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The First First Dog

Posted in Uncategorized on February 4th, 2010 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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.

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Hook Up a Weimaraner!

Posted in Uncategorized on February 3rd, 2010 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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

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When Dogs Save You

Posted in Uncategorized on January 28th, 2010 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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”

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Rescue A Mini Pinscher!

Posted in Uncategorized on January 25th, 2010 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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/

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Feeding Is Believing

Posted in Uncategorized on January 15th, 2010 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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

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Under The Weather

Posted in Uncategorized on August 20th, 2009 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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.

Under The Weather

Hello all, I just wanted to give you all an update. I usually try to update the blog every weekday but due to an unusual and unwelcome summer sickness I’m taking the week off (from the blog anyway). So, thanks to all of you for your patience and please look forward to our normal blog updates starting next week. Thanks again!

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Rich Dog, Poor Dog

Posted in Cat, Dog, Oregon, Pets, Portland, Uncategorized, dog walking, pet sitting on April 22nd, 2009 by Bark – Be the first to comment

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 related.

richdog1

Rich Dog, Poor Dog

Pets, much like humans, live in very significantly different economic classes. Some eat the most luxurious food possible while others search the trash in hopes of finding some form of sustenance. Some receive the best veterinary care, grooming, nail painting, trendy clothing, soft beds, varieties of treats and bones and more. Others are not nearly so fortunate.

I have friends who looked after their elderly neighbor’s 2 dogs and after when their neighbor passed away they decided to adopt these dogs (who incidentally are very sweet and I’ve provided care for). They then found out that their neighbor left his dogs a hefty sum in his will, a number in the thousands. Today I learned that Leona Helmsley also intended to leave a large part of her will to animal related charities only to have those funds redirected by five trustees managing the estate including her brother, two of her grandchildren, her lawyer and adviser. As it turns out, less than 1% of her will shall go to pet related charities which seems inconsistent with her dying wishes. That’s not to say that her trustees (ironically includes the word “trust”) aren’t donating her money to noble causes because they are. It’s just that the allocation of funds that will reach pet charities don’t mirror Helmsley’s wishes, which seems to be more important considering that’s what Leona wanted. You can read the story and decide for yourself and tell me what you think:  Rich Dog, Poor Dog

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