puppytales

PetSmart has long been an advocate of placing dogs and cats with loving homes. PetSmart has offered in store cat and dog adoptions , and has sponsored special adoption events, for a long time.

Now PetSmart offers an online adoption process as well. Now pet parents can search for dogs and cats available at participating adoption agencies across the country by zip code, distance, breed, gender, color, size and age. Pet Parents can view photos and profiles of available pets, read information about the adoption agency and find details on the adoption process.

To learn more about PetSmart’s New Online Dog Adoption process, check out their website.

Mischa Burton read “Olive, My Love”.. a wonderful children’s book about a dog in search of her heart, at the A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival at the Wadsworth Theater on June 8, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

The special event is sponsored by Disney and benefits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

I can only imagine the controversy an online auction giving highest bidders the opportunity to clone their dogs may bring.

BioArts International, a biotech start-up that focuses on animal and human genomics, will hold five separate online auctions starting July 5th, with each separate auction running for 12 hours.

The auctions will last through July 9 on live bidding Web site ProxiBid.com. The first auction has a starting bid of $100,000, and that bid will increase by $20,000 each day. Sounds incredibly expensive? Well, according to Lou Hawthorne, CEO of BioArts International, the company will not even break even at these prices. And aside from the auctions, the company is planning to offer one lucky dog owner a free dog cloning , according to Hawthorne.

The winners of the auctions will submit DNA samples, and the company says it can guarantee a healthy cloned puppy within 3 to 12 months.

What do you think of dog cloning…does it bother you, or would you love the chance to clone your beloved dog one day?

Read more about dog cloning and the auctions  here.

Tori Spelling is mourning the loss of her beloved pet dog, Mimi La Rue.   Mimi,  a Pug who was 11 years old, died from natural causes while at home and surrounded by family.

Spelling, who gave birth to a little girl last week, her and husband Dean McDermott  second child,  told People:

“She was a star and a true lady, and she will be missed greatly,” Spelling told People. “People everywhere knew her by name. I loved when fans wanted her over me. I felt proud!”

According to Spelling, Mimi witnessed the Oxygen premiere of “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” in which she was a central character.

“She was not just a dog, but a fashion icon and legend amongst Hollywood dogs,” Spelling added. “She received fan e-mail on a regular basis, and I often joked she got sent more designer clothes than me!… She was a loving pet and a true diva to the end.”

Aw.  It is so hard to lose a beloved pet that is more a family member than a pet.  Tori…our hearts go out to you.

Sure Sex and The City movie has shoes…lots and lots of delicious heels, and Mr. Big, and of course the “girls”, but the movie also has one of the cutest dog actresses ever!

Meet Gidget. Gidget is a Yorkshire Terrier who lives in New York City with her person, Mary Gormley. Gidget is an actress and model who has appeared on TV, print and film projects all over the world.

While this vivacious and beautiful dog has had a very inspiring career, there is probably little doubt that the Yorkie’s highlight thus far is her role in the movie, Sex and The City.

In the movie, Gidget plays the role of pet to actress Kim Catrell. In preparation for her role, Ms. gidget had top designers vying for the chance to dress her for the film. And of course the New Yorkie had only the best doggie toys delivered to her dressing room.

Gidget has her very own blog, GidgetGromely.com, where you can read about her adventures filming Sex and The City, and new projects, such as her appearance in the Paris Hilton movie Pledge This.

This should make dogs tails wag in homes everywhere. There is new treat hitting pet store shelves as I write this. Pet Botanics Omega Treats, a hand-rolled dog snack that looks and smells like sushi, so we are told, is being touted as a healthy snack for dogs, especially those that are watching their weight, ahem.

They have just 9 calories each and are loaded with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. “They won’t give your pooch a paunch like a lot of dog biscuits will,” says Tony De Vos, president of treat maker Cardinal Laboratories. I am sure that will please many poochy pups that are desperately trying to slim down.

The basic ingredient is fish and, as at your favorite sushi restaurant, there are varieties to choose from, such as cod rolled with tuna, salmon or duck. At $4.99 tab for a 6-ounce bag may, it may seem a bit pricey, but hey, don’t you want to pamper that special dog   in your life, while helping him loose that paunch?

Here we are in June already–wow! So what doggie happenings are coming this month?

Take Your Dog to Work Day is June 2oth. How fun for doggie lovers everywhere! I work at home so my little guys, alas, get to go nowhere…aw.

A bit of background on Take Your Dog To Work Day :

Take Your Dog To Work Day was first celebrated in 1999, and was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs. This annual event encourages employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace for this one special day to promote pet adoptions.

The Bark magazine has done some “digging” around for dogs and the people that love them, and has come up with the top four dog-friendly workplaces. Bravo to these companies and all companies that support bringing dogs to work for the day, and help support doggie adoptions!

Amazon : Anywhere from 24 to 36 dogs come to work daily at the Seattle, WA, headquarters. Owners must first register their pups and agree to rules like keeping vaccines up to date and staying on a leash — unless they’re in their office, of course. This has to be a great place to work!

Healthwise: This Boise, ID, company that employs around 200 people have welcomed pets in the office since day one in 1975. Doggies must adhere to a “three-strikes” rule, ensuring that problem pooches get adequate warning before being booted. But with the miles of hiking trails that surround the complex, the pups seem to be too content (or just too tired) to cause trouble. That sounds fair to me.

Replacements, LTD: Can you imagine a 12,000-square-foot warehouse containing tons of china, crystal, and collectibles a place for dogs? Replacements’ founder, Bob Page, can and does imagine just that. With people coming into the showroom just to visit the dogs, it must be good for business! Bob makes sure that his employees’ pets’ behavior remains their responsibility by recommending training for misbehaving doggies, before allowing them back to the office in three months. Second chances— very nice!

Ben & Jerry’s: The ice cream giant’s headquarters in South Burlington, VT knows their 15 office dogs by name, and often introduces them to touring guests right alongside the employees. The dog-friendly environment has worked so well, that one Ben & Jerry’s employee who was afraid of dogs before starting, has since become a dog lover and adopted two golden retrievers of her own!

Thanks to The Bark for gathering this great information, and once again kudos to these wonderful employers!

Will you be taking your dog to work on June 20th?

1. Ear Mites can actually live anywhere on a dog, not just in their ears.

2. Ear Mites are extremely contagious. A mother dog can transmit them to her new puppies, and animals in the same household can easily transmit the mites to each other, including cats, rabbits, gerbils, etc. Humans however are not affected.

3. Ear Mites are very common but can be very serious if left untreated. Ear Mites can cause infecions and even deafness in an animal’s ears.

4. If Ear Mites spread out from the ears and move to other parts of the body, your dog may or may not scratch that area. Dogs and other animals will scratch at their ears if they have mites however.

5. Puppies and kittens with ear mites will scratch around their ears and/or shake their heads. The amount of scratching and shaking depends on the severity of the mite infestation.

6. In severe cases of Ear Mites, there can be bleeding in the ears. If you check your dog’s ears and see dried blood, it could be a sign of a mite infestation and you should take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

7. Give your pet the entire course of the prescribed ointment or lotion. If you stop a few days short because the problem seems to have gone away, parasites and bacteria may still be present and multiplying, prolonging the infection.

8. Dogs with long, floppy ears are more prone to ear mite infections.

9. The most common signs of Ear Mites in Dogs ( and other cats! ) are :

• excessive and persistent scratching around the ears;
• head shaking;
• restless behavior;
• the ears are painful to the touch and the pet may cry out in pain;
• brown material present in the ears;
• a foul-smelling odor.

10. If you have more than one pet in your household, and one of your pets is diagnosed with Ear Mites, you should go ahead and treat all the pets at the same time as mites will move from animal to animal.

The Yorkshire Terrier is an adorable dog that is very popular with dog lovers. And although tiny in stature, the Yorkshire Terrier is big in the areas of independence, curiosity, and play. Many people mistakenly believe that the Yorkshire Terrier is fragile because of its’ size–but that is really not true. Being a terrier, they are naturally inclined to not be fearful, quite stubborn, and usually full of energy.

Yorkies are very protective of their owners, and can get aggressive with strangers and other dogs. This little terrier actually makes an excellent watchdog, defending its territory in no uncertain manner. They can get snappish if surprised, frightened or over-teased, but are usually very sweet and loving with their families. Yorkshire Terriers will most likely do better with families that have older children rather than very young active children.

Because of their tiny physiques, often owners of Yorkies will tend to over-pamper and coddle them. But this actually tends to make the Yorkshire Terrier confused and even neurotic ( have you ever met with a spoiled and pampered little Terrier, and come away swearing about that ‘crazy dog’…I admit have).

As far as challenging behavior problems with a Yorkie, the most common struggles will be in the areas of house training ( here you will come face to face with their well-know stubborn streak!) and with their love of barking, LOL. Yorkies are a very intelligent breed and learn quickly It may take some extra patience and training but these little cutie-pies can be change their stubborn ways!

The Yorkshire Terrier loves to play and keep active, even indoors, and will be fine even in an apartment. But they do love their daily walk , as do all dogs because of their primal instinct to walk. Dogs that do not get daily walks will often have more behavior problems than dogs that do.

The gorgeous silky coat of Yorkshire Terriers does need grooming and combing, but sheds little. Puppies usually have tan and black coats. The adult Terrier will have a long silky coat hat is steal blue on the body and tail and tan elsewhere. The hair on the Yorkie’s head is usually so abundant, it gets tied back with cute ribbons and clips.

The Yorkshire Terrier is prone to earlier than normal tooth decay. Sweets should be avoided, and teeth cleaning by veterinarians will help. Also, feed our Yorkie dry dog food (canned can be mied in as well) to help with dental care.

Yorkies need regular check-ups with veterinarians so they can be tested and watched for common illnesses and specific health problems that affect the breed such as knee, eye and liver problems.

The Yorkshire Terrier makes a wonderful, devoted companion and watchdog, and will love its’ owner back in a way that will tug at the toughest of heart strings! They are wonderful companions that will no doubt win over almost everyone they meet.

Read more about the Yorkshire Terrier here and decide if this is the right dog for you!