Thanks in Big Part to Dogsters’ Support, Tugg Will Star in His Video Series!

Dogster power! That’s what was behind 20 percent of the donations in a Kickstarter project to help Tugg star in a wonderful Internet video series. Without the support of Dogsters, Tugg would probably not be able to bring his story of hope and “woofing it forward” to the world.

You can read all about Tugg and the project in our interview with Blake Ovard, who, with wife Kim, took in Tugg when he was pretty  much given up as a goner because of terrible neglect/abuse.

Ovard is thrilled, and so grateful to Dogster readers. I asked him to let us know how the victory for Tugg’s video series funding unfolded in those last days, and if he contributed anything. Here he is:

We are so happy to be part of the Dogster family! Dogster really came through for the project! One of the neat things we can see on the control panel for the project, in addition to the amounts pledged, how many backers there are, and some cool graphs and charts, is where each backer found the project from. Dogster folks — the ones coming directly to the kickstarter project page from Dogster — made up nearly 20% of the dollars donated! That’s about $1,500! And, out of the 161 backers, 40 of them came directly from Dogster!

It came close to the wire, but we believe in Tugg’s message, so we knew we would get there! We actually came in slightly over the goal — 104% — at $8,329. Which is good because, our goal was the bare minimum we knew we would need for the whole process of creating the web series. I think we crossed over the goal line with slightly more than 24 hours to go.

Because Kickstarter is set up through Amazon payments, which processes all pledges as credit card purchases, by law, we were not able to pledge to the project. Just like if you have a shop, you aren’t allowed to buy something from yourself with your own credit card. We knew that from the beginning, so we did take that into account when we set up the project — that’s why the goal on Kickstarter was $8,000. Our actual budget is $10,000, but we decided that if we could get to $8,000, we would cover the additional expense ourselves. So, the whole time the Kickstarter project was running we were setting back part of each paycheck in anticipation for making it!

I think what helped at the end — and by end, I mean the last couple of days — is people started telling all of their friends about the project and encouraging them to get involved.

We received a lot of encouraging e-mails telling us how much everyone wuffed the idea of the web series, how much they want to be part of it, and how excited they were to know that there will be a web series with a positive message that everyone can enjoy. Plus Tugg and Dogster have some of the best fans in the world, and many of them e-mailed in the last 48 hours saying not to worry, it would happen!

It’s almost surreal for us at this point in time, since we just made our goal. While it is really exciting, it also a little intimidating … here we are with Tugg, who we do pupdates for every day, but now we have the honor of getting to share him on an even bigger scale, with more of the world. That means other creative people get to come on board with the project too.

So, soon we’ll have a whole set of people while we are filming, and a whole studio of animators animating, for a dog who is, well, our dog! Sure we’ve done little videos, but this is an almost overwhelming undertaking — but one we’ll be doing with huge smiles on our faces the whole time!

We should begin filming in the first and middle part of March, and hope to wrap by the beginning to mid-April. That leaves us about a month of postproduction. As for animation, it will start as soon as I send all the character sketches and the animation scripts to the animation studio. That should be in the next two weeks. We hope to have the first episode air by the end of May or first week in June. And the season will run for 15 weeks, maybe 16 if we decide to throw in a “blooper” episode.

Tugg is superexcited about the project — which is good, since he’s a superhero! He walked around all day clacking the clacker and yelling, “Roll ‘em!” and, “Cut!” Then he would sit in his director’s chair and act  like he was on the set of Ellen, talking to her about the series and his motivations for a particular scene.

Thank you, Dogster, for helping make this a reality!

View the original article here

Photos: Celebrity Pups and People Hit the Red Carpet for Last Night’s Golden Collar Awards

Last night, Dogster News Editor Maria Goodavage and photographer Nanette Gonzales attended the first ever Golden Collar Awards in Los Angeles. Maria’s already got a great post up with the highlights, but we thought Nanette’s fabulous event photos deserved a post of their own.

Uggie of The Artist fame and his brother, Dash, made their way down the not-quite-red carpet.

Uggie, Dash, and family.

Fans of Blackie the Doberman were out in full force.

Giggy and Lisa Vanderpump of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame were in attendance.

Fourteen-week-old Golden Retriever B. Dawg represented the Air Buddies movie alongside director Robert Vince.

Golden Collar trophy designer Simon Tavassoli with his creation.

Rowdy from Marley and Me, The Puppy Years won Best Dog in a Direct-to-DVD film.

Dobies waiting for some grub.

Elizabeth Snead, one of last night’s judges and a 15-year veteran of Hollywood awards shows, and Posy.

More Uggie!

Actress Laura Nativo and Preston Cassanova from CBS’ Greatest American Dog.

Uggie claiming his trophy for Best Dog in a Theatrical Film.

View the original article here

Update: Anchor’s Mouth Stitched Shut After Dog Bit Face on Live TV + Fate of Dog

Anchor Kyle Dyer (from her Facebook page)

A week ago we brought you the story of the heroic rescue of a dog who had fallen into an icy reservoir . It had all the makings of the kind of feel-good post we love to give you, from the brave firefighter to the dog who would recover.

The story turned bad, though, when the dog who was rescued bit the face of TV anchor Kyle Dyer the next morning when she hosted him on the news. She put her face close to the dog to give him a kiss, and he didn’t like it. The result: He was taken to animal control for observation and/or quarantine (he was not up-to-date on shots) and she was rushed to the hospital. That’s where we left the story.

We just got word of a couple of updates. The dog has been released to his owner, and will not face serious consequences. His owner will face charges of having his dog off-leash (the lake incident) and allowing the dog to bite (the TV incident).

For what it’s worth, I don’t think he “allowed” the dog to bite. The dog was seemingly under control until the woman put her face next to his to kiss him and the owner immediately pulled the dog off when he realized what had happened. It will be interesting to see how that charge fares in court.

Sadly, Dyer is going through a very hard recovery. She needed four hours of surgery, with 70 stitches to her mouth and nose. Her mouth is stitched shut so the skin graft can take and to get blood circulating in the area again.

She wrote on her Facebook page that she looks forward to going back to work, and that she’s grateful for the caring messages from her fans.

“I can’t say thank you enough for all of your notes and prayers of encouragement and love,” Dyer wrote. “They give me great strength, which along with my faith, will see me through a successful recovery! Love, Kyle”

I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she is back at work as soon as she wants to be. It must be awful going through this.

I wonder: Are you surprised that the dog did not come close to being euthanized? In some places it would have been given a lethal injection very quickly. Do you think the law realized that this is just what happens when you get right up in the face of some dogs? I’m surprised there don’t seem to be any sanctions at all, like demanding the dog be muzzled in public.

How about you? Are you relieved for the dog? Would you trust him if you came up to him, or do you know better than to just get that friendly that fast?

Source: MSNBC

View the original article here

GMO's and how they may affect your dog's life

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Woman Sues Petco for Cutting off Dog’s Ear, Gluing It Back On

A groomer allegedly snipped off part of Dodo's ear and glued it back on.

Quiz time! You take your dog to the groomer. Which do you expect her to come back with?

A) Shorter hair/fur.
B) A shorter tail.
C) A shorter ear.

Unfortunately, the answer for at least a couple of customers of the Petco store in Kaneohe, Hawaii, has been any combination of the above.

When Gladys Kapuwai picked up her Pomeranian-Maltese mix, Dodo, from the store after a routine grooming session, everything seemed normal. But two days later, she says she noticed the dog’s ear was dry and felt odd. She took Dodo to the vet, who discovered that the dog’s ear had been chopped off, and glued back on.

“I couldn’t believe what they did. I started crying, because this is my baby,” said Kapuwai. She says the vet told her that if Kapuwai had known about the problem and been able to take Dodo in quickly, her ear may have been salvaged.

I guess the groomer thought this little “oops” would go unnoticed. But Kapuwai not only noticed, she found an attorney to help her sue Petco. And get this: The attorney, David Green, owns a dog who returned home after a visit to this groomer with bleeding nails and the tip of his tail cut off.

Sometimes nails get cut too deeply and the quick bleeds like mad, so that’s not that horrendous by itself, I suppose. But the tail thing? Um, that’s just not okay.

For Green’s complaint, Petco offered a free grooming. “I guess they wanted to take off other body parts.” Green joked. He is suing on behalf of his wife and Kapuwai.

Kapuwai hopes the suit will make Petco realize how important it is to have good groomers, and to train them better. It’s too late for Dodo to get her ear back, but the suit may prevent other owners from walking out and leaving bits of body parts in dog fur on the floor.

View the original article here

Is a Saint Bernard Right for You?

Whitewater Saints

Are you considering buying a Saint Bernard? I think you’re choosing a wonderful breed!

Before you decide, ask yourself some questions. Can you resist buying the first cute puppy you see, on impulse? Are you prepared to make a commitment to a dog for the next 8-10 years or longer, even if you have life changes such as moving, new babies, divorce, or kids going off to college? Full responsibility for a dog is not a job for children; it requires a responsible adult, at least supervising, and should be carefully considered.

The commitment is not a small one; training a Saint Bernard to be a pleasant companion requires considerable time and patience. Saints don’t become well-behaved all by themselves! They require substantial attention and exercise throughout their lives; they are active and social animals and needs to be a part of his “human family”. Left to his own devices in the backyard, lonely, bored, uneducated in simple canine good manners and unused to being handled he will eventually be discarded as “unsuitable for the children”.

Saint Bernards SHED and DROOL! There is no such thing as a “DRY MOUTH” Saint Bernard. While some may drool less than others, all produce saliva in varying amounts. There are both shorthaired (smoothcoat) and longhaired (roughcoat) Saints. Both coat types are of equal value. And twice a year, usually in spring and autumn, they lose most of their coat to help them adjust to the changing seasons. Saint Bernards do require frequent brushing. Puppy chewing and digging can be destructive.

Do you have an appropriate environment for a puppy and are you willing to live with puppy mistakes? The Saint Bernard by nature does not require acres and acres to roam. They are not as active or nervous as some breeds and are content to remain close to home for the most part. Consequently an average fenced yard is adequate as long as there is some place for regular exercise and daily short walks are recommended.

Because of their size the Saint Bernard MUST be trained and this must be done early in life. Fortunately, Saint Bernards are eager to please and will begin responding to commands as soon as they understand what you want of them. Training a Saint Bernard can be a great joy. But a happy relaxed relationship with your Saint does not happen automatically. You must teach him a few simple rules of behavior so that he respects you and develops into a well mannered, obedient family member who is a pleasure to both you and your neighbors. Puppy pre-schools and obedience classes are excellent for the first time dog owner to learn how to get the dog to respond to his wishes.

Are you willing to spend the money it takes to provide appropriate care, including quality food and supplies, annual vaccines, heartworm testing and preventative, and spaying or neutering? Are you willing to wait for the right puppy from the responsible breeder of your choice? Remember, finding the best puppy for you is well worth the wait.

Buy a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders take care to produce healthy Saint Bernards with good temperaments. Don’t bargain-hunt and don’t buy a puppy from a pet store; often those puppies come from poor breeding, may have been kept in poor conditions with inadequate socialization, and are sometimes more expensive than puppies purchased from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders do all they can to avoid producing serious problems, including aggressive or shy temperaments, hereditary health defects such as hip or elbow dysplasia. Remember that “AKC papers” are not an indication of quality in the dog. They only mean that the dog’s parents were AKC registered. Never buy a Saint Bernard sight unseen or over the internet – NEVER!!

Is a puppy really the right dog for me?

My Boys came to me at 19 months.

If you don’t have the time or facilities for socializing, house training, and obedience training a puppy, it’s possible that an older dog would be a better choice. Mature Saint Bernards usually adapt very well to new homes and can form very deep bonds. You can investigate Saint Bernard rescue or find a responsible breeder who may have an older dog to place in a new home.

How do I know a breeder is responsible?

Lanbern Saint Bernards

Look for a breeder who:

Is knowledgeable about the breed. Most responsible breeders continually test the results of their breeding programs by participating in conformation shows, obedience trials, rally trials, or weight pulling.Is knowledgeable about raising puppies. Even puppies with the best hereditary temperaments can exhibit behavioral problems if they are not socialized sufficiently or if they are removed from their dam and littermates before seven weeks of age. Socialization done by the breeder should include ensuring that each pup receives frequent human attention, is handled frequently, and is exposed to a wide variety of noises and experiences.Takes steps to keep the puppies as healthy as possible. Before puppies go to their new homes, they should have been wormed or checked for worms, and should have received their first shots.Takes steps to prevent occurrence of hereditary defects in the puppies. Both parents should have hip clearances from at least one of the following registries: OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), PennHip, Wind-Morgan, or a foreign joint registry. Many breeders are checking parents for elbow defects as well as hips. Be sure to ask about health clearances; responsible breeders will be happy to tell you about them and will honestly discuss problems that might occur in the parents’ lines. Avoid breeders that tell you their dogs don’t need health clearances because they’ve never had a problem, or those who tell you that their ”vet said the dog was ok.” Remember that clearances on the parents don’t guarantee that the puppies will be free of problems, but your chances of buying a healthy puppy are greatly improved if the parents have been cleared.

Health problems that are common among Saint Bernards are Hip or Elbow Dysplasia, Entropian, Ectropian, Bone Cancer and Epilepsy.

 Hip Dysplasia 

Hip Dysplasia is by definition an ill-fitting hip. This can be caused by having shallow sockets, abnormal heads and necks of the femur and from excessively loose ligaments. Hip Dysplasia is a polygenetic inherited condition that is affected by environmental influences such as weight, diet and exercise, which can interact to cause rapid wear and tear of the hip joint leading to arthritic change.

Hip Dysplasia is a definite problem in Saint Bernards that needs to be assessed and taken into account before heavily working, exercising or breeding with an animal. Hip Dysplasia is a complex genetic and environmental problem but should be kept in its proper perspective relative to the breed as a whole. It is one genetic problem, not the only one.

Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow disease is the preferred term to be used when talking about elbow problems in growing dogs. Unfortunately “elbow dysplasia” was the name given to the condition of ununited anconeal process and this term is closely linked in this way in the minds of most veterinarians and some dog breeders.

Elbow disease is a general term to denote joint problems in growing dogs and it includes ununited anconeal process (UAP), fragmented medial coronoid process (FCP) and osteochondrosis of the medial condyle of the humerus (OCD). These are the three most important conditions although there are a number of uncommon conditions included in the term.

Ectropian

Ectropian (the opposite of entropian) occurs when the lower eyelids roll away from the eyeball. Ectropian is common in breeds with loose facial skin. As the eyeball is insufficiently protected it is open to infection. Surgery is available to correct this problem.

Entropian

Entropian (the opposite of ectropian) is a condition in which the eyelids turn inwards causing the dog’s eyelashes to rub against the cornea. This eventually causes ulcers to form and is extremely painful for the dog and if not treated can lead to blindness. There is surgery available to correct this problem but as some breeds are more prone to it than others it is best not to breed individual dogs that develop this condition.

Does not breed bitches every time they come in season. This is extremely hard on the bitch and may indicate that profit is the breeder’s primary motive.Chooses breedings carefully. Ask why the particular sire was chosen. The answer should be thoughtful and knowledgeable. Answers such as “because he lived close to me” or “because he’s such a cute dog” generally don’t indicate a breeding that is being done to produce puppies that are better than their parents (the goal of every responsible breeder). One indication of a quality breeding is if the majority of dogs in the first few generations are titled (CH, OTCH, FC, CD, JH, WC and so on, before or after the dogs’ names). If the titles only appear generations back or if there are only a few in the entire pedigree, they don’t mean much.Lets you meet the parents of the puppies. Bitches may be sent long-distance to stud dogs, but the breeder should be able to show you photographs of the sire and answer questions about him.Evaluates puppy temperaments and helps you choose the puppy that is best suited to your lifestyle. A very active puppy won’t do well in a sedate environment, and a quiet puppy may be overwhelmed in an active household with noisy children. Remember that most breedings are done so the breeder can choose a puppy to carry on his or her own lines, so you may have to wait until this choice is made when the pups are 6-7 weeks old. After that, the breeder can help you decide which pup would be most suitable for you. The breeder has spent extensive time with the litter and knows the puppies best, so their advice is important.Will be willing to take the dog back at any time if you cannot keep it.  Responsible breeders do NOT want their puppies to end up in an animal shelter or in a less-than-ideal home.Is someone you feel comfortable with. You may not be an expert on Saint Bernards, but you do know about people. Use your intuition. The breeder should be available for the life of the dog to answer questions, so this could be a long-term relationship. If you don’t trust the person, don’t buy a dog from them.Will provide appropriate documentation with the puppy, including registration papers, pedigree, and a health record.Is concerned about your future plans for the puppy, particularly whether you’re thinking of breeding the dog. Many responsible breeders sell pet-quality animals with mandatory spay/neuter contracts and/or Limited Registration (meaning that offspring of the dog cannot be registered). This is a good indication that the breeder cares enough about the breed to ensure that only the very best representatives are bred. Some breeders may be willing to change the Limited Registration to a Full Registration if you present the dog to them after maturity, having had all its health clearances. Then, if the breeder thinks the dog is of good quality and temperament, they may change the registration and help you with the selection of a good stud dog. Only the dog’s breeder can make this change.

How do I find a responsible breeder?

First, educate yourself. Read books on the breed. Attend dog shows or obedience trials, and talk to the Saint Bernard exhibitors. Be willing to spend some time on the phone, talking to breeders, and looking for referrals. Most responsible breeders will have a list of puppy buyers before they do a breeding, and usually don’t have to advertise in the newspaper. Please remember that the great majority of Saint Bernard breeders are hobby breeders. They are not “in business,” breeding is not their profession, and very few of them make money on their dogs. It’s a labor of love for the breed. Please give them the courtesy you’d give to your own friends and neighbors.  You may not find a breeder that satisfies all these criteria, but these guidelines should be helpful in finding the best puppy for you and your situation.

How “kid and family friendly” is the Saint Bernard?

Fairview Saint Bernards

Puppies must be taught not to use their mouth on humans – even in play. They must be taught to tolerate having their ears, mouth, feet and tail handled and to allow food to be taken from their mouth. All these experiences will help ensure that the puppy is tolerant of any children who perform these actions. Teaching the puppy to sit before being patted will ensure that the dog does not jump for attention and knock children down. Although many dogs will tolerate almost any behavior from children they should not be expected to do so. Children who are not taught that it is very wrong to hit, kick, pinch or torment their own dog may one day meet a dog who is not so tolerant.  Children should be seated before picking up a puppy, as a squirming puppy will usually be dropped.

A “safe” area should be provided where the puppy can go for rest and children should be told that they must not disturb him. Over-tired children and dogs both get cranky!

It is part of good parenting to supervise all activities of babies and small children and their time with the family dog should be no exception until parents are confident that both the child and dog are of an age where they can understand how to play gently and reliably together.There are a few basic rules parents should instill in their children. Children should be taught not to run up to strange dogs but to ask the owner’s permission to pat the dog. They should be taught not to hug strange dogs or to reach over the dog’s head to pat it on top of the head. If a dog is uneasy or tired of playing with children and tries to get away from them they must not follow it.

Dog owners should observe the following guidelines with visiting children. Dogs who are not used to children may be uneasy with their movements and sounds. If a dog is uneasy with visiting children he is better secured in a favorite area where the children cannot go to him. Don’t try to force your dog to allow a child to pat or play with it.

Suggested Reading; The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete and How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Rutherford and Neil.

View the original article here

Police: SC Woman Puts Small Dog in Garbage — Twice

Oreo could probably use a good bath after what s/he has been through. (Photo is a loved "model" and not Oreo; from the Flickr photostream of angela n.)

Earlier this week, a sanitation worker found a Shih Tzu in the garbage can of a South Carolina woman while collecting trash. The worker took the dog to the house, where Nancy Smythe, 58, said the dog was hers.

Fortunately the trash collector didn’t laugh it off as a cute little mishap, but instead called in animal control officers. When they got there, guess where the little Shih was? Yup. They fished the dog out of the garbage once again, brought the dog to Greenville Co. Animal Control, and made sure Smythe didn’t have a third try; she was arrested and charged with “ill treatment of animals.”

The dog, who is black and white, has been named Oreo at the shelter, and will soon be up for adoption.

What is it with some people?! What was Smythe thinking? So glad the garbage worker was observant. The automated trucks used by so many trash collection companies can preclude any inspection of garbage. We tip our Dogster hat to the trash collector, who did just the right thing at the right time.

Source: Associated Press

View the original article here