The aging dog

When our black Labrador retriever passed away last year, I had no idea how old she was in human years until I saw a chart in the veterinarians office a few weeks back. On the chart it gauged a dogs age according to their weight combined with how old they were. According to the chart, our dog passed away at the ripe old age of a 93 year old human. She was over 55 pounds and was 15 years old.

When dogs age they only have a few extra needs. They don't need face lifts, top wrinkle creams, hair dye or butt lifts. Can you imagine if they did? All they need is easy to digest food, their teeth checked often for wear and a place to rest out of the cold weather.

Sources of protein other than meat

Dogs often need an added boost of protein for overcoming a sickness or because their regular dog food is low in protein. When adding protein to their diet you don't have to add meat s there are other sources of protein that are overlooked.

One of them is cottage cheese. It is very high in protein and easy on a dogs stomach if they are getting over an illness. Another good source is yogurt, the plain unflavored type. Yogurt is also known as one of the homemade remedies for acne for humans but I don't know if it works on dog acne. Eggs, both cooked and raw are a good addition to a dogs diet to increase protein.

Not all dogs should be spayed or neutered

I think that most people overlook the fact that not every dog should be sterilized. Those dogs that are kept as entire breeding animals should be superior examples of their breed. The only true way to test them would be in dog shows or competitions. I am a firm believer in dogs passing not only in the conformation area but also in the working field. That would mean that a border collie would not only be an excellent example of its breed but would also be required to do what border collies are bred for, herding sheep.

Just because a dog has no health problems and has a set of reproductive organs is no reason to breed it. I have even heard of people trying to find the best testosterone booster for a mutt with an unusual color because they erroneously thought that there was a market for a dog with that color. On the other hand a good cattle or sheep herding dog with no registration papers are often worth their weight in gold because they are a working dog. Such working dogs are in high demand by other ranchers regardless of registration papers.

So how would people that just want a pet dog get that pet if only superior dogs were bred? Simple, not all puppies out of champion dogs become champions or even close to show quality. Those dogs are the ones that make excellent spayed and neutered pets.

Dog's and their eating habits

Why do I always question those dog food companies when they have their reps in stores tell you to always switch what food you have your dog on, gradually. Why? Why? Why? Haven't they experienced a dog that seems to be a walking garbage can and gets into everything? Most dogs that I know have a cast iron stomach. I have only witnessed once when cheap dog food was doing natural colon cleanser effect on one of our dogs. I cannot say for sure it was the actual dog food or something else going on to give the dog the runs.

Dog attends mass

Have you heard about the dog in St. Louis parish in MO that attends mass? The dog, Elijah, is the pet of Rev. Don Buhr. Elijah attends every mass that Don presides over. I guess that dog does not need any communion invitations. Buhr first came to the church and asked the parishioners if it would be all right if Elijah attended Mass. So far, he said, no one has complained.

As far as I know, no other church in the USA allows animals inside. During the blessing of animals in San Francisco all of the animals stay outside. I could not find a picture of Elijah but he is black and white, slim and part lab and border collie mix.

High jumping dog

I came across this vintage photo of a hgh jumping dog. Since the photo is not showing the whole picture, so to speak, I wonder how the dog got up that high. It could be that the dog jumped off of something that was just as high and the jump was more of a long jump with a big drop off at the end. Of course the dog could have been hurt on the landing since there is no evidence of a soft landing area.

Dogs on the beach

Are you planning a trip to the Outer Banks? For those not in the know, the Outer Banks are in North Carolina. Those beaches are among some of the dog friendliest beaches in the USA. Some of them allow dogs to be off leash as long as they are within a predetermined number of feet from you and under your control.  The beach at Duck allows dogs to play off leash as long as they are close to you. Kitty Hawk has stricter leash laws but will also allow the dog to be off leash as long as they remain within 30' of you and show that they are very well behaved and under your control. If you like that type of vacation with your dog - on a beach then you had better look for Outer Banks rentals that allow dogs.

Dogs aboard the Titanic

This was something I had not heard before, that dogs were aboard the Titanic. I guess I wrongfully assumed that like today, dogs are not allowed aboard cruise ships. But the Titanic was not a cruise ship since immigrants were also on board that maiden voyage. The wealthy did travel with their dogs and ship travel would have not been any different in the early 1900's.

One of the world's largest museums that is solely dedicated to the history of the Titanic is having the world's first tribute to dogs aboard the Titanic.



The really cute video above is about the event, which will run from March 2010 to December 2010. They will be featuring stories about the dogs that were on board that fateful voyage. Maybe they will have some stories about any dog heroes that saved lives.

The Titanic Museum and Attraction is located in Branson, MO. Branson is noted for being the show capital of the east coast but you can now see that it is much more than that.

Safety for your dog

Just like having to child proof your home you have to do the same for your dog. The purpose is to protect your dog not to protect your home from your dog s most people do. Most people end up punishing the dog by locking them up in a room or crate rather than put things out of the dogs reach. Take for example the cords on window blinds, they can become an attractive trap for puppies and dogs who choose to play with them. The best solution is to tie the cords up and out of the way. Power cords pose another threat. Either cover them in a tube, unplug them from the wall or teach the dog not to chew them.

If you have a dog that likes to drink water from the toilet you can either let them continue but never put any chemicals in the toilet water to keep the toilet clean, or you can shut the toilet lid and teach the dog that drinking from the well in the bathroom is not allowed.

Most dogs don't get into the household chemicals but keeping them out of the dog's reach or access is best. You can purchase child cabinet locks for your cupboards should your dog show an interest in getting into them.

Puppy playthings

Don't you just love toys for pups? Take a look at these -



Those toys are good enough to get even if you don't have a puppy. So when are you going shopping?

Disgusting habits of dogs

What we think of as a disgusting habit, a dog would consider it to be normal. Take for example a dog rolling in something really smelly, that act, if done by wild animal, is to disguise their scent from their prey during a hunt. It is merely a throw back to a dog's wild ancestors. Eating cat poop is one of the most yucky habits that us dog owners sometimes encounter. If they find it in the cat box, it is referred to "kitty roca." It is no more disgusting than people eating so much food that they have to resort to bariatric surgery to fix their bodies.

Of course many habits are brought about the dog's boredom at being confined. Digging holes or chewing through a fence is common for a dog confined to a backyard most of their lives. Dogs kept in the house often resort to chewing on anything and everything to combat boredom.

The habits a dog has is the result of either genetically wired in or the result of human related abuse or neglect. 

Puppy sitting

I get to puppy sit a neighbors puppy, well not really a puppy but a toy breed Pomeranian. That little dog thinks he's a big dog as most Pomeranians do. He will be staying at his house while his owner is getting dental implants Mexico.That is because I am not sure if he will get along with my min pin. The Pom lives with cats so he would not bother our cat but like I said he might not get along with my little guy. I am sure it would be much less stressful to let him stay in his home rather than have him at my house for a week.

The ideal chew toy

I really think that dog supply manufacturers go out of their way in making the most useless chew toys for dogs. Everything from latex squeaky toys, that dogs can rip apart in seconds to solid rubber like things molded into large rings, balls with spikes and animal shapes. Of course the ideal chew toy to your dog is those expensive shoes you just bought or the industrial handles on a sander left outside while you got a bite to eat. My daughter's dog will wander into their tool shed if the door is not shut and mangle electrical cords and levers on tools. I had a friend once that had a chocolate lab that loved to find and play with broken glass in its mouth. It is not usual for retrievers to play with things in their mouths and never get injured from it.

A chew toy to a dog is what ever makes them happy, even if it upsets you.