February 8, 2012

You are here: Home / Archives for Miscellaneous Dog

Eco Dog Training and Blog Action Day 2009

October 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

What does eco dog training have to do with Blog Action Day 2009? Keep reading to find out…

We started writing to this blog over two years ago and why?  Because we want to make a difference.  We like offering information we learn about dogs, puppies, dog training, events, tips, product reviews, etc.

However, today we focus on a much bigger issue.  This is our first year participating in Blog Action Day and once again we’d like to make a difference no matter how small.  Now you might be asking what the heck is Blog Action Day.  From the Blog Action Day website:

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change


This years topic is climate change.  I hear what you’re saying: “How can I – 1 person – make a difference?”  Well, we each need to do our part.  After today I’ve learned enough to start making the small changes in my life to make a difference.  When friends and family see the changes I make to my lifestyle hopefully it will resonate out through their own lives.

Here’s another interesting clip from the Blog Action Day website:

More than any other country, action taken by the United States to limit greenhouse gases and build a clean energy economy is needed to achieve a sustainable solution to our global climate crisis.

This December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to negotiate a global response to climate change. As a world leader in greenhouse gas pollution as well as clean energy technology, the United States needs to take bold action by implementing comprehensive clean energy policies to curb emissions.

President Barack Obama has said that climate change is an urgent threat, and that he wants to restore America’s responsible leadership in the world.

This is a chance for people around the world and in the United States to join together in telling President Obama that we want him to lead the United States in taking bold and significant action to reduce greenhouse gasses.

Time is running out, and our planet can’t afford to wait.

Take Action

We want to make Linus and Stetson eco-friendly dogs and I want to be an eco-friendly person.  Eco Dog Training is a first step for us.  What are a few things we can do to reduce our carbon pawprint?  Well here are a some actions Linus, Stetson, and I plan on taking:

  • We’re going to start making our own toys.  Any toys we currently have will be stitched up and reused.
  • Continue to encourage others to adopt from animal shelters.
  • Only use biodegradable doggy poop bags.
  • Talk more about eco dog training and show everyone how to live a more eco-friendly life with your dog.

I know there are tons of other ways to help save the environment, but we don’t want to overwhelm you all in one post.  A great site for information on raising a green dog is Johann’s Raise A Green Dog website.  We follow his posts daily and use many of his green tips in our own lives.  By the way, Johann is also a participant in Blog Action Day 2009.  Which reminds me I did want to recognize all the pet related sites participating in Blog Action Day 2009:

Pet Sites Participating in Blog Action Day 2009

I read most of the articles from these sites and also added them to my RSS reader so I can read their future posts (except for the non-english sites).  If you participated in Blog Action Day 2009 on your pet website and you’d like to be included in this list then just email or add a comment with a link to your Climate Change article.

What can you do to reduce your pets carbon paw print?  How are you going to make a difference?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Dog Tagged With: , , ,

Brindle Labrador Retriever – Dixie

September 21, 2009 By 18 Comments

We received some more pictures of Brindle Labs and decided to keep posting them to the website.  Take a look at the images of Dixie below…she sure does have an interesting color for a Labrador Retriever.  I hope you enjoy!

Dixie The Three Year Old Brindle Lab

Dixie is a 3 years old brindle lab. Her mother is Chancy a dark chocolate lab, and her father is Sam a black lab. She was one of two fully brindle colored pups in the litter and she is the only surviving one. Five of the pups in this litter had some brindle coloring.

Dixie has had one litter of pups after she turned two and we kept her son who is chocolate, there were some that had a patch or two of brindle however none with her coloring. She is a very happy playful dog who loves water and Frisbee catching.

We love this breed and have five wonderful dogs. Two black, one dark chocolate, one chocolate and Dixie our brindle. I have included pictures of her below.

Brindle Labrador

I hope you enjoy the beauty of her color as we do, however we enjoy her more for her temperament and loving demeanor. J.N. Orleans, Michigan

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

Blog Carnival #13 – Pets and the Economy, Fleas, Dog Foods and More

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the the latest edition of Puppy In Training blog carnival.  This edition includes many great articles from dog flea treatments to the actual cost of a puppy.  Great participation this month and thanks to everyone who submitted an article to this month blog carnival.  Without further ado here’s this months carnival:

Dog Food

Sue Vinsant presents Some Common Foods You Should Avoid Giving Your Dog « posted at A Dog Lover’s Blog, saying, “Sometimes it seems like a dog will eat almost anything. It can be very tempting to share what you are eating because of those big eyes that follow every move that you make. You may find yourself tempted to slip your pal some scraps from the dinner table. Before you do, however, you should know that there are some foods you should never feed to your dog. Some of them may surprise you!”  This is a very important article for all dog owners to eat.  Recently one of my friends gave a couple grapes to one of my dogs and immediately I remember reading this list and let them know that grapes and raisins can actually kill a dog.  Lucky for Stetson was okay after eating two grapes.  As Sue mentions in her quote above “…Some of them (foods) may surprise you!”

Pet News

Diana L Guerrero presents How to Avoid Counterfeit Flea Treatment Products posted at Flea Control Secrets: How To Get Rid of Fleas & Live Flea Free!, saying, “In this post, readers learn how to avoid counterfeit flea treatment products.”  I never really thought about counterfeit flea treatment until a couple years ago when my mother brought up that it was possible to order counterfeit flea treatment online and to be careful who you order your products from.  Diana includes a two great slide shows: one showing counterfeit packaging and the other showing legitimate packaging.  After watching the videos I can see that it would be very difficult to spot the counterfeit flea treatment products.

Pets

The Pet Chatter presents pet identification: microchip vs. tattoo posted at Pet Chatter, saying, “Permanent identification gives pet owners peace of mind. But what is the best option?”  I never really thought too much about microchip vs tattoo as I did not have the option with Stetson, Linus, or Derby.  Each of my last three puppies received a microchip before they were ever in my custody.   However, after reading this article I would definitely consider tattoo over microchip and would probably further research the two methods of identification before choosing either option.

Big Larry presents helping your pet through a tough economy posted at Out of Debt Christian, saying, “Your puppy may not have an investment portfolio, but that doesn’t mean the recession isn’t effecting them. Here’s some great advice on how to save money on your pet without making sacrifices.”  If you’re in a pinch for money in this tough economy this article covers some steps you can take to help save on your pet expenses.

SVB presents the cost of living with pampered pets in luxury and some really weird pet products posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Thanks!”  After reading Big Larry’s article on saving money on your pets we swing the pendulum to the other side.  Most of the pet products listed in this article are definitely considered a luxury.  However, many pet parents have the money and love to spoil they’re pets.  The end of this article does bring up some points on how you can save money with your pet as well.

Puppy

Darwin presents how much is that puppy? The most detailed dog cost analysis you’ve ever seen posted at Darwin’s Finance, saying, “Would you be surprised if I told you that puppy will cost you close to $100,000 over its lifetime? Well, don’t be. This detailed analysis evaluates both the lifetime cost and Net Present Cost of that puppy – too many people naively buy a puppy without truly understanding the costs involved.”  This article is a real eye opener.  I know I spend a lot on my dog, but I didn’t know that over his lifetime I’d be spending close to $100K?  This is a great and detailed article showing you how much a puppy really can cost you.  Also, if you recall, I wrote about one of my friends and his dog’s veterinarian expenses during their first few years together.

Patti Lecron presents INDOORS, OUTDOORS by P.B. Lecron posted at A French Education.  Have you had issues housebreaking your puppy?  So did the author of this article.  The author discovers an innovative way to teach her dog how to pee outside in the yard rather than in the house.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted an article to this edition of the Puppy In Training blog carnival.  If you have any questions or if you’d like to submit an article to our blog carnival then visit our contact form or leave us a comment below. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Dog Tagged With: , , ,

Black and Tan Lab Images – Louis, Gadget, and Daisy

September 2, 2009 By 2 Comments

We’ve talked about Brindle and Black and Tan Labrador Retrievers over the past couple years. I first encountered a Black and Tan Lab a couple years ago when I met Egan from Guide Dogs of America. Since then I’ve received many images of brindle labs and black and tan labs from you the reader. I’ve just been posting these images as I’ve gone along and hopefully some day I’ll consolidate all the images into a nice gallery. However, that day is not today and instead I have three more examples of brindle and black and tan puppies.

Take a look at the adorable images below.

Black and Tan Labs

Gadget – These are images of Tealwood’s Kennel Gadget – “Gadget” was born January 30th 2009.  Click on the image to see the full size.

Black and Tan Lab - Gadget Black and Tan Labrador - Gadget

Another Black and Tan Lab

Louis – These are images of Louis another Black and Tan Lab at 4 months and 8 months of age.  Click on the image to see the full size.

Louis Black and Tan Lab - Louis

Brindle Labs

Daisy – Daisy is a beautiful Brindle Lab as you can see.  She is a purebred with AKC papers from both parents. Daisy is still a puppy, but seems to have an old soul. Her temperament, even at this young age, is hard to believe.  Click on the image to see the full size.

Black And Tan Lab Puppy

Brindle Lab
Brindle Labrador - Daisy Black and Tan Labs - Daisy

Thank you for sending us your images. I hope everyone enjoyed these images of black and tan labs and brindle labs. If you’re interested in submitting an image of your own Black and Tan Labrador Retriever then please send me an email with attached images at ckmorita [at] puppyintraining [dot] com.

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

Puppy In Training Blog Carnival #12

August 18, 2009 By 1 Comment

Welcome to the 12th edition of the puppy in training carnival.  There are quite a few posts in this edition of the blog carnival.  We tried to separate into categories to hopefully help you find the links your looking for.  Thanks everyone for the submissions and remember that only one submission per carnival per blog.  Thanks!

Canines

Jake presents The All-Natural Diet for Dogs: Three Questions and Answers posted at Dog Training Pet.  Great article on dog food.  By the way, I feed my dogs Natural Balance and my pups are gaining weight.  Anyone else notice this with their dogs?

Robin presents Professional Dog Walkers posted at Your Dog Supply Blog.  Some good reasons why you should walk your dog and why you might need a professional dog walker.

Marina presents Loving Standard Poodles posted at Dogs Info Planet.  We have a few standard poodles in the guide dog program.  They are very intelligent dogs.

Debbie Foster presents Why Spay and Neuter posted at Pet Prattle and Products.  Check out the statistics posted about spay and neuter and how quickly dogs and cats can reproduce.  A real eye opener.

swapnil warang presents switch2life: Funny Animals………..Part 3 posted at switch2life.

John Phillips presents Uno, Westminster Kennel Club, and Animal Employment Protection Act | The Word posted at The Word, saying, “Are you aware of Animal Employment Protection Act?”  Check out the youtube clip on the Animal Employment Protection Act.

Sue Vinsant presents Dog and Man…A Brief Look Back « posted at A Dog Lover’s Blog.  Check out A Dog Lover’s Blog to find information on the history of dog and man.

Dog Training

00FF00 presents Basic Pet Care – DOGS posted at ooffoo, saying, “A member of the ooffoo community and ex-animal-shelter-worker has created an extensive guide to dog health, care and training.”

Pet Products

Jeffrey F presents Best Rated Vacuum for Pets Hair Miele, Not Dyson | Who Moved My Bone? posted at Who Moved My Bone?.  Hmmm…this could be my next vacuum as I know a Bernese Mountain Dog can put any suction device to the test.  I currently have an 8 month old Dyson that is still going strong, but maybe I’ll try the Miele if the Dyson cuts out.

Puppy Training

Jake presents How to Stop a Puppy from “Nipping” posted at Dog Training Pet.  Nipping can be a real problem with puppies.  Check out this article for some information on how to remedy puppy nipping.

Valerie Mills presents Are YOU Training Your Dog or Is HE Training You (1 of 6)? posted at Designer Puppys, saying, “This is 1 of 6 blogs about training dogs using my puppy Alvin as an example.”  A great question as I’ve seen most dog owners are being trained by their dogs. This is part 1 of 6 in the series.

Thank you everyone for submitting your articles.  Please keep in mind to only submit one article per blog per blog carnival.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of puppy in training carnival using our Blog Carnival submission page.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Dog Tagged With: , , , ,

Doberman + Laser Pointer Reminds Me Of Older Sibling Torture

August 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I was surfing through Facebook last night and came across this great little video of a Doberman Pinscher, Laser Pointer, and I’m not certain, but I’m going to say someone’s younger brother.  As I mentioned in the title this little video reminds me of me, my older brother, and the torture he put me through when we were kids.

Unfortunately, I had some issue downloading the animation, but just click this link: Doberman and Laser Pointer or click on the still image below:

Doberman Pinscher vs The Laser Pointer

Doberman and The Laser Pointer

Did you like that video?  I feel bad for the kid relaxing on the couch.  I also feel bad for the Doberman with his surgically cropped ears.  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little video

Have you seen any funny dog videos?  If you have send us  the link and maybe we’ll add it to the Puppy In Training website.

Filed Under: Dog Humor Tagged With: ,

Sleep Running Dog

August 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

You’ve probably seen your dog dreaming in his sleep.  I sometimes here Linus whimpering or get the occassional kick in the face from Stetson when he tries to run in his sleep.  However, have you ever seen an actual Sleep Running Dog?  One that stands up and actually starts running in his sleep.  Whether you have or have not seen a Sleep Running Dog you have to check out this video of Bizkit the Sleep Running Dog:

Bizkit The Sleep Running Dog

I witnessed this for the first time last week on my iPhone.  During hockey lockeroom talk every one was a buzz about Bizkit the Sleep Running Dog.  I had to see it so in an instant I turned on my iPhone, clicked the youTube button and there was Bizkit running into the wall.

My advice for Bizkits owners: Don’t let him sleep in a room where there are breakable objects.

Does your dog sleep walk or run?

Filed Under: Dog Humor 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: , , ,

Tink the Dachshund and Pink the Piglet Now on Video

June 12, 2009 By 1 Comment

Do you guys remember Tink the mommy Dachshund and Pink the piglet from last year. They became so famous there was a children’s book written about them. If you haven’t seen it yet then check out The Pink Puppy.

Video footage of Pink and Tink

Some new video footage of Pink and Tink was just released on YouTube. Check out the two short videos:

Pig In The House



Pink, Tink, and the Rest of the Litter

It looks like Pink has an itch that needs some scratching in the first video.  He also looked like he got the puppy zoomies…adorable.

Again, if you’re looking to read more about Tink and Pink then check out some of the related posts below or take a look at the book The Pink Puppy

Filed Under: Dog Friends Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »