Dear Santa Paws

Hello everyone,

Christmas is only a few days away so today I am writing my letter to Santa Paws.  As I mentioned in my last blog, I was too young last year to realize how much fun Christmas is.  I also didn't realize that you can actually ask Santa Paws for stuff and, if you were very good all year long, he will bring you what you asked for.
I heard my Mom talking the other day and I know I am going to get a new collar because mine is dirty. I think it got that way when I went in the pond and then ran through the field when Bella, Pyra and I were playing tag.  If I have to get a new one, I hope it's either purple to match my halter or red because I look so good in red. We 'll go to Dave's Pet Food City because I'll need to try the different collars on and Dave's is one of the few store that dogs can go in.  I love to go in Dave's and check out all of the toys and treats.  I like shopping there but I am not allowed to take any of the treats out of the bins. I'm not sure why that is.
I already know what I am getting my friends for Christmas cuz I helped make the pet  gifts we sell at Laurel Mountain Basket Co.  Our Best In Show Gift Basket is perfect for all of my friends cuz it's filled with toys AND treats!  What could be better than that?
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that you get all the presents you asked for.  If you need any help choosing gifts for your friends or if your humans need help finding just the right gift for you, tell them to contact me.  I am an expert when it comes to choosing pet gifts.  You can email me at info@laurelmtbasket.com or call 413-527-1243 and talk with my Mom.  She's pretty good at helping too.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Your friend,
Zeva

A Dog's Eye View of Christmas

I'm so excited!  Christmas is almost here! I know because I heard some dogs on the radio singing Jingle Bells.  Last year was my first Christmas so I didn't realize the significance of the day until the night before.  That's when I found out that lots of the pretty boxes under the special tree that lit up were for me.  And those boxes were filled with TOYS!!!! 
That's when I understood that Christmas is when dogs get lots and lots of toys! So this year I'm ready.  I'm already sniffing the pretty packages but all I smell are clothes.   I hope those are for the humans cuz I don't like clothes.  My cousin Sophie like to wear sweaters and stuff, but I don't.  May be we'll buy her a new sweater from Cute Critters at the Winter Festival on Saturday at Eastworks.  And maybe I can convince Mom to buy me some cookies from Wagga Tails Treats cuz they are going to be at the Festival too.
Although the most important part of Christmas is the toys, and we pets get excited about all of the new things in our houses please remember that Christmas can be a dangerous time for us.
We all like looking at the pretty trees with their flashing lights and pretty balls, but the oil in the trees is toxic and the needles don't digest.  The chemicals people put in the water that help the tree live while it is inside are also toxic to pets.
Make sure your pets don't chew on the electrical cords that keep the lights flashing and those pretty balls, if made of glass, can easily break and those little pieces of glass can cut our paws.  Tinsel, is very tempting, but tinsel does not digest either and can get all knotted up in our bellies.  We can die from knotted up bellies.
So please be extra watchful of your pets around your Christmas tree.  In our house the tree stands on a high table so I can see it but can't reach it.  In some of my friends houses, there are gates in the doorways so the dogs can't be in the room with the tree unless there are humans in there too.  Cats are different so gates don't work for cats and cats love to climb trees. So houses with cats need to be extra careful.
So please remember to keep your pet safe during the Christmas Holiday and remember to buy them lots of toys and treats.  If you don't know what to get them, just give me a call.  I helped design all of the pet gift baskets and can help you choose the right gift for your pet.  You'll find some of our most popular ones in the Pet Gift Section of our website.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Your friend,
Zeva

Staying In Shape

I'm part border collie and part Labrador so I have lots and lots of energy.  My border collie ancestors were bred and trained to gather and herd animals like sheep.  Lots of my cousins still work on farms herding all kinds of animals including cows.
My Labrador ancestors were bred and trained to retrieve game birds.  My friend Sadie is a Lab and is really good at putting up and retrieving birds.
Unlike Sadie and my farm cousins, I spend most of my days inside working behind a desk.  That's why it's important for me to get as much exercise as I can.  Good exercise like walking and playing not only keep me fit but keep me from getting bored.
I have lots of toys at work and at home to play with and my mom tries to take me for a walk every day but there are times when we get so busy she can't leave the Studio so she's found other ways to make sure get my exercise.  When Mom can't take me out I get to go for walks with my friend Lee Ann.  Lee Ann doesn't have any dogs of her own so she takes me and some of my other friends for walks.  Sometimes we dogs play tag or catch and when I get back to the Studio, I'm so tired I need to take a nap.
I love when Mom has all day meetings because I get to go to Dances With Dogs day care.  Being in day care is the BEST.   I get to play with lots of dogs all day long.  We get to play indoors and outdoors.  In the summer they have pools where we can cool off and the toys!  I've never seen so many toys in one place and I can play with all of them.
The people at Dances With Dogs are really nice too.  They make sure I get my lunch to keep my energy up and a nap so I don't get over tired.  Even with a nap, I am so tired when it's time to go, I usually sleep all the way home.
If Mom and Dad need to be away on a weekend Deborah my pet sitter from All Life Matters comes to my house to walk me, feed me lunch and play with me.
Balance in life is important.  Working hard is good but you need to make sure you get plenty of exercise, eat right and get enough rest.  That goes for dogs too.  Dogs, especially working breeds, need lots of exercise.  If we don't get enough exercise or if we get bored, we can get destructive and nobody wants that.   So, I've designed our Good Dog Spot gift basket with lots of toys to keep any dog busy and happy.  A happy dog is a good dog.
Stay healthy, stay happy.
Your friend,
Zeva

I Am A Hero...Again

That was scary!  I was headed outside to the little dog's room.  As soon as I rounded the corner there they were...a million giant birds!!! Well maybe not a million but there were alot and there were giant.
As soon as I saw them I raised the alarm.  I needed to alert the whole neighborhood.  Like I said, there were alot of them.  I let out my "Look Out We're Being Attacked" bark and started running.  I was running away from them at first but I did get it together and ran after them eventually.   They were scattering in different directions so I needed all of my Border Collie skills to herd them. They could run pretty fast and they flew up into the trees.  Did you ever see a giant bird fly?  It's not a pretty sight.  Also they're not very coordinated and would never score well in agility.
And the noise they made, like I said it was scary.
Once I made sure our yard was secure, I checked on my mom who came out to see what was going on.  She explained to me that the giant birds were a flock of turkeys.
Turkeys.
Where had I heard that word before? Oh yeah. Turkeys are a big part of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is one of our big holidays at the Studio.  Over the past week we've been making up the gift baskets and setting up our delivery schedule. We're going to be delivering a Thanksgiving gift basket to some people in Longmeadow on Saturday. We're also getting some packaged up and ready for Fed Ex to take to other people who live far away from us.  Mom says gift baskets are nice gifts to send over the holidays when you can't be with family and friends.
Since I am very involved in the business, I've been keeping my eye on the calendar to make sure we get all the gifts delivered on time.  After all, Thanksgiving is only a few days away.
Thanksgiving is a holiday so I won't have to work that day. Everybody at our house will be eating a big turkey and having other great stuff like pie and cake.  I just hope they remember that I like turkey and I get to have some again this year.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Your friends,
Zeva

Ghosts, Goblins and Pets, Oh My!

It's almost time for Halloween and Trick or Treating.  Just like with human kids, Halloween can be fun or really scary for us fur babies.  Here are some ways to keep pets safe and still have fun.
There is no way I am dressing up in a costume.  I will wear a pretty new halter or collar (one with precious stones would be nice), or even a silk scarf as a fashion accessory (okay, a kerchief) but NO  funny costume!  Lots of dogs, like my friend Sophie, do like to dress up.  So check with your pet first to make sure they like dressing up.  Also,  check the costume for anything that can be chewed off and choke on.
If you are staying at home and giving out the treats, please keep the candy bowl out of reach. Candy is very tempting but things in candy like xylitol (artificial sweetener) and chocolate are very dangerous.  Pumpkins aren't poisonous but they can cause tummy aches if we munch too much.  And don't forget that lighted candles inside the pumpkin are super dangerous not only for pets.
Trick or Treaters coming to the door is very exciting.  I love to bark whenever the doorbell rings and I like to race my humans to the door to see who has come to visit me.  Remember that we can't tell the difference between children in scary monster costumes and real scary monsters. So if your pet is afraid, it's okay to let him or her stay in their crate where it is safe.
An open door is an invitation to join in the fun.  Please make sure your pets have proper id just in case they decide to go out on their own on Halloween night.
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween,
Your friend
Zeva

Gourmet Dining With Zeva

Begging is not allowed at our house but human food smells so good I always hang around the kitchen.  After all, something might fall on the floor.  I have to sneak in because I'm not allowed in the kitchen when my humans are working.  They say the kitchen in a dangerous place for pets.  Stoves are hot to touch and even though trash cans smell really good, there can  be very bad things in them like sharp edged tin cans.
Also some human foods are very very bad for pets.  Everyone knows that chocolate is bad  because it contains theobromine.  Thebromine can increased heart rate, overstimulate the central nervous system and constrict arteries.
If you eat theobromine you can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and hyper behavior.  It can even cause cardiac failure, seizures and death. Baking chocolate is the worst because it contains the highest amount of theobromine.
Your humans should have the telephone numbers of an Animal Emergency Hospital and Poison Control Center written down just in case.
Chocolate is not the only food that is bad for dogs.  Alcohol and hops (don't drink your dad's beer!), bread dough, milk, onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits, raisins, grapes, caffeine.  The list is so long it's just easier to remember to eat only good nutritious pet food.  Maybe that's why begging is not allowed in our house.
Stay safe,
Your friend,
Zeva

Fashionista Dog

I am very beautiful, everyone says so.  When I go out I wear my pretty purple halter with my pink leash.  My new collar is also pink and I've started wearing colorful bandannas to work.  Being white I can wear any color, after all, anything goes with white.  I have a wonderful fur coat that keeps we very warm in the winter and since I am part Labrador, I don't mind the rain.

I do have lots of little friends with short hair who mind the cold. We live in New England so it is starting to get chilly.  A friend of my Mom's introduced us to a nice lady named Gigi who makes the cutest dog coats, hats, raincoats and all kinds of pet apparel.

If you want your dog to look "spectacular" and not just be warm and dry,  check out www.cutecrittersonline.com and tell them Zeva the Dancing Dog sent you.

While you're surfing don't forget to check out my website www.laurelmtbasket.com You can read more of my blogs and see our full line of pet gift baskets.  I'm the manager of the pet gifts department.  My goal is to develop a line of the best pet gift baskets on the web so your feedback would be appreciated.

Your friend,
Zeva

Cats Are People Too

Black cats, because they are associated with witches, are one of the popular Halloween symbols.  Like many symbols, their roots go a long way back.

Superstitions surrounding black cats go way, way back in history. In early Egypt cats were worshipped and you could be killed yourself if you killed a black cat.  Just like today, cats were considered a member of the family and when one died, the family was very sad.

By the 17th century black cats began to be associated with witchcraft and instead of being a good omen, black cats became a bad omen.  It depends on what part of the world you live in because in some countries, like Japan, having a black cat cross your path is considered a good thing while here in the good ol' USA, it is considered bad luck.

Here are some other superstitions about black cats:

It's Good Luck

To own a black cat
Have one greet you at the door
Have one come i to your home
See three black cats in succession
To pet a black cat

It's Bad Luck

To meet a black cat early in the morning
Have a black cat turn its back on you
and
To walk under a ladder that a black cat has walked underneath.

Because black cats are a popular symbol of Halloween some people think it would be fun to have a black cat of their own so they go to the shelters and get one only to realize that a black cat, like any pet, is a lot of responsibility and they need to be treated with love and respect.

So please, if you are dressing up as a witch for Halloween and want to have a black cat to carry around, get a plush one in the toy department of Walmart or Target.  Plush animals are soft and cuddly but don't need as much LTC as real ones.

Have a Happy Halloween

Your friend
Zeva

PS Visit me at my website at www.laurelmtbasket.com and see my line of pet gift baskets.

Dog Tags - Don't Leave Home With Out Them

I live in Western Massachusetts.  It's a beautiful area of the country and usually pretty quiet. This past summer however we had some very bad weather.  Seriously bad weather, like a couple of tornadoes and a hurricane.  Lots of homes were damaged and families had to flee their neighborhoods.  In all the confusion, some pets got separated from their humans.

Most of them were very lucky.  They ended up at the local shelters which were prepared for such emergencies.  Many were reunited with their families quickly because they were wearing their id tags and/or had micro chips.   I always wear my tags but I know collars can come loose and fall off so I am happy I have a micro chip.

Pets get lost every day and getting lost is scary for pets.  Humans can do lots of things to help keep their pets safe.  Make sure all doors, windows and gates are well closed .  I know I get distracted and if I was not fenced in my yard, it would be easy to wander far  from my house.  I don't get left in a car very long and never in hot weather.  When I am locked in the car, the window is open just a little so I have fresh air but not enough for me to wiggle out of.  The only time I am off leash when we are out is when I am at the park with my friends and my humans keep a close watch on me all the time.

Making sure your pets always wear their tags is important so that if they do get lost, they have a better chance of being returned home quickly.

P.S.  I also write blogs for our gift basket company.  Like this one about responsible pet ownership or the one about my #1 Law just follow the links.

Your friend,
Zeva