Bliss to You by Trixie Koontz, dog as told to Dean Koontz
“Bliss To You - Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life” has to be one of the most heart-warming and funny books I’ve read all year. This is the third book written by author Dean Koontz, as “told” to him by his beloved Golden Retriever, Trixie.
Trixie passed away in 2007, but the words for “Bliss To You” were channeled to Koontz through his computer. In the foreword of the book, Koontz claims that he’d shut off his computer at night and the next morning the screen would be filled with words of wisdom from Trixie.
From Dean Koontz’ moving foreword to Trixie’s final page, this book is sure to delight pet owners and dog lovers everywhere. Trixie shares with her readers the eight steps to achieving bliss that she feels anyone can take. It’s a must-have self-help book.
Along with the eight steps to bliss are sections on dog wisdom and dog quotes. The book is an easy read, at 160 pages in length.
The author’s royalties from the sale of this book are donated to the Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that provides highly-trained assistance dogs for those who need them; a program to which Trixie once belonged.
Trixie Koontz’ other books are “Life is Good: Lessons in Joyful Giving”, and “Christmas is Good”.
Photo credit: amazon.com
August 26th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Stories | Comments (0)
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about volunteering at a shelter if you couldn’t have a dog. Well, I took my own advice and spent my first day as a volunteer at a local shelter. This was not the first time I had ever volunteered at a shelter, just the first time I had done so in the town where we now live.
The shelter I chose to volunteer with is a no-kill dog only shelter. They don’t take dogs from the public; they rescue dogs that are in good health, but are on death row at the county animal shelter. There are currently nine dogs on site. One of these dogs, a sweet border collie mix, joined their little family today.
I started this week, going in a couple of mornings a week. We get there before the shelter opens, take the dogs out of their indoor kennels and put them in the play area. Then we clean their kennels, get them fresh water and their food, and put them back indoors. Once they’ve been fed, they go out to their outdoor kennels. During the day, the dogs are alternated for office time and play time. They are fed again in the afternoon, with more play time, before being put to bed for the night. Other volunteers arrive early in the morning and later at night to walk the dogs.
While I was there, the city animal shelter called to see if they’d come look at this dog that had been at their shelter for three months. The county shelter was overrun with dogs, and they needed to ‘thin’ out their population. The administrators went over to the shelter, looked at the dog, and were back with pup in hand about 30 minutes later.
I like the fact that it’s a small facility, and that they rescue healthy dogs from euthanasia. They treat their volunteers well, and their dogs even better. I’ve volunteered at other shelters in the past, where they don’t give the humans the time of day. I understand that you’re there for the animals, but the humans should be treated just as well as the animals. Anyway, if you’re considering becoming a volunteer, take the step and give your local shelter a call. Chances are they need the help, and you will have a rewarding experience.
Photo credit: Superfem via Flickr
August 5th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Stories | Comments (0)
-
Taco Bell dog toy
Gidget, the little Chihuahua that Taco Bell used for a popular ad campaign in the late 1990’s, has died. According to an article at USmagazine.com, Gidget suffered a stroke while watching television with her trainer. Gidget was 15, which is an advanced age for such a tiny dog.
The “Yo quiero Taco Bell” ads that began in late 1997 gained fame for the fiesty female Chihuahua. She portrayed a male dog in the commercials. The campaign ended in the year 2000. Because of the popularity of the campaign, Taco Bell released a line of stuffed toys sold at their restaurants. The phrase ‘Yo quiero’ became part of popular culture.
Beside the Taco Bell commercials, Gidget appeared in a cross-over promotion for the movie Godzilla in 1998. She also made an appearance in the movie Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, and has appeared along side the GEICO gecko in a commercial for GEICO.
Gidget was actually the second Chihuahua used by Taco Bell. She replaced a dog named Dinky shortly after the campaign began. Dinky was then used as a stand-in for Gidget.
Gidget had a long and happy life, and lived like a queen, according to her owner, Karen McElhatton.
Photo credit: samuraighost from Flickr
July 23rd, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Stories, Vet Emergencies | Comments (0)
In this tight economy, it’s often hard to justify spending your hard-earned money on toys for your dog. But, dogs like to play and chew. I’ve found that if you don’t provide toys for them to chew on, they’ll find their own chew toy. Like your shoes…or the corner of your sofa. Or the leg of the antique curio shelf that’s been in your family for years. To keep Fido from gnawing on your belongings, make sure he’s got his own toys and chew things. If you can’t buy them, try making your own.
Here are some ideas:
Take an old sock, preferably a man’s tube sock, tie a knot at either end, and you have a tug-of-war toy. You can also use old rope if you have any lying around. Old towels also work for tug and pull toys. Just tie a knot in the towel.
You can also make a chew toy from an old sock. Take an old tube sock and cut the top off. Sew one end of the tube. Stuff the foot of the sock inside the tube, and sew the other end. Sleeves from old sweatshirts work for this as well. Or, if you’re really crafty, you can make chew toys from fabric scraps and stuff with old socks or padding.
Dogs love balls, so if you have any old tennis balls or rubber balls around the house, your dog will love these. The bigger the dog, the bigger the ball. My husband had a German Shepherd who loved his old basketball. You can also take a tennis ball and drill a hole through the middle. Then, string a long rope through the hole and bring the two ends of rope together. Tie a knot at the end of the rope, and another knot directly about the ball. This makes a good throw toy, or tug-of-war toy.
Take an empty water bottle, remove the cap, and flatten it length-wise. My neighbor does this for her small dog, and Cindy (the dog) has hours of fun chasing the bottles around the house. She’ll get hold of the edge of one of these bottles, shake her head, and fling the bottle across the room. Off she romps after it, only to repeat the process. If you’ve got a large dog, use empty 2-liter bottles.
Making your own dog toys will not only save you money, but will also provide your dog with hours of fun and exercise.
Photo credit: ktylerconk on flickr
July 22nd, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Stories, Dog Toys | Comments (0)
Dog Treats
A few years ago, I took a trip to Indiana to visit my then- boyfriend, now- husband and his family for the holidays. I had never met any of his family, so I was nervous and wanted to make a good impression.
Since it was the holidays, I wanted to get gifts for everyone. Part of making a good impression I guess. His parents are divorced, so I had two parent meetings, one with his dad, and one with his mom and stepfather. Since I had flown to Indiana and was staying two weeks, I waited until I got there to do my Christmas shopping.
The day before we were to meet his mom and stepfather, I had my husband take me shopping. I wanted to make sure I got something that his mom would appreciate. After selecting a gift for them, we headed to the pet department. His mom had a small dog named Zippy. Since dogs are part of the family, I was determined to get a gift for him as well. My husband thought I was crazy, but I love animals, and wasn’t going to ignore the dog.
I couldn’t decide what to get. Should I get a toy? A bed? Treats? I walked up and down the aisles, looking for just the right item. I finally decided on a jar of gourmet, organic dog treats.
The night arrives, and we head over to his mom’s house with a pizza and presents. Still nervous, we exchange introductions and small talk. The four of us are sitting around the table eating pizza and talking, while Zippy is running back and forth, under the table and around our legs, looking for handouts. After we eat, his mom opens her gift and we continue talking. The jar of dog treats for Zippy is sitting on the table.
After a while, my husband, his mom and I notice that his stepfather is looking at the jar of dog treats. He takes the lid off the jar, picks up a treat, sniffs it, and pops it in his mouth. As we sit there staring in disbelief, he just chomps away, stating that it tastes pretty good. I’m trying hard not to laugh, after all, I’d just met him. My husband can’t help laughing, though, and neither can his mom. She finally says to him, you do know those are for the dog, don’t you? He thought it was some sort of snack mix, because the treats were small, and the jar was rather fancy for dog treats.
While I don’t recommend eating dog treats, tasting them is probably not going to hurt you – especially if they are organic treats.
Photo credit: laRuth on Flickr
July 17th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Food, Dog Stories | Comments (0)
Do you love dogs but aren’t in a position to have one of your own due to space or landlord restrictions? If you have the time, volunteer at a local shelter.
Most local animal shelters will welcome new volunteers with open arms. Shelters generally run on volunteer support, having few, if any, full or part time staff members.
There are a variety of activities that the volunteers can assist with. Feeding, grooming, and kennel cleaning are just a few of the things that volunteers help with. Dogs need to be walked and played with. You might be able to assist with trips to the vet, or help out at adoption events. Many shelters also have fund-raising events throughout the year to raise money to feed and house the animals.
If you have the space and the time, fostering dogs might be for you. Dogs often live in foster homes instead of kennels until they are adopted. Foster parents assist in getting the dogs acclimated to being around people, especially children, and other dogs and cats.
You can also check with local veterinarians to see if they have volunteer opportunities available. Often, vets that provide boarding services need people to tend to the animals in the off-hours. Many vets also take in unwanted animals and try to find them good homes. They may need volunteers to help foster these animals.
If you are unable to give your time to help out at a local shelter, there are still other ways you can help. Shelters are always in need of food, toys, newspaper, leashes, beds and other pet supplies.
Photo credit: Ben VanHoose
July 15th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
K-9 Units Usually Employ German Shepherds for Service Dogs.
I love this. There is a program called Vest-A-Dog, which provides bullet-proof vests for police dogs. The police officers get bullet-proof vests, so why shouldn’t their K-9 partners?
This program was started 10 years ago by an 11-year-old California girl who had read about a police dog in New Jersey who had been killed in the line of duty. Upon reading this news, young Stephanie Taylor saw a need and started looking for a way to fill it.
She started small, making it her goal to obtain a protective vest for an Oceanside, California K-9 named Tiko. Stephanie made donation boxes and distributed them at local pet stores and in veterinarians’ offices. Once the word spread about her project, Stephanie had collected enough money to purchase a vest not only for Tiko, but for five additional dogs in the Oceanside K-9 department. With this, the Vest-A-Dog Foundation was born. There are now Vest-A-Dog programs across the United States and Canada.
The official dog vest of the Vest-A-Dog program is the K-9 One Vest. Just one of these vests can cost around $600 or more, depending on the level of protection provided. Because of the cost of these vests, many K-9 units rely on donations from the public. The Vest-A-Dog Network itself does not take donations, but there are numerous non-profit organizations who will gladly accept monetary donations and use them to purchase K-9 vests. You can also purchase vests directly and donate them to local K-9 units.
Photo credit: Ameliorate! at en.wikipedia
June 24th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Dog Health, Dog Stories, Dog Training | Comments (0)
Will you be traveling with your pet soon? If so, you might need to stock up on pet travel accessories.
Before you head out the door, remember to pack the proper accessories.
your vet’s contact information, in case of an emergency.
To travel with your dog, you’ll need:
- a leash
- any necessary medication
- blankets and/or a dog bed
- disposable bags for cleaning up messes
- dog carrier that is clearly labeled with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address
- dog collar that shows the dog’s name and your name and contact information
- dry food packed in small plastic bags
- two small bowls, one for food and one for water
- water bottles
- wet food, if necessary
- your vet’s contact information, in case of an emergency.
(photo credit: frazzledjen)
April 11th, 2009 by Pet Guy | Posted in Dog Stories | Comments (0)
Though you may think having a pet in your bed is a nice, cuddly way to fall asleep, experts say think again. In fact, a study done by the Mayo Clinic found that 22 percent of sleeping disorder patients were likely have a pet in bed with them at night.
Dog expert Kathy Diamond advises that owners only allow pooches who are full housebroken and well-behaved to sleep in human beds. Trying to tame an already unruly dog at bedtime is not going to work. If you pet is not housebroken or full-trained, they will be more likely to wake you up for a 4 a.m. walk.
It is also important to create an “off the bed” command for your pet. This is important for those times when you just don’t feel like sharing the sheets with a four-legged friend. For my dog, it’s a stern “Frankie, off” or “Frankie, down” coupled with a snap and point to the ground. No matter how much she may want to continue curling up on the bed, when that happens, she knows its time to hit the floor.
For those who own a cat, verbal communication is not going to work. Because cats spend most of the day lounging around, they are amped for attention and action by bedtime. To combat this, it is recommended that cat owners make an extra effort to stimulate their cat during the day and early evening, so it will be tired out at night.
Aricka Flowers
(photo credit: riotjane)
April 7th, 2009 by Pet Guy | Posted in Dog Stories | Comments (0)
Loading ...
