Dogs Holiday Shopping at Bergdorf Goodman's Posh NYC Store

This holiday season us Mutts are moving up in society thanks to the efforts of one of New York City’s most posh shopping establishments, Bergdorf Goodman. The store known for fostering a Dog friendly environment (they offer treats in their second floor Shoe Salon), just released a new Holiday video, “Unleashed”, featuring a bunch of our four legged friends shopping for presents to give their human companions.

It’s a Dog's high-class shopping dream come true (and probably a two-legger’s dream come true too).

The video features Salty, an adorable black and white Mutt who steals the show with a performance that will warm the hearts of animal lovers everywhere. But it also showcases Purebreds of all types dashing across the store before it closes; going up and down in elevators, opening shoe boxes and even sniffing fine cigars.

The real focus of “Unleashed” is to encourage people to adopt more of our K-9 comrades by contacting the Humane Society of New York, an institution that has been helping animals since 1904.

In celebration of “Unleashed”, Bergdorf Goodman has also introduced the tag #BGDogs to be used with Instagram photo’s on Twitter (I think that is a something my human Mom checks way too much). By using that hash tag, BG customers and their Mutt amigos can appear on an interactive map of Manhattan. Finally, the internet is put to use for our kind, that is, besides my Mutt site.

Thank you Bergdorf Goodman for loving Mutts and keeping us in your Holiday thoughts.  Merry Christmas everydoggy!

Miracle Mutt Survives Three Weeks in a Rabbit Hole

Bilbo

Talk about dogged determination! Bilbo, a genetically challenged dog from the UK, was stuck underground for 20 days before finally making his way out. Of course, it comes as no surprise to us that this amazing dog is a mutt.

  

As this story explains, Bilbo was out for a walk with his family when he decided to chase a rabbit into a 10-inch-hole. Perfectly understandable! Unfortunately, though, he got stuck inside the network of tunnels and couldn't get out.

Firemen thought the tunnel might collapse if they dug into it, so the family was told they would have to wait for Bilbo to find his own way out. That day, and for weeks later, they tried to lure him out with food and other familiar scents, but he was obviously stuck, because none of that worked.

His family had given up by the time Bilbo finally emerged. Luckily they had plastered the village with "missing" posters. The person who found him recognized him from the posters and called right away to alert the family. Bilbo had lost a lot of weight, was caked in mud and had trouble breathing. Fortunately he has been gaining weight and is now nearly back to his full health!

So in this season of celebration we have decided to make Bilbo an Honorary GenChan®* because he exemplifies the definition of a GenChan and GenChan Standards. Additionally Bilbo has the gritty determination that every GenChan has and that is to never let anything get them down!  Read Bilbo's story here.

*GenChan - The first all encompassing breed for mutts and mixes. A humorous acronym for the genetically challenged dog.

Puppies Rescued from Shelters Help Law Students Relax

We know there’s nothing quite like hanging out with a mutt to help lower a human’s stress level. And according to this story I found, law school is a pretty stressful place to be, especially around exam time. That’s why George Mason University School of Law in my neck of the woods, Virginia ,recently held a “puppy day” with 15 homeless and adoptable puppies.

More and more, law schools are trying to teach students how to balance the stress of their studies with healthy habits like running, volunteering or my personal favorite, hanging out with a pet. The Yale Law Library now has a “therapy dog” named Monty, and other law schools have also brought puppies on campus during exams. 

For high-strung law students, dogs and other animals can also provide a soothing presence. That’s a lesson researchers have learned from others in stressful environments, including soldiers in war zones and patients in rehabilitation centers.

At George Mason’s law school, students took time out from studying to play with the puppies. The animals had been saved recently from euthanasia in West Virginia shelters by A Forever-Home Rescue Foundation. The four litters of mixed-breed puppies are living with four foster moms until they are adopted.

“There’s nothing like a puppy to make someone smile,” said Debbie Marson, a volunteer with the foundation. “It’s great for the students, and it’s great socialization for the dogs.”

It’s hard to say who enjoyed the interaction more. The puppies loved the petting and attention, with some even falling asleep in the law students’ arms. But one thing’s for sure: “puppy day” was an unmitigated success. “I think they are sensing our stress,” one student said as she cuddled with a puppy. “They’re reminding us we need to take breaks.”

I think this is something we should take to every stressed occupation don't you?

On Another Note:  Don't forget to subscribe to my blog so you have a chance to win a monthly prize and tell your friends too!

At-Risk Dogs Get a Mutt-Makeover

Thankfully there are amazing humans who take a chance on us four-legged creatures and either adopt us or work closely to help those of us who didn't learn manners, get some, so that we find forever homes.  There is a cool group who used to train unruly horses, but have now turned their focus to include training dogs that are at-risk and have been labeled unadoptable. It's called Extreme Mutt Makeover and the alpha dog here is a lady named Patti Colbert.  According to their Facebook Fan Page, the program takes "10 homeless dogs, 10 trainers, and 6 weeks to create well-trained, adoptable dogs."

Only 25% of dogs that enter an animal shelter are adopted, according to American Humane Association.  One of the many reasons is aggression or bad behavior.  Many of the pups in the program go on to help other humans.  Magnus, the lab mix, for example is going to work with children who have autism.  To read more on this happy tail-waggin' story click here.

My friend Mava who really is a dog!

Now on a more humorous note, if you want to give your little or big furrybutt a makeover here are a couple of links that may give you some ideas or not! http://bit.ly/uIYsM0  http://bit.ly/uJEAz5

Genetically challenged dogs may not have the blue blood line, but we have a lot of heart and soul and to keep up with the activities in our pack follow http://MUTTeringsAndThings.blogspot.com

Holiday Donations - Make Sure Your Money is Going Where You Want it To.

Guess you've seen as many appeals for donations to various NFP's in your mail as we have in the past few weeks. And although we can't give quite as much as we have in the past, I want to make sure that whatever I can donate goes to the intended receipients. I don't want to have my dollars supporting the high livin' lifestyle of the administrators of the NFP.

This is the first year that I've checked out the NFP's I like on Charity Navigator. Was I EVER surprised at a couple of the ones I've given to over the years when I saw that their administrative percentages were very high.  In fact, I scratched those charities off my list and added some that focus on the needy and not the administrators.

Charity Navigator has reports on 5,000 charities. If you want to check your charities out, you can sort by Pets for example or choose them alphabetically, here's the link!

And the WINNERS ARE for Oct, Nov and Dec 2011.......

Congratulations to our winners for an Up Country Collar or Lead!

October 2011 - Peggy Frezon
November 2011 - 24 Paws of Love
December 2011 - Andrea Seubert

Please send an email to me by Tuesday 11/29/11  (rebamjr@yahoo.com) and in the Subject line please put "I'm a WINNER for (fill in your month). I will reply to your email with a link to the catalogue with instructions on choosing your collar or lead!

10 Ways to Make Your Thanksgiving Super Fun & Avoid ADULTITIS

It's that time of the year again! You know the season where Adultitis  slips into some of our families. Some families actually have a Leaver It to Beaver or Ozzie and Harriet Thanksgiving but most of us- not so much.....


But have no fear, there are a number of ways to bring a little childlike fun into this classic holiday. With a small amount of effort and a willingness to be a little silly, you can transform your family's Thanksgiving into something truly remarkable.


H!ope you enjoy some of these ideas from Dumb Little Man's Tips for Life

Dog Focused Vacation Destination Launches - First Guests June 2012

Adventure loving dogs and their owners now have a vacation destination to enjoy everything outdoors created just for them in Lake George, NY. Created by vacation travel pros it appeals to all things dog as well as all of the amenities that owners will love. Seminars, agility, hiking, swimming and so much more . We think this is an idea that is going to spread across the US and we're all for it. Can't you just see your dog group getting together and going for a barkin' good vacation? Thanks to GoPetFriendly.com for bringing this to our attention!

Winter Products Safe for Your Pets and Kids

Pretty soon most of us will be experiencing freezing weather and knee deep in snow and ice. That scenario brings new challenges inside and outside of our homes and for our pets and kids. I was pawing through some newspapers and found this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette that gives us information on safe products to get rid of pesky mice, an easy way to protect our paws in snow and ice and an ice melter that really is safe for kids and pets and why it's different from other brands that a say they are safe. A good read as we enter this winter season.

Truth in blogging. I actually use one of these products as you can see in the photo.

The Kitten Covers

HISS

Kitten Album Covers

Although my blog is mostly about dogs, it's also about this and that so today I'm bringing you this. Thought you might enjoy these fur-infused tributes to timeless record art.

Me, My Blog and Advertisements

Add caption

Today I would like to bark about advertisements on blogs.  Mommy and I talked about this and we decided to accept advertisements for products that I actually use and products that we’ve been asked to review that we’ve tried out and Mommy approves of.  All of the holistic and nutrition products were recommended to us by our Vet or professionals we respect because of their deep care. You’ll see the products in the right column of this blog.

For instance I’ve been using ENP Glucosamine Plus for 3 years.  It has no salt in it, which I understand is baaaad for me, it’s easy to use (mix with food) and it’s not one of those big bad pills!  Another product that is Mom approved is ProDen Plaque Off Animal.  Made by a human dental company it has special seaweed stuff in it that keep my teeth cleaner and whiter. In June of 2010  I was diagnosed with Cushings Disease. Mom decided against traditional treatments because of my age. Cushings cannot be cured but it can be controlled.  What we have been using are Cushex Drops by Natures Remedies.  It is a herbal supplement that promotes adrenal gland balance.  All we know is that I have not had any uptick in Cushings symptoms. Another winner for my coat and joints has been Holistic Pet’s Wild, Deep Sea Salmon Oil. This oil comes from wild caught salmon, not farm raised and no salt added. It’s the best grade available. Speaking of coats, my furry one, I love my baths and since my Mom started using a Rapid Bath Dog Bathing System it’s much easier for her to bathe me in the tub and her back doesn’t hurt so much. In the summertime she just uses it outside and all of the bubbles go down the alley! BOL!

So we’ll be adding things we use and/or approve of and will be using.  We want you to know that Mom has found a secret in buying this doggy stuff. Truth in blogging: Mom nor I own Amazon stock!  But price whatever you use on Amazon because we have found that products are always less there than they are in the stores. You can even get 15% discounts on top of that if you have things you order often. Trust me!  Let me know what you think or let me know if you have questions!

Silly Pet Products for Pawrents with too much CASH

You know I don't think that there can ever be too much cash to buy stuff for us pets. I mean if somebody or some doggy invented it then it must be OK right?  Well! This article begs to differ but I'm not so sure.  What do you think about this?  Or This?  Or a dog high chair? OMD!

Go Organic - The Safest Way to Fertilize Lawns and Gardens

Fall is the best time to get your lawn ready for the Winter and to give it a great head start on next Spring and Summer! So, we found these great green tips, from Raise a Green Dog to help you get your lawn in tip top shape to pop-up a pawsome organic and safe lawn next Spring!  Personally we've used fish emulsion to fertilize our lawns for 20 years. It works but click here for other terrific options.

Raise a Green Dog!: Our Top 10 Tips for Hiking the Green Dog Way!

Because there is so much Indian Summer going around, I thought this would be a really good read on hiking with dogs. We found this post on our good friend's blog Raise a Green Dog. Enjoy.

Raise a Green Dog!: Our Top 10 Tips for Hiking the Green Dog Way!: Mum, Gracie and I just love to hike! We live in the Mountains of NE Georgia, so we get to hike a lot and see some pawsome scenery, meet ot...

Wordless Wednesday

Adoptable Dog of the Day

Boss is 3 years old and a sweetheart!

Click on Boss here.

October is Adopt-A-Dog Month

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month. Mark on calendar, each day of October, and Tweet, FB, Google+ and Blog about this message all month long. Let's get some of those babies rescued and save them from certain death.

Let's all jump in like never before and blast the rescue message daily. Post the message in different ways about the joys of rescuing. Puppies, Senior dogs, special needs dogs - there are dogs for every family, senior adult and single person in the US. Only 25% of all pets in US homes are rescues. Let's do our part to move the percentage up to 45% and, as Wayne Pacell of the USHS says, eliminate pet euthanasia.

Only 25% of pets in US homes are rescues.

Many of you know that I am a rescue and I've had such a great life and I think I've made my human mommy's life great too!  I'm all about rescuing dogs (especially MUTTS like me) and cats. Did you know that only 25% of pets in US homes are rescues?  That's according to Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the US. He also said that if we could get that percentage up to 45% euthanasia could virtually be eliminated!  Those of us who advocate rescuing pets, we've got a lot of continuing work to do. Those of you who are thinking about getting a dog or cat please please go to your local rescue(s) and check out the inventory out. 

Take a look at the Senior Pets because they offer unique advantages.

• Already trained and disciplined
• Housebroken
• Leash trained (dogs) and litter box trained (cats)
• Knows basic commands
• Less likely to engage in destructive behaviors such as chewing, soiling, scratching, barking
• More sedate and less erratic. Adult pets make a practical choice for the elderly and kids
• Temperaments and personalities are established and known prior to adoption
• Level of socialization, with people and other animals, is known before you adopt
• Animal can be left alone for longer periods of time than a puppy or kitten
• Unspoken gratitude for receiving a second chance at life

The Humane Society of the US states that there are 6-8 million dogs and cats relinquished to shelters each year!  At least half of those animals - up to 4 million a year - are killed, mostly due to the lack of anyone to adopt them.  Only 30% of dogs and between 2% - 5% of cats entering shelters are reclaimed by their owners. 75% of shelter dogs are mixed breed like ME!

RESCUES ROCK!!!

Save Your Pets from Antifreeze Poisoning

I had a little sister one time and her name was Wynona. She was 2 years younger than me. She looked just like a miniature Golden Retriever - she was so cute. One day after being sick for a couple of days, Wynona died. She was less than 3 years old. How did she die? Anti-freeze poisoning.  It's a very difficult death because it's generally not caught in time by owners. That's the reason my post today is so important. We found the information below from the Long Beach Animal Hospital Newsletter.

This is the time of the year when some people change their radiator fluid. 
The antifreeze that is put into radiator fluid is highly toxic to the kidneys 
of animals, even when ingested in small amounts.

Automobile antifreeze is composed of 95% ethylene glycol. If an average sized cat drinks a little over 1 tablespoon, or a small dog drinks 1/3 cup of 
undiluted antifreeze, it can be lethal unless treated immediately. Once 
antifreeze is consumed it is absorbed very quickly from the stomach and 
broken down by the liver and kidneys to a more toxic compound. If you see 
your pet lapping any amount of antifreeze (licking off garage floor counts 
too) this is a medical emergency and requires immediate care.

Typical symptoms include drinking and urinating more than usual, vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty walking. As the toxicity progresses over 1-3 days
there will be severe depression, no appetite, continual vomiting, and ulcers 
in the mouth. These are all signs the kidneys are failing and death soon 
follows.

This problem is difficult to diagnose without knowledge of ingestion. If your pet comes in immediately after ingestion the vet would immediately induce vomiting. Assuming this is performed soon after ingestion this will 
substantially decrease further absorption of the toxin. We will then place 
activated charcoal in the stomach to help absorb and bind up any 
antifreeze left. Simultaneously your pet is placed on intravenous fluids. 
These fluids help flush the kidneys and remove additional toxin that have 
already been absorbed into the bloodstream. Specific treatments exist that can be given intravenously to block the breakdown of the ethylene glycol, 
and allow these potential toxins to be excreted safely by the kidneys. 
However, they must be given less than 24 hours after ingestion.

My mommy and I understand there is an alternative to antifreeze that is 
safe without sacrificing your cars performance. Sierra Antifreeze-Coolant. Their formula is said to be less toxic and safer for kids, pets and wildlife in the environment. Truth in blogging: we have not personally tried that 
product.

To see more clinical symptoms of anti-freeze poisoning click here.

We receivedt the information from this post from the Long Beach Animal Hospital newsletter. 

Have you SEEN THIS DOG?

A family pet from Marysville, WA is missing their dog that was stolen. The complete abduction was caught on video tape. If you know of anyone in that part of the country please forward this post.

The dog was dragged over an electrified fence with the collar still attached and you can hear him howling in pain.  Please do what you can do to post this everywhere you can. This woman needs to be caught and suffer the long arm of justice!

View entire story here.

Group brings pets home from overseas

I guess one could say why bring pets into the USA from overseas when we have so so many pets in shelters already who need rescuing. There is an argument on both sides and this story about a Delaware organization that brings dogs to the US to reunite with the soldiers they worked with makes sense of many levels. The bond the soldiers form with the dogs is special. Many of the stray dogs coming to the States have saved lives on numerous occasions according to the article. The pets make the transition from war to home much easier for the soldiers.  Good story to read and perhaps encourage someone in your town to start an Overseas Puppy Rescue.

Social networking among complete strangers saves dog

One of the most extraordinary changes in animal rescue has occurred since the advent of social networking. These days, entire rescues are sometimes performed via Facebook and email. One such rescue occurred in Ohio over the past nine months. It was carried out by a group of complete strangers from all over Ohio.
An Akron U student lived in an apartment next door to a man who kept a cocker spaniel chained to a dog house in his yard. The student was concerned because although the dog was being fed, she had poor shelter from the weather, and seemed to be in pretty bad shape. Mostly blind and mostly deaf, the little Cocker didn’t even have a name!  This article by 

Ariel Wulff

, Cleveland Pets Examiner shows us the power of people, united by rescuing pets, to give this dog another life.  Truly heartwarming.

Guest Blogger - Linda Messina, Reba's mom.

I was at the dentist today mid afternoon. I knew it was going to rain but we have big awnings surrounding our porch so I left Reba on the porch with the gates up (moveable gates). A huge storm came in and I observed it as I sat in the Dentist chair. Huge winds, driving rain, black skies, not expected at that level. After the DDS finished with my teeth and my Dad's teeth and $660 later I drove the ½ mile back to the beach house to see if any rain came in the windows I left open. Long story short, the open windows were the least of my problems. As I drove past the front of the house I saw that the winds had knocked one of the gates down along with a huge gardenia tree on my porch. Bad news b/c Reba will take off and be in Paris, TX in 30 minutes if she has the chance. She's not a street savvy dog and I was concerned. Parked the car, pushed my 93 year old Dad into the house and I started running around and calling her. The driving rains had returned. I walked down the 3 stairs from the porch to the ground and out to the sidewalk calling her name. Then I saw, in my peripheral vision, movement and I looked to the right and there she was walking toward me between the 2 houses from the direction of the alley. She looked like a drowned rat, literally. She hurried toward me, as fast as a 16 year old dog can hurry. Where was she? Where did she go when she bounded off the porch when the gate and tree fell giving her freedom and probably scaring her little self? Did she find shelter and where? Was she scared? What was she thinking? If only we could read our pet’s minds….. sigh.

I'm so happy that she was easy to find and that she's home safe, sound and sleeping like a dog tonight.

I suspect that she was a tad angry because, after a loving welcome back, a warm towel to dry her off and a couple of treats, Reba went into one of the bathrooms and dumped a trash can over strewing trash all over. I LOVE this dog

Drawing WINNERS for June, July, August - Quick Open and see if it's YOU!

And the Winners are: 


June -  laddi1003@earthlink.net
July -   hucklebeary37@hotmail.com
August - Heartprints Pets
Congratulations! Click on the collars and you will link to the UpCountry Inc catalogue. Choose any quick release collar that you would like to have and make sure you choose the correct size for your dog or cat. Send your choice to Reba at rebamjr@yahoo.com by Friday 9/16/11.  Make sure you include your name, address, collar model number and name and size.


For those of you who did not win this time, please be sure you verify that you submitted your email address via the verification email that Feed Burner sent to you. 


Wishing you a barkin' good week!


Reba Messina
Pedigree/Medigree GenChan®


*Monthly drawings are awarded quarterly. Winners must respond to notification of their win within 5 days of notification, or by the date in the notification, in order for their prize choice to be included in the next company order. Drawing prizes sent to addresses within the 48 contiguous states only. Winners cannot win more than three times in one 12 month period. All questions regarding drawing rules should be addressed to customerservice@doggypaddleproducts.com .

Photos of 9/11 Dogs

Truly Wordless

For other photos of 9-11 canine heros click here.

Dogs Surfin' in the USA!

Even though I live at the Ocean half of the year I'm not a surfer dog.  I was born and rescued in Dallas, TX and lived there for 12 years before I found my house on the Jersey Shore.  Too late for me at this stage of dogdom to start surfing but I LOVE DOGS WHO SURF.

And even though it appears Summer is over, eighty brave pooches are taking their doggy paddle one step further when they hit the waves this weekend at the 6th annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon.

Helen Woodward Animal Center will host the largest surfing dog contest in the country, presented by Eukanuba, on September 11, 2011 at Dog Beach in Del Mar, California.

The fun will include costume and stunt competitions as well as vendor booths. But most importantly, as this story details, the dogs will hit the waves to raise awareness and money for orphaned pets while promoting responsible pet ownership.

Located in San Diego, Helen Woodward Animal Center is a unique, private, non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of animals and enriching the lives of people. For more than 30 years the no-kill animal center has provided humane care and animal adoption for orphaned animals, as well as animal-centered educational and therapeutic programs for people.

The competition will kick off with a special 9/11 tribute honoring all of the dogs involved in the search and rescue efforts in New York and Washington, D.C. following the events of September 11, 2001. 

For more information about the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, click here. And to all of my  BlogPaws friends who enjoyed meeting very special people, especially Mike Arms,  from the Helen Woodward Animal Center at BlogPaws 2011 here's to you.  We love you guys!!!

Cutest Puppy and Dog Video - circa 2007. Smiles Guaranteed

Animal Domestication, Foxes and Me - See for yourself!

Fox or Me?

More than one person has told my Mom that I look like a Fox from the back!  Well, here's a fascinating story from National Geographic. It turns out that some researchers tried to compress 15,000 years of breeding from foxes to dogs in just a few years, and they succeeded. In only nine generations they were able to breed a fox that was friendly to humans.

That's interesting enough, but it gets better. Here's a quote from the story:

Selecting which foxes to breed based solely on how well they got along with humans seemed to alter their physical appearance along with their dispositions. After only nine generations, the researchers recorded fox kits born with floppier ears. Piebald patterns appeared on their coats. By this time the foxes were already whining and wagging their tails in response to a human presence, behaviors never seen in wild foxes.

We just think that's amazing. The only thing they were breeding for was friendliness to humans, and they got floppy ears and coats that were more of a mixture instead of being all uniform.

Fox

Me

So may be there is something to what those researchers came up with.  There's a little fox in all of us MUTTS!  Nothin' wrong with being Foxy right? BOL!  Why don't you send pictures of your foxy tails to  me. I'll post them on my blog and we can vote on the tail that looks most like a fox and the winner will win a new foxy collar from Up Country! The Foxy Tail drawing will run from Sept 3 thru Sept 10th.  Send your Foxy Tails to customerservice@MyGenChan.com.  Photo needs to be taken from the posterior position and be clear. Be sure to include your name and email address so we can contact you!

Healing Through Helping: Veterans Provide Training for Shelter Dogs

I’m so proud of being a MUTT and I’m especially proud of the Mutt in this story because he found someone who needed him as much as he needed that someone. Sometimes the best healing power comes through helping someone else.

Just ask a Mutt named Legs and a Navy veteran named John Picray, participants in the Veterans & Shelter Dogs program, which is part of a study at the Research Center for Human/Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

More than a hundred dogs have already gone through the training, which aims to make the shelter dogs more adoptable while at the same time benefiting the trainers.

“When people come back from the military, they are changed,” said Rebecca Johnson, the MU professor and lead researcher of the veterans/shelter dog project. “Many of them come home with some degree of post-traumatic stress,” she said. “Working with the dogs is relaxing and rewarding.”

The vets and the dogs are monitored to see how their relationship affects them, and adoption rates will be compared with shelter dogs who don’t receive the training. Dogs that show exceptional train-ability in the program may also be candidates to become permanent companions for veterans with debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder.

For more about the dogs and veterans involved in this program, and how service dogs can help vets suffering from PTSD, here’s the full story from KC Pets.

Oh and if you haven't signed up on my blog yet you'll be missing out on my Monthly drawing for Up Country, Inc goodies!