The last few days have been beautiful - warm, sunny spring days.  These beautiful days you want to spend as much time outside as possible.  Unfortunately, nice warm days also bring the summer bugs.  I got my first mosquito bite yesterday while spending some time enjoying the outdoors.

Of course, in our house, we are far more concerned with how the bugs affect our four-legged fuzzy children than we are with how they bother us.  Spring weather means fleas.  We had a dog, Franklyn, who died because of topical flea treatment.  We decided then and there that the pain of watching him decline and die because of something we gave him was not something we ever wanted to go through again.  Nor did we want anyone else to have to experience it.  So, after loads of research and reading, we have successfully been able to win the war against fleas with all natural products that are safe for our dogs, ourselves and the environment.  This is our battle plan:

First, we use an all natural soap to bathe our boys regularly.  A good choice is one that contains Eucalyptus and Tea Tree essential oils which are both great at repelling fleas.  The Tea Tree oil has the added benefit of being a natural antiseptic so it will help ease the pain and itching from any flea bites

To get rid of any fleas in the house, we use Borax.  It can be found in the grocery store with the laundry detergent.  We sprinkle the powder on the carpet, sofas, chairs, beds, etc., rub it in with a dry broom and let it sit for a few hours.  Then just vacuum it up.  Borax will suck out all the moisture from the fleas and kill them.

For the outside, we use food grade diatomaceous earth.  It is very important to buy the food grade material and not what you find at a pool store.  The diatomaceous earth at the pool store contains silica which makes the dust harmful if inhaled.  We sprinkle it all over the yard.  The small sharp crystals will literally poke holes in the fleas, killing them.  It also works for other crawling bugs - roaches, ticks, bed bugs, beetles and more.

We have been using this approach for the past year and a half and have had fewer problems with fleas then ever before.  We encourage you to fight fleas all naturally this year.  You, your pet and your environment will be better off.

Jenn & Gayle

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Gayle and Jenn own Glynne’s Soaps, Inc an all natural skin care company. Soon after Jenn finished her Master’s Degree in Chemistry, she became interested in more creative outlets for her chemical knowledge. About this time, tragedy struck, as their dog, Franklyn, suffered an unfortunate and untimely death, traceable only to the use of a topical flea treatment.

The combination of sorrow and their passionate commitment to not have another pet owner go though what they went though losing Franklyn drove Jenn’s search for a safe flea treatment. She formulated All Natural Dog Soap and successfully controlled fleas on their personal dogs. Based on the effectiveness of that soap, Gayle and Jenn thought perhaps others might want to try a safe alternative to topical flea products as well. And VOILA! Glynne’s Soaps began.

Courtesy of WagletWorks Adventure Dog Gear

North Carolina hosts some of the most breathtaking views from the tops of gorgeous mountains where you can take in the sights for miles around. But, as they say, the journey is just as important as the destination. We have a list of some of the best hiking journeys you can take throughout North Carolina, with your trusty four-legged companion right alongside of you!

The Blue Ridge Parkway & Mountains
The Blue Ridge Parkway is easily the most pristine drive in the United States but it also has equally amazing hiking trails to experience with your waglet. If you’re lucky enough to live near to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you can try each of these trails every weekend and choose your personal favorite. Maybe you’re passing through North Carolina or planning a vacation. Make a note of these trails to visit and experience all the Blue Ridge has to offer while you’re there. Our personal favorite is Grandfather Mountain. There is very little that can compare to the views offered here.

The Blue Ridge Mountains have endless outdoor activities for you, your family and your pup. This site lists plenty of things to do in the Blue Ridge, places to stay, restaurants and everything in between.

If you’re a resident of North Carolina or are going to be staying in North Carolina, we recommend the book Doggin’ Asheville which has 50 of the best places to hike with your dog. For only $12.95, you can’t beat the memories and experiences it can provide for you!

Hanging Rock State Park – Danbury, Stokes County
A nearly 7,000 acre state park located in northern North Carolina, Hanging Rock State Park boasts everything from a 12 acre lake to mountain peaks as high as 2,500 feet where you can view miles of the piedmont plateau all around you. Whether you want to rent a boat for some leisurely fishing, take a swim with your waglet at the bottom of a waterfall or explore the thousands of acres throughout this amazing mountainous refuge, your choices are never limited. And you’re sure to never be disappointed with anything you choose to do there!

Crowders Mountain State Park – Kings Mountain, Gaston County
Imagine walking the last steps to the second highest point in Gaston County to breathe in the sweet mountain air and see unobstructed views for over 25 miles; the birds around you welcoming your company with song and the trees gently rustling in the light wind with a warm sun peering through the green leaves. Crowders Mountain State Park is even better than it sounds. Choose from trails that range from less than a mile to some that are longer than 6 miles one way to explore the valley, climb the peaks, trek through the trickling streams or just enjoy the company of your dog and the sounds of nature around you.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore – Manteo, Dare County
Maybe you’re looking for something to do for the warmer weather and incorporate some swimming time for your waglet? Cape Hatteras National Seashore is the perfect idea! Your pup can explore all the trails and beach this park has to offer, except for what lies in the wildlife refuge. Spend the day exploring the trails and end your adventure by cooling off with a swim in the ocean or searching for seashells at low tide. Cape Hatteras is great for the day, the weekend or a long vacation with your dog.

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WagletWorks Adventure Dog Gear is dedicated to improving the time you spend with your dogs by offering hands-free, care-free products that are perfect for every day outings or the biggest adventures. WagletWorks line of hands-free dog walking gear puts all of your focus on your dog and your surroundings, exactly where it should be!

From Lost and Found Hound:

We get a number of listings for lost or found dogs and or cats on the site and the listings do not tell us anything about the lost pet.  People are utilizing social media and the internet quite a bit in their search so be sure when posting your missing pet, you include identifying information.  Following are some tips to help with posting an ad for the search of your pet:

• Sex of pet
• Is the pet spayed or neutered?
• Where was the pet last seen?
• What is the color of pet and the breed?
• Include a picture
• Does the pet have any distinct markings to help ID the pet?
• Is the dog or cat microchipped-if so be sure the registration is up to date (check this out at www.petmicrochiplookup.org)
• How long has the pet been missing?
• Do they wander or are they house cats or indoor pets?
• Are they current on shots?
• Do they have a collar on? Any tags?
• Lastly, include contact information such as phone, email and be sure to check these frequently

Just listing this information when posting to social media sites can help you in your search.  Be sure to utilize www.lostandfoundhound.com in your search.  Good luck in finding your pet.

So is it possible to get a photo of your dog smiling? Well perhaps! But there are certainly a few tips on capturing your pet’s best side. Here are a few pointers to transform your dog from Muttley to Uggie!

Starters Orders

First of all, unless you are very lucky, your pet won’t start posing on command. It does help to have rewards and treats around to get your dog to do what you want. However, there are a lot more tools you can use other than treats. These can be used as a last resort or at the end of the shoot. This also means you are not unnecessarily over feeding your dog.

Location

One of the most important things is that your dog is happy in its location. On most of my shoots, the dogs have had their photo taken at their home or at their favourite other place- the Park!

Chill Out

Next thing to do is make sure the dog is relaxed. This is when you as a photographer can relax as it can take some time to get your dog chilled out. The more enjoyable experience you can make a photo shoot for your dog- the bigger rewards you will reap and the more your dog will be open to having their photo taken again. If you’re relaxed, they will be relaxed.

Moody Blues

Work with your dogs mood… If your dog wants to race around the park- then run with them. It’s a great way to get some action shots of your dog. Similarly, if your dog is in chill out mode on your sofa- it’s a good opportunity to get some cute close up sleepy shots which concentrate on your dog’s features.

Composition is important

The Decisive Moment

Now its time for you to think about what you are seeing through your lens. As animals move so quickly, don’t put your camera down for a second. As Henri Cartier-Bresson spoke about the decisive moment; timing is everything. You may need to set up a shot a few times to get the image you were looking for.

Get down with it

You can get some great results if you’re on the same level as your dog. Also check out this photo that I was so low I was nearly lying on the ground! The result is the dog’s profile is in line with the sky which gives a lovely ethereal quality to the image.

Composition

Don’t just concentrate on your dog. See what’s around your dog too. The more work you do through the camera lens, the less work you will have to do when editing the photos. Make sure there are no unwanted items in the shot which detract from the main focus- your dog.

Centered shots can be boring!

Don’t Play it Straight

A good photograph isn’t about everything being perfectly straight and centered. Often this can produce the most boring results! Think about using space creatively by having lots of space at the bottom/top or sides.

Also one photograph can be cropped in many ways to tell a different story. Think about the message you are communicating to your viewer.

Entourage

When you are shooting it is helpful to have an assistant. This isn’t someone to get you cups of tea while you put your feet up but someone to help work with you as a team. Ideally this needs to be someone who has a rapport with your dog- so another family member is great. Use them by holding up your dog’s favorite toys in the direction that you want them to look: i.e. behind you if you would like them to look at the camera.

Editing

When editing, think about all the points I mention above. This is basically a chance for you to refine and improve the images you have taken. Think about the exposure- can you see everything you need to? How is the composition of the shot? Can the image be cropped into to give a more powerful message? Are you having a series of images together? If so are there any repetitions? You’re looking to pick up on the highlights of the shoot. So, rather than make the same point many times; make it once and let it have more impact. You don’t need to have expensive photo editing software. The same goes for cameras, phone cameras can work wonders these days!

That’s a wrap!

Finally, don’t give up! Like you, your dog will have off days. Be patient and keep trying. It will pour with rain and sometimes and other times the sun will shine beautifully. But all you need to remember is it takes less than a second to create a beautiful photograph.

For inspiration or if you have any questions check out www.DrLulittle.com

Hi everyone!!  I’d like to introduce myself.  My name is Lauren and I’m the official voice and typist for Knightly Chance the standard Moodle, my best friend who is currently napping on my pillow (our pillow now!) on the bed after a massive morning.

Knightly, Paige and I go for a half an hour walk every week day (longer on the weekends!) to keep fit and happy (and so Knightly can pee on every rose bush he can find!).  Even when I have a super hectic day ahead of me, these walks are what keeps the three of us sane.  Plus it is so much fun walking with such happy bouncy dogs, it makes the sun shine a little brighter for me!

Some times we are lucky enough to meet other friendly happy dogs out with their owners for their walk.  This is always a bit of a highlight for the three of us!  Knightly and Paige adore meeting new friends, both animal and human, and it leaves them so happy and excited it makes something as fun as walking even more fun.

However last week we weren’t so lucky.  At the start of our walk we noticed a terrier running along the other side of the street with it’s owner running after it.  It spotted us not too long after, dashed across the street narrowly avoiding being hit by a car, and ran at Knightly and Paige.  It reached them and started growling and I tried to push the dog away from them with my leg.  It kept coming back and trying to bite Knightly.  With two dogs, I couldn’t have picked them both up and if I hadn’t kept pushing that dog away, Knightly or Paige or both would have gotten seriously hurt.  The owner reached us and finally picked up her dog.  She breathlessly muttered sorry before walking away not even waiting to see if her dog had done any harm.  I was too worried about ensuring Knightly and Paige were okay to really worry about her.

After checking them both over thoroughly and finding them to be shaken but not hurt I had to decide what to do.  Obviously that dog had gotten away from it’s owners and is not regularly out on the streets so apart from it’s lack of socialization with other dogs it was an unnecessary and unfortunate accident but something I didn’t need to chase up.  Both Knightly and Paige were physically fine but emotionally they were quite shaken.  I debated taking them straight home and playing with their toys and feeding them treats until they felt better.  But I then I thought that would really just make things worse.  If I did that then the next walk we’d go on Knightly, Paige and I would have been uptight and even if we had met a friendly dog along the way - how would we all react?  No that wasn’t the answer.

So I decided to continue on with our walk and try and put the whole experience behind us.  For the rest of the walk Knightly in particular was upset.  He had diarrhea and was not his usual relaxed self.  Paige kept jumping up at me trying to get me to pick her up.  It was quite upsetting to see the effect one badly socialized and aggressive dog can have on two such carefree happy dogs.

I was quite upset and angry and was even considering never walking Knightly and Paige around the neighborhood again.  I felt all my work with both Knightly and Paige to make them feel safe and happy with me and their new lives (both Knightly and Paige are Rescue Dogs) was completely undermined.

Then a few houses from home a Spaniel was just getting home from his walk.  His owner and I said hello but Knightly and Paige held back.  Just as I was about to give up, the Spaniel came forward slowly to say hi to Knightly and Paige.  Soon all three dogs were happily sniffing and wagging tails and it was like they were old friends.  Knightly and Paige were so reluctant to leave their new friend that I had to pull on their leads just to get them home.  By the time we got home they were back to their normal happy selves.

All of our walks since then have been uneventful, happy and fun occasions.  But how differently it could all turn out just because of one unsocialized aggressive dog.  The importance of socializing your dog goes far beyond having a friendly or well behaved dog (even though that is reward enough!).  If your dog attacks another dog, animal or human, there are serious and long lasting consequences.  You would have to live with the fact that your dog might traumatize, maim or kill another animal or human.  And your own furry best friend might be put down.  It is never too late to start working with your pet and start socializing them.  Obviously each dog is different and because of that there are many Dog Professionals and Dog Obedience groups out there that can help you come up with the right way to start socializing your dog.  It’s not impossible, it just takes effort and consistency and the results will make it all worth it!!  Owning a dog should be fun, rewarding and fulfilling.  If you are having to constantly worry that your dog might get away from you and attack another animal or human you are missing out on most of the fun stuff that comes from having a furry best friend!

Until next time, we hope all your walks are super fun!

Love Knightly, Paige and Lauren xoxo

Palliative care means to treat the symptoms of a disease, rather than the cause. This specialty area is growing in the pet care field to allow pets facing a terminal illness and their owners to enjoy the time they have left together.

Hospice is not necessarily a place you go to, but instead refers to a philosophy of care. Through hospice care, the goal is to make your pet as comfortable as possible and enhance his or her quality of life for as long as possible.

Dr. Dana Lewis is a veterinarian with Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in North Carolina. “If the pet can be kept comfortable and his or her quality of life maintained through nursing care and pain management, then pet owners may be able to extend the quality time they have with their cherished companions,” says Dr. Lewis. “So often a pet owner who has just heard that their pet has a terminal illness needs time. Time to think, time to adjust and time to make decisions. Veterinary hospice care supports both pet and family during this time.”

Once treatment options have been exhausted, there is still much that can be done to provide comfort and pain relief as the end of life draws near. Hospice care is appropriate when the pet’s condition is terminal and the focus of care becomes quality of life. It can include pain management, supplementary nutrition, palliative medical care and in-home euthanasia services. Hospice care may also include education and support for families dealing with a terminally ill pet.

For more information on veterinary hospice care, visit www.lapoflove.com.

Bella The Boxer’s Seven Tips for Making 2012 a Doggone Great Year

Keep your eyes on the ball.
Stop multitasking and practice the art of concentration. When I play with my little red rubber ball, I give it my full attention, energy and talent. Nothing else gives me the same sense of satisfaction!

Make happiness happen.
Focus on the positive and look for the humor in every situation. Aside from dogs, who are the happiest creatures on Earth? Those who make it their business to be happy!

Sit, stay and listen.
Talk less and listen more. When I wag my tail more than my tongue, people know that I’m listening. And after a while, I get to know something.

Shake off setbacks.
Don’t let the world “no” dissuade you. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. Dogs aren’t perfect. We take risks and we make mistakes, but we shake off setbacks and take off running again.

Build your pack.
Surround yourself with colleagues, coaches, mentors and friends. Humans like to say that it’s ‘every man for himself.’ That’s silly. We all need a pack of supporters to succeed.

Show genuine appreciation.
Don’t just be grateful—show it! Kick up your paws and celebrate. Appreciation is gratitude in action. It’s something you feel from the tip of your tongue to the end of your tail—and it makes everyone feel good.

Get out and play!
Put down the gadgets and gizmos, step away from the computer, and learn how to play. Play is a dog’s way
of connecting with real people, real dogs and real tennis balls. You know—the things in life that are most important.

How Will YOU Tap Into Your Inner Dog in the New Year?!

Adapted from Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success by Bella The Boxer with co-authors Ellen Galvin and Patrick Galvin. Available at select retailers plus Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and www.BellaTheBoxer.com.

Two of the dogs and three of the cats are still awaiting adoption at the SPCA.

The first story will air on January 27, 2012 and the second is scheduled to air February 12, 2012 at 10pm EST on Animal Planet.

]]> http://www.doglivingmagazine.com/central-bark/spca-of-wake-county-assists-animal-planet-with-two-hoarding-cases/feed/ http://www.doglivingmagazine.com/central-bark/holiday-heartache/ http://www.doglivingmagazine.com/central-bark/holiday-heartache/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:47:09 +0000 admin http://www.doglivingmagazine.com/?p=3240 UPDATE:  In the time since this article was first published, Sassy found a loving home!

This item originally appeared in the “Barb’s Space” section of Monty’s Home December newsletter.  It was so compelling, we wanted to share it with our readers too.

Stopping at the shelter today I’m told an all too familiar story about someone dropping their dog off with yet another lame excuse…

I know you’re thinking how could someone do something like that???  But they do…. all the time. Do they not know what’s behind those walls? Do they think there is fresh air and sunshine and someone plays with them every day until the happy ending when they are adopted out?  The truth is poor Sassy, ordinary black lab with grey muzzle will probably never get out….at least not out the front door. And so many, many, like her suffer the same fate.

Here’s hoping this newsletter is read or forwarded to someone who can help this poor frightened old girl at Pender Animal Control before it’s too late.  910-259-1349 is the number there.  Thanks for reading and helping me keep my promise to Sassy.

Barb