Deformed puppy, found in a trash bag, escapes death and learns to walk.

Harper at 8 weeks, right after being rescued.

Three weeks ago, Harper, an 8-week-old pit bull puppy, could hardly move.  She had been put in a trash bag and was heading for the trash bin when Erica Daniel found and rescued her.  She was found to have pectus excavatum, a condition that made it impossible for the puppy to walk or even hold up her head.  Shelter workers and veterinarians both thought the most humane thing would be to euthanize her.

Erica took Harper home that evening, determined to let her know, for at least one night in her short life before being euthanized, what it felt like to be loved.  Erica massaged Harper’s stiff little muscles, and to her amazement, Harper began to lift her head after just a few hours.  Next Harper started moving her front legs, trying to pull herself up and move around.

Harper after massage, hydrotherapy, and lots of love!

Rather than being put to sleep, Harper began hydrotherapy and massage therapy, donated by some generous people at Hip Dog Canine Hydrotherapy & Fitness in Winter Park, Fla.  Before long Harper was actually walking!  Although she’ll be ready for adoption in about a month, Erica once again has to decide whether to keep her or let her go.  Whatever her decision, this time the ending will be a happy one for Harper.

For more details and a video of Harper, see the complete story at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44617504/ns/today-good_news/t/deformed-puppy-rescued-trash-learns-walk/

 

Green Grooming with Baking Soda

According to “The Bark” magazine, if you’re trying to live a green lifestyle, baking soda can be a key ingredient when it comes to grooming.  Here are some of their suggestions:

•Keep your dog brushes clean by soaking them in a small basin in a solution of warm water and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Rinse and air dry.

•Give your dog a dry bath by sprinkling her with baking soda. Rub it in, then brush it out.

•For a wet wash, combine 3 tablespoons baking soda with 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 teaspoon baby oil in a spray bottle. Spritz your pets, then wipe them dry.

•For healthy teeth and gums, dip a damp, soft brush in baking soda and gently brush your dog’s pearly whites.

•Maintain your pet’s dental hygiene by rinsing her mouth regularly with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.

•If you trim your dog’s toenails and accidentally cut too close and draw blood, dip the affected nail in baking soda, then apply pressure to stop bleeding.

This article can be found on “The Bark” magazine website at http://www.thebark.com/content/green-grooming-baking-soda

 

Guide Dogs and Electric Cars

Did you know that September is National Guide Dog Month?  Here’s an informative article about new obstacles they have to be trained for in today’s changing world…silent electric cars are just one example!  Guide Dogs for the Blind is a great organization to support.  What amazing creatures these loving beings are!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/58639/guide-dogs-deal-with-more-distractions-than-ever

 

Deaf dogs deserve loving homes, too!

Having had a very sweet deaf dog myself (who minded much better than my dog who could hear!), I want to encourage everyone to check out the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund.  Deaf dogs get killed more often than dogs who can hear, and that’s unacceptable.  (In fact, when I got my dog, the volunteer at the rescue didn’t even want to show her because she was deaf!)   Deaf dogs are very sensitive to body language (as all dogs are, really), and can be trained just as well as dogs who can hear.  A few adjustments…using hand signals, being careful not to sneak up behind him, maybe flicking a light to get her attention (although my deaf dog watched me more closely than my other dog, so I rarely had to do that)…and you can have a loving, attentive dog to share your life with.  Please take a look at the website http://www.deafdogs.org/, and support them if you can…even if it just means spreading the word.

 

Macadamia Nuts & . . . Rear-Leg Paralysis?

Who out there knew that macadamia nuts could cause rear-leg paralysis in dogs?  According Dr. Marty Becker, the veterinarian in this video, it’s true…and so is the fact that aspirin gives dogs stomach ulcers — 100% of the time, no matter how small the dose, according to Dr. Becker.  See what else he has to say about various foods and other ingredients that are harmful to our dogs.

http://www.vetstreet.com/taboo-table-foods-and-other-hidden-pet-dangers#1_8lgiqck1

 

I dare you not to laugh out loud…

I dare you not to laugh out loud to at least one of these…

“15 Ways To Tell If You’re Dog Crazy”  http://www.somethingwagging.com/2011/09/10/15-ways-to-tell-if-youre-dog-crazy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+somethingwagging%2FILSt+%28Something+Wagging+This+Way+Comes%29

Which one finally made you laugh out loud?  Which one’s your favorite?  And how about some of the creative song-writing from your house (see #15)?

 

Puppy Mills in Malls? A More Hopeful Story…

For those of you in or near West Nyack, NY, there’s a fabulous new pet store in the Palisades Mall for you to support: The USA Dog & Pet Shop (http://usadogshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=125&products_id=416).  Some of you may be thinking, “Uh oh, puppy mills!”  This store is unique, however, because it partners with a local animal shelter, the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center (http://www.hitor.org/), and features animals that are for adoption at the Center.  As with many shelters today, Hi-Tor has more dogs than they have room for, so they’re hoping that this joint venture with the pet shop will help increase their adoption numbers.  The store will have applications for adoption, though the adoptions must be completed at the shelter.

What a great story, huh?  For more information go to http://www.thebark.com/content/adopting-doggie-window.

 

Are you sure you’re a dog person? :)

Are you sure you’re a dog person?  You might be surprised…check out http://willmydoghateme.com/pet-cetera/do-you-fit-your-pet-species-profile?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WillMyDogHateMe+%28Will+My+Dog+Hate+Me%3F%29

 

Marketing your dog-related business

For those of you who own your own business, and therefore do your own marketing, I have a really valuable recommendation for you.  It’s a book called Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch, and although I think it could have a better title (imho), the content is great.  It’s very simple (not having been a business major in college, I couldn’t handle anything too academic or theoretical), and not only does it spell things out very clearly, it also gives you very specific instructions and examples for how to do things.  It actually makes follow-through easy…and I’m not great at follow-through, just ask my mom.

I’ve looked at books previously on marketing for a small business, but they usually define “small” as somewhere between 50-100 employees.  Nearly everything in this book can be applied to my business, which is me, and me, and me.   If you’re looking for a how-to marketing book, but not sure about spending money until you know more about the information and the guy who wrote it, check out his website www.ducttapemarketing.com.  He gives away a lot of free information on the website, including an in-depth paper on a social media approach to marketing (which I was so impressed with that I went ahead and bought his book!)…it’s worth checking out.

This almost sounds like a paid advertisement, huh?  It really isn’t, and I don’t have any investment (financial or otherwise) in whether you buy the book or not.  I do have an investment (financial and otherwise) in making my business as successful as possible, and I figure we “little guys” (those of us with <50 employees!) can use each other’s support as much as possible, so I thought I’d pass the information along.

 

Dogs & Devotion

“Perhaps one of the reasons we are so devoted to our dogs is that they help us become who we’re supposed to be.”  The Monks of New Skete, Dogs & Devotion