More interesting facts about Boric Acid

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.

Foods & Substances That Could be Deadly for Your Dog

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!!

Update: FDA Admits to Greater Danger from Melamine

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!!

Update: Pet Food Recall - May have you thinking vegetarian

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!

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

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

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.

Pet Food Recall List Summary

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.

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

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.
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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!!!

How much do you love your dog(s)?

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!!!

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

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.

What's really in pet food?

Have you ever wondered what is really in commercial pet food not to mention all animal feed? (That also includes the animals that become our own meat source at our table.) I did and before our dogs came home I did the following Google search:

"What's really in dog food?"

I learned a lot more than I'd bargained for. When it comes to dog and cat food the Animal Protection Institute has some disturbing things to say.
Get The Facts: What’s Really in Pet Food
Animal Protection Institute
[excerpt]

What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

Than there is the animal feed indusrty in general. Check out this disturbingly insiteful news video clip.

If your thinking, "well what do I feed my dogs than?", check out The Animal Advocate link here and in the sidebar. Also worth your time are the following books I've mentioned before.

• Dr. Pitcairn's complete guide to Natural Health for dogs and cats, by Richard & Susan Pitcairn
• The Complete Holistic Dog Book, by Jan Allegretti & Katy Sommers

You can also check out the back issues of "The Whole Dog Journal" to purchase the following excellent articles:

• How to Choose a Food
• WDJ's Top Canned Foods
• New Top Dry Dog Foods
• The Right Stuff
• Why We Like Whole Foods

I feed my dogs and cat Flint River Ranch, that being said it may not be the right fit for you and your pets. However, I hope that armed with the above information you will find a dog or cat food that you feel comfortable giving to your beloved "family members".

Updated 11/28/06
Here's a very informative article form "The Peeing Post", and editor Mogens Eliasen

• "How to avoid detoxification problems when shifting your dog's diet"

Our Holistic vet told us to include a handful of chopped salad with the new food and to make the switch in one meal. Although it worked for us at the time I am not sure it was the most ideal. Personally I just wanted my dogs off the commerical "garbage" that the breeder had unfortunately started them on at 3 weeks of age. The extra bulk/fiber from the salad I believe is what helped ease the diarrhea almost over night. This had been making the transition very difficult. The customer service person I contacted at Flint River recommended adding a heaping spoonful of cooked outmeal to the new food. This also worked very well and with in 2 months we were fine. Part of the picture was the dogs had just gone through spay and neutering surgery. The holistic vet recommended Milk Thistle for a month to help detox thier liver of the anesthesia. I recently read that Mild Thistle also works specificly in the intestines and is good for diaherrea bouts in general.

What to feed a Labrador Retriever

On my journey to learn all that I could about what was best for my dogs one web site stood out among the rest. William D. Cusick, The Animal Advocate has put together an awesome website that specifically addresses the nutritional needs of different breeds of dogs. With permission I am thrilled to share the following exerpt.

Each breed of dog has its own unique
set of nutritional requirements.
[excerpt]

"The Labrador Retriever is also only one of the few breeds known to produce an oil through the pores of the skin. It will develop a very dry and brittle coat in a very short period of time when the entire Linoleic acid group is not present in its daily diet." William D. Cusick, The Animal Advocate

Posted by permission from the author, 9/04/2006

Evaluating your dog's weight

The Purina Body Condition System ©

How skinny is "pretty skinny"? How heavy is "not as thin as he should be"?

1. EMACIATED: Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences evident form a distance. No discernable body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.
2. VERY THIN: Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible. No palpable fat. Some evidence of other bony prominence. Minimal loss of muscle mass
3. THIN: Ribs easily palpated and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar vertebrae visible. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist and abdominal tuck
4. UNDERWEIGHT: Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed form above. Abdominal tuck evident.
5. IDEAL: Ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdomen tucked when viewed from the side.
6. OVERWEIGHT: Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernable viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent.
7. HEAVY: Ribs palpable with difficulty, heavy fat cover. Noticeable fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent or barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be absent.
8. OBESE: Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail.
9. GROSSLY OBESE: Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious abdominal distension may be present.

Another web link " Canine Health Body Condition System" of the same information with nice clear pictures.

Top Ten List of Things You Should Never Give Animals

This list "Top Ten List of Things You Should Never Give Animals" was compiled by Dr. Karen Halligan, the Director of Veterinary Services at the SPCA of Los Angeles.

1. Bones
2. Chocolate
3. Alcohol
4. Milk
5. Ham & other salty meats
6. Onions
7. Caffeine
8. Avocados
9. Tuna fish (for cats)
10. Grapes/Raisins

Always good to know!!

Great Online finds . . .

The Lab through a Lover’s Eyes:
What It’s Like to Live With a Field Trial Champion
[excerpt]

The reasons that Labradors give the impression of being hard-headed is because they are physically insensitive. We have bred the Labrador to go through ice and briars where no man would go to retrieve a duck, so you can’t easily hurt them, which in a way, is why they’re a good dog to have around kids. People put a leash and buckle collar on them and try to keep them from pulling and when that Labrador doesn’t even notice, people say, "look at the stubborn dog." I would say, "No, that’s not a stubborn dog, he’s just physically insensitive." I don’t think that they are emotionally insensitive. If you’re willing to train in a way that says to the Labrador, “Hey, I’m here, I intend to be a part of your world.” I have found that Labradors will turn around and say‚‘Well, glad to meet you, what would you like me to do for you’?”

Yes, my dogs come from some of the finest field trial champion breeding lines but they are our pets and companions not hunting or trial dogs. And with simply a consistent exercise routine and basic training they are the best companions anyone could want. Of all the breeds of dogs Labradors offer the greatest challenge for the greatest reward. They are constantly learning which is what makes them such great members of the family. Labradors are some of the most emotionally intuitive dogs because of their love to please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get The Facts: What’s Really in Pet Food
Animal Protection Institute
[excerpt]

What most consumers don’t know is that the pet food industry is an extension of the human food and agriculture industries. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption” and similar waste products to be turned into profit. This waste includes intestines, udders, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous animal parts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Tips and Smart Ideas:
[excerpt]

• It is good practice to always have your dogs earn their treats and food. Teach your pet commands such as come, sit and down, then give a command for the dog to obey before you provide the meal or treat. Dogs like the opportunity to show that they understand their people and enjoy interaction that leads to rewards and praise. Other advantages of teaching dogs to take food only upon your command: your pet will be less likely to try to steal food, ingest unauthorized substances indoors or outdoors, or accept treats from strangers.

You can also teach your dog to "go to your place" before getting fed, which is especially helpful for dogs prone to begging at kitchen counters and dinner tables.

• "Go to your place" is an extremely useful command when you're cooking, cleaning or engaged in any activity in which the dog's interference could lead to distraction and injury. You can designate a place, say, in the far corner of the kitchen or family room, and place a mat or dog bed there. Teach your dog to associate that place with a special word, such as "place," "spot" or "bed." Then, using positive reinforcement, incorporating praise and small treats as rewards, teach him to "go to your place." This gives the dog something good and acceptable that he can do.

I didn't realize where I had read this great tip - "go to your place" before getting fed - until I started going back through some of my bookmarks to share on the blog. This tip in particular with a two dog household has been invaluable. Some of the ideas expressed here I don't completely agree with but the information is still worth reviewing.
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Where to hike with your dog: (Northern California Area)
[excerpt]

Bay Area Hiker was created to fully explore the diverse and wonderful spectrum of hiking in the San Francisco bay area. This is a work in progress, so if you want to share your thoughts about any hikes that are not yet featured, drop me a line.
Featured hikes will range geographically from around Robert Louis Stevenson State Park to the north, to Mount Diablo in the east bay, Henry Cowell State Park to the southwest, and Henry Coe State Park to the southeast.

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The Vinegar Institute
With so many commercial cleaning product out there that are not safe or less than ideal for a household with pets I began using vinegar for cleaning my kitchen floors. I use a 1:1 vinegar:water and it works beautifully on my linoleum. Check out the webiste for more ideas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adolescence: The Teenage Dog from
[THE CANINE BEHAVIOR SERIES]
[excerpt]

• If you got your dog as a puppy and provided good training, you have an advantage when adolescence arrives but your work is not done. The adolescent dog needs training experiences that the puppy was not ready for. The adolescent dog has questions that didn’t occur to the puppy.
• Best of all, the adolescent dog is ready to begin to bond with you in a whole new way, to form a real bond. Puppies “love everybody,” and if you have a puppy who hates everyone but you, beware! That puppy is not likely to have a good adult temperament.
• Adolescent dogs are ready to make distinctions about the world and the people and other dogs in it. You become an important person in this dog’s life, a beloved partner, if you earn it. This is the time that good leadership with your dog, including good management, good handling and good training, begin to really show results. This is when your dog becomes your dog by the dog’s choice.
• Stay in training classes with your adolescent dog until at least a year of age. Many dogs will need training classes longer. Attend training class with your dog each week and practice the class homework every day. Apply the training in all possible situations so that it becomes integrated into your life with your dog, keeping communication clear between the two of you. Working with a private trainer is a reasonable alternative to classes, provided you and your dog also work in controlled situations around other dogs as you would in a class.
• Be patient with your dog. Don’t interpret your dog’s error during a training session as deliberate defiance. The dog needs to ask questions, and you will be wisest to answer those questions kindly as well as consistently. The dog won’t be any better trained because you get mad in the process.
• As a matter of fact, training done in a playful tone is more effective than getting mad, because this is the most receptive state of mind for learning—and that goes for your brain as well as the dog’s! Have fun when training, and make it fun for the dog, too. Hold the line on the limits of behavior because the dog needs this from you. But don’t fault the dog for having questions. That’s the nature of an adolescent.

Some of the suggestions in the article may seem general, but there are really some great specific suggestions. For instance, with two dogs I knew that the first year was going to include training. I just didn't realize at first how valuable training would be.

Start early, the day they come home, progress to indoor puppy class by at least 3 months, and stick with training well into 18 months especially those of us who have big dogs.