Stop Digging with Redirecting

Does Fido dig holes all over your yard and garden? Not only is this habit irritating to you, but it can also be dangerous if you happen to step in one of Fido's little holes unknowingly. Reason for digging can include:

-Boredom
-Natural instinct to bury food and toys
-A dog's desire to find a cool spot to relax


So what do dog owners do when they are at their whit's ends over their daffodils and daisies? Build you dog his very own sandbox!

It is simple enough and will satisfy those digging instincts for your pooch.

If your dog is smaller, a child-size sandbox or kiddie pool should be adequate. For larger dogs, you may want to locate a level area in your yard and create a border of the sandbox using 2" x 4" pieces of wood. Nail 4 boards together to create a square/rectangle.

Next, fill the box with playground sand from your local home improvement store. Obviously larger dogs will need more sand and for smaller dogs, probably a few inches of sand will do.

To train your pooch to use the sandbox, start by burying toys and treats within it. Make it a fun activity for him. Chances are that Fido will stop digging up your garden and will learn to love his new sand box instead!

Yet ANOTHER Recall-Hartz Rawhide Chips

NJ company recalls dog food chips

October 17, 2008
SECAUCUS, N.J. - The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled a specific lot of its Hartz chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.

The company announced the recall Friday, saying the two-pound plastic bags of chips with lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 were distributed to a national retail customer it did not identify.

Hartz said the normal testing it conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any of its rawhide products, but sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a single bag of the chicken-basted rawhide chips.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and _ if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the rawhide chips _ in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.


Hartz is investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem. It said there have been no reports of any animals or humans becoming ill.

View article here.

From the ASPCA-Top 10 Human Medicines that Poison our Pets

This is a list that all pet parents should have knowledge of since most of our homes have one or more of these medicines around. Please visit this website for more information about very common medicines and keep it handy. Protect your pets from these, as well as any other medications, at all times!

ASPCA Dangerous Medication List

Our favorite dog parks!

Auggie and Piper LOVE going to the dog park. We tend to take them separately because Piper thinks that other dogs are hurting Auggie when they wrestle and he tries to break it up (although their wrestling is only play). He is always looking out for his brother! :)

For those of you that live in the Alpharetta area, here are a few reviews of the boys' favorite parks.

NEWTOWN PARK
3150 Old Alabama Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

This is very close to us and is the park we go to most frequently. It isn't huge but still has ample room for pups to play. The grass in the park didn't last long, but they have changed to a more dog-friendly ground covering. There are separate areas for small and large dogs, and baggies are provided for cleanup. There aren't many trees for shade, however there are newly constructed awnings built over the bench areas. Another bonus is the Starbucks across the street where you can grab a coffee before heading over to the park!


WILLS PARK-Waggy World Paw Park
175 Roswell Street
Alpharetta, GA 30004

This park has lots of trees and shady areas-great for those hot summer days. It is usually very busy around 5 pm when people get home from work. There are grass surfaces, as well as mulch-covered areas. The smalls dogs have their own area for those under 25 lbs. Make sure you park in the parking lot off of Roswell Street or you will be walking a good distance to get there.


PIEDMONT PARK
400 Park Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30306

What a blast we had a this park-it is worth the drive from Alpharetta! The boys' celebrated their 1st birthday here with several of the closest canine friends. This park is HUGE and offers a lot of space for dogs to run. It is also great for people watching-not to mention the variety of dogs you will see! This is by far the boys' favorite park, paws down. The downside is the limited parking. Arrive early because the park gets crowded-but there is room for everyone! Enter on Park Drive if there is parking available there.

Dog DNA Test and Sophie's results!

I'm happy to report that Sophie is almost back to 100% after her scary run-in with the illness that paralyzed her for many days. She was running around the yard and acting puppyish today! Maybe she feeling that much better, but the cooler weather is helping I'm sure!

Anyways, I wanted to share a really cool item with you-the Canine Heritage Breed Test...a dog DNA test! For those of you with rescued pups it is amazing! It can decipher what breeds make up your Heinz 57 pup.

We tried this test out on Sophie and also my Dad's dog Belle last year. It is super easy.
1) Order the test (http://canineheritage.com/breeds.php)
2) Swab the inside of your dog's cheek and mail back in container
3) Email a picture
4) WAIT BY THE MAILBOX FOR YOUR DOG'S RESULTS!

The Sophie and Sarah Review:
We thought this was a pretty cool test but there are a few downsides. Last year when we purchased the test, it only identified 38 breeds. They have now increased to 100 breeds, although there are still many very popular breeds left out. I would use this test on my other pups but it does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed-which SO many dogs are mixed with (including mine!). So if you believe you dog is mixed with a certain breed, make sure you check the list before purchasing or you may be disappointed with the results. Another downside is the cost-which has almost doubled since the increase of breeds. BUT, all that aside, it is still very cool to have a nice little certificate with your pet's picture on it, displaying what breeds are "in the mix."

RESULTS:


Sophie's Breed Composition:
PRIMARY BREED: none
SECONDARY BREED: Chow Chow, Chinese Shar-Pei
IN THE MIX: Samoyed



Belle's Breed Composition:
PRIMARY BREED: Doberman Pinscher
SECONDARY BREED: none
IN THE MIX: Labrador Retriever

So that wraps up our review of the Canine Heritage Breed Test. There are several other companies that offer similar tests so look around if you would like to know what else is available!

***PET FOOD RECALL***

Mars has issued a voluntary pet food recall for their products produced in the Everson, PA Plant due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please visit the link below for a complete list of foods possibly affected: (http://www.petcare.mars.com/)

***Alert for Birds~~~Dangerous Toys/Sleep Tents***

Beware of the dangers of toys for your birds. I recently heard of a parakeet getting his leg caught in a popular bird sleep tent called a Happy Hut. Here is a list of toys/cage items that can pose problems:(http://www.avianweb.com/toysafety.html)