Thanks to Preston’s cyber friends in Houston, Preston got a long list of pet-friendly places to visit. Mommy and Daddy helped Preston check off three dog parks from his list in his first month here.
1). Congressman Bill Archer Bark Park- 17 acres of off-leash area with open space, walking trails, an agility course and two bone-shaped pools.

Preston visited on the day when a Great Dane meetup was taking place.

2). Millie Bush Bark Park- 15 acres of open and well-manicured space for off-leash fun. There are walking trails, agility equipments and three pools. This dog is only 5 miles from Congressman Bill Archer Bark Park. Can you believe that two such awesome dog parks are so close to each other? Lucky Houston dogs!
In Houston, the small dog areas of the dog park are for dogs 20lb and under (size restriction here is smaller than parks Preston used to visit in CA or MA). When 30 lb Preston visited the small dog area as a guest, he had an entourage following him…

3) Danny Jackson Bark Park- This is a smaller park (by TX standard, of course) with 3 acres of off-leash area and two swimming pools. The best thing about this park is…it is only 1.5 miles from home!
Preston hopes to make lots of new friends here.

The part Mommy likes the most about these bark parks is the doggie shower! Preston can always come home as a clean dog! But he doesn’t seem to be as excited about this amenity as mom is.

It has become one of Preston’s daily routines to have a treat dispensing toy like Kong® when Mommy and Daddy are having their dinner. Preston finishes his dinner first and then brings his Kong over to Mommy to be filled with “goodie of the day”. Mommy is always looking for new yummy (and sticky) Kong fillings. Here are a few of Preston’s favorites. What are yours? Please share!

Beef & Rice: Puree 2 parts of cooked beef + 1 part of rice, add water to achieve the desired consistency.

Banana & Peanut butter: Puree one banana and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (and some optional honey). Add a small piece of bread to make it stickier.

(a behind-the-scene capture during the photoshoot…)

Salmon & Cream cheese: Puree 1/2 cup of cooked salmon and 2 tablespoons of low/non-fat cream cheese (or cottage cheese).

More great fillings… Just cook and puree!

It was a nice spring Sunday. Preston went hiking at Mount Misery. Unfortunately, his first hike of the year was ruined by the ticks. After spotting two ticks on Preston, Mommy and Daddy couldn’t get Preston out of the tick-infested grassy field fast enough. Tick-borne Lyme disease is endemic in New England and NOT fun to have. Mommy examined Preston thoroughly and did not find more ticks on him. Hopefully, Frontline Plus® does its job keeping the ticks out of Preston!

FYI: some good articles about ticks: Ticks on Dogs. and Canine Tick Disease FAQ.

Mommy hopes this video will encourage anyone who has a hard time trimming their dog’s nails to keep trying eventhough it might seem like an impossible task.
Preston used to be terrified of nail trimming. Visits to the groomer were quite traumatizing for him. Mommy tried Peticure® but Preston ran away on the buzzing sound of the electric filer. Nail trimming was such a dreadful activity for both Mommy and Preston. For more than two years, Mommy had given up on trimming Preston’s nails. Luckily, his active lifestyle kept his nails naturally short. His dew claws were removed by the breeder so Mommy never has to worry about them.
This past winter was Preston’s first winter living in a place where there was a lot of snow. The de-icers on the ground made it hard to go for long walks. Running in the snow or grassy parks was just not enough to wear down his nails. Nail trimming became necessary again and Mommy wasn’t looking forward to doing it at all.
To Mommy’s surprise, nail clipping was so much easier this time around. Preston has become quite comfortable with his pawdicure, sometimes, he even falls alseep in the midst of it.

Preston’s pawdicure kit:

How does Preston learn to enjoy the nail clipping?
1. Growing up Preston is used to having his paws handled. Mommy likes holding his paws and wiggling his toes when cuddling.
2. Preston got two cheerios and a big praise if he let Mommy touch his toes with a nail clipper (without clipping). Repeat this many many times.
3. Then, move on to real clipping, Preston got two cheerios for each snap sound the clipper makes.

And many many cheerios later…

FYI: Nail clipping instructions

February is national pet dental health month. Preston is taking this opportunity to remind everyone the importance of pet dental care.
These pearly whites have won Preston many praises from the vet during his annual exam.


Mommy brushes Preston’s teeth every day. Of all the doggie toothpaste Mommy has tried, C.E.T. brand is her favorite.

Preston is so good at letting Mommy brush his teeth, especially when he is sleepy…

FYI: Read about a complete dental care program and home dental care guide by Dr. Holly Nash.

The other day I posted about our recent trip to the Dakota Memorial Dog Park. On this day I hung up a flyer and some business cards promoting PDX Puggles on the information kiosk available. 

Website: www.clarkdogpaw.org

So, I fired an email back:

Hi, Mark.

My name is Meagan. I am the one that posted the flyers for our meet-up at your dog park. I was forwarded your email.



I just want to start by saying I am not trying to argue with you but I want to make our group perfectly clear to you.



I understand everyone is out to make a buck, your company included. I understand you may think we are too because we charge a small fee. That is in fact not true.



We are a small group of individuals that own Puggles. We have formed a group (NOT a company) by word of mouth and by using Face Book to find other Puggle owners interested in meeting for play dates. LazyDog CrazyDog is a doggy daycare facility that has let us use their building to meet at during the winter months. Our $3.00 fee goes to them for that use. We (PDX Puggles) are simply a group of individuals that get together to socialize our dogs. We don't get profit from it.



The day I posted these flyers at Dakota was my 2nd visit to a dog park (the 1st was at Ross). On this day my 5 month old puppy got bit severely and had to be rushed to the vet. Not only did this experience make me vow to never visit a dog park again, you email has furthered solidified that.



I simply can't pay your outrageous advertising fee when I get nothing in return. We are not selling a play-date to people. We are not being paid to advertise for LazyDog CrazyDog. I hope I have helped clarify things for you.



The 8 1/2 X 11 full color, laminated flyer and color business cards cost a lot of my own dollars to make. I would appreciate it if you mailed them back to:

Meagan XXX

XXXX

Vancouver, WA XXX



Sincerely,

Meagan

By clicking over to the link to buy advertising space you will find this:

8.5" x 11" Flyer at Both Kiosks:

$30/3-month (min per site - double fee to post multi-site).

$50/6-month (one month free with 6-months prepaid per one-site - double fee to post multi-site).

$100/year (two months free with one year prepaid per one-site - double fee to post multi-site).



Business Card at Both Kiosks:

$15/3-month (min per site - double fee to post multi-site).

$25/6-month (one month free with 6-months prepaid per one-site - double fee to post multi-site).

$50/year (two months free with one year prepaid per one-site - double fee to post multi-site).

Site Location: Brush Prairie, Ross, and Stevenson (all options available) or Dakota.

I received an email from Byron over at SnugglePuggles about a Puggle Puppy that is up for re-homing. The email:

I had a family contact me who adopted a Puggle from another breeder as a surprise for his wife. She really had her heart set on another larger breed so they are looking to re-home their Puggle since the breeder won't take her back. She asked if I could help her find a good home because she's a great puppy and they don't want to take her to the pound. I will be getting pictures of her in the next day or so to post on our website and send to anyone who might be interested in the sweet girl. She is still a puppy, a very young puppy 7 weeks old. But she has gone to the vet and she is perfectly healthy (a copy of all vet records will go home with her). Her soft pallet is slightly elongated which only means there would be some more snoring/snorting than usual. It should not pose any major health concerns. She is great with kids as they have a 11 year old son. She has been introduced to their cat as well. Her colors are fawn with a little of the Beagle Markings. They have been working with the potty training so she will come already a little trained, as with any puppy you will still need to continue the training. She comes with her toys, and if you want to pay a little more her adjustable crate. They only want to recoup the cost of her which is $500, or you can pay $560 for her and her crate. As I said, she will come with her toys regardless and copies of the vet check up.

On January 28th, I was visiting the Dakota Memorial Dog Park with my friends, Annabelle and Puggly. About 45 minutes into our play-date I was bitten on the snout. Mommy was very scared at hearing my whimpers and seeing the blood gush out of my nose. With the help of Annabelle and her Mom, my Mommy rushed me to the Vet. The Dr. said one of my wounds was just superficial but the other, on my cheek, was a puncture. They flushed it out but said it did not appear to need stitches. The biggest surprise was seeing the perfect arc of puppy teeth punctures across the tip of my tongue. Apparently, when the offender bit down around my snout, it forced me to bite down on my own tongue. The Dr. put me on another round of pain medication and antibiotics. Mommy moistened my food down so it was easier to eat.

No one saw the offending dog clearly, he took off running when I started squealing, and the owner was nowhere near us. I am not assigning blame. It was an accident. An accident that could have been prevented, but an accident all the same.

I want to share with you an article that I found online, here, about Dog Park Etiquette. 

Rules of dog-park etiquette and deportment for dogs and their handlers.

By Pat Miller

(click below to read full article)

Depending on who you talk to, dog parks are either the greatest invention since microwave ovens or the devil incarnate – either the perfect place to exercise and socialize your dog, or the best environment in which to traumatize your dog, make him dog-reactive, and perhaps get him killed. We’re told that perception is reality, but these two perceptions are worlds apart. Which one is right?

They both are. Your local dog park can be a terrific place to take your dog, provided it is well-constructed, well-maintained, and well-monitored. It can also be you and your dog’s worst nightmare. What determines which perception will be your reality?

Not all dogs at the park are social. Some, like the Pointer on the right, simply enjoy the opportunity to run and play fetch games off-leash. The dog on the left isn’t socializing, either, but keeps barking at other dogs. Unless she finds other things to do with her park time, she may not be the best candidate for repeat visits.

Create a park culture

It only takes one renegade to spoil a park for other users. The best dog parks are those whose users band together to create a sense of community, who use education, peer pressure and, when necessary, call in the appropriate authorities to help regulate those who won’t follow the rules of etiquette and common sense.

One of the early dog parks, Remington Dog Park, created in Sausalito, California, in the early 1990s, initially held informal wine-and-cheese parties every Friday evening, to encourage camaraderie, a sense of community, and to create a social opportunity for humans as well as their dogs. The group developed a strong culture and close friendships. Park regulars were thus able to work together to monitor dog park behavior, educate new users, and keep park problems to a manageable minimum.

Most of the early dog parks were public/municipal parks owned and operated by local government, with park upkeep and management sometimes delegated to a users’ group, sometimes performed by the parks and recreation department, sometimes the animal services (control) division, sometimes even the local police department.

More and more communities across the country are developing new municipal “bark parks” as dog owners lobby for recreational facilities for humans and their dogs and insist on claiming their share of local park resources.

In addition, there are a growing number of privately owned dog parks where owners pay a membership fee for the privilege of sharing dog park play in a more controlled environment. Private parks are often more closely supervised, dogs are more carefully screened before being granted privileges, and rules more promptly and effectively enforced.

Whether private or public, rules of dog park etiquette generally fall into three categories: Appropriate dog behavior, appropriate human behavior, and rules of engagement what to do when someone doesn’t follow the rules.

Appropriate dog behavior

Not all dogs are good candidates for dog-park play. A dog park is not the appropriate place for dogs who have serious behavior problems in relation to other dogs or humans. Dogs with these kinds of “issues” should be carefully socialized in environments that are far more controlled than a dog park while their owners do behavior modification work. Consider the following carefully before taking your dog through the gate into your local dog park.

• Dog-park dogs should be friendly and outgoing, without being overbearing, obnoxious, or bullying.

• Your dog should be reasonably confident and social. Those who are fearful, aggressive, or reactive are not appropriate for dog parks.

• Basic good manners are a park prerequisite. Your dog should not body-slam, mouth, jump on kids, or mark (leg-lift) humans in the park, nor should he jump into laps of random sitting humans without invitation.

• Your dog should be responsive to basic cues – at least “come when called,” “sit,” and “leave it/off,” so you can get control of him if necessary, and prevent him from harassing others.

• Barking should be kept to a reasonable level, both for the comfort of other park users as well as nearby neighbors. Occasional barks of joy are acceptable. Non-stop barking of a “fun police” type dog is not, nor is barking with more serious aggressive intent.

• Only healthy dogs should visit dog parks. Obviously, communicable diseases and parasites are unacceptable as these can affect and infect other dogs. Structural un-soundness that can cause pain (hip dysphasia, arthritis, etc.) are a high risk factor for causing aggression when a dog is hurt or stressed by the anticipation of being hurt.

Human behavior

This is even longer than the dog behavior list. We humans are responsible for our dogs’ behaviors, hence we play a critically important role in making sure proper etiquette is adhered to, by our dogs as well as ourselves.

Two dogs were running very fast and slammed into this man from behind at a high speed. All you can see of the Shepherd-mix is the tip of his tail. Boom! He went down like a ton of bricks. No harm done this time. But this common dog-park accident demonstrates why small children should not be in a dog park, for their own safety.

• Obey all posted park rules, even if you disagree with them.

• Don’t bring small children inside the dog park. Occasionally, dogs who are running fast in a chasing game will accidentally run into a grown-up, sometimes even knocking down a full-sized man. Imagine what could happen to your toddler and that’s just from an accident, not even from the attention of a large dog with a strong prey drive who has never been socialized to small children!

• Limit your use of toys or food treats as necessary to avoid dog/dog conflict. This may vary depending on the dog population at the park during any given visit.

• Keep puppies under the age of four months at home. They aren’t fully immunized yet, so are at higher risk for contracting diseases, and are very vulnerable to being traumatized by another dog’s inappropriate behavior.

• Be harshly realistic about your dog’s potential as a park playmate. The dog park is not the appropriate place to work on fixing your dog’s behavior problems.

• Watch park play for several minutes before you take your dog in to be sure there are no dogs present who are inappropriate play partners for your dog.

• Remove your dog’s leash as soon as you enter the off-leash area. Mixing on-leash and off-leash dogs can cause stress in the leashed dogs, which may lead to aggression.

• Supervise your dog’s play. This is not the time to bury your nose in the latest copy of WDJ or your favorite novel. Be prepared to interrupt inappropriate play whether your dog is the perpetrator or the victim.

• If someone complains about your dog’s behavior, be prepared to consider his perspective before defending your dog or just blowing off the complaint. Apologize if your dog has been inappropriate, and be willing to leave the park if your dog is being too rough. If you really disagree with the person’s assessment of your dog’s behavior, ask someone you respect for her honest and frank opinion.

• Be polite, even if someone else’s dog is inappropriate and the owner isn’t controlling her dog or is unwilling to take her own dog out of the park.

• Keep the dog-human ratio manageable. A standard recommendation is no more than two or three dogs per human assuming those two to three dogs can be reasonably managed by one human!

• Remember: not all dogs enjoy playing with others. Be willing to leave if your dog isn’t having a good time. Some dogs enjoy a small circle of intimate friends but aren’t keen on crowds. Some enjoy park play as youngsters, but less so as they mature. If you love going to the park but your dog doesn’t, go without him! Go with a friend who has a more gregarious canine, or go dog less and socialize with other owners.

• Avoid disciplining another park user’s dog. If you must use force to break up a fight, so be it, but do not attempt to “punish” someone else’s dog once the conflict is ended. If you find another dog’s behavior unacceptable, take your own dog out of the park rather than “correcting” someone else’s dog.

• Honor the posted dog-park hours. They are set for a reason often for your own safety, or to maintain peace and harmony with nearby neighbors.

• Of course, as always, clean up after your dog religiously both inside and outside the park. Be willing to clean up unclaimed piles of dog poo from visitors who don’t know or don’t follow the rules of dog-park etiquette, or perhaps who just didn’t notice their dog leaving a fecal souvenir.

Rules of engagement

As Patrick Swayze says in the movie Road House, “Be nice until it’s time to not be nice.” If a human or his dog is behaving inappropriately, assume they don’t know any better, and do your best to educate gently and politely.

If you’re uncomfortable doing so, seek out the help of another park user for support. Don’t wimp out! As a responsible dog-park user, you have an obligation to report inappropriate actions of other users that put the safety of dogs and humans at risk. How would you feel if you turned a blind eye to a potentially dangerous behavior, only to have another person or dog injured perhaps seriously or fatally if an incident happens in the future that you might have been able to prevent? (See “An Accident Waiting to Happen,” February 2004.)

Examples of positive phrases to use with an owner might include:

• “Excuse me, but perhaps you didn’t realize that this side of the park is for dogs under 25 pounds . . . Your Lab is really handsome; I bet he’d love to play with the Golden Retriever on the other side of that fence.”

• “Hey, that sandwich looks tasty and there’s a St. Bernard headed this way who’s eyeing it with great interest. It might be safer if you finished eating it outside the fence and then brought your dog back in to play.”

Before you turn him loose to play, remove all of your dog’s gear except for the easily removable plain buckle collar that (we hope!) holds your dog’s ID. It’s very common for a dog to get his teeth or jaw caught in his playmate’s gear; some dogs have suffered broken jaws, and others have choked to death before they could be freed.

If the inappropriate actions are putting you or your dog at risk and the other dog owner isn’t receptive to education, take your dog and leave the park until you can ask the users’ group or other park authorities to handle the situation.

If you don’t know and can’t get the dog owner’s name and contact information, try to get his license plate number. If that’s not possible, write down a detailed description of both dog and human, and note any times you’ve seen them at the park, to help authorities make contact. Also write a detailed and unemotional description of the behavior(s) you felt were inappropriate.

The positive approach generally works better with humans, just as it does with dogs. A dog owner on one of my training lists recently posted a message about her dog who occasionally became aggressive with other dogs at her local dog park. Other list members gently explained to her why the dog park was not the appropriate place to work on modifying her dog’s reactive behavior, and offered other options for doing behavior modification work with him. I’m pretty sure from her responses that she understood. At least I hope she did, for her dog’s sake, and the sake of other dog-park users in her community.

Mommy has gotten many questions about Preston’s food so she thought a post about his food would help answer many of those questions.
Preston used to eat home-cooked meals but when preparing his food got too time-consuming, Mommy found a great alternative - The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog food.

THK offers high quality dog food made with human-grade ingredients. It is easy to prepare but still gives Mommy the pleasure of making Preston’s meals.

Mommy adds cooked meats and pureed veggies to the hydrated THK (THK can be served as-is. Additional meats and veggies are optional).

Preston does not normally get raw meats except raw sardines every couple of weeks. He also gets fish oil supplements (1200mg) daily.

FYI: Good reads about dog food: The Best Food For Dogs and The Dog Food Project.

So, I signed up for Tumblr to see what all the hype was about. What I found was that I love it! It is so easy to use and is a great service for the micro-blogging platform. 

Sometimes I come across lots of little pictures, or clippings of things I want to share with my furiends but because it would normally take so much effort I usually don't.

From the website:

Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be.

So this is where My Tumblr comes into play. It makes it extremely easy to "follow," "like," and "reblog" posts seen around the web. Most will be dog & animal related but I might just throw in a few I that aren't but that I think are too funny not to. 

If you have a Tumblr blog (preferably dog/animal/pet related) I would love to follow you so leave me a comment, mkay?