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Puppy Adoption Event

July 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The notice is a little late, but I wanted to mention that Cuddly Canines is having a Puppy Adoption Saturday, August 1st at Puppies and Guppies in Tustin, CA.

Here are the details:

Puppy Adoption

Puppies and GuppiesWhat: Puppies N Guppies and Cuddly Canines Puppy Adoption

When: August 1st, 2009, 11am – 3pm

Where: Puppies N Guppies
13011 Newport Ave.
Tustin, CA 92780

I’m not sure if we’ll stop by or not, but if you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’ll know that we’ve volunteered as fosters for Cuddly Canines in the past.   We’re big fans of Cuddly Canines and if you’re interested in adopting a puppy we highly recommend them.

What about you?  Are you interested in adopting a puppy?  If you’re interested in helping out by  fostering puppies then contact Cuddly Canines through their website at http://www.cuddlycanines.com.

Filed Under: Dog Events Tagged With: , ,

Blog Carnival #11 – Dog Training, Dog Products, And More

July 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Puppy In Training

Photo by soggydan

Welcome to the latest edition of the Puppy In Training Blog Carnival. We have quite a few articles for you this month with the majority about dog training. We tried to categorize this month with five articles on dog training, two dog product articles, and four miscellaneous dog articles. I hope you enjoy this months Blog Carnival.

Without further adieu…here we go:

Dog Training

The Pets Central this month writes about The Best Way To Train A Hunting Dog. This is an area we were interested to see some more information. The article starts with breeds of dogs best suited for hunting and continues on a lot of basic hunting info.

Who Moved My Bone writes about Picking A Dog Trainer. This is an area we have a lot of experience and this article makes some great points including visiting a class or facility before actually attending class. We found our favorite trainer through referral. Check out this article for more information on choosing a dog trainer

The Dog Training Manual offers training advice on Introducing Your Dog to Other Pets. Introducing your dog to other pets can be a delicate situation as we find out in this article when the introduction between a dog and a hamster doesn’t go as well as planned. Check out the article to find out what happened when dog meets hamster.

Large Dog Crates Guide & Training helps with some basics on Crate Training Your Dog. This article covers the basics including some information on the kind of crate you should buy. Lucky for some this is all the information you’ll need when crate training a dog. Derby, my last Guide Dog in training had no problem with the crate and was comfortable from day 1. On the other extreme, Stetson hated his crate and it took him about 4 weeks before he’d sleep through the night in his crate. Lots of sleepless nights…

Dog Training Pet talks about Five Crucial Lessons Every Puppy Should Learn.  Yes!  These definitely are some basics that every puppy owner should learn and teach there puppy.  By the way, one hint…Point 1 is to teach your puppy his name.  Make sure you use the same name everytime you refer to your puppy.  Some people will use mutliple names such as Linus, Linie, Linikins, etc (those are names we use with Linus).  As you might have thought your puppy may get confused if you use all these different names.

Dog Products

Pet Prattle and Products sends us an article about Dog Beds. We never thought there would be so much to think about when choosing a dog bed. Check out this article to find all the options you have when choosing a dog bed. One thing they mention is the size of the bed…if you have a Great Dane might I suggest a King Size?

Home Life Weekly offers an alternative for warding off fleas with an article on How to Make Flea Powder.  We currently use frontline plus to keep fleas and ticks away.  We’ve also used Advantage, but would love to hear feedback on anyone who’s tried a home remedy like the one mentioned in this article.

Miscellaneous Dog

Veterinary Technician Schools Online puts together a list of the Top 100 Websites for Pet Ownership Advice. This is a great list of websites and actually something we’ve been looking at on the web over the past few weeks. While we haven’t visit all these sites we suggest you check out Vet Tech Schools Online’s list.

Condo Blues tells about her husbands race in Pet Promise Rescue Run.  Some great pictures and information on the Pet Promise Rescue Run.  We sometimes participate in the Vision Walk here locally in Southern California.  It’s a great way to stay in shape and make a difference for those with vision disabilities.

American Consumer News asks the question Are You Ready for a Furry Friend.  The entire article is actually three things to ask yourself then if you still are interested in a pet then two things you should do.  If you’re looking at getting a puppy just beware that it’s a lot of work raising that cute little puppy…and after a few months he will no longer be that cute little boy.

Science Blogs writes a review on the book Animals Make Us Human.  If you’re looking for a thorough review of Animals Make Us Human then look no further.  As mentioned in the review the premise of the book is “autistic people share a similar perception of the world with animals”  Check out the full review at the science blogs.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Puppy In Training Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to submit an article for our next carnival then submit a request at our contact form.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Dog Tagged With: , ,

Can A Purebred Dog Have a Spotted Tongue?

July 13, 2009 By 27 Comments

I received a great image today in my RSS feed (Check it out below) of a handsome puppy who looks like a purebred Golden Retriever.  However, one distinct feature that might lead one to believe he’s not a purebred is his black spotted tongue.  I have always heard that Chow Chow’s have black tongues and if your dog has a black spotted tongue then he’s probably mixed with a Chow.  The different color tongues I’ve heard of are solid black, blue black, and purple from a spotted tongue to a full black tongue.

What a face, originally uploaded by Syncharmony.

My dog Linus has a spotted black tongue and until today I’ve always assumed that he must be mixed with a Chow.  Originally we had heard from the shelter that he was primarily an Australian Shepherd with some possible Chow and Labrador Retriever.  He was on the fluffy side when he was younger further leading us to believe that he was part Chow.

After a little internet research today I came across a couple sites that may have the answers to my question.

Can A Purebred Dog Have a Black Tongue?

Well we already know that a purebred Chow Chow has a blue black tongue and I confirmed that at the Wikipedia website.  The Wikipedia site confirms that not all mixed breed dogs with black/blue black/purple spots on there tongue have Chow mixed in with them.  In fact an article on The Great Tongue Debate professes that there are more than thirty pure breeds with members known to have spotted tongues.  Here are some other interesting facts:

  • A dog with a partially black tongue does not necessarily mean he’s mixed with a Chow.
  • Chow’s are not the only breed with a blue black tongue.  Sharpei’s share the blue black tongue trait.
  • More than 30 pure breeds are known to have members with the blue black tongue trait.
  • Spots on a dogs tongue are like freckles or birthmarks on people.
  • If a dog looks like a Chow, but has a completely pink tongue it is most likely not a purbred Chow.

From the Great Tongue Debate:

Breeds known to have members with spotted tongues:

  • Airedale
  • Akita
  • Australian Cattle Dog
  • Australian Shepherd
  • Belgian Sheepdog
  • Belgian Tervuren
  • Belgian Malinois
  • Bichon Frise
  • Bouvier de Flandres
  • Bull Mastiff
  • Cairn Terrier
  • Chinese Shar-Pei
  • Collie
  • Cocker Spaniel
  • Dalmatian
  • Doberman Pinscher
  • English Setter
  • Eurasier
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • Flat-coated Retriever
  • German Shepherd
  • Golden Retriever
  • Gordon Setter
  • Great Pyrenees
  • Irish Setter
  • Kai Ken
  • Keeshond
  • Korean Jindo
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Mastiff
  • Mountain Cur
  • Newfoundland
  • Pomeranian
  • Pug
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback
  • Rottweiler
  • Shiba Inu
  • Siberian Husky
  • Tibetan Mastiff
  • Thai Ridgeback

Check out the Great Tongue Debate for more information.  They also received a ton of pictures of dogs with black and spotted tongues and have posted to their site.

Linus has a spotted tongue and now it’s definitely up to debate what breeds are in his mix.  The Golden Retriever in the image at the top of this page may or may not be a purebred and according to the list Golden Retriever is one of the breeds said to have members with spotted tongues.  So we can’t assume that the spots on his tongue means he is not a purebred.

As a puppy raiser I’m around purebred Labrador Retriever and Golden Retrievers quite often.  I’m going to keep an extra close eye out for Labs with spotted tongues.

How about you?  Do you know a dog with a black/blue black/purple or spotted tongue?  If so, is he a purbred dog?

Filed Under: Pure Bred Dogs Tagged With: , , ,

Puppy Career Change For Derby

July 6, 2009 By 4 Comments

Derby Puppy Career ChangeLast week I got another call from GDA regarding Derby the career change puppy and what was going on with his possible new homes.  He was going to meet a family on Tuesday and if that didn’t work out he would have another meeting setup later in the week.  I found out that everything worked out for Derby on Tuesdayy.  I’m not too sure how the process works, but I guess Derby and his new family were a match.

Career Change Puppy

Unfortunately I don’t know much about Derby’s new family.  I understand that they didn’t bring him home immediately because they wanted to first puppy proof the home before he arrived.  I here that Derby will get walks everyday and will be living with a father and his son.  I also heard that Derby would be their second career change puppy…the first one just recently passed.  I wish Derby had another canine companion at his new home, but I’m sure he will do great and get showered with attention.  Hopefully Mr Wiggles (AKA Derby) will bring lots of joy to to his new home as I know he did for me.

From what I understand I may or may not hear from Derby’s new family.  I’m sure they have lots of questions about Derby so hopefully they give me a call and I can find out more information about his new home and how he is doing.

I’ll keep you all updated if I get anymore information on Mr. Wiggles.  I miss that boy…Stetson misses his wrestling partner and Linus misses regulating the bouts…

Filed Under: Puppy Career Change Tagged With: , ,

Dog Safety Tips For The Fourth of July

July 2, 2009 By 1 Comment

I remember reading Marley & Me a few years back and the terror poor Marley felt the first time he was home alone when a thunderstorm struck. He tried all he could do to get out of the house (I believe he was in the garage). I recall that he even dug at the door or maybe dry wall so much that his paws were bleeding.

Fireworks

Photo by Foxypar4

Why am I bringing up Marley and thunderstorms? Because the Fourth of July is right around the corner and that means loud noises and scared dogs. In the past my black lab Stetson has not been afraid of thunderstorms. However, my Aussie mix, Linus is a completely different story. Fourth of July is Linus’s least favorite holiday.

Now you’re probably wondering what can I do to keep my dogs and puppies safe during the holidays? Something to remember is that your dog may be frightened when the fireworks start going off and it’s a good idea to keep him in doors (we don’t want him running away). If you’re like me and you lived in a neighborhood where they allow fireworks in the streets or some rowdy teens are firing off bottle rockets a couple house down then you are probably experiencing the loud sounds of piccolo petes or ground bloom flowers. Linus was more frightened the week prior to the Fourth because we had kids lighting fireworks all week within the close vicinity of our house.

Here are some tips on what you should do to keep your dog Safe on the Fourth of July:

Dog Safety Tips During the Fourth of July

  • If you have an extremely nervous and anxious dog you can consult your vet for tranquilizers or other medication that might keep him calm, but please don’t administer anything without your veterinarians consent.
  • Keep your dogs and other pets inside. The loud fireworks can scare the bravest of pets and send them running or even jumping your fence to get away.
  • Just in case your pet does get out of the house and lost on the streets it’s a good idea to be sure your county pet ID tags and your personal pet tags are up to date. Its also a good idea to get your dog microchipped if you haven’t already done so. Updated pet tags and microchips will help you recover your dog if he happens to get lost over the holiday weekend.
  • I would urge you not to take your dog to the firework show. Just a few months ago I was at the Disney firework show and let me tell you the noise was scary for me let alone any dog.
  • One other thing I like to do is keep my dogs in the room and I turn up the TV or radio to drown out the loud noise outside. If your dog does appear nervous or scared do not try comforting him. Comforting your dog when he is scared reinforces the behavior. When my dog becomes frightened especially on a night like the Fourth of July I just try to distract him if he becomes nervous by playing with him or working on obedience (sit, stay, down) with treats.

Do you have any other safety tips you’d like to share during the Fourth of July?

Filed Under: Dog Training Tips Tagged With: ,

Surf Dog – Check Out Nadia and SurfinPaws

July 1, 2009 By 1 Comment

Our buddy Dustin was a Surf Dog. We tried Stetson as a Surf Dog, but he was more of a Wave Runner (he ran away from the waves) then a Surf Dog. We just recently found out that we are proud friends of a nationally famous surf dog…our buddy Nadia.

Nadia is a career changed guide dog puppy just like Stetson and Derby. She’s been looking for exactly what career best suits her. Her latest adventures are braving the big waves in the ocean as a surfing dog. Just a few days ago we found out she was famous and appeared on national TV. Yay Nadia!

Here’s the video of Nadia on the Today Show (Nadia is the only yellow lab in the video at about 1:10 mark of the clip):

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

SurfinPaws – Surfing for Your Dog

Right around the corner is the SurfinPaws Dog Jam at Dog Beach in Huntington Beach, California. I heard that Nadia is going to compete and hopefully she does well. Here’s the SurfinPaws info:SurfinPaws Logo

What: Surfin Paws Dog Jam
When: July 11th, 2009: 9am – 4pm
Where: Dog Beach, Goldenwest/PCH, Huntington Beach, CA
Website: http://www.surfinpaws.com

All dogs and levels are welcome. You need to register for the contest at the website listed above. After the auction there’s an auction at the Hilton in Huntington Beach from 7:30pm – 10pm. All profits got the OC SPCA.

I’m not sure if we’ll be there, but if you have a surfing’ dog who likes to compete on the big waves (or little ones) then head on over to the Dog Beach in Huntington on July 11th.

Filed Under: Dog Events, Puppy Career Change Tagged With: , , , , ,