A perfect autumn day deserves a visit to the beach…
 I like digging holes… |
 …but why do I do it? |
…even if it means sand in the nose…and a deep contemplation of its true meaning!
Wanted! Literary Dogs!
Please pass on to interested kids and dogs…
Curing Cushing’s Disease!
Remember little Suzie from ‘Old Dogs: Lessons in Loving & Ageing’?
At the time of our photo shoot, her stylish green sweater was less fashion statement than a way of covering up her poor balding body. Shortly afterwards she was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease.
 Suzie with Cushing’s Disease |
 Suzie after treatment |
Cushing’s Disease is common in older dogs and is often mistaken for the aging process itself. Dogs gain weight and develop a pot-belly, become lethargic and less friendly, urinate in the house, and frequently lose their hair. Not surprisingly, owners often consider euthanasia.
In fact Cushing’s Disease is caused by an excess of the hormone, cortisol. Poodles, Daschunds, Boxers, Boston Terriers and Beagles seem to be particularly prone to the disease. The good news is that it’s now very treatable.
Once Suzie was on medication, her symptoms disappeared and miraculously her coat grew back. She’s now the proud owner of a new thick furry covering with hardly a grey hair in sight. (That’s light shining on the top of her head in the pic above, not grey hair!)
If only the medication worked for hair loss in humans!
If your old dog is displaying symptoms of Cushing’s Disease, your Vet will diagnose with urine and blood tests before prescribing treatment. For more information, check out www.pethealth.com.au/Page/cushings-disease-thirst-urination-water-intake-dog”
Cool Dogs for Mother’s Day!
Looking for a present for your dog-loving Mum? Or a no-occasion, special gift for a special dog?
I know the retail sector’s in dire straights, partly because everyone’s shopping online. I’m not one of them but after a visit to Cool Dogs, I might have to join in!
 Hoody Dog |
 Car Seat Cover |
 Camouflage Dog |
Besides the usual range of toys, dog collars and car seat covers, Cool Dogs have products I didn’t know existed! Small Dog Claw Nails. Work it out! I couldn’t. Gumi Dental Floss to keep doggie teeth clean. Zanie’s Interactive Puzzles? Yep, they’re to keep doggie brains active!
There’s plenty more. For winter Cool Dogs have just expanded their range of coats. Love the Born Wild leathers. And the Zack and Zoey orange hoodies. And the Adidog small dog jumper. Chewy Vuitton bones and handbags —how cute is that? There are also big dog lifejackets if you want to look after your boating friend on the high seas. For girls (and special boys) there are diamante bling collars, and also personalised collars with lots of glitter.
Check out their full range of products at www.cooldogs.com.au They’ve got everything! And they’re VERY reasonably priced.
Please Help Find Cyan!
Please share this video wherever you can.
Cyan is a 5 month old Chinese Crested Hairless dog. She was travelling in a dog trailer with 5 other dogs when a semi-trailer ran over the trailer and smashed into the car. The trailer was totaled and all the dogs scattered into the bush. Her last known location was on Hume Highway Northern Victoria, between Bo-Ho Church road and Baddaginne turn off sign on April 2nd 2013. She could possibly have travelled many kilometres since then.
Over several days the distraught owners of all these dogs, Mandy & Reg Clancy found 5 of their precious dogs with the help of many volunteers. But sadly, despite massive social network interest and media coverage of this story, Cyan has still not been found.
Cyan is greatly missed by her family, both human and canine. She has gone through a massive trauma and needs to be reunited with those she knows. If you have her or know who does please contact one of the numbers below. If you’ve seen a dog like her but aren’t sure if it’s her, call anyway because the owners are in the best position to investigate.
Contact numbers are:
Reg Clancy 0407660792
Mandy Clancy 0419334125
Julie Griffith 0466063039
David Bentley 0498049499
Amanda Doonan 0400963995
Gloria Hurley-Kees 03 57682234
Facebook pages:
Find Cyan campaign https://www.facebook.com/groups/17972…
Mandy http://www.facebook.com/mandy.clancy.14
Reg http://www.facebook.com/reg.clancy.3?…
You can also send a message to the youtube message box if you need to ask questions etc
No copyright infringement is intended and this video is made purely as a non-profit public service to help these people find their lost puppy.
Story Dogs: When children read to a dog, the outcomes are amazing!
Kids reading to dogs? What a great idea!
Story Dogs is a program being run in 26 NSW and Qld schools to help children improve their reading and communication skills by reading to dogs.
Reading or drawing, I’m all yours!
In the same way that hospital therapy dogs promote relaxation and lower blood pressure in patients, dogs make ideal reading companions for kids. They’re non-judgmental, they don’t laugh or criticise, and they allow children to proceed at their own pace. (source:www.therapyanimals.org/read/)
Kristi Purvis, from Centaur Primary School in NSW, says children relax, open up, try harder and have fun reading to a dog.
‘Students love the experience,’ she says, ‘and don’t really think that it’s actually a learning task; it’s just fun.’
Story Dogs is based on a successful American literacy program Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html
Studies in the US show students reading to dogs increased their reading rate by 24 words per minute. Students without dogs increased their reading rate by 9 words per minute.*
Wouldn’t this be a great program to have in Victorian schools? I’d love to hear from you if you’re as inspired as I am. If there’s enough interest, perhaps we could trial a group of kids and dogs in a local school.
* (source: www.sitstayread.com)
More information on the Story Dogs’ website: http://www.storydogs.org.au/
Another BIG Shaw Shepherd
Remember Duke, the huge German Shepherd pup whose diet included spinach?
Duke’s owner/breeder, Nicole Shaw, has done it again. This time, Mum Kanika had 13 babies, all born healthy and all now gone to good homes.
Nicole kept Bhundi, now six months old, with the clan of Mum, Dad and Duke. It will be interesting to see if Bhundi eventually matches Duke in the bigness stakes!
Duke, Dad Anubis (almost 12), Bhundi (6 months), Mum Kanika
Not surprisingly heads turn when Nicole’s walking these big Shepherds in the park!
If you’d like to see more, check them out on Nicole’s new Facebook page: The ShawShepherds.
Oscar the Globetrotting Dog
Have you ever wanted to take your dog on holidays and found that the hotel, rental house, camping site has a ‘no dogs’ policy? More common than not? And inevitably the most important member of the family has to stay home while you’re off enjoying yourself?
(I’ve always envied the French on this one: they have a much more enlightened appoach to dog visiting rights, welcoming our furry friends into hotel rooms, shops and restaurants, and on planes.)
Meet Oscar! He was rescued from from the SPCA in Cape Town eight years ago, just a day before he was due to be put down. Since then he’s become famous for touring the world. He’s ridden a camel in Egypt, had a swim in the Trevi Fountain, walked the Great Wall of China, and climbed Machu Picchu.
Sadly, Oscar died recently after being hit by a car in California. There has been outpouring of condolence messages on Oscar’s official Facebook fan page, where a notice about his death was posted. If you connect to this link, you’ll see the most amazing pics of Oscar travelling the world:
Gatsby for a Good Cause
Victorian Dog Rescue is a not for profit organisation staffed entirely by volunteers.
It gives severely neglected dogs a second chance at life after they’re found in a shocking condition, often having endured years of neglect.
They regard each life as valuable and aim to decrease the number of dogs killed in Victorian pounds each year by rehoming.
Of course, this comes at a substantial financial cost. If you’d like to help, here’s a way to kick up your heels and get with the Gatsby vibe!
For more details download the invitation here..» Invitation (pdf 738KB)
Also: http://www.victoriandogrescue.org.au
The Genius of Dogs
The Genius of Dogs
As dog lovers, I’m not sure we needed Brian Hare, evolutionary anthropologist, and Vanessa Woods, to tell us what we already know: Dogs are smarter than the average bear… wolf…and orangutan….
Still, it’s fascinating to have it backed up with a wealth of scientific research collected over more than 50 years that explains how the very process of domestication gives our dogs the social intelligence that makes them so special to us.
If you didn’t hear Natasha Mitchell’s interview on Radio National’s ‘Life Matters’, it is repeated here: Radio National: ‘The Genius of Dogs’
One of the most compelling parts of the book deals with genius itself. For an in-depth review of this aspect, check out Maria Popova‘s article on ‘Brain Pickings’, a great blog that I’ve raved about before: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/02/08/the-genius-of-dogs/