What They Do While You're At Work: The Feather Incident

Good news! Dr. J and Stewart are getting along quite well! And its not just when I'm around either. For instance, yesterday, Dr. J and Stewart decided to discover how many feathers are in a down pillow. The answer was quite impressive. This marks Dr. J's first photographic appearance on The Blog of Dog. I know the anticipation has been on par with that of seeing Suri Cruise. Feast your eyes on the lovliness of Dr. J in his self-made feather nest.

Couch Pawtatos: Dog TV Spotlight: Barkitecture

Through the miracle of Tivo suggestions, I recently discovered a rather odd show on the DIY network - Barkitecture. It's kind of like This Old House meets Animal Planet. The hosts are a carpenter and a veterinarian. I've only seen one episode where they installed an invisible fence and helped to train a Newfie to stay in her yard. It's not exactly must-see TV, but it does have some interesting information.

Prison Dogs II: Maynard

Our new prison dog, Maynard, is arriving in a couple of weeks!

Thank Dog Item: Remote Citronella Dog Training Collar

Dr. J and I welcomed our new foster dog, Stewart, this week. Stewart is wonderful in so many ways, he listens, likes to snuggle, enjoys life in a way that only a dog coming from unforunate circumstances can do. However, Stewart has one issue: he finds Dr. J irresistible. Yes, Stewart has a tendency to get all Isaac Hayes on Dr. J. Since Dr. J is not looking for a gay lover, this was causing a fair amount of stress in our household. We tried everything we could think of - cans of pennies, firm scolding, time outs (which I realize are probably ridiculous, but we were desperate!) Nothing curtailed Stewart's mojo from getting the better of him. Then, we found our saving grace: The SprayCommander Remote Citronella Training Collar.

Now, it would not be cool to use this type of device for everyday things. In this case, however, it was getting to the point where Stewart was going to need to pack his bags for a new foster home. The collar works by spraying a mist of citronella up towards the dog's nose when the remote button is pressed. So, when Stewart would start to slip into something a little more comfortable, I pressed the button. He got a shocked, what just happened look on his face and stopped. He's had the collar on for about 12 hours now. He's only attempted to woo Dr. J three times, substantially less than his 40-50 wooings in the same time period yesterday.

The collars aren't cheap, they run around $100.00 (we borrowed ours from our rescue organization,) but if it's a difference between being miserable and being a happy and healthy family, it's worth it. The collar is available at Amazon. Now Stewart will be able to stay with us until he finds his new family!

Cool Dog Sites: Baddog.com

As much as I love my dog, I have anti-dog days. One was the day that Dr. J, all of nine weeks old, decided to try to get up on my bed while I was in the bathroom. To make a long story short, in a battle between a laptop, which Dr. J pulled off the bed in his efforts to ascend, and a chubby nine week old golden bum, the golden bum will win everytime.

While these days are rough, they do lead to some fun stories to share with other dog fanatics. This is the whole idea behind Baddogs.com. Funny, frustrating stories are told from the dogs' point of view. Unfortunately, you can't search by incident type. I'd like to see categories, such as "Underwear: Entree or Dessert?" But you can search by breed or location. Still, it's a great way to know that others have dealt with the same frustration you are .... and will again.

Happy Thanksgiving: Slobber and Gobbles

Ah, the joy of Thanksgiving! The smells! The leftovers! Thanksgiving is really the ultimate dog holiday, since it's primarily about food. While your dog may not agree, however, turkey does not do a lot of great things for the canine digestive system. Bella Online has a pretty good articles on the potential pitfalls of slipping a bit of this and that to your pup.

They even have recipes for dog-friendly Turkey Dinner Loaf and Turkey Gobbler Treats. So, enjoy the celebration and don't give your dog anything that will have you standing out in the backyard at 3 a.m. saying "are you done yet?"

Cool Dog Site: Planetdog.com

I'm a crazy dog person, but I don't hold any illusions about the fact that Dr. J is, in fact, a dog. I do not dress him in a shirt and tie every day (although he has been known to wear a Halloween costume on occasion.) I have not spent $1000 on a dog bed that looks like a cruise ship. That doesn't mean that I don't like to pamper him.

The people at Planet Dog are crazy dog people too, but not weird crazy dog people. Dog-centric stores tend to cater to either breeders, who see nothing wrong with keeping their dog in an outdoor run year round, or the Paris Hiltons of the world, who believe that their pet is an accessory. Planet Dog, however, just has cool, useful dog stuff.

They even have a Chew-O-Meter, which rates the durability of each toy from 1 to 5, which for super-chewers like Dr. J is essential. Looking through their site, you can tell that they are dog people. And their customer service can't be beat. Last year I ordered golf-ball chew toys to give as gifts and they were rather oddly shaped when they arrived. When I contacted the company, they immediately sent out new, defect free replacements!

Suggested item: Orbee-Tuff® Bulb with Treat Spot™ for $9.95 comes in three different colors and would make an awesome Christmas gift.

Prison Dogs - Part II

So, Cal arrived yesterday morning and was all that we had hoped he would be. He had a peppy, but not obnoxious way about him and was pretty good about following commands, despite the craziness of coming all the way from North Carolina and being in a run for almost a month.

Cal arrived at the adoption clinic a few minutes before 10 a.m. and helped me to bring some things in. He walked perfectly on a leash. Within 10 minutes, Cal's parents arrived. I, of course, didn't immediately recognize them, but Cal did. They are a nice couple with two small children. The wife is a stay-at-home mom, who walks 4 miles per day and wants to try training Cal for agility work. They live in a beautiful house in Slingerlands with a big fenced in yard. When I brought him to the house, he somehow knew it was his and hopped right on the sofa and made himself at home.

Several people came in looking for Cal after we had already left. One woman was rather mean when he found out that he had been adopted. I hope this bodes well for the dogs that we will be getting in the future. It was great to see such a sweet dog get a perfect family.

Buying a Collar or Harness

Collars or harnesses are the only clothing most dogs wear. While fashion is important, function is essential. Collars are fine for most dogs, but those special canines possessing necks bigger than their heads should be in harnesses. You should consider the quality of the material, size and clasp when selecting a collar or harness. Pull, twist, yank and otherwise try to break the collar or harness in the store before you buy it. Don’t be shy. If it breaks, you can quietly place it back on the display and feel fortunate that it wasn’t on your dog at the time. Collars should be long enough to fit around your dog’s neck with two fingers tucked underneath. Harnesses should fit similarly.

The Dog Files

About.com has a practical article about creating a file of important information for your dog to be used in an emergency or by a dog sitter. Most of the suggestions are common sense, but there are some things that you might not think of, like keeping a list of an unusual commands.

The Perfect Collar for Water Dogs

So, my golden retriever, Dr. J, is a typical waterlover. In fact, despite being perfect in every other way, he tends to try to pull me into any body of water that is deeper than 2 inches. Most collars don't hold up to this treatment well. They get smelly and take forever to dry, which is why I was so happy to find Spiffy Dog collars at my local pet store. Not only are they practical, they come in a variety of fabulous designs. Dr. J is currently sporting a black Spiffy Dog collar with flames, cause he rocks it like that.

Dogs on Parole

I am so excited to be chairing the new Leash on Life program for Homeward Bound Dog Rescue of NY. The program takes abandoned dogs and brings them to a minimum security prison in North Carolina, where they learn basic obedience and manners in general. My first charge, Cal, a St. Bernard mix is arriving on Saturday and I'm already in love! To find out more about the program, check out the NC Department of Corrections