National Dog Week Day 2 & Contest

I hope you got the most out of yesterday. Still six days to go before the end of National Dog Week. Make every day count. Make your parents be at your beck and call. Also, put to good use all the dog training tips I've been sharing with you: don't forget the adorable look on your faces and all should go as planned.

A couple of furiends asked for pet photo contest clarifications:

1. How many entries? One tongue per pet, that's it. I would really appreciate if you sent me names and your blog's url if you have one. It'll help out my secretary, not the one I fired last week, the new one.
2. How many winners of the five free giveaway? Five.
3. How will we decide on the five winners? I will post all entries on my blog after the "Show Us Your Tongue" contest is closed (at the end of National Dog Week, on Saturday September 24th). It'll be a collective effort made out of an enormous panel of impartial and professional pet judges.
4. Will I participate? I wish.
5. Will the chiweenie or the spotted siblings of mine? Nope! I'm partial to them and I may be tempted to favor them.
6. Will giant breeds be allowed? I didn't want to at first, but mom made me. Yes.
7. Are there any animals that will be excluded? Just the obvious cheaters, lizards, frogs and all reptiles with agile tongues.
8. A request: due to heavy spam traffic, if you remember to, have something easy for me to discern in your email title, like: pet photo contest, my tongue, your tongue, Tongues-R-Us, Twinkie you look marvelous today... anything you like.

Meanwhile, I want to share with you that I'm really excited about this contest. It was going to be a quickie, but based on the responses so far, it will get the attention it deserves. We already even have a baby calf competing!

A bit of trivia that suits our contest:

Featured in the new Guinness World Records 2011 book is Puggy, the dog with the longest tongue in the world. Puggy is a designer dog, a Pekingese. But do not fret, we're not doing a longest tongue contest we're just doing a Show Us Your Tongue Contest. Small tongues are eligible to win.

Puggy's showing us her tongue, yikes!

(it looks a bit like M's ex's tongue)

I would like to share a yöghund video with you to get your appetites going, in other words, to motivate you to start warming up those tongues! Do I need to remind you of the free giveaways? Okay, free yöghund boxes filled with delicious and nutritious (mom made me mention the second) frozen dog treats!

So what are you waiting for? Stop drooling and

SHOW US YOUR TONGUE!

Twinkie

National Dog Week Day 1 & Contest

Happy National Dog Week everybody! I was shocked to find out that National Dog Week has been around for three quarters of a century. We can all thank William Lewis Judy for it. Mr Judy was a serious dog fancier. He helped create the Dog Writers' Association of America as well as National Dog Week in 1928. Thank you very much.

Some would argue that "any day is national dog week". I agree, BUT for those of us fortunate to have loving forever homes, this week means extra everything. Extra hugs, walks, hikes, and of course edibles.

I wanted to do something special to mark this year's National Dog Week and thanks to Yoghund, I am doing a free giveaway contest. Yoghund has mailed me 5 free box coupons to give away.

I posted about the upcoming contest yesterday hoping to get some good suggestions, but since so far my main input was that one of our furiends cannot participate in any contest involving physical activities and exertion, I decided to do a rather sedentary contest. 

National Dog Week Pet Photo Contest

by Twinkie:

SHOW US YOUR TONGUE

I live with a quirky mom who is into dog bums and dog tongues. Since the first one may be offensive to the sane dog owners, we decided to go with her second fixation, the dog tongue.

Send or post your TONGUE photo anytime between now and the end of National Dog Week. My email is twinkietinydog (@) aol.com and I am looking forward to your submissions. If you choose to post, please email me the link. I don't want to miss anybody. For those of you that lack imagination, think peanut butter, yogurt on a stick, something yummy. Go on, tell your parents and make sure you tell them what "ingredient" to use to get your tongues to look better. Furiends, you should have known my contest would be a fun one for the participants.

I shall leave you with some sample submissions, courtesy of my brindle chiweenie and spotted dalmatian sissies:

Synchronized ear and TONGUE action

I mock you TONGUE

Silly TONGUE

Desert TONGUE

Bite your TONGUE

Double your TONGUE

OMT

(oh my TONGUE)

What's THIS doing in my pet photo contest?

Which reminds me... all animal species welcome BUT frogs and lizards. That would be cheating!

May the best TONGUE win!

Twinkie

*** An update and a much needed clarification: One tongue per beast please.

National Dog Week Contest

Tomorrow, Sunday, September 19th, marks the beginning of National Dog Week and I want to celebrate with a contest. As I am still working on the details, I welcome all suggestions. I repeat, any dog, cat, pet contest ideas will be appreciated.

It wouldn't be a contest without free giveaways and since lately I've made many of you drool over my new favorite frozen dog treat, yöghund, for the purposes of celebrating National Dog Week, I thought it would be most appropriate to give out coupons for a FREE yöghund box!

Yöghund sent me FIVE such coupons.

Do I want to keep them all? Sure! I love my yöghund, plus it's good for me, but I love my friends more and I also have a weakness for contests therefore, I'm going to give out all five coupons.

Don't worry chiweenie. M will get us some.

Let's do it! I shall brainstorm all day and night, and, by tomorrow, I'll announce the contest which will end on the last day of National Dog Week, Saturday, September 25th.

What an exciting week we're about to have starting . . . now! Today, we'll warm up for our National Week with a bang and a BLOG HOP !!!

How To Be A Better Senior Dog Parent

I recently attended a gratifying seminar called "How To Be A Better Pet Parent" at a local library. There were many fabulous speakers, including the VP of the volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter (VBAS) who addressed the issue of "the joys of adopting a senior pet". One of the speakers that stood out, was Obedience Trainer Cyndy Wood (sitstaygooddawg.com) who got on stage with a beautiful brown spotted girl, her dalmatian Olivia. Olivia had a huge smile on her face and seemed happy to be in the center of everyone's attention. The audience  gasped when Cyndy announced that Olivia was fourteen years old. She looked and acted so much younger!

Cyndy proceeded to share her input and advice for senior dog owners. She started out discussing the importance of food quality for an aging canine. I found her method for picking out dog food rather significant because it is so simple and comprehensible. She recommends checking out the first five ingredients in the dog food. Would you, the parent/owner eat it? If yes, it's suitable for your dog.

Whether it is part of the dog food formula or an additional food supplement, aging dogs benefit from chondroitin and glucosamine for dogs in the form of supplements. Supplements can cause a significant and visible inprovement in dog arthritis.

Cyndy Wood also recommends that as soon as your dog is considered a senior to go in for a wellness exam and to do a blood test as a baseline.

Another important point about senior dogs was exercise. I cannot stress this enough. Exercise helps in keeping your senior pet mentally alert, get rid of sluggishness . . . it helps his heart, lugns, circulaton, digestion, joints, and even fights obesity. Of course, the exercise regime has to be adopted to your dog's specific needs. The play sessions need to be shorter, fetching must be done in shorter distances, and above all watch your dog carefuly. At any signs of discomfort  just stop. And if your dog coughs  or shows any other sign of distress, call your vet. One of the best exercises for a senior dog is swimming, but keep in mind that they have become more sensitive to temperatures, so keep a towel close by.

For less mobile dogs, or for when the weather is bad, Cyndy offered a fun suggestion: Hide and seek. Put your dog in a sit/stay position and hide. Release by using a command like "okay" and let your dog find you. A fun and not demanding activity that helps provide moderate exercise and nurtures bonding.

Senior dogs can present a few potential problems, such as:
1. Separation Anxiety
2. Vocalize more
3. Uncharacteristic Aggression
4. Startle due to hearing loss (stomp feet when approaching, ideally from the front)
5. Change in personality (often due to reaction to drugs)
6. Dog Dementia (as of last year the FDA has officially approved Anipryl tablets to control the clinical signs associated with canine cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome--CDS)

As a dog trainer, Cyndy Wood placed a lot of emphasis on training your senior dog. Since the seminar was partially geared to the ADOPTION OF SENIOR DOGS and pets in general, she focused on that.

Dog training equals bonding and getting on the same page.  You can teach an old dog new tricks, better yet, many senior dogs are already trained, therefore their training also doubles as a refresher course.

While owning a senior dog means a close relationship with your vet, truth be told, there are plenty of tools, medications, and supplements readily available to  allow you to work around your dog's health issues. And what could be more gratifying than saving a dog's life that most people would pass on?

The rest of the seminar focused on dog allergies (causes and treaments), back to school solutions, snake bites, dog and valuable dog flea medication and treatment information. I will be sharing those in future posts.

Senior pets rule. Please consider the above information when you're ready for your next pet adoption.

Dog Beds

Living with a tiny teacup chihuahua, a chiweenie, and a dalmatian mix, being involved with pets, rescues, pet blogs and bloggers, and having many dog owner friends, I've been constantly trying to figure out the ideal dog bed. When I get stumped like that, I do, what I call, a human-comparison. What's the ideal human bed? Exactly! It all depends who it is for. It depends on the individual's size, shape, health issues, partner... That explains why I'm having such a tough time with my quest.
Even more so than humans, dogs vary in size and needs. Let's take my senior dog, the dalmatian mix (60lbs) as an example. She needs something for her joints because she's suffering from dog arthritis. Aha, then she needs an orthopedic dog bed! More specifically, she needs an orthopedic dog bed for large dogs. But that's not all. This particular dog also suffers from incontinence. So, for a while now, I've been using a bed mattress waterproof protector under her bed's cover. Lucky for me, for a senior dog suffering from arthritis and incontinence, they now make large orthopedic memory foam beds that are also waterproof, such as these ones:














Cesar Milan has come out with an orthopedic dog bed with a non skid bottom, but that one is not a waterproof dog bed, so it would need an extra liner. Even though it's cheaper than the ones above, I'd rather buy those because a. They don't need any alterations and B. they are really well manufactured. 















On to the small dogs in the family, a teacup chihuahua and a chiweenie, a dachshund/chihuahua mix.

The priorities with smaller breeds are usually temperature. Small dogs, like chihuahuas, don't just need any small dog bed, they love heated dog beds. They also love to burrow. At the moment, my scrawny four-pound girl mainly enjoys sleeping in a supple blanket on top of a heating pad. That's not entirely safe though. The other day, while cleaning, her heating pad exploded in my hands. If it hadn't happened that way, maybe we wouldn't have a home today, or worse. One can find many heated dog beds to chose from. A while back I ordered one to try. A few months later I got the following email:

Greetings from [Seller].

We have recently learned that Radio Systems Corporation, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is voluntarily recalling Power Adapters for heated pet beds. Our records indicate that you have purchased one of the products listed in this recall through our website.

This recall involves the Class 2 Transformers that were sold with PetSafe Heated Wellness Sleepers. The power adapters are identified by the markings "PLUG IN CLASS 2 TRANSFORMER," "MODEL NO: K12-800" and have a spring coil covering the length of the electrical wire that goes from the sleeper. Power adapters without spring coils are not affected by this recall.

These products were sold nationwide from September 2006 through April 2010 for between $70 and $110. When the metal connector is removed from the bed, it can cause arcing between the coil spring and the connector, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled power adapter and contact the firm to receive a free replacement adapter at (800) 732-2677 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or visit the firm's website at www.petsafe.net.

You may also find additional details about the recall in the CPSC bulletin at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10283.html.

If you purchased this item as a gift for someone, please notify the recipient immediately and provide them with the information in the CPSC bulletin concerning these safety issues.

We regret the inconvenience this recall has caused you but trust you will understand that the safety of our customers is our highest priority.

Thanks for shopping at [seller].

Sincerely,

Customer Service
Blah Blah

Great! They regret the inconvenience. I wonder how much they would regret a house fire! In any case, overall, a heating pad is not a good idea. I question my decision every day, especially when there are safer products around. Have a look at a couple of potential choices for heated dog beds:


 












In my experience, none of those beds gets warm enough for my tiny dogs. That's why I'm still using the dangerous heating pads. If your dog does not get as horribly cold as mine, I suggest you take your pick from the ones above and sleep peacefully at night.

I believe that's about it, as far as the indoors is concerned, but there's also the outdoors to consider. Outdoor dog beds have their issues as well. Some are not sturdy, some are dangerous, most don't last long enough to justify their price.

I bought a Petmate Durabed. A few weeks later, due to poor structural choices on the manufacturer's part, the legs started to fall off. Many people had the same problem. Some tossed their Petmate dog bed quietly, others contacted the manufacturer who helped out by shipping parts. In my case, I opted for bungee cords. I must say, while it does not look good with the bungee cord around it, it does it's job. I buy a soft pad and all my dogs sit on it to enjoy the sunshine. Below you can see photos of the Petmate Durabed in various sizes:














Before I realized that the bungee fix would last as long as it has, I did some research and according to my findings, the best outdoor bed is the Coolaroo dog bed.  Check it out:














The Coolaroo dog bed is simple enough to make it mainenance free and easy to clean. They also sell replacement covers. It also comes in Extra Large!















My next outdoor dog bed purchase will definitely be a Coolaroo.

I hope my insight, in combination with your experiences helps with your quest for the ideal bed for your dog. Trial and error are fun but costly, plus as I mentioned, they can sometimes be dangerous.

Best of luck!

Chiweenie Speaking In Tongues

Twinkie

Dear Twinkie | A Dog Advice Column

Dear Twinkie is a weekly advice column posted every Tuesday. Do you have questions that you need answered or news that you want to spread? Then leave me, Twinkie Van Twinkerson, a note on Tuesday's comments and I'll address it. This blog and column are strictly rated G and only meant for your enjoyment.

 ‪Madi and Mom‬ asked...
Hi Twinkie... oh yeah baby there was a lot lot hissing going on at my house. I told Puddles she would have been proud of me because I had several Puddles Moments....oh my cats. Mom was so not happy....with me because I hissed at her too. So I believe I once again need your advice.



Dear Twink,


I, Madi, would submit the following question for next week's column.


How does a Diva Island Princess Cat
 redeem herself in the eyes of her Mom after she has been less than
 nice to house guests and even to her Mom? You live with lots of kitties so I think you are the one to ask. 
Respectfully submitted,
Madi (hanging her head in shame)...

TVT: First of all, chin up Madster!!! A diva never hangs her head for any reason. Chin up (you will also get more chin rubs that way, and I know you cats love those). Stand tall and relax your tail. Now, what is ailing you? Don't you think that this mess was created because of your mom? I sure do! A diva should not have to share, ever. Now, having said that, I know you're a kind soul and that your hissing outside Harley's door is a way of establishing your boundaries. 

I recommend you run to a nearby store and buy yourself some Feliway to get the cornish scent out of the air. I use it all the time with my cats, but in your case, it would also be appreciated as a good-will gesture. After you install it, call your mom and rub yourself, exactly the way she likes, on her feet. Reach up and (no nails) stretch while staring right in her eyes. Then start to purr loudly so she can hear you. Consider yourself redeemed! Chances are you're also getting your favorite cat treats if you follow my advice. Good luck, dear feline furiend. 

I'm not so sure I should have mentioned the treats or the "chin up" comment. Look at that double chin!

‪3 doxies‬ asked...
Hellos my furiend...you is so full of da smarticles AGAIN!!!


Well I has a question fur ya today...can I ask two?


#1 Could you possibly tells me how I gots to be so purty?

#2 I apologize if dis is too heavy of a question and feel free to exept it if need be...Why does it hurt so freakin much when a bloggy furiend goes to da bridge? I haves never even met them but da pain is still theres.



Puddles

TVT: #1 Sorry to burst your spit bubble, Puddelicious, but your purtiness definitely has a lot to do with your mumsie's skills as a professional photographer. That doesn't mean you're not naturally purty, it just means that your inner beauty is enhanced by your momma's camera. 

#2 Nobody should ever apologize for an honest and heartfelt question. I recently wrote an article on the rainbow bridge that may give you some insight, if you can stomach the extra reading. In brief, I believe that the reason we all get really upset over the loss of a furry friend is due to our short time on this earth. Even the healthiest of us don't live as long as our humans, something that causes enormous grief on both sides. Also, all of us are prone to certain fatal ailments and diseases. Add to that our vulnerability when we run in front of oncoming traffic just because we spotted a cat or a squirrel... add to that inhuman mistreating and neglect... We are all most vulnerable. We have a high mortality rate to deal with. So, you, like the rest of us, are suffering both because of your sensitive soul and because you're a thinker. 

The way, I have chosen to deal with the pain is by telling myself that, first and foremost, once we get to the rainbow bridge all pain and suffering are in the past. Secondly, those of us who arrive at the bridge can look forward to a new beginning with the furiend's we have missed, and you know we'll all have one big party when we get together. One last thought that might help you out: since we've already established that our life is relatively short, try to celebrate it every single day.

 You are still beautifuls! You're puddelicious!

‪Amy and The House of Cats‬ asked...
Hi Twinkie! 

We love to read your column every week - we learn a lot about doggies from it! Gus has a question for you if that is ok (We know he is a cat, but it is kind of dog related). Here he is!

Hi Twinkie!

I was wondering if you knew a good way to get a big mandog to like a little kitten boy like me? See, I have a big time crush on a certain young ladycat who has a giant, Viking loving Newfie older brother and he is very protective of his little sister - which I totally understand because I am protective of my little sister (even though she is only a couple hours younger). But what is the best way to show him that when we are older I would be a good boyfriendcat for her and be very respectful of her and everything? I know we are both too young now but she is so pretty and I really like her, and I know she likes me too. Oh, I left out their names because she said he is super overprotective, and I don't want to get her in trouble. Do you have any advice to help me show him I am a good guy?

Thanks so much!



Gus

TVT: I normally would have trash-talked you a bit, Gus, but recently I learned about no-cat-day and since then, I've turned a new leaf. It's one thing making fun of cats and another to mean it. I'm honored to reply to your question, witholding names out of respect.

After a thorough internet research and several calls into dog and cat behaviorists, I am here to bring you some excellent news! The Newfie older brother in question was busted in a comment that I will quote right here: "[my younger cat sister] said to say Hi to Gus." I bet you missed the value of that statement, Gus. The bro just about gave you his blessings. You don't have to fret any longer, besides, let me give you another hint: he cuddles up with his momma when he watches not-really-scary movies, like Wolfman. Based on all this information, you can lie back and do what cats do best. Don't worry about your image. Your love-cat is yours. May the two of you stay out of cat-astrophes together.

Gus and the unnamed centerpiece of his affections.

‪houndstooth‬ asked...
Good idea about sending Blueberry in to do the asking! She's the one Mom and Dad both can't say no to!



My question this week is about Lilac. As you might know, on September 20, she will be fifteen years old. We are all very excited for her, but, she's sort of the old lady who has everything. I am wondering what would be a good present for her. Also, how can we make her birthday really special? (Besides handcuffing Alien to her fan again!)



Bunny

TVT: It's called fifteen years young, dear Bunny. Beyond what I already suggested to you in person, one-on-one time with mom and dad, I have a couple more ideas: Dress Morgan into a cat costume, buy Lilac incontinence pads, a walk for the rest of you so she can get a bit of peace and quiet for a few minutes, and last of all...

You can order her a customized photo-pillow using a picture of your dad's face.

(I'm sure he'll appreciate that present just as much as Lilac)

‪Those Elgin Pugs‬ asked...
Dear's Twinkie Van Twinkersons!!



We's didn't knows yous did not has an investigation teams to do yous leg works!! Altoes... how did yous knows our bothers was dating Sequoia?? And who is Tula?? Yous wanna knows what's up wits his ear action??
Who's asking 'da questions here??



You may address that as my next question next weeks...
And who works for yous...



Thanks..
'da Josie..who -else

TVT: I'm sorry my furiends, but I simply cannot disclose my top secret sources. You may thank them anonymously for their good work trying to figure out all the craziness in the animal blogdom, and I'll pass it on. As for the ear action, I consulted with the best professionals in the world and nobody could come up with an answer. You may need to tape down the ear or use a hair clip. As for Tula... I have already fired my secretary over this gross typo. She was only hired because she claimed she could decipher Elgin-Puguese. I had specifically dictated the name "Petunia" but she was hard of hearing (a dalmatian, a breed known for it's lack of hearing). 

Who's asking 'da questions here? Apparently you are. Just this time alone, I counted four questions and eight question marks!

 Special announcement: "Da Jossie's dating agains."

I wonder who'd want to date a pug that asks so many questions.

‪Fiona, as typed by Dr. Liz‬ asked...
thank you for the excellent advice. Hopefully now Mom will understand WHY I must smack Abby down, even if it results in her getting all muddy. I MUST remain Top Dog, no matter what it takes! (Yes, I am taking secret lessons from Queen Natasha - she just doesn't know it yet!) 

Now, my question for the week is: WHY must Mom and dad persist with this "home improvement" stuff? We are going to have to move into the House With Wheels while our House Without Wheels gets a new roof. I have to share a smaller space with the Hippobottomus! Why are Mom and Dad torturing me like this? (And why couldn't I have just remained an only child?) Thank you, All-Knowing, All-Seeing Karnak, uh, TVT!



*kissey face*


-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

TVT: Instead of complaining, I'd count my blessings if I were you, dear goldendoodle. Your nutty pawrents could have easily opted for a race car. I bet the House on Wheels was a compromise for you and your Hippobottomus sister. As to why you didn't remain an only child, I bet you'll get the same answer we all do: your parents wanted you to have a little sister to play with. Yeah, sure, nice explanation! (Believe me, I feel your pain every day)

Admit it, your lifestyle would have been more cramped up in this.

While Fiona loves to yank her sister's collar, she's also a pawesome sister. Therefore, she asked me to mention that lil' Abby, aka Hippobottomus, is featured at fetchingtags.net wearing her blingy new tag, custom-made just for her. I mention the company A. Because I know we have some tag-freaks amongst us (show yourselves) B. Because according to Fiona the tags are not only well-made, lightweight, and visible, but the company donates a portion of each sale to dog rescue efforts, and C. Because Fiona has entered her sister in a contest. You can vote for Abby by clicking HERE. As of yesterday, our furiend is among the top three. Let's make sure she's number ONE.
Frankie the Brindle Chiweenie intruded again ...
When is National Dog Week?

TVT: Check the calendar! Fine, for the readers: National Dog Week this year (2010) is on September 19-25. Make a note of those dates because my personal belief is that during National Dog Week we all get extra dog treats, walks, hikes, trips to the dog spa, you name it. Three cheers for the upcoming National Dog Week!!!

Now, go do the right thing!

Twinkie Van Twinkerson