connie's blog

November rings in Senior Pet Month and as the guardian of a mature dog myself (next month Kaya will be 15 years old), I can personally vouch for the wonderful companionship they offer. In recognition of their golden years, I'd like to send out an appeal to those who are considering adding a pet to your household mix - please consider a senior! The following outlines sound reasoning for choosing a senior over a younger dog: 

1.    What you see is what you get., i.e., they're already full grown, so you'll know their maximum size; you'll also be able to see their personality and behaviour.
2.    Older dogs are usually calmer, requiring less exercise than a rambunctious puppy or adolescent dog.
3.    They come trained and used to living in a household (this can be a blessing especially if living in a condo complex or tower where housetraining a puppy could be a logistical nightmare).  
4.    They have most likely already been spayed or neutered.

Although I have never been able to grasp how people can surrender their aging pals to an animal shelter after spending years together (it would be like giving up a child for possible euthanizing), their loss is your gain. It's often been said that animals that are rescued exude gratitude and love that words alone can't express, so why not choose to be a recipient of that devotion? To get started, you might want to consider a visit to Petfinder.com, choose "senior" in the search field, put in your area/postal code, search, and you'll see lots of adoptable senior dogs appear. You'll be able to view an image(s) and read a short write-up on each dog's history, personality and ideal adoption scenario. Or, alternatively, drop down to your local animal shelter to visit your prospective goldie-oldie firsthand.

            
Wondering what to be for Hallowe'en? If you want to have your costume co-ordinate with your dog's, check out Leg Avenue. They're known for their well-made and adventurous (think riské) costumes and now they've launched a line of matching pet costumes, too. I recently watched a runway fashion show that featured some of their quite amazing human/dog costumes. From Heidi look-alikes, to Dorothy duos, they were matched in every detail. So I decided to go to the Leg Avenue site and see if I could find the perfect costume. Mini-Dachshund Rose (Kaya's not much for dressing up) and I opted for the pirate scene. The sizing chart was right on so, when our costumes arrived they fitted perfectly. I think we make a rather dashing pair, don't you? Arghh!

With Halloween nearly upon us, it’s a good time to brush up on some safety tips to keep our fur kids safe and sound on the spookiest night of the year. My dog is absolutely terrified of fireworks and the week leading up to Halloween I have to coax her outside for her walks. If she hears even one firecracker go off, she’s heading for home at break-neck speed. Lots of dogs are similarly frightened, so first on my list of precautions is to make sure your dog is leashed at all times during your walks.  Similarly, if you’re handing out treats on Halloween evening, either have your dog leashed and tethered away from the door, or safely shut away in another room altogether, so she doesn’t escape whilst you dole out goodies. This practice may also save the day (or rather night) in the event she goes ballastic upon seeing the trick or treat’n ghouls and goblins swarming your front door. 

The ASPCA has some other good tips to ensure the safety of your harried hound:

•    Skip the sweets. Several popular Halloween treats are toxic to pets.  Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs.  Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. “Chocolate, especially baker’s and dark chocolate can also be potentially poisonous to animals, especially dogs,” advises Dr. Hansen. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and increased thirst, urination and heart rate and even seizures.

•    Watch out for those wrappers. Cats especially love to play with candy wrappers, but ingesting aluminum foil or cellophane can cause intestinal blockage and induce vomiting.

•    Trick-or-treating is for kids, not pets.  During trick-or-treating hours it is best to keep pets in a room away from your front door.  “Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors constantly arriving at the door, and pets may escape the safety of their home.  Be sure that your pet has identification tags should he or she accidentally get loose,” recommends Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA Pet Adoption Center in Manhattan.  Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with tags and/or is microchipped.

•    Careful with costumes!  If you dress up your pet for Halloween, make sure the costume does not limit his movement, hearing, sight or ability to breathe or bark.  Also check the costume for choking hazards. A smart alternative to dressing your pet from head-to-paw? A simple, festive Halloween bandana.

•    Decorations can be dangerous.  Re-think putting candles in Jack-O-Lanterns.  Pets can easily knock over Jack-O-Lanterns and start a fire, and curious kittens are particularly at risk of getting burned by candle flames.  Also take care to prevent your pets from having access to wires and cords from holiday decorations.  If chewed, a wire can damage your pet’s mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock.

•    If your dog or cat accidentally ingests any potentially harmful products and you need emergency advice, please consult your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee applies) or http://www.aspca.org/apcc.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!!

 

One of the most anticipated pet industry trade shows of the year is the HH Backer Christmas show held for three days every October in the windy city of Chicago.  With two floors chock-full of exhibitors representing everything from the latest in pet food products to just-off-the-runway pet attire, you really have to hustle to take it all in. As usual, we've sourced the best and most interesting products which you'll find in the pages of our winter issue (on newsstands Dec 1^st). The Backer show also represents the last of a series of back-to-back shows we've travelled to this fall and it's with a sigh of relief that I can now focus on catching up with work (and rest!).  I'll miss the social aspect though... emails and telephone calls certainly don't compare with the in-person conversations afforded by these shows. In closing, I'd like to thank Patty Backer and her team for the great Saturday evening 70's party they hosted for the attendees.

Here's a party shot of Modern Doggers, Jessica (top right) and Lisi (top left), with the guys from Hound Cuffs and Yuchun from Dosha Dog:

If you're considering adding a canine companion to the household mix, I hope you will consider a shelter dog. There are millions of dogs languishing in shelters, waiting for their forever homes, often-times given up not because they were bad dogs, but simply because their humans didn't realize the responsibility required in keeping them. And don't let the excuse of wanting a specific breed stop you from choosing a rescue, simply Google the breed you're looking for and add "rescue" to the search string and you'll be surprised at just how many breed-specific rescues you'll come up with. Or why not drop by your local shelter? Another option is Petfinder, that's where Jennifer, Modern Dog's creative director, found her new baby. She wanted another mini-Dachshund sibling for her dog, Esther. She went online at Petfinder and came up with hundreds of Mini's hoping for a home. She was able to find a "practically perfect" fit in Rosie, a long-haired Mini who now comes along to the office every day with her sister, Esther. Please make a dog's dream come true and make your first choice a rescue.

Here's Rosie (ain't she cute?!)...