditional rules concerning estates, it has been almost impossible to bequeath money to animals, as they are considered property themselves.

It might be hard for some to believe that family would not be thrilled at the "gift" they have received upon your death. But, the hard truth is, most are not. The care and expense of a pet is a burden to some. I would be thrilled, personally, but many are not animal lovers like me.

Their are some breeders that request all animals that are left, be humanely euthanized because they don't want their breeding line to continue, or are afraid that the animals will not be cared for as well as they took care of them. If you are a breeder, put in your trust that all remaining animals be spayed or neutered and have your estate pay for the process. That way, it will be done. Remember, their are no-kill shelters and breed specific rescue groups that will take your pets, ensuring them a long life, with someone that will love them, maybe not like you, but love them in their own, unique way.

To Feed Homemade Foods Or Not To Feed; That Is The Question.

Are you like me when it comes to your dogs diet? I am pretty picky, personally. Chance gets, everyday, Biljac dry food, cooked white or brown rice, grated cheddar cheese and some type of meat, usually chicken.


Dog owners are becoming interested in homemade foods for a number of reasons. Mostly because of contaminants (the pet food recall nightmare), preservatives, dyes and additives. If you prepare your dogs meals, make sure they are well-balanced and provide the nutrients your dog needs.

First you need to check with your vet. Your vet is the person that can help you create dishes that are perfect for your dogs needs, as he/she knows your dog from examining them on a routine basis.


If you find a recipe online or in a book, let your vet evaluate it for you. Balanced recipes with few ingredients are easier to make, more affordable (we all can use that), and are likely to be more consistently made. In my own personal experience, the more complicated the recipe, does not mean it is more nutritional.


There are 3 basic areas of concern with homemade foods. First, is the nutrient profile appropriate? Second, does the person make the recipe just as it is instructed? And last, over time, does the owner deviate from the recipe? If a recipe has not been checked by a nutritionist, them most likely it will contain too much protein.


There is a misguided belief that because dogs are carnivores, their diet should contain mostly meat, which in turn, creates a calcium deficiency. There should be more calcium than Phosphorous in the diet. The optimum ratio is 1-1 or 2-1. Bones, raw or cooked or bone meal or calcium phosphorous will not help, because both have phosphorous in them.


Take into consideration your dogs age, weight, body condition, level of activity and medical problems, if any. Work with your vet to get the right diet for your best buddy.


***Remember, fruits and vegetables are great for your dog. But, onions, raisins, grapes, Macadamia nuts, mushrooms, persimmons, pits from peaches and plums, leaves and stems from potato's, rhubarb and tomato's are toxic to dogs. This is just a small list. I will do another post on toxic foods.***

Cheesey Dog Cookies.

2 cups All-Purpose flour -- un-sifted -- 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese -- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil -- 4 tablespoons water (may use 5 if you need to) -- Combine everything except water. Whisk in food processor until consistency of cornmeal. Then add water until mixture forms a ball. Roll it into 1/2" thickness and cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets about 10 min. (depending on size of shapes) at 400. Cool and store in refrigerator.

The Dog Will Play When Parents Are Away!

I found this great, new toy that will let you see what your dog is doing at all times while you are away from him/her. It is call the Panasonic PetCam. It is a webcam that lets you see what your pet is doing. You can use your PC, cell phone or PDA to check on them from almost anywhere. To learn more go to: www.seemypet.com

Yawning And Your Dog.

source: in 3rd paragraph, 2nd sentence-Dog Fancy quote. The rest is from the article I read and put into my own words and my interpretation of the story.

I was reading my Dog Fancy magazine the other day and found a super interesting article. It was about yawning, yes yawning. You know how when someone yawns around you, you yawn? It is called contagious yawning.

This is an involuntary reaction, triggered by seeing others do it. Previously, it was thought to be only a human reaction, and then was studied in Chimpanzees. Which is feasible, seeing how closely related to the primates we are. ( I am sure this will spark a debate, but I am only going on the scientific facts.)

In the Aug. issue of Biology letters, Atsuchi Senju and his colleagues suggest that this phenomenon is not specific to primate species. "Dogs possess the capacity for a rudimentary form of empathy." A study was done with 29 dogs, including the Labrador Retriever, Doberman and Yorkies. They watched a person perform a large yawn and it caused 72% of them to yawn But, when the control group watched a person just open their mouth, none of the dogs yawned.

And, it was ruled out that the yawns were not caused by stress from unfamiliar surroundings or the recording equipment.