My Space

I am internet savvy dog but I'm not talking about the social media site, I'm talking about the place in our house that is all mine.  My sister DixieLee and I share our house with our two humans.  We get to play in all the rooms and even have a big fenced in place in the yard where we can run and play.

We get to sleep on the sofa, Dad's comfy chair and even the big bed.  We love sleeping on the big bed cuz we can see out of the window and watch the birds and squirrels during the day and cuddle with Mom and Dad during the night.

That's lots of places to share but there is one space in our house that is all mine.  My crate.  Nobody gets to go in my crate but me.  DixieLee tries to steal my blanket sometimes but we made the rule that we each have our very own crate.  Period.

I've had my own crates since I was a baby.  Those crates were smaller than the one I have now cuz I've grown some and crates need to be the right size.  A crate should be big enough for a dog to stand up in and turn around in and to lie down comfortably but shouldn't be too big.

Lots of people think crates are only used for house breaking.  Others think crates are places for punishment.  Sure, crates are good training tools but they should be places of safety and comfort, not places only used for punishment.  Some times we are told to go to our crates for a time out but it's only for a little minute.  When DixieLee does something and she knows she has been bad, she gives herself a time out in her crate.  Her time out usually last as long as it takes Mom to clean up whatever she has gotten into.

When there are big noises, like a thunder storm, a crate is a good place to go where we know we are safe and we get unstressed out.

A good crate should feel like a den.  Our ancestors made their homes inside of dens because they were safe places.  DixieLee's crate has wire on all the sides so Mom put a nice blanket over the top and two sides so it is private and cozy.

We have soft blankest in our crates that we can make into nests and snuggle down in.  Some people use old clothes with their scents on them which is a nice because dogs like the smell of their humans.  If you like to chew things, your humans should be careful with blankets, clothes or dog beds. 

Chewing on blankets and stuff is very dangerous for dogs and can make you very sick or even died.

When DixieLee first came to live with us, she was afraid I would steal her food so she ate in her crate.  Once she got used to me and learned I wouldn't steal her food, she started eating in the kitchen next to me.  We still eat in our crates when we have a special treat like a carrot or a marrow bone.  Mom says crate floors are easier to clean than rugs.

It's raining today and DixieLee is being a pest.  So, if you will excuse me, I think I will go in My Space for some alone time and maybe a nap.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  Check out the BESTEST pet gift basket company in the Universe at pawpalsboutique.com 

Talkin' Trash

I hate to be a snitch but DixieLee is in trouble again.  We understand.  Before she came to live with us, she lived on the streets and didn’t have anyone to give her food so she had to find her own.  She said the best place to find yummy food was in people’s trash bins and sometimes she didn’t eat for days because she couldn’t find any bins and was hungry for days.

When she came to live with us, she didn’t realize we get good food and treats all day long and she would go into the trash because there was food there.  She was sneaky about it and only did it when she thought Mom and Dad wouldn’t see her so it was hard to teach her not to go in the trash and of course she wouldn’t listen to me.

I can see how frustrating it was for Mom and Dad to come into the kitchen and see trash spread all over the place.  DixieLee especially likes to eat paper towels so she would hide paper towels in her crate.

Mom bought trash bins with tops, but DixieLee figured out how to get into all of them, until, Mom found a bin with a top that could only be opened by stepping on a thingy on the bottom.  As smart as she is, DixieLee couldn’t manage the stepping on the thingy part.  She tried just knocking the whole thing over but the top still stayed shut.

We thought she was cured of her dumpster diving but recently she started trying to get into the little bin in the bathroom.  A dog has a sense of smell that is a gazillion times better than a people’s sense of smell so I can see why she would want to get into the kitchen trash where food goes.  I sometimes get tempted when I smell chicken bones but I know how bad going in the trash is.  So I asked DixieLee what was so interesting in the bathroom.  She said not much but she gets bored easily and getting into the trash is just something to do.

If your house has a trash can bandit there are a few things you can do to keep the peace.

1.  You can buy trash bins with tops.  There are several different kinds and you may not need the super metal ones with the step on thingy like we have.  They work best for us and they come in lots of sizes so we use them in the kitchen, bathrooms and Mom’s workshop.

2.  Keep your trash in a cabinet or closet.  That didn’t work for us since DixieLee learned how to open all the cabinets.  We even have a child proof lock on the cabinet that holds our dog food.   It’s not too bad when you only have to open it a couple of times a day but having to unlock it several hundred times a day gets old fast.

3.  Place the can out of reach.  This is sort of like using a cabinet or closet.  Mom keeps one bin in our studio on top of her work station.  It’s convenient for tossing ribbon ends and other trash but too high for DixieLee to reach.  Your garage is a great place for your bin if you have a door right in your kitchen.

4.  If your dog is getting into the trash because she’s bored like DixieLee, the best way to stop her is to find ways to make her not bored.  More walks or toys like a Kong with peanut butter inside are good ways to keep any dog from getting bored.

Let me know if you are a recovering dumpster diver and what your humans did to help you break your habit.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  Check out the BESTEST pet gift basket company anywhere at pawpalsboutique.com 

A Country Dog Goes To The City

We live in the country where we are surrounded by forests and open spaces.  When we want to go outside to play or to pee, we just go to the door and our humans let us go outside by ourselves.  Of course we have to stay inside our fence but it’s a big area where we are safe.

I’ve talked with friends who live in cities where they live in high houses and they have to get their humans to put on leases and take them out to get exercise or, you know….  It’s a delicate subject and even though we are friends I haven’t asked but I do wonder how they can pee on a sidewalk and not get splashed on their feet and butts.  Even when we walk in town we have lots of grass nearby so I don’t worry about getting splash back and as long as Mom has a pocket full of poop bags, we’re good to go.

Recently I’ve read about a couple of ideas people have had to make living in the city easier for dogs.  In a place called Instanbul in a country called Turkey, one company has set up feeding bins around the city to help homeless dogs and cats.  I think these feeding bins are a wonderful idea.

We know that humans have finally realized that drinking water is very healthy and they carry bottles around with them.  Instead of throwing the empty bottles in the trash where they will hurt the environment, the company in Instanbul made boxes that pour fresh water and some food into dishes to feed homeless dogs and cats when a human put their empty bottle into the box.

All they have to do is put an empty bottle in the top and clean food and water comes out the bottom.  How cool is that?

What a super idea!  Everybody wins!  The humans drink more water, the bottles get recycled instead of getting thrown in the trash and a dog or cat gets a nourishing meal.  What’s not to like?

Another interesting idea I read about lately was the Dog Parker.  It is not only dangerous to leave a dog in a car when the temperature is too hot or too cold, in many places it is illegal.  A dog could easily get died!  We all like to go for rides with our humans and sometimes they need to run errands while they are out. It is very difficult for a human to take their dog for a ride and stop to shop when it is not safe to leave them in the car.

When we go for drives or walks in the city and Mom wants to go to a store, Dad waits with us in the car or on the sidewalk.  That’s fine but what about dogs who are  driving or walking with only one human.  Sometimes they get tied up to a post outside the store which could make them easy to be stolen or to eat something bad.

A human in New York, invented a little house type thing called a Dog Parker.  It’s a very secure dog house where the human can pay money to have their dog stay safe in the Dog Parker while they shop or have some food.  There are some rules like you have to join the Dog Parker club and have to show you have had your shots but it seems like a good idea.  It’s still dangerous for pets to be in an enclosed place when it is too hot or too cold so when it gets really cold or really hot, the Dog Parkers are put away.  It may not be perfect but it’s a start.

Dogs can now fly safely inside planes with their humans on some airlines and lots of hotels allow dogs to stay in the rooms.  We have a couple of big food stores that have staffed play areas so Moms and Dads can leave their children in a safe place while they shop.  Maybe someday stores will have dog parks where dogs can play while their humans shop.

It's not easy being a dog in a human world but we are making progress.  Whether you live in the city or in the country I hope you get to share lots of rides and walks with your humans. 

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  Check out the BESTEST pet gift basket company in the Universe at pawpalsboutique.com 

Canine College

Dogs are really smart animals.  We can do lots of things.  There are Therapy Dogs that provide affection and comfort to humans and Service Dogs that are trained to help people with disabilities.  Seeing Eye dogs were the first Service Dogs but now there are many different kinds of training.  Today dogs can be trained to assist humans with conditions from Autism or Allergy Alert Assistance to Diabetic or Seizure Response and even psychiatric conditions like PTSD.

There are Military Dogs that are trained to do all sorts of important jobs.  Jobs like sentry duty, walking patrol with human troops and being messengers.  Military Dogs, and Police Dogs, are trained to sniff out bombs and drugs.  Some Police Dogs are trained to track lost peoples or to catch bad guys.

I didn’t have any special training, only puppy training, but I thought I was really smart.  I mean, it was my idea to start the Pet Division of Laurel Mountain Basket Co and I helped my Mom get it up and running.  I have my own blog where I take on serious and not so serious issues concerning pets.  I have hundreds of friends on sites like 3 Million Dogs and PetPav.  I am paw pals with dogs all around the world and I can get Mom and Dad (especially Dad) to do pretty much what I want them to do.

I thought I was really smart until DixieLee came to live with us. We don’t know what kind of training DixieLee had before she came to live with us and she's not talking.  For all we know she could have worked for the CIA.  Anyway, DixieLee is lots smarter than even me and Dad.  She might be almost as smart as Mom!

She figured out how to open the cabinet where we keep the kibble so now it has a childproof lock on it.  She knows how it works but you need an opposable thumb to make it open.   Not saying she won’t overcome that obstacle but not just yet.

I don’t mind that she learns commands faster than me.  She was first to figure out “show me where the cookies are”.  No big deal.  We both get cookies even if she learned it first.

What I don’t like is when she outsmarts me.  Everybody knows there is only one THE BEST place to sleep in the house.  In our house it’s the certain corner of the couch.  Couches have two corners but the one nearest the table is the Best one.

Sometimes, when I am sleeping in the Best Corner and DixieLee wants to sleep, she tries to get me to move.  As I said, I am smart so her running up and down the hall and being a total pain may make Mom and Dad wonder what’s going on but I’m wise to her tricks. Or maybe not.

How am I supposed to know that her sounding the alert that there is a squirrel in the yard or that the post person is coming is not for real?  She gets me every time.  She runs to the window or the door so convincingly that I am sure we are under attack.  Then, when I no sooner get to the window or door, she jumps into the Best corner and goes to sleep with that smug look on her face. 

I know many of my friends are really smart dogs.  What is the best trick you know how to do?  And if you know how I can outsmart DixieLee on the Best seat in the house thing, let me know.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant Self-Promotion. With one of our You Name It! Gift Boxes you can say congratulations to your favorite canine upon graduation from puppy school, Canine Citizenship Class, Agility Training or however they show you how smart they really are.

When is Forever?

Mom tells us all the time that she loves us and would never leave us.  I believe her because once, a long time ago, she had a hard time finding a place to live because not lots of places let people have dogs live with them.  She searched and searched until she found a nice place that said her dog could live there too.

I still believe Mom would never abandon us but since we joined the Board of Directors at the Above the Notch Humane Society, we learned that there are times when people don’t have a choice.  Like the man who lost his job and his home or the lady who was old and very sick and had to go live in a nursing home.

Neither one of these people wanted to leave their dogs but life is not always the way we want it to be.  Luckily, there are places like Above the Notch Humane Society where people can surrender their animals and know that they will be taken good care of until a new home, with other loving people, can be found.

The reason I am telling these sad stories is because lots of times, when people can’t care for their pets any longer, like when they have to go live someplace else, they just leave their pets to fend for themselves.  The problem is that house pets don’t know how to live on their own and often times end up starving or freezing to death.

People need to know that there is help for them and their pets.   They can go to the American Humane Society website to find out what options are available in their area.  Sometimes the Humane Society can think of ways so people keep their pets or tell them where they can surrender their pets where they will be well cared for.  Not all shelters can take in surrendered animals because taking care of animals costs lots of money

We know how hard it is on a dog that is left on their own.  My sister, DixieLee was left to fend for herself.  She was young, scared and very sick with heartworms.  She would have got died but she was lucky and was found by a nice lady.  Because DixieLee wasn’t wearing a collar and didn’t have a microchip, there was no way to find out where she came from.  The nice lady took her to the vet, got her cured and fostered her until she could find a forever home with us.

One more thing.  Ask your Moms and Dads if they have made provisions for you if they should become sick or get died.  We hope it NEVER happens but we know that there are people who will take good care of us if anything happens to our Mom and Dad.

If you know someone who might have to surrender their pet, let them know that there are people who are willing to help.  Your Moms and Dads can help too by becoming foster parents, volunteering their time or just donating to your local shelter.  It’s all of our jobs to help animals any way we can.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  Check out the BESTEST pet gift basket company in the Universe at pawpalsboutique.com 

Mom Was Right!

Me at 66 pounds

Me slimmed down to 56 pounds

Holy guacamole!  Who is that dog?  Flipping through my blogs, looking for ideas, I saw a photo of me from August 2014.  

Mom said I needed to go on a diet and at the time I thought she was bonkers.  

I’m part lab and labs tend to be stocky, right?

Well, here we are, just over one year later and what a difference!

 Mom’s a healthy living nut. She watches what she eats and goes to the gym every day.  DixieLee, Dad and I, well we like being retired and hanging out around the house.  We do yard work and such but we really like napping on the couch and watching TV better.

I hate to admit it but Mom was right.  She made all of us go on diets and get more exercise.  It’s not just about looking good it’s about feeling sooooo much better.  Since Mom made us all be better eaters and exercisers we all lost weight and have much more energy.  I lost 10 pounds! We all still grumble that we are starving but we really do like carrots and apple slices as much as cookies and even Dad has discovered that he actually likes vegetables.

I think the bestest part of getting healthy is the walks.  Mom makes us all go on big walks.  It’s so much fun that the minute DixieLee see that both Mom and Dad have their coats on, she runs to the rack where the leashes are an tries to get her halter down.

We never know where we are going which makes it very exciting.  Not going to the same places all the time gives DixieLee and me a chance to explore.  Sniffing out our surroundings is important so being in different places is lots of fun.  Sometimes we walk around one of the towns.  Sometimes we go to the dog park or to one of the hiking trails our part of New Hampshire if famous for but the best times are when we go to walk on the logging road up to the old orchard.

Mom and Dad like the logging road because it goes up a mountain so we get more cardio.  I love it because I get to be off leash.  I only get to be off leash when Mom knows there is no danger to me.  I NEVER get to be off leash where there are cars or even where there are going to be lots of people.  DixieLee doesn’t get to go off leash because before she came to live with us, she must have been trained as a hunting dog because she loves following a scent and would get lost for sure.

We didn’t start out walking up mountains or going for big hikes.  We started by taking short walks around town.  Yesterday we walked a trail that was three miles long.  That’s far!  It was a nice walk cuz we got to enjoy Nature.  It was peaceful, no traffic sounds or other people, and there were lots of scents from the animals who live in the forest.   

Walking with your humans has lots of other Ben Fits.  We are a pack of two humans and two dogs and walking is a way for us to get to know each other better and strengthen our bond.  Walking is a great way for humans to get rid of stress too.

So, if you or your human is a little on the chunky side, consider taking more walks.  Seriously, I know you’ll like it.

Your slimmed down friend,

Zeva

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Queen of the High Jump

One of my BFFs Miu is a chronic fence jumper.  I can’t understand why she would want to do that.  DixieLee and I have a really nice fenced yard where we can run and play all we want.  Our fences is a linky chain kind so we can watch the squirrels and chickens run around on the big yard and watch the people and cars on the road.  DixieLee likes to sit in the sunny part and I like to sit in the shade.

Miu also has a nice garden where she and her sister Bumo can run and play too but she says she jumps her fence because she loves being free to find other dogs and critters to chase. Her Mom isn’t so happy about the fence jumping because lots of the critters where they live have rabies and there are many other dangers awaiting a dog on the run.

We can play alone in our yard cuz our pen is right outside of our office windows and Mom can watch us without having to be outside but if you are an escape artist, having your human stay in the yard with you is a good way to break the habit.

When your human is in the yard watching you, he or she can distract you as soon as you get ready to bolt.  We use lots of what our friend Eric the Amazing Dog Training Man calls “positive reinforcement” to break bad habits

Positive reinforcement means offering an alternative to jumping.  Like when your human calls you and offers a toy or a treat or tells you what a good dog you are.  We never get tired of hearing what good dogs we are.  I’m pretty good about going to Mom when she calls but sometimes DL gets so into whatever she is doing, it’s like she doesn’t hear.  That’s when Mom says AAHHHHH using her Stern Voice or shakes THE CAN.  THE CAN is a soup can with a bunch of pennies in it that makes a horrible racket when Mom shakes it.  It’s so horrible that it startles DL long enough to get her back in listening mode.

Dogs need lots of exercise and attention.  If we aren’t getting enough of either, we get bored and look for ways to amuse ourselves.  We get walks and Mom and Dad pet us and talk to us all the time.

Mui’s Mom has tried all kinds of tricks to keep her in the garden.  Their fence is a garden wall which sounds very pretty and her Mom put big colorful pots along the top but Miu knocked them off and broke them.  Needless to say her Mom was not happy.

Dogs are pretty smart when we want to be. Can’t get over the fence, go under.  Dogs can fit through the smallest holes or gaps in a fence.  When we had the fence built, there was a six inch gap between the fence post and the house.  You guessed it!  DL found it right away so Dad banged a pipe in the ground to make the space to small even for Houdini Dog.

Chicken wire can also be used in lots of different ways to help fortify a fence.  There are way too many to make your fence jump proof for me to talk about in this blog so if you are a jumper or digger, tell your human to go on line and find out a way that works for you.

The yard should be a place where it is fun to be and a fence is the best way to keep us safe while we are having fun.

Your Friend,
Zeva

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