Okay, so I heard of 101 Dalmations, but it was just a movie…an animated movie…lets get back to the real world.  I saw a video clip today about a Bulldog who had 21 puppies!.  That’s right TWENTY-ONE!  Unfortunately 4 passed away during birth, but that’s still 17 total puppies.  Take a look at the video (it’s from Fox News…fast forward to the last 25-30 seconds of the clip):

Bulldog Gives Birth To 21 Puppies

This clip got my imagination running with the “What if” scenarios.

• What if I agreed to foster a pregnant mother dog for your local rescue group and she proceeded to give birth to 21 puppies.  Can you imagine how much poop there would be?  We fostered 7 German Shepherd puppies for 2 months and I felt like I was constantly picking up poop.
• What if there was a guide dog puppy litter with 21 puppies.  Can you imagine?  Guide dog litters are assigned a letter.  For instance, Stetson was in the “S” litter and Derby was in the “D” litter.  You’d run out of names for your 21 puppies.  Perhaps they would just split the litter into two different letter groups.

I’m sure you can think of many other “What if” scenarios, but those two hit close to home for me.  I just thought I’d bring you a bit of the news today…I hope all those little bulldog puppies find good homes.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Can You Imagine 21 Puppies In A Litter?

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During my lunch hour I was reading the book Green Dog, Good Dog and trying to learn more about how to turn Stetson and Linus into eco-friendly dogs. By the way, Green Dog, Good Dog has lots of great tips on how to reduce your dog’s carbon pawprint and one of the great things I like about this particular book is that they have 4 different levels of involvement.  That is, you don’t have to go from one extreme to another.  Instead you can choose to make a more gradual transition on your journey to becoming an Eco Dog or move more rapidly.

Back to my story…one of the sections in this book talks about the benefits of leaving music on for your dog when you leave the house.  Is it beneficial to your dog?  or is it a waste of electricity and and making us eco-unfriendly dogs?

image by by Kema Keur

Do I Leave Music On For My Dogs?

Until today I never really thought too much about the consequences of leaving the radio on for the dogs when I left the house.  I always thought it was a good idea not only because it could be soothing for the dog, but also because it drowned out any noise or activity happening outside the house that might excite or frighten my dogs.

I did take one step towards a greener life-style.  We chose not to leave the television on and opted to use the radio for our dogs.  However, is it really helping my dogs?  Are they less stressed out with the sound of music?

Here’s an excerpt from Green Dog, Good Dog:

Dr. Gerald Buchoff notes that many people leave a television or radio on for their dogs when they leave for work for extended periods of time.  In his opinion “That’s an awfully wasteful activity and probably is no more entertaining for your dog than looking out the window.”

The book however recommends that if you’re going to play music then try playing harp music which is particularly soothing.

What are my final thoughts on this one?  I mainly like to leave music on to drown out the noise and activity going on outside my house.  Linus in particular can sometimes get stressed out when he hears noises outside the house.  I’m going to try getting harp music and playing that for my two boys for the next few weeks and see if it has any noticeable effects.

How about you?  Do you turn on the radio or television when you leave your dogs home alone?

By  the way I’m not quite finished reading it yet, but so far I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Green Dog, Good Dog.  If you’re interested in starting Eco Dog Training with your dog then you might want to go get a copy of this book.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Do You Leave Music On For Your Dog?

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Do you think our shelters should discount dog adoptions?  The question arose (in my head) when I was reading an article about Animal Shelter has dogs for half-price adoption. My initial reaction is “that’s great…hopefully we can get more dogs and cats adopted by discounting the adoption fee.”  However, on second thought I’m not so sure it is a great idea.

Discount Dog Adoptions

Image By Gore Fiendus (Jerry Frausto)

After further review of Discounting Dog Adoptions I’ve come to the conclusion that there are good and bad things that may result from discounting.  Lets start out with the good:

The Good of Discounting

• Discounting may be that final incentive someone needs to adopt a dog.
• A discount gives a person more money to spend on dog toys, veterinarian bills, etc.
• Marketing your discount program brings in more prospective adopters.

The Bad of Discounting

• If there is a discount the shelter receives less money.
• Okay, lets be honest…if you can’t afford the full adoption fee ($75 from the article) then should you really be adopting a pet. – my point being that the adoption fee should be the least of your monetary concerns when adopting a dog.

Shelter adoption fees are probably one of the smallest expenses you’ll spend on your new dog.

Here is an example of some of the fees you encounter during dog adoption: I brought Linus home from the shelter for somewhere in that price range of $35-40 adoption fee.  We then proceeded to spend approximately $200 on supplies including dog food,kennel, dog toys, treats, grooming supplies, etc.  When we got him home we noticed he was sluggish, infested with fleas (he had encrusted blood in his ears), stomach virus, worms, and was very anemic.  We took him to a self grooming shop, purchased a flea comb, medicated shampoo, and proceeded to clean him up – that was another 50 bucks.

The next day we took Linus to the veterinarian for a checkup.  He got his regular vaccinations, medication for his stomach virus and worms and we got another bill for about $200.  Finally, the shelter offered to neuter Linus at no charge…no thanks…Instead of bringing him back to the shelter we used our veterinarian.  When all was said and done another $250.  All of these fees piled up to nearly $1,000 in the first few weeks after adopting Linus.

On a positive note, Linus did receive his initial vaccinations from the shelter and they did offer to neuter him free of charge.  My fear of bringing him back for neutering was that he’d end up with fleas, worms, and another stomach virus.

Dog Adoption

A question I often get asked is what would I do today if I were to adopt a dog?  After all my experience with dog adoptions, rescues, shelters, fostering, guide dogs, puppy raising my first choice would be to establish a relationship with one of the our wonderful local dog rescues like Cuddly Canines and over time be patient and select a dog that would fit my personality and energy level.  I believe most rescues charge somewhere in the neighborhood of a $200-300 donation.  However, that usually includes spay/neuter which most rescues will do before you take home your dog, up to date vaccinations, de-flea and de-worm.  Also, dogs and puppies usually stay with a foster for at least 14 days for health and temperament evaluations.

Of course every dog rescue is different and I’d check with your favorite rescue volunteers to see exactly what their rescue has to offer before adopting.

How about you?  What kind of experience do you have with dog adoption?  Do you think discounting is a good way to “sell” adoption?

Post from: Puppy In Training

Should We Discount Price On Dog Adoptions?

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Post from: Puppy In Training

Puppy In Training Blog Carnival – October

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I know, I know…I spelled it all wrong it’s not the Hot Dog Halloween Costume Parade. It’s actually the Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade.  Yep, a funny play on words, that can sometimes be difficult to spell when you’re trying to look up information on the internet.

Hot Dog Halloween Costume Parade 2009

What:
Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade

When:
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 2:30pm

Where:
Livingston Park
4900 East Livingston Drive (@Park Ave in Belmont Shores)
Long Beach, CA 90803

This years Halloween Parade in Long Beach, CA falls on the perfect day: October 31st, 2009.  Well, maybe not so perfect if you have dogs you’d like to strut around at the dog costume parade and then later on need to get the kiddies dressed up for an evening of trick-or-treating.  It could be along day for some.

Lucky for me I have no kids and the Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade that seems to elude me every year will be on a date I can attend.  What does that mean for you?  More wonderful pictures on here at Puppy In Training.  Of course, I will do my best to get my mother the professional photographer to join me at the parade.  Unfortunately, neither Linus nor Stetson will be participating in this years parade.  Perhaps we will get them involved next year.

If you’re looking for some pictures from last years parade then check out:

Haute Dog Howl’owen Parade 2008

If you need more inspiration for your latest and greatest dog costume then go to:

6 Great Dog Halloween Costumes

If you want to learn how I made Derby’s Lion’s Mane Costume then go to:

How To Make Your Own Dog Costume

Come join us for the fun and excitement at the Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade 2009.

Have you ever been to a Dog Halloween Costume Parade?  If so, I’d love to see pictures of your favorite dog costumes.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Hot Dog Halloween Costume Parade 2009

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It’s been a while since I talked about dog cars.  I’ve been on the look out for a new car to accomadate my dogs for quite some time now.  My 2000 Honda CRV has been holding up very well, but I must admit it’s not the greatest dog car.

Earlier this year I heard about the Dog Friendly version of the Honda Element.  I heard that they had the dog friendly Honda Element on display at the Orange County Pet Expo last April.  Unfortunately, I did not see the Element at the OC pet expo.  However, I have been thinking about it from time to time.

This past weekend we visited the Orange County Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.  I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Dog Friendly Honda Element.  Once again I was met by disappointment.  They had the Honda Element SC, but it did not have any dog friendly upgrades.

Dog Friendly Honda Element

Today I received an email from a friend from the Car and Driver blog titled: Honda Element Adds “Dog Friendly” Package.  I was happy to finally receive some definitive information on perhaps my future dog car!  November 16th, 2009 is the release date and it’s listed on Car and Driver as a canine convenience package.  Here are the details:

• There is a special kennel made of seatbelt like webbing that fits conveniently in the hatch.
• There is also a soft floor in the back to keep your pooch nice and comfortable.
• There is a special ramp in the back to allow your dog to walk rather than jump into the vehicle.
• Dog designs on the rubber car mats, seat fabric, and exterior of the car.

The price tacks an additional $995 on top of the regular price of the Honda Element.

The Honda Element and I

I had already heard that the Honda Element was a great dog car.  If you read the dog cars blog then you’ll know they give the Honda Element their highest marks even writing “best dog car, ever!”  The Honda Element has received all these great dog car reviews and now to add on top of that the “Dog Friendly” package?  How could I go wrong?

I actually test drove this car about two years ago and I’m sorry to say I wasn’t extremely impressed.  I loved the plastic floors and the roomy interior.  The boxy shape makes it easy to accomodate even the largest kennels.  However, that boxy shape may be part of it’s downfall (in my mind).

First of all, I’d like a car that gets good gas mileage afterall we’re trying to be eco-friendly and the Honda Element is not the greenest of vehicles (gas mileage is somewhere in the low 20’s).  this is perhaps partially due to that boxy design that gives it such a spatious interior.  Second, I’m not a big fan of the suicide doors (doors swinging the opposite direction).  The car appears to be large enough to accomadate regular doors.  In my experience it is much more difficult to load and unload dogs, people, large items with suicide doors.

We are trying to raise Stetson and Linus as green dogs or eco dogs.  Our latest goal is to work on our eco dog training.  You might be wondering what exactly is eco dog training?  Well, we like to think of eco dog training as a slight modification on regular dog training.  We’d like people to make eco-friendly choices when it comes to dog training, dog food, dog products, dog cars, or even when choosing your next dog.

The Dog Friendly Honda Element’s poor gas mileage is the main reason why we will not choose it as our next dog car.  Our goal’s have changed over the years and as EcoDogs we hope to find a dog car that also does less harm to the environment.

How about you?  Have you found the perfect dog car yet?  Is it an eco-friendly dog car?

Post from: Puppy In Training

“Dog Friendly” Dog Car – Honda Element

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What does eco dog training have to do with Blog Action Day 2009? Keep reading to find out…

We started writing to this blog over two years ago and why?  Because we want to make a difference.  We like offering information we learn about dogs, puppies, dog training, events, tips, product reviews, etc.

However, today we focus on a much bigger issue.  This is our first year participating in Blog Action Day and once again we’d like to make a difference no matter how small.  Now you might be asking what the heck is Blog Action Day.  From the Blog Action Day website:

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change

This years topic is climate change.  I hear what you’re saying: “How can I – 1 person – make a difference?”  Well, we each need to do our part.  After today I’ve learned enough to start making the small changes in my life to make a difference.  When friends and family see the changes I make to my lifestyle hopefully it will resonate out through their own lives.

Here’s another interesting clip from the Blog Action Day website:

More than any other country, action taken by the United States to limit greenhouse gases and build a clean energy economy is needed to achieve a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis.

This December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to negotiate a global response to climate change. As a world leader in greenhouse gas pollution as well as clean energy technology, the United States needs to take bold action by implementing comprehensive clean energy policies to curb emissions.

President Barack Obama has said that climate change is an urgent threat, and that he wants to restore America’s responsible leadership in the world.

This is a chance for people around the world and in the United States to join together in telling President Obama that we want him to lead the United States in taking bold and significant action to reduce greenhouse gasses.

Time is running out, and our planet can’t afford to wait.

Take Action

We want to make Linus and Stetson eco-friendly dogs and I want to be an eco-friendly person.  Eco Dog Training is a first step for us.  What are a few things we can do to reduce our carbon pawprint?  Well here are a some actions Linus, Stetson, and I plan on taking:

• We’re going to start making our own toys.  Any toys we currently have will be stitched up and reused.
• Continue to encourage others to adopt from animal shelters.
• Only use biodegradable doggy poop bags.
• Talk more about eco dog training and show everyone how to live a more eco-friendly life with your dog.

I know there are tons of other ways to help save the environment, but we don’t want to overwhelm you all in one post.  A great site for information on raising a green dog is Johann’s Raise A Green Dog website.  We follow his posts daily and use many of his green tips in our own lives.  By the way, Johann is also a participant in Blog Action Day 2009.  Which reminds me I did want to recognize all the pet related sites participating in Blog Action Day 2009:

Pet Sites Participating in Blog Action Day 2009

• My Baby Pet
• Raise A Green Dog
• Sansan ups
• Ask the Dog Guy
• Cage’s Blog
• Champion of My Heart
• Creation Elite
• Bascope Zoo
• VeganWG Frankfurt
• Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines
• Molasses Ain’t Got Nothing on Us!
• House of Purrfection
• Honeygo Beasley
• 24Paws Blog: No Leashes Required
• RSPCA Cambridge

I read most of the articles from these sites and also added them to my RSS reader so I can read their future posts (except for the non-english sites).  If you participated in Blog Action Day 2009 on your pet website and you’d like to be included in this list then just email or add a comment with a link to your Climate Change article.

What can you do to reduce your pets carbon paw print?  How are you going to make a difference?

Post from: Puppy In Training

Eco Dog Training and Blog Action Day 2009

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Do any of you have children?  If so, or even if you don’t have kids, have you ever heard of the website “MEET MET AT THE CORNER?”

Until recently I had not heard of the website, but lucky for me I received an email regarding a recent featured video about Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).  Of course after hearing about a video about CCI I immediately rushed over to check it out.  I was thrilled to not only see a great interview with one of CCI’s puppy raisers, but also witnessed perhaps the next Barbara Walters.   Maybe I’m going a little too far, but I was definitely intrigued by the young lady (Katelyn) conducting the interview.

Meet Me At The Corner – Virtual Field Trips For Kids

What exactly is the MEET ME AT THE CORNER website all about?  Check out this little excerpt from the about us section of the website:

MEET ME AT THE CORNER, Virtual Field Trips for Kids, is a dynamic, interactive site, which encourages individual expression and participation through video submissions from children worldwide. Through these video pod casts we hope to create a community of children, who learn the art of self-expression and storytelling through video.

What a great concept!  I sat back and watched several other videos from MEET ME AT THE CORNER and each time I was absolutely astonished by the professionalism of the kids conducting interviews.

Looking back at my own childhood I never would have built up the nerve to conduct an interview with adults.  Great job by all the kids and adults involved with this website!

If you have a chance I definitely recommend you check out Katelyn’s video on Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).  Here’s a little CCI snippet from the website:

CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE

Eight-year old, Katelyn, learns about the importance of service dogs for people with disabilities and meets a pet owner who is raising a puppy for Canine Companions for Independence.

How about you?  Are you interested in sharing your corner of the world?  If so visit MeetMeAtTheCorner.org for more information.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Meet Me At The Corner And Canine Companions For Independence

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It’s Tuesday and we’re going to push forward with our series on travel dog bowls.  This week we have a dog bowl with a very descriptive name: the Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl. This is the first dog travel bowl we got years ago for Linus and our first camping trip to the Sequoia’s.  It’s already been four years since that trip and the Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl has definitely been put to the test.  As usual we have a great video for you and our in-depth review of the bowl.

So, without further ado here’s the Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl:

Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl Review

This dog bowl can be used with both food and water and we’ve had the opportunity to both feed and give water to Stetson, Linus, and Derby with this bowl.  Check out the product details:

Product: Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl
List Price: $4.99
Product Features:

• Easy to just crumple up and pack away
• Waterproof inner nylon lining
• Great for traveling

Product Description

Made with a durable, light weight Kodra exterior and a waterproof inner nylon lining. Just crumple and pack away, or flip open and fill. Excellent as a food dish / water bowl for your pet. Great for Hiking, Camping, Boating, Road Trips, Indoors and Outdoor use. Cleans easily and stores compactly. Assorted colors: Blue, red, green.

Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl Video Review

Stetson, Linus, Derby, and I have used this dog bowl extensively throughout our travels.  Today we filmed a quick video Stetson eating some food out of the bowl and we also show how the bowl can hold water as well.

My Thoughts On The Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl

As I mentioned earlier this was the first travel dog bowl we used and we absolutely loved it.  It packs away easily in any pocket of your backpack, is very durable, and the price is right.  However, it is not without it’s shortfalls.  As I mentioned in the video one of the major issues we had with this bowl is the fact that if you left water in the bowl for a period of time it would penetrate the “Waterproof” nylon.  I guess it’s more of a water resistant nylon.  The second problem we encountered was when we stored the bowl in our backpack for a couple days we did notice the smell of mildew.  While not really a problem of the bowl it is a good idea to remove the bowl from your backpack and turn it inside out to make sure the water fully evaporates.

Overall we’ve enjoyed using this dog bowl in our travels and would highly recommend it.  If not for some of the newer bowls we tested this one would most likely still be at the top of our list.  By the way, at the end of all of these dog bowl reviews we will reveal our favorites.

Pros:

• This dog food bowl is great for crumpling up and tossing in your backpack.
• Easy to clean and durable

Cons:

• Advertised as waterproof, but when I leave the water in for a period of time it does start to penetrate the nylon interior
• It’s very lightweight which could be a pro – easy to transport and a con.  In this case I don’t like the lightweight bowl because as you can see in the video it can easily tip over and spill if not filled adequately with food or water.
• Even though it’s easy to clean if not allowed to air out and properly clean then you run the risk of mold/mildew.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive travel dog bowl then the Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl might be the bowl for you.  It’s much cheaper then many of the dog bowls we tested and it can store away nicely in the pockets of your cargo pants.

Have any of you experienced the Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl?  If so, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Collapsible Travel Dog Food Bowl Review

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Wow!  $46,000 raised at the Riverside (CA) Humane Society Pet Adoption Center’s 12th Annual Comedy Night.  That’s pretty cool and very encouraging to see that there are so many generous people in our community.

The main reason this article caught my attention is because the Riverside Animal Shelter is where we picked up the seven little German Shepherd puppies that we fostered for two months.  We also made several other trips to the shelter as volunteers and fosters for the Cuddly Canines Rescue.

My brother and his wife adopted George: the cute little (he’s ginormous now!) black and tan puppy in the bottom right corner.

Riverside Animal Shelter

It’s wonderful that so many people were able to donate to Riverside Humane Society.  However, I have heard that the Riverside Animal Shelter receives way more animals then they can handle so please if you have the time I’d encourage you to volunteer as a foster with an organization like Cuddly Canines Rescue that saves many puppies and dogs that would otherwise be euthanized.

I must reiterate that it’s great to see so many people give their hard earned money during these difficult economic times.

Here’s the link to the original article: Over $46,000 Raised at Riverside (CA) Humane Society Pet Adoption Center’s 12th Annual Comedy Night.

Have you been volunteering with a rescue organization?  If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Post from: Puppy In Training

Riverside Humane Society Raises Over 46K

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