dogdaze

One of my first toy fox terrier babies, Bo, was one unique dog. He never acted like a dog. I guess he thought he was our little human baby. We treated him like our baby.

When he was a young pup, I loved to dress him in cool hats, jackets or T-shirts and then take him to work with me. Everyone at my job loved Bo. Whenever he walked in, it was like a movie star was gracing the place. Bo loved all the attention too.

When I worked late at night, I always had my little protector with me. He was 8 pounds of cuteness!

I would pack his lunch too, and he always made sure he got it on time. I would pack his lunch in a brown paper sack and he would lie on his blanket and watch it until it was time to eat. Of course, other people at work would save some of their food for Bo, so he never really got hungry. He just got spoiled.

As the years went by and my Little Bo Man got older, he still loved going to the office with me. He would follow me around just like a little kid. He was my hero, my shadow.

During football season he would wear hoodies in the colors of the local teams. He also had a lot of Dallas Cowboys T-shirts, jerseys, etc.

Bo caught a lot of grief one Sunday night when the Dallas Cowboys were playing on television because he wore a Denver Broncos colored hoodie to work with me. I was hoping no one would notice it, but they did. When a coworker asked my why “Bo” wasn’t rooting for the Boys, I replied, “Bo always roots for the Cowboys, but his mom hasn’t done laundry this week.”

It’s been five years since my Bo died and I still miss him very much. I’ve had many dogs through the years, but none as unique and cool as him.

Pit bulls have a bad reputation for being unpredictable and aggressive. In most dog attack stories you read, the dog doing the attacking is a pit bull. But not all pit bulls are bad.

When my husband brought our pit bull, Lady Bird, home several years ago I was very leery. We had other much smaller dogs and I was afraid she would turn on them.

In her time with us, Lady has been the sweetest, most obedient dog we’ve had. She loves nothing more than to play with the other dogs. She acts like a puppy even though she’s now about 8 years old. Her best friend is Itty, a beautiful 7-year-old dachshund mix. They even share the same bed!

My husband found Lady almost starved to death and brought her home to get her back to health. We estimated that she was about a year old. She had had a litter of puppies and appeared to still be nursing them. We ran an ad in the paper to see if she belonged to anyone and after no one responded, we decided to get her healthy and then find her a good home. Because of her sweet disposition and gentle nature, we fell in love with her and made her part of our family.

I believe that dogs react to the way they are treated. If a dog is mistreated or abused then it will have a tendency to act out aggressively. I think that’s why some breeds, especially pit bulls, get a bad reputation. Once that reputation is in place, it’s hard to overcome.

I’m not advocating that you run out and get a pit bull because this breed is not for everyone. If you have children, you should be extra watchful of them when they are around any dog, not just pit bulls. Never leave your child unattended with any dog, even a family pet.

I have many dogs, some are registered, and some are not. The most common dog at my house is the All American Mutt. By mutt, I mean the dogs that came from the local animal shelter or that somehow found their way to my house and into my heart.

I love dogs that are mutts because you never know what a jewel they are until you’ve lived with them for a while and have experienced their personality.

About nine years ago I accompanied a friend to the local animal shelter because she was looking for a dog. I was not looking to adopt, but I did have fun petting all the dogs at the shelter.

A few of the dogs at the shelter were full breeds but most of them were mutts, a mix of breeds. My friend was looking for a mutt and settled on a cute black and white collie mix.

Just as we were leaving the shelter that day, one of the volunteers walked in with three tiny little puppies, a brown and white one, a black and white one, and a vanilla colored one. They were so adorable I just had to pick them up and love on them.

The shelter volunteer described the puppies as “Alaskan Chihuahuas.” I had never heard of this breed and was a bit skeptical.

On the way home, I kept thinking about those three puppies and how they played with each other. I prayed they’d all go to a good home, preferably together.

As soon as I got home, I told my husband about those cute little puppies. He knew what my heart was telling me. We got in the car and drove to the shelter. The volunteer brought those “Alaskan Chihuahuas” out for us to play with.

In a matter of minutes, I was filling out the paperwork to take my three babies home. I just could not pick one over the other so we decided to keep the little family of puppies together.

They have brought us much joy and love through the years.

Years ago, I bred toy fox terriers, one of my favorite breed of dogs. I never intended to breed dogs but after having a couple of them and falling in love with them I decided to breed my own. Also, back then, it was hard to find registered toy fox terriers in our area of Texas.

I loved all of my toy fox terrier babies and it really broke my heart to sell any of them. I would screen prospective buyers and if I thought one of my puppies would be unhappy with them, I would refuse to sell them a dog.

The hardest part of being a dog breeder, for me at least, was parting with my babies. That’s how I got so many. But I have loved and cared for them all.

Today, I still have three registered toy fox terriers and my sister has one, which I gave her after her first toy fox terrier (Ringo) died at age 15.

The thing I love most about my toy fox terriers is how incredibly smart they are. They are very loving, animated and independent souls. Did I mention that they’re adorable? They’re also small enough to accompany me wherever I go. We use to travel with up to four toy fox terriers all the time.

If you’ve never considered a toy fox terrier as your next best friend, it’s time you do.

Have you noticed that dogs love to roll in stinky stuff like animal feces or even the carcass of dead animals?

I have a tiny Chihuahua that does this almost every day. She comes back in the house smelling almost as bad as a skunk and is very proud of herself because she jumps right in my lap and tries to kiss me — as if I would kiss her right then!

What I do instead is grab her stinky little body and put her in a bath with nice smelling dog shampoo. She seems almost disappointed that I’ve spoiled her unique smell.

I don’t really know why dogs roll in smelly stuff, other than perhaps they instinctively are trying to disguise their own scent to throw off other animals or predators.

Megan Parker, a research biologist at the Wolf Education and Research Center in Seattle, says the ancestors of dogs, the wolves, regularly roll in carrion, the decaying flesh of dead animals. She’s not sure if the reason they do this is to disguise their scent because dogs and wolves have plenty of scent glands.

According to Parker, dogs may simply do this so they can carry the scent back to their pack, letting them know that they’ve discovered something interesting. It also could be that dogs are marking the carrion with their own scent to let other dogs know that this discovery “is mine.”

Whatever the reason, dogs will be dogs and they’ll continue to roll in poop or carrion. All we can do as their best friend and parent is to love them… and bathe them!

Americans will be celebrating their independence today in many ways — parties, picnics, family, fun and fireworks. Although most of these activities can include your dog, please don’t subject your best four-legged friend to the fireworks show.

Dogs don’t like fireworks because of the loud noise and the bright bursts of light in the sky. What we see as beautiful our dogs see as loud, scary monsters.

Because the loud explosions of fireworks are what scares dogs most, you can help your dog have a somewhat normal night on this Independence Day by planning ahead.

If you can hear the fireworks exploding outside your house, so can your dog. You’ll know your dog is scared if he paces, pants, trembles, salivates, barks and tries to escape or hide.

The best place for your dog in this situation is in the center of the house, preferably in a small room or bathroom. This will help filter the sound of the fireworks. Leave the television set or a radio on to help further muffle the sound.

Give your dog his favorite toy and a comfortable bed to make him feel at ease. You can even put an old or dirty shirt with your scent on it near his bed for reassurance.

Don’t be overly affectionate to your dog at this time because it may exacerbate the problem. By acting happy you can help redirect your dog’s attention away from the scary sounds.

If you have an outside dog, it’s a good idea to bring him indoors for the evening or at least during the fireworks show. You can even put him in a crate with a bowl of fresh water and don’t forget to leave some white noise — a radio, television or fan.

The most important thing this holiday is to enjoy your family (dogs too) and friends, have fun and stay safe.

Happy Fourth of July!

The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog, according to petplace.com.

In popularity, the Lab is followed by the Yorkshire terrier, German shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Boxer, Dachshund, Poodle, Shih Tzu and Bulldog.

Other popular breeds are the miniature Schnauzer, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, Rotweiler, Boston terrier, Cocker Spaniel (American), Shetland sheepdog, Maltese and German Shorthair Pointer.

The dog you own says a great deal about you and your lifestyle. For example, people who are very active and enjoy outdoor activities are more likely to have a big dog such as a Labrador retriever, Golden Retriever or German shepherd.

People with children also love these big but gentle breeds in addition to smaller dogs such as the Shih Tzu, Schnauzer, Poodle and Dachshund.

A great dog doesn’t have to have a blue ribbon pedigree to be a special part of your family; it can be a mixed breed available for adoption at your local shelter.

Whatever type of dog you choose, love him and treasure him as you would a much-loved family member, because that’s what he’ll be.

Most dogs love the water and take any chance they can get to jump right in a swimming pool or lake. Even puppies can swim by doing the famous dog paddle.

My son was in his kiddie swimming pool yesterday and when my husband let the dogs out for a while, they headed right toward the pool and jumped in. Today, we got them their own swimming pool and they had a blast spashing around in it.

Whenever your dog is swimming in a lake, watch him closely so that he doesn’t paddle out too far. Remember that the water gets colder the farther you get from the shore. This change in water temperature can cause a dog to get leg cramps and thus make it painful to continue paddling.

If your dog swims in a chlorine treated swimming pool, be sure he doesn’t drink too much of the pool water because it can upset his stomach. Always rinse him off with a water hose after he’s finished swimming in a pool. This helps get the chlorine out of his coat and prevents skin irritations.

Hope you and your best dog friend have fun swimming this summer!

Now that summer is here it’s time to start talking vacations. A vacation doesn’t have to be long to be fun it can be a simple weekend getaway. And what’s a weekend getaway without your best bud?

Here are some things to remember if you plan to take your dog along on any vacation this summer:

First, be sure your dog wears a collar with proper ID tags that have your permanent address and all phone numbers. It’s a good idea to bring along a photo of your dog in case he gets lost so you can put up posters with his picture on them. A lot of people don’t think about this but losing your pet on vacation can ruin the family experience for everyone.

Before you hit the road, remember to give your dog a light meal and limit their water intake. Some dogs get car sick because they drink too much water before a trip. Don’t forget your dog’s favorite chew toy; it can help keep him entertained while on the road.

Love your dog enough to put him in a restraining harness. This will help keep him stable in the event of a sudden stop. It also will prevent him from sticking his head out the window, which is very unsafe. If a small rock hits and cracks your windshield, imagine the damage it can do to your dog.

Last but not least, never ever leave your dog or any other pet in a vehicle in warm or hot weather because even if the windows are open the temperature inside the vehicle rises to deadly levels fast.

I hate to see dogs waiting inside a hot car while their owners are inside a nice, cool restaurant. In situations like this, it’s best to leave your four-legged friend back at the hotel instead of in your car. If you have to eat while traveling, try the drive-thru of your favorite fast-food restaurant.

Wherever you vacation this summer, make it a fun family experience by following these simple tips. Stay safe, buckle up!

When I have to give any of my dogs oral medication such as a pill, I hide it in a bit of peanut butter and place the small dab in their mouth. They think it’s a treat and eat it right away. This trick usually works on most dogs.