Happy Cinco di Mayo

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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The comfort of a furry body

A team of golden retrievers made an 800-mile journey from the Chicago area to Newtown, Conn., over the weekend to comfort those affected by the recent school massacre.

Lutheran Church Charities, K-9 Parish Comfort Dogs, deployed about 10 of the canines Saturday evening for residents who want to pet them while they talk or pray with the dog's handler, said Tim Hetzner, president of the Addison-based organization.

“Dogs are non-judgmental. They are loving. They are accepting of anyone,” Hetzner said. “It creates the atmosphere for people to share.”

When the charities' dogs are not responding to a national tragedy, they will often visit people in hospitals, nursing homes and parks. Each dog carries a business card with its name, Facebook page, twitter account and email so those that meet the canine can keep in touch.

Read more - Chicago Tribune

Dogs love Santa!

Do you have a photo of your dog with Santa?
send it to us!

This one is from Streeter the Dog who has his own Twitter page.

Christmas pets

Are you ready for Christmas?

Here are some pets who are in the Holiday spirit ...

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 Photo by dpd photo

Photo Credit: Loren Borriello

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Photo Credit: Gina Sicari

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  Photo Credit: Kerri Burke

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If fonts were dogs

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How do dog whistles work?

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Furever Dachshund Rescue Auction

Dachshund Planter.
Just one of the items available in the Furever Dachshund Rescue Auction starting Monday, November 12th.

 Please preview their items right now! 
They also need donations still.
Contact fundraising@fureverdachshundrescue.org to donate.

Nap time

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Misleading names

Are white rhinos really white?

Are Australian Shepherds from Australia and Baltimore Orioles from Baltimore?

Are Guinea Pigs really pigs from Africa?

Check the article (and photos) at the Huffington Post: 8 Creatures With Misleading Monikers

Cute - times three

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What Shape is Your Dog's Ear?

It seems that every sport, specialty, or interest group eventually develops its own language to describe the things that are important to them. The world of dogs is no different.

When they describe such common things as the shape of a dog's ear, people in the dog fancy may use terms which are unfamiliar or undecipherable by the average person.

While most people can visualize in their minds what might be meant by a prick ear or a drop ear on a dog, they might have much more difficulty visualizing what is meant by a rose ear or a button ear when it refers to their canine pet.

Take a look at a richly illustrated glossary of dog ear shapes.

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Frenchies for your furniture

Black Box Design Group, a team of students and young professionals currently located in sunny Savannah, Georgia, have designed a very attractive set of "French Toast" coasters to save your furniture from unsightly water rings.

French Toasters come in several colors. Go take a look and orders some.

Guest Post: Separation Anxiety in Dogs

This article was provided to you by Jennifer, a 24-year-old dog enthusiast, who loves to share tips and advice with fellow dog owners. She’s currently working for Havahart Wireless, a company that’s just as enthused as she is about dog care, as they are a leading provider of ultrasonic dog bark control trainers. When she’s not spending time with her dog Charlie, Jennifer enjoys researching and writing about everything from dog health to fun dog activities. Jen’s motto, “Dogs are not just pets, they’re family members.”

Separation Anxiety in Dogs
In nature dogs are sociable pack animals that live in large social groups. Domesticated dogs consider their human family to be their pack, and generally don't like to be left alone for long periods of time. Some dogs take this to the extreme, and can suffer from separation anxiety when the owner is out of sight. Separation anxiety causes a dog to become severely stressed when their owner goes out and leaves them behind. This anxiety can manifest itself in nuisance behavior, including soiling the house, incessant barking or whining, or destructive behavior. While dogs from multi-pet households are not immune from separation anxiety, having another pet in the home to provide company will often prevent or alleviate some of the stress.
Separation anxiety in dogs is not uncommon, as the following statistics will illustrate:

• 14-35% of dogs suffer from separation anxiety
• 29-50% of senior dogs suffer from separation anxiety
• 41% of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety are left untreated
• 22% of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety are treated with behavior modification and medication
• 17% of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety are treated with medication alone
• 10% are treated with behavior modification alone
• 10% are referred to dog behaviorists for help

Common Causes of Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Separation anxiety can occur when a dog's safety net is suddenly removed, and can stem from a number of different causes. A young puppy that may have been removed from its mother to early may be very insecure in its new surroundings, and attach itself to the new owner. When the owner leaves the pup alone it may become insecure and show symptoms of separation anxiety. Other changes in a dog's daily routine or surroundings may trigger separation anxiety, including the following:

• Having spent a large amount of time in unfamiliar surroundings recently, such as a vet, boarding kennel, or animal welfare facility.
• Recently being introduced to a new home (new family)
• Change of environment, such as moving house
• The recent loss of a family member or pet
• A new baby enters the home
• A change in your working hours – or you spend more time away from home

There are a number of tactics that can be employed to help alleviate separation anxiety in dogs, and to prevent unsociable behavior associated with the anxiety the dog is feeling, including:

1. Provide calming medication – talk to your vet who can prescribe a drug to reduce stress for the times when you have to leave your dog alone.
2. Try to teach your dog to become more independent. This can be achieved by leaving your dog alone for short periods of time, initially while you are still at home – feed it in a separate room, leave it alone in the yard for short intervals, and gradually increasing the time frame of the periods that your pooch spends alone before you disappear for the entire day.
3. When you have to leave your dog alone for lengthy periods, provide lots of stimulating toys or dog chews. Kongs stuffed with peanut butter and treats will provide a distraction and alleviate boredom.
4. Some behavioral modifications may be necessary, particularly if your dog is extremely destructive, or barks incessantly, which could cause problems with your neighbors. Destructive dogs may need to be temporarily crated to prevent them from damaging the house or injuring themselves. To control barking, an ultrasonic dog bark control collar is an effective deterrent that uses positive reinforcement to train a dog not to bark uncontrollably. By emitting a high-pitched sound or vibration every time the dog barks – which both irritates and distracts the dog – a dog will quickly learn that it is more peaceful not to bark.
5. If separation anxiety is severe, you may need to seek professional help from a dog behavior specialist, who can help you and your dog work through these issues.

Separation anxiety can affect the bond between owner and dog. An owner that comes home and finds his house wrecked on a regular basis, may eventually become despondent and relinquish the dog to an animal shelter, or decide to have it euthanized. Pressure from neighbors who are fed up with the constant whining and barking of a distressed dog may cause an owner to do the same. It is therefore imperative that dog owners address separation anxiety as soon as a dog shows symptoms, seeking the help of a vet or dog psychologist if necessary.

Who loves rawhide bones?

Poppy does!

Yes!
They're USA rawhide from i-pets.com.

How you get the bone

If this doesn't work --- there are more bones at i-pets.com!

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Cheese!

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Photography by Ron Schmidt

Ron Schmidt is the person behind the company Loose Leashes, an online shop where he sells funny prints of our furry friends in wonderfully witty scenarios. Dog person or not, you can't help but fall in love with these photos.

Schmidt found his true calling by accident. After branching out on his own to pursue commercial photography, he found his niche when, one day, he decided to design a creative Christmas card for his family, friends and clients. Featuring his yellow lab Indy, the card didn't just show her pose in a traditional way, he had her carry a tree on her back. "It was a fun, conceptual image that was a big hit with everyone who saw it. Since I love dogs and photography, this worked out really well.”

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The cutest thing you'll see today

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The cutest thing you'll see today

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