For the Love of Labradors

Wow, worth a second look!!

2009-07-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

Happy "Belated" St. Patrick Day

2009-03-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering, I have not dropped of the face of the earth. I know it's been a while since I posted and as it is this is a belated post with a St. Patricks theme. But I promise it's a good one!!

I updated the dog collars with Dublin Dog collars in September and now 7 months later I'm still in love with them. This is a record!! We have used the collars we have with the dogs for different reasons in their training and development. You can do a "collar" word search of this blog to see my journey through collars.

When you are finally at the point that a flat collar is your primary collar all the time these collars are worth a serious look. The company is amazing and the customer service is over the top exceptional!!

This is how amazing Dublin Dog and their collars are!!

When I placed my order in person with them because I was looking for a style I'd seen on a third party online site they told me the style had been discontinued when they had redone the design so it would be more sturdy. However, the woman taking the order told me to hold on while she checked in the back. When she came back on the phone she said she had found two in a box and was going to send them to me free with the ones I was purchasing.

When I got my order the collar ID tags you see above also were sent free with my order. As she took the names of my dogs and our home number to complete the order they came engraved with both. They sell the awesomest ID tags and these are not cheep'os either!! I don't know about you but when I read the face side of the ID tag I felt blessed!!

Enjoy!!

"Sunshine"

Because I just needed to be reminded today!!

2008-09-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

A simple reminder that the seemingly impossible can and does happen. This was one special moment I witnessed in person less than 50 ft. from where I stood on the ships deck.

How to beat the heat!!

2008-08-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

With temps in the triple digits there was only one place to go...

On our way down the beach we saw dolphins playing in the breakers. Then on our way back we saw an otter on it's back feasting on some seafood delight. It was overcast and grey and a beautiful change from the scorching heat of the last couple days.

As I post this, once again, the temps our tripling our discomfort. If you are suffering as well in this last burst of summer may these pictures cool you off as best as they virtually can.

Cheers,

"Sunshine"

P.S. Sorry for the poor picture quality. I was so eager to be at the beach all I had with me was my iPhone - truly not known for it's camera! :~(

A bit off topic... but worth it!!

2008-08-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have some amazing friends whose son has a life threatening allergy to dairy, as well as several other foods. For those of you readers who carry, at all times, an Epi-pen you know what it's like.

The first time I took care of their son in their house I was anxious, constantly making sure I knew where the Benadryl was and that the pen was where I left it. The first time I took care of him in my house I was a nervous reck. We're talking crumbs on the floor, skin contact level reactivity.

They have been working on an amazing project this last year and are finally sharing it with the general public. I know this post is not Labrador or dog related, but this is such an amazing story for children I can't help but share it here. Please check it out and share it with any parent you know who may have a child with food allergies.

"Abby the Alley Cat"

From the mail bag...

2008-08-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

A question I hope will help others...

Hi Sunshine,

I have been combing your website among other resources since this past friday (8/15) when my husband and I adopted two adorable lab puppies. We have two 8 week old male yellow labs that are absolutely adorable! We had planned on adopting two so that they would have a playmate for life -- and company during the day while we are at work. I have to say -- I hadn't done any research into raising littermates before we adopted... I had looked into various dog breeds to match what suits our personality and lifestyle best -- and labs are such wonderful family dogs that we thought they should be ideal!

We have started our two boys in separate crate training already -- from day two with us... they cried all night the first night -- but last night went in and slept soundly all night -- from 12:00 to 5:45 am! I was amazed! And we have them crated during the day -- but have a dog walker scheduled for an 11:00am and 2:00pm walk -- for each separately daily... and I have met a trainer that will be coming to us for a consult this weekend and getting them started in puppy training classes in a couple of weeks -- separately of course.

I guess I am just looking for a little reassurance that if we follow the guidance that these will grow to be good mates for each other... I have seen a lot of information about male and female mates raised together -- but I am wondering if you have any insight on raising two males...

I don't want to do wrong by them -- or wrong by us as we have no children at present -- but will be starting a family sometime in the coming year, so I want to have happy dogs with our family in the future. We haven't been to the vet yet, so I am hoping to receive solid guidance from them regarding whether we need to "un-do" our decision to adopt two male labs at once... I would be heartbroken to do it -- but if it were best for the dogs I think it is still soon enough to find another home for one of our puppies...

I would really appreciate any insight you can offer... I have been on a rollar-coaster of anxiety since saturday morning...

Thanks, M

Here are my thoughts...

Dear "M",

There are good reasons why trainers and veterinarians will often discourage owners from having two dogs. I'll be the first to admit that ignorant owners have run into some serious problems by raising two puppies not to mention litter mates together. And it is their trainers and veterinarians that are most active in discouraging it. There are emotional/behavioral not to mention health risks to maladapted sibling dogs, and this does not take into consideration the financial havoc they can have on ones personal finances.

But that does not mean that it is impossible or the worst possible thing to do. Breeders do it all the time. The greatest advantages they have over the average person is knowledge and the commitment of time, not to mention space if you are raising big dogs. Both these hurdles can be overcome by dedicated caring dog owners willing to aquire the necessary knowledge and skills that raising two dogs requires.

If you are out there looking for information, wanting to do it right you are on the right track already. The next step is to have a trainer you trust to work with. I have written about the trainers we worked with both good and bad in this blog. Just search the blog using the search feature in the right hand column with the word "trainer" to find those posts quickly. Also realize that if you do not find a trainer you like or the cost of professionally training two is a challenge, then consider the training book by Pat Miller as a good starting point for your basic obedience skills. Also arm yourself with good books on dog behavior in general. Hopefully some of the books I have highlighted on this blog are helpful for you. For me they have been invaluable.

Trust yourself!! You are right, this is good practice for starting a family. You will have to set boundaries, have fair expectations from day one, and remember constantly that every moment with your dogs is a learning moment. There are no "Oops, I didn't really mean that" do overs, or "I want today off, please". Especially in the first two years, every interaction with them teaches them how you expect them to behave.

But most of all have fun!! That's why you added two beautiful dogs to your family, so enjoy them and this first fun year completely.

Best wishes,

Andrea

P.S. If any of my other readers want to chime in with advice for "M" please feel free in the comments section. I love my readers and they have taught me a lot as well!!

An afternoon at the beach... what we live for!

2008-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

With my niece here for the past two weeks I remembered to bring my Canon PowerShot with me to the beach. Here's some of the best pictures from our afternoon walk. We had some unexpected friends join us just past the breakers. It was a lucky capture with my camera.

From the mail bag...

2008-07-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. Between a lovely vacation at the Mendocino coast and my niece staying with us for two weeks this summer things have been busy. My inspiration for todays post comes from one of you, "my awesome blog readers".

On 7/23/08 Edward said...
I found your blog via google, and 1 month into having 2 lab puppies (boy/ girl) from the same litter.

Did you follow the guidelines in the second article (feed, walk, sleep, play separately) verbatim, or take some separation more than others?

Thanks
Edward

Dear Edward,
If you read through the posts in the tab "RAISING TWO DOGS AT THE SAME TIME" you get a feel for what we did with the dogs together and what I made every effort to do with them apart as well. But in short here's a recap:

We have always fed them together. Nutmeg always eats on Shelby's right side. They were the ones who settled into the "whose on which side" arrangement and we then kept it that way.

After the first week, and we should have done it from day one, they have slept in different crates. They were in the same room but there was a visual barrier between the crates until they were I believe 2 years old. It was around the time I posted that we had crossed the milestone of being able to leave the crate door open and have them stay in their crate until released in the morning.

I did as much walking, play time, and basic obedience training with them separately as I could. However, I also practiced their obedience skills together. I know I posted a while back about how I felt it was important for them to be able to follow basic obedience commands together and not be distracted by the other being present. I bought two dogs to enjoy two well behaved dogs together. And at three years of age I can honestly say that's what I have. I guess it my case " you get what you train for". They are not perfect by any means, but we all worked hard to have the basics rock solid. The freedom that allows us is priceless!!

As for verbatim... I have followed nothing I've read "verbatim". I think it's a dangerous thing to do. Even in your search for doing it the right way, don't loose sight of the fact they are your dogs and they each have unique personalities and temperaments. Each one has different needs and is going to respond to training methods differently. Also, being your dogs there are things that will be a part of living with you and your family that are unique. You may have a couple rules of your own that it will be important for them to learn. In my humble opinion it is more important to be keyed into them and how they are responding than worrying about following some training/raising formula verbatim. That being said I have strived to follow closely the principals shared in everything Suzzane Clothier has written from her vast training knowledge and experience with dogs. You can see the other "must have books" for me on my bookshelf on this blog. I have read others, but these have been the biggest influence on how I raised my dogs. I believe raising dogs is as diverse as raising kids. My sister and I have had countless conversations about this and we both just laugh when we can relate to each others experiences. I with my two dogs, she with her two boys.

Please don't think I am down playing the importance of doing things separately with your dogs. I had to work twice as hard for a time for not having put in the necessary separate time earlier. I was fortunate to have had the ability to be with them 24/7. It's part of the reason my husband and I were willing to take on two at one time. Do I think that 24/7 is the only successful way to raise two, NO! But don't fail the dogs by taking on more then you can truly manage.

The most important reason you want to have the separate activity time is that you want the dogs 100% keyed into you not each other. It's not about dominance it's about investing enough time in the relationship that they will willing give up what they want to do for what you want them to do. If one decided to chase a squirrel and it is not safe, you are going to want to have the decisive third opinion in this decision. It may save both their lives in any number of possible scenarios. In more general terms you want them to be looking to you, or deferring to you for key decisions on their behavior instead of each other. This can be as simple as how they greet people at the door or out in the community, to stopping them dead in their tracks before they run into harms way.

I know that you are going to raise awesome Labradors. Just the fact that you are out there looking for all any information you can find tells me that those dogs are luckly to have such a great "Dad".

Good luck! The fun has just begun.

"Sunshine"

I own(ed) each of these types of animals in my life, this is too cute for words!

2008-06-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge

Catch-up!!

2008-06-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's long over due that I post but ...

• I started a new job in early May

• I got a bad cold the middle of May

• I helped some dear friends move the end of May

• I'm leaving for vacation at the end of this week.

I'll be back soon, I promise!!

"Sunshine"

Here's a photo from my recent couple weeks helping
to keep the kids happy while mom and dad were
wading through packing boxes. I know I got the fun,
relatively easy, yet very important part of the deal here!!

Need I say more ...?

2008-05-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

"The Diva"

2008-04-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

In case your wondering why I fondly refer to her as "The Diva". Here she is at 8 months making sure Shelby knows who's boss. Don't let that sweet face and demure personality fool you, she is 100% B ! ^ @ # (aka Diva) when it suits her.

Just for fun ... An amazingly talented dog!

2008-04-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jan over at the Poodle (and Dog) Blog for sharing this on her blog and putting it on my radar. I loved it and I hope you will love this video too.

Puppies & Grapes... Too cute for words

2008-04-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know, grapes are potentially toxic for dogs.

A trip down memory lane

2008-04-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

I had fun today creating a movie that is a complication of video clips taken with my camera. It brought back memories of the countless hours we spent together the first few months of their life.

From the most popular post on this site

2008-04-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

It makes me happy to know that the information here has helped someone else out there. To date "Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! " has been one of the top 5 most popular posts on the blog. The other is: Raising two Labrador Retrievers at the same time: A few things we've learned.

Here are a few comments from my mail bag:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

Ok so my husband and I came home from dinner and to our dismay we found our choclate lab acting as if she broke her tail!!! We did not know how she did this she was home with our older dog which is also a lab yellow, Shelby. We were almost ready to take Maggie May to the vet although we thought of $ signs!! I found your web site and we are hoping that the "cold tail" syndrome is the problem! You see last night I bathed Maggie and then let her out before bed. I will be eternally grateful if this is really the problem with her. She has had her first dose of Asprin! Thank you so much!!
Lisa
~~
Dear Lisa,

And it was for this very reason I started this blog!!

The collective knowledge of many will help each one of us at some point in our journey.

Hope your Maggie recovers quickly.

"Sunshine"

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

So two days later Maggie May is recovering!! All the information that was given on this site was right! Maggie's tail is getting better she is not in any pain and we have told so many people our story and how we found your website! Thank you, thank you!!
I remain,
Sincerely yours,
Lisa

~~~~~

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

Thank you so much for sharing this bit of info! My hubby gave our Lab a bath (she got into some sticky pine 'gunk') Fri & by Sat morning it look like she had a 'broken' tail. Scared me half to death! She laid in her crate most the day until I read I could give her aspirin....Easter weekend - vet would have been outrageous ($$$) She is doing much better tonight.

~~~~~~~

Average Joe has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

Thanks for the post--you saved me a vet bill. We have a black lab mix and my son gave her a bath outside when it was about 45 degrees. (Not super cold, but enough to do the trick, I guess.) She showed the symptoms exactly as you and your link describe. Thanks again.

~~~~~

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

Everything I have read here is spot on. It can be scary if you know nothing about this. My labby girl went swimming in Vermont one evening this fall, the water was not all that cold as I was wading in it, and showed the same signs. Kept us up most of the night and was very sore to the touch the rest of the day. Was fine with time and a little aspirin.

~~~~~~

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "":

Thanks for the great news. We gave our dog a bath yesterday outside but I guess the water was a little to cold. Today his tail is limp. After researching and finding your site we feel alot better. Keep up the good work
~~
Anonymous ...

I'm so glad that the experience we had, that I shared here, helped you!! It has been my sole intent that at least one other person benefit from what we have learned, and are continuing to learn, by sharing it here in this blog.

Thanks for your kind words.

Knowledge is power ... not to mention peace of mind.

"Sunshine"

"Spring Cleaning" My Blog

2008-03-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I've been making several changes to my blog template and background recently.

One of the things that wasn't working as I had hoped was the tabs section that I had at the top of the "post section" on the page. The "blogger hack" required weird labeling that I'm sure did strange things to keyword searches for bring up my pages. So, when I found an awesome "tabs blogger hack", I relabeled all my blog posts and edited the template html for the new tabs. The instructions were simple to implement for my html ignorant blogger brain. Here's the link for all the instructions I followed to put the new tabs on my blog: [Horizontal Tabs]

For "Step 6." I used method B: It behaved better with the template I'm using.

To get the text color to change to white (or any html color # of your choice depending which color tab your choose) when you hover over the tab, I used this additional code found in the comments on the page:

#tabsori a:hoverspan {
color:#FFF;
background-position:100% -42px;
}

To anyone else out there in "blog-o-sphere" making improvements to their blog, I'd love to have you leave me a note with a link to, or details for, how you made improvements to your site. I'm always looking for good ideas.

Happy Blogging,

"Sunshine"

More Dog & Cat Humor

2008-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

THE DOG'S DIARY

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

THE CAT'S DIARY:

Day 983 of my captivity...

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I have made my contempt for these rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I have once again vomited on the carpet.

Today, I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies'. I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today, I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking.. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I have observed him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe...for now.

Spring Break...

2008-03-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

It was Spring Break for my fabulous niece. Fabulous because she loves just walking the beach with the dogs as much as I do. Here are some of the best pics from our day at the beach.

The fabulous day!

A fabulous wave!

One of her fabulous pictures!

Some Dog Humor

2008-03-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

New Moon vs. Full Moon - Who cares?

2008-03-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, "new moon" and "full moon" phases often have the same effect on the tide. Which means that yesterday was a perfect day to take advantage of some beautiful warm March weather by heading to the beach.

Who cares? I didn't as "new moon" & "full moon" both = "low tide"!!

It was a -0.5 tide and the dogs had a blast!! It was a winter beach, not because it was cold, it's just the way the beach is different this time of year. Some of you may know what I'm talking about, so sorry I'm not finding the ability to describe it better than that.

Here's a picture that may help. When it's low tide in the winter it's more common for pools of ocean water to be left behind along this part of the coast. This isn't as common other times of the year here. I'm sure there is someone out there that can explain why. Me, I'm happy just calling it "winter beach".
The black lab in the front is Moses' dad, "Doizer" and the yellow lab in the center back in "Moto" his brother. They belong to friends that live near the beach and both were out taking themselves for a walk when we arrived. The four of them had a blast chasing balls down the beach.

It was a beautiful day!! It was definitely worth the drive in the middle of the week. I suppose it helped inspire the recent changes to the blog. Hope you like them.

Thumbs UP - Thumbs DOWN

2008-03-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

So, saying that I've made some changes would be a bit of an understatement.

Since I am far from being able to live at the beach I am doing the next best thing. For those of you who have been here for a while, I'm sure you are not surprised.

I hope that the changes are not band-width prohibitive. Please leave a "tail wag" with your thumbs UP or DOWN.

For the best view of the new background image click HERE then scroll down.

Taking a LEAP ...

2008-02-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

As many of you, who have been faithful visitors in the past, have noticed it's been a very long while since I've posted.

Having been caught in my own "time warp space continuum" recently (over booked, over committed) I felt it was appropriate to make every effort to post on a special day like today, "Leap Day". However, I promise to post more than once every four years from now on.

I know I'm cheating a bit but since a picture is worth a thousand words I hope that the pictures make up for the lack of new words on the blog recently.

Morning Companion

Fun at the Lake

Because Winter low tides are the best and this last month offered a beautiful day as well here's a collection from our last trip to the beach. "Moses" is our good friends dog, and "lucky dog" that he is he actually lives steps from the beach.

"Moses"

Perfect Reflection

Foot prints in the sand may quickly disappear,

but the footprints on our hearts will last a lifetime.

A little off topic

2008-01-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

For those of you living far far away from civilization, (LOL) who have never seen an iPhone, this post is coming to you posted completely from my phone. Using the web app on the iPhone I have a full feature miniture web page in Blogger. How cool is that?!

Of course this means that I'm lying in bed with Shelby tucked here in front of me, the two of us snuggled nice and warm, while I write this post.

The posting has been scarce due to hosting both sets of the family for Christmas; mine before, my husbands after. It was so nice, though busy, and the dogs took it all in stride like champs. Of course inviting everyone here meant the dogs got to join me up on the couch when I got a chance to relax.

Everything in my house is machine washable especially the beautiful chocolate brown microfiber slip covers my couches came with. Not only is my house dog friendly, it's nephew/kid and holiday friendly. Got'a love it!!!

And on that note I refuse to buy anything that is a home textile that is not machine washable. Does anyone else feel this way? Dry Clean only is as dated as poodle skirts, there's no excuse for it with all the amazing advances in modern materials... but now I've really digressed!!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday!!

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled topic soon, till then happy blog reading.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

2007-12-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Christmas, which I am terribly behind in getting set up at my house, I had some fun this morning. So, follow the link below, and join me in finding "which of Santa's Reindeer you might be". Make it even more fun and leave me a comment with your reindeer name.

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer,

with perfect hooves and

perfect flying form.

Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up.

Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Can't a girl get a little privacy ...?

2007-11-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

Even the bathroom is not sacred in our house. I'm sure many of you with "fur children" will be able to relate to these photos. At the very least, you'll be able to laugh with me.

"A little privacy would be nice!"

"What did you expect, roses?"

Happy Thanks Giving!!

2007-11-20T22:23:00.000-08:00

With two things on my list to take to Thanks Giving dinner tomorrow, I'm cooking most of the day. The pumpkin pie is in the oven and I have a few minutes to share a photo from this morning.

With a busy day around the house I decided to take the dogs out for a run around 10 am this morning. Ends up others probably had the day off and were out later then the usual 7 am group with the same idea. Within 10 minutes a group of 6 dogs were having loads of fun. It was a beautiful morning with a great group of friendly dogs that we've gotten to know over the last two years. It was so nice to be able to relax knowing that the dogs were fine and that it was not as critical to keep them under close watch to avoid any unnecessary squabbles.

Here's a picture of "Shelby" and "Mia" taking a break in the shade of the summer baseball scoreboard.

Here's wishing you all a Happy Thanks Giving!!

"Unforgettable Animal Actors" & Share Some Link Love!

2007-11-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

Now here's some "link love" any animal lover can have fun with.

It was for me easy to come up with a favorite animal actor. I think this was the first movie I ever remember watching on a big screen. It was on the old reel to reel with the 20 min intermission half way through so they could rewind and swap reels. Brings back memories for sure!!

So join in the fun, and leave me a "tail wag" so I can add your favorite "Unforgettable Animal Actor" to my list.

————— Copy and paste this line and below ——————

List your favorite animal actor and let’s share some link love in the process!

Here’s what to do:

1.) Copy and paste the matrix of “Unforgettable Animal Actors” below, courtesy of PetsitUSA.com!

2.) Substitute the Host Tag and one of the “Animal Actors” in the matrix with the name of your favorite animal actor and the URL of your blog, just like I did.

3.) When you get a ping back from someone that has your link in one of their “Animal Actors”, practice good paw by copying his/her Host Tag’s anchor text (automatically the associated link will also be copied) and paste it over one of your “Animal Actors” below.

5.) Encourage and invite your readers to do the same and soon we will have a list of unforgettable animal actors!

Host Tag #8: Old "Yeller" - For the Love of Labradors

1. Mr. Ed - PetsitUSA.com
2. Buddy (from Air Bud) - JohannTheDog
3. Benji (he was a rescue!)- RescueMe
4. Flipper - PawsibleMarketing
5. Pete the Pup -Fuzzy Logic
6. Enzo (from My Dog Skip) - Raise A Green Dog!
7. The Taco Bell Chihuahua - The Poodle (and dog) blog
8. Old "Yeller" - For the Love of Labradors

9. Animal Actor
10. Animal Actor
11. Animal Actor
12. Animal Actor
13. Animal Actor
14. Animal Actor
15. Animal Actor
16. Animal Actor
17. Animal Actor
18. Animal Actor
19. Animal Actor
20. Animal Actor

Important: Once I get a ping back from you, I will add your anchor text and the associated link you designate as “Host Tag” here, and add your favorite animal actor to the list here. As more and more pet and animal bloggers copy and paste this matrix, the more backlinks you will have with your anchor text. If everybody who copies and pastes from your blog does the same, pretty soon this will spread and go viral. (And we don’t have to stop at 20!) So, the sooner you participate, the more links with anchor text you will receive.

There it is folks. This should help you improve your Technorati ranking, SERP and Google PR and get you noticed with more blogs - we all like making friends, right? Please leave a comment here if you have copied from this matrix so that I can add you just in case your ping-back didn’t reach me.

————— Copy and paste this line and above ——————

Better late then never ...

2007-11-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

I know this is terribly late but I figured it was still worth it anyway. My husband and I with the dogs spent Halloween with my sister and the nephews. Seen as last year I carved a dog and their home is a two cat house I decided to carve a cat on the moon this year. Time wise it was also easier to fit into an already busy evening with kids and parents filling all the extra spaces in the house.

Hope you enjoy!!

This photo courtesy of my ever present iPhone.

Things worth learning from our dogs:

2007-10-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want is buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Be always grateful for each new day.

A Perfect Low Tide

2007-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Friday was one of those special days you remember for a long time. Not only was it a full moon week, which of course means low tide for me and the dogs, but it was a beautiful day all around. The best low tide this month was -1' just around sunset. As an extra special treat it was sunny, beautiful, and warm. The last whisper of Indian Summer was saying a very sweet "good-bye", and boy was I glad I had my camera.

I had some fun with my favorite photos of the day.
Hope you enjoy!!

Click on the image to enjoy the large view.

Red Dingo Dog ID Tags - They are beyond gorgeous!!!

2007-10-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

The "proof is always in the pudding" and boy is this pudding sweet!!!

I just ordered these new engraved dog tags made by Red Dingo at DogGoneGood. Boy are they beautiful!! This is the "large" size ID tag and the color selection is the "dark blue".

There are 9 beautiful colors to choose from and 8 different graphic patterns to select as well. They have cat collar size tags and special cat only graphics as well!!

I got the "bone" for Shelby and the "flower" from Nutmeg. You can engrave up to 5 lines of text. I obviously edited out our personal information on the back of Nutmegs but I wanted you to see how nice the engraving is. These are no cheap-os either when it comes to durability. They are thicker then just about three quarters and are beautifully polished and smooth rounded at the edge. You just want to hold them in your hand. I may pick up another one to use on my key ring they are so nice.

This is a "go out and get it right away," especially if you are as tired as I was of the virtually disposable ones you can get at Petsmart or Petco.

And the best part is that they are just $12 each. I'd have probably paid way more than that for something this nice!!

For my faithful few fellow bloggers:
Please share this with your other blog readers.
Trust me they are that good!!!

The "naked walk"

2007-10-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

The first perfect morning walk ...
two beautiful Yellow Labradors;
leash free, collar free naked dogs;
a beautiful sunny Monday morning.

I hope you enjoy the recent collection of pictures!!
With the my iPhone always at my side I have been able to capture more pictures of the dogs.

Sunday morning with Mom

2007-10-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Because every Yellow Labrador looks better in purple!!

Sunday morning sleeping in with Mom.

Now that's one happy girl!

At the lake ...

2007-10-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's Nutmeg out in the lead, at least in this picture.

The perfect reflection.

Final tug of war.

"Come on Dad, throw it alright already!"

Just for fun!

2007-10-18T23:33:00.001-07:00

Click the picture for a larger image.

All good things come to those who wait

2007-10-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

I knew this day would come.

I knew this day was possible.

I knew I couldn't give up hope.

Looking into his eyes, despite the fact they were adolescent eyes, I knew one day I would be writing this blog post. And today's the day!

Tonight for the first time Shelby and I walked all the way around the block with no leash. I was so proud of him!! Yes, he still pushes the limits on how far away from me he wants to jog ahead, but he was able to be checked with voice commands. We had two encounters with three others dogs out for walks, granted they were across the street on the opposite sidewalk, but still ... !

In the past there would have been no holding him, or shutting him up for that matter. (See previous post "Surviving Puppy Adolescence")

Yet there he was this evening prancing at my side with a yip and whine or two, (maybe it was three - anything is better than the incessant barking fits he'd go into) and he was quick to check in with me with those loving attentive eyes turned up to me as if to say, "look, look, look mom - other dogs!!" I couldn't help but smile in admiration!!

So here he is now in the evening shadows of my office - 13 months later. And I couldn't be more proud of him. That's my boy!!

It was time for change

2007-10-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

So as you can see, I've updated the post column top picture. Here it is on the right for those of you who catch us on your favorite RSS feed aggregator.

Although I liked the previous picture it was time for a change. I really like this new one. It is one of my favorite recent pictures from this summer. There's such a happy feeling to it. They are both running at full speed, ocean air blowing on their "slip stream" features, big smiles on both their beautiful faces as they grin from ear to ear. With a closer look you'll see that they each only have one foot on the ground as they sprint back to us with the ball.

Every time we decide to drive out to the beach I think that I just barely beat them at wanting to get there as absolutely fast as possible. Nutmeg, who is fondly been named "Miss Wiggles" gets to wiggling from tip to tail. Shelby trembles with excitement for the the last five miles it takes to get to our favorite final destination. I'm sure you get the picture!

Even though the previous picture was of the beach it was taken up along the Mendocino coast and was not as clear a picture as the new one so it was easy to make the switch. For posterity sake I'm including it here for the eventual archive history it will become a part of.

Here's hoping you, my few faithful readers, have some awesome memories of your own that you had the pleasure of sharing with your canine "children" this summer.

Cheers,

"Sunshine"

Only time will tell - 2

2007-10-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well so far so good ...

We had some good rain just after I spread out the enzyme deodorizer. That usually will set off Shelby on a "I'm not peeing there" fit. With two dogs using the same area you can imagine how the area can smell. However, not this time. Then today my husband raked off some of the early fall leaves that were beginning to cover their "business" area. Usually stirring up the rocks, especially when they are wet, will set off a pretty good nose tickle. Once again, not this time.

Here are some other things that we've noticed. Where some of the water solution that hit the fence it did not leave a stain or a residue on the wood, granted it's 30+ years old. Also the concrete driveway got some of the over spray. Now it no longer shows any of the stains left from where Shelby often "signs his name". At least that's what my husband calls it when he swirls the last of a stream off the rocks onto the driveway in what appears like a fancy cursive "S".

So far the "Yard Odor Killer", made by "NaturVet" is working well. A big thumbs up form us for now!!

Only time will tell

2007-10-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned before that our dogs have been trained to "do their business" no a path of pea gravel rocks that runs half the length of our drive way behind the gate. You can imagine after two years now how that path of rocks can smell on a hot day.

With winter rains just around the corner my attention turned once again to that area as Shelby will really "cop-a-tude" about peeing there when the rocks are wet. The smell must be too much for his hyper-sensitive hunter's nose. It becomes a real battle to get him to go in a timely manner. This can be trying to one's patience when it's cold, raining, late, or all of the above.

I just found a new product today that I really hope works, it's called: "Yard Odor Killer" and is made by "NaturVet." Here's the description from their website:

Product Description:

Tired of lingering urine and stool odor left behind by your dog or any stray dog that happens into your yard?

Yard Odor Killer effectively eliminates stool and urine odors instantly. This is not a masking agent and is safe to use around children, plants, grass, and pets. Simply attach any standard garden hose to the special nozzle and spray away. Covers up to 15,000 square feet. Great for use on grass, plants, shrubs, patios, patio furniture, kennels, dog runs, swing sets, fences, block walls or any other surface where odors arise due to pets.
Active Ingredient:
Alkyl Dimethyl Benzylammonium Chloride.

I found it today at one of my local independent pet supply stores. As it was recommended by the owner of a dog board and kennel I really hope it works. One of the things that convinced me it was worth a try is that it is safe around plants. In other words, it will not leave harmful residues in the ground or harm the neighbors plants on the other side of the fence.

I'll let you know how it works. If anyone has tried any other products with the same intent in mind I'd love to hear what worked for you. So, send a "tail wag" our way!

A little off topic - but I know you won't mind!!

2007-10-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

There are very few times that I have veered off topic here on this blog as my purpose with this blog is to tell you about my experiences raising my dogs.

But I love KT Tunstall and this video is awesome!! In a way for me it comes back to the whole blog theme in that we need to "Hold On", to the moments we have each day with our "best friends" as the nothing stays as it is forever.

I hope you enjoy!!!

Online Scrapbooking

2007-09-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Got some time to seriously waste? Check out this online scrapbook photo collage play time website. www.scrapblog.com

Here's what I created with some of my recent favorite photos in my favorite theme. Not that it will come as any surprise to anyone who has read this blog why I picked the theme I did.

Fair warning: Time wasting potential - "Very High"

Double the Pet Hair, Double the Fun

2007-09-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

So what does it really mean to raise two yellow Labradors Retrievers together at the same time? Well here's my list:

double the opportunity to capture the cutest puppy pictures ever
double the puppy potty training accidents
double the sweet puppy kisses
double the walks during adolescence as each one was best walked separate
double the training time at home
double the joy greeting you at the door
double the Labrador hair "tumble weed" clumps collecting at the edges of the hard wood hallway, and everywhere else for that matter
double the warmth on a cold winter evening
double the food for the UPS man to deliver every month
double the poop to pick up
double the pull when you walk them together and they both catch the same sent
double the noise when a stranger comes to a door
double the bed size taking up valuable floor space for their beds in the kitchen, office, and bedroom
double the energy to burn, lucky they can tire each other out
double the security when you're home alone
double the leashes and any other equipment for that matter
double the laughs watching their silly little games

And last but not least ...

double the L O V E as only Labrador Retrievers can give!!!

Who doesn't appreciate a little "love"

2007-09-04T22:45:00.001-07:00

Wow, talk about "feeling the love". I was going through my Google Reader blog feeds from some of my favorite blogs and found some love had been sent our way from Willow and Stella over at "Dog's Eye View." Shelby, Nutmeg and I all are genuinely touched!! Coming from one of my favorite bloggers it is quite a compliment. Thanks for including us in your list.

For a little history on this award check out this post at "BlogsWeLuv".

And of course as the saying goes "It is better to give than to receive." So I'm sending some "Love" to some of my favorite blogs:
• Karen Shanley - Truly a great writer
• Lab Tails - I am always inspired by what she has to write
• Pappy's Fella - This guy is just awesome
• The Poodle (and Dog) Blog - The best dog related news and stories
• Just Golden - I just like his perspective sometimes
• Orion - Too darn cute for words

So for those hearing about some of these blogs for the first time check them out. I hope you find at least one that you enjoy.

The Truth about Cats and Dogs - 2

2007-09-03T13:50:00.001-07:00

There are special moments in our home where two Yellow Labradors and one beautiful cat share life under the same roof. Then there are extra special moments.

I shared one of those moments earlier this year here, "The Truth about Cats and Dogs".

Here's a picture that once again shows that miracles can happen. Bella, our cat lived with us for 7 years as an only child. She was queen and our home was her domain. It is no small gift that she will share the same space with the new members of the family.

How time flys!!

2007-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I was just realizing after my last post that it was a year ago August 22nd that I started this blog. This blog's 1 year anniversary almost slipped past me unawares. Our home is such a different place now a year later.

The dogs and I have all come a long way from where we started a year ago. They have taught me so much!! I've learned you have to be "present in the moment" when you live with dogs. You can't tune out, every moment is just too rich with the "living of life" when you share it with a dog, not to mention two dogs. I can only imagine how "rich" life is over at "Lab Tails" with Elsie one of 4 labs, now a first time new mom of 8 puppies.

Then there are the great friends I've made while sharing my journey with you my faithful readers. Thanks for all the "Tail Wags" and encouragement.

Thank you Blogger for making it so fun and easy to share photos, thoughts, video's, and great links with others!!

Here's to another year of blogging!!

"Neverland . . ."

2007-08-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Finding Neverland" is one of the movies in my favorites collection. So it should come as no surprise that when I hapt on the following quote I had to post it here.

A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who therefore is always available to love and be loved.

–Aaron Katcher, American Educator and Psychiatrist

Thank-you to all the wonderful dogs in our lives that keep us young at heart, teach us to laugh at ourselves by letting us laugh at them, and love us unconditionally!!!

Reality Check!

2007-08-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

I occasionally follow a fun blog called "Just Golden". Today I read what has to be one of the best blog post rants ever. Here it is for you to decide for yourself.

Thursday, August 16, 2007
"O" really?
Apparently the new issue of O Magazine includes a piece where "O" reflects on the choking death of her two year old Golden Retriever, Gracie.
"She never stopped moving. Was energy in motion. ... I have never seen a being, human or animal, always so full of joy," Winfrey says of Gracie, who ran amok and gulped food and treats. "This dog lived every moment as though it were her last."
A young Golden being spunky and eating everything that isn't nailed to the ceiling? Really? I'm shocked. Thanks for the heads up "O." "This dog lived every moment as though it were her last?" I'll say it again... that's how Goldens roll... and that is exactly why I love them so.

When I got to the bottom of the article linked above, I wanted to punch a hole in the wall after reading this:
Winfrey says she "got the message" to slow down and catch her breath when Gracie died.
So, "O," let me get this straight... you got the message to BREATHE because of Gracie's final moments gasping for air while people you hired to tend to the day to day obligations of dog ownership pounded on her chest in an attempt to dislodge the obstruction to Gracie's airway?

You can tell a lot about people by how they treat their animals.

All I can say after that is "Thanks for the reality check!!"

The rest of the story ...

2007-08-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

It began here, I guess it really touched one of my buttons as proven here, and now for the rest of the story ...

---------------------------

Pappy's Fella said...

Joe,
Well, when Pappy ain't fetching, he's humping the puppies. I throw the ball to keep him from bein' incarcerated.

Sunshine,
Eh, I look at it as being an object lesson in the disadvantages of being too narrowly focused. Pappy needs to put his head on a swivel.

8/05/2007

Gus said...

Me n Teka used to have a lot of fun doing the same thing to Travis. Muzzer says you should be glad Pappy will retrieve! It is below my dingity.

8/05/2007

"Sunshine" said...

An "object lesson" ? You've got to be kidding, right?

8/05/2007

Pappy's Fella said...

Sunshine,
I understand your dislike, but can't say I feel as strongly about it. Of course I didn't have to work very hard to reinforce the whole retreiving response. I've been bothered at times when it seemed too rough, but often it draws Pappy out of the shell of ballchasing and into social play. In truth I've had much more disturbing problems with other dogs chasing his ball and getting aggressive if he grabs it first.

Gus,
Yeah, neighbor dog Molly likes to give Pappy a hip-check if he isn't paying attention to her. That, or steal his ball and run off.

8/05/2007

"Sunshine" said...

Ah, I see, you are lucky to have nice, though denizen dogs at your park. You are lucky!!

8/05/2007

Pappy's Fella said...

Sunshine,
To me it all looks like kids playing, but maybe that's a warped perception from being raised in an all-boy house. It reminds me of when we'd be watching TV and my brother would swat me with a pillow until I reacted, and then he'd try to bury me in sofa cushions. Good times.

8/06/2007

"Sunshine" said...

Ah, I see perfectly now, you are very right!!

You reminded me of hours spent watching my brother wrestle with his friends. I sat on the sidelines wondering what the fascination could possibly be.

Perhaps this is just the perspective I needed to adjust mine a bit. Thank-you for that. I guess I needed to get over my initial inclination to be an over protective mother.

I love your blog. Your sense of sense of humor and view of things is refreshingly humorous and unique!!

"Sunshine"

8/06/2007

Stop making excuses ...

2007-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how much I can relate to this post today. "Slam-Dunking Pappy" With two Yellow Labradors that I have encouraged with food rewards to have a consistent retrieve, I often loath dog parks.

My motivation for rewarding the consistent retrieve was to reinforce a strong off leash recall, and still allow my dogs to get the extensive exercise they need. This of course means that my dogs love to retrieve. They are often the only ones in the group that will stick with the activity more then the initial five minutes the other dogs will give to it. That's when the "denizens of the dog park" turn their fun into a cruel game.

I think what pisses me off the most is the fact the owners of these denizens think it is funny, or cute, or "their just being dogs." I'm sorry, but that to me is a total cop-out. These owners in my experience do not fully have the respect or off leash control of their dogs. There is no way for them to stop or control the behavior of their dog in this cruel game. So, they make excuses for it by down playing what is actually happening.

My dogs can be seriously hurt, most of the dogs that enjoy this game are tough, compact, low to the ground little tanks. At the very least they at least have the advantage of planning the impact and are prepared for the hit.

I actually had one woman who's dog was doing this one day tell me that my dogs needed to be "more aggressive". "Are you insane", I thought, "more aggressive!!!!!" I chose the breed of dog I did largely on their temperament, I live in a dog dense community with one in every house if not every other. I have corrected even the slightest toy possessiveness in our home of two dogs, as well as in play with other dogs - even if it is their toy. It's not "my dogs job" to tell your dog he's "being a shit head", that's your job, and if you can't see it I'm going to tell you, "your dog's being a shit head," and that "you need to do something about it," as it's "your fault" for not being able to redirect your dog. My dogs do not deserve to be your dogs punching bag!

I'm tired of people who make excuses for their dogs behavior just because of their breed, "Oh, he's a terrier - it's just what they do," or "he's a herding dog - they love to herd," the classic, "he's a bull dog their just stubborn, there's nothing I can do about it." All I hear is, "I'm a lousy owner who has not respected the breed of dog I chose enough to work hard to make them safe in any situation when socializing with other dogs."

Ok, I'm done ranting!!

More interesting facts about Boric Acid

2007-07-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

I originally posted our summer ear care solution recipe here: "Summer + Labrador's + Water = No Problem!!". I was making up some new ear solution today as summer swimming in full swing, and I have been running low.

I decided to do a little research as the bottle of boric acid said it was orthoboric acid. Here's a link that explained the different boric compounds and why alcohol works so well as a medium to administer it as an ear cleaning protective solution. In a nut shell here's what I learned:

"It is poorly soluble in cold water but dissolves readily in hot water, in alcohol and glycerine."

That explains why our holistic vet recommended to dissolve the boric acid in Vodka. As a very pure, distilled alcohol it is clean and stable with great shelf life in which to contain the boric acid for administering. Vodka will also evaporate relatively quickly leaving the light coating of boric acid in place to prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria.

Thank God for vets that are willing to think outside the box. Here's to happy, healthy fun filled water days for all you out there who have dogs that love the water as much as mine do.

You asked . . .

2007-07-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

Taking a cue from a fabulous dog blogger over at "Pappy's Dog Blog" and his post: "Pappy Answers Your Search Term Questions" I have gathered some of the questions that have brought some of you here to "For the Love of Labradors". I offer no apologies for my sarcastic humor - it's just the mood I'm in.

Q: How much does Bark Busters cost?
A: Proprietary dogma is always over priced.

Q: Why keep my Labrador Retriever in a crate?
A: Depends how badly you want to have to remodel your house.

Q: What age do Labradors hit adolescence?
A: Much too soon and it lasts for much too long.

Q: What's really in pet food?
A: Have you been living under a rock this year?

Q: How do you hug a dog?
A: With your eyes open.

Q: How dangerous are Labradors?
A: How dangerous is the Labrador's owner?

Q: Where are Labradors on the dangerous dog list?
A: May be you should be asking, where are humans on the dangerous species list?

Q: When are Labradors not hyper any more?
A: When their owners no longer over react to their antics.

Q: Why does my Labrador love me?
A: Because he/she is a Labrador. It's what they and all dogs are born to do if we let them.

~~
J: You want answers?
K: I think I'm entitled to them.
J: You want answers?
K: I want the truth!
J: You can't handle the truth!
~~

Because we can't stay away!

2007-07-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm long over due for a new post. Sorry for my MIA status of late. The summer so far has been busy and adventure filled with too many diversions to devote extra time to blogging.

While at the beach yesterday I was reminded of our last time there and my last post here. With this week finally slower than all those in between I decided to do some catch up.

June started off with our second, now annual, tradition of a week in Mendocino at our favorite dog friendly Bed & Breakfast. (Yes, they have cottages with enclosed attached fenced yards!!) This year we were actually brave enough to take the dogs canoeing with us. I can't say they were overly thrilled but it was fun to take them with us. We kept them leashed even in the canoe. Between the two beavers and the seal we saw up "Big River" I was glad they could not get any stupid ideas of getting a closer look themselves.

We returned Friday, and Saturday found me in bed all day with a 102° fever. By 5 pm I knew something was very very wrong. The doctor in urgent care confirmed my worst fears that strep throat had gotten the best of me. With glorious pain killers and my first dose on penicillin on board I finally got a good nights sleep Saturday night.

The next day my 13 year old niece flew in from Virginia. Ten days on penicillin is not my idea of fun. When I wasn't out drinking coffee so we could paint the streets red ( we went every where), I was napping off the side effects of penicillin. By forth of July I had finally ditched the drowsy, though much necessary drugs, and we were headed to Monterey for the fireworks. It was the first time the dogs were going to experience fireworks up close and personal but I was optimistic. True to their calling, my even tempered "gun dogs" took it all in stride. Shelby in fact snuggled in under a blanket with one of the teenagers with us and went to sleep. Nutmeg snuggled into my husbands chest and kept him warm from the cool ocean air. Not a single startle from either of them despite the "ooooohhhhs," and "aaaaaahhhhhhhs" all around us, not to mention the ground shaking noise of the exploding fireworks.

Our two weeks with my niece ended much to soon and the dogs and I found ourselves sulking as we missed our too soon departed companion. Fortunately my nephew's and family were down this weekend and a trip to the beach was just what the doctor ordered to cheer the dogs and I up. We all had a blast - as if there is any other option available when at the beach. It was a sunny, warm, and best of summer pacific ocean days. The water was even warm - of course you have to really love the ocean and live on the north west pacific coast to appreciate the subtlety of how warm it was. [subtlety: so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe]

The past two months have flown by much faster than any other's this year. Through it all our dogs have been my constant companions. Now able to take my dogs every where with me, we are all enjoying the freedom that well trained dogs afford. I was reminded of this today as I was stopped in the parking lot of Trader Joe's (for those of you who do not know about Trader Joe's I am so very sorry!!!). I was giving the dogs some water and the back of the SUV was open. A lady came up and had to say "Hi" to the dogs. She laughed at Shelby's crazy over excited greeting and was impressed as he calmed himself down with a little coaching from me. Nutmeg of course charmed her in two seconds flat with her sweet soft gentle kisses of "hello". She was so surprised to hear that the dogs were siblings. Yes, they are siblings I reassured her, and no different than two children in a family, each with their own personality.

Despite the ease of the last several months, nothing is ever truly easy with a sensory driven overachieving dog (a very nice way of describing Shelby). Of course nothing of any value in life is ever easy. Nutmeg is my reassurance dog, reminding me every day that even though I may have gotten side tracked I didn't cause him to be this way. Shelby is the dog he was meant to be, and both dogs have a lot to teach me.

True to tide ... what we live for.

2007-06-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

With the full moon just this last Thursday I was hoping for a better afternoon low tide. Yet this afternoon came with it's own gifts. With the coast in it's typical May - June pattern of heavy fog banks and only 1-2 hours of sun each day, we were blessed with 4 hours of beautiful clear sunny beach time.

So even though low tide this afternoon was 3 feet instead of the awesome - .5 foot tide of the past several months we still had an awesome time at the beach. This time I have pictures to prove it. Sometimes I think about the home and land and open space we could live on if only we did not live in California, but then I enjoy a day like today and know that there is no way I could ever live very far away from "my" Pacific Ocean. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Coming back at a full run.
They couldn't smile any bigger if they tried.

Can you find the ball before Shelby does ?
(Hint: Click to enlarge)

Happy wet dogs.

Taking a quick breather.

"Yes, we're having fun Mom, can't you tell"

Perspective changes everything

2007-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you know every facet possible about your beloved pet, or pets - as in my case, you'll find there is more to learn. Next time you have a few minutes get down on the floor with them. You'll realize there are things about your pets you have never seen before. A different side of their personality emerges. Somehow they become more playful and loving and you can see just how connected they are to you in their own special way. Here's what I saw when I changed my perspective.

"Shelby"

"Nutmeg"

Welcome Back!!

2007-05-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, Dog Gone Blog!

Back in January this dog mom, dog trainer, dog blogger took a break. Well she's dusting off the cobwebs and getting her balance back. Check out her blog and give her some encouragement. We all need it sometimes!!

Blogging on Blogger - Keeping it Fun!

2007-05-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who visit regularly, you can see that I've been having fun with the different page elements of this Blogger template. As much as I often "chafe at the bit" of a fixed width blog I appreciate the value they have in making the content most accessible to the majority of Internet browsers and computer platforms, not to mention computer screen sizes.

I will now however, offer an apology for those of you who wait a bit longer than usual to load my page due to the pictures I have tucked into every place I could make them work nicely. I hope the pictures are worth the extra wait. I realize that I am approaching this blog from own my visual interest aesthetic but I love well placed pictures on blogs. As you can see from my own "twist" on the traditional "blog roll", in the right side bar, I have an image blog roll. If the blog I want to link to does not have an obvious banner that I can screen capture, I try to make one that best represents the blog and will be clear in the final small image.

I also recently tweaked the html code to replace the little blog post title "boring little arrow image" with one of the puppies at around 4 months. I also added an image to the blog title at the top of the page. By adding in the blog description text to the picture in a different application, I was able to remove the simple text and replace it with something more "free from" and fun.

Having no idea what I'm doing when it comes to reading or editing html code, I'm sure this took me way longer than it would have for some of you "html wizards" out there. For me it was a lot of trial and error, with "oops, that's not it". So needless to say, I'm pretty thrilled with the results so far. The new widget feature in Blogger has made this easier than ever I expected, so hat's off to the designers on the Blogger Team at Google!! For being a very un-savvy computer user, I have been able to personalize more than I ever thought I would.

Take away:

Go ahead. Be brave.
If I can do it so can you!!
Make it your own and have fun!!

Update: 5/27/07

So I went and spent hours, yes hours, putting a fun photo into my header. Than Blogger goes and adds a easy new feature to the blog header widget and in less than 5 minutes I have the perfect header I gave up on when I first put up the new header. Oh, if only I had waited two more weeks. Oh well, I did learn a lot and it was fun. Thanks Blogger!! Now I have what I really wanted. For a great tutorial, check out the following "Customize your Blogger Header" Vlog (video-blog post).

My new Take Away:

Let the experts set it up first!

Foods & Substances That Could be Deadly for Your Dog

2007-05-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

Before the Holiday's this year Karen Shanley posted an awesome list of foods and food substances to that could be deadly for your pets, in her post: "Dangerous People Food for Dogs". With the recent dog food recall and more people considering new approaches to providing good nutrition to their pets I felt it would be worth it to post this list again. I know I learned a lot in reading this list the first time. Hopefully you will learn something new here as well.

Alcoholic Beverages: Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Avocados: The fruit, pit, and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.
Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs. Raw bones should always be supervised.
Chocolate (all forms): Can cause staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, death. Bakers (semi-sweet and dark) Chocolate is the most dangerous.
Coffee, Coffee Grounds, Tea: Drinks or food containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms as chocolate.
Fatty and Fried Foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.
Fruit Seeds and Pits: Contain cyanide. The core/pit of fruits can also become lodged in the intestines and kill a dog in 24 hours with no warning.
Grapes and Raisins: Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy, kidney failure in dogs. A single serving of raisins can kill a dog.
Hops: Causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.
Macadamia Nuts: Can cause locomotion difficulties, tremors, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated. Limit all other nuts, as their high phosphorous content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. The exception seems to be Peanut Butter (Organic salt & sugar free is best.)
Moldy or Spoiled Foods: Can cause indigestion, diarrhea and vomiting. Molds and bacteria go hand in hand. If the dogs are small, they will not be equipped to ward off diseases caused by these bacteria.
Mushrooms: Can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarhea, convulsions, coma, death. The only safe mushrooms are shitake, maitake, and reishi.
Nutmeg: Can cause tremors, seizures, and death.
Onions, Onion Powder (and Garlic in large quantities): Can cause Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine. Weakness, confusion, dizziness and accelerated heart rate are other symptoms of onion poisoning. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.
Raisins: (see grapes)
Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems and may lead to electrolyte imbalances.
Sugar and Corn Syrups: Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus. Small amounts of honey or molasses are okay (but not for dogs with cancer.)
Tobacco: Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.
Tomato Plants: Can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias.
Yeast dough: Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.
Xylitol Sweetened Products: Even a small amount can cause liver failure and death.

Here's to ... long, healthy, and happy lives
with God's amazing gift to us, our beloved pets!!

Friday Humor: Pet House Rules

2007-05-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

House Rules

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door ~ nose height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this inconvenience. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the door and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not required.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember - Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
A. Eat less
B. Don't ask for money all the time
C. Are easier to train
D. Normally come when called
E. Never ask to drive the car
F. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
G. Don't smoke or drink
H. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
I. Don't want to wear your clothes
J. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and…
K. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Happy Birthday - Shelby & Nutmeg

2007-05-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

I am a day late with getting to this post, but this weekend was busier that I thought it would be. We had a group of twenty over, not including the 5 kids ranging in age from 2 to 9. Of course, the dogs had a blast when we finally had time to be out with them so they could play with the kids. I may be proud of how they are with kids but I refuse to take anything for granted. So, I still like to be at close proximity when kids play with my two.

In celebration of them turning two I'm posting some recent photos. These were taken on a recent trip to the park with "Dad".

Happy Birthday to my
Cinco de Mayo
"fur kids".

Update: FDA Admits to Greater Danger from Melamine

2007-05-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm sure you're as sick of this as I am, but this is way too disturbing!!

NPR posted the following article: FDA Admits to Greater Danger from Melamine included on the page is the audio file for the report. I would seriously recommend listening to the audio file. I was dumbfounded at the true scope of what is at issue here.

One sentence in this report that convinced me to share this news link was the following:

"There but for the grace of God go some humans,"

This coming from a former FDA staffer. I hope you have seriously stopped to think about the impact this is having on not only the well being of our beloved pets but on us. If you haven't, I hope you do so now.

That "knowledge is power" is no joke!!

Never stop learning!!

What we live for . . .

2007-04-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

True to tide . . . we headed to the beach this weekend. With a full moon pulling tides nice and low the beach was the perfect Labrador playground. The dogs had a blast!!

We met up with several friends and their children. The 5 kids ranged in age from 1 1/2 to 6 years old. The dogs played fetch with them all much to the delight of the littlest one, who giggled with delight as Shelby raced back to drop the ball at his feet.

Can I just tell you now, that I love my dogs!!! They were so good with the kids, and the squeals of "my turn!, my turn!" were sweet echoes in my ears as the kids clammered to be the next one to throw the ball for the dogs.

It was a fun day, with memories of crazy, out of control, adolescent puppies drifting further and further into the soon to be forgotten past.

Being a tide watcher I added an awesome new widget to my sidebar that keeps track of moon phases. I like how clean and simple the interface is. I hope you enjoy it, if you are a moon watcher, for what ever reason. Here's the link: Moon Phase Module.

Update: Pet Food Recall - May have you thinking vegetarian

2007-04-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

In a news article posted today by "SFGate.com" one reporter points out a disturbing detail in the escalating recalls. In the article titled: "Ogden Pet-Food Maker Extends Recall" Debbie Hummel points out the following:

On Thursday, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food announced about 2,500 hogs from four farms in northern Utah would be euthanized because they may have eaten contaminated pet food scraps from ANI.

The decision to kill the animals came after the FDA decided any animal that might have consumed feed from the plant after April 1 should be euthanized as a precaution.

The nitrogen-rich chemical melamine is used to make resins and is a byproduct of several pesticides.

Melamine appears to have caused acute kidney failure in pets that died or were sickened after eating pet food contaminated with the chemical in recent months.
DEBBIE HUMMEL, (Associated Press Writer Friday, April 27, 2007)

It's scary when you think of the number of animal products you may serve your own family in a given week, and that now the feed these animal are being fed is being called into question. I hope it makes you stop and do a double take!!

Personally I'm glad I'm vegetarian.

More here: "Hogs given tainted feed may be in human food supply"

Update: Just when you thought it might be safe . . . The pet food recall gets worse!

2007-04-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

So many of you may be thinking, who's doing something to fix this problem? Where's the FDA when it's obivious something needs to be done? Maybe for some of you the cute picture below is all you need to feel better again. Personally I'm pretty under-whelmed!!

Just in case you were wondering, here's what the FDA is doing:

To keep up on the latest pet food recalls, here are some good links:
The PetsitUSA.com Blog
THE PET FOOD LIST

Dog "Tails" . . . It's more than just a wag

2007-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Who knew . . .

In a recent New York Times article, "If You Want to Know, if Spot Loves You So, It’s in His Tail" (Published: April 24, 2007) Sandra Blakeslee explains the current science behind understanding dog tail wags.

Did you know . . . ?

When dogs feel fundamentally positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rumps. When they have negative feelings, their tail wagging is biased to the left.

The article is fascinating in that it goes on to explain that this right brain vs. left brain distinction in various circumstances also exists in many species.

Research has shown that in most animals, including birds, fish and frogs, the left brain specializes in behaviors involving what the scientists call approach and energy enrichment. In humans, that means the left brain is associated with positive feelings, like love, a sense of attachment, a feeling of safety and calm. It is also associated with physiological markers, like a slow heart rate.
At a fundamental level, the right brain specializes in behaviors involving withdrawal and energy expenditure. In humans, these behaviors, like fleeing, are associated with feelings like fear and depression. Physiological signals include a rapid heart rate and the shutdown of the digestive system.

One of the scienfitic anatomical explanations is that . . .

The asymmetry may also arise from how major nerves in the body connect up to the brain, said Arthur D. Craig, a neuroanatomist at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Nerves that carry information from the skin, heart, liver, lungs and other internal organs are inherently asymmetrical, he said. Thus information from the body that prompts an animal to slow down, eat, relax and restore itself is biased toward the left brain. Information from the body that tells an animal to run, fight, breathe faster and look out for danger is biased toward the right brain.

Go check out the whole article, it's a facinating read.

Who knew . . . ?
you do now!

Summer + Labrador's + Water = No Problem!!

2007-04-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

With summer just around the corner there are several things to keep in mind as you expand your dog recreation options.

Water dog health tip #1: Have a tried and true ear cleaning solution to administer as soon as your done playing in the water.

Our holistic vet recommended the following:
• small clear glass 16oz bottle of vodka
• boric acid dry crystals

Slowly spoon in the boric acid, cap and shake bottle between measures to allow boric acid crystals to dissolve, let the solution rest and settle, when a small amount remains down at the bottom of the bottle and does not dissolve then stop, you now have a concentrated (or saturated) solution.

Transfer this to a clear narrow-tip bottle for administering in the dog ears. You can also use a large dropper bottle or a medium syringe.

When administering be sure to hold your dog securely in order to gently massage the ear canal while the solution is in place. I hold my dogs head with a towel in one hand. With the ear with solution turned up towards me I cap it with the towel while I rub the ear canal. Then I turn their head myself to allow the excess to drain out into the towel before I let them shake their head. If I'm lucky I can do both ears before they squirm away and then I don't have to try and coax them back to me. Not an easy task after pouring liquid into their ears. Have lots of cookies handy to say "I'm sorry!, we're still friends, right?"

Here's a great link from Wood Haven Labs website that confirms the soundness of this home remedy: Cleaning Ears and Treating Ear Infections

For more information about Boric Acid click on the picture above.

~~~~~~~~~~

Personally summer for us means more time at the lake. As we are fortunate enough to have things warm up a bit sooner here on the west coast our dogs have already had some fun afternoons swimming. Nutmeg has an absolute passion for the water. It's truly a joy to see her having so much fun. If her brother can out maneuver her on land than she is queen and water is her domain. I'll be adding a movie taken last week to this post soon so check back later this week.

Fun Labrador Artwork

2007-04-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I hope you have noticed the new link in my right side bar. I stumbled onto Angi's delightful art on Cafepress. Here's a sample:

She promises more Labrador art soon. I'm looking forward to checking back often.

My other amateur passion, in a previous life.

2007-04-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Now that's one smart dog!

2007-04-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Pet Food Recall List Summary

2007-04-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Below I've summarized the list of brands affected. Just click the image to view the list in detail. If you want more specifics on the exact products and manufacturing codes for the items affected just click the link below the image to download the pdf.

Thanks Karen for putting this link out there for others: http://srv.ezinedirector.net/?n=1666824&s=41304140

This list is chock full of ironies. With names like, "loving meals", "pet essentials", "presidents choice", "cadillac", "award", "science diet", "best choice" ... . Is there anyone else out there that isn't just a little bit furious with the bull shit marketing behind names like these? Obviously there was no thought given to compromising quality when it came to the bottom line and making a profit.

Personally I'm happy I feed my dogs a brand that has the founders name in it. Now there's some motivation for maintaining the integrity and reputation of your product.

Update: 4/17/07:
Take a deep breath before you click this link: "Organic Pet Food Brand Joins the Recall List"

Obiviously Dick Van Patten didn't care that his name was going to be dragged into the wake of "3000 dead and counting"!

For a list of pet foods
--> NOT <--
on the recall list go to:
The Pet Food List

Update: 4/27/07
Hold onto your hats folks, this will blow you away. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse it did get worse!!

Check out this link to American Nutrition's website listing the recall of such brands as:
Blue Buffalo, Harmony, Natural Balance, Kirkland Signature Premium, Canine Caviar, Mulligan.

My girlfriend feeds her dog Canine Caviar. She has paid a premium to do it as it has been sold as a top quality food and she has to have it shipped to her. And she has to pay shipping unlike Flint River that does not charge shipping on top of the price listed for their food.

Once again, (and I hope I never have to take back my words) I am so very very glad I feed my dogs Flint River Ranch dog food!!!! They are a family owned company that manufacture thier own food in a manufacturing plant in Redlands, CA.

Thanks to my labs . . . I'm regaining my balance

2007-04-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

So the cobwebs were getting thick and I had no more excuses so I figured that this blog was due for some spring updates as well. I got two bad colds, my niece came out for spring break, I was involved in helping out with a church event, and of course these are all excuses.

Back in March Pappy's Dog Blog shared a post titled, "Rough day at the dog park", in which he shares the following:

That takes me back to the time that Pappy was injured in the dog park. I still tell myself that it was a play accident rather than an act of aggression. But the truth is I really don't know what happened. Even with my dog being the victim, I was pretty desperate to rationalize the whole situation as something that wasn't going to implicate the safety of the dog park. Because if the dog park isn't safe, what am I doing taking my dog there?

Of course this rationalization is less dangerous than the one that an erratically aggressive dog can be trusted at a dog park, no matter how much someone loves him. [...] When you think about it, it's a pretty thin fabric of faith and good sense that holds the dog park situation together.

Well, he was braver and more optimistic than I have been. It wasn't more than a few days after reading this post that a female pit bull that we had spent the last 8 months interacting with at our local park went after Nutmeg. The growling and snarling freaked me out. One minute Nutmeg was panting at my side after retrieving a ball and the next she was snarling back at this dog to protect her own face and neck.

I can make all kinds of excuses for this pit bull; she was: - a rescue that for whatever reason was sound sensitive, - a dog generally more on the nervous side; she was a dog: in the hands of an owner that was not at all capable of understanding her needs, - an owner who used more negative reinforcement than was ideal, - a man who had come to the park drunk with his dog and to say the least just didn't quite get it. Than come to find out this was not her first incident, it was her forth. For me, I realized after that day that is was the last time I'd trust that dog with my dogs.

I realized that because I had begun to trust my dogs more I had eased up my vigilance in watching them as closely. This incident made it very clear to me was that even if I could trust my dogs I could not always trust the dogs around me, not mention the care or carelessness of their owners.

Yes, I love Labradors, but I also have been honest that they are not the perfect dog for everyone. I never wanted to fall back on stereo types when it came to dogs, but this incident has taught me something. There's a reason the school yard mean kid is called a "bully". It's the same reason why a whole category of dogs are called "bully" breed dogs. Does that mean that I think all these dogs a "bad", absolutely not. But these breeds of dogs in the wrong hands are a very dangerous combination. That being said any and all dogs in the wrong hands can be an accident waiting to happen.

Being a responsible dog owner is a challenge when you live in a suburban community. I can appreciate why Suzanne Clothier lives in upstate New York where she can happily say, "I own everything I can see from my house." There are days I'd love to be able to say the same. I'm afraid that here in California it will not likely ever happen for us. I suppose one can always dream though.

More to come soon, I promise . . .

"Almost human" ? I think not!!

2007-03-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such. ~John Holmes

I found this quote recently at "Quote Garden" and had to share it. There have been times I've looked at the stupidity of the dog owners I've met since owning my dogs, not to mention others we've all had the pleasure of running across, and knew I was not the only one who could appreciate this quote. And here's why I know I'm right.

A man may smile and bid you hail
Yet wish you to the devil;
But when a good dog wags his tail,
You know he's on the level.
~Author Unknown

Celebrating "100": For the Love of "my" Labradors

2007-03-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered why the 100th episode of any TV series is such a big deal, especially when it's been a show I've liked. "Of course, they'll be here next season," I'd think. Then came the late 90's and early 2000's when reality TV came on the seen and sitcoms that I thought were great were canned just as I was really enjoying them. That's when it hit me why there's all the "hoopla" and celebration when it comes to the "100th" episode.

Getting to my "100th"post came on me almost unawares. I was doing some label editing recently when I realized, looking at my blogger dashboard, that "100" was not too far off. So, here's to eveyone who has become a regular here on my humble blog.
~~~~~
With the recent dog food recall making headlines across the nation I was doing some reflection today and the realization hit me that if I had never done the Google search "What's really in dog food", I would still be feeding my Labradors Eukanuba. The thought sends chills down my spine. It's been a long time now that I have despised commercial dog food. You only need look as far and the ingredients label to see why. If you don't know what all those words mean you probably should not be feeding them to your dog. I told our first vet (trust me she's no longer our vet and hasn't been for a long time) that I refused to feed my Labradors dog food that contained corn, rice, or wheat, as the primary sources of protein or calories. Then I read today in the Reuters news article (Pet deaths expected to rise despite recall: FDA), that the tainted item was wheat gluten (in my opinion an inferior protein source). I can remember clearly now, how my first vet scoffed at me and looked at me like I'd gone "left of center". This same doctor insisted that (one of the recalled labels) Eukanuba's "puppy formula" was better suited for my dogs.

My dogs switched to Flint River Ranch all stage dog food the next week when the food I'd ordered arrived, and I haven't regretted it for a second. (I covered some of these details in my previous post "What to feed a Labrador Retriver.") For those of you wondering, here's the ingredients label for the "Fish-n-Chips" formula I feed my dogs. When you compare this list to what the "Animal Advocate" has to say, you'll see why I recommend this dog food for my Labradors.

If there's one thing that convinced me to look for the best dog food possible it was the realization that the five largest processed food manufactures were also responsible for the majority of the dog food labels out there.

Three of the five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational companies: Nestlé (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One), Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles-n-Bits, Nature’s Recipe), Colgate-Palmolive (Hill’s Science Diet Pet Food). Other leading companies include Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba and Iams), Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba, Waltham’s), and Nutro. From a business standpoint, multinational companies owning pet food manufacturing companies is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have increased bulk-purchasing power; those that make human food products have a captive market in which to capitalize on their waste products, and pet food divisions have a more reliable capital base and, in many cases, a convenient source of ingredients.

What they can't sell as addictive crap to humans they sell as toxic leftovers to our beloved pets. I won't apologize for being angry. This just hits the wrong button for me. The irony is infuriating, and the FDA in my opinion has turned too blind an eye in the pet food industries direction.

Most people don't know that the pet food industry is largely self-regulated. The few laws that do exist are poorly enforced, leaving consumers with little recourse. In addition to modest federal standards, some states have enacted tougher rules, but even these are generally inadequate. For example, in California, no resources are allotted for enforcement of the state's pet food regulations, which are based on guidelines that are more than 30 years old. The sad fact is that concerns about the quality of pet food fall low on the list of priorities of government officials, even though good nutrition is one of the most important factors in determining whether an animal will lead a long and healthy life.

Maybe now consumers will vote with their pocket book. That always proves to be most successful in the long run. The multi-nationals can no longer hide their dirty little secret. They don't give a rats ass about your pet or their health and wellness despite the cute, charming, emotionally drenched commercials, that they spend millions on.
~~~~~
I am thrilled that the absolute unique visitors to my site is growing. I hope that what I've shared here has made others look twice at what they are feeding their pets.

2,601 Absolute Unique Visitors . . .
and counting!!

So, here's to 100 more posts that continue to make the best information readily accessible for anyone truly looking for answers.

Remember, "never stop learning" . . .
it might just save the life of someone you love!!!

End of week "2 dog household" summary

2007-03-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, we've begun to enjoy life with our two dogs on a completely new level. Specifically one of the things we are able to do now is leave their crate doors open at night. In the morning they wait for us to get up and release them to head out to the kitchen for their morning potty check and breakfast. The first night I actually forgot to close Shelby's crate I was quite proud of my boy. Then came the realization that we now would be enjoying the protection and security of two amazing watchdogs. God protect anyone entering our house at an un-godly hour of the night, as both dogs are no longer secured in their crates.

Then, we were working late yesterday evening on some end of week projects. It was around 11:30 pm when both dogs get up, stretch, do a wake up "shake off" and slowly saunter outside. We could hear them step on their pee rocks. Next thing we see, they're headed down the hall to their crates. Without a single prompt from us our two "fur children" have put themselves to bed. We've begun a new stage in the wonderful life with well trained dogs. They have settled into our routine and have begun to anchor to our normal patterns. Even though we had a bit more to do before we followed them, they had turned in for the night.

Today we made it to the beach and it was a beautiful day!! The dogs loved the extra fun and exercise at their favorite place to play. When I got home I have a message in my in-box with a link to the following YouTube video. Go check it out! This guy really has a sense of humor. I hope you enjoy!!

Have a nice weekend!

My responce to "Teri's Tail Wag"

2007-03-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Teri and her comment on my last post: Wasn't it just yesterday that they were puppies?, here's my response.

Teri,

I'm so happy for you and your new family members. You are doing much better from the start than I did and I hope you avoid some of the struggles that I ran into. I don't think you need to keep your puppies apart for days on end.

Here are my thoughts but keep in mind that it may be good to keep looking for advice. I would check with the books from the awesome trainers I've recommended here on my blog for starters. First and foremost go with what you know, and what feels right for you. They're your dogs and it has to be right for you and them. Dogs have as diverse temperaments as children and so need different approaches in their training and raising as well. This blog is about my experience with my two unique dogs.

Here are my thoughts on some of the key times you've mentioned:

Crate time - different crates are a must. Whether in the same room or different room is up to your logistics and your gut feeling. Dogs are pack animals and I think that it is positive and important to nurture this natural characteristic dogs have, as long as we are the ones leading the pack by setting necessary limits and building their trust and confidence. We had to put a visual separator between the two crates to tone down the whining. They could however, get audible reassurance that the other was close. If your puppies are doing well at night in separate rooms then stick with what is working for you.
Feeding time - We still do, and have always done this together, but I would suggest different areas in the same room with at least different food dishes. It may be easier for them to share a water dish but this is up to you. It sounds like you have this logistics worked out already.
Play & Training time - They should have both dedicated play time and training time with you. This will give them both disciplined and relaxed time with you and they will learn to distinguish the difference in your body language and tone of voice. But I would definitely allow them to play together with you and all members of the family. They need this because as I've mentioned already it's hard wired into their instincts to be "family" (pack) oriented. I personally feel it's also important for their emotional and psychological development. Towards the middle and end of adolescence (9 - 13 months) I would also encourage you to bring them together for training time. That way they learn that they need to pay attention and obey not just play when they are both with you. You got two dogs like I did so that you could enjoy both their company. You need them to be able to be disciplined as well as relaxed when they are together.
Obedience class - Logistically it was not possible for us to take our dogs to different "puppy" and "beginning/intermediate" obedience classes. We did run into some problems as adolescence started but we had not done some of the important things you are doing already so we had the cards stacked against us. If you can take them to different classes they will learn to socialize with other dogs independent of each other. This will be very good especially if un-beknownst to you they would have the tendency to double team on a new dog and overwhelm that dog. Fear is never a good emotional state for any dog not to mention any dog encounter.

These are just my thoughts and my experience is limited to my two dogs. I hope this offers you some food for thought. Keep me posted on how things go.

"Sunshine"

Wasn't it just yesterday that they were puppies?

2007-03-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I remember getting up in the morning and feeling as though the day would last forever – hours and hours in which to live a lifetime, yet still be home for tea. These days, or so it seems, all I need to do is blink and the day is gone.
© David J. Nightingale
used with permission

This quote comes from one of my favorite online photographer's blog Chromasia. It so captures how I've been feeling lately. Time seems to take on a life of it's own when you're young. On the good days it stretches out before you in the beautiful suspension of a long afternoon summer sun. That time of day when the sun seems to hover in the sky with an eternal soft warm glow. That's how the days have become again for me with our two wonderful dogs. Some of that "joy in fleeting moment" has become more real to me lately. With Spring showing her warm face this week and teasing us with promises of the summer days to come, I can hardly wait for those lovely long summer afternoons that will be here soon.

Life with my two dogs has settled into a comfortable pattern. This in no way means that we do not still have our challenges that surface, giving me fodder for this blog. I just have been relishing recently the place we have arrived at where they know enough of the basic rules that I can take them just about anywhere with me and there presence is in no way a burden or worry.

Just the other week when my sister invited me to spend the day with her and a friend I took the dogs along. The day was overcast and cool and I knew they'd be fine in the Pilot, as they treat it as an extra large crate. We spent the several hours enjoying a craft fair and then went to lunch. With a couple "potty breaks" and two nice fetch sessions when I arrived at my sisters and again before I headed home, the dogs were great.

There are many things that got us to this point, many of which I have shared throughout this blog. Although it seemed to stretch on for ever in the harder parts of puppy adolescence the reward now is "oh so very sweet". If you've found us in the mist of your own struggles, hang in there! Stay focused the reward is worth it, trust me!!

The dogs and their favorite extra-large mobile crate.

A good lead from: Top 50 "Just Labradors" website.

2007-03-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a new Labrador specific blog, and this one is worth reading from day one. It will take you a while but I think you'll enjoy your stay. This brave blogger blogs with the companionship of 4, Yes, 4 Labradors. So check out "Lab Tails" and fall in love with four beautiful Labradors.

Shelby, the Robins, and "his birds" . . .

2007-03-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

About three weeks ago, before the recent rain storms here in California, we had winged visitors. It was about 10 am, I was at my desk and the dogs were sleeping behind me, when I heard a chorus of chirps. I turned around to see no less than a dozen Robins swirling between the branches of our Japanese Maple and our red berry bush. In no less then 5 minutes they had all the red berries devoured and had moved on. It was a special moment for me. Growing up in rural northern California farmland there were always tons of Robins, Blue Jays, Red-winged Blackbirds, Finches, and Sparrows. The Robins were always my favorite. Now, once again living in northern California, my greatest joy was seeing the first Robin that appeared on our lawn about two weeks after we moved into our new home. I've continued to see an occasional one here and there. The other day, however, was the first time I've seen so many at one time. It got me thinking that I should really set up a bird feeder. What better way to coax more birds to hang out around here. Yeah, I know, dugh!!, but with the dogs, especially Shelby being easily excited by the sight of birds I haven't wanted to add fuel to the fire.

Well last week I set up the bird feeder and it has been a big hit. The other day my husband counted close to 20 birds out by the feeder. No Robins, but still a beautiful array of different Sparrows and Finches and the ever present Morning Doves. The dogs favorite sun spot in the house looks out to where the bird feeder sits in the branches of the Japanese Maple. At first Shelby would get excited and when let outside would charge out to the yard. I've been consistent about telling him, "No, leave them alone", and he's beginning to get it. Than the other day a squirrel discovered the feeder. Shelby was the one to let me know that we had a thief. He let out a low growl as if to say, "Hey, that foods not for you". Once I had sent the squirrel scampering and moved the feeder out of his reach the birds returned. Shelby settled back down in his favorite spot to watch "his birds" and all was at peace again. Go figure!?, putting up the feeder has done him more good than harm and I get to enjoy the beautiful birds.

Despite their furious fluttering I was able to snap this shot out my office window of atleast one.

Why is a labrador called a man's best friend?

2007-02-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

I recently had the following key word search bring someone to my blog: "why is a labrador called a man's best friend?" I could write a whole post on my answer to that question . . . oh wait, I wrote a 95+ post and counting blog answering that question already.

So I decided to do the search myself and ended up at an adorable collection of quotes about Labradors written by young kids. Here are just a few:

I love Myffy (Labrador Retriever) because he is a cute little pup. I hope he will grow up to be an intelligent and responsible dog. He loves to play with me and enjoys running around. Anupama, Age 11, New Delhi, India

We have two Labradors. Our first dog, Max Million, he looks like a big bear. Our second dog Maddie, looks like a Salamander, because she lays on her tum tum with her legs spread out! Anonymous, ages 11 and 9, Washington USA

I have some dogs too! Yeller (named after Old Yeller): He is a yellow Labrador Retriever and very obedient. He is 6 years old and he has mellowed out a whole bunch! I got him when he was a puppy. He can be very cute and cuddly at times! Kara

I have a black Lab. His name is Chivas. I had another dog but she died. Her name was Bailey. She was a yellow Lab. I also had a chocolate Lab. His name was Captain. We had to give him away, because he kept on digging out. I want another dog so that my dog can have a playmate. Kimberly, Age 9

My Lab, Mac, is so cute. He is three months old and loves to chew on things. He is a purebred yellow Lab.
Kelsey, Age 12, Florida USA

Now if you're a lover of Labrador's like me you have to be smiling after reading just those few. For more visit: "LoveYourDog.com"

Because laughter's always the best medicine !

2007-02-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Fair Warning!!

"Happy Birthday Coco" - Reviewed

2007-02-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

When I first received the E-mail asking me to review children's books I thought it had to be a mistake. But it was clear that it wasn't when 13 children's books showed up at my store step.

The invitation was intriguing:

I just came across your blog dedicated to dogs and all things related to your pets. How fun! We thoroughly enjoy your site and want to give you the opportunity to receive samples of our books to share with your readers.
Although none of our books feature Labradors, specifically, I thought perhaps some of your readers might be interested in books that feature dogs as main characters. Happy Birthday Coco is one of our best-selling gift books for readers of all ages and has been sold at independently owned pet boutiques across the country.
Thanks so much for taking the time to review our books.
Best regards,
Sondra LaBrie
Marketing Manager
Kane/Miller Book Publishers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it should come as no surprise which book I first chose to review.

"Happy Birthday Coco", originally published in Japan in 2005 this charming children's book was translated and published in English in 2006.

This beautifully illustrated book opens on the morning of Coco's first birthday. Coco, a wire hair fox terrier is a year old and over the next year has a lot to share with readers of all ages. Month by month we enjoy her special moments. The year brings many fun adventures, several new friends, and a sad goodbye. From pointing out the pitfalls of harsh words to beautifully demonstrating the perfect greeting with new dog friends, it's easy to see why she's a favorite. As the book comes to a close we once again say, "happy birthday Coco", only this time she truly has become our little friend.

Book: Happy Birthday Coco
Author: Oneones
First American Edition 2006
Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers
Original Publication: 2005
Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd
Pages: 56
Age Range: All ages (picture book)

Flies... and what we can learn about our dogs!

2007-02-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Nutmeg absolutely loathes flies, especially in the house. It's beyond the normal neurosis and yet I can appreciate her vehemence on the matter. The other day no less than three found their way into the kitchen and a crisis ensued. Everything came to a standstill until I had tracked down every last one.

After dipping into a worse spell than usual, she finally gave up, tucked her tail and headed to her crate in the middle of the day. Something she NEVER does! When I had finally killed the last one I was more thrilled than then she was.

In an truly elated voice I told her it was safe to come out, that they were finally all gone. That's all I had to say. She came out tentatively and kissed my face in appreciation then joined be back in the kitchen in her favorite sunspot and life resumed it's usual pace. And to think, someone just the other day was saying that they had a dog that would eat bees. Who knew!?

Who are we fooling when we want to believe that Freud wrote the book on physiological disorders and that as humans we were the first and only species to truly understand complex emotions.

Although this is no stellar example of a "brainiac" dog, it still goes to show the complexity of and beauty that makes up these amazing companion creatures. Next time you notice something is "off" with your dog take the time to figure it out. They'll thank you for it.

Update:
For more on this topic check out this article: "What your pet is thinking"

Awesome dog waste bags !

2007-02-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, first for a little humor! Cause I need it and I hope you enjoy it.

Follow this link to Pappy's Dog Blog, If Dogs Could Say What They Are Thinking... then come back and read the rest of this post.

When you have two dogs not to mention two big dogs and you live in a suburban neighborhood their are certain aspects of owning a dog that are "more charming" than others. Namely picking up their poop. And in our case I have gone to the extra trouble of training my dogs to do their business on the "pee gravel" path next to our driveway. Unfortunately, you still have to get it from there to the trash and that's where it starts getting costly. My new favorite product is the NoztoNoz Bottoms Up Pet Waste Bags - canister found at Kings Wholesale Pet Supply. There are 150 bags in each canister and these bags are way tougher than most!!

(Click on the image above to go to their order page.)

As my dogs are not going anywhere and neither is the fact that they poop, I got the case of six canisters. It ends up being about a nickle a bag, which is better than most I've seen. The canisters are compact enough that they can easily go in the car. I haven't tried the smaller dispenser or refill rolls so I can't comment on them but if any of you do try them, let me know what you think. The canisters just made so much sense to me, for sitting on my counter by the door, I was thrilled to find the product. I hope this is a product you enjoy as well.

In case your interested, here's what Great Green Pet has to say on the subject. What’s the green solution for getting rid of dog poop?

A "must see" recommendation

2007-02-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Take a few minutes and follow the link to check out this beautiful hand painted labrador portrait. Enjoy!

Labrador Retriever Pet Portrait in Coloured Pencils

Here's a link to the "Work in Progress" page of the above finished portrait link.

When in doubt - take the dogs swimming!

2007-02-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

The past couple weeks have been very busy and stressful (see the end of my last point for the reason), so, this week was coming to a quick close with too many things still on my list of things to do.

One of those things was to give the dogs a bath. They were smelling a bit "gamey" and with how much my husband and I like to snuggle up with our dogs they were a bit over due for "freshening up."

So armed with my things to do and the shopping errands mapped out for most efficient maneuvering around town I started my day. The dogs got their run at the park, the groceries list was tackled and I was soon headed back to the house to finishing the laundry and bathe the dogs. As I turned down the last long stretch back to the house I realized that the water reservoir ponds were just a quarter mile away and I could kill two birds with one stone. Great exercise and a bath all at the same time. So I quickly turned around, and we were at the ponds in no time.

The dogs were thrilled and I was smiling myself. I needed this as much as they did. We all enjoyed a fun game of toss and fetch. I kept it short as the water is still quite cold but they loved every minute of it. Needless to say, although such a venture is not without it's charming wet and cold moments for me, I was drier than if I had given them bathes at home.

After a good rub down and a spritz of coat conditioner spray (Buddy Splash Spritzer - Lavender & Mint) on our return, the dogs and I were further down the list of things to do much easier than I had initially thought.

So next time you find your self debating "do I really have time to bathe the dog(s)" make it fun for both of you and take your dog(s) swimming.

The "Shake Off" - Why dogs sometimes shake for no apparent reason.

2007-01-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

There are several blog feeds that I enjoy reading on a regular basis. One of them you can find in my sidebar - Pappy's Dog Blog. The most recent post titled"Hippy Hippy Shake" made me realize how much I've learned about my dogs communication without realizing it.

In her book Canine Body Language: A photographic Guide, Brenda Aloff offers one explanation for this behavior. She points out that the "Shake Off" is something dogs will do that "indicates that the dog is coming down off adrenaline" . . . and "is moving into a Thinking or Responding state and out of a Reactive and unpredictable state." She goes on to explain more about this particular behavior and how this behavior is played out in dog/dog interactions. She has great pictures to go with her explanation that show various breeds of dogs demonstrating this behavior.

I can attest to the accuracy of this explanation with my own dear Shelby a prime example of a Reactive Dog. If he is in a "reactive" (or hind brain) mode and is trying to self calm or refocus he will shake from head to tail. It mainly starts with his head being most vigorously shaken but can go all the way to his tail sometimes. As he gets excited when he sees new people or if other dogs approach our gate I often see him try to shake off his "reactivity" if I give him an anchoring command like "leave it", "sit", "heal" etc. I'm asking him to refocus and it his way of trying to comply as quickly as possible. Sometimes it will happen without my intervention or redirection but after he has gone a bit "reactive" i.e. seeing a squirrel, bird close by.

I'm sure there are other reasons why dogs shake. I can tell you however that knowing as much as possible about why my dogs may do something gives me such an invaluable understanding of what my dog may be telling me. I highly recommend Brenda Aloff's book. Reading her book is similar to when you've gone to visit a foreign country and all you here is gibberish then all of a sudden someone comes along and starts translating the gibberish into meaningful words and phrases. Your whole world changes. That's what this book did for me and my ability to understand my dogs. It was a beautiful thing!!!

Side note:
For those of you who come regularly and have been wondering where I've been, sorry I've been MIA. A friend has just brought his mom home on hospice and I've been helping out. This was a nice break from where my energy has been focused recently. I hope you find the information interesting and hopefully helpful.

"Down the White Rabbit Hole" again . . .

2007-01-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to spend your Sunday mornings when you own a dog and you have a blog. Option 1) Dog Dreams - & other Sunday morning reflections, or option 2) "Chasing White Rabbit's" on a Sunday morning.

As I got to sleep in yesterday and it was my turn to get up with the dogs today there was no enjoying option #1. So this morning finds me "down a rabbit hole again" as I enjoyed option #1 on Saturday. Here's what I've found so far "chasing white rabbits" this morning.

Check out the beautiful work of animal portrait artist Katja Turnsek, from Sweeden at Pet Portraits, by Katja Turnsek. She also has a Blog, where you can read about some of her current projects. She also offers generous Free Stuff on her website that features her artwork.

Then I owe a huge thanks to Karen Shanley for the new link in my side bar tab:

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

DOG TRAINING & CARE TIPS

from James & Kenneth Publishers. They are "proud to publish all of Dr. Ian Dunbar’s dog-friendly dog training books and DVDs". Also available on their website: [Excerpt]

In our attempt to educate prospective puppy owners before they get their puppies, we have convinced Dr. Ian Dunbar to allow us to offer his book BEFORE You Get Your Puppy for free.

Also check out this great FREE article ontraining your "Hyper Dog". This in only one of several other great FREE articles in their Behavior Problems tab on their website. The website also offers for sale Ian Dunbar's DVD's and Books.

Taking a different turn in my journey here's a couple great product finds:

If you are looking for a waterproof blanket here is the best product result I've found so far: Mambe Blankets. Here are some of the qualities of the "Outdoor Polarfleece® Blankets" If this is what your looking for than look no further:

Stay Dry: 100% water-proof and wind-proof
Lots of colors and prints
Sizes for 1 person up to 10 or more
Easy Care - Machine washable
Guaranteed for life
FREE Shipping!

Along those same lines is the "Mega Mat™ padded picnic mat" from "The Kitchen Store".

If you have a large dog or two medium-large dogs like I do than maybe you'll be excited with the great dog bed finds at Mammoth Outlet like I was. I haven't ordered from them myself but their prices are really competitive. If anyone has ordered from them please leave your feed back here in the "tail wag" comments section. I'd love to hear about your experience as I'll be updating some of the beds around our house in the next 6 months.

"Life Is A Beautiful Dance"

2007-01-18T00:50:00.000-08:00

Once again, because dog pictures make great blog posts, here's a close up of a smaller photo already on this site!

A "Tired Dog" is a "Good Dog"

2007-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

And now back to our regularly scheduled topic.

When you own a dog, not to mention a big dog, and he just happens to be a reactive big dog, you are very familiar with the idea that "a tired dog is a good dog." That being said, be very careful just how quickly you jump to this solution. The phrase should really be "a calm dog is a good dog." When I say calm I mean a dog that has self control, a dog that can self calm, one that can modulate it's own behavior on command. At the very least it is a dog that will hold a neutral position whether that is a "sit" or a "down" despite being excited, until they are calm.

When I started classes with Trish I figured that exercising them before class would help. It totally backfired on us. Instead of being easier to direct Shelby was even more "ampted" up.

My girlfriend who has a "reactive" female Labrador decided to put her in agility. The logic being that it would focus her energy and give her an outlet for all her extra energy. Her dog did well but in her second class she was bit by one of the other dogs. There are so many things that should have been done differently to avoid her dog getting bit but that's not the point here.

My point is however that an easily over excited dog should not have another over stimulating outlet for their energy until they have a bit more self control. If you want to hear from the experts as to what this should look like check out these great resources:

Guidelines For Teaching Self Control, by Suzanne Clothier
Understanding & Teaching Self Control, by Suzanne Clothier

At our house it looks like the following:

Both dogs have to go to their bed and lie down quietly before each meal time. (Quietly being the operative word here when it comes to Shelby.)
Even after their food is served they must wait until I give them the release command which in our house is simply "Release"
If one dog is getting affection the other can not push in. They are told to "sit" and "wait". Whining and vocalizing gets them nothing but the command to "be quiet". Sometimes I have walked away without giving Shelby even a pat if he has been exceptionally demanding
If we are going somewhere and they have gotten over excited they have to sit at the open door until they are calm and quiet before I "release" them outside.
If they are overexcited and barking when we get to the park they have to lay down and not until they are quiet are they "released" out of the car.
Our dog park is double gated at the entrance. My dogs have to hold a "sit stay" with their leashes off so I can go and open the second gate. They don't move to enter the park until they are "released".

This last one has a made a huge difference. Before I started insisting on this, Shelby would make such a racket that all the other dogs that were even slightly excitable would hover by the gate and charge him in their excitement as he entered. He never got hurt but it was enough to make me worry. Now even if we enter with him barking and whining by the time we enter the park any interested dog has lost their initial interest and my dogs can enter without getting mobbed. All around much safer for all the dogs.

One more point to keep in mind is that your dogs will take thier cues from you. It's hard wired into thier instincts as pack animals. When you raise your voice or talk sharply, a dog hears this tone as being excited, similar to barking. Realize that it will only reinforce their already excited behavior, and give them the idea that you are excited too, so it must be okay! Instead speak softly and in quiet tones to get your dog to calm down, and they'll realize soon enough it's not appropriate behavior for the situation.

Trust me this is not an easy thing to always practice when you own a "reactive" dog. They seem to be able to go from "zero to crazy" in a split second all on their own. I continue to struggle with keeping my voice calm everyday. That being said, it's good to keep reminding myself what my focus should be and why. Hopefully it will help you too, if you as well find yourself with a dog that needs self control as much as they need exercise.

The Z-list for You and Me

2007-01-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

While I'm off typical topic today here's a "Z-list" started by Karen Shanley, and how you can "spread the love"

There’s a meme going around called the Z-list. (The original list was for techie and marketing blogs). Karen Shanley thought it would be great to start our own Z-list meme for the dog blogs/personal blogs we enjoy reading. The idea is to give exposure (and link-love) to worthy blogs that, perhaps by the nature of their subject, aren’t getting their proper due. There are a lot of really wonderful blogs out there with some first-rate writing and content that deserve a wider readership. So let’s share the list of blogs we love, and pass them on.

Below are the meme instructions:

Create a post on your blog, and then CUT AND PASTE this post with the instructions and the list I have below, and then ADD any blogs you think are terrific and send them some link-love. You can add one blog, or a hundred (or none if you simply want to repost the same list), but the idea is to find those great blogs that, for whatever reason, haven’t been getting their due.

Then, after you leave your post, the next blogger will do the same thing — cut, paste, add, and repost.

The end result is that many great blogs will get a ton of extra exposure, we’ll all find some great new blogs to add to our reading list, and you’ll get mucho good karma points for helping out your fellow bloggers! Here’s my list (Cut and paste to your blog, and add as few or many blogs as you like):

BooBoo, Ginga and the World of Dogs
For the Love of Labradors - "Thanks for the link love Karen"
My Life as a Writer, Mom, and Dog Nut
PetSit USA
Pappy’s Dog Blog
Motherhood in Alaska
Lawyerish
The Dogs of Jackman Ave
Open Book
Biz and Buzz

Some of mine:
Just Golden
Dog Each Day
Dogviews
Daily Dose of Imagery - "Because a picture is worth a thousand words"
waiterrant - "Start at the beginning with this one!"

Some from Terese:
Austin Dog Trainer Blog
Bark ‘N’ Blog

The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

Update:
On further investigation as to what exactly the Z-list is supposed to accomplish I ran across an interesting article, "I Don't Get the Z-list". Mitch Joel brings up a couple good points here. Perhaps if I had read this first I may not have done a Z-list. I would, however, have updated my sidebar links to the new websites that are my favorites that make sense given the context of this blog. Anyway, an update is long overdue so keep an eye out for my new favorites. If you are planning on doing a Z-list than read the article first, then if you still want to do a Z-list go for it. You don't have to copy the whole post. Just copy the "list" and the "instructions". It would however make sense if you title your post "A Z-list for You and Me."

"Chasing White Rabbit's" on a Sunday morning

2007-01-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here's what happens when a California girl "goes surfing", or as I also fondly like to call it "chasing a white rabbit down a rabbit hole." Whatever you call it I thought I'd diverge a bit from the dogs and take you "through my recent looking glass."

It all started with "Just Golden" a website I follow on occasion. There you will find a guys perspective on raising two Golden Retrievers. Great pictures are hidden everywhere so follow all links carefully.

A recent commenter on the site was "burg" who blogs at "deeper shades of red". I liked her candor, she calls it like she sees it.

A comment on one of her posts took me to "Bone" and his blog "If You Read Only One Blog This Year". There I read a fun post on "National De-lurking Week". And how it all started, "National De-Lurking Day"

A Google "Blog Search" took me to "I speak of Dreams" and then "Paper Napkin."

Whew . . ., that was a fun ride.

Along the way, thanks to "I speak of Dreams", I discovered a new tool from "coComment", this could be an interesting tool.

And "the moral of the story is": Ok, I know I'm two days too late but "De-Lurk" anyway and leave a "tail wag"!!

How much do you love your dog(s)?

2007-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like the weather to really test your dedication and love for your dog.

With not just one but two Labradors, no less, in the family exercise time is essential. So today found me out at the park "chucking" a tennis ball for 30 minutes. The day was clear and the sun was bright but the thermometer read 45° and the wind laughed in my face and said, "45° - ha, ha, ha, here's 37° just to test your resolve. Now I realize that many of you are sputtering, "45°, 37°, I'd take that in a heartbeat," but for my soft California skin, today was truly a test of how much I love my dogs.

And yes, I love my dogs!!!

"Keeping harmony in the family" - Living in a multi-dog household

2007-01-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

If you haven't discovered Karen Shanley's blog yet, it's well worth your time. You can link to her blog anytime from the "button" I put in my right side bar, or you can check out the link in this post. Her blog covers more than just life with her dogs but when she shares her insights on her canine "family members" there's a lot to be learned. In her recent post she offers some great advice in answer to a very important question from one of her readers:

"How to Choose and Introduce a New Dog to an Old Dog"

Take some time to read this great post if you are even remotely considering adding a "family member".

If you are like me and started with two from the start you have my appreciation for the challenges this may have brought you. One of the things you may have not have noticed or considered is shared below. I contributed this to Karen's post in the comments section but on further thought realized that it could really stand alone when it comes to living in a multi-dog household wether or not you are introducing a new dog to a resident dog. I hope that between both posts you will gain some new insight that will make your life with your dogs even better.

My advice on living in a multi-dog household . . .
[taken from my comment on her post]

. . . one thing that may be important to consider in a multi-dog household is that “You” may become the prime target in resource guarding. It was my experience that the more intune I became with my dogs needs (especially during adolesence) the more I realized that when I was giving out affection to one the other would try to push them out of the way to get at me. I had to set up strict boundary commands and used a word they were already learning “Wait”. That meant, “stop, and wait for me to invite you to get some affection”. It was amazing how this improved the over all emotional health for both dogs. Nutmeg became less “needy” and Shelby began to demonstrate better “self-control” even beyond affection time.

Despite how flattering it is to have not only one but two dogs clammering for your attention don’t loose site of their needs in the process.

Another thing that helped build self confidence and anchor my dog’s bond and trust with me is seperate training, play, and affection time with each dog. I don’t know if this element is as important when bringing an older dog into the picture but I can’t see why it wouldn’t also hold ture, at least on some level.

On a side note: I love my two dog household, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I do however wish that I had known from the start what I know today. That being said there is a lot of truth to “experience being the best teacher”.

83 and still going strong!!

2007-01-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

In celebration of my 83rd post I'm sharing the awesome accomplishments or one inspiring 83 year old woman. Watch her in action here:

"Honey, I think the dog's tail is broken ! ! "

2007-01-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from: "Cold Water Tail" by Diane O. Gifford

"Cold water tail," "limber tail syndrome," "broken tail," "dead tail," "broken wag" are all euphemisms for a relatively common occurrence in sporting dogs. The tail of the dog hangs down from the tail base or is held horizontal for three or four inches and then drops down. A flaccid tail episode appears to be a painful, but relatively benign affliction that can occur after swimming, after a heavy hunting day or even after a bath with cold water or water that is too warm. It is not always associated with swimming or water, but can happen after a heavy day of work that involves a lot of tail action. The majority of limp tail cases have been reported in sporting dogs or hounds -- Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Setters, Pointers, Flatcoats, Foxhounds and Beagles are the breeds frequently named. Almost all dogs that suffer through an occurrence return to normal within a few days. Affected dogs may or may not have a repeat incidence during their lifetime. [It is this author's experience that symptoms will repeat in the same animal and can be triggered by something as simple as a cold water bath.] This affliction has been described by the layman as a "sprain," fibrosis or a "cold in the tail." The affected dog is miserable at the onset and the tail is painful. If neither the dog owner nor the veterinarian is familiar with this condition, it can be disturbing--fostering conjecture on a possible fracture or spinal cord disease.

Here's another good link.

As for Nutmeg, it wasn't until that evening after the swim that her tail went limp. You could really tell that it was uncomfortable for her to sit straight down on it. She was quick to shift all the way onto her hip. She did more standing or lying down during the 48 hours that her tail was too sore to lift. Hopefully if you see this with a similar onset you won't freak out and have to pay an unnecessary vet bill. Just be sure it is not something more serious before you dismiss it as something that will resolve on it's own. I always have on hand a herbal tincture called "trauma" from our holistic vet. It has arnica in it and other healing anti-inflammatory herbs. She got one drop every hour to two hours that evening then 4 times through out the next day. By the following day she was noticeably pain free and wagging her usual high and happy tail.

Does your dog listen to you when you whisper?

2007-01-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the past 10 months I have re-thought all the interaction and training approaches I had fallen into in the first 8 months we were raising our dogs. The improvements in all our lives has been invaluable. My often OCD controlling dark side rarely surfaces anymore much to my husbands delight not to mention the dogs.

When we started this venture it was easy to let my voice escalate in volume when re-directing the dogs, not to mention the often increasing harshness in my tone of voice as I was saying the same command for the hundredth time. It was quite easy for it to go down hill from there quite quickly. The image of the tiny pebble turning into the gigantic snow ball that consumes everything in its path is quite appropriate here.

After much work, primarily on my part, and a little bit of maturing on the dogs part the harmony in our house is a beautiful gift. I fell into, by accident almost, giving my commands to the dogs in a whisper. Quiet peaceful moments are so special now that disturbing it with the sound of my voice does not seem right sometimes. I should not have been surprised when the request was immediately complied with but I was.

I'll be very honest, I don't whisper all my commands to the dogs. I do still raise my voice at times, and Shelby still seems to have that wonderful knack of drawing the "most charming" tone of voice out of me. (Yes, I'm being very sarcastic here.) But the more I remove my voice out of the equation the more I notice their active intelligent response to my request. They may think and pause a bit when all I give them is a hand signal and body language direction, but there is a lot less "arguing" and "back talk" especially from Shelby. (If you have a dog I'm sure you know what I'm talking about when it comes to "arguing" and "back talk".)

When my sister and I sit down to talk and share we often say, "yeah, I know what you mean." She however is raising to boys ages 4 and 6, while I have two yellow Labradors. "Impossible", you say, "how could you have anything in common with a mom of two boys?" Trust me when I tell you that we have more to commiserate about that I had ever thought.

Dogs are living breathing, feeling, emotional beings and anyone that says otherwise is missing out on the best part of owning and living with a dog. We all have emotional needs, to say otherwise is truly unfair. For me finding the least possible force to direct my dogs is what I am striving for. Right now adding in a whisper when ever I can is a great start for me.

Here's to whispering more and shouting less!!

The Truth about Cats and Dogs

2007-01-04T23:34:00.000-08:00

As far as the cat's concerned, I wouldn't call this "love", I wouldn't even call this "like". When it comes to the dog, what I will call this is "respect". Whether that "respect" was for me and the rules of the house or for his sister is left only to my imagination. Needless to say it was a moment I was happy to have my camera on hand to capture the "drama" as it unfolded.
The cast of characters:
"Shelby" the Yellow Labrador,
"Bella" the reigning Queen of the House our cat.

"OK Mom, I know the vet said to have her eat next to us
to get her to accept us, but did you have to put her so close?"

"Wow, that actually smells real good!"

"Maybe if I just ignore her she'll go away and leave it there for me."

"Hmmmmm . . . , Do I eat her or do I go for that
awesome mouth watering food she's devouring?"

"This is just cruel Mom!"

"I'll just sneak a quick look, if I'm real
slow maybe she'll be nice and share."

"Mom, how much longer is this torture going to last?"

"I give up, I got to rest, the stress is killing me!"

"So Bella, can we make a deal here?"

"Never mind, I'm sure you're not interested anyway . . . "

Blogging on Blogger - now out of Beta!

2006-12-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog I just wanted to share all I had learned and in that process hopefully help even just one other person improve their relationship with their dog. I hope that the information I have compiled here has helped someone do just that.

What I never considered would happen was this:
How cool is that! I speculated on how this happened here, but it wasn't until "Pappy's Fella" posted something similar that I even considered that a search for my dog's names, much less the terms "raising labradors" would give me back what I've worked on for the past 5 months. That's some Christmas present for me in my estimation.

As the "world wide web" continues to ebb and flow I look forward to riding the "waves". For now, to all my visitors - "Happy Surfing" to all of you. "Never Stop Learning" or "searching" as the case may be!!

"Nothing in Life is Free"

2006-12-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

I recently came across some very good dog training articles. They are all presenting the dog training concept of "Nothing in Life is Free". This approach is one of the clearest simplest ideas I've seen. The idea makes so much sense on so many different levels I hope you will check it out. Living with a dog or dogs in your family should be a pleasure not a burden. If ever there was a simple owners manual that should come with every dog this would have to be it. Check out these links below:

Nothing in life is free (pdf download)
Nothing in Life is Free - Explained further!

On Dog Training in general

Positive, Negative, Neutral

Even though NILIF is the least of what you should know when it comes to raising a dog it is the simplest starting point I've seen out there that can save even the most careless owner a lot of grief.

Holiday: "Tag you're it" - I've been tagged, no tag backs!

2006-12-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

I was invited out to play tag by Jason @ Fleasgang. Come join me in the fun!

The Rules: Here's how to play the game . . .

Players start by listing "3 things he/she would love to get for Christmas"
Then they also have to list "3 things he/ she definitely does not want to get for Christmas"
Then he/she tags 5 friends and list their names
The ones who get tagged need to write on their blogs about their Christmas wishes, as well as state these rules clearly
Then tag 5 more victims. And the one who tags need to leave a comment that says "you've been Christmas tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog

Merry Christmas to all!!

Shelby:
"What I want for Christmas . . .

Mom having another week of jury duty so I can finishing tearing up the lattice fence I started a week ago
Long walks on the beach every weekend, with a minus tide please
A patch of warm sun on my favorite blanket everyday between 10am and 12pm"

"What I don't want . . .

Manicures ending with the emery board - now listen mom, those can't be for dogs
Dad giving me a new fence in the driveway before I've had a chance to finish my own project on the current one
A cold shower - like the ones I get after going to the beach; Ok, maybe those are worth it but only after the beach

Nutmeg:
"What I want for Christmas . . .

Long walks on the beach every weekend, with a minus tide please; (Hey Shelby, just cause mom let you go first doesn't mean you can steal mine)
An endless supply of soft wet rich dirt to dig in
Real fresh frozen cow bones, bones, bones, bones, and more bones

"What I don't want . . .

Fire engine sirens especially at 2am in the morning, (Hey Shelby, you really need to deal with your issues here - howling at them at 2am is seriously not a good option, right Mom?!)
A "White Christmas", (Mom only thinks she's the sunshine girl, she stole that name from me the original sun worshiping doggy goddess)
Anymore art projects with my brother out of lattice fence - I pooped the last one for three days!!

Ok, I get the computer back now that the dogs have put there list out there. Now for the next lucky group of "just got tagged":

Update:
Well after much searching and fun, I have my list completed. There are so many great dog blogs out there! Hope you all have fun playing too.

For the Love of Labradors

Wow, worth a second look!!

Happy "Belated" St. Patrick Day

Because I just needed to be reminded today!!

How to beat the heat!!

A bit off topic... but worth it!!

From the mail bag...

An afternoon at the beach... what we live for!

From the mail bag...

I own(ed) each of these types of animals in my life, this is too cute for words!

Catch-up!!

Need I say more ...?

"The Diva"

Just for fun ... An amazingly talented dog!

Puppies & Grapes... Too cute for words

A trip down memory lane

From the most popular post on this site

"Spring Cleaning" My Blog

More Dog & Cat Humor

Spring Break...

Some Dog Humor

New Moon vs. Full Moon - Who cares?

Thumbs UP - Thumbs DOWN

Taking a LEAP ...

A little off topic

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Can't a girl get a little privacy ...?

Happy Thanks Giving!!

"Unforgettable Animal Actors" & Share Some Link Love!

Better late then never ...

Things worth learning from our dogs:

A Perfect Low Tide

Red Dingo Dog ID Tags - They are beyond gorgeous!!!

The "naked walk"

Sunday morning with Mom

At the lake ...

Just for fun!

All good things come to those who wait

It was time for change

Only time will tell - 2

Only time will tell

A little off topic - but I know you won't mind!!

Online Scrapbooking

Double the Pet Hair, Double the Fun

Who doesn't appreciate a little "love"

The Truth about Cats and Dogs - 2

How time flys!!

"Neverland . . ."

Reality Check!

The rest of the story ...

Stop making excuses ...

More interesting facts about Boric Acid

You asked . . .

Because we can't stay away!

True to tide ... what we live for.

Perspective changes everything

Welcome Back!!

Blogging on Blogger - Keeping it Fun!

Foods & Substances That Could be Deadly for Your Dog

Friday Humor: Pet House Rules

Happy Birthday - Shelby & Nutmeg

Update: FDA Admits to Greater Danger from Melamine

What we live for . . .

Update: Pet Food Recall - May have you thinking vegetarian

Update: Just when you thought it might be safe . . . The pet food recall gets worse!

Dog "Tails" . . . It's more than just a wag

Summer + Labrador's + Water = No Problem!!

Fun Labrador Artwork

My other amateur passion, in a previous life.

Now that's one smart dog!

Pet Food Recall List Summary

Thanks to my labs . . . I'm regaining my balance

"Almost human" ? I think not!!

Celebrating "100": For the Love of "my" Labradors

2,601 Absolute Unique Visitors . . .and counting!!

End of week "2 dog household" summary

My responce to "Teri's Tail Wag"

Wasn't it just yesterday that they were puppies?

A good lead from: Top 50 "Just Labradors" website.

Shelby, the Robins, and "his birds" . . .

2,601 Absolute Unique Visitors . . .
and counting!!