Volunteer and Help Homeless Dogs!

There are literally hundreds of ways to help out rescues and shelters in your area. People often assume that the only way to help is to clean up after animals in the shelter or donate money. Those are great things to do, but they're the tip of the iceberg.

You can always foster a dog if you want. Fostering is great for the dogs, because it helps them better integrate into a family when they are adopted. It also helps the rescue volunteers to learn the dog's personality and what family would be best suited for them. It's a great responsibility but it's also very emotionally taxing.

If you can't foster, maybe you can transport dogs. Many shelters call breed-specific rescues when they get in purebred dogs so they get out of the shelter. Someone has to physically get those dogs to the rescues, and you could be that person! They also need to be taken to the vet and to adoption events. It's a great chance to help dogs and make a difference.

Donate your dogs' old collars, beds, leashes...anything you don't use for your dog anymore. Shelters need old towels, paper towels, cleaning supplies, dog food (any brand. Those dogs need their bellies full!), dog toys, blankets...the sky is the limit! These rescues and shelters are operating off of the kindness of strangers, so help them out! Even $10 will help. Some grocery stores offer programs where they donate money to shelters-Schnucks' in St. Louis does it.

Clean up after the dogs in the shelter. It's not bad work and you get to play with the dogs after! They need to interact with people as much as possible to get adopted-donate your time.

Spread the word about dogs who are available for adoption. Post them to your Facebook, post them on Craigslist-get the word out!

Remember guys, don't shop, ADOPT!

Tips for Bringing Your Dogs to the Groomer.

Okay, so I'm a groomer when I'm not writing in here. I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world-even on the worst days. No one wants to make me have a bad day, right? How can you help?

-Brush your dog in between groomings, especially if you bathe him in between. Water just tightens the knots, and brushing him keeps his coat in better condition. It will make sure I don't have to shave your dog down, as well. If you have a long haired dog, don't skip combing! Sometimes brushes miss little knots that can easily turn to big knots! Brushing is also a good time for bonding, checking for parasites, and checking for lumps, bumps, and scratches.

-Handle your dog. Play with his feet, look in his ears. If he has a beard, get him accustomed to it being handled (we have to hold it to cut his bangs. There's no other way and they don't usually mind). Touch his face, lift his tail, handle him as much as possible. This makes my job so much easier. If I can't get your dog to stop fighting, it's very hard to get him to look even.

-Don't worry your dog about grooming. It's not a big deal. I'm very nice and I'm very good with dogs. I wouldn't still be doing this after 8 years if I wasn't good at what I do. I will take great care of your dog. We don't do anything scary. They love getting baths for the most part, and they know when they look good. It's a good thing! Treat it like a spa day!

-Keep your dog on a schedule. If you make standing appointments, you'll keep them, and your dog will look and smell better. Who doesn't want that? Your dog will be used to me and the shop, behave better, and take less time to go home to you. Everyone wins!

-Be realistic about hair cuts. If your dog spends a lot of time outside, playing with the kids, and being active in general, a long hair cut may not be his best choice. If you have time to brush your dog every day, then go for a long hair cut, by all means. Go with the best hair cut for your dog and your family.

-Keep your dogs free of parasites! There's nothing worse than getting a dog in and realizing that it's full of fleas. Itchy dogs don't come out as well and fleas suck. It's true.

Keep these things in mind and you'll have the best kept dog on your block and he'll be your groomer's favorite!

Lost Dog!

If you're in Delaware, Dover to be exact, there is a Boston Terrier on the loose. He needs to come home to his family! There are thousands of people all over the country praying for his safe return.

What steps can you take to make sure your dog doesn't get lost? How can you ensure he will come home?

First and foremost, microchip your dog. It's a foolproof way to make sure he comes home, it can't fall off, and it can't be removed or altered. It also can provide indisputable proof that you own that dog, which means everything. It also helps your dog to be identified if his collar slips off.

Make sure your tags are all up to date with all your information. Include tags that show that your dog is microchipped (there is a database where you can plug in numbers to find out who owns the dog) and your number. Rabies tags alert anyone who finds your dog that he or she is cared for and needs to go home! Some people recommend putting a tag on your dog that says that they need medical attention, medication, or that there is a reward.

If your dog ever gets lost, get the word out. Post on craigslist and facebook. Network. Cross post on any website you can. Call radio stations, newspapers, TV stations...get the word out!

The missing Boston is named Brady. Get the word out. His mom misses him.

Let's Talk About Food and my Favorite Collars.

If you go to your local pet specialty store (please buy local!), the amount of food on the shelves can seem overwhelming. There's kibble, cans, freeze dried, frozen...literally hundreds of choices. What sort of food do you buy? How do you know which is the best?

The short answer is that no food is the best. What works for your dog may not work for another. The most expensive food may not be the best food, either. All my dogs eat different foods for that reason. I'm lucky that they all get to be on the same formula at least!

So, you start by making sure your food doesn't contain wheat, corn, or soy. That's a good start. Dogs don't need that in their diet. They can survive on it, but they won't thrive. There's a huge difference. Look for foods without by-products and "meal". This is a great place to start your research. It is a wealth of information about different foods, but take it with a grain of salt. Anything in the 4-6 star category is going to be awesome if it works for your dog.

My favorite pet food companies are Champion Pet Foods and Naturapet. Champion makes Orijen and Acana, while Natura makes Evo, Innova, Healthwise, California Natural, and Karma. These are all good jumping off points. They have foods for every budget and every dog between the two of them. My dogs eat Evo right now, although we feed Orijen sometimes too.

It's a good idea to rotate foods if your dog's stomach will allow. Buy chicken one time, and buy fish the next. I like having variety in my diet, so why shouldn't my dogs? I switch between brands as well, to make sure that there are no deficiencies in my dogs' diet. It's just a good idea.

Why feed kibble as opposed to a raw diet? In a word, convenience. I like the fact that kibble stores well and travels well. It's economical with four dogs and it's easy. I'm grossed out by raw meat and I like kisses, so no raw for me. It seems complicated, as well.

This is just an overview. It's a good jumping off point. I am not an expert by any means, just a girl with some dogs.

Let's talk about awesome collars now. My favorite collars are made by Lupine. They're AMAZING! They're tough, adorable, and the company replaces them even if they're chewed. My dogs have an obsene number of these collars, because they're so amazing! They don't get dirty and worn like most nylon collars, and they can be washed and still look great. They're awesome. I like the fact that all my dogs can wear them, and they come in two different lengths per width, so your dog never has to have a too-tight or too-loose collar. Thumbs up! All my dogs wear them. They also make cat collars.

Dublin Dog makes my favorite collars for dogs who love to get dirty. They are durable and don't get dirty or stink. They roll over Brody's hair so nicely! They make some amazing tags, too. They're thick and hold a lot of information. The customer service there is so wonderful. They really care about their clients! The collars are thicker and work well for big dogs.

Walk-e-Woo collars are freaking adorable! They are durable as well (I don't buy any other kind!) and come in a bunch of sizes and each one is cuter than the last. They wash really well and keep up with all the trends. Personally, I'm in love with the tattoo and dots lines. They don't lie, the bitches do love 'em!
Ellie loves her Walk-e-Woo and her Cuz.

Get out there and get shopping! If you buy or own a collar from one of the brands I talked about, send me a pic! I love seeing dogs in cute collars!

RIP Cool Hand Luke.

I was going to write a big post today and I still might, but first, a tribute to my dad's dog. He had to be put down today. It's sad for a few reasons, but mostly because he was so nice 95% of the time. He was unpredictible and aggressive, but he was so cool.

Rest peacefully, Luke. I hope there are many squirrels to chase and doorbells to bark at.


Luke the Vizsla-June 6, 2006-May 4, 2010.