Interview With Miss Remy

I have decided to interview each of my dogs by asking them each the same five questions.
I know I am the crazy dog lady (ahem, the Dog Dame), but I'm not crazy, I swear.  Read on to learn about the mutts that inspire me to blog!

1. For the record, please provide your full name:
Remy.  Unless mom is irritated with me, then I'm Remington. Unless I'm being stubborn (because I'm a basset) and ignoring mom and she's irritated with me, then I'm Remington Ophelia, but you can call me Remy.

2. Tell me about when you joined the family.  How long has it been?
I barely remember it because it was forever ago! I remember I used to live in a place where I stayed in the kennel almost all the time, though they did take me outside to potty and we played a bit.  Those people called me Rapunzel. Anyway, my people came to the shelter and brought with them another dog that was just a little bigger and about a year older than me.  I hadn't even had my first birthday yet but was a pretty big girl at nine months old.  The other dog was Benelli, and at first we just sniffed each other, but then we started playing and my people gave me a new collar and took me home. Benelli became my sister, and for a year she was my best friend.  A day short of one year of living with my family, Benelli got really sick and died from IMHA. I was so sad after she died and missed her so much that I didn't want to play anymore, even though I wasn't two years old yet. It took a long time before I wanted to play again.  Then, my family brought home my new brother, Otis, and then another brother, Bits.  They are both older than I am but since I was here first since April 2014 AND I'm the biggest, I'm the boss.

3.  What is your favorite toy?
I LOVE anything that squeaks! My favorite toy to chomp on is a live squirrel, but mom thinks that's gross.  I have a couple of Kong balls that squeak and I love to chase those and chomp on them.  I also love elk antlers and cow femurs- they are so great for chewing!

4. What is your least favorite thing to do?
I'm not a fan of getting a bath, or getting my ears cleaned, but I REALLY hate getting my nails clipped.  One time, they were clipped too short at the vet's office, which really hurt and I bled a bit.  I'm like an elephant, I never forget...and I make it hard for mom to clip my nails.

5. What's your favorite treat?
While I love the dental treats, I actually really love the 3 ingredient cookies mom makes.  My favorite treat though might be either the puppy ice cream she makes or peanut butter in  a kong.  I do LOVE peanut butter!

4 Myths About Senior Pets

#1 Adopting a Senior Pet: Older Dogs Aren't As Good As Younger Dogs
Many people believe that they should only adopt puppies or young dogs.  The truth is, many middle age and senior animals need homes, too.  My last two adoptions were older dogs, adopted at age 5 and age 8.  The eight year old was not housebroken, so I am training him just like I would if he was a puppy.  In my house, the oldest dog has more moments of wild puppy, and runs all over the house and yard - often still going when the 3 year old is tired out.  Don't discount a dog just because he or she is older.  Often (but not always), they are already house trained, leash trained, and know basic commands.  

#2 Symptoms Don't Need To Be Checked Out Because It's Just Old Age
Older dogs can be more susceptible for serious and progressive diseases like cancer, arthritis, mental decline, diseases of the heart, kidneys, and liver.  Early signs are often attributed by pet owners to "old age", but many of these issues can be treated when caught early.  Some of these signs include reduced activity levels, weight loss or gain, changes in appetite (decrease or increase), increased drinking and/or urination, limping or stiffness, decreased vision (sometimes manifests as dogs running into objects or refusing to go outside in the dark), or periods of disorientation/confusion (such as a dog "forgets" where the door to go outside is located, or "forgets" where they sleep.)

#3 Senior Pets Only Need Yearly Checkups
As your dog ages, she will need to see the vet more often.  It may be twice a year or more.  This is because for every human year, a dog ages 4-10 "dog" years.  A lot can happen in that time, and diseases that weren't present six months ago can be caught and treated.  Older dogs often also need additional blood work done to test for conditions or to provide a baseline so the vet can tell when changes are happening.

#4 Nothing Can Be Done To Help Older Pets
When caught early, many conditions are treatable, and some can be reversed or cured!  Pain management is available for dogs, and it's not that expensive to give your pet relief.  Just like with human arthritis, the condition can be managed in dogs.  There is treatment for cancer, as well as heart conditions, and so many other conditions.  Your pet doesn't have to suffer!

National CHECK THE CHIP Day is August 15!

 WHAT?  You've never heard of this fabulous day?!?!

Here's the deal: August 15th is National Check The Chip day, as in MICROCHIP.  It's a good idea to annually review the information you have on file with the microchip company, and to make an appointment to get your pet micro-chipped if he or she isn't already.

My two boys were adopted from Love Mutts Rescue and were micro-chipped before I adopted them, but Remy was adopted from the SPCA and was not.  I meant to get her chipped at her last annual exam, but I had Remy and Otis at the vet together by myself and forgot to ask for it!  I'm using Check The Chip Day as my own personal reminder to get Remy chipped, too!


You can use the Universal Microchip Lookup Tool to check your pet's registration info.  The following microchip companies participate:

• 24PetWatch​
• AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC-CAR)    
• EIDAP  
• Found Animals 
• HomeAgain (includes Banfield chips)  
• InfoPet 
• Microchip I.D. Systems
• PetKey 
• PetLink    
• Save This Life   
• SmartTag Microchip

DID YOU KNOW?

• a micro-chip is about the size of a grain of rice
• the microchip only contains your dogs registration or microchip number, which can then be looked up on the Universal database.  This is why it's so important to make sure your info is up to date with your microchip company.
• a lost dog without a microchip only finds it's owners around 21% of the time.  Dogs with microchips are re-united more than twice that, around 52% of the time.
• getting your dog microchipped is easy, and can be done at a regular office visit.  It's inserted with a hypodermic needle, and is no more painful than a normal injection.
• you should have your vet scan your dog at his annual exam to make sure the microchip is still functioning and can be detected.
• Many shelters and most rescues microchip adoptable dogs, but if yours isn't micro-chipped, it usually costs no more than $25-35 for your dog to be micro-chipped.

Sources:
AMVA

Have You Seen A SERVICE DOG?

Have you ever seen a dog in a store or restaurant that was wearing a service vest?  You probably already know that it's a service dog, but do you know the different kinds of service dogs and the etiquette that should be observed when around one?

There are three main types of dogs in service:

• Service Dogs: these dogs are trained to perform tasks that the human handler is unable to do (or unable to do without great difficulty) due to their disability. Almost all establishments must allow service dogs on the premises, except the federal government.  Types of service dogs include:
• mobility dogs, which help with stability while walking.  They wear a special harness with a counterweight to assist the handler with balance.  They can also be trained to do things like retrieve or pickup items and open or close a door. These dogs also serve as guides for the blind.
• hearing dogs, who assist their deaf or hard of hearing handlers to sounds such as a baby crying, smoke alarms, doorbells, etc.
• seizure/alert dogs, whoare trained to do things like roll over their handler (to avoid an obstructed airway during seizure), pressing an emergency call button, block their handler from falling down stairs, and alerting their handler of when a seizure is imminent. Diabetic alert dogs also fall under this category, and can be trained to alert the handler when a child (in particular) is experiencing low blood sugar.
• autism dogs work a lot like hearing dogs, giving their handler an alert to things that require attention and focus.  They can also be trained to remove their handler from an overtimulating situation by either directing them home or to a particular person.

• Therapy Dogs & Emotional Support Dogs are personal pets that are not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Therapy dogs often visit hospitals and nursing homes with the consent of the business, but neither therapy dogs or emotional support dogs are allowed in any business unless the business owner allows it.  Emotional support dogs often support people like soldiers who have seen combat or victims of abuse.  Neither of these kinds of dogs are allowed on the cabin of a plane or anywhere that the business owners will not allow.  Many of these dogs are rescue and shelter dogs that have been given a second chance at life.

Sources:
Please Don't Pet Me
Pet MD
Service Dog Central

ResQWalk

Do you take your dog(s) for a daily walk? Or maybe you like to go running, bike riding, rollerblading/skating, etc?  My dogs have a fenced yard but we do go for walks at the park on weekends and around the neighborhood on cooler evenings.

Did you know that you can download a free app called ResQWalk (available on Android or iPhone), and log your walks/rides to donate money to the rescue of your choice, free of charge?

It works by using your GPS to track the distance you have walked, then the money is donated via PayPal to the rescue you choose.  The money comes from corporate sponsors, so it's free for you to help your favorite rescue.  All activity less than 14 mph is logged.  

You can help save dogs just by doing what you normally do, but with this app enabled.  

Do you play Pokemon Go? You can run both apps at the same time and accrue miles while catching your pokemon.

I recently logged 0.51 miles just wandering around my local Target store!  I'm going to enable it when I walk around at work, to and from my car in parking lots, plus on our longer walks at the park. 

if you don't have a rescue, you can always choose your local SPCA or Love Mutts Rescue (serving NC and VA).

You can get more information about how it works at www.resqwalk.com.

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Top Five Reasons To Adopt A Shelter/Rescue Animal

ADOPT, Don't Shop!

Did you know that most dogs sold in pet stores come from over-crowded puppy mills?  So, too, do most of the puppies you see advertised online or in newspaper classifieds.  Puppy mills are a for-profit operation whose sole purpose is to churn out puppies at the lowest cost to be sold at a higher price.  This is done without regard to the mama dog's health, and puppies are often lacking proper nutrition, socialization, and vet care.  Dogs are bred without regard to genetic conditions, often producing puppies that have issues down the line, such as hip dysplasia and allergies.  Once the mama dog is no longer useful for breeding, they are usually killed (not always humanely), sold or given away to be used as bait dogs in illegal dog fighting operations, or set loose on the streets to become a stray.

My top five reasons why you should ADOPT and NOT SHOP (aka DON'T BREED OR BUY while shelter animals DIE):

#5: Adopted Animals often are at least partially house-trained.  While adopting a shelter dog doesn't guarantee your new pet is housetrained or won't have accidents in the house as they get used to your home and schedule, it's much more likely for an adopted dog to already have at least some manners.  Many also know commands such as "sit", "stay", and "come", making your efforts to train your new family member much easier. 

#4 Adoption is better for your finances than buying a puppy mill or breeder's dog.  Sure, adoption fees typically range between $50-$400 to adopt a dog from a rescue or shelter.  That cost covers the spay or neuter (typically $100-$250), current on all vaccinations ($50-100), and the room and board (other medical, food, toys, etc) plus helps the rescue or shelter cover other costs.  Some shelters and rescues also include the cost of micro-chipping and registration in the adoption fee (~$35-50).  The fact is, the adoption fees often don't even cover the cost of care that your new pet has received, but along with donations received from others, will help keep the operation running and help save more lives.

#3: Rescues & Shelters offer variety.  Some rescues are breed-specific, and that's a good thing if you are looking for a specific breed.  If you aren't sure what breed you want, a non-breed-specific rescue or a shelter is the perfect place to go.  You will be able to see dogs of all sizes, colors, shapes, breeds, and temperaments.  Shelter staff will usually be able to tell you things like if that dog gets along with other dogs or if they have quirky preferences, like my basset/beagle mix, Remy, who generally doesn't like dogs that are bigger than her.  Many rescues are able to foster their dogs, so they will be able to tell you if the dog you are interested in does well with small kids, prefers a quiet home, needs a tall fence, gets along with other dogs or cats, etc.  

#2: When you adopt a shelter or rescue pet, you are saving a life.  Actually, you are saving TWO lives.  The life of the pet you are adopting, but also, by opening up that spot, an animal that would be euthanized may have a chance to find their furever home.  

#1: Because it's the right thing to do.  Everyday, thousands of shelter animals are killed simply because they are homeless and the shelter is full.  Hundreds of shelter dogs and cats die every hour in the United States.  You can't save them all, but you can make a difference in one (or more!) animal's life.  Many times, these animals are in shelters through no fault of their own.  Common reasons animals are surrendered are move, divorce, people who buy or adopt dogs without consulting other adults in the family, difficulty potty-training (due to the humans not knowing the best way or teaching the dog), the dog is more responsibility than the owner thought it would be, owners can't afford to feed their dog, etc.

 

If you can't adopt an animal, please consider donating (wet or dry food, collars/leashes, toys, money, etc) to your local shelter or rescue of your choice.

Benelli was adopted through our local SPCA, and Remy was adopted through an SPCA several counties away. Otis was adopted through Love Mutts Rescue, a local (NC/VA) non-profit non-breed specific animal rescue (dogs and cats).

Sources:
RedRover.org
Humane Society