The mouth watering treat! Everybody focus!!!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

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!

Monday, May 26, 2014

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...
Photo: TO BE DESTROYED 05/27/14
Manhattan Center -P

My 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. 

MOST RECENT MEDICAL INFORMATION AND WEIGHT
05/22/2014 Exam Type RE-EXAM - Medical Rating is 3 C - MAJOR CONDITIONS , Behavior Rating is EXPNOCHILD, Weight 27.6 LBS.

scanned negative barh underweight- placed a TID feeding sign mild dental tartar no spay scar seen hyper h/l wnl abd palp wnl loud honking cough A: KEC, worse than other dogs, still active and lungs clear. P: LRS SC 300 cc x 3 d Baytril 100 0.6cc x 7d doxy 1.5 tablets SID 10 d Metacam 1.7cc today, 0.8cc thereafter PO SID 4 d

05/18/2014 PET PROFILE MEMO
05/18/14 08:38hrs DOG INFORMATION SHEET Where did this dog come from? Stray – Outside ORIGINAL SOURCE Found as a Stray Does this dog have a microchip? No Animal’s Name: PRINCESS WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THIS DOG IN? Stray RELATIONSHIP I’ve owned him less than 1 WEEK PEOPLE Lives with _ children Does he get along with children? Yes Does he get along with strangers? Yes Has he ever bitten anyone? No Has he bitten anyone in the last 10 days? No Describe his behavior: ACTIVE OTHER ANIMALS N/A Can you describe his behavior around animals he doesn’t live with? N/A PERSONALITY Loves to play, is very active HABITS Eats dry food Eats canned food Eats both TRAINING Knows “sit” Pulls leash Goes to the bathroom wherever Does this dog have any behavioral problems that you’re aware of? If yes, please provide as much detail as possible. N\/A Does this dog have any medical problems that you’re aware of? If yes, please provide as much detail as possible. N/A Is there anything that could be done to help you keep your dog? N/A What kind of home do you think would be best for this dog? N/A Is there anything else we should know? N/A 

05/20/2014 WEB MEMO
A volunteer writes: What a pretty bouncy puppy! Everybody thinks that Princess is a babe…Not at all, she is supposed to be 3 year old but she is so tiny and thin that she passes easily for a six month old youngster. She wears a well groomed coat, owns lively eyes and pointy ears. Her nails are the longest. Princess is an active girl who does not like her small arrival kennel. She is leashed in no time and off we go for a walk around the block. She is pretty good on the leash and eliminates as soon as we leave the care center. She seems to like other dogs but avoids the threatening ones. Smart girl.. Being free in a pen is what Princess seems to like best. She will sit on command and for treats. Her manners are not the best as far as treats are concerned. She literally snatches them off my fingers. Take a good look at pretty Princess, and you will understand.. She needs to gain at least ten pounds. We are feeding her three times a day. Princess is a great ball player and …retriever. Even that she would love to keep the ball, she releases it in my hand, no guarding involved. She runs like a Cheetah and even looks at some point like a racing kangaroo, dashing through the area on her two hinds. She is quite amazing to watch…Princess is of course a sweetheart, a great lap dog, a snuggler and a kisser. She is at the Manhattan Care Center, hoping that you will lay your eyes on her, adopt her, put her in your pocket and take her home for shared wonderful years to come. 

05/20/2014 BEHAVIOR EVALUATION - EXPNOCHILD
Exam Type BEHAVIOR
Princess pulls hard and is very active on leash. She greeted the assessor with a soft body and wagging tail and then proceeded to investigate her surroundings. Princess maintained soft body language throughout the handling items of the assessment. She was stiff and began to take bigger bites during the food bowl test. Princess was underweight and under a special feeding schedule at the time of assessment. She stood over the toy with stiff body language and she held onto the rawhide with stiff body language. Princess rushed in quickly with confident body language during the dog-to-dog interaction. Princess displayed concerning behavior during the food, toy, and rawhide tests. When the assessor attempted to take the toy away, she rushed over with stiff body language and prevented the assessor from taking it away. Princess did not engage with the toy until the assessor had attempted to take it away. The behavior department recommends that she go to an experienced home without children. Look: 2. Dog pulls out of Assessor's hands each time without settling during three repetitions. Sensitivity: 2. Dog is active and focused on the Assessor and all other stimuli available. Her body is soft, likely panting, likely to display high movement between attempts. Tag: 2. Dog is not fearful, but is unresponsive to the Assessor, and approaches the Assessor at the end of the game (may need coaxing to approach.) she is focused on stimuli other than the Assessor. Squeeze 1: 1. Dog gently pulls back her paw. Squeeze 2: 1. Dog gently pulls back her paw. Food 3. Dog gulps food, begins to eat faster and with bigger bites, body stiff. She does not lift head when hand is applied to cheek. Toy 3. Dog takes away, keeps a firm hold. Her body is stiff. Dog - dog 2. Dog approaches the helper dog, body soft, tail well above spine level, ears forward. Helper: A1000209 

05/18/2014 INITIAL PHYSICAL EXAM
Medical rating was 2 NC - MINOR CONDITIONS NOT CONTAGIOUS, behavior rating was NONE
scanned negative barh underweight- palced TID feeding sign mild dental tartar applied advantage for flea prevention no spay scar seen long nails- clipped

05/22/2014 RE-EXAM (LAST MAJOR EXAM)
Medical rating 3 C - MAJOR CONDITIONS , behavior rating EXPNOCHILD
scanned negative barh underweight- placed a TID feeding sign mild dental tartar no spay scar seen hyper h/l wnl abd palp wnl loud honking cough A: KEC, worse than other dogs, still active and lungs clear. P: LRS SC 300 cc x 3 d Baytril 100 0.6cc x 7d doxy 1.5 tablets SID 10 d Metacam 1.7cc today, 0.8cc thereafter PO SID 4 d

Video:
http://youtu.be/k7DqmWvV6fI

Additional photos:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=806230572723157&set=a.806084696071078.1073743133.152876678058553&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=806230589389822&set=a.806084696071078.1073743133.152876678058553&type=3&theater

Previous thread:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=806077569405124&set=a.617938651552351.1073741868.152876678058553&type=3&permPage=1

Original thread:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=805846796094868&set=a.617938651552351.1073741868.152876678058553&type=3&permPage=1

*** TO ADOPT THIS ANIMAL THROUGH THE PUBLIC ADOPTION SITE, PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK AND SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM TO LOG IN AND RESERVE THE ANIMAL. THERE WILL BE A $50 DEPOSIT REQUIRED.http://www.nycacc.org/PublicAtRisk.htm *** 
                                                                                                                                          For more information on adopting from the NYC AC&C, or to find a rescue to assist, please read the following: http://urgentpetsondeathrow.org/must-read/

For more info on behavior codes and ratings, please read here: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=283116538381555

For more information on a particular dog, email adoption@nycacc.org but ONLY if serious about adopting, and ONLY if you are able to GO TO the shelter in-person. Please do not email for status updates... the only thing you will accomplish is spamming their inbox and causing REAL adopter emails to go unnoticed.

Contact the NYC ACC at (212) 788-4000 for further automated instructions.
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!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

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.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

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?