My Friendly Pets

I’m going to stop saying that this is the last entry about Michael Vick, because I think there is still a lot more of his story to come. First, if it hasn’t been done yet, Michael Vick will have to deposit between $900,000 and $1,000,000 to care for the 54 pit bulls that were part of his dog fighting training kennel in Virginia. Some of them require extensive veterinarian care as a result of their training and fighting. Who better to pay for their care than the person who caused them the pain and injury?!! I personally think that the dollar sum is not enough. I think a portion of all of his future earnings should be allocated to care for abused, neglected and abandoned animals. Long after he serves his prison sentence and is back to playing ball in the NFL (yes, I feel he will be back…he is a money maker and many people will forget about his poor moral character), he should be reminded continuously about the plight of those animals who can’t speak for themselves. If he is hit in the pocketbook consistently, it may be something he never forgets.

Secondly, he has just been indicted on state dogfighting charges in Virgina. Vick is currently in prison awaiting sentencing on the federal dogfighting charges. That sentencing will be held on December 10th of this year. At today’s indictment a trial date was set for April 2nd on the two state felony charges related to the dog fighting. Vick’s lawyers will fight the state charges based on the belief that you can’t be charged with the same crime twice.

There were about 10 animal rights supporters from PETA outside the courtroom demonstrating against dog fighting and requesting justice for the poor animals who are subject to this treatment by many in this country. I think this story should stay in the news. I feel the exposure that this issue gets will help to create a new thinking among those who are in any way affiliated with the dogfighting industry. At least we can hope.

O.K. I know, this is about the third entry where I have talked about gift giving. I am a sucker for the holidays and I think it is really cool to give unique gifts that no one expects to receive. A lot of thought goes into that and I think people appreciate the thought put into nice gifts. So if you know someone who is really into dogs, check out some of these ideas.

This a DOG monopoly set. The set features the monopoly game designed around the most interesting and popular canines. You play to gain the best most popular dogs. It looks very cool. However, the manufacturing of this item has been discontinued, so whatever is in stock is what is currently available. Check out doglikenature.com to get a quick peak at the game, its description and put in your order quickly.

If you are into games and another dog game is appealing to you or your special someone, consider dog bingo. Its an easy, fast game with the heart and soul of a true bingo game. Available on the same site as mentioned above.

O.k., suppose you are done with games, but want to get someone you care about something special that relates to their love of dogs. If your loved one has a gallery of pictures of his/her precious pups, think about an extremely popular gift this year. It is the digital photo frame, where the pictures rotate for constant display of different photographs.

Finally, don’t forget the stocking stuffers. Sometimes they are just as important as the gifts and truly creative stocking stuffers are always a welcomed treat!!! Some of the stuffers that make good dog sense are dog key chains, dog bumperstickers dog stationary, dog socks (socks that have your favorite breed of dogs). So much of this type of dog shopping is available online. For some great online shopping tips, check out http://www.shoppingtipsonline.net/

There are many people who feel that dogs don’t belong in the city with all the cement and high buildings. They feel that dogs deserve wide open spaces where they can run and be free. The truth is, they belong in homes where they are loved, respected and treated well. A loving home for a dog can be in the city, the suburbs or rural America. It really doesn’t matter. However, there are cities that are more dog friendly than others. There is a website called urbanhound.com where you can get all kinds of dog information about either New York City, Chicago or San Francisco. Of course since I am closest to New York City, I was interested to see what was going on with the pooches in the Big Apple.

In addition to health related and city-related dog topics, there is a great area on the site where it gives dog event information. For example, on Thursday, November 29, 2007, there with be a “DogCatemy Gala” held at the Capitale of New York City. Owners and well behaved dogs are invited to this event, sponsored by the North Shore Animal League. Jodi Applegate of Fox5News will be mistress of ceremonies and videos of celebrities and their dogs will compete for awards in many categories such as, “Best Pawformance”, “Best Dogumentary” and don’t forget, “Best Tail Wagin comedy”. All the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the North Shore Animal League, which has been mentioned several times in my blog..

Another event that will be held in New York City, looks awesome and delicious!!! It is the “5th Annual Gingerbread House for Animals” This event is where top NYC chefs design some great gingerbread creations. People can come look at the display of the creations on 12/1, 12/2, 12/8. 12/9, 12/15 and 12/16 at the Chelsea Market on 9th Avenue and 16th Street. Raffle tickets for the gingerbread homes are sold and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Picasso Veterinary Fund that is used to help dogs with medical emergencies.

These are just two of the events that are shown on the website. For any New Yorker with a dog, I would strongly recommend checking out the site. There may be events that you would loveto share with your dog. Its a great time of year to enjoy the sites and sounds of the city with your best buddy touring with you.

As I grudgingly got up this morning after 4 days off, I wandered into the kitchen, made myself something warm, turned on the tv and was made aware of a great new site for pets that I thought you would all like. The site is called petside.com. It has some great general pet info as well as very specific information regarding health related animal issues called “Pet Vet”. One of the really cool parts of the website is that it has an area where you can report a lost or a found pet. I haven’t seen it before and for those who have lost their dog, getting the word out in any venue is a very positive action.

For the season, they also had some great holiday tips regarding the food, decorating and outdoor dangers for dogs at this particular time of year. I know I’ve spoken at length about the foods that can be poisonous to our dogs, such as chocolate, grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts. But even eggnog with alcohold can be dangerous to dogs. If there are empty glasses and they lick out of those glasses, alcohol poisoning can result. So keep the spirits far away from curious tongues. In terms of decorations, plants such as mistletoe and holly are poisonous, so keep those away from from your dog as well. Make sure that you pick up any fallen leaves or berries. If you choose to have a real tree and put preservatives in the water container of the tree, it is essential that your dog doesn’t drink from that reserve. The chemicals in those preservatives are extremely toxic. I was fortunate in that niether of my dogs were ever particularly intrigued by the decorations on the tree. But sometimes the ornaments, lights, tinsel and even candy canes are too much for our pooches to ignore. Again, the word is be vigilant. Make sure you watch your dog and insure that he/she isn’t getting into any type of decoration or tree trouble. They’re kind of like kids, if you haven’t seen them for a while and it is a bit too quiet you better check on them…just to be sure.

In terms of outside activities, a prior entry alerted us to certain hazards, but I found one that I hadn’t mentioned that was particularly interesting. When going for a nice winter walk with your dog, make sure if you are near any bodies of water, ponds or lakes, keep your dog on a short leash. It is very intriguing to a dog to be able to walk on something he couldn’t before. Many dogs drown or die of hypothermia because of falling through the ice that wasn’t thick enough for them.

So enjoy the season, but always keep an eye and ear open for your pup!!!

Well, its about time!!! After Michael Vick’s arrest and the truth about the Bad Newz Kennels (a training site for dogs involved in dog fighting and a death spot for many of the “inferior” dogs on Michael Vick’s property), many celebreties came out of the woodwork defending this individual. There was a fellow sports star, Stephon Marbury, who said it really wasn’t that bad, and we should give Michael a break to Whoopie Goldberg, who told viewers on The View, that in the south, dog fighting is a common practice and Vick was just doing what is always done in the south!!! What a line of baloney!!! My question is, why couldn’t anyone with a name behind them come forth and say the truth? Dog fighting was and continues to be a horrible “sport” and there is no justification that can be given to Michael Vick and his activities.

Well, it looks like there is finally someone out there who condemns this act as much as most people and believe it or not, he’s from the south!!! Willie Nelson, country music star has filmed a television public service ad that condemns the act of dogfighting and is supporting an anti-dogfighting bill that is currently going through the Georgia Legislature. The ad plays while in the background the music playing is “Georgia on my mind”. In the ad, Nelson talks about the illegality of dogfighting in Georgia, but because the laws are so weak, little is done to those caught. The new legislation would make it a felony in the state of Georgia for anyone to sell, trade or transport dogs for the intent of dogfighting. Willie Nelson states that “Georgia is a haven for dogfighters from around the country”

Nelson was asked to participate in this activity from the Utah-based organization named “Best Friends Animal Society”. They are a national animal welfare organization trying to get the word out about dogfighting and hoping to move the legislative process in a positive direction in Georgia. My hats off to Willie and those who support such legislation. All I really have to say, is its about time!!!

Check out Jennifer Springer’s blog on the Whoopi episode!!! I’m glad that people like Jennifer are out there writing about the atrocities of dogfighting. Go Jennifer!!!

In the previous entry, I talked about legislation not supported by the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) that was trying to outlaw specific breeds of dogs. The HSUS clearly stated the very often the “bad behavior” of the dog is tied to many other factors than breed. One of the main factors is how the animal is treated by the owner. If the dogs are mistreated, improperly socialized or lack obedience training, there could be severe behavioral problems.

Many types of education programs have been put into place to help people learn the proper care and treatment of animals. So many of these educational programs are run by local animal shelters. In addition to the devoted care they give to so many orphaned animals, they also serve as a public service agency, dispensing valuable information and educational tools.

Our local shelter, The DCSPCA (Dutchess County SPCA) offers a program called PAWS. Humane Law Enforcement Officers go into local schools and work with the children to teach them the proper care and treatment of animals. The program teaches children the value of owning and caring for a pet as well as the importance of that pet in the family. This is a major step towards eliminating animal abuse. With any situation, the more edcuation available, the better the results will be.

Everyone can benefit from owning a pet, especially children. Those who have dogs show greater sense of responsibility, empathy, loyalty and a respect for helpless animals that rely on us for their care everyday. An additional childhood benefit was found through a study in England in 2002 that children with a pet at home have a better immune system than children with no pets and on average children with pets were out of school 9 days less than children without pets!!!

So support your local shelter, so that programs like PAWS continue and if you are interested in finding out more about this program, click here.

There is some other great information about parenting children from a fellow blogger. Check it out by clicking here!!

The banner above is from the Humane Society of the United States website. This is a great organization that embraces the mission of keeping animals safe from harm and cruelty. As with any organization, they take positions on certain issues. I agree with some of their positions and disagree with others.

However, one of the positions that I strongly agree with involves dangerous dogs and breed specific legislation. The HSUS is against any type of legislation that supports erradicating or regulating dogs simply by breed. Studies have found that communities that have taken the Breed Specific Legislation seriously and enacted laws that prohibit ownership of certain breeds of dogs have not solved the problems of dealing with dangerous dogs.

It wasn’t until several years ago that Pitt Bulls and Rotweillers were classified as dangerous dogs and fear of these breeds led to legislation prohibiting their ownership by individuals in certain towns and municipalities. Surprisingly, before those breeds it was the Doberman Pinscher that won the designation of dangerous breed. And prior to that the German Shepard was the dog to be feared.

The laws and restrictions, when put into place in certain communities are very difficult to enforce and truly do not address the problems of abuse, trained agression and irresponible pet ownership. These are the things that produce dangerous dogs, not the breed of dog. Any dog can be trained to be mean and vicious. The laws should be addressing those who encourage and encite that type of behavior in their dogs.

There are several reasons why dogs become agressive or “biters” according to the Humane Society. They include things like a lack of early socialization, poor obedience training, inadequate care and supervision and whether the dog has been spayed or neutered. There are others, but it is clear to see that the owner clearly can make the difference in the overall behavior of their dog. The amount of regard for the animal as a family member, time spent training and bonding and also attention to the dog’s health concerns will clearly produce a dog that is much more of a lover than a fighter.

I’m glad the HSUS has taken this position. Perhaps it will remove the blame from the dog or its’ breed and put it where it truly belongs, with those who take a dog into their home.

For some great holiday weekend movie reviews, you can read some great info from a fellow blogger.

Well, its Thursday evening and we’ve had a full day of travel and turkey. It was a great Thanksgiving day, warm and balmy in the Northeast, with a hint of winter wind set to come in at the end of the day. At least they had a beautiful day for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

We traveled east to my brother’s house in Connecticut. My husband, daughter and Grandma and Grandpa, “went over the river and through the woods” literally to reach our destination and it was a pleasant ride with the last of the autumn leaves falling from the trees. When we arrived at my brother’s house we were greeted with the aromas of roasted turkey and all the fixins cooking in the kitchen. We were also greeted with love and affection by the family’s 6 year old husky and lab mixed dog named Lexie. Lexie is a loving and beautiful pup with the a coat of brown and black fur. I thought Lexie has put on a few pounds, but my brother says its just her winter coat. I say that about myself all the time….lololol!

In many of my entries I have spoken about different breeds of dogs, but there is something special to be said about mutts, mongrels, mixbreeds or anything else you want to call the dog that results from parents and/or ancestors that are different breeds of dogs. I think its time to talk about these loveable dogs that can’t necessarily be “best in breed” but they often are the best in our hearts.

A unique thing about mixbreed dogs is that they look quite different from any other dog because of the mix from which they came. Also, there is no way to predict what they will look like from a puppy, because a mutt can look significantly different as an adult dog than they did as a pup. It is said that the tempraments of mutts are better than pure breed dogs because in many breeds, there is overbreeding which can cause genetic defects along the breed line. A mixed breed dog may have personality characteristics of the many breeds from where he/she has come.

Mixed breed dogs tend to be less expensive that purebred dogs. They also possess the wonderful traits that we value in all dogs. Things like loyalty, devotion, love, and friendliness are all present and thriving in these special dogs.

Our first dog was a shepard mix named Ziggy. He looked like a shepard, but his hair was a bit shorter and he was no where near the size or stature of a purebred shepard. We just don’t know what made up the “mix” part. He was a great family dog who loved everyone. He had a great personality and this dog was truly the first dog I ever saw that smiled. He would be so happy and had a grin that went from ear to ear to show it.

So next time you are thinking of a new pooch for your family, think of that cute mutt….there is something to be said about the dog that takes the good from all who made him and delivers a treasure of a pet.

Also, since tomorrow is Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, check out another great blog site called frugal mania!!!

At this time of year, it is easy to for people to act different than they do the rest of the year. We try to get wrapped up in the holiday energy, the friends, families, parties, the gifts. Its easy for us to be so busy we forget our 4 legged friends at home. While we’re shopping, visiting, hustling and bustling, our dogs miss us. Its really important, especially this time of year when many of our schedules go crazy, to spend as much quality time as possible with your dog(s). Take that brisk walk with your pup in the morning and if you can, in the evening. Spend some time cuddling on the couch or maybe a quick game of catch….they’ll love it and love you for it.

Also its a great time of year to remember the dogs at your local shelter. It might not be the best time for adopting, because of the holiday madness, but the dogs and the people who run the shelters need as much support as possible. If you don’t know what to get someone and they truly don’t “need” anything, a donation to your local shelter in that person’s name is an awesome gift. Also, many shelters are in continuous need of supplies. Our local shelter has a “wish list” with items on it like, canned dog food, cake size paper plates, contractor size garbage bags, newspapers…..etc. With the amount of time we are going to spend in stores in the next couple of weeks, it won’t be hard to remember to pick up some items the shelter can use and drop them off during one of your “road trips” Every little bit helps.

Well, it is the night before Thanksgiving. I hope to make an entry tomorrow, but if not, I wish all my readers and their dogs the happiest and healthiest Thanksgiving holiday.

I’m still hooked on the info and food info for Thanksgiving of a fellow blogger. You can check it out by clicking here!!!

In a rare, but not unprecedented move, Michael Vick started serving time in prison yesterday, 3 weeks prior to his 12/10/07 official sentencing. The sentence, which should be between 12 and 18 months, follows Vick’s guilty plea on August 27th of this year to federal dog fighting charges. If Vick is using this as a move to show his remorse and hope for the least amount of time-good luck!!! It is said that United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson is a very experienced judge and this type of action may have little or no influence on his sentencing decision.

At some point, the character of an individual must be examined in relation to their crime. If someone like Michael Vick can torture and kill dogs that “didn’t perform well in testing sessions”, where does his moral and ethical barometer lie? Is this act of turning himself in three weeks early an indication of his remorse or is it what I believe it to be; a self-serving way to try and minimize his sentence and get back to the game of football before he loses the ability to command milliions. I’ve heard many commentaries on this issue. Some people say that he will serve his time for the crime and then start his life over, and deserves to have that happen. In my mind, he took lives, the lives of innocent animals who were being trained to hurt and maim other animals. And if they weren’t good enough for those horrible acts, they were destroyed in cruel and painful ways. I think the evil within someone that makes them commit the acts of which Michael Vick is guilty, does not disappear because they have served 12 to 18 months in jail. That is the type of evil that is deep and it shows a clear disregard for life.

I was glad to hear that he lost what was left of his 10 year, $130,000,000 contract that he had with the Falcons. He also lost many endorsements and had to sell two of his homes to help pay legal costs…..boo hoo!!! Do we feel bad? I don’t. Its a small price to pay for the pain inflicted on innocent victims.

It will be interesting to hear on the 10th of next month what his actual sentence will be. Sentencing will take place in Richmond and there is another trial pending from charges brought against Vick by local authorities in Virginia. I would say that 2008 will not be the best year for Michael Vick.

The state of Virginia has taken some bad press because of Michael Vick, his kennel and the activities that occurred there. However, Virginia is a great state and you can click here and take a look.

I received an email today from a friend asking if I could help locate a lost dog. Since I have somewhat of an audience here, I thought it would be a great way to get exposure for this lost pooch. If anyone has ever had a pet run away or disappear, you know that painful ache that exists; wondering where they are, how they are, will you ever see them again? It is obvious that the owner of a beautiful Siberian husky is asking herself those questions day in and day out. It seems that days and months of tireless efforts have been spent to try and locate Blue, a beautiful male black and white husky who is microchipped, but still missing since May 8, 2007

Blue disappeared on the above date from Brighton, Michigan and has not been seen or heard by Sharon Young, his owner, since that fateful day.

Taja Siberian Huskies, a small family owned hobby husky kennel located in southeast Michigan, has joined to try and find Blue and return him to his owner. Their website is http://www.tajasiberians.com/. Unfortunately, my link function wasn’t working, but now does. If you can’t click on the addy and go there, you can cut and paste the address in your url bar and you’ll be set to go. They are helping to collect donations which will go to a reward for whomever returns Blue to his rightful owner - no questions asked!

The website to learn more about Blue and the efforts to find him can be located at www.whereisblue.com. Here you will find a wealth of information about Blue, his owner, disappearance and you can link onto his page on myspace and youtube. It would be awesome for Blue to return home before the holidays. That would make a wonderful Thanksgiving for Sharon Young!!! If anyone knows anything or someone you know took possession of a beautiful husky around May, make a call!! The phone number is
313-550-6095.

For more information about Michigan and Detroit specifically, check out: http://www.about-detroitmi.com/ Please copy and paste while I work on my linking function!!!!

You might wonder why this is the title for an entry that exists on a blog written about dogs and dogs’ lives, but Thanksgiving is a family holiday. It is also an eating holiday with many types of special foods around. Since dogs are so much a part of our lives, traditions and celebrations, it is natural to want them to enjoy table scraps of the many delicious treats that will be abundant in our kitchens and dining rooms during the next week (and really for the next 6 weeks, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, and New Years!)

However, many of the great foods that we enjoy are dangerous for our dogs and can cause severe injury, illness and even death. There will be no sadder holiday than one where because of what the dog ingested, he becomes severly ill.

We all love sweets, especially chocolates and most people know that chocolate can cause severe health risks to the dogs, but why? Usually, the darker the chocolate, the more chance there is for poisoning. Chocolate usually contains high quantities of both fat and caffienelike substances known as methylxanthine and theobromine. The fatty substances can cause vomiting and diarrhea, because it is difficult for dogs to digest these types of food. The other ingredients can cause restlessness, panting, twitching and may even lead to seizures.

Foods that we consider good for us including grapes and raisins are deadly for dogs. There is a certain amount of alcohol in those fruits as well as macadamia nuts, onions and garlic. Too much of the garlic and onions can cause a breakdown in red blood cells that lead to anemia and too many grapes and raisins can lead to alcohol poisoning that can cause kidney failure. While kidney failure, can be reversed, it is not always successful and if the animal lives, he can surely suffer.

Very fatty foods, like turkey skin can lead to pancreatitis which is extremely painful and often deadly for dogs. Their stomachs can get bloated, distended and they would require immediate medical attention.

So skip feeding your pup from the feast above. Make sure he/she remains safe and sound and have some dog safe treats ready for the big holiday!!!

For some great holiday cooking ideas and recipes, for you, not your dog check out http://www.elementarychef.com/

If you were a cartoon fanatic like I was in the 1960’s ,(some of you youngins’ many have only seen them in syndication) and you loved cartoon canines, one of the best cartoon dogs of those times was Astro!!!! Astro was the dog of the Jetson’s!!! The Jetson’s were a futuristic family who lived in the 21st Century Sky Pad Apartments. Since this cartoon was made beginning in 1962, the 21st century seemed very far away.

Astro was introduced to the cartoon series in the fourth episode titled “The Coming of Astro”. Elroy Jetson, son of George and Jane Jetson, found the grey great dane with a green collar and brought him home to be their pet. Jane, Judy and Elroy tried to convince George to keep the dog, but he wanted no part of a dog. George tried to get back in his family’s good graces by buying an electronic dog (funny thing is we bought my daughter a grey electronic dog about 6 years ago). The plot thickened and when a cat burglar tries to rob the Jetsons, the electronic dog saves the day until he starts to attack George and is then saved by Astro. Astro becomes a hero by saving George. The electronic dog was given to the police and Astro became a member of the Jetson family. If you have a chance to check out some Jetson cartoon on DVD, I would strongly recommend it!!! This would be a great gift for a Baby Boomer!!!

If you are truly into Hanna-Barbera cartoons, feel free to go back in time and check out The Flintstones and introduce yourself to Dino!!!! (the dog like dinosuar who is the endearing pet of this prehistoric family).

For cat lovers, check out: http://www.weheartcats.com/

Unfortunately, there are times when I have to write about the sad things that happen to dogs. This is one of those entries, but fortunately, there is a happy ending. During a five month investigation, the Humane Society of the United States uncovered and documented a puppy mill that was operating in Hillsville, Virgina. This puppy mill housed over 1100 dogs and was the largest supplier of puppies to pet shops in this Virginia area. Because of the investigation and the conditions found to exist, local officials were able to go onto the premises and close the place down. But the North Shore Animal League comes to the rescue!!! I won’t go into the details of the condition of some of these dogs as they were horrible, as you can imagine, but lets just say that the rescue came just in time for some of these poor pooches

If you haven’t seen one of my entries where I talk about the North Shore Animal League, it is worth taking a look. . This is the largest no-kill animal shelter and adoption center in the world. And now they need your help!!! There are 132 new dogs at the shelter now as a result of the resuce mission in Virginia. On November 8, 2007, many staff members from the League, headed to Virgina with animal health care and shelter volunteers. The dogs that they have brought back to New York are basically ready for adoption. Many had to be groomed and they were all evaluated for health, social and behavioral issues. They are all up to date now on their vaccinations and many have been spayed or neutered. The dogs that are 6 months or older are ready for adoption. There are many breeds available including Malteses, Poodles, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers, Beagles, Lhasa Apsos, West Highland White Terriers, Shih-Tzus, and Bichon-Freises.

The resuce of these dogs is a miracle, but miracles are expensive. It costs approximately $684.00 to care for each animal. About 20,000 dogs are placed in loving homes each year by the League, many of which may have been euthanized if they had gone to other shelters. The Virgina rescue was a heroic and monumental effort accomplished by the League. Perhaps instead of a gift to someone who really doesn’t need anything this holiday season, a donation to the North Shore Animal League in honor of that person would be an extra special gift to everyone, especially the League’s newest residents.

You can access the North Shore Animal League by clicking on this sentence or by calling 516-883-7575. They are located in Port Washington, New York. Make this a joyous season for a dog who had almost run out of time.

Well, there are only 40 shopping days left and if you are anything like me, panic has begun to settle in. To be honest, probably the easiest one to shop for is your dog. You know they will LOVE whatever you get them. I know, you’re thinking, “Why get the dog anything? They don’t even understand the whole holiday gift giving thing!!!” I don’t know about your dog(s), but mine loved the holidays. In fact, our Geo had so much fun opening his gifts. It was great to watch him. And strangely enough, he didn’t tear the paper on anyones’ gifts but his own. He understood which were his and he loved it when he was allowed to tear open the paper and see the surprise inside. Usually a tasty bone chew treat would keep him busy until he sniffed out what would be his next package and he always sniffed correctly. I think he experienced genuine joy upon the receipt of his gifts and he truly got into the holiday spirit.

There are some wonderful sites out there that show gifts for your dog. Or perhaps you have a great shop in your area that have gifts designed for your best buddy. Where ever you decide to shop for that special surprise, remember safety counts!!! I found some great ideas and sites that I’m happy to share with you.

The gifts shown below are from doggiedoodles.com

And how about some healthy home made gourmet treats? The advertisement says that they aren’t made with any “Arffff-tifical” ingredients. There are some exciting flavors for your dog to enjoy including, veggie biscuits, either plain or filled; pooch powered biscuits, Shar-pei scones and many others flavors. The really nice thing is that you can order according to the size for the dog. For the larger pups, there are large treats, and smaller ones so that the smaller dogs aren’t intimidated!!!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner…..so watch out that your dog doesn’t get a hold of any turkey bones. Its also a good idea to keep table scraps to a minimum. I’ll be offering more helpful hints and ideas as the weeks go by, so that your dog has the best holiday season ever. Because, we know who has been naughty or nice!!!!