 For those of use who live in colder regions, the wait for warm weather is a long one. March is supposed to go "In Like A Lion and Out Like A Lamb" but in my experience it tends to be a lion all month long. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in the middle of the month and is a joyous time. Two days later on St. Joseph's feast day, my mother claimed you will always see your first robin of the Spring. I don't think she recognized how smart robins are, knowing to stay away until the weather warrants it. I don't think they use a calendar. But speaking of one, Spring comes officially later this month along with daylight savings time, so our daylight will be longer which translates (by my dogs) into more time playing outside and running in the woods. Recently, they discovered, as Thumper in the movie Bambi did, that the water in our lake is 'stiff'. Our youngest loves to run at top speed across the ice, then lie down and have a gulp of snow. She can do this endlessly. This is also the month when our pair of geese return. I'm told by naturalists that once the geese have created a nest and produced babies in one place, they return to that same place every year. We do get a pair every Spring, and within a few weeks the goslings arrive.. I don't know if it's the same pair, but I do know that I am grateful to them for allowing me to share in the birth and growth of their youngsters. It is a beautiful, heartwarming sight watching the whole family glide across the lake. For those of you who share a March birthday, I wish you a fragrant Spring and happy year, especially to Steve and Cheryl.
Posted 2/24/2009 @ 5:09:31 am by goldenbuddies.com
Wolves
are the ancestors of dogs. Dogs came into being, so to speak,
when people turned to wolves for mating. Your pet is now a dog but still
holds some memory of where he came from. It's his instinct.
I have four dogs, three are golden retrievers. Goldens are known for being gentle, appropriate for a house with small children, and all around wonderful dogs. I agree. That's why I own them. Last fall we were all walking in the woods. Virginia is the shy one, a laid back personality. Along our way, we inadvertently disturbed a hen (female turkey) in her nest. Mom took off flying rather low, and her three little ones tried to follow. Before I knew what was happening, Virginia was off like a flash and had caught one of the baby birds. I was shocked! It was totally unexpected. The baby was still alive. I brought her home, called my vet, and found out what to do to get her through the night. Reality, my vet said, is that it's almost impossible for a baby to survive if not with its mom. He was right. In the morning the baby had died. My point is that this instinct is in your dog. Whether you own a teacup terrier or an Irish wolfhound, that instinct is there even if it is not acted upon. Dogs, left to their own devices, hunt and kill to survive. This instinct is a form of aggression proving that every dog is capable of biting, given just the right circumstances (or just wrong). Your dog is your best friend but his heritage is very different from yours. Sometimes he will act/react just like a dog.
Posted 2/23/2009 @ 5:08:57 am by goldenbuddies.com
There
seem to be thousands of types, sizes, shapes, colors, and designs of
dog collars. You can spend hours in a pet store trying to decide which
one to purchase. I have a friend who has at least 12 different collars
for her dog. The dog has her own wardrobe. I'm good for two, maybe
three collars per dog. Always an extra in case one gets wet or muddy.
But what's the best collar to purchase? Experts tell us to invest in a good quality leather collar with a buckle (like a belt). Notice "good quality". Some collars are partly leather and partly plastic. You want to be sure you buy the real thing. Quick-release nylon/web collars are very popular. They are inexpensive with plastic sport-style clips. These collars are cute and colorful but they break easily, which could put your dog at risk. People in the know compare these inexpensive collars to discount-store polyester pants with a cheap undependable fly. What a visual.
Posted 2/22/2009 @ 5:08:09 am by goldenbuddies.com
Start being a courteous citizen of our Earth, if you aren't already. One easy way to start is on your walks with your dog.
Carry four plastic bags with you. First, more about plastic bags. You don't have to go to the pet store and purchase the bags made especially for poo. You can use grocery store plastic bags or used zip-loc bags (rinsed). The first bag is to pick-up whatever your dog produces on your walk. The second bag is a back-up in case your dog's exercise stimulates him to "go" again. The third bag is for the fellow dog walker you pass along the way who doesn't have one. And the last one is to gather debris that you find along your route. Now that's easy and you and your dog are going green!
Posted 2/21/2009 @ 5:07:22 am by goldenbuddies.com
We
all know that dogs tend to be fascinated with toilet bowls, probably
because it always has very cold water that is usually moving. Although
your intention is to always keep the lid down on your toilet, someone
in the family might forget or a visitor may not even think about it.
It's vital that you do not use automatic dispensing toilet bowl cleaners or long-acting disinfectants! Regardless of where they are placed or what form they are in, each one is constantly releasing a poison into the water. This water could very well be toxic for your dog. Just one drink from the bowl might be deadly. Use your preferred cleaning item on your toilet bowl, then flush it a few times to be sure that all of the residue from the cleaner you used is gone. And stating the obvious, be sure everyone flushes after each use.
Posted 2/20/2009 @ 5:06:25 am by goldenbuddies.com
Well,
not literally but figuratively speaking, is your dog fascinated by
moving objects that appear outside? Rollerbladers, skateboarders, and
bicyclists are just a few of the moving items that may get your dog
into an uproar with an irresistible urge to chase them. That's your
dog's prey instinct showing itself. He sees these moving "things" as
something he should chase and catch.
Years ago, I lived on a rural unpaved country road. My dog, a dalmation named Mr. Bojangles, loved to chase motorcyclists who would go by slowly because of the road condition. I had a long, terrible, frustrating time teaching him to let the motorcycles alone. My biggest difficulty was that he was deaf so, unless he was looking in my direction, he didn't know I was calling him. Other ideas had to come into play to stop this addiction of his before he or a rider got injured. If you can, get the item your dog wants desperately to chase and just put it in your house, unmoving. (We borrowed a motorcycle and kept it in our garage). Hopefully, your dog will begin to treat the item as just another part of the house with no special meaning. Then ask a friend (a good friend!) to ride the toy slowly past the house. Let your dog watch from the house, then from the yard while on a leash. Eventually allow him (while on lead) to go to the person to get a treat. Depending upon the strength of your dog's prey instinct, this may take some time but it will work. Spending 10-15 minutes (no more!) almost every day will do the trick. 
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