Trick or Treating Doggie Flops

From Dash’s Point of View: 

My Mom really wanted to take me to a Dog Halloween event yesterday, but my parents have had a really busy week and we just ran out of time. She felt bad and apologized to me all day. I have already worn my costume once and will wear it again tonight to hand out candy, so I think I’ll forgive her this time. Since I was supposed to be walking outside potentially on hot or rocky surfaces Mom made me some little flip-flops to protect my feet. I would like to tell they work great, but since I didn’t go to the parade I don’t really know. I tried walking in them in the house, but not for long. If you would like to make a pair to protect your feet while treat or treating with your family my Mom will show you how below. 

You will need: 

• Foam sheet 
• 4 covered hair elastics 
• Paper - for making a pattern 
• X-acto knife 

Use your dog’s foot to trace a paper pattern for the flip-flop sole. Cut the pattern from the paper. Transfer your pattern onto the foam sheet four times. 

Cut the shoe soles from the foam sheet. You can use scissor...I did.

Use the paper pattern again to make dots at three points on your dog's foot: between the middle toes and both sides of the heel. 

Mark holes onto the foam cut-outs. 

Punch holes through the foam. Keep the holes as small in width as you can. The X-acto knife can make too large a hole if allowed to push through too far into the foam. (It is easy to slip). You do not want the straps to pull through. If you have an awl or a sharp nail they will work also. 

Tie a knot on the side of the hair elastic opposite the seam. Tie the knot with as little excess as possible. 

Push the loop through to the top side of the foam. Use a pen or your knife to help thread the elastic if needed. 

Break the covered hair elastic at the seam. It should pull apart with a little effort. 

Pull the single elastics all the way through to the bottom of the foam. 

Knot each end on the underside. Keep your knots as close to the end without slipping out as possible. 

Pull the elastics back through until they arch on top and Voila!

Happy Halloween!

It’s My Party and I’ll Bark if I Want To - Dog Birthday Parties

From Dash’s Point of View: 

I know I’m quite a lucky dog to have a birthday party, but really, let’s be honest here. I’m rather sure my parties are just as much for my parents as they are for me. Well, let’s just say, I’ve checked with the baby humans that live with my parent's friends and their parents do the same thing to them...like serving steak when they don’t even have teeth yet. Ya, we’re on to you. So, this year’s was pretty chill...really just a family affair, but I got great gifts and everyone...dogs, and people too, seemed to have a good time. 

In preparation for my parties my mom spends some time on the internet searching for new dog-friendly recipes. I think she enjoys the chance to expand her baking skills. Here’s a site where she found some good one’s: http://kooldogkafe.com/recipes.html. She knows all the dog-safe ingredients I really like so she googles recipes that call for those. If she can’t find what she’s looking for she looks for things with similar moisture content to substitute, for example, carrots instead of apples. If she needs to remove a moist ingredient, but doesn’t have anything to replace it with she just adds a splash of water (or low-sodium meat broth) instead. Water’s a safe ingredient and I’m not that picky. Speaking of safety, I can’t eat all the same foods as humans. Some people food is toxic to animals. You will want to check the ingredient list before beginning a pet-baking project. Here are a couple good toxic animal food resource sites: 

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.aspx

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/people-foods.aspx

My mom chooses a different theme for my party each year, as you can see, this year we did fall colors and pumpkins...she really loves fall! She thought it would be a good idea to label the pupcakes for the party goer's doggie bags. Then my Grampy had to cut out little labels and glue them to each paper pumpkin on a toothpick. He was a good sport. The people always get a different treat. Like this year they ate a pie decorated with bone shaped cookies. It makes her happy to entertain pets and people alike.

My dad was not sure about throwing a birthday party for me the first time, but as usual around here, everyone knows the crazy flamboyant ideas are typically concocted somewhere deep in my mom’s mind. We just go along with them, but I will say they often turn out just right, especially when it comes to a party for me.

Recycling: From Dash’s Point of View

Dash will be posting for me today. One long week has spilled over into the next. I have one more informative and exciting post about volunteering/fundraising, but will have to table that for a few days.

Poop Bags! 

From Dash’s point of view: 

My mom has been making an effort to reduce our family’s carbon pawprints through recycling and repurposing. This is something we furbabies have been doing for a long time. Though I have never done it I have heard you can repurpose Mom’s expensive heels into a chew toy and then recycle them while fertilizing the backyard. But I am a bit of a fashion nut just like my mom so I believe shoes are for feet not for teeth. 

We live in a great neighborhood, but if someone does not pick up after me my parents run the risk of making the neighborhood paper. In effort to keep the yards of the month free of distasteful debris we carry “poop bags”. The bags from the pet stores are a great idea, but why buy more plastic sacks when we already have so many in the house? My mom’s favorite sacks are the long skinny ones that cover not just her hand but most of her arm like newspaper sacks, produce sacks, and bread sacks. These are nice because they are made of thin plastic and fold well. Sometimes she uses old freezer bags and sandwich bags too. She says it’s easy to just seal them off instead of tying them in a knot. If your dog is not a toy breed like me, well, sandwich bags may not be a good “fit” for you. 

Even though we are doing our best to recycle remember once used the “poop bags” become a trash item. One time my mom was in a rush and accidentally pitched it in the recycle bin. We had a very unhappy recycling pick-up man that refused our recycle bin for several weeks. Sorry recycling guy!

Independence Day Party Week - Pupsicles

A special cool treat for your special furry friend: 

Where do I even begin today? I decided to fill this week with Fourth of July party ideas and throw in a couple additional posts. I awoke this morning tired from Monday’s middle of the night post thinking about how I would efficiently create the remainder of and the additional posts for this week. I concluded I would go to the gym a little earlier and then have the rest of the day to work on the posts. I am sure you see where this is going...I came home from the gym, took Dash outside and when we were reentering the door he appeared to twist his ankle stepping through the threshold. He looked at me as if I had inflicted the pain he was feeling. I scooped him up (after I chased him across the living room) to find his foot was bleeding. We made a make-shift bandage and headed off to our vet’s office. It turns our Dash spilt his toenail in half all the way up into the quick. Meaning he had to be sedated and most of the toenail removed. How he manages these types of randomness I will never know. 

I had planned on adding these “pupsicles” later in the week, but was glad to have something special for my groggy little boy today. 

You will need: 

• Blender or juicer 
• Popsicle forms 
• Broth (low sodium chicken/beef) 
• Apple 
• Carrots 
• Green beans 
• Water 

I have a nice blender, thank you Mom and Dad, but I still need to soften fruits and vegetables before I can puree them. I boiled 1/2 c. chicken broth with 1/2 c. water and added 1/4 of a medium apple. The beans and carrots were already soft. I poured the apple/broth mixture in the blender with a cup of carrots and a cup of green beans. I added a splash more of broth and pureed. I would have added more broth, but I did not think the sodium content was low enough. That is why I added 1/2 c. water. Each of these ingredients are subject to your dog’s taste and digestive system. Blueberries, pumpkin puree, and natural peanut butter are all good ingredients too. If you are unsure, check with your veterinarian or credible sources such as ASPCA or AKC for dog ingredient lists. 

Pour the puree into popsicle forms and freeze. I punched a hole in the plastic handle and added a dog tag to identify these as “for dogs only”. They are all human-grade ingredients, but I think it may come as a bit of a shock to put one in your mouth...they smell awful! By the way, it is NOT a good idea to leave your dog unattended with a pupsicle unless you have left them only the icy section and removed all the non-edible parts. 

We just adore our vet, the other vets and the staff at Wedgewood Pet Clinic. They are so good to Dash!

Take Steps to Reduce Allergens in the Home

A Post from Dash’s Point of View: 

This year my mom decided we were going to adopt a no-shoes-in-the-house policy. I’m cool with that. In fact, I really hate when she makes me wear shoes anyway. I know she really likes her shoes, especially the really tall ones that go with her outfits, so she must be enforcing this rule for a good reason. When I was a puppy and came home with my new family my mom started using a lot of allergy medicine. She snuggled and cuddled me even though it made her nose all stuffy. Therefore, I should probably do my part to enforce her clean feet rules. 

So, here are some things we do at our house that may help you:

• Keep a pair of “people shoes” and a towel by every outside door. My mom does not really like the way they look sitting by the door so she finds creative ways of hiding them, like behind the curtains. This way when you go outside you can protect your feet from disease causing microbes. I usually do not wear shoes outside. My mom keeps a towel handy to wipe my feet and fur whenever I have been romping in the grass. She usually dampens the towel to help remove dirt and grass from my fur.

As I said before, we remove our shoes as we enter the house. In the Indoor Air Quailty Handbook, by John D. Spengler, Jonathan M. Samet, and John F. McCarthy, there are some interesting facts about pollen transmission into the home, “Birch allergen concentration indoors also peaked about 3 weeks after the atmospheric pollen peak outdoors, which was presented as evidence of pollen and allergen being carried into the home on shoes and clothing rather than via airbourne routes (Yli-Panula and Rantio-Lehtimaki 1995). Because these studies indicate that pollen penetration into homes is greater via carriage on shoes and clothing rather than via air transport, it is assumed that under certain circumstances in tight buildings, dustboune pollen and their allergens could potentially contribute to allergy symptoms.” Also, the EPA states, “Do not bring lead dust into the home...You may also be tracking in lead from soil around your home. Soil very close to homes may be contaminated from lead paint on the outside of the building. Soil by roads and highways may be contaminated from years of exhaust fumes from cars and trucks that used leaded gas.” As I understand it we should all try our hardest not to bring in dust, pollen, mold, other allergens and grass, especially grass, (my mom throws a hugh fit when when my daddy and I track in grass) on our feet or fur. 

• Clean your house often. Vacuum with a HEPA filter which helps trap and remove airborne particles, such as pet dander and other allergens. Keep kitchen and bathroom surfaces clean and dry to prevent a potential breading ground for mold. Besides keeping you healthy this will help keep your interior space neat and pretty.

• Give me a weekly BATH! According to www.health.com “research shows that frequently bathing your pet reduces the allergens found in their dander. A 1999 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology compared the levels of allergens in dog dander before and after a five-minute bath with an unnamed “proprietary shampoo” (which could describe an allergen-reducing shampoo such as Groomax). The researchers found that the bath reduced the dogs’ allergen levels by about 85% (pdf).” Please do not use harsh shampoos and do use conditioners on us too. Our skin can get dry and itchy just like yours. When this happens I scratch and shake dispersing dander into the air. If I do get itchy you can rub olive oil to my fur a few minutes before my bath. It will help moisturize my skin and it is all natural.

In closing, please do not send us away. If you are having allergy symptoms you may not be allergic to pets at all. It could be other allergens brought in on clothes, hair, and feet. You can get a simple scratch test at the doctors office to show you specifically what irritants you should avoid. There are many ways to remain healthy and harmonious with pets in the house. Besides, I hear people that experience the love of a pet in their lives typically live longer.

 

Treats and Kisses,         

Dash

Personalized Do-It-Yourself Pet Collars

Include Your Best Friend in Your Big Day: 

Before I begin today’s project I would like to talk a bit about this crazy week we have had here in Oklahoma. First, my heart goes out to all those in our state (and surrounding states) that have faced such devastation and loss. We are so fortunate to have been safe and spared. I am very afraid of severe weather! Therefore, I insisted we have a storm shelter installed in our home. Ironically, I was filming a commercial in a neighboring city when the weather took a nasty turn. I called my husband to make sure he could go home to get himself and our dog (and our neighbors) in our storm shelter. After hours of sirens and tornados criss crossing our state we emerged to find our areas safe but so many in total ruin. I urge each of you to involve yourself in just one small act of kindness, however you feel moved, whether it is donating goods, time, or money. 

As you all know I am all about the animals! I have learned that The Guthrie Animal Shelter and Evergreen Place Rescue of Yukon have faced demolition from the May 24th tornado out-break. This is where I plan to put my efforts. I so hope you will also feel compelled to help those warm hearts and cold noses that while able to love us unconditionally are unable to open cellar doors and take shelter in our absence.

Okay, on a lighter note, but still talking about our pets, why not include them in wedding festivities or just change their collar occasionally for special events? Though I was unable to directly involve my little guy in my wedding he celebrated at the reception in a miniature bow tie. Regardless if your pet is a part of your wedding or you are not getting married and just want to make a special present for them this collar is adorable, easy, personalized and made from things you already have. 

You will need: 

• Ribbons - multiple widths 
• Watchband - old, broken 
• Brads 
• X-acto knife 
• Scissors 
• Fabric glue 
• Your pet's collar to measure from (optional) 
• Metal slides (optional) 

A few considerations before beginning: 

If you are making this collar for your pet to coordinate with an event such as a wedding this would be a great place to tie in your colors. You will find most weddings have the same ribbon on multiple bouquets or tied to the programs; this would be a perfect choice for one of your ribbon selections. 

Look at the size of your watchband. Is the ribbon the same size as the part of the watchband you will attach it to? It should be. If it is too small place a coordinating ribbon below it and if it is too large, choose a different ribbon. 

You want to create a focal point for the collar. In the wedding spirit, I chose a ribbon with the word “love” printed on it for my focal point. As you can see below I have shown a couple alternate looks. The focal point on one is a metal slide. Let your other ribbon choices support, but not compete with your focal point. For instance, if you would like to use two printed ribbons: first make sure they do not challenge one another and second layer in solid colored ribbons. 

Here are two options if you do not have a forth ribbon or would prefer a slide to a ribbon with a word 

or logo on it.

Before you begin make sure all your ribbons are wrinkle free. If you have a flat iron keep your setting appropriately low and run your ribbons through the paddles. It really saves me the hassle of hauling out the iron and ironing board. 

Turn under your unfinished edges on the two center pieces. Turn under the edges however you would like: glue, sew, finger-press, iron. You may want to glue these two pieces together. It is helpful. You may only have one center piece depending on the style you chose. 

Find the middle point of the ribbon on the third layer (the solid brown ribbon) and center your two pieces atop. Using your X-acto cut a small slit through all three ribbons. 

Insert brads through holes. 

Use your pet’s collar to adjust the placement of the watchband. With a pencil, lightly mark a line where you will attach the band to the ribbon. I glued the brown and silver ribbons together from the center to the pencil line. 

Fold the smaller brown ribbon to the front where it aligns with the pencil mark and glue. Fold the silver ribbon also to the front and glue only to the folded front side of the brown ribbon leaving the back side of the brown ribbon and the front side of the silver ribbon unattached. 

Cut just enough back from the watchband edge so that the brad will not rip loose. Poke the X-acto knife through to the top ribbon. Mark the spot the ribbon has been cut. 

This gets a little tricky...notice I am wearing a band-aid in the pictures following this one. Remember I asked you not to glue the back of the brown to the front of the silver. You want to cut through the piece of silver ribbon where it is folded over, but not the back piece. You also want to cut through both layers of the brown ribbon. 

Prepare the watch band by driving the brad through the hole you made with the X-acto knife. 

Now push the brad (still attached to the watchband) through the three layers of ribbon and fold back the metal ends securing the ribbon to the band. By leaving a layer unattached in the back you are creating a barrier between your dog’s skin and the metal. 

Place a dab of glue to secure the ribbons together...we would not want our pets to get a toenail hung in a loop. 

Voila! Dash “loves” his new collar and I’m sure your pet will too!