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.

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!

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.

One Kitten Leads to Another Leads to 2K

Image by John Nyberg

After I graduated from the University of Oregon I decided to move to South America for a couple of years. I moved to Chile and had a wonderful time meeting many wonderful people and their pets. At the time I only had one dog and she stayed with my folks until I was situated; later she came to join me in South America. I lived with a fellow student in a humble cabaña where we met some stray cats that seemed to come around from time to time. In particular there was this orange cat, we called her “Orange” and she was incredibly sweet especially for a stray. We used to feed her until one day she stopped coming. We had gotten pretty used to her and were taking good care of her so we were shocked when she suddenly disappeared. Some time went by and then we heard some crying cat outside the door. “Orange”! With excitement we opened the door only to find that it wasn’t Orange at all, but rather 3 cats that we had never met before. We thought this was strange because we stopped leaving food out by this point and joked that she sent them to do a “pick up” while she was prospecting other feeding sources. These cats weren’t nearly as friendly as Orange, but they all shared something in common… they were hungry. We felt guilty and starting feeding the 3 and wouldn’t you know it, guess who returned? Yes, at long last it was Orange. We soon learned why Orange took some time off and it wasn’t long before she showed us the evidence- a litter of kittens. We had cats and kittens crying at our door non-stop so I know first hand that one cat leads to two, leads to another and another and so on.

I have written about a couple of tragic stories of animal abuse in New York City, but I have also covered some inspiring ones of altruistic people making a positive difference for animals. Here’s yet another story of a New Yorker who opened her heart and her pocketbook for over two thousand cats. She has gone into debt by over $10K in the process, but it’s her heart that we care about, right? If you are interested here’s the story, take a read: 2K Kitty

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.

Dogs Dig It

So you come out to the backyard and it appears that your dog has been exploring for mines. There are holes everywhere and this could only have been created by your dog’s incessant digging, in fact there he is halfway into one of his newly created ditches. What are you going to do about it?

Well, first let’s conceded that there are a number of reasons why your dog is digging. One of those reasons is attributed to an urge to find comfort, particularly on uncomfortably warm days. Since dogs don’t sweat nearly as easily as humans do, rolling around in some fresh and moist soil provides some of the relief they seek. Many dogs also have a nesting tendency or have been bred over many generations to seek out small game that burrow in the ground. Maybe they are digging because they smell something good, or something foul. Sometimes dogs dig because they think it’s fun. Sometimes they dig because they want to escape or are just plain bored. Maybe the reason why dogs dig is because they just can’t get enough of your love and attention and they believe that if they just make it to the other side of the fence they can reunite with you.

Well, whatever the reason, here’s some advice: Try to address the problem and find a solution that makes sense.

Well, hopefully I’ve helped provide some tips to resolving this issue. If these don’t work I have some more ideas to share, feel free to ask. Thanks again for reading!

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.

A Fallen Fellow Animal Lover, R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

AP Photo

I must have watched “Dirty Dancing” , “Ghost”, “Point Break” and “Red Dawn” at least a million times each. Sadly today, Patrick Swayze, a fellow animal lover, passed away at 57 years old from a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Hopefully his furry friends were able to provide him with some comfort in his difficulty times. We will all miss you Patrick! Thank you so much for everything you did for us while you were here. What’s your favorite Patrick Swayze movie/line? Dirty Dancing – “Nobody puts baby in the corner”.

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.

Dogs and Bees, Not an Awesome Combination

image taken by Maria Corcacas

Happy Labor Day everyone (belated)! We’ve been pretty busy pet sitting since last Thursday and appreciate your patience as we were not able to update the blog recently as a result. We are back in the saddle now and excited to be writing again. So, the other day I took my dogs to a nearby field slated for future development. One of those areas that is beautiful now, but will someday be graced by 100′s of cookie cutter row houses that lack both charm and quality. Coming here with my dogs is nothing new, we probably make it here at least once daily. What is new however, is the experience I had there yesterday…

One of my dogs (Buddy) really likes to play Frisbee so he stays close by me patiently awaiting a disc toss. It’s great because when he is concentrating, his mischief level goes down considerably. Daisy, the more mature dog at 11 years old, is obsessed with digging frantically at the gopher holes. She doesn’t go too far away and is always one little whistle away from a speedy return.  While playing Frisbee with Buddy I heard a “yelp” from Daisy. This is pretty uncommon so I was immediately concerned. She stated walking towards me, then again she “yelped”. As she got close enough I could see a bee lodged right between her shoulder blades. I quickly removed it, but not before poor Daisy was stung. To make matters worse, this bee wasn’t alone, Buddy unfortunately was also stung. So there I am, swatting the air like Oscar De La Hoya in training. It was a  feeble attempt to liberate myself from the bee infested moment and somehow I managed to escape without being stung. I’m sure I looked pretty ridiculous, but back to the dogs…

How many of you know what you would do if your pet was stung? Would you know what to look out for? Would you recognize the warning signs of a serious reaction? Can dogs be allergic to bees?  Could my dog die? These are among the questions that immediately ran through my head. I removed the stinger and the dogs appeared to be fine after all, but Buddy did have some temporary inflammation at the sting site. Luckily, everyone was ok, but bee stings could be a serious problem for dogs, at least as serious as they are for humans if there is an allergic reaction. Anyway, if you would like to share any similar experiences like this we are all ears. If you would like some additional information, follow these links:  Bees Stings & Dogs also try this one: Bee Stings & Dogs 2

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.

Go Ducks!!

Photo by: 'Deenshka22'

Alright everyone, do you know what time it is? This Weimaraner sure does, it’s Duck season! Well, for college football anyway. Many of Bark PDX’s clients are University of Oregon alumni, but we have some Beavers sprinkled in there too… yeah, you know who you are… don’t be afraid to speak up. Just kidding! This should prove to be another great season of football fun with some friends, family, and your pets of course. We wish every team the very best of luck this season and don’t forget to book your pet care early on the days the Ducks play at home in Eugene. And remember… “It never rains at Autzen Stadium”!!

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.

Furry Furittus, Ferrets, Thieves

I consider myself pretty lucky this week because I am providing pet care for two incredibly fun and mischievous ferrets. That’s right ferrets, you know, Furittus (Latin) or “Little Thieves”.  I can see why ferrets have grown in popularity to become the 3rd most popular pet in America after dogs and cats. They sleep when there is no action but as soon as they determine that there is some diversion to be had they become very excited. Running around, hopping, crawling, twisting and spinning with obvious joy it’s hard not to have a good time with them. These ferrets are so curious that if they see you doing something, anything, they want to be a part of it. They act as if everything they can get their little hands on was made solely for their amusement. People often have many questions about ferrets. They ask if they are smelly, if it’s legal to have them, are they nocturnal, what do they eat and how often, how long do they live, etc. I was digging around and I found a great link that provides relatively comprehensive information regarding ferrets, if you have a question about them, go here: Furry Ferrets

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.

Creative Grooming!

Picture: REN NETHERLAND / BARCROFT MEDIA

While this image may appear to you as a lanky Panda of some kind, it isn’t a Panda at all. HaHa, I’m already laughing… it’s a Poodle! I am a parent to two fantastic German Shorthaired Pointers and as the breed name implies, they have short hair. They dry very quickly and their short hair doesn’t require too much maintenance at all. They have never been to the groomer, never had a knot or tangle and are easy to bathe, especially because they love the bath and just about anything involving water. While I’ve enjoyed the low-maintenance grooming situation I did experience a moment of hairy dog envy while looking at this link that touches on creative grooming. You are not going to believe how great some of these images are to look at. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, be sure to look though all the images. Creative Grooming

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.

Tax Deductions for Pet Care!

We mentioned in an earlier post that having pets doesn’t only improve your happiness level, but could also help you to live longer. With so many Americans unable to afford adequate health care these days, anything that we can do to improve our well-being is justified. Tomi, one of Bark PDX‘s clients, a terrific woman and fellow animal lover passed a link around that touches on the topic of tax deductions for pet care. In light of this cash for clunkers environment I can’t help but think that this is a fantastic idea. There are plenty of things for which one can seek tax deductions- just ask the corporations. Of all the tax deductions out there it is arguable that any are nearly as noble as tax deductions for pet care. Bark PDX has lost a few clients this year due to the difficult economic environment and we  feel terrible that these animals who depend of human’s care have to suffer through no fault of their own. Please take a moment to review this site and contribute to the cause by voting “yes” on this petition, here’s the link:  Tax Deductions for Pet Care