A.G. Out Loud!

Will & His Doggies

Anne — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:36:04 +0000

People keep asking me how Will is doing with the dogs and how the dogs are doing with him. My answer is always, “great!”. Zoey and Stella like trying to get Will to play fetch with them, but Will hasn’t really figured out how to throw yet. When that day comes, all parties involved will be entertained for hours! Here’s an example of how they typically interact. The dogs love to take the ball away from him, and luckily he doesn’t seem to mind. Sometimes he thinks it’s really funny and giggles. I love being a mom!

One Person Doing One Thing Can Save a Homeless Dog

Anne — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:36:05 +0000

This is a powerful video by Camp Cocker Rescue to show that if we each just do one thing, we can make a huge difference in the lives of homeless dogs. This video is from Christmas time last year and it’s so heart warming. I dare you not to be inspired to do something.

Blanket Drive Success!

Anne — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:43:57 +0000

On my birthday, I mentioned that for a present I wanted everyone to donate a blanket to their local animal shelter. I was inspired by an organization called Operation Blankets of Love and their theory that if a shelter dog has a blanket, they will feel more at ease and at home and therefore be more likely to be adopted. I set out on a mission to collect blankets through the month of July. I personally purchased a couple of blankets and then also bought a bunch at garage sales (it’s a super cheap way of getting great blankets!) and donated a few blankets that we weren’t using. Everything else came from awesome friends, family, coworkers and A.G. Out Loud readers like you!

Yesterday we finally counted up the number of items we had collected and brought them into the Nebraska Humane Society. (Although… I just found another bag of blankets I forgot to bring in so those won’t be included in the total I give today). Here are the results:

46 Blankets
37 Towels
8 Toys
3 Rugs
2 Kennels

That is a total of 88 items donated to the Nebraska Humane Society!

I’m so excited that we collected so many items and I hope next time I can blow that number out of the water. I plan to do another blanket drive during the holidays, but if anyone has any blankets or towels that they want to donate before them, contact me at agoutloud@gmail.com and I’ll find a way to pick them up from you.

Remember that if you are not in the Omaha area, you can donate blankets to your own local shelter…most shelters will take blankets, towels, toys, etc., but go to their website or call first just in case.

Oh… and if you want to get involved, there are many easy ways to participate:

Around the holidays Walmart has great fleece throws for $5 and sometimes less
Garage sales can be a blanket gold mine (I found blankets from 50 cents to $5)
Thrift stores carry inexpensive blankets
Go through your own closet and donate towels and blankets that you never use
Hit the clearance bins at Petsmart or Petco for new dog toys… as long as they’re new and specifically for pets, they’ll take them! (Note, they especially love Kong products that can be easily washed and rope toys too.)

Thanks so much for everyone who donated! You have made a difference in a shelter dog’s life!

Oh… and I need a name for my blanket drive, so leave name ideas in the comments field!

Chihuahua Playing Pool

Anne — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:42:39 +0000

For your Saturday viewing pleasure…

Storm Anxiety…Thundershirt to the Rescue?

Anne — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:36:15 +0000

I’ve beaten the odds because none of my three dogs have anxiety with storms, fireworks, etc. This can be a real problem for so many people. Dogs can get so freaked out that they hurt themselves. Someone I know has a dog who ran through a window trying to escape from fireworks…luckily the dog was not severely injured.

Meet Bella… (and my attempt at pet photography). Isn’t she beautiful?! Bella is a Vizsla who is full of energy and is downright photogenic…

Bella hates storms. Actually… hate probably isn’t a strong enough word. She has knocked shelving down and put holes in the walls at her house when she’s been scared. Earlier this summer, during a storm, her dad came home to find her in their dishwasher because she was so scared. THE DISHWASHER!!! This isn’t a five pound chihuahua people!

So obviously Bella needed some help. That’s where the good people at the Thundershirt came in. They were kind enough to send me a Thundershirt that Bella could try. Here is a great description of what the Thundershirt can do for your dog when it comes to storm anxiety, separation anxiety, fear of traveling, etc. The gentle pressure that the shirt provides has been shown to have a calming effect on 80% of dogs.

We started out by giving Bella a treat, served on the Thundershirt. Then we put it on her and treated her again. Bella’s mom and dad did this a little bit everyday to get her used to the Thundershirt and to teach her that wearing it is a positive thing. Then we waited for the next major storm….

I was so anxious to hear if it helped. Bella’s mom said that whenever Bella had the shirt on that it really relaxed her and she’d usually go lay down, so we thought that was a good sign.

Unfortunately, when the next big storm came, Bella was still a mess. They didn’t give up though. They still put the Thundershirt on Bella everyday and during storms. Sadly it never worked for Bella, nor did using desensitization thunder storm cds. She is now on medication to help her with her extreme storm anxiety.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look into the Thundershirt for your dog if he/she has anxiety issues. The Thundershirt website claims an 80% success rate, so I think that Bella is just in that 20% that wasn’t helped by the shirt. At $36, it’s not a huge investment and they offer a full refund if it doesn’t work and is returned within 45 days of purchase.

I love the Thundershirt company because they are very active in giving back to the dog community. Some of the groups they support include Baghdad Pups, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England, Aussie Rescue & Placement Helpline, Citrus Golden Retriever Rescue, Golden Rescue in Naples, Inc, Pitbull Rescue Central, NorthEast All Retriever Rescue, As Good As Gold – Illinois, and GRROWLS-NY.

I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried the Thundershirt and how it worked for them!

Dogs as Celebrities

Anne — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:36:18 +0000

Dogs as celebrities… someone was obviously very bored, but thank goodness for that because these are hilarious (and right on I might add).

Top Five Reasons to Adopt a Dog

Anne — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:20:28 +0000

Adopt, don’t shop
The Humane Society of the United States

Thinking of adding a pet to your family? Here are five reasons to adopt your new best friend.

1. You’ll save a life
Sadly, between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States simply because too many people give up their pets and too few people adopt from shelters. Because there is limited space at shelters, staff members sometimes need to make very hard decisions to euthanize animals who haven’t been adopted.

The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. By adopting from a private humane society or animal shelter, breed rescue group, or the local animal control agency, you’ll help save the lives of two animals—the pet you adopt and a homeless animal somewhere who can be rescued because of space you helped free up.

2. You’ll get a healthy pet
Animal shelters are brimming with happy, healthy animals just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelters examine and give vaccinations to animals when they arrive, and many spay or neuter them before being adopted. In addition to medical care, more and more shelters also screen animals for specific temperaments and behaviors to make sure each family finds the right pet for its lifestyle.

It is a common misconception that animals end up in shelters because they’ve been abused or done something “wrong”. In fact, most animals are given to shelters because of “people reasons,” not because of anything they’ve done. Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their homes.

3. You’ll save money
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter is much less expensive than buying a pet at a pet store or through other sources. In addition, animals from many shelters are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated, which makes the shelter’s fee a real bargain.

4. You’ll feel better
Pets have a way of putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Not only do animals give you unconditional love, but they have been shown to be psychologically, emotionally, and physically beneficial. Caring for a companion animal can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessen feelings of loneliness and isolation in all age groups.

Pets can help your physical health as well—just spending time with an animal can help lower a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and dog walking, pet grooming, and even petting provide increased physical activity that can help strengthen the heart, improve blood circulation, and slow the loss of bone tissue. Put simply, pets aren’t just good friends, they’re also good medicine and can improve a person’s well-being in many ways.

5. You won’t be supporting puppy mills and pet stores
Puppy mills are “factory style” dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Most dogs raised in puppy mills are housed in shockingly poor conditions with improper medical care, and the parents of the puppies are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. And after they’re no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded—either killed, abandoned or sold at auction.
Puppy mill puppies are sold to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet and through newspaper classified advertisements to whoever is willing to pay for them.

Marketed as coming from great breeders, well-rehearsed sales tactics keep money flowing to the puppy mill by ensuring that buyers never get to see where the pups actually come from (a vital step in puppy buying). Many of the puppies have serious behavioral and health problems that might not be apparent for months, including medical problems that can cost thousands of dollars to treat, if they are treatable at all. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not even aware that puppy mills exist, so when they buy a pet from a pet store, online or other retail outlet, they are unwittingly supporting this cruel industry.

By adopting instead of buying a pet, you can be certain you aren’t supporting cruel puppy mills with your money. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop purchasing their dogs. Instead of buying a dog, visit your local shelter where you will likely to find dozens of healthy, well-socialized puppies and adult dogs—including purebreds—just waiting for that special home—yours.

Practicing What I Preach: Microchipping Your Dog

Anne — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:18:48 +0000

Back when I had Stella microchipped, I talked about how important it is to have your dog microchipped in case they were to ever get lost. One of my biggest fears with my dogs is having them get out of the house somehow and take off running. It’s happened before and luckily we’ve always been able to get them to come back inside. It’s a little more comforting to know that if they did escape, the fact that they are microchipped gives them a better chance of getting back home. Most vets and shelters have a microchip scanner, so if someone found them, they could figure out who they belong to.

This is all fine and dandy if you have finished the microchip registration process… not so much if you haven’t. See, Zoey and Leroy have been microchipped for over five years and Stella has been for almost a year, but I never sent in their information or my information to the microchip company. There was also a small yearly fee to pay so that they could store my information… didn’t do that either. It was time to practice what I preach.

So last week when all three dogs were at our vet getting their yearly check ups, I had them scanned so that I knew what their microchip numbers were and what company they were registered under. All three of the dogs had Home Again microchips. Then all I had to do was go to the Home Again website and register them. It was so easy, but I had put it off. Knock on wood, I’m so lucky that my dogs haven’t gotten loose because not only do they not wear collars/tags, but up until last week, their microchips wouldn’t have been much help either.

Now I’m asking you… are your dogs microchipped? If so, have you completed the microchip registration? Do it.

I Rescue Rover Apparel

Anne — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:36:59 +0000

The people at iRescueRover are my kind of people. They make fun tees for adults, kids and dogs that give back to the dog rescue community. Their mission statement states:

“iRescueRover Apparel offers exquisite hip, quality, graphic shirts and other selective animal themed products for all ages. When you purchase our items you generate support for dog and other animal rescue efforts. Your purchase saves lives!”

Check out some of their other adorable designs…

Stopping Your Dog from Attention Barking

Anne — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:12:27 +0000

Click on the picture above to go to a great video by Petfinder about how to stop your dog from barking for attention. We are totally guilty of reinforcing this behavior in Stella. She will drop her toys at our feet and bark until we throw it…and a lot of the time we give in and do it. She’s got us wrapped around her crazy crackhead finger! This is something we will be working on in A.G.’s household.