An update to yesterday's pooch that was to be euthanized...

A quick note to let you know that....
She is SAFE SAFE SAFE!!
Thank you Rebound Hounds ResQ for saving Princess!

Good advice gone bad...

"While it's easy to give advice it takes humility and courage to be open to receiving advice and see it as one of the greatest expressions of love and care."

Have you ever tried to give well meaning advice and your friend or family member stubbornly refused it? Perhaps you tried to prevent an obvious disaster but the person you care about wants to do it their way?

Welcome to planet earth! People generally don't like receiving unsolicited advice, although we all love to give it. But if you dive deeper into the nooks and crannies of the human mind, you'll see that fear and ego can sometimes get in the way of the health and well-being of your dog.

Most people genuinely care about their animals and hearing that they could do something differently puts them on the defensive. Although they really want to do things right for their dog, they view well-meaning advice as a way of saying that they are neglecting their dog.

Personally, I am open to any kind of advice that is given to me in any area of my life, especially my dog. There are so many resources out there that can be researched to get the yays or nays about it, so why get on the defense and take offense? By receiving advice from someone doesn't mean you have to do it! Be thankful that there are caring people out there passing along something they experienced and want to share! Its up to you with how you proceed with that information.

Facebook has it's good and bad. A lot of things that are posted are questionable as being factual and a lot that has truth to it. I, to no surprise have a lot of dog pages that I have liked and see a lot of interesting information that can be helpful. There are also a lot of rescue pages that share a lot of dogs that are in need of homes. What an awesome way to get these pups out there and passed along in this country in the hopes of finding a foster home to get them off of the euthanasia list and eventually into their forever home.With statistics showing that there are 9,000 dogs killed a DAY in shelters, the more exposure these babies can get, the better.

Some of the pages that I like and see do wonders for these dogs are.....

~ Lady Bug the Pibble Mix - This page was started for a dog that was found on the streets. Their owner rescued her and called her Lady Bug. They are always passing along dogs that are in shelters and only have hours to live before they are euthanized. Most of the time, a little later that day they will share the same dog as being saved! Always nice to see. 

~ Second Chance Rescue NYC - Second Chance is a 501c3 animal rescue organization that specializes in helping the Pit Bull Terrier dog. They focus on medical cases as well as abused & neglected animals. They believe all animals deserve a Second Chance. Their website is http://www.nycsecondchancerescue.org  Check out their page, maybe you can save one of their babies!

~Ellie the pit bull - She is a beautiful pit bull who became 2013's American Dog Hero. Awesome as a pit she was recognized. Her page pretty much shows what she does to help people as a therapy dog and spreads the word about pit bulls and how good the breed really can be. 

~ Dog Naturally Magazine - This page shares a lot of information if you are looking to care for your pets more holistically. A lot of different things you can do for your dog without having to give them drugs and healthier ways to feed your dog besides a bag of kibble. Their website is  http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/  A lot of free online articles. Check them out!

I wont bore you with anymore.... for now. But I will pass along a cutie pie that is looking for their forever home....

Courtesy of Lady Bug the pibble mix page...

MANHATTAN CENTER NYC
Another hold that did not happen!
Princess back on the list

TO BE DESTROYED 05/27/14
Manhattan Center -PMy name is PRINCESS. My Animal ID # is A1000201.I am a female tan and white pit bull mix. The shelter thinks I am about 3 YEARS old.I came in the shelter as a STRAY on 05/18/2014 from NY 10473, owner surrender reason stated was STRAY.

                      And not to leave out a funny for the day....


                                  Happy Memorial Day!

What dogs notice on their walks and what is it telling us to do?

I was talking with a friend of mine today and she was talking about her 15 month old son and how when she walks out to the car, how long it takes to get to the car because he notices everything there is to see on the way. What would take 30 seconds can take up to 3 minutes. A leaf blowing by, a colorful flower petal that blew off the tree, someone walking down the street... (you get where I am going).  It could be anything and he stops to check it out. 

Now I know we don't have time to take a 30 sec walk and turn it into a 3 minute walk just to notice everything that we may see on the way, but if we did slow down just a bit to notice the little things, would we still get the same amazement and enjoyment?

Dogs are the same way, especially puppies. A few years back I had a client who was about 7 months and we were on our walk, it was a warm day so we took a break in the grass under a tree. We were sitting there and he was looking all over, curious as ever and here comes this leaf blowing down the street. He jumps up and just stares as it flies by. It was so intriguing for him just to watch the leaf. Being a puppy that could have very well been the first leaf he has ever seen, but it makes you stop and think. Dogs are always stopping to sniff the tree and smell the plants or the grass (of course we know why they are sniffing but that's besides the point). Always wanting to be pleasant and say hello to passing humans and other canine relatives. (Most times) I have this pug that I walk and there is this plant that we pass and she has to stop to smell it every time! I always think she's stopping to say "Hi plant, how's it goin?" 

As we all know, dogs are amazing creatures. They are always happy to see us, lick away our tears, always rubbing all over us as to "mark" us to say that we are theirs. They are always there no matter what. Pure love... And the next time you are walking your dog, watch what they do, where they are sniffing and see past the "dog reason", they just might be telling you something. Slow down and enjoy your surroundings. :) 

These 3 "heart shaped" rocks I found on 3 different walks.

Now matter how you look at it, dogs are love, give love and surround you with love. Slow down and take it all in.

Back after a long hiatus... Chicken? or Chicken by products?

I know its been quite awhile since I have posted anything on my blog. I can say that my dog walking business has kept me very busy! I am going to try to keep up with this so I can share my stories and also pass along any information that I come across that I think you will find interesting and or informative. And of course put a smile on your face :)

To bring you up to date, Stop! Doggie Time! has exploded over the last couple years. I can sometimes work round the clock for a few months at a time. This year I am looking to add to the business something along the lines of an air conditioned indoor dog park. I think with the summers warming up in San Diego, I think it would be a good place for people with older dogs that are unable to run around in this heat for a long time and it would keep the owners out of the heat as well! Also if you have just given your dog a bath and want to keep him clean longer than the car ride home from the dog wash, it would be a good spot. I also thought of it for doggies that have allergies. One of my clients is allergic to grass. The poor boy loves to play ball and if he goes in the grass his paws turn raw and he chews on them like they are steaks. So I am thinking this might be something that could work. I am in the process of working on my business plan and hope to be able to open something up next year. I'll keep you posted!

Since my Sebastian has passed, I have adopted a little guy. He is a dachshund / corgi mix and his name is Parker. He is as sweet as they come. He has filled my life with joy and a strong arm for throwing the tennis ball! The boy is relentless! I love him to pieces!

Parker

 

But enough about me... I did want to share some information that I recently read in a new magazine that I found on Facebook called, Dogs Naturally. It leads more towards the holistic side of pet care and that is something that I want to do with my little guy.

 

Playing Chicken - fowl play and ingredient labels

 

To start... you go into a pet store and are looking for dog food. You come across two different kinds and you read the labels. The first ingredient in bag 1 is chicken and bag 2 is chicken by products. You read a little bit more and see that the bag with chicken claims to be from USDA inspected facilities. The chicken by products claims to be from USDA inspected and APPROVED animals. Which one do you choose? Now chicken by products are usually the left overs that we humans don't want to eat, so why would you feed this ingredient to your dog? BUT.. Animal by products are excellent sources of protein and essential vitamins and minerals for pets. They provide essential nutrients that dogs need and are also a sustainable source of quality protein.

 

There is a book called AAFCO Ingredient Definitions. It's an essential guide to what the pet food industry allows and what they don't allow the manufacturers to say and do.

According to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) the definition of poultry is: a clean combination of flesh and skin, with or without bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of poultry or combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, head, feel and entrails.

Poultry by products must consist of non rendered clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera, free from fecal content and foreign matter except in such trace amounts.

So the difference is poultry by products are from slaughtered animals. Poultry can be from dead chickens euthanized or that have already died from diseases. Now that is scary. Especially when you see advertisements for dog food brands and they say to make sure the first ingredient is meat. That's what I have always done and have always put down the bag with by products attached to the meat. I guess we have to look even more into our dog food to make sure our babies are getting the best. I think my sister has it right... Cook for your dog and you know what's in it! Anyone know of a dog chef?