OPC For Dogs

The Fall Season And OPC For Dogs

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are falling off the trees in many colors, and I am feeling very frisky in the cool air. I love to play during this time of year because I can run and not get so very hot. My human parents have to put on jackets to come outside, but I think the weather is perfect. I still do not like thunderstorms and the rain on the roof is very loud. However, during these times I get to be inside the house where it is not so scary when it thunders.

During this time of year I get to take hikes in the woods around my humans' land. There are lots of other animals out here. There are squirrels, owls, hawks, raccoon, beavers, and deer. There are also coyotes. I usually bark at the coyotes to let them know to stay away, and I get lots of pet the puppy the next morning when I do this.

With the cooler temperatures I have noticed that humans tend to get more colds and coughs. Well pets can also get these same things. They especially can have allergies throughout the year. My humans help me to stay healthy by giving me a vitamin supplement know as OPC. It really helps me to stay healthy and it also helps me to stay active. To find out more about this product check out the shopbox below.

Smash the Guard Dog

Yesterday, I found a note from the gas company saying they wanted to do some work on our propane tank but the dog would not let them out of the truck. That is pretty funny for anyone who knows what a loving and gentle dog Smash is. But, I am really glad to know that he can play the part of a ferocious guard dog when he needs to.

I told him he had been a really good guard dog and to keep up the good work. He was probably mad that they did not want to play with him.

However, I know that he has really good instincts about people. And if he did not think they needed to be around when there was on one home, then I am sure he told them so.

He is a good dog.

Pet Health Insurance

My Dog Smash has had some pretty severe injuries over the years. Thankfully he seems to have slowed down on getting hurt. Sometimes the vet bills for putting him back together again have been pretty expensive. I had enough cash in reserve to handle the expenses at the time, but i hate to think about what would have happened if I had not had the cash on hand.

Pet Health insurance may be the answer to peace of mind about pet health care costs. Purina is now offering a pet health insurance plan. Check it out and see if it is right for you and your dog.

Dog House Financing

The southeast has been hit by a lot of natural disasters lately. If you have lost your dog house or your skin folks have lost their house, the good folks at Hometown Lenders are offering special 100% financing to get a new house.

Contact Ben or Eric about a special deal: http://myhometownllc.com

A walk in the park

Smash is an outdoor dog and loves to roam free on our farm. However he also likes to go for rides in the Jeep.

Lately he has been walking to the back of the Jeep when the hatch is open and putting a paw on the bumper signaling that he wants to go. He has looked so sad when I tell him no. he just goes and lays in the the grass and pouts.

Yesterday I took him to town for a walk in his favorite park. As soon as he was out of the Jeep he was ready to go find the creek. I made him wait impatiently for our friends to arrive.

Once they were there he endured hugs from Jennifer's boys before we set off down the trail. We ducked under the fence and Smash dove in to the water. He swam around in a circle limited by the length of his leash. He was much happier to be wet.

He greeted another dog near one of the benches. They made some friendly sniffs and then we headed on down the trail. Smash made friends every where except for one little Chihuahua that growled at him.

After the walk in the park, we took the boys and Smash for ice cream. Janice and Jennifer went inside while I waited with Smash in the parking lot. People in the drive through line asked about his leg and told him he was a pretty dog. Even if it was slightly unorerish, he loved the attention.

Janice had to hold his ice cream cup for him while he licked it clean. Then he insisted on helping me finish mine. I thought I might get super barked before let him have it but he waited patiently for me to give him the last bite.

Back int he Jeep he laid down on the back seat. When we got home he trotted out to the driveway and promptly took a nap. All the excitement had worn him out. He was a happy dog.

Storms in Cleveland Tn

Smash and I hiked the trails on our property yesterday and were happy to see no new trees down. The destruction nearby is amazing. Smash did a good job of guarding the bottom of the futon as we hung out in the back room of the house during the storm.

Smash took a quick swim in the creek. It is swollen but not flooded like is has been for the last few weeks.

Ticks

Whoever said there is no such thing as tick season must never have lived in east Tennessee. Smash has hardly had a tick in months. He is always running and playing in the woods no matter what the weather so the environment has not changed.

But since it has gotten warmer, Smash has been getting several ticks a day. Our afternoon pet the puppy session have become tick removal sessions. I usually just pluck them with my fingers, but sometimes they are hard to get to. That is when I rely on my TRIX tick remover.

The TRIX remover has a little noose that I can loop around the tick and gently twist it off. Smash really does not like it much as it always get a little hair but it always gets the whole tick.

I have used the TRIX on myself as well. It is easy to use and always gets the head out.

I have found the best place to buy them is EBAY: TRIX Tick Remover

April is Pet Safety Awareness Month

Pet Safety Awareness Month

This is Pet Safety Awareness month and I just want yo to know that keeping your pet safe and healthy may not always be easy, but it is very important.

When I first arrived at my new home I was a timid little puppy, but as I grew I became more accustomed to my surroundings and begin to visit the area. I have many acres to roam, and I find lots of interesting things to sniff and to chase. However, I have also found myself in some bad situations.

One such situation ended in me loosing a section of my nose. I was shot across the bridge of my nose and when I got home my dad tried to help me, but I was scared and I knew he was also. I ran off to my dog friend's home and he took care of me. The next morning my skin dad came and got me and took me to the veterinarian and he sewed my nose back together. This scared my skin parents, but it was never their fault I got hurt. I love my mom and dad and they do everything they can to protect me.

This past year I had to deal with my health. I had a really itchy time. my fur was falling out and I itched constantly. My mom and dad did alot of research and found out I was allergic to something in my food. It turned out to be something called Brewer's rice. They also found out I was allergic to flea and tick collars. They have since started to read labels on dog food, and sometimes they cook food for me. I also no longer wear flea and tick collars, but take a pill that helps get rid of fleas on me for about one month.

So you see, I have skin parents who love me and take good care of me. I have learned to stay out of most trouble, but sometimes I have to explore. I am an adventure dog and I love how my skin parents take care of me.

So if you have a pet I hope you love them, keep them as safe as possible, and do your best to keep them healthy. They will love you no matter what throughout their lifetime.

Here are some safety and health tips:

http://tinyurl.com/3pcu6z4

http://tinyurl.com/2daagly

The Love Test

If you ever want to know who loves you more try this test:

Place both your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car. Drive for thirty minutes. Park in a safe place and open the trunk. Now check to see which one is happy to see you.

Dogs help each other

When Smash's nose was seriously injured, the neighbor dogs took care of him and I am sure were critical to him surviving the night. It seems to be int he nature of dogs to take care of each other.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8386123/Loyal-Japanese-dog-leads-rescuers-to-mate.html

Silly Leash Laws

Smash is not a huge fan of leashes since he gets to spend most of his time running free on a farm. However when he goes to town or on hikes in public parks he is always on his leash. He runs to the truck when he sees you get the leash out and looks forward to the ride.

He also loves to go hike with kids. he is always very good when he knows a kid is holding the leash. He wont pull or try to run unless there is a very pesky squirrel or chipmunk around.

So Smash will have to say this leash law required only those over 18 to hold the leash is very silly. He would reccomend more dog training and less silly dog laws.

read the articel and you decide: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Manassas-Considers-Tightening-Its-Leash-Laws-116390564.html

Then hit the link on the sidebar to learn how to train a dog to walk on a leash.

Congratulations to Sutter

Thanks to Jerry Brown for choosing a rescue dog for the new first dog. Sutter looks like he is going to have fun living at the governor's mansion.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2011/02/california-gets-a-new-first-dog-pembroke-welsh-corgi-named-sutter-joins-jerry-browns-family.html

Smash Break dancing in the snow

During the last big snow, Smash enjoyed having us all outside playing whit him. He got so excited while we were sledding that he would lay on his back and squirm around like he was making snow angels.

See the video here:

Reading to dogs

Sometimes children are a little intimidated when they are learning to read. They don't like to read aloud to adults for fear of making a mistake and being judged harshly for the mistake. Dogs however are totally non judgmental and make excellent reading partners. Have you child practice reading to a dog. Dog's love the attention and the stories and the kids will learn to enjoy reading in a non judgmental environment.

Here are some books you might want to read to a dog: Dog Books for Children

Do dogs have souls?

There is an interesting debate over dogs and souls. Smash certainly shows a lot of emotion. Sometimes he get irritated. Sometimes he is scared. But most of the time he is very loving and caring.

According to these church signs, Catholic believe that god loves dogs and Presbyterians think dogs are rocks. http://www.ourrisingsound.com/2008/08/19/presbyterian-vs-catholic-church-sign-debate/

Here is an interesting article supporting the argument that dogs have souls: http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/viewers/uc-animal-souls.htm

But do dogs go to heaven? When Smash is laying in the sunshine chewing on a bone and being petted, he is already there. Since most people equate Heaven with the Kingdom of Heaven smash reminds us that Jesus said: Luke 17:20-21 (King James Version)

20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Never sneak upon a dog

Buying a new dog house

If your people are looking for a new home, they will likely have to get it financed. That may not mean much to dogs but it is pretty important to people. While dogs can trade bones and socks in the sock market, people use dollars.

And very often those people who trade in dollars are not very nice folks. They make people nervous when they try to ask for money.

Well the folks at Home Town Lenders LLC of Cleveland Tn are not like that at all. They are very friendly folks who will do everything they can to help your people buy a nice house with a big yard for you to play in. And they love dogs, so they have to be good people.

If your people are in the market for a new home, have them talk to my friend Ben or one of his agents about getting a home loan. Visit their web site at www.myhometownllc.com to see some nifty calculators to see just how big of a dog house they can fit in their budget. Tell em Smash sent you.

Stars

Stars

Last night as I walked the trash can out our long driveway, I was amazed at how bright the stars were. I had not seen such brightness in the stars since I was last at Harlan.

I walked very slowly back to the house enjoying the view of the sky. I saw both the big and little dippers. I have never been able to recognize any of the other constellations. I just enjoyed the brightness of the little points of light contrasted against the cold black sky.

Back in the yard in the dim light of the icicle lights still n our front porch, my dog Smash took on a sudden playful urge. I had tried to get him to play chase with me when I first got home in the afternoon, but he was not interested then. I almost walked on into the warmth of the house and ignore his playfulness.

But inspired by the stars, I zipped my coat and began chasing Smash around the yard. He was very playful. He would drop the stuffed sheep and pretend to look away. They just as I reached for it he would scoop it up and run off in a circle around me. We played until I could no longer catch my breath.

Later that evening as I was getting ready for bed, I decided to sit up and read a bit. Just as I picked up my book to read, Smash started barking and whining.

I went down to see if he wanted out. He has been staying in the garage on cold nights but he often wants out to go puppying. But instead he went back to the rear bedroom. I lay down on the bed and picked up the book. Smash began barking at me. So, I went back to petting him.

In a few minutes he began to get antsy again. He paced around the room and then put a paw up on the bed. I tried to get him to jump but he would back away. I finally scooped him up and placed him on the bed beside me. He settled right down as I continued petting him. He calmed right down and went to sleep.

I was beginning to drift off to sleep when I felt the bed move. I looked up and saw the cat crawl up o the foot of the bed. Soon I was snoozing between the dog and the cat. It was very peaceful just laying there enjoying the warmth of my furry friends. All my cares, worries and fears seemed to melt away in to their fur.

I lay there a while before Janice finally came to check on me. She laughed when she saw me snuggled up between the cat and the dog.