Tag Archives: it’s all about me

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!

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!

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!

Wordless Wednesday: Last Beach Day of the Summer Edition

24 Aug

College Bound Update

23 Aug

It is officially three days until I’m headed to the University of Maine. I feel like it was only yesterday that my mom received her acceptance letter. It also seems like I’ve been preparing for this every minute. Crate training has been the biggest feat of all. As a young pup, I was contained to a crate during my housebreaking period. I have since become really rusty at the whole not having an entire room to myself when no one is home thing. Not anymore! I am officially re-crate trained (though it’s not my favorite thing). So obviously this photo is older because A) it was taken at the apartment (we officially moved into my GG and Gramp’s house) and B) I’m wearing a sweater (it is definitely NOT sweater weather). But Prudence, you may be asking yourself, how can you teach an old dog new tricks? It was actually easy! First my mom would give me treats for just sniffing and exploring around the crate. After a I was comfortable around the crate (meaning I didn’t jump if my mom touched it or if one of the cats jumped on it) she put some really high value treats progressively further and further into the crate until I would walk into it with no problem. I even ate a few of my meals inside the crate a few nights to help my brain assimilate that the crate means good things (and food is definitely a good thing!). I started liking my crate so much, I would go in there for naps when my mom was milling around her room. When I would do this, my mom would shut the door and then walk in and out of the room so I would get used to her not being around all the time. More recently, I’ve been spending an hour or less in the crate while my mom runs errands. I whined at first, but now I just take a nap.

Other than that, mom and I have also been working on keeping a schedule with my walkies and dinner times that we can translate over to when we move to school. This stability in routine will help me to transition faster in a new environment. That way I won’t have to adjust to both a new environment and a new schedule.

Even though I’m experiencing all this preparation, I am still a little nervous. The humans say this is normal, but I can’t help but be worried. I’m also going to miss the humans that won’t be moving with me, like nanny, aunty, GG, Gramp, Angelica, Marie, Heidi, and of course my doggy friends Leo, Jenny, Chuck, and Fenny, but mom promises we’ll come back to visit (plus we’ll be home for all the major holidays). It’s going to be an adventure, not matter what happens!

Happy tail wags!

The Itchy Issue

2 Aug

Fleas. I don’t think anyone anywhere would actually say that they like those itty bitty bloodsucking fiends. It’s even worse for dogs who have flea allergic dermatitis (FAD) or flea bite hypersensitivity. FAD is a reaction to a flea’s saliva that is left during a flea bite. While not life threatening, FAD is incredibly uncomfortable for a dog due to the skin becoming severely itchy. The itchiness can lead to hair loss, skin inflammation, and skin trauma due to chewing and scratching. If you need proof, you can take a look at my back end.

While I’ve always had a uncomfortable time with fleas, this summer has been especially awful. Right now, my back, rear legs, and belly are almost hairless, rather red, and covered in tiny scabs, which has led my mom to believing I have FAD (she’ll be scheduling a vet appointment in the near future to confirm). The fleas seem incredibly inexhaustible this summer, mainly due to the humans’ suspicions that the front lawn may be infested (probably thanks to an influx of stray kitties, a new neighborhood raccoon, and the empty house next door becoming a bat haven). Even the usual preventative steps to protect myself and the kitties from fleas and other nasty bugs aren’t working. So what’s a poor, scratchy pooch to do?

Sadly, not much. My mom has been researching safe methods to deflea the yard (even though we are moving soon), the kitties and I are being tortured with flea combing three times a day, and we’ve all been doused with not only holistic anti flea remedies, but also the heavy, not so natural stuff (Frontline and Capstar). For the itching, a friend of my mom’s and co-owner of The Animal House, a pet store in Damariscotta, Maine, suggested raw coconut oil. Not only is coconut oil a great, healthy treat, it is also antiseptic so it’s great for cuts and scrapes. Stay tuned for a separate post about all the benefits of coconut oil!

Now it’s all about the waiting. Even after a single bite, a FAD prone dog can suffer symptoms for an extended period of time. On the 13th, the humans, the kitties, and I are moving in with my GG and gramp, so that takes care of having to worry about the infested lawn. I also think the kitties are going to be scheduled for a professional defleaing at a pet groomers (thankfully it’s them and not me!).

If you have any flea related or flea allergic dermatitis related tips, please feel free to share in the comments!

Happy (but itchy) tail wags!

Source: PetMD

Celtic Celebration

22 Jul

Last weekend, I was very fortunate to attend (along with Leo, Angelica, and my mom) the Maine Celtic Celebration in Belfast, Maine. It’s very rare that I get to go to any sort of outdoor festival, mostly due to the crowds and heat. This time around, the celebration was hosting a whole afternoon of dog activities, not to mention happened to be hosted in the same town as a pawesome dog park and the new Loyal Biscuit location, so my mom felt a little more than obligated to bring me along.

One of the day’s events was a parade and show of Celtic breed dogs. While we were a little late for the parade, many of the attendees were still wandering around enjoying the free agility course and just having a ball canoodling with the other four-legged festival goers.

Some were even dressed for the occasion

 Thankfully the revelry wasn’t specified only for those of Celtic origin, so there were dogs of every breed (and mix of breed) enjoying the sun and attention.

Like Bagel!

 The biggest draw of the afternoon was watching a flyball demonstration by a Maine-based flyball team known as the Flyball Maineiacs.

One of the flyballers in action

Flyball is a form of racing that matches two teams of four dogs who race relay style over a 51 foot course that features jumps and a pressure-released ball box. Each dog races down the jumps, hits a box which releases a ball, grabs the ball, and returns back through the jumps. Once the first dog returns, the second dog is released to run the course. Because the event was so thrilling to watch, I made sure my mom grabbed a video!

All in all it was a very fun and incredibly exhausting day. I was very appreciative that my mom came prepared with plenty of water and let me rest (or in one case take a snooze on a stranger’s lap) when I became a little too hot and tired. Even Leo, who is usually nervous and scared in crowds and unfamiliar places, seemed to enjoy himself.

Happy tail wags!

Belated Blogiversary

14 Jul

Well this just goes to show how up-to-date my human and I are when it comes to my blog. As of July 7th (7 days ago?! I am ashamed of myself), I have been an official dog blogger for two whole years. So, in dog years, Of Cows’ Tails and Chew Toys is in its teens. I would say that it seems like only yesterday since my blog got started, but that would be lying (and I never lie), this year especially. There were actually a few times when I almost hung up my typing paws. Mom’s new school schedule was taking a toll not only on our daily activities, but also on the motivation to keep OCTCT afloat. Really it was not wanting to let down all my friends and readers that kept everything going. And I’m so glad! Especially with this wonderful adventure of going to college spread before me. Who better to share the triumphs and failures of a dog’s dorm life than all of you wonderful humans and animals that I have come to know and adore so very much. So thank you, thank you for making not only this past year, but these last two years such a joy and so very worth it.

And now I have a favor to ask, after I’ve buttered you up with complements (and maybe a hang-dog glance or two). I would love to know, in the comments, what your favorite posts from this past year have been (since the last blogiversary) and what you would like to see more of, or even less of, as I blog more. More product reviews, more real news stories, less about the beach; whatever you’re feeling, please let it out!

Happy tail wags!

Beach Romp

12 Jul

My love for the beach is a vast and powerful love. When we are within a mile of any salty and sandy location, my tail starts drumming faster than my excited puppy heart. Why do I love the beach so? It’s because the beach is one of the only locations that I am allowed to run without any tether. No leash, no fences, just boundless freedom (until the humans calls me back, that is). It’s even better when I can share the joys of this freedom with other pooches. Recently I had that exact opportunity during a beach visit that resulted in a gathering of the furry minds. A Havanese named Cosmo and a Labrador-mix visiting from Connecticut were all ready enjoying the salty spray. Luckily my mom had her camera in tow and she captured our fun on video:

Happy tail wags!

Opening Celebration

7 Jul

One of my favorite places to spend time (and the humans’ money) is The Loyal Biscuit in Rockland, Maine. My obsession with this pet supply store is very evident in many of my blog posts as well as my facebook page. I just can’t stop talking about the store, Heidi and Joel the human owners, as well as Chuck and Fenway the shop dogs! It’s really the place to be if your a dog on the town in Rockland.

Well, now the Biscuit wealth is being spread across the state. Last week, Heidi and Joel opened The Loyal Biscuit’s second location in Belfast, a hopping town that’s roughly 27 miles away from Rockland.They had been steadily working on the new place for quite awhile, and all of their updates and facebook posts were quite teasing for a beast as curious as me, so it made me very happy when my mom’s friend Marie suggested we take a road trip for the grand opening. The Loyal Biscuit – Belfast is very much in line with the original Rockland location. The main focal color is the vibrant green, the floor is still white and black checked (though in a different pattern), there is a self-serve dog wash (which I skipped inspecting in case my mom thought I was past due for a bath), and all the toys, treats, and food are of the highest quality that one has come to expect from this lovely store. Along with a new location comes a new human member of the staff. April, whom is the lovely human on the left in the photo above (the other human is Heidi), seems to have fit in perfectly.

What’s great about the location of the Belfast Biscuit is that there is a dog park (which I’ve written about before) not too far away that will draw many a four-legged shopper to their door. Plus, it will be a reason for me to convince my mom to take more road trips to Belfast!

Happy tail wags!

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