Archive | September, 2011

Ratbone Rescues

28 Sep

Since our attempt to become the collegiate elite didn’t quite work out this time around, my mom and I have had some extra time on our hands. Of course, I can spend all my extra time chewing on a delicious ox tail or chasing the cats around the house, but my mom always likes to have projects. She has recently become more diligent in making toys and clothes for her and Angelica’s Etsy shop, The Smiling Frog Pets. My mom has also become a virtual volunteer for a really amazing rescue group called Ratbone Rescues.

Founded in 1999, Ratbone is a nationwide dog rescue dedicated to helping and finding forever homes for Rat Terriers in need. Ratbone’s Rat Terriers are usually pulled from kill shelters and given a second chance at life. As there is no actual facility or shelter, the dogs under Ratbone’s care are fostered in homes throughout the US until they are adopted. Ratbone Rescues’ entire existence is dependent solely upon the countless volunteers who work tirelessly transporting, fostering, fundraising, going through adoption applications, writing letters and emails, and generally helping to spread the word about the current Rat Terriers that are up for adoption.

This is Jozi who is currently available for adoption.

My mom’s main focus in her volunteer work is to help spread the word not only about the rescue, but about their fundraising efforts on various social media avenues. In fact, she just helped launch Ratbone’s newly revamped twitter account, @Ratbone_Rescues. It’s a little empty now, but it’s sure to be hopping soon. As all of Ratbone’s good work is based on the monies raised through fundraising, it’s really important to spread the word. Their current fundraiser is a quilt raffle! It’s actually their seventh quilt raffle to date.

And it features Rat Terriers of course!

The raffle runs until October 31st. Each ticket is $5, but there are deals (such as $10 for3 tickets) the more tickets you want to purchase. All proceeds go toward covering the cost of spay/neuters, vaccinations, and other general veterinary care. You can read more about the quilt raffle and but a ticket here (or click on the photo of the quilt above).

If you’d like more information about Ratbone Rescues, please visit their website. There you will find not only a list of all Rat Terriers currently up for adoption, but also information about how you too can volunteer to help such a pawesome rescue! And don’t forget to “like” the Ratbone Rescues page on facebook.

Happy tail wags!

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The Biscuit Biscuits and a Surprise!

26 Sep

As if my all time favorite pet supply store, The Loyal Biscuit, couldn’t get any cooler, they recently launched their very own treat company called The Loyal Biscuit Treat Co. As the brain-puppy of co-owner Heidi and Biscuit employee April, The Biscuit biscuits (as I like to call them) definitely reflect all the hip originality that a dog comes to expect from such a great set of stores.

Every Biscuit biscuit is made by hand in my hometown of Rockland, ME. All the ingredients are organic and many come from Maine sources. Because the treats are made in small batches, you can always expect a fresh treat for your pup. But by far the pawesomest part of the biscuits (besides the taste) is that each treat has the word “loyal” on it (due to being baked in custom pans!). As for flavor, these are definitely top notch. The current biscuit (and thus the only flavor) in production is a mix of cinnamon and anise, something not seen in many dog treats. They’re so yummy, I’ve even caught my mom taking a few nibbles here and there! The texture of the Loyal Biscuit treats is also important. They aren’t too soft nor too hard. Because of their size, the humans often have to break one in half (or else I chuck it around the room trying to break it myself). The treats are soft enough to break but tough enough that they don’t crumble into a mess. That’s perfect in my book!

When you purchase Loyal Biscuit Treat Co treats (which, if you don’t live near one of the two Biscuit locations, or at one of the various locations that carry the Biscuit biscuits, you can order them through facebook!), they come neatly packaged not only in a biodegradable bag, but also in a really pretty, food safe, and reusable tin. The tin can be reused in any manner you see fit, or, for a reduced price, can be refilled with Biscuit biscuits at both of the Loyal Biscuit locations! I haven’t gotten to the bottom of my tin yet (though I am making steady progress), but the latter choice will definitely be the one I take!

As if I haven’t talked about the Loyal Biscuit enough (I did say it was my favorite store, right?), I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago to learn that a certain someone’s scruffy mug was going to be featured in the Biscuit’s new brochure.
It sure does pay off to shop locally (and to be so darn cute!).

Happy tail wags!

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Evermore In My Belly

21 Sep

I am always trying to sniff out new delicious yummies to fill my ever hungry belly up with. Even though I really am a The Honest Kitchen dog at heart, sometimes you just need a dash of something different. I happened to find that extra something special in a brand of pet food called Evermore.

Don't you just love the packaging?

I stumbled nose (and mouth) first into Evermore, and one of the co-owners Hanna Mandelbaum, at this years Woofstock. It didn’t take my mom, nor I, long to realize that Evermore foods was something unique. As their company motto states: Evermore believes in feeding dogs the way humans (at least the non fast and junk food eating ones) feed themselves. All of the dog food made by Evermore is human-edible food (Hanna assured me that both she and the other member of the Evermore team have eaten all of the food they make) made out of high-quality ingredients, it is cooked gently to help maintain all the beneficial nutrients sometimes lost during the cooking process, everything is made in the USA as well as FDA inspected, and there is absolutely none of that by-product, filler, corn, soy, potato, wheat, or salt stuff. But check out what Evermore (more specifically the beef) does contain: ground beef, beef hearts, beef livers, yams, free-range eggs, carrots, parsnips, apples, kale, wild blueberries, safflower oil, alfalfa, organic barley, and more! Put this stuff up against most of the other commercial dog food on the market and you can literally see the difference.

See what I mean?

After trying a sample of both the chicken and the beef (those are the two current “flavors”), my mom decided to go ahead an buy me a small box of the beef to mix it up a little. As it’s sold frozen, the first time I ate it for a meal, I had to wait for it to thaw. Longest wait of my life! It was definitely worth it though. I scarfed a whole portion down before my mom could even snap a photo (I was already asking for seconds while her camera was focusing). If that doesn’t say a complete four-paw approval, I don’t know what does!

As we run on a very tight budget in this household (silly humans and their money), Evermore is a bit too expensive for an everyday type of food. However, at the suggestion of Hanna, it will definitely become a great stuffer for my Canine Genius and will be occasionally added into my diet for variety purposes!

For more information, please check out the Evermore website. They also have a list of retailers that sell their food which you can find here (both Loyal Biscuit locations carry Evermore pet food, by the way!).

Happy tail wags!

Source: Evermore

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Furry Communication

19 Sep

One of the very few downsides about being animal (besides the thumbs thing. I could do so many more food related activities if I had thumbs!) is that it’s often hard to communicate with our human counterparts. Sure we can growl, yip, meow, scratch, and nose bump, but none of that stuff really conveys a concrete message. Does Fluffy’s howl mean she’s hungry, or that she has to pee? Is Boots scratching at m arm because he wants to play or because he needs a litter box change? At times it can be very confusing for humans and frustrating for us pets.

There are, however, a few humans in the world who are gifted with the ability to “sense” what animals are trying to communicate. These humans are known as animal communicators. Animal communication is a means of communicating telepathically through impressions, thoughts, feelings, and images between two members of different species. This form of communication can often bring out the skeptic in humans, especially in a world fraught with hoaxes and falsities. Though of an open mind, my mom was slightly skeptic when we were approached to do an animal communication session with Cindy Wenger, the owner of Peaceable Kingdom Essentials, and herbal tincture company I’ve written about before.

To begin with, my mom sent Cindy a picture of me along with information including my breed, age, gender, and how long I’ve lived with my humans. On the day set, Cindy called my mom (most, if not all consultations can be done over the phone) for the session. As Cindy connects with the animal in question before calling, she was raring to go with all the impressions I was sending her way. For the rest of the post, I will describe the session with Cindy by listing the questions my mom asked and paraphrasing what Cindy said in response as written down by my mom.

Initial Impression

Prudence has very female energy. She is incredibly smart and likes to be involved. Prudence also suffers from a Napoleon Complex [or my humans refer to it, "little dog syndrome"]. Her security is found in routine and she tends to get thrown off by off the cuff events. Boxes, as in moving boxes, were also coming up in Prudence’s mind as well as a sunny, bright, sandy location. There was also mention about a man, someone new that she just met. She also keeps thinking about food. She’s craving greens: sweet peas, green beans, and cranberries. 

Question #1: Why Does Prudence Not Like Her Tail Touched?

There is a feeling of violation around her back end and tail. She is sensitive in that area and is holding on to something. I ask if it could be because her tail was docked as a puppy. Cindy agrees this could be the case. Cindy suggests, when petting her, to continue to pet all the way to her tail while visualizing positive things. Dogs manifest our emotions. If we are scared of nervous, so are they.

Question #2: Is Prudence Afraid, When Left Home Alone, That I Won’t Come Back?

Prudence has some separation anxiety, most likely do to her past. Cindy asks if she was a rescue. I explain that I bought her from a breeder that was pretty much a puppy mill.

Question #3: Is Prudence Feeling More Self Confident Since We Started Training?

Slightly, but dogs are resilient creatures. Prudence feels more comfortable and confident with low energy people. She may do well, and gain more confidence being a therapy dog in a nursing home.

Question #4: How Is Prudence’s Skin?

Prudence’s skin is itchy, but it is more of a healing itchy. What ever was causing her to be itchy is healing.

Question #5: Would Prudence Ever Be Open To Sharing Her Home With Another Dog?

Not right now. She needs more confidence and needs to get passed a few things leftover from her past. Would feel like three is a crowd, that one dog (possibly her) would be left out. If I eventually feel like she is ready, I should adopt a male puppy. Prudence would acclimate to male energy better than a female. Females can be catty.

Obviously, with the information we talked about today, it is up to you, the reader, as to whether or not you believe in animal communication. Though she started out skeptical, from the things that she and Cindy talked about, my mom is now a firm believer. She learned a lot about me during the 15 minute session, some of which she knew deep down (especially the answer to question #5), but hearing someone else confirm her suspicions made it real.

If you would like more information about Cindy Wenger and animal communication, please check out her website.

If you’ve had a session with an animal communicator, I’d love to hear about your experience, good or bad, in the comments!

Happy tail wags!

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Keep BSL Out of Maine

15 Sep

There are very few things that get me grumpy; a late meal is definitely at the top of the list, but so is when humans cast dogs in an unfair and harmful light. Yesterday morning, a page of the Bangor Daily News, one of our local papers, was left out for my mom’s perusal. The original intention was for her to read an article about a therapy dog who recently received a number of awards. What caught my mom’s eye instead, and caused my annoyance, was an article with the glaring headline “Dog Maulings Disturb Waterville Police Chief” (feel free to read the article for yourself here). Without even reading the article, it was blatantly clear it was going to be another diatribe about the “dangers” of pit bull ownership. In this case, after a pit bull was euthanized after the dog bit a 2-year-old and 6-year-old human child, Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey has decided to launch a campaign against, as the article states “dogs that are known to be aggressive, such as pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepards” and to keep these “aggressive” dogs “away from kids.” Massey even went so far as say he believes the Waterville City Council should enact a breed specific legislation to ban these dogs.

I have been vocal in the past about how unfairly I believe pit bulls and other “vicious” dog breeds are treats by humans, especially in the news. What irritated me so much about this specific case is that there was absolutely no mention about why. Why did the dog bite those two human children? It is very, very rare that a dog will just bite without a reason, and especially without a warning. It is a human default to jump to needing vengeance for and act without looking into the details. Were the children prone to teasing the dog? Should the dog have been better suited in a home without children? How many times did the dog warn the children, or show signs of stress and anxiety before finally biting? By asking these questions, I am not trying to say that the children in anyway deserved what happened to them. In fact, it hurts my puppy heart that they were injured to the point of being hospitalized. I pose these questions because this is what humans need to think before jumping to the conclusion that because a dog bites it means they are vicious and without reason.

The Bangor Daily News article did, however, offer support for the dog breeds Massey is targeting through the expertise of Susan Bell, the director of the Bangor Humane Society. Bell says, as do many of the humans who support the pit bull breed (and what I agree with) that it is “up to the owners to properly train [their dogs]” and that “all breeds have the potential to attack when provoked.” It is up to the owner, the human that decides to bring a dog into their home, a home they may be sharing with young children, to know whether or not that the dog is appropriate in their home and to take responsibility for what that dog does. It seems like common sense, but sadly it is not.

Sadly, I don’t think this will be the last time there will be an inflammatory article that blames an entire breed for a single dogs actions. This attitude that dogs can just “snap” and that certain breeds are disposed to “viciousness” will not go away until the attitude about responsible dog ownership changes for all humans. In the meantime, I will be, as always, continuing to help stop the “vicious dog” stereotype and I will be keeping my paws crossed that a breed ban will not be enacted in Waterville.

Happy tail wags.

 

P.S. I just learned from a facebook post by The Maine POM Project that municipalities, like that of Waterville, are not allowed to adopt breed-specific ordinances, laws, or regulations. While this removes the immediate threat of a BSL being put into place, it still doesn’t help to remove the stigma.

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Woofstock 2011

12 Sep

I love raising money for animal shelters and rescues. It is up there with squeaking a brand new toy and eating chicken. Of course, helping out animals in need is even more fun when you get to hang out with other like minded humans and dogs. This weekend I got to do exactly that! Saturday marked the 6th annual Woofstock festival presented by The Animal House. Woofstock is festival that celebrates the pawesomeness of being a dog as well as all those pooches (and kitties!) looking for their forever homes. This year, there were 17 rescues and animal shelters from all around New England that benefited from the proceeds raised through the “Pay What You Can” admission fee, pet items yard sale, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, for-profit vendor fees, and what ever money is raised by the shelters and rescues themselves through items sold or services rendered at their booths.

Some of the rescues is attendance

There were also tons of vendors selling everything from collars, toys, treats, pet shampoo, and dog clothes. My pug friend Jenny and I (we attended the event with Marie, Jenny, Angelica, and Leo) were in doggy heaven from all the delicious samples being doled out by the likes of TriPom Chews, Zelda’s Biscuit Bakery, Nature’s Variety (where I met one of my facebook friends!), Stella & Chewy’s, Barkwheats, Merrick, Evermore Pet Food, and more. Leo wasn’t all that interested in the treats because he doesn’t eat in public. Some of the other vendors included Mutt Nose Best, a natural pet care line made in Maine, Uncommon Paws, a shop and maker of collars, leashes, pet clothes (who also happened to have a display of blanketIDs!), Classic Hound with their beautiful collars, the Maine POM Project, and so many more.

Mom, myself, Angelica, and Leo

There were also some really fun dog demos to watch. We happened to catch a bit of the agility demo where a few pups ran through tunnels, jumped over hurdles, and generally made me jealous that I wasn’t a bit more athletic. Even Jenny and Marie got into the action when they volunteered to help out during the freestyle demo.

This is Jenny's patented "Sniff for Treats" move

Honestly, one of the greatest things about the Woofstock was being able to meet so many different dogs and humans. Dogs from giant (and I’m talking at least a four poop bagger kind of giant) Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds, to itty bitty Chihuahuas as well as every breed or mix of breeds in between were their in their furry glory. I sniffed butts of dogs with three legs, dogs who needed carts to get around, even a deaf Border Collie. There were long haired dogs, short haired dogs, some dogs in dire need of a hair cut. I even got to finally rub noses with Finch, the foster dog turned adopted dog of the humans behind Barkwheats (and a puppy that my mom has been obsessed with ever since seeing her photo on the Loyal Biscuit facebook page), as well as Oscar, a me-look-a-like whom Angelica and Leo kept running into around Rockland.

This Great Dane's head was bigger than all of me

 

The adorable Finch!

 

Oscar, my look-a-like and I

All in all, it was a terrific day that was spent helping out 17 terrific shelters and rescues. We all came away with the satisfaction of knowing we helped many pets in need of homes, lots of new friends, and so much swag! 

So much swag!

As I didn’t want to make this post too picture heavy, I’ll be posting the rest of my Woofstock photos on my facebook page later today. 

Happy tail wags!

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Peaceable Kingdom Essentials

8 Sep

One of the things I appreciate about having a human who is very active in my health and wellness, is that she’s not quick to throw unnecessary medication at something that could very well be taken care of in a more natural and a possible more pleasant manner. While there is always a time and place where pharmaceuticals are appropriate, I believe that pets, not to mention humans, are often overly medicated. Because of this philosophy, I was really excited when I was asked to try out a few products from Peaceable Kingdom Essentials, a company specializing in herbal remedies for pets, as well as herbal teas for humans.

Started in 2010 by Cindy Wenger, an animal communicator and certified herbalist, Peaceable Kingdom Essentials prides itself in their 100% USDA Certified Organic and earth friendly pet products. Each batch of their tinctures are made, by human-hand, in small batches instead of mass produced in large amounts. The herbs used are never sprayed or irradiated. Peaceable Kingdom Essentials sells tinctures to help ease problems from incontinence to boosting a dog’s immunity. They also have other products including catnip, brewer’s yeast, and flea repellent powder.

The first product I got to try was an external spray called Reliever Achiever. Reliever Achiever can be used to help soothe and heal minor skin problems such as hot spots, irritations, and abrasions. Now, my mom has recently been using coconut oil on my skin itchies, but there are some times when she just doesn’t feel like scooping out the coconut goop and getting it all over herself and I. This spray has been great for those lazy days. All you do is shake it up and spritz it on your dog’s itchy skin. You can also spray it on you hand and rub it onto the itchy spots (sometimes the spray bottle can’t reach all the itchy spots, like the ones on the belly). Obviously it’s hard for me to verbalize to my human whether or not a product is working for me, but there was a decreased amount of itching and scratching on the spots that had been sprayed. And, in an act of itchy desperation, my mom even sprayed the Reliever Achiever on a very irritating bug bite. It took the itchiness away within a few minutes! She also likes the fact that the spray has a pleasing orange smell (due to the sweet orange essential oil), though I’d rather smell like a dog and not fruit.

I was also sent a one of the internal tinctures called Paws a Moment. Paws a Moment is used to help calm easily stressed and high anxiety animals through the use of herbs such as Valerian root, skullcap, passionflower, and more. It seems to me like Cindy has been reading my blog as I often write about my issues with pooch anxiety. As the rule of thumb with herbal remedies is two weeks on, one week off, I’m slowly working at getting the Paws a Moment into my system. My mom, however, has seen a marked calmness in my demeanor. In fact, yesterday, during a trip to TJ Maxx, I was calm and comfortable enough to greet a human I have never met before with a kiss, something that I have always been too anxious to do.

If you are interested in seeing what Peaceable Kingdom Essentials has to offer, please check out their website. There is also a very informative bit of information on the page about the tinctures that talks about everything from appropriate dosage to things to keep in mind when using an herbal remedy. And, as always, it may be a good idea to discuss the use of herbal tinctures with your pet’s vet if you have any concerns.

Happy tail wags!

(FTC disclosure: I was sent both samples free from Peaceable Kingdom Essentials and their PR company for the purpose of review. No other compensation was involved).

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In Other News

6 Sep

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing long weekend. I got to spend some time lolling on the beach with my friends Jenny and Leo and their human counterparts. Now, you may be trying to figure out how that was possible with me being at college and all. Well, as some of you may have read on my twitter and facebook accounts, mom and I are no longer attending the University of Maine. If you’ve been a loyal reader, you’ll already know that mom has some issues with panic and anxiety (she has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Even though she’s been working her non-existent tail off to feel comfortable enough to move away from home and attend school, she felt too uncomfortable and distressed to stay. So, we are now back home (and home is now officially my GG and Gramp’s house) and working on regrouping. While shaken, my mom hasn’t given up her dream of one day being a veterinarian, she just needs a bit more time until she’s ready.

The good thing that came out of all of this is further proof that my confidence has risen and my own anxiety has diminished greatly. If we had made the move a year or so ago, I probably would have paced and panted myself into a stupor from stress. Something as simple as some obedience training and classic conditioning has given me enough courage to face new challenges without having to cling to my humans for comfort. In fact, the only time I had an visible stress was during the move-in phase which would honestly give anyone, human or dog, some stress. My mom was very proud of me and confident that when we do return to school, I will be just fine!

Happy tail wags!

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