I am a better person because of my dogs. I have had to learn a lot over the years about caring, and sharing, and patience. The gifts that they have all brought me have been immeasurable. My first rescue, Jazmine, taught me humility. I had her for 2 days. I had just graduated college (I thought I could take on the world), when I rescued her. She ate my comforter and my hairbrush in the first 24 hours. I learned I was not as all knowing as I thought and had to rehome her. My second dog, Nikki (many years later), taught me that I could actually be a good parent. Nikki was a pure bred Cocker Spaniel who I adopted at 8 weeks old. Together we had 18 years of caring and sharing and kindness. Nikki was my first baby. I spent hours everyday training her for off leash control and when she was about 4 I had my daughter. The love and devotion Nikki gave me over the years was wonderful. When the kid’s found Squash E Bear walking along the road and he came to live with us, he became my greatest teacher. He taught me unconditional trust and love in a way I never knew. Giving him shots twice a day, he never complained or questioned my purpose, and always was by my side in return. He also brought the family together at a time we really needed it. Louise (Lulu Bell) has taught me patience and quiet control. She is fearful and needs time to handle the world. I have learned to be quiet with her. Sofie is teaching me persistence and consistency. I must stay on task and must work with her in a repetitive manner. Lessons, lessons, lessons. Thank you all. I am a better human because of all of you. Just another dogdaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: animal awareness, animals, Cocker Spaniel, cute dogs, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, lessons, Pet, pets, postaday
Notice that the dogs are off leash while I am taking this picture, It is the first time that we took a walk together into the deep woods. And now, with the daily training that I have been doing with both the dogs (Sofie on the e-collar and Lulu on the Clicker & treats), they are actually at a point where I can drop the leash and even Sofie stays where she is placed. OMG!!!! What a pleasure. In only 2 weeks I have really seen an incredible difference. Sofie is coming in from the yard when called, she is much more attentive, and seems to be calmer over all. Last week we worked on “Sit,” “CalmCome,” and “Break.” (I just made a Fruedian slip and wrote “Calm” instead of “
What was that noise? Can we chase it?
Just another DogDaz morning at our house ❤
Tags: animal awareness, Animal welfare, Clicker, cute dogs, dog, dog rescue, DogDaz, e-collar training, nature, pets, postaday
Is This a Tiny Puppy or a Giant Ball?
Scientists at MIT are struggling with an issue of photographic perspective. At first glance, the image above appears to be of a tiny puppy laying next to a tennis ball.
“But what if it’s actually a normal-sized dog laying next to a giant novelty tennis ball?” asks Dr. Norman Friedlander, an aesthetics researcher. He posed this very question to his colleagues, and what was once dismissed as a cute little puppy photo has become a scientific quandary for the ages.
Via Tombygirl.
Tags: Animal welfare, cute dogs, dog, photographic perspective, postaday, Puppies
Sunshine and happiness! There is nothing like a smiling dog on a sunny day. The dogs and I took a great walk in the woods and went exploring. We had a great muddy time.
It is so much fun to romp through the leaves and jump over branches and through trees. The dogs help me remember what is important! It is the simple things: the smiles, the smells, and the sense of adventure that keeps my heart pounding. What did you do just for you today? I went walking with my girls and smiled.
Just another dogdaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: animal awareness, Animal welfare, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday
Louise's Adoption Photo
March 2010
We adopted Louise in April 2010, when she was about 6 months old. I decided that her birthday would be Oct 31, 2009 so she could be my Halloween Dog. Squash E Bear was starting to really slow down by then and he was totally blind. I thought that getting a companion might help him on our walks and keep him company. I went on http://www.PetFinder.com and other dog sites and started to look for my next love. After several false starts (one being a shelter adoptee that bit me and Squash the first night she was here), I was ready to give up. Late in March we stopped in PetCo to buy guinea pig food on a Saturday and happened upon an unexpected adoption fair. I was immediately attracted to this medium size male dog with long hair (like Squash’s), but the rescue leader tried to talk us into this very fearful little black labby thing. I never thought about a black dog before, or a lab, and I was not interested in a short haired dog (I like the furry kind). We took Louise for a little walk and she was timid and fearful. I really was not interested. After a while her foster family came to pick her up and I saw a different dog emerge. She jumped on the kids and was really happy to see them. We talked to the foster and went home to think about it.
As you can see from the adoption picture above, Louise was not in the best of shape when rescued. They were having trouble placing her because people were scared off by the condition of her skin and her shyness, When you rescue an animal, you don’t know a lot about their beginnings. I was told that she was rescued with her sister, Thelma, at about 4 months old. The rescuers (MJ’s Sanctuary) went down to pick up a bunch of dogs from a kill shelter in North or South Carolina (that is where Maryland gets a lot of dogs) when 2 men drove up with 2 puppies in the trunk. The rescue team tried to talk the men into releasing the dogs to them but these guys did not want to, so the team kind of liberated the dogs somehow before they could be taken into the shelter. Hence her name, “LOUISE” (from the great liberation movie, “Thelma & Louise“). I figure Lulu’s Mom was maybe a hunting dog who got pregnant and gave birth in a barn. Somebody put flea collars on the pups and threw some food at them but I don’t think they interacted much with them because she appeared to not be socialized to people, and definitely not to males. The flea collar was embedded in her neck and her skin was covered with terrible dry mange when they rescued her and she shied away from everyone.
Lulu trying to cuddle with Squash
April 2010
I decided that I would spend some time with Louise and see how it work with Squash. As you probably figured, it did not take long for me to fall in love. Though it has taken 2 years of work (which continues) to help her over the anxiety of life, I could not have been chosen by a better dog. Today she is a loving and special girl, with a shiny coat and adoring eyes.
Louise Today
March 2012
Just another DogDaz morning at our house ❤
Tags: adoption, animal awareness, animals, dog, dog rescue, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, shelter dog, Thelma & Louise
My toy
I think I am noticing a pattern with Louise. She likes to sleep on her toys,
This is mine!
She seems to always have her paw on something or it is under her, Sometimes, multiple toys are under her at the same time, Is this a ‘This is mine so leave it alone’ thing, or is it just that she feels secure touching something when she goes to sleep. I never had a dog that actually lied on the toys this way. I originally thought that it was to keep Sofie away from them (which it could be), but, as you can see in the first shot, she even likes to just stretch out and touch a toy and then fall asleep.
My Toy - Do Not Touch
This week Louise was really in love with this frog that I got at the grocery store for St. Patrick’s Day, but tonight Sofie got it from her and they ripped it in half. The usual stuffing everywhere, quick find the squeaker before they swallow it,,,, you know the drill kind of toy. Well it did last almost 3 days, which is kind of a record around here. It was funny because Lulu was squeaking the frog during business calls this week and I had to apologize to people because I did not want to stop her she was having so much fun. We did not even have him long enough for me to get him in a picture.
Mine, mine, mine
I do think that animals like to cuddle with their toys like we humans do (well some of us). Sofie always carries around Beaver (her lovey), so maybe, Lulu finds comfort in knowing that one of her many play things is near by.
Just another dogdaz morning at our house ❤
Tags: animal awareness, Animal welfare, animals, cute dogs, dog, Dog People, DogDaz, Dogs, nature, pets, postaday, toys
March 14, 1933
For those fans of poorly made animated movies of the 1990s, the name Balto will be familiar. For those who aren’t, Balto was an Alaskan sled dog who was famous for running the last two legs of a miles-long journey in a blizzard to bring diptheria serum to Nome to end a fast-moving epidemic. Balto was the lead dog for Gunnar Kaasen who risked his own life and suffered frostbite running his dogs for over 24 straight hours (missing a pass off point) and collapsing upon arriving in Nome. His words as he fell were “damn fine dog.” Balto became a national hero, although he and Kaasen were only one of twenty teams to complete the journey. Balto’s fame led to the commission of a bronze likeness by the city of New York in Central Park (near the Children’s Zoo) even though the city had no direct connection to the dog or Kaasen. When Balto died on March 14, 1933 his body was donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History where it was preserved (ok, stuffed) and put on display, and remains so to this day. (See above)
Balto’s heroics are not without some controversy. Although Balto led the last team, many historians believe that the true heroes of the run were Leonhard Seppala and his pack leader, Togo who covered 84 miles in a single day and a total of 250 miles, including the “commute” from their home to their pick-up point. Unfortunately for Togo, it was the dog that finished the journey who received all the accolades…and a 1995 animated film with voice by Kevin Bacon. (Comment by DogDaz – I love that movie!)
(Image of Balto in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is courtesy of fortunecity.com)
Source: baltostruestory.com
Tags: animal awareness, animals, Balto, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, dog, DogDaz, nature, postaday, Togo
TIP: Air Dry Your Dogs for Fewer Wrinkles
Everyone knows dogs can be extremely difficult to dry. They often come out of the spin cycle totally full of wrinkles, which requires hours of careful steaming. And who has time for that? If you want that fresh-pressed look without all the hassle, fashion experts recommend air drying your dogs.
“Not only will they come out wrinkle-free, but air drying is actually fun,” writes fashion blogger Pia Alexander in her upcoming book, “The Debonair Doggie.” She suggests a quick drive in the country with the windows down.
thefluffingtonpost: Via emdot.
Tags: animals, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, postaday, Puppies
Lulu likes to go down to the river and visit the Osprey. The Osprey aren’t to happy about it and swoop down as low as they can to yell at her. She says “This is my river bank and I was here first.” She doesn’t know that the Osprey return to our platform in the water every year and have their babies. I don’t know if they are the same pair or new families. They have started to screech over the house a lot to let Louise and Sofie know to stay away. The other day one of them had a huge stick in his back talons and was taking it to the nest. I love spring, Just another dogdaz morning at the zoo ❤
DogDaz Zoo 