BarkSpot

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Big Dog, Bad Rap

While walking with one of my most favorite Rottweiler clients (you know who you are) the other day I got to thinking how obvious and unfair it is that some dogs get such a bad rap. This dog happens to be one of the sweetest and most gentle dogs I’ve ever met and she’s pretty well behaved too- but, does that get people to stop crossing to the other side of the street so as to avoid what must be a potentially dangerous situation? No! So, I was doing a little research on this topic and stumbled upon the American Temperament Test Society, Inc.’s website and found some very interesting information. They give dogs temperament tests on these areas:

• Unprovoked aggression
• Panic without recovery
• Strong avoidance”

In order to receive a passing score, the dog must not fail any one of these aforementioned categories. Just to give an example and break up the stereotype that some dogs have I will provide one comparison from the ATTS’ findings:

• Rottweiler with passing scores on this test:          83%
• Toy Poodle with passing scores on this test:          82.4%

Ironically, nobody seems to cross the street when I’m walking my Toy Poodle clients. While I think that one breed can arguably do more damage with a bite than the other, I think it’s worth mentioning that the probability of occurrence it almost identical.

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

The First First Dog

Black & Tan Coonhound

Early this morning I heard someone in the park call their dog, “Bo”. Not to be confused with the Obama’s Portuguese Water Dog “Bo”, rather this was a mixed breed lab who was mighty cute. But, in thinking about the First Dog I wondered, who was the first First Dog? Did George Washington even have a dog? Well, the answer is no, George Washington didn’t have a dog. He had seven! He had 3 American Staghounds which are incredibly beautiful, especially if you like a little shag on your fast dog. George Washington also had 4 Black & Tan Coonhounds, another amazing breed that you don’t always see around (at least I don’t). If you’re interested in reading up a little more on the topic of these Coonhounds, check out the Wiki article by clicking the image.

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Hook Up a Weimaraner!

I remember the first time I ever saw a Weimaraner, it was a sunny day in Arizona (obviously) and he moved in across the street. I quickly befriended his owner so that I could get a closer look at what I thought was one of the most beautiful dogs I’d ever seen. He stood tall with a shiny, almost sivler coat and icy blue eyes. He was a sweet dog, he was sensitive and thoughtful too. He didn’t fit into any of the negative stereotypes associated with the breed and was nothing short of a great dog.

While looking through one of Bark PDX’s Facebook fan’s profiles I discovered this link for a Weimaraner Rescue. The need for a home doesn’t discriminate against even the most beautiful, thus the need to have these kinds of establishments looking out for our furry friends. Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach would be happy to know that there were organizations dedicated to preserving the well-being and integrity of his breed. Take a look, and of course help if and however you can.

Weimaraners Rescue

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

When Dogs Save You

Dogs fascinate us constantly! Even the little things, like a puppy’s yawn, are reason enough for fascination. The way they wag their tails, the way they lay around without a care in the world, the way they devour their food… or not. Well, I was doing a little reading today and I came across a story about another fascinating ability some dogs have- they can sniff out bombs with 98% accuracy. All service dogs are amazing, but it’s a special treat when the dog in your pack is working to save your life the whole time like they do currently in Afghanistan.  I’m pretty certain I would feel more comfortable knowing that my furry pal could provide me a 98% success rate in detecting an explosive device I might accidentally step on. I wish them all a safe return! If you’re interested in reading more about this story, just follow this link:

“Dog of War”

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Rescue A Mini Pinscher!

Hello and Happy Monday to you all! It was a busy day, but then again, most weekdays are pretty busy for most of us. During one of our dog walking adventures today I noticed a couple of Mini Pinschers donning some really great jackets. I always wanted a “MinPin”!! A Red One!!  No, no, a chocolate one! I talked this over with one of our clients who incidentally is the proud parent of a Mini Pinscher of her own (of whom I’m a big fan). She told me about a service specific to Mini Pinschers where you can rescue them, foster them, provide them with transportation and the like. It’s called “IMPS” (Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc.). If you have a moment and are feeling motivated to help out a Mini Pinscher or looking to adopt one of these great dogs, take a look at their site:

http://www.minpinrescue.org/

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Feeding Is Believing

Image provided by Henrique Lopes

If your dogs are anything like mine they love to eat.  Despite this love for tender vittles it’s unfortunate that one of my dogs is pretty much allergic to every single food that I have ever tried- and I have tried many. From expensive food to not-so-expensive food, organic, name brands, you name it, my dog became ill from it. He would suffer with violent gas, diarrhea, vomiting, hives and obvious discomfort. It was killing me to see my little guy suffering and I knew that despite my efforts I had to continue searching for a solution. I consulted with many pet owners, vets and friends and found out that many people shared my experience.

After all that tainted pet food was going around subsequently resulting in the untimely death of many dogs I decided that I would search for a good recipe for dog food that I could make at home. I found a pretty good recipe and I am very happy to share it with you. It’s a little bit more expensive than some foods, less than others. It is definitely more time consuming to make than opening up the bag and just filling up the bowl, but I can’t stress enough how worth it is. My dog loves this food! He almost never has the terrible gas that he used to, no more itchy hives, his coat is so much fuller and softer than it used to be, his demeaner is so much better and it’s obvious that he isn’t suffering the way he was.  Also, because the crunchy food helps to some extent to keep a dog’s teeth clean, it’s a good idea to do a little extra brushing with this food. So, finally, I share the recipe with you:

Buddy’s and Bubba’s Homemade Dog Food

Ingredients

• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans – rinsed, drained and mashed
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Place the chicken leg quarters in a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes. Remove the legs and allow to cool. Strain and return the cooking liquid to the pot. Once the legs have cooled. remove and discard the skin and bones; chop the meat, and set aside.
2. Stir the brown rice into the reserved chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, and add the rice to the bowl with the chicken.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Pour off any excess grease, and place the beef into the bowl. Stir in the oats, spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, carrots, garlic, cottage cheese, and olive oil. Store the dog food in resealable containers in the freezer. Thaw the daily portions overnight in the refrigerator.

OK, well there you have. Please take into consideration that many of these ingredients can be substituted for other ingredients and give it a shot. This recipe gets my endorsement and I would love to hear how/if it works for you. Here’s the link to the recipe:

 Buddy’s and Bubba’s Homemade Dog Food

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

The Best Little Cat Box

Do you know what the best little cat box is? I do… it’s the clean box. Most cats really appreciate a clean litter box to use. A dirty litter box makes a cat feel the way you probably do in a portable bathroom out at the stadium. You barely want to even inhale in those things and a cat’s sense of smell is definitely better than yours. In fairness to the Porta Potty, I have found them to be incredibly useful on various occasions despite the disgust one endures for using them. Okay, so back to cats, they like a clean box.

Put yourself in the cat’s mind when thinking about this and ask yourself these questions:

• Would I like to have a dirty little litter box?
• Would I like to have my litter box shared by numerous cats?
• Would I like to travel 2 or more flights of stairs in search of my litter box? 
• Would I like to have my litter box placed on a freezing cold or scorching hot floor or next to the obnoxiously loud washer/dryer?
• Would I like to have my litter feel like quicksand because you thought that putting more litter in the box than necessary was a good idea?

If your cat starts relieving themselves outside of the litter box it could be as a result of one of the aforementioned points.  Please also remember that certain medical conditions could contribute to a change in your cat’s bowel habits.  These are just some thoughts, would love to hear about your method of keeping that box clean.

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Missing Dog, Please Help!

"Marti"

Hi Everyone, this is “Marti”, short for “Martini”. He went missing some time yesterday and  is still unfortunately missing. “Marti” is a rescue dog that escaped from his new foster home by digging under the fence. He was not wearing a collar, but he is micro-chipped. He is 4.5 yrs old, black and tan in color, very thin at about 7 lbs. Marti is a very skittish dog and will run if pursued. If you spot him, PLEASE PLEASE call one of the numbers listed below. He is new to the area (near SE 11th Ave and TV HWY in Hillsboro) and will have no idea where he is or how to get back to his foster home. His new parents are very concerned that he is too thin to survive outside for very long. There is a big $$$ reward. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!! If you have him PLEASE bring him back home, he is really missed!

Please call any of these numbers or take Marti to any vet or shelter if you have him……..Thank you so much!

1-877-MINPINS1
503-372-6870
253-473-1458

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

My Dogs Love The Yankees!

Daisy Loves the Yankees

It’s true, my dogs love the Yankees and I’m not talking about the Civil War here. I’m talking about the “Pinstripes”, the home of “The Bleacher Creatures” and “The Dirty Water Dog”, “The Bronx Bombers”!!  After cruising to a 10-1 victory last night and taking a 3-1 series lead over the reeling Angels, the Yankees are in the driver’s seat on the road to the World Series. In anticipation of the momentous occasion, my dogs Daisy and Buddy asked if it would be ok if I posted a couple of images donning apparel from the their favorite club. Needless to say I thought that would be a good idea and posted these images for your viewing pleasure. As fans of the game, we wish all of the teams the best of luck and admittedly we believe that they are going to need it if they are to overcome the Yanks this year. If you would like to send along some pics of your dog in their favorite team apparel we would love to see them… especially if that means they’re dressed in pinstripes. Go Yankees!

"Buddy", The Latest Yankee Fan

Welcome to BarkSpot from Bark PDX, a blog dedicated to our pets and our lives and adventures with them. Here we will share ideas, information, news, links, fun stories, anecdotes and basically everything pet and animal related.

Fall’s Been Great, But Here Comes The Winter

A little fun in the snow

Sorry that it’s been a little while since our last post, but there are a lot of things changing for Bark PDX! Namely that we are moving to a different location on about a 1/4 of an acre where we will be able to provide some doggie daycare. Don’t worry, we will continue to provide the same caring and compassionate in-home care that we have always provided. On a different note, we have been extremely fortunate this year insofar as we’ve had some excellent weather. Fall is upon us and the beautiful weather has persisted but I can’t help but be reminded that winter is just around the corner.

* This sounds obvious, but don’t leave your dog outside in the cold for long periods of time and please make sure that they always have a warm and dry shelter. Frostbite can easily be avoided if you take the proper precautions.

* Be extra careful when taking your dog on ice for if they should fall in or jump they could be at risk for serious injury. Again, this seems like an obvious point, but since these accidents continue to occur I thought I would remind you.

* Dogs need to be brushed from time to time to help maintain their insulation and don’t leave them wet. C’mon, take a towel to them or even a blow dryer- my dogs love it!

* Remember that there are a lot of things like antifreeze or rock slat that could be extremely hazardous to a dog’s health.

* Clean their soft little pads often and don’t let them fall asleep to close to the fireplace.

There are a number of other issues regarding a dog’s health for the winter and I implore you to do a little research so that you can keep your furry friends happy and healthy. Thanks again for reading!