My Favorite Show is Back! New "It's Me or the Dog"

My favorite show, "It's Me or the Dog" is back on Animal Planet, Saturdays at 9pm. Victoria Stilwell is a reward based trainer and APDT member that helps people and their dogs live better together. It's fun to watch and you can learn how positive training, proper exercise and healthy diets are vital for properly managing dogs. Jenn says she got to see Victoria at her APDT conference last week and that she was one super dog person. So watch "It's Me or the Dog" with your best furry friends.

Click here to go to the "It's Me or the Dog" website.

Dr. Doug Knueven at APDT

Jenn said that Dr. Doug Knueven was one of the best speakers at her APDT dog trainer conference. Dr. Doug is a holistic vet from Beaver, PA. He has two books on holistic dog health, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog and Stand By Me, A Holistic Handbook for Animals, Their People and the Lives They Share Together.

Dr. Doug spoke about preventative approaches for avoiding sports related injuries and prolonging health in both competition and companion dogs, including diet, limited vaccines, accupuncture, chiropractic care, massage (and TTouch).

Jenn was so impressed to hear Dr. Doug speak about the positive health impacts from feeding a raw or home prepared diet.

Dr. Doug has a great article about his philosophy on pet diets here.

Several other articles on holistic care, vaccinations, and alternative vet care are available on his website here.

I have new toys!

Jenn came back from the Association of Pet Dog Trainer Conference on Sunday night and I was so happy to see her. She said that she learned a lot and the major topic was using play and games in training. That sounds like fun! She brought many new toys for me and treats to "test drive". She got Katie's Bumpers, two Nina Ottosson dog activity puzzles, the Kibble Nibble, the Waggle, and giant stuffed toys from Premier, and some others too. How exciting! I'm going to give you my opinions and see what passes muster with me.
First up in the Premier Wild Fox Stuffed Toy. Now, usually I don't get stuffed toys. Mainly because Bernie and I like to unstuff them. But Jenn thought this toy was quite well constructed and may stand up to our rough treatment. I have tossed it, tried to rip it to get the squeaker, tried to tear the tail off, shook it, and it is still together. So this toy gets the thumbs up. We'll see if it lasts through the week...

This week is starting to suck...

I am so bored! This is completely unacceptable. Eric is not entertaining me enough. The only way I can get any attention from him is to bark at him or stare at him or drool on him. I didn't even get my walk yesterday because it rained. Can you believe that? No walk, no dog park. How am I expected to live in these conditions?

Eric just talked to Jenn and she is apparently having a wonderful time at the dog trainer conference in Kentucky. She saw Dr. Robert Miller, Suzanne Clothier, Dr. Patricia McConnell, Dr. Ian Dunbar and ran into my old friends R.K. Anderson and Duffer Schultz.

Jenn is coming back tomorrow night and I cannot wait. She promised to bring me back some new toys and the latest products and treats. I'm sure she'll give me the scoop on everything she learned....

While Jenn is away...

Apparently, Jenn is going on a trip. She says that she'll be at the APDT dog trainer conference in Kentucky for five days. When she told me I felt like hiding my head. But then, I thought about all the things I might be able to get away with. Yehaw! Eric will be in charge of everything while Jenn is away. He's really going to have to watch those remote controls and his shoes. We'll see how well he manages things...

Do you know about Secondary Chewing Phase?

I must chew, now more than ever! Why must I chew you ask? I'm not such a puppy anymore, but a teenager. Teenage dogs can actually chew more than younger puppies because we are in the secondary chewing phase. This starts around 6-10 months of age and happens because the puppy's teeth are setting in the jaw.

Lots of people don't know that puppies go through this and assume that the puppy is acting out when they destroy things. Actually the puppy is just chewing everything in sight because of how uncomfortable and painful our jaws/mouths feel. Imagine teeth as big as ours coming into your mouth!

What can help? Jenn keeps me well exercised, she supervises me or puts me in my crate when she can't, provides lots of safe, indestructible chew toys, and she gives me things that I can destroy like my favorite cardboard boxes.

Click here for a great article on the secondary chewing phase and what you can to do help your puppy through it (and save your stuff!)

My Birthday Party

I waited all weekend for my birthday surprise! Jenn said something special was going to happen and around 4pm yesterday my friends started arriving. My surprise was my own birthday party with a few of my special friends: Niamh the Gordon Setter, Ruby the Aussie, Sky the Golden-Doodle, Mona the German Shepherd, Trudy and my special friend Oscar, both Italian Spinones. My housemates Big Sandy and Bernie were happy to share my special day too.For an enjoyable and safe dog party, be sure to invite the right number of guests. You want a 1:1 human to dog ratio and probably no more than 10 dogs total. A fenced back yard is a great place for a dog party. You want to make sure all your guests "play well with others" and enjoy the company of dogs and people. We ran and played...The people tried to keep the dogs moving and not bunching up in one area...I was very happy to share my water with my special girlfriend Mona. Even on a cool day, you must provide lots of fresh water for your party goers.
Bernie had to take a break in a hole under the stairs. Some dogs need time out from the crowd and place to crash and chill.
Every birthday boy needs a cake and here is my birthday peanut butter carrot cake which Jenn made from a recipe for "dog birthday cake". It has cream cheese, dog biscuits and sprinkles. Click here for this recipe and a few others.
Everybody sang a song for me wishing me a happy day!
Then I got to test out the cake. I must say that it was unlike anything I've tasted. It definitely passed the taste test.
We cut the cake up and every dog got to eat some. Jenn's friend Mimi brought some yummy doggy "ice cream" made with plain yogurt and peanut butter that went perfectly on top of the cake. We all had small pieces so we could share. Jenn says that small pieces are best for dogs, even if the cake is special for them. She didn't want anyone to get an upset stomach. No one complained! Then we did our gift exchange so everyone could go home with a new toy.
Wow! I am bushed. What a super special day. Thanks to all my friends and their humans for coming out and sharing their day with me.

It's my first birthday!

Today I am one year old! Jenn says that she cannot believe that a whole year ago, this was me...
Here I am with all my brothers and sisters, who I have not seen since I was 10 weeks old. I'm second from the right. I'd like to wish them all a happy birthday too: Happy Birthday to Rockstar, Jazz, Onyx, Topaz, Flash, and Justice!
Jenn says she has something special planned for me next weekend to celebrate my birthday. I can't wait!! I'm sure that I'll get some new toys or maybe we'll take a field trip somewhere exciting.

My Favorite Toys: Kool Dogz Ice Treat Maker

Here's a new addition to my favorite toys list-the Kool Dogs Ice Treat Maker.
It makes a giant ice cube treat that lasts for hours. Jenn takes some treats and toys and freezes them inside the tub. Here she put in a stuffed Squirrel Dude (see previous post), some dog biscuits, and some baby carrots and then she adds water immersing all the goodies. You always want to use healthy things that your dog likes, but no more than just a snack.Once the tub is completely frozen, you take it out in the yard and plop it on the base which is pushed into the ground. Viola! A super fun frozen treat that keeps me occupied.

Big Sandy has Spondylosis

Jenn told me that my best girlfriend Big Sandy has something called spondylosis. Spondylosis is a very common condition that comes with dogs getting older. Lots of times people don't even know their older dog has it unless they have an x-ray. People get it too. Spondylosis happens over time as the spine becomes deformed from boney growths. Sometimes the growths create fusion of the vertebrae, which is what's happened to Big Sandy. For her it is probably more of a problem because she only has three legs. She's just not as flexible and she gets pain sometimes. So Jenn started to take her for acupuncture and she give her lots of TTouch, which seems to help a lot and she'll give her medications from our vet for pain and inflammation.


Jenn says that I have to play more gently with Big Sandy from now on and give her lots of breaks. People should monitor their puppies when they play with their older dogs. Puppies can be overwhelming for an older dog, especially if they are feeling stiffness or pain from aging and you need to step in and give the older dog a break.

You can learn more about Spondylosis by clicking here.