You know, there is a whole lot of press concerning those folks who can relate well to dogs. Cesar Milan comes to mind. However, I have never heard much about dogs that know their people. My Kodi always knew just when I needed a special nudge. Even bad dog Marley of the infamous “Marley and Me” knew when his Mama had a setback with her pregnancy and comforted her. The soft brown melting look that quietly speaks of understanding. My point, dogs provide us more than we could ever provide them.
With that in mind, I am passionate about a new project in the neighborhood. A little girl with Autism only needs $1500.00 more for a service dog that will provide her with an unlimited amount of support, guidance and love. In an effort to contribute, I am donating all proceeds from the first month of sales for all new autoship customers with HealthyPetNet while she is reaching her goal. My first event will be held this evening at the Shop Til You Drop night at Tranformations in Odenton, MD from 4:30-7:30pm. My goal is 5 new customers receiving dog food right to their door. Simple. Infact, for those who cannot attend, shoot me an e-mail info@HealthyPetRegimen.com and I will enter you in the contest for the goodies I am raffling off. Not only can you buy your pet a wholesome dinner, but donate to charity at the same time. Not one extra dime out of your pocket.
You know the look. Eyes glow mischievously, the puppy charges from across the room to attack. Watch out, because 5pm is the witching hour at our house. Otis gets so fired up he often runs so fast in the living room he slams into the wall or couch causing uncontrolled giggles from those he was trying to impress the most with his fierce demeanor. Not sure if laughter boosts his manly ego, but he enjoys the attention. Ironically, Otis is a couch potato 23 hours a day, but for one hour he gets completely fired up and becomes devil dog. Although we believe he’s the sweetest dog in the whole world, the nick name has stuck.
I had a flashback today. My boss was telling us about her daughter’s dog and her penchant for eating food. Lots of it. dog food, people food, it didn’t matter. The conversation brought me back to 16 years ago when our Lab/Chow Chow/Malamute mix Kodi was just a puppy.
We lived in Alaska at the time and it was the middle of winter. Colder than…. let’s just say it was so cold we had to leave the car running while we went in the store. After we stopped for a couple groceries, we left Kodi in the car with the heat on and ran into the the excuse for a department store. While we were gone, she managed to eat an entire loaf of bread and open a gallon of milk for a little drink. I’d be thirsty too after a whole loaf. Problem is, she must have missed her mouth. Milk was all over the back seat of the car. Come Spring the car defrosted and the stench of spoiled milk was unbearable. We traded that car in and got a deal on it before they set foot in the car. We felt a little sorry for the dealership guys who had to clean that mess up. That one loaf of bread and gallon of milk signified only the beginning of her career.
I can remember making my first lasagna ever when we were first married and we left it on the counter to cool. We learned real quick that Kodi was pretty tall on her two back legs. She stood there at the counter with her head in the lasagna. Briefly lifted her head, cocked it to the left to see me come in the kitchen. Her black snout dripping in red sauce then went back at it with full gusto. I cried. Another day, I baked a full tray of cookies and left them out for my hubby. Pleased with myself for my thoughfulness. She saved two cookies for Rick and none for me. Just as well. I wasn’t sure if she licked those two.
Eventually, Kodi trained us to put all food out of reach. I stopped crying when she ate my food and even started prying bagels, and what not out of her mouth just to prove I was on to her. What little power I thought I had disappeaared. Like the time Kodi mastered unzipping backpacks and managed to eat my cousin’s souvenir chocolate bars in Germany from his bag. Wrapper and all. Tupperware was no match for her skills either. She rarely left a toothmark on the lid. Licked them so clean I could have used them on the spot. I didn’t really do that, in case you’re wondering. Even a brief intermission from the table meant certain demise off your meal. The kids would often shout on the way to the bathroom “watch my food”.
Towards the end Kodi slowed down and her arthritis meant she had to be more creative to get up on the table. Like use a chair to prop up on. She usually just resorted to the trash can because it was accessible. When Kodi was gone I found myself still lunging at unattended to food. That reflex has been slow to release. As much angst as that dog caused me, I sure do have some fun memories of her. Sure hope she enjoyed my lasagna as much as I enjoyed her.
I have a tendency to joke about most things. Especially when I am uncomfortable. But, when I read the latest information about a possible salmonella scare again in the pet food industry, I had nothing to joke about. Salmonella will make pets sick as evidenced by the 2007 pet food recall. Hundreds, maybe thousands of dogs and cats may have died. Once again, we are witnessing another pet food recall. I began doing a little researching. I didn’t realize that even just touching dry dog food is enough to pass the salmonella. That even a dog that appears well could be contaminated and pass the salmonella on without anyone the wiser. The obvious signs of infection for both humans and pets would be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Please, do yourself and your dog a favor and check http://CoolThingsForDogs.com for the full pet food recall list, as well as tips on how to protect your dog from the recalled foods.
It was a romantic moment. Marissa Tomei’s character was leaning in for a kiss from Robert Downey Jr. in Only You when…..Phew. My sister covered her nose wth the snuggly blanket on her lap. “I can’t watch a movie like this,” she declared. Otis had just “blew one”, as my son likes to say. What’s new! Sir Poops Allot, The King of Farts, Master Odiferous, Stinky. Yep, those are all nicknames we have given Otis. Seems there is no delicate way out of this one. We have already bonded with this dog, so to call it a dealbreaker is too late. We tolerate it. To the point where I have gotten really good at explaining to complete strangers in public it was my dog that just ripped one. I can count on a steady sound of poots while relaxing on the chair with my pup. I started asking other dog owners about this little gassy trait. A friend’s rotti, a friend of a friend’s bull dog and so on also tooted up a storm. Some dogs are just like that my neighbor,the vet, has told me. And since he just turned one, and we have many more blissful years, we will just have to deal with it. Oooooh, that stinks.
I like dogs. No….I love them. So much so I arch my neck every which way when I am out to figure out which dogs in the neighborhood I haven’t met. Not sure if the owners are happy to see or ready to run the other way because I always want to stop and chat, pet the dog and find out what breed the dog is. I’d say I was right more than 50% time when guessing, but these darn designer dogs are throwing me for a loop. It is my goal in life to learn everything I can about our four footed friends. Hence, the http://CoolThingsForDogs.com web-site. It is where I can gather and publish what I think is cool. My dog continues to be my inspiration with his unconditional love and playful spirit. Cheers to all those who have been equally enchanted by their furry friends.
So I felt guilty the other day since my dog, Otis, has been chewing up the same toys and I have had no time to go buy him a few new ones. I hauled my butt over to one of the big pet chain stores we all know and lingered too long over all the gadgets and gizmos dog owners can buy today. Now, Otis is a ball boy. We’ve tried squeaky toys, stuffed animals, the usual suspects, but he reliabilty chooses a nice firm tennis ball. Now, cheap imitation don’t do the job. I’ve tried the dollar section specials. Pieces of black and yellow ball have dotted my floor on numerous occassions. Instead, this time I opted for the Industrial Strength Tuff Mint Balls. Smelled minty and didn’t budge under pressure. I was pretty excited about these. Even shared one with the neighbor. Not more than 20 minutes had gone by when the dog developed a rash on his belly. Seemed awfully coincidental. We’ve had to become experts with Otis when identifying allergy triggers. His puppy booster even gave him hives the size of pencil erasers. Did you know you can give Benadryl to a dog? Apparently dogs, like people, have allergic reactions. So, although I loved the idea of the new ball, I’ll need to go back to good ‘ole Penn brand. Probably never intended for dogs, but durable and no obvious side effects when chewed, chased after, and retrieved. I better head out to my local sporting goods store this time.
