Crufts 2011

Its come to my attention that I never posted about my trip to the UK and specifically my experience at the 120th DFS Crufts 2011.  I guess I got so caught up in trying to get back to normal life that it just slipped my mind completely, oops.  Well here it is, for what its worth….. MY TRIP!

I met some of the most wonderful people in the whole world (well at least in the UK, lol) and have made some of the best friendships that I hope to nurture over the years to come.  The Saint Bernard people went above and beyond to include me in their festivities and the behind the scenes at Discover Dogs at Crufts and Crufts itself.  I learned soooo much about traveling (Rule number one  – dont wear brand spankin’ new shoes on the airplane/airport.  I started off my adventure with one dilly of a blister .  Oh and what we call a band aid in the US is a plaster in the UK.  I got a few funny looks when requesting a band aid),  dog handling in shows, Saint Bernards as a breed and the difference between the European and American standards for the Saint Bernard, Labrador and many other breeds.  I am already saving my pennies for next year…

After two days in London I ventured up to Coventry Binley where a group of us were staying.  It was quiet and away from the hubbub of Crufts – oh and cheap.  Cheap is good when traveling in England, everything is so expensive.  The first night, I met up with two of my friends (Alex and Susana) from Portugal who own Saints and were showing their dog Bernarda at Crufts.  A group of their friends whom also traveled from Portugal to England for Crufts joined us for dinner at Nando’s.

This isnt exactly the most flattering photo of me, but I just loved Cody (IR & GB CH Pippanabbey Power Play With Lanebern CJW 06) and he loved me.  I can not even describe to you how HUGE this dog is.  His head is the size of a beach ball.

I spent the day at Discover Dogs in the Saint Bernard booth with some of the folks from the English Saint Bernard Club.  I got to hang out with the dogs, meet the public, hand out flyers and answer questions about Saints.  Here I am at the booth with Martina (Slovakia) of St Fellix King’s Saint Bernards, Hendrick (Germany) of Khedive Saint Bernards, Kathy Lane (England) of Lanebern Saint Bernards, Karlai Hau (England) of LakariBay Saint Bernards and me.  We had so much fun and it was such a great experience.  That night a huge group of the Saint people met at Toby Carvery and had a group dinner and get together.  Can I just say, I LOVE Yorkshire Pudding!  The best thing I had to eat my entire trip, its England you know .

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The next day I tried my hand at showing.  Lets just say, it was an adventure.  It was soo overwhelming, but the judge was so nice.  We had a few snags in our “performance” but still placed 3rd in our group and qualified for next year.  Not bad for a complete noob in a foreign country .

Getting a quick lesson with DeeDee (Ourfairview’s Devine Denise)…

Suited up and ready to Show.  With Cheri (Ourfairview St Bernards), DeeDee’s Owner.

Here I am in the Ring

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Sadly, I didnt take nearly the number of pictures I had anticipated I would.  I really enjoyed watching and socializing so I totally forgot to snap.  It was such a great experience.  I learned so much.  It really opened my eyes to the world of dog showing. some good, some bad… but hey, what better way of being introduced to showing than jumping head first into the biggest, deepest pond around.  Who knows… someday I may have my very own show Saint.  But for now, I’m totally content with my rescues; loving on them and allowing them live the lap of luxury on the couch, getting dirty, playing, with home made treats, toys and belly rubs galore – just being, dogs.  Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many rosettes are on the wall or trophies are added to the cabinet, its about the dogs – Its the dogs life, after all.

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Watch Dog Book Review: “All I Know About Management I Learned From My Dog”

Hey Dogsters! Today I’m delighted to bring you a book review by John D. Williams. John (aka Watch Dog) is the customer service representative for Dogster & Catster and an adjunct professor of communication at Tarrant County College. He lives in Arlington, Texas with his wife, Tricia, and 11-year–old daughter, Hannah, who is crazy about dogs.

If you like what you read here, tune in tomorrow: We’re going to give away five copies of the book!

All I Know About Management I Learned From My Dog

Reviewed by John Williams

In the world of business, you often hear the expression, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.” I’m happy to report that Martin P. Levin’s new book has gotten our canine friends out of the doghouse and into the boardroom with style. At a modest 128 pages, from title page to postscript, Levin’s charming monograph (as he calls it) has much to offer, and if you happen to be a passionate entrepreneur who loves dogs, so much the better.

The premise of the book comes from Levin’s attempts to cope with the loss of his wife Marcia after sixty-eight years of marriage. His counselor repeatedly advises him, “You’ll feel better if you get a dog.” Levin resisted. “I thought to myself disdainfully, I’ve had a dog; in fact I’ve had several dogs. But I’ve only had one wife, and I’m not convinced that a border collie is going to do the trick, even conceding the devoted loyalty of dogs and the fact they are man’s best friend.”

But when weeks of mourning and grief counseling turned into months, somewhat on impulse, the eighty-nine-year-old publishing lawyer decided to visit a local shelter. What he and his assistant found was Angel, “a mature female golden retriever/virgule chow mix.”

All I Know About Management I Learned From My Dog follows Levin and Angel’s journey from insecure rescue dog and somewhat reluctant dog owner, to comfortable companions. “It soon became clear that my best resource for managing Angel would be, unexpectedly, the six decades of experience I had in a variety of management positions and the principles I had learned in the process.”

I confess the phrase “managing Angel” gave me caution, but Levin’s businesslike approach to pet ownership is obviously interlaced with devoted love for Angel. Any doubts I may have had dissolved quickly and, after all, it is a book about “management” styles.

Levin’s Angel-inspired tips, for running a business and being a happy dog owner, are beautiful in their simplicity:

1. Trust & Leadership
2. Communication
3. Problem Solving & Decision Making
4. Perseverance & Success

You’ll need to read the book for details, but in this reviewer’s opinion, you won’t be disappointed. Levin delivers the goods in fine style, sprinkled with good humor and wisdom garnered from six decades of management experience juxtaposed with his new life with Angel. Levin shares the ups and downs of learning to communicate with Angel; developing coping mechanisms for her fear of thunderstorms; and learning how to handle the challenges of traveling together.

Having managed a pizza shop and two university television stations, I found myself nodding in agreement with much of Levin’s management advice, especially his counsel to stick to basics and remain young at heart:

Staying young has long been the subject of philosophers and writers, from Aristotle to the present, and this is not an exaggeration. In the complex management environment, staying young is essential, and there are a number of issues involved in remaining so.

I am advised by Angel that… if I take regular naps and stay young at heart, she expects more from me – there is much more to come.

There is a wealth of wisdom in this little book for both entrepreneurs and dog lovers. Levin has a treasure trove of experience from which to mine his management advice, and a simply delightful story to share in Angel. And it isn’t all about Levin teaching Angel; much of the story is how Angel teaches him life lessons, which blends nicely with Levin’s belief that a good manager must also be a good listener and always interested in learning.

All I Know About Management I Learned From My Dog is not a large book, but neither is it short on substance. Definitely worth putting on your bucket list of books to read this summer. You won’t be disappointed.

(Image of office dogs Watson and Cressi from the Flickr photostream of emdot.)

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Sweet Pit Bull Music Video

Love pit bulls? You’re sure to enjoy the Pit Bull Blues by John Shipe. You may have seen it when it first came out a couple of years ago, but it’s worth a replay.

A big Dogster arf to SAY Media’s Sarah Betts for calling this to our attention!

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Friday Foto Fun #3

Wow this was a really hard one!  I have sooo many pictures of the dogs playing, dressed up and having fun.  Its what we live for.  Again, I’m reaching way back into the archives for one of my favorites.  I had such a wonderful time walking down memory lane when trying to decide.  Hope you like it as much as I do.  Brutus and Rufus love to play chase with toys and Hera is always ready to join in.

You can join in the photo fun with Alfie – here

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Photo Caption Contest: All Eyes

Alrighty, Dogsters, hope you can have some fun with this one. It seemed very appropriate and summery to me. For anyone who hasn’t played before, it’s easy. First, come up with a funny caption. Second, submit it by commenting on this post before next Thursday, June 30th. Third, check out the winning post later that day and if it’s yours you get the 50-Zealie prize. Have fun!

Photo ©Mark Rogers Photography 2011, All Rights Reserved

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The Black Swan

Our rendition of the Black Swan…

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Friday Foto Fun

I was invited to try out a new weekly photo challenge by Alfie the Entlebucher Mountain Dog.  Each week Alfie will have a theme for the photo fun.  Im excited to try it out. I’ve been wanting to join a theme challenge for some time but wasn’t really sure where to find one.  So we’ll see how it goes.  Thanks for the invite Alfie. You can join in the Foto Fun here…

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Why you should NOT shave your Dog for Summer

To shave or not to shave, that is the question.  The mercury is steadily raising each day and I have seen more and more Facebook statuses gracing my wall about dog shaving.  As a native of Arizona, I have alot of friends who still live there and of course have dogs.  I have fielded questions, comments and tried to educate the masses on dog shaving.  I must admit, this is a huge pet peeve of mine.  For Pete’s sake… DONT SHAVE YOUR DOG!

So many people fall for the “They must clearly be cooler in the summer months with freshly shaven skin” logic. NO NO NO!

A dog’s coat works like a thermostat.  It helps regulate their body temperature in both hot and cold weather, similarly to duck’s feathers and down.  The undercoat and outer coat form an insulated barrier that keeps the temperature regulated.  It becomes increasingly difficult for a dog to keep itself warm or cool with no fur.  Dogs do not sweat like people do to cool themselves.  The mechanism of cooling by sweating is through evaporation.  Since dogs only sweat in the pads of their paws this is not an effect method of cooling.  A dog cools itself by panting.  Their coat does not effect their ability to pant.

Not only does the dogs coat act as the thermostat, it also is an efficient barrier to the sun and protects from harmful UV rays.  Dogs have almost no pigment in their skin to ward off these harmful UV rays and are very prone to sunburn and skin cancer.  Would you hide your body all winter then head to the beach in an itty bitty bikini with out sunscreen?  In essence this is whats happening to your dog when you shave it and send it outside even for a few minutes to do its business.  Rule of thumb, if its too hot out for you, its too hot for your dog.  Make sure your dog has access to plenty of cool water and shade at all times.

Other myths regarding shaving dogs: to prevent it from shedding and to help with allergen control.  Allergies to dogs are one of two types, dander or saliva, not the hair.  If a dog has skin, it has dander so this is not preventable.  There are some commercial solutions you can wipe on a dog to help with dander control but nothing prevents it.  A dog sheds, end of story.  Regardless of whether the hairs are 1/2 inch or 12 inches it falls out when it dies, and is replaced with new ones just like human hair.  The fur is not falling out because its hot.  It is a natural cycle that all dogs and cats go through a few times of year and there is no preventing it.

Dogs should only be shaved if it is medically necessary (surgery, hot spot treatment) or due to coat matting that is beyond hope (this is completely preventable).

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Cool News: World’s First Dog with Four Bionic Limbs

Naki'o with his four bionic paws

Bionic man, meet the bionic dog. Naki’o is reportedly the world’s first dog to be fitted with four bionic legs. He gets along on them super well, and is able to run, jump, and even swim.

The poor pooch had a rough puppyhood. IncredibleFeatures.net reports that his family abandoned him and his siblings as very young pups when they moved from their foreclosed Nebraska home. With their dog mother dead, and a very harsh winter, the pups were malnourished and barely surviving. A weakened Naki’o apparently stepped in a nearly frozen puddle in the basement of the home and couldn’t move.

The bionic man: A prototype?

Someone found the red heeler pups when they were a mere 5 weeks old, and took them to an animal rescue center. Nakio’s paws were slayed by frostbite and veterinarians had to amputate. He was left with four stumps. When they healed, he was able to walk around on them for a while, but as he grew it was too much, and he could only crawl around on his belly.

Veterinary technician Christie Tomlinson adopted him, and raised funds to get him fitted with two prosthetic rear legs. They worked out so well that OrthoPets decided to give him two more limbs free of charge.

“We wanted Naki’o to enjoy his life to the fullest,” said OrthoPets co-founder Martin Kaufmann. “We wanted him to run as fast as he could, to be able to hold a bone to chew. This breed of dog needs to run, jump and hike big mountains. I knew having the best quality of life possible would also prolong his life greatly.”

These prosthetic limbs are anything but peg legs. They’re high-tech wonders constructed to mimic a dog’s natural legs. Check out this short video of Naki’o below, and see just how well this amazing dog is doing with his super cool new set of gams. For some great pics of Naki’o, check out this IncredibleFeatures.net page.

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Faith needs — and gets — a stable environment

It’s no surprise that many people are caught off-guard when their children enter adolescence. While it’s certainly normal for teenagers to behave as if their bodies have been invaded by aliens, it doesn’t make living with teens any easier for their parents. While no doubt many parents muse on the possibilities of military school for their obnoxious offspring, the vast majority deal with this often difficult time as best they can, muttering “this, too, shall pass” under their breath while dealing with the routine challenges of adolescence.

The same is true of most dog-owners as well, of course. Many dogs go through a difficult adolescence, one that that strains the bonds and — if the supply of young adult dogs in shelters is any indication — occasionally breaks them as well. Adolescent dogs, like adolescent children, are often impulsive, thoughtless, rude, destructive, hyperactive and prone to shifting gears with little warning. Oh yes, and they can also be sweet, attentive and loving.

You can have faith that I know all about this. Because of … Faith.

Faith is a handful, to say the least. And she actually did go to “military school” — to her co-breeder’s training facility in Texas, while I was on the book tour — and came back not that much different from when she left. On the plus side, she now understands that “here” and “fetch” are not suggestions but words meant to be followed by actions. On the negative side, she still thinks the table on the back patio is there to allow her a better look inside the back window when I put her out, and that underwear is something most fun when shared with company. And she still goes from 0 to 60 in .5 seconds.

She’s not a bad dog, by any means. Just a big ol’ bag o’ adolescent crazy beans. What she needs, I know, is exercise (daily), training (more, regularly) and patience (mine, unending).

The exercise she’s getting, in exhausting daily doses, from a source I wouldn’t have imagined two weeks ago: A horse named Duke.

Duke is the horse I’m now leasing, a sweet 21-year-old gelding who has seen it all and done it twice. He has taught countless beginners to ride and worked as a summer camp horse as well. He’s a nondescript brown Appendix (or, if you prefer, a quarterhorse-thoroughbred cross) who greets everyone as if she has a carrot in her pocket (for which he will check). His current owner jumped into ownership after a few lessons convinced him he loved riding. He bought Duke after the woman who was giving him lessons looked around for an older, near-”bomb-proof” horse and found Duke in need of a new home.

For the last year or more I’ve been looking around on my own for a horse like Duke, not to buy but to lease.  I’ve looked at a half-dozen horses, maybe more, but until Duke not one was the right fit for me, in one way or another. But I knew that leasing (either full-time or half) is a great way to get into riding, or back into riding, as in my case. So I kept looking until last week, when … I met Duke.

Duke’s in a fantastic little barn just south of the University of California, Davis, on a quiet, set-back piece of property surrounded by miles of protected farmland. With light traffic, I can get to the stable in 20 minutes, and I plan my trips to the barn for the off-peak times to avoid the crush of commuters. The lease works for Duke’s owner because he has a work project that’s making it hard to find any time for Duke, much less get out after work to care for him daily. So I’ve got a horse for the next three months, and then … we’ll go from there. Chances are Duke’s owner will want to have him back full time, or share him 50/50, but who knows? Sometimes leases turn into buys, but either way you get to try the horse without committing for life.

I’m finishing my first week with Duke, and it’ll be another week and change before I tack him up and ride on my own. I wanted to start by taking care of him, by going out just after dawn and taking him from his stall and turning him loose on pasture while I cleaned his stall, dumped the old shavings and manure and then put down fresh shavings.  I wanted to spend time grooming him, fussing over him and giving him treats, and working in the round pen on his responsiveness to me.  Yes, I’m anxious to ride, but I’m more interested in laying a good foundation for our future partnership. I want us both to feel comfortable with each other.

Everything is going according to plan, with the added bonus of how good Duke is with Faith.

The second day out to the barn, I brought Faith, intending to leave her in the truck until I was done with Duke, then walk her around the stable on leash to see her reactions. She was so good on Day One that  I let her drag a long line for a couple of days. When she continued to impress with her good manners,  I let her off-leash and was delighted to see her react calmly to her surroundings, which aren’t really that strange since she spent the last four months on a cattle ranch, and previously stayed on a friend’s farm visiting with the horse there. She has not bothered any horse, has greeted people and other dogs with a wagging tail and has responded to every request for “here” and “heel” promptly and enthusiastically.

Best of all, Faith has come back  home every day exhausted, which is about the best thing an adolescent dog can be. When I start riding, she’ll be going with me, since the farm roads  behind the barn are far from any traffic and she is built to cover distance in a smooth, effortless trot.

I expect a good summer for us all … me, Faith and our new pal, Duke.

(Top: Faith, exhausted. Above: Duke, unimpressed.)

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Crate for Crate

Unless you have been living under a rock (which you probably would have been flooded out from under) you are aware the weather this spring has been a wild, crazy ride.  Here in Ohio we have had record setting rain fall, flooding, unusually low temperatures and even a few tornadoes touch down not far from here.  Luckily no one has been killed and my area has suffered only minor damage compared to what other parts of the country.  The scale of the destruction others have had to endure is nothing short of devastating.

National Geographic Story

Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee were particularly hard hit with devastating rain, flooding and even a category 5 tornado that touched down in Tuscaloosa.  Scary stuff!  The destruction is on a large scale and the region is in desperate need of help.

Hayneedle (dogkennels.com) is teaming up with Animal Planet’s Pit bulls and Parolees and Midwest Metals to help the animal rescues in Tuscaloosa, AL. When you buy a Midwest Metal dog crate they will donate a crate to help with the rescue!

If you’d like to purchase a crate to donate contact their customer care center at 866-579-5177.  Pet orders over $49 will receive free shipping!

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Flea Question: Do You Use Frontline, PetArmor, or ?

Dogsters, we’ve been talking fleas a lot at Dogster World Headquarters. Some of our dogs are flea magnets this season, while others are blissfully critter-free. We got to wondering what you all do to control fleas.

I found a new thread on Dogster’s Dog Health section about Frontline Plus vs PetArmor, which is apparently a new generic version of Frontline Plus. Have you had experiences with these products or others? Visit the thread if you want to read more about it or to write about your view of the products, or chime in on comments below and tell us your best flea solutions. We’re itching to know!

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Team up with your dog to shed pounds

June 22, 2011

Tired of sweating it out at the gym? Try getting fit with your dog, instead! From Arden Moore in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

The solution to staying in shape — and having fun — may be just a tail wag away. Check out the latest fitness trend: people-dog workout classes that focus on strength, flexibility and aerobics while unleashing plenty of fun for you and your dog.

By teaming up with your best workout buddy — your dog — both of you can shed pounds, tone muscles and strengthen your connection.

“Regular exercise provides people and pets with physical and mental benefits,” says Dr. Christine Zink, a veterinarian and professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Exercise releases endorphins — feel-good chemicals that provide a sense of well-being. Exercise helps maintain proper weight, improves coordination and balance, and stabilizes joints to prevent arthritis and acute injuries.”

These special workout programs also reinforce good doggy manners. They bring out play with a purpose, offering dogs the chance to master basic commands such as sit, stay, down and come in positive settings. For the past two years, I’ve regularly attended Leash Your Fitness classes in San Diego with my two dogs: Chipper, a 60-pound golden retriever/husky mix, and Cleo, a 12-pound terrier-poodle mix.

Read more here.

Also on the health front, Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker have news about a new way to beat the fear of an MRI:

A study has found that patients who interacted with therapy dogs prior to MRI procedures suffered fewer anxiety symptoms than those patients in the study who did not. Researchers said therapy dogs could be a viable substitute for anti-anxiety medication normally given to patients before their MRI and would have fewer side effects.

Science Daily reports that the project was conceived by a 15-year-old high school student, Allison Ruchman. During the course of her MRI, she experienced anxiety and claustrophobia. She relieved her tension by creating a mental picture of her dog, Wally, and believed that her experience could be applicable to other patients who often need anti-anxiety drugs in order to complete the examination.

Allison became a certified dog therapist, and conducted the research on this project, assisting physicians who compiled and analyzed data, and prepared an abstract of the study at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J.

All that and more, here!

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