“Dogs with long, fine hair tend to shed less than other breeds. Some breeds shed very little hair. Strictly “non-shedding breeds” do not exist. However, most breeds with single coats are considered “non-shedding” because their shedding is not very noticeable.” – The Science of Fur
The person who wrote that article never met Louise.
Every day when I make my bed, I throw a flannel sheet over it immediately or I will be sleeping in fur.
I carefully tuck the sheet over my pillows and make sure every inch is covered before I go to make breakfast.
But, Louise wants my pillows. No matter how tight under the covers I put them, she digs them out and makes a nest.
It’s no fair! I used to give her a special pillow but she wants all of them. But worse….
The hair, the hair is everywhere!!
Louise is single coated and short hair. Sheis supposed to be the least of my shedders.
With the addition of Charles’ long black hair, I just can’t win.
Thankfully, Sofie doesn’t shed much (even though she has the longest finest hair). Or maybe I just don’t see it because she is blond.
Any ideas how to keep a bed fur free? I know, ban the dogs from sleeping on it! Hahahahaha – good luck with that at DogDaz Zoo.
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: Animal, animals, blog hop, dog, dog hair, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, plott hound mix, pomchi, postaday, shedding
Sofie sometimes decides that she would rather lie down under the front tree in a pile of leaves then come in the house with the rest of us. Who could blame her? Squash E Bear used to do the same thing. There is something about a good pile of leaves that just makes you want to lie down.
Have a lovely Black and White Sunday.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: Animal, animals, Black and White Sunday, blog hop, cute dogs, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, sheltie mix
A 180 view of 4 out of 7.
From left to right: Sofie, Noel on the couch, Charles on my foot pillow, and Louise on her bed. Such is a nice quiet afternoon at the zoo.
This is a Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop. Thanks to BlogPaws for the hop. Head over there and see what they are blogging about.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Best Friends, Blog, blog hop, Cat, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, postaday, Wordless Wednesday
Charles here. I want to tell you about my day. Once a week, Louise and Sofie go for a play date with Sonya and her pack for a few hours. That leaves me home with Mom and the silly cats. I get sad when my sisters leave but Mom always gives me something special to chew on while they are gone. I am a really good chewer and make quick work of every chew treat she gives me. Then I pine until the girls return. What is your favorite chew treat?
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, animals, blog hop, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, postaday
Charles thinks he owns the bed, but Mini Cooper thinks she owns the bed.
Détente means the easing of strained relations
This is the closest I have ever seen them lie.
“If we don’t look at each other then the other must not really be there, right?”
Have a wonderful Black and White Sunday.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, Black and White Sunday, blog hop, Cat, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, multianimal household, Pet, pets, postaday
Charles: Hey, this is fun. I like hanging with you guys. Can you carry me now?
Louise: Oh My Dog, she’s taking another picture.
Sofie: Did you bring treats, Mom? I’m bored. {yawn}
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Best Friends, Blog, blog hop, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, postaday, Wordless Wednesday
Don’t be lulled into believing that Sofie likes Charles, even just a little, she doesn’t. I know she can really hurt him (55 pounds vs 15 pounds) and I am very watchful. Charles will be with us a year next month and it has been a learning for all of us. Even though all 7 of my animals have all learned to live together, it does not mean they are bonded to each other or are a pack. Sofie would probably throw Charles down the stairs if I wasn’t watching. The challenge I have with the two of them is mostly due to resource guarding.
When a dog is resource guarding there are 3 levels of escalation :
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Low level guarding: Dog growls and bares her teeth
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Medium level guarding: Dog snaps and lunges
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High level guarding: Dog bites
After years of trying counter conditioning and all the lovely things that behaviorists and trainers have taught me to do, I have settled on the following methods to keep everyone safe.
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Avoidance – I care less about what causes the behavior and more about keeping everyone safe. Charles eats in a pen (he’s aggressive towards animals and humans). Cats eat up off the floor. Sofie eats with a leash on. (Sofie is not aggressive toward Louise or humans).
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Exercise – I try to walk everyone before dinner (never after because of bloat). “A tired dog is a happy dog.” More importantly, I believe that dogs like to work for things and this way they work for food.
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Training – I make them all sit/stay when I put the bowls down until I give them the release word (Let’s Eat!). I like to think I have taught them a little control and this keeps them focused on the meal and less on each other. I also have trained them to ‘Leave it!” when I don’t want them mouthing something, whether food or not. This doesn’t change the anxiety or fear-based aggression tendencies but training should always be part of any program.
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Don’t feed while humans are eating and don’t feed from your plate. Alpha’s in the wild do eat first and also scraps are just bad for dogs. I lose this battle at home often, so don’t feel bad if you do too. I am better at training animals than people.
In my multi-animal household, I don’t try for bonding or love or anything like that between the animals. The number one rule is to keep everyone safe. I respect that each animal has its own temperaments and quirks. I accept that animals will be animals and I don’t expect them to reason or to change certain anxiety or fear-based behaviors. Never trust that a growl won’t turn into a snap which then turns into a bite.
How do you keep your furballs safe when they are eating?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: blog hop, dog, dog training, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, food aggression, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, postaday, resource guarding
Some dog(s) must have left a very loud message on the swing set down by the river. I am always in awe of the dogs’ incredible noses. Especially, when you have a hound, like Louise. Her nose is never far from the ground tracking something. I call her a ‘Hoover,’ (like the vacuum cleaner). …They possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses, compared to about six million in us. And the part of a dog’s brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is, proportionally speaking, 40 times greater than ours.(NOVA – Dogs Sense of Smell)
A good sniff is worth a thousand words. Enjoy your Black and White Sunday!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, Black and White Sunday, blog hop, cute dogs, dog, dog noses, DogDaz, Dogs, dogs sense of smell, Pet, pets, postaday, scent
Thank you to my Dad, my uncles, and all the men and women I personally know, and all those I will never know, who fought and fight, to keep me safe and free. THANK YOU – Lorian of DogDaz Zoo
Tags: america, dog, dog toys, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, pet blog, postaday, soldiers, United States, veterans, veterans day
A question popped up on my Facebook feed this morning that said, “If you could have one minute to say anything to your dog that they could understand, what would it be?” Truthfully, I don’t need one minute. I talk to the dogs, and cats, all the time and I really think they understand what I mean because it isn’t the words but the energy behind them. What do you think? Do you need a translator to speak dog? Sofie says she understands me purrfectly.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Animal, Blog, blog hop, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, postaday, talking to your dog
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