Tornado Dog

I didn’t know if any of you heard this story, or if it was only broadcast locally in Alabama, but I thought I’d share it this week.

It’s about Mason, the plucky terrier mix who crawled home on two broken legs. The scrappy dog had been hiding in a garage in North Smithfield, Alabama, when the storm hit on April 27. It whipped through the community, destroying houses and uprooting trees, but when it had passed Mason was nowhere to be seen. His family had all but given up hope when two weeks later they returned home to sift through belongings only to find the dog on their doorstep.

He was in a bad way with what appeared to be broken limbs. The family rushed him to the Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control shelter where veterinarians gave him once over. He's got two broken legs and they're distal radial unal fractures,' Dr Barbara Benhart told Wavy-TV 10. 'They've not been able to be in alignment so neither one of them have healed so he had to crawl on two broken legs to get home,' she added. Mason's owners asked the shelter to look after him while they try and put their own lives back together. And with the help of donations and the generosity of a nearby veterinary clinic Mason underwent an operation to fix plates into his two front legs last week.

He is now doing well and will go home to his family in six weeks time, a spokesman from the animal shelter said. Now the pup has become something of a celebrity and even has his own Facebook page.

Phil Doster, who works at the shelter, said that Mason's injuries were the most dramatic they'd seen in an animal that had survived so long on its own. 'We're honored to be part of his recovery,' he added.

Alice England
makingstuffwithlove

Dog Bless U.S.A.

I was watching the news and hearing about soldiers coming back from war, the high suicide rates and the many difficulties returning to a “normal” life. However one news story really touched my heart. There’s an organization called, DogBlessYou.org. It’s a new internet campaign to help veterans with their struggle with debilitating pain and post-traumatic stress disorder to get some much-needed help from four-legged friends.

DogBlessYou.org is the brain child of Los Angeles-based filmmaker and philanthropist Charlie Annenberg Weingarten. For every 5,000 'likes' on the facebook page, a service dog will be donated to a veteran in need.Weingarten says he believes the campaign will help spread patriotism and give injured veterans a much-needed companion."It's interesting because the way we deal with PTSD is strictly on a medical basis. But really what's missing is love and belonging," Weingarten said. "Imagine a spirit that all it wants is to help you, you know, and to make you smile.

Here’s the link to the story: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dog-bless-you-veterans,0,4696022.story

More importantly – here’s the facebook link – Remember for every 5000 “likes”, a service dog is donated. Let’s see what we can do get the word out.

http://www.facebook.com/exploredogs

This is such a great organization and when you read the article it is very heartwarming and touching.

Annie, Cody and Copper
AnnieKDesigns.etsy.com
AnnieKClothing.etsy.com
CodysCloset.etsy.com
http://www.handmadeincalifornia.net

STORY TIME TUESDAY

Once upon a time (10 years ago, LOL) my husband, fiancé at the time, decided he was OK with my getting another pet. We had a bird – a parrot named Sinbad, but I wanted something I could cuddle and love on.
My husband never had any type of pet before, ever, so a dog or a cat was just too much of a leap for him. So I thought, how about a rabbit. The lop-earred ones even resemble dogs a little, with the long ears hanging down; maybe a white one with spots.

There are several breeds of rabbits, ranging from the smallest, the Netherland dwarf, at approx 2 1/2 lbs:




to the largest, the Giant Flemmish, averaging 20 pounds:

There are several types of lop-earred rabbits. The smallest is the Holland Lop, which usually averages about 3½ - 4 pounds.

The American Fuzzy is the same size and shape only, well... fuzzier. Here is an example of a beautiful American Fuzzy:

Then there is the mini lop, which is a little larger.

The English Lop, which usually averages at 10 pounds or more, has 19" long ears!

And all the way up to the French lop, which usually weighs 12-14 lbs or more.But back to my story...

I decided the cute little Holland lop was best for me. We found some breeders in Pennsylvania to take a look. The first place we went to - Wow – it was huge; at least the size of a double garage with cages upon cages of rabbits, including just born tiny babies, a play area with exercise equipment, grooming area… It was pretty amazing.
Then we went to this other breeder/farm?? I found out they were bred for either pet or MEAT! He had just a few cages in his backyard.
He placed this young brown "tort colored" Holland lop in my arms, and the little guy looked up at me. There was no way I was leaving him there. We named him Cyrano.

Cyrano started out in a nice sized rabbit cage that we bought for him. But a few months later we got him a huge double decker condo. The upper floor was carpeted and that was his play area. Downstairs was vinyl flooring, with his kitchen on one side, and bathroom (litter box) on the other. But whenever I was home he also had the run of the house.

Here is an example of the condo we got for him:

OK, he did destroy a couple of rugs, and you really need to rabbit proof your house for exposed wires, etc, but he had such an adorable personality. He was very lovable, and so soft and loved to be brushed.

He was large for a Holland lop at 5 lbs!

We enjoyed 3 great years with this wonderful little guy.

Then he started to get a blockage in his urinary tract. The vet and I were trying to get this under control, but it was just too much for the little guy. I still miss him, but he was also responsible for the door that opened and let in two beautiful puppies – first Giupetto, then Gianna. (Another story for another time.)

I hope you enjoyed my story, and remember there are so many different pets to choose from, but the most important thing is that you do some research before-hand, so you choose the right pet for you and for your living arrangements.
Think about whether you will be able to devote the proper time and energy necessary for the pet you choose. Research the proper size cage or housing requirements, exercise, grooming needs, any special food, lighting or heat requirements, etc, before you start your search.
And enjoy a wonderful life with your new pet.

Diana

http://www.dianadesignsny.etsy.com/

http://www.stylindogsboutique.etsy.com/

Handmade Pet Products 6/27/11

Each weekday, the members of the Pets Jubilee Team on Etsy choose an item to promote from all of the active members. Here are last week's specialties:

makingstuffwithlove

paulinesfashions

SassySashadoxie

TomatoBrains

memztoes

Don't forget to click on the image to go to the item and click on the name to visit their Etsy shop.

Sasha's Garden Progress Report!

We couldn't come up with anything animal related so Sasha wanted to share her garden progress. We have about two more months to ripen and get big before cold weather starts up again. Paws crossed for a good harvest.

Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop 6/25/11

We won't be having a blog giveaway on July 2nd because of the holidays, but will have one again beginning July 16th, so check back then.

There's still time to enter our Pet Talent Contest. Click on the Furbabies link at the top to see the current entries and to find the rules.

Long Live Friendship

Another e-mail find from Pauline from paulinesfashions.

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments.
The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center.
The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.
They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan)is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.


Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.

They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.

Long Live Friendship!!!!!!!I don't know... some say life is too short, others say it is too long,but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others... while it lasts!

May you always have..Love to Share, Health to Spare, And Friends who Care.

Dog Intelligence Test

Here is the last of the intelligence tests. It’s a short one. Good luck to all the dogs out there!

TEST FIVE

This is a test of language comprehension. The dog should be settled comfortably at least eight feet or more from you. In the voice tones that you usually use to call your dog, call “refrigerator”. If the dog shows some responsiveness to come, score 3; if the dog does not come, call “movies” in the same tone. If the dog comes, score 2; If the dog still has not responded, call its name (do not say “come”). If the dog comes or shows any tendency to move toward you, score 5; if not, call the dog’s name a second time. If the dog comes, score 4. If not, score 1.

Alice England
Makingstuffwithlove

Pet Quirks

While trying to decide what to write for this week’s bIog, I thought I would dazzle everyone with bizarre animal facts. However there were some really disgusting ones so I decided to change to Pet Quirks.

Cody has many and I think would take a 10 page dissertation to go through them all. We all know that I think the world of him. It is important to know that Cody was raised in an apartment in New Jersey. He was almost 6 months old when I got him. I had to have a dog walker take him out twice a day as he was too young to hold it all day. Even though Cody has a yard and can take care of business whenever he wants, he thinks walks are pee and poo breaks.

Cody also does not like anyone who is angry or has any rage. I was awakened one night about 3 AM by Cody barking and growling out the front windows of the apartment in NJ. A guy was mistreating a woman and Cody did not like that. Of course I called the police.

He pushes his food out of his dish and eats it off the ground or floor. Loves it when I change his dog collar. Hates baths. Dislikes wearing any clothing but likes bandanas. He likes his tummy rubbed but not his head. Hates to be combed or brushed although he really has very little fur. Loves puppy massages.

Then there’s Copper. I call him my boob dog as he always puts his paws on my boobs. Loves to cuddle and sleep with me. Chases birds out of the yard, plays fetch and has an oral fixation – loves to have toys in his mouth. Loves to be brushed. His back paws are very sensitive and probably better to leave alone. He’s just a 50-pound lap dog.

But Copper likes to leap before he thinks. Last Friday I had the dogs with me at work. We went to the beach for lunch. The dogs are on harnesses and tied into the bed of the truck. Two surfers walk by and Cody barks and Copper tries to fly to greet them. Unfortunately he is on a leash and falls to the ground. It was very comical! He was a little shook up and but absolutely fine. He’s a sturdy little guy.

So that is just a few of the quirks of my boys. What quirks do your animals have?

Annie, Cody and Copper

AnnieKDesigns.etsy.com

AnnieKClothing.etsy.com

CodysCloset.etsy.com

http://www.handmadeincalifornia.net

The Winner of our Blog Giveaway is ...

THE WINNER OF OUR BLOG GIVEAWAY FROM

Happy Hounds

IS...

Sean from Camargo Creations

CONGRATULATIONS :)

You've won this cute Patriotic "Match Me Mommy" Necklace & Collar Flower Set:



Thank you so much, Tammy for contributing the prize and thank you everyone for entering!

DANCING DOGS

I thought these 2 videos were cute.





I'd like to end with another caption me:


Diana

www.DianaDesignsNY.etsy.com
www.StylinDogsBoutique.etsy.com

Handmade Pet Products 6/20/11

Each weekday, the members of the Pets Jubilee Team on Etsy choose an item to promote from all of the active members. I'd like to start sharing those items here on the blog, so here are last week's specialties:

forpawsandhome

Freyasstudio

FrumsGlassMenagerie

jenya2

kceknits

Click on the image to go to the item, click on the name to visit their Etsy shop.

Yappy Father's Day!

All the critters out there want to wish their human and animal daddies a Yappy Father's Day!

Oh, and I am sure the human's wish it to their dads, too!

Sasha

Saturday Blog Hop 6/18/11 & Blog Giveaway

BLOG GIVEAWAY FROM
Happy Hounds!

To help promote my new line of matchable wear, I am giving away this cute, Patriotic "Match Me Mommy" Necklace & Collar Flower Set:

To enter:

Anytime between now and 8:00 pm EST Tuesday, June 21, 2011 visit my Happy Hounds Etsy boutique at www.earlybird454.etsy.com and favorite one of my necklaces. Leave a comment below with the name and item number of the necklace that you favorited.

For an additional entry, visit our team shop PetsJubilee http://www.etsy.com/shop/petsjubilee, favorite it and leave a comment here of your favorite item.

Tweet the giveaway and post it here for another chance to win.
Post the giveaway on facebook and post it here one more chance to win.

And lastly, get one more entry by following our blog.

Don't forget to leave some way for me to contact the winner - either your etsy name or your email address.

That's 5 chances to win! You must at least do the first one.

A winner will be chosen using random.org and announced here Tuesday night.

Have a fun & safe 4th of July! Remember to secure your pets, as most of them aren't as fond of fireworks as many of us are.

Tammy
Happy Hounds at http://earlybird454.etsy.com


Check back here the first and 3rd Saturdays of each month for more giveaways!!!

"The Scout's Prayer"

Another E-mail find from Pauline from paulinesfashions who wished all a Happy Father's Day!

My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and "give it all to dad." That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son.The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed. Finally, mom stepped in to see if I could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. I read the measurements aloud, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn't do. Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom).Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids cars and was feeling pretty proud of his "Blue Lightning," the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own. Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. Once there my little one's pride turned to humility. Gilbert's car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed. A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert's, lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle.As the race began it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, my wide-eyed, shy, eight-year-old asked if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped. Gilbert hit his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, "Okay, I am ready."As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy's car. Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud "Thank you" as the crowd roared in approval.The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?" To which my young son answered, "Oh, no sir. That wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don't cry when I lose."Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn't ask God to win the race, he didn't ask God to fix the outcome, Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn't cry out to God, "No fair, they had a father's help." No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through the struggle. ["I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13]Gilbert's simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn't pray to win, and thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn't there without a "dad," but His Father was most definitely there with him. Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side. Peggy Porter

Dog Intelligence Tests

This week I have listed two more of the dog intelligence tests. They seem a little long in description, but are really not too long in execution. I don’t want you to feel in any hurry to perform these tests, I know we are all busy. But I think they are interesting and may at some point of your day, work their way into your schedule -- proving your dog is a genius, as you already know :)

TEST 3
This is a measure of problem solving. You need a large bath towel or heavy cloth of similar size. Make sure the dog is awake and reasonably active, and then let him sniff the towel. Then, with a quick, smooth motion (you may want to practice a time or two without the dog), throw the towel over the dog’s head, so that it’s head and front shoulders are completely covered. Start the stop watch and watch silently. If the dog frees himself in fifteen seconds or less, score 5; If in fifteen to thirty seconds, score 4; in thirty to sixty seconds, score 3; in one to two minutes, score 2. If the dog has not removed the towel after two minutes, score 1.

TEST 4
This is a test of social learning. Pick a time when your dog is sitting around 8 feet away from you but has not been told explicitly to sit and stay. Then stare intently at its face. When the dog looks at you, count silently to three and then smile broadly. If the dog comes to you with any tail wagging, score 5; if the dog comes but slowly or only part way with no tail wagging, score 4; if the dog stands or rises from a lying to a sitting position but does not move toward you, score 3; If the dog moves away from you, score 2; if the dog pays no attention, score 1.

Don’t you know they are wondering at OUR intelligence as we perform these tests?

Alice England
Makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com

Moving With Your Dogs

As many of you know, I recently moved and will be moving again shortly. Cody is a little too smart and knows the second a box appears that we are moving again. He dislikes change so I like to try to make the transition as smooth as possible.

The last time I moved, I had a friend help and her sole responsibility was to watch the dogs. We could be in and out and doing this and that and she was the calm and fun person for the boys to hang with. It worked quite well. This time I will not have that option but the move will be much smaller. I also plan to have the dogs at the groomer and bring them to their new house. Copper will be fine and Cody will settle in.
Calm Your Dog In a New Home

Moving with your dog can be simple, most dogs just want you to be with them. But here are some things you can do to make moving with your dog a little easier.

Choose a spot for your pet’s bed or crate and set it up first so there’s something familiar when they come in.

Include a soft shirt or towel for them to lie on, best if it smells like you!

Put his/her food dishes down with water and food.

If your move is local, take your pet to the neighborhood to walk around before your move. There should be some familiar smells to him. Go inside the new space if possible. This way it won’t be completely new on moving day.

If your pet is still nervous, you may want to try a soothing smell like lavender.

Moving Day

Make sure your pet is secured. Preferably somewhere he or she feels comfortable. Can your pet stay with a friend during the moving out/moving in? Or will he be calm in a crate? With doors propped open and heavy stuff being moved in and out, it’s not safe for a dog to be running in and out and “helping”. Or getting very anxious. There’s enough anxiety with a move…

Make sure your pet’s tags are current and include a cell number in case he does get out! Also, make sure to have tags with the address for the new place ready to go on.

Is there a yard with the new home? Is it fenced? If so, check it thoroughly for holes or tears before letting your pets run off leash. You don’t want anyone making an escape!

Moving with your dog shouldn't be too much more complicated than moving without a pet but by following a few precautions, you can make the transition smoother.
Good luck and happy moving!

Annie, Cody and Copper
AnnieKDesigns.etsy.com
AnnieKClothing.etsy.com
CodysCloset.etsy.com
http://www.handmadeincalifornia.net

SHOW AND TELL TUESDAY

ANOTHER OF THE SAME - CAPTION ME :







Diana



http://www.dianadesignsny.etsy.com/



http://www.stylindogsboutique.etsy.com/

Handmade Pet Products 6/13/11

Each weekday, the members of the Pets Jubilee Team on Etsy choose an item to promote from all of the active members. I'd like to start sharing those items here on the blog, so here are last week's specialties:

earlybird454

StylinDogsBoutique

ChocolateKennels

CamargoCreations

AnnieKClothing

Click on the image to go to the item, click on the name to visit their Etsy shop.

Sasha Un-plugged!

The last couple days we have been having electrical work done at our house so this meant that we didn't have a lot of computer time. I think Sasha took it the hardest. heehee.

"No twitter! No blogging! No facebook! Mommy, I am bored."

"Maybe, if I use my doxie mind control powers, and really get into my Zen Doxie Mode I can virtually surf the net without electricity."

"Mommy, is the power fixed yet. The squirrels are interfering with my reception on the dachshund mind control network."