Dogs Can Get Diabetes Too

November is the month to join in the campaign to raise awareness for and help stop diabetes. Whether you know someone who has the disease or you are interested in helping you and your family avoid getting it, the American Diabetes Association website is a valuable resource. A member of our family that we don't often associate with diabetes but is as vulnerable is our dogs. The website A Dog Owner's Guide lists the causes, symptoms and lots of ideas to help keep your dog from developing diabetes.

Suddenly Senior

Look who has turned all 'senior' on us! Or maybe not. Astrid should be in the neighborhood of being 7 years old. She came to live with us in 2006 at the approximate age of two. Being a large mixed up breed, some put her into her senior years around 7 to 9 years. This is 'Adopt A Senior Pet' month. Astrid...she's mine but the shelters are full of senior dogs that would make perfect pets. There's lots of good reasons to pick a senior dog....here's 10. 

Fashion Paws...BIG is Beautiful

When it comes to dogs, big is beautiful. Sure, all the cute clothes only come in tiny sizes but being big has it's advantages too. Go to any fabric store and you will see why. The most eye catching and colorful fabrics have large patterns! In this picture, Astrid makes it obvious. The bigger you are the more you can show off dazzling patterns and colors. 

5 Fun Things You Can Do For FREE To Help Shelter Dogs

1) Play 'Pet Trivia'. Purina will donate 25c to adopt-a-pet.com for each right answer.

http://www.pureloveforpets.com/

2) Play ' let's pretend' with 'Twitter A Critter'. Pretend you are picking out a new dog. Pick size, color, etc. Click on fetch. Up will come a multitude of dogs to choose from. First, reassure the three dogs sitting next to you that this has nothing to do with them. Next, pick your favorite dog on the screen. Don't fret over your choice because you can come back and do this over and over again all day. Twittering a critter will bring to the attention of thousands dogs that are waiting for their forever homes. A Twitter account is required, but you've been meaning to start one for your own dogs anyway, right?

http://www.adoptapet.com/twitteracritter/

3) Answer the daily trivia question (right or wrong!) at Free Kibble's 'Bow Wow Trivia' and 10 pieces of kibble will go to feed a hungry pet in a shelter. 10 pieces won't go far, you say? Over 64 million pieces of kibble have been donated so far…that's a lot of kibble.

http://www.freekibble.com/

4) Put a free downloadable widget on your website from Petfinder. The picture of a needy pet will change constantly and bring the clickee directly to the Petfinder page.

http://www.petfinder.com/widgets-banners/

5) Help kids find ways they can promote kindness to animals.

http://www.pleasebekind.com/candotohelp.html

Fashion Paws...Focus on Color

This week's fashion paws has us celebrating the colors of the season and seasons to come. It all starts with the bright oranges of Halloween and whoosh...the flood of colors starts with the reds, greens, browns and all the others associated with Thanksgiving and the holidays to come. Like no other time of the year, the photographer in all of us comes out, preserving our joy and memories awash with color. 

Senior Pets Are Special

November is 'Adopt A Senior Pet' month! There are so many good reasons to adopt a senior pet...here are ten that relate to senior dogs. My favorite is number 7....what you see is what you get. On this site, you will also find several resources for locating a senior companion plus information about those participating in a 'seniors for seniors' program. What could be more perfect than a senior individual providing a home for a senior canine? 


No matter the age of the dog you choose from a shelter, you'll want the best 'rehoming' situation possible. There are articles on all aspects of introducing that new dog into your household on Petfinder.

It's Nice To Be Handpicked

Almost October - ...

  Curated By: JewelryByScotti

ArtFire.com

Craft Supplies

Dogs of Summer

Earlier this Summer, Astrid and I began playing the 'Dogs of Summer' game. For every dog she passed while out on our 6am walk without making 'much ado' over them, she got 10 points. In part, this was done in training for a Rally Obedience class that I knew we would be starting this Fall, and part of it was just for fun. This is a serious class meant for people and their dogs that are considering entering into Rally Obedience trials. A dog in a Rally O trial or even in a class really shouldn't be showing extreme interest in other dogs...they should be concentrating on themselves and their own tasks. So...the Dogs of Summer game was born and with it high stakes. Upon reaching 500 points, Astrid and me along with her dad will go out for dinner. A little while ago, North Carolina passed the law that well behaved dogs would be allowed on outdoor patios to dine providing they were welcome by the restaurant owners. Today, we passed our 50th dog of our Summer game without making 'much ado'. Now our next decision is where to go to dinner. The top picture shows what Miss Astrid has in mind...the bottom picture is more what Astrid's mom has in mind. Games like this give us both incentive to make life a game and to always play to win.

A Dog For All Ages

Many older people think they can't have a dog because they can't take them for the five mile walks they've heard that they need. Or from younger days, they remember all the time and energy that their puppy and adult dog took. They'd like a canine companion, but they think they are eliminated because of their age. This just isn't true. There are many dogs sitting in shelters all across the country that need just the type of home an older adult can provide. Just like dogs, no two older individuals experience life exactly the same. The key is to find the dog that fits one's personal lifestyle.

Astrid has her Autumn on.