Dog in boots

The first time I saw a dog wearing shoes was on the TV show "The Simple Life," and the canine was Paris Hilton's quivering little chihuahua. That miserable doggie got dressed up in all manner of pink and glittery clothes. But the shoes -- dude, that seemed to take it too far.

Now I'm thinking otherwise, with my snow-hating Boston Terrier. She loves being outside but seems miserable walking on snow and ice. Maybe it's time to consider dog boots.

In my scanty research on dog boots, it looks like there's a wide variety. Some look like they're just nylon bags secured to the foot with a strip of velcro. Others have rubber soles. Some lace up like human shoes. Lacing up dog shoes sounds pretty ridiculous and impossible.

Has anyone in blog land tried out dog boots? How did your dog tolerate them? Were they awesome or a waste of money?

Here are a few links for the dog boot enthusiast:

http://www.petboots.com/
http://www.muttluks.com/
http://www.dogbootcompany.com/
http://www.handsnpaws.com/category/dogboots/
http://www.ruffwear.com/

Never alone

A recent survey done by the American Kennel Club revealed that many people allow their dogs to sleep in bed with them (see previous posting on this blog). Derel Schrock responded:
"Absolutely, my small Yorkiepoo littermate sisters sleep w/ me every night -- that's almost their purpose in life, and mine is providing the very best life and love and care for them that I'm capable of. If I have to be away from home, I hire the best live-in support available, for them and for my elderly parrot. In the past, there have been cat bedmates, and now there are my special pups (my term for all dogs), and if I had a golden retriever, she would sleep with me also. Sleeping with my pups makes me sleep very well and restfully and probably lowers my blood pressure, and they certainly enhance my life in general, symbiotically. If I should lose one, I would immediately call the breeder for a replacement, not that I wouldn't mourn the departed - it would be my way of coping with the loss. I tell my elderly friends who lose pets just to get another right away - just be sure to have a reliable and willing person to leave it to. Mine are in my will along with a serious stipend for their lifetime care.
It's like the old saying, 'the more I know about people, the more I love my pet.' Nothing compares."
- Pet-lover, long before it became fashionable, Derel Schrock

Hold the grapes, hide the avocado

Things my puppy will eat, if given half a chance: rocks, paper, marbles, and the most disgusting thing, his own (or any other dog's or cat's) poop.
I know he shouldn't eat this stuff. But other foods? Which ones can harm our furry friends? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gives us this list:
1. Alcoholic beverages
2. Avocado
3. Chocolate
4. Coffee
5. Fatty foods
6. Macadamia nuts
7. Moldy or spoiled foods
8. Onions and onion powder
9. Raisins and grapes
10. Salt
11. Yeast dough
12. Garlic
13. Products sweetened with xylitol

Popularity of the portable pooch

It's a good day to be a Yorkshire terrier. That diminutive dog has moved into the number 2 spot on the list of most popular dog breeds in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club's 2006 registration numbers. Labrador retrievers held onto their number one spot. Others in the top five: German shepherds, third place; golden retrievers, fourth, and beagles, fifth. Dog breeders say the Yorkie's rise in favor is due to its portability. Other small breeds gaining popularity include the Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Dogs stepping out

Mark these dates on your calendar: March 10 and 11. You'll want to go to Denver for the World Canine Freestyle Organization's Mile High Canine Dancers Cabaret. It's part of the Colorado Family Pet Expo at the Colorado Convention Center. Not up on your doggie dancing? It's a hot new sport where dogs and people perform choreographed, costumed dances together. (For info, go to the source - the World Canine Freestyle Organization.)

Just a question: Do you think we have too much free time?

Notes from the Westminster Dog Show

We don't have to tell dog lovers it's a big deal. But did you know how big and elaborate it really is?
Random observations from a USA Today reporter attending the show:
+ Dog-fanciers throw lavish parties every year in toney locations like Tavern on the Green.
+ There's a doggie concierge at the Hotel Pennsylvania, where many of the dogs and their people stay. The hotel also has a dog spa with a his-and-hers bathroom area decorated with red fire hydrants. There are also dog treadmills, a canine masseuse and pet psychic.
+ At a dog fashion show for charity, canine supermodels wear ball gowns and tuxedos.

A hairy situation

Love your pet, hate the pet hair? Consumer Reports, for the first time, has included scores for removing pet hair in its vacuum rankings. “The uprights and canisters that did best at regular cleaning also tended to do the best at removing pet hair from carpets in our latest tests,” an article in the March issue concludes.

Think twice before shelling out $570 for Dyson’s DC14 Animal upright. Though Dyson calls it “the most powerful upright for pet hair,” Consumer Reports rated it only fair in that category.

The final chapter for Waldo

Here's what I know: People love their dogs. In Sunday's Gazette, I wrote about my family's last days with our dog Waldo, the namesake of this blog and a member of our family for nearly 16 years. The response was emotional and uplifting. Dozens of readers sent me stories of their own beloved pets, shared their own uncertainties about parting with a pet, and offered to listen if I wanted to talk. My family was especially anxious about the story; worried that it would make them feel sad all over again, and worried that people might not be so nice about how we handled Waldo's last days. Their anxiety was unfounded. In what I hoped were the universal themes of Waldo's life story, I found a way to do something we strive for every day at the Gazette - connect to readers on a personal level. To all those who responded with kindness, thank you.

A farewell to Zach

The end, when it finally came, was sudden.

Zach, our 30-plus-year-old Appaloosa, seemed fine at the noon hour yesterday. But a couple of hours later he was found on the ground. He had clearly been struggling and couldn’t get up. With help, he got back on his feet once, but immediately crumpled back to the ground. Before long, the vet put him out of his misery.

At his age, death wasn’t a surprise. But after a few winters of struggling to put on weight, this year he had put on the pounds and had a nice, heavy winter coat, and everything had been looking good.

He leaves behind Bo, his equine companion of many years. Rumor has it that Bo and Zach used to be Park Service horses. They were rescued several years ago from a dude ranch where they had been allowed to waste away to almost nothing.

He was a good old boy.

Can't we all just get along?

Here's a question for dog-owners - how do you help an old dog welcome a new dog? Buster, at right, is 13 and he's never been one to play well with others(notice the grouchy snarl on his face). Hunter, left, is four months old, and he loves to play with others. Buster is coming around slowly, but too slowly for Hunter's taste. Any ideas on how to get these two to interact? Will it just take time?

Ruling stops horse slaughter

It's a topic that has horse advocates steaming - the slaughter of horses. Now, those horse-lovers appear to have scored a victory - a federal appeals court ruling has upheld a Texas law that bans horse slaughter for the purpose of selling the meat for food. The ruling involves two of the nation's three horse slaughtering plants, both in Texas. A third plant in DeKalb, Ill., is not affected by the ruling. All three facilities are foreign-owned. The owners of the plants are considering an appeal. Their argument according to the AP: "The nation's patchwork of horse rescue facilities would be overwhelmed," said spokesman for the plants, former U.S. Rep. Charlie Stenholm.
"They can barely manage to care for the approximately 6,000 horses already in the system."

A string of guinea-pig deaths

It's been a tough few weeks in the Radford house, guinea-pig wise: We've gone from five guinea pigs to two.

It began with our 12-year-old daughter screaming, "Troubles is dead!" Twenty-four hours later, another death: Smoothy.

The last to go, several days later, was Carmel. The first two deaths were out of the blue; we have no idea of the cause. (Both were 5, which is a reasonable life span for a guinea pig.) But Carmel had long been battling a foot infection that had reached the bone. We tried everything - antibiotics, foot baths, hand-feeding - and she seemed to have turned a corner. And then, not.

Foot infections, called bumblefoot, are fairly common in guinea pigs, it seems. Avoid cages with wire-mesh bottoms (which we had) and keep cages clean to help avoid the problem.

Of wealth and waste

There must be a whole lot of dogs in Dallas, and a whole lot of dog owners who would prefer not to pick up after them. A Dallas-based company called Pet Butler ended 2006 with revenues of $2 million. This company's business plan (its slogan is " #1 in the #2 business") is pretty simple: for a weekly fee, Pet Butler employees pick up the poop, for businesses, parks and private clients. It's the official pet waste remover of the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.

Tasty but tacky

You've probably seen the ads for Gorilla Glue. Its makers say it can be used to bond wood, stone, metal, ceramic, foam board, fiberglass and more. NOT included in the "more" category is a dog's stomach walls.
A black Labrador retriever is expected to recover following surgery to remove the contents of a quarter of bottle of Gorilla Glue. The dog named Reggie lives in Fremont, Ohio, where he swallowed the glue two weeks ago. X-rays showed two large masses in the dog's abdomen. The glue had turned to foam in Reggie's stomach and then hardened. The veterinarian, who removed two stiff balls of glue, one the size of an orange and one as big as a head of cauliflower, says he has had to remove other objects from dogs' bellies before - including a raincoat, a stuffed animal's head, and the bottom third of a Christmas tree with glass ornaments.

Butch hates snail mail

Maybe he's an e-mail kind of guy. For whatever reason, Butch, a shepherd/chow mix in Casper, Wyo., has basically stopped mail delivery on his street. Butch has chased mail carriers eight times since 2002, with the latest incident earlier this month. So carriers won't go to Butch's hood anymore. The AP reports that residents of the street must now go to a nearby community mailbox or to a post office box to get their mail. Here's the rest of the report:
Owner Jolene Whittle said Butch has always had a problem with mail carriers. "He got out last Monday and was supposedly chasing the mailman. According to the mailman, Butch tried to attack him," she said. But Whittle said Butch has never attacked anyone, including her daughters, 2 and 4. "I have two little girls," she said. "I wouldn't have a mean dog in my house." Gray said the post office stopped mail to the Whittles last summer. After the Jan. 8 incident, though, delivery was stopped to about 24 other homes on the street. Gray said the dog had not bitten any of the carriers. But dog bites are common enough in Casper that she didn't want to take any chances. "Dogs in this town are a major problem," she said. She said two carriers had to go to the hospital recently to get stitches from dog bites. "Nobody should have to put up with that in their job," she said. Rick Sulzen, director of Metro Animal Control and Welfare, said his agency had no records of Butch biting anyone, although it did have four reports on the dog since 2002. "Dogs in any town can be dangerous," Sulzen said. "Any dog has the potential to bite, depending on the circumstances." Sulzen said Metro was trying to work with the post office and had offered to have an officer escort the postal carrier on the route.

Beer that makes you bark

Beer for dogs. It seems like a good idea, but alcohol can be toxic to dogs. So what's a brewsky-craving critter to do? Chug down a Happy Tail Ale, of course. The non-alcoholic brew is made with malted barley and filtered beef-flavored water (yum), and is even fortified with Glucosamine and Vitamin E.

The beer was created by a California woman who sells it through Dog Star Brewery. Your dog can order it at www.beerfordogs.com (the site also lists retailers who carry it).

Big teddy bears

I figure animal lovers are animal lovers. If you've been here awhile you may remember these two.

From Reuters:

SYDNEY - The thought of growing old may be unbearable to some humans, but for two bears who turned 30 on Wednesday, aging is far from unsavory.

Bethel and Cynthia, brown Kodiak bear sisters whom zookeepers said are among the oldest in captivity, started their birthday at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney with a special breakfast of fresh, whole salmon. The sisters, born in Colorado Springs in 1977, were tiny cubs when they moved to Australia. They have been in Sydney since 1985.

"They're old women now," said Louise Ginman, a senior carnivore zookeeper who has been looking after the bears for more than 10 years. "Bethel and Cynthia used to be fairly excitable," she said. "They would occasionally be very impatient with us, forcefully ask for their food, now they are gentle old ladies. They hand-feed with us really nicely, now they are really a pleasure to work with, their manners are wonderful."

Kodiak bears, native to the Kodiak Archipelago near Alaska, are ominvores that live up to 30 years in the wild. Their lifespan increases to about 50 years in captivity. It is estimated that there are 3,500 left of the species in the wild.

No dog left behind

The verdict is in. Hunter Thompson, the baby beagle in our house (pictured at right looking positively angelic), needs work. I just took the C-BARQ - that's the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire - designed to provide dog owners and professions with standardized evaluations of canine temperament and behavior. Little Hunt got gold stars in areas like energy and lack of aggression, but in the areas of trainability, chewing, begging, food stealing and tail chasing? He got red flags.

We really didn't need the test to know that he is stubborn and insatiable, but it's nice to see he has some redeeming characteristics.

The test was developed by researchers at the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania, and is used by vets, researchers, shelters and working dog organizations to assess a dog's behavior problems and patterns.

We aren't ready to give up on HT yet. Our most effective training method to date? A spray bottle filled with cold water.

Eight lives left?

It's like cats have nine lives or something:
DENVER (AP) — A cat was found hungry and dehydrated but inreasonably good shape after apparently spending three weeks in the cargo hold of a United Airlines plane. The 12-year-old orange cat, named Pumpkin, disappeared from the crate in the baggage compartment of a flight from England toGermany on Dec. 28, said her owner, Andrea Barlow of Washington. She was found by United cargo workers Wednesday when the plane stopped in Denver. “So far, looks like she’s doing pretty good,” said David Gall,a veterinary intern at Alameda East Veterinary Clinic, where United workers took Pumpkin. “This cat’s very lucky,” he said. Barlow said she and Pumpkin were flying from Manchester, England, to Munich, Germany, and then Washington. When Barlow went to retrieve Pumpkin in Munich to change planes, her crate was broken and empty. A search of the plane turned up nothing. It wasn’t immediately clear where the plane has flown since Munich. “I’m not really sure what she’s been eating or drinking, but she’s managed to survive, which is great news,” Barlow said. Gall said Pumpkin would be flown back to Washington as soon as she’s stable enough to travel, possibly by the weekend.

Boston Terrier lovers ahoy!

So I may be a little biased, but I think Boston Terriers pretty much ROCK. Obviously I have one, a 2-year-old female named Elliott. Yes, she's a she with a boy's name, but it fits.

Elliott turns 3 next month, but she's still got tons of puppy energy. Simply put, she's insane. Hobbies include chasing sticks for hours at Bear Creek Dog Park, running in circles around my red couch, barking at squirrels and disembowling stuffed toys -- first she tears out the squeaker, then she pulls out the white cotton batting. E also loves eating cat poop, then coming up to me for a kiss with grains of kitty litter stuck to her jowlies. She's kinda oblivious that way.

A few months ago E and I were at the dog park when she hurt her leg. And I completely. freaked. out. She was dangling in the air, a few feet off the ground, with her jaws clamped on a stick. She dropped to the ground, then started limping, refusing to put pressure on her left leg. This never happens, so I panicked and took her to the vet. The vet said it could be an anterior cruciate ligament tear -- possible cost $1,000. And I freaked again. Obviously no more high jumping or dangling for Ellie.

Long story short, it wasn't an ACL tear, and I panicked for nothing. But I was ready to shell out $1K I couldn't afford for an animal doctor to perform intricate surgery on a 14-lb dog's knee.

What would you guys pay to keep your pets healthy?

Just passing the time

Black Maul loves watching snowflakes fall. OK, she pretty much likes watching anything move. The squirrels in the trees keep her enthralled for hours. But this is appropriate for the weekend, no?

That's a lot o' kitty litter

I thought there might be a fun game attached to this (scoop the poop in 60 seconds!), but it's just a free-entry contest.

Still, the winner of The Lost Litter Box contest by Fresh Step wins $10,000 - and others get one of 2,500 prizes. Visit the Web site by March 31.

Homeward Bound

Yeah, you've probably heard this story already, but I still love it.

From the AP:
A rat terrier named Daisy that disappeared from her yard in Colorado has been reunited with her owner after showing up some 1,300 miles away in Knoxville.

Daisy, 2, was found wandering down the sidewalk on Christmas night by Tracie Crass, who assumed the 12-pound dog had slipped out of its home amid holiday festivities. Crass took the pooch to her porch and waited for its owner to come looking for it.

When no one showed up by the next day, Crass telephoned the number on Daisy’s rabies tag. She reached Daisy’s veterinarian, who contacted Daisy’s owner, Vonda Lundstrom of Aurora. With help from Knoxville’s Young-Williams Animal Center, Daisy
flew home on Wednesday.

The reunion at Denver International Airport was memorable. “She licked me. She loved on me,” Lundstrom said. “I have my baby back, that’s for sure.” Lundstrom has no ties to Knoxville and she assumes somebody stole Daisy.

Has this ever happened to you? I once had a bike stolen and it was returned. The police found it miles away in a cemetery. Yeah, I know...

Comment below with your animal lost-and-found tale.

Pill-popping pooches

Sometimes, I wish it would be nice to be a dog. Like when the FDA approves a diet drug that reduces appetite and fat absorption. Yes, there's now a doggie diet aid. According to a Cox News Service story, Pfizer's Slentrol should be on the market this spring, and cost $1 to $1.50 a day. This could be dangerous for dog owners whose only form of exercise is walking the dog - they'll need a diet drug. No word on whether or not there's a diet drug in the works for fat cats. Just for fun, check out these pictures of a cat that might need more than a magic pill.