Merry Christmas!

Please click here for a special Christmas message.

Merry Christmas! ~Zoe

Fridays Favorite Foto

I'm feeling a little playful...

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Take time to play today!  ~Zoe

Thursdays Tip: Keeping Your Pet Safe from Holiday Hazards

I love the Christmas Season -- all the lights, ornaments, bright red flowers, and the smell of pine!  Those ornaments look fun...round and sparkly.  I want my hu-mom or hu-man to throw them so I could go fetch it, but for some reason they keep them up high and away from me... ~Zoe

Zoe's hu-mom here.  The holiday season is filled with trees, lights, decorations and flowers that bring us joy, but they may be dangerous to your pets.  Today I thought I would share a few tips from the Dumb Friends League to be aware of, in order to allow you AND your pet(s) enjoy the holidays.

Christmas Tree Safety:

• If you have a live Christmas tree, there are a couple of things you want to be aware of: 1) keep the water stand covered -- Pine sap mixed with water makes a poisonous drink for your pet.  2) The smell of a live tree may cause your dog to "mark" the tree -- you may want to consider keeping your tree in an isolated room, or on a table top.
• If your tree is on the floor, decorate the bottom third of the tree with non-breakable ornaments.
• Secure your Christmas tree to a wall or ceiling hook with sturdy fishing line.  This will help prevent the tree from toppling over should your pet jump on it or accidently knock it over.
• If you see that an ornament, ornament hook, tinsel, ribbon, etc. has fallen on the floor, please pick it up immediately.  These things can cause serious internal injuries if your pet ingests them.
• Make sure your tree lights don't hang so low that your pet could get entangled in them, and ALWAYS unplug the lights when you are not home and your pet is.

Holiday Treats

• Holiday treats are tempting to our pets too, so please keep holiday treats and candies out of your pet's reach.  Also please be aware that chocolate, onions, raisins and alcohol can be fatal to dogs!

Holiday Plants

• Some holiday plants are poisonious, so please place your poinsettias, mistletoe and other popular holiday plants out of the reach of your pets.  

Enjoy a safe Christmas and holiday season!  ~Deborah (Zoe's hu-mom)

Wednesday's Weave: The Great American Melodrama

Last night my hu-mom and her BFF Saundra went to the Great American Melodrama in Oceano, CA.  They saw "The Holiday Extravaganza: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens -- A Brand-New Fractured Fairy-tale Opera by Marian Partee & Jordan Richardson.  The Melodrama does a great job, has wonderfully talented performers, and is VERY creative...well at least according to my hu-mom!  

Scrooge

Little Red Riding Hood (a VERY modern version!)

Reindeer Rap (Yes, Rudolph finally gets to join in the Reindeer games!)

The 12 Days of Christmas (VERY creative!)

At this point you are probably wondering why I'm talking about the Melodrama, but please bear with me...

At the Melodrama, if you are lucky enough to get a seat on the main floor of the theatre, they seat you at a table for four...well, being that there were just two in my hu-mom's party, they were seated with two ladies -- Rosie from Riverside and Rosie's sister, from Wyoming.  Anyway, before the performance started...and during the intermissions, my hu-mom and Saundra talked with Rosie and Rosie's sister.  They quickly learned that they all had something in common...their dog-sons and dog-ters.  As they chatted, my hu-mom was impressed with the bond that humans have with their canines and the incredible love that helps to heal the wounded heart.  You see, Rosie and her sister shared about some very difficult times in their lives that their dog-sons and dog-ters helped them through.  Yes, that is one of the traits we canines have...that of unconditional love.  Whether you are happy, sad, stressed, angry, etc. we can sense it and will respond. 

Our lives are interwoven for a reason.  Today, I encourage you to look around at those you come in contact with and offer a smile...and if that someone you come in contact with is a canine, then a scratch behind the ears...but if it is a dog that is unknown to you, please ask the owners permission first.

Have a woof-derful day!  ~Zoe

Tuesday's Telling: Update on Cooper's Dog

It never ceases to amaze me, just how giving the heart can be. 

As you know, we have been following Cooper, the four year old with severe allergies and asthma, who needs an an allergen alert dog.  We have seen his fund raising efforts go from a couple of thousand dollars to just over $5,000.00, half the amount needed, and enough for him to order his dog.

Well the dog is on order and is currently going through the testing and training necessary to detect Cooper's specific allergens.

Today, I am happy to report that Cooper's family has now exceeded the $10,000 mark! 

Yes, the children of Bishops Peak Elementary in San Luis Obispo, worked really hard to recycle goods this past year and through "Jack's Helping Hand", presented Coopers family with a $5,000 check to help Cooper get his dog...and the training that goes along with that process.  Evidently, once the dog is trained, the family has a 2 week mandatory trip to Colorado to train with the dog.  The donation from Jack's Helping Hand will help with travel expenses (car rental, gas, hotel, etc).

Thank you to everyone who has touched the life of this little boy...and thank you Cooper family for sharing your story, your need, and for touching our lives! ~Zoe

Chapter 9: Puppy Kindergarten (continued)

Well, here we are with more on Puppy Kindergarten.  So far we have covered the things our humans need to keep in mind:
1. The importance of trust
2. Our learning capabilities
3. The importance of hard work
4. How to put on and use our collars properly
5. The three voices (correction, neutral, and command)
6. The importance of timing

Basic commands:
1. Sit
2. Come
3. Down
4. Stay

And best of all... Puppy Massage!

This week we put all of the above into practice...

Then Lisa broke it up by introducing us to the outdoor exercise equipment on campus.  She wanted our humans to expose us to multiple surfaces and heights, so we wouldn't be fearful when approaching changes in the surface of our walking paths -- also, she told our humans that this exercise would help build trust.  Lisa had us climb up and down a small incline, walk on bumpy surfaces, asphalt, dirt, grass, cement and across a wobbly plank of wood. 

This week was pretty intense and ended with my favorite...a Puppy Massage.  Ahhhhh.

Until tomorrow, have a Grrrrreat day!  ~Zoe

Friday's Favorite Foto

Living near the ocean, you learn to appreciate sea life.  Today's favorite photo has nothing to do with dogs...but lions.  Sea Lions to be exact.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my hu-mom and hu-man took a walk down the Avila Beach pier and took the following photos...

Note the sign...

All I can say, is where there is a will, there is a way!  ~Zoe

Thursday's Tip: Homemade Dog Biscuits

If you are one who loves to give Gifts from the heart, you may want to consider this for a homemade Christmas or Holiday gift for your favorite dog friends..

Homemade Dog Biscuits

This recipe is straight from Martha Stewart (the original can be found on her website at http://www.marthastewart.com/article/homemade-dog-biscuits.  But if you don't want to click the link, here goes...

Ingredients (Makes about 5 dozen)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt; set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine oil and garlic. Add stock and flour mixture in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with stock. Mix well.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thick. Shape biscuits using a dog-bone-shaped cookie cutter or by cutting around a store-bought dog bone with a butter knife.(Make biscuits that are appropriate for your dog's size.)

4. If desired, you can spell out your dog's name or a holiday message in the dough with a toothpick (wet the toothpick first so it won't stick).

5. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Bake biscuits 10 minutes. Brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. Turn off oven, leaving door closed. Let dog biscuits stand in oven to dry completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap as a gift, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(From The Martha Stewart Show)

They're GRRRRRRRReat!  ~Zoe

Tuesday's Telling: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

And all over the world, there are children making Christmas lists.  Many of those lists will include "a puppy" or "a kitten".  Puppies and kittens are big responsibilities, but if you are ready to take the plunge, I would like you to consider opening your home to a rescue dog or cat. 

A number of rescue organizations exist, but the one I would like to share with you today is the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.  They have grown from "7 members to over a hundred people who work  throughout southern California to assist Labrador Retrievers in need. They are nonprofit, and recognized under the Internal Revenue Code 501(c)3 as a charitable, tax exempt organization. All the money that they earn goes toward our mission of rehabilitating and rehoming Labrador Retrievers, and educating the public about these wonderful dogs."

The SCLRR works to place rescue and foster dogs with families.  A number of dogs are currently available and if you have the time and resources to rescue or foster a Labrador in need, please contact the SCLRR (if you are in Southern California), or the Labrador Retriever Club's National Coordinator, Luanne Lindsay .

Thank you!  ~Zoe

Woof!

Hello.  Thanks for checking in today.  Due to the fact that I don't have opposable thumbs, I need my hu-mom to help me post to my blog.  She was gone this weekend so she wasn't able to help me with today's post. 

We'll be back tomorrow, though, with our Tuesday's Telling.

Have a PAWSitively wonderful day!  ~Zoe

Friday's Favorite Foto

I see a camera -- that must mean S-M-I-L-E...

Thursday's Tip

Rubber gloves seem to be a staple at the veterinarians office...and according to my hu-mom, they are also used regularly at her doctor's office, dentist, hospital, place of business, etc.

So today's tip is to take something that is readily available and use them to help solve a common problem...dog hair.  I don't know about you, but I'm a shedder.  I leave my hair EVERYWHERE and my hu-mom is always sweeping, vacuuming, and lint-removing, trying to get rid of it all.  Well, did you know that a rubber glove is HIGHLY effective as a dog hair picker upper?  Yes, all you have to do is put on the glove and run it over your sofa, pant leg, etc. and it gathers up all of those stray hairs!

Have a shed free day!  ~Zoe

Wednesday's Weave: Kip & Zoe

I love Kip.  He made the way for me to come live with my human family, and he takes such good care of me.  He has a gentle heart and takes his job of taking care of me seriously.  As you know, I was recently sick, and Kip kept me reassured that all would be better soon, by giving me kisses -- lots of them!

Well, I'm feeling better now and we're back to playing together.  I say the ball is mine...and Kip says it's his...

Hey, I've got to go...he's strong and I want my ball!  ~Zoe

Tuesday's Telling: An Update on Cooper's Allergen Alert Dog

We have been following Cooper, a 4-year old boy with severe allergies, who is in need of an allergen alert dog.  The family posted the following update, and I thought you might like to read it straight from Cooper's Mom...

About a month ago we raised a total of $5,000. Everyone who’s following Coopers Journey knows what a big deal this was for us. This was the big day, which we have all been waiting for… Cooper’s dog can now begin training! Many of you expressed your happiness and excitement for Cooper with our family and it was so special. I am thankful for all of you! As for me I cried, I shouted with joy, I thanked God for all the wonderful people who helped us get here, and I hugged my son with all my might.

We know many of you are anxiously waiting for an update on Cooper’s dog, and so are we! The process is not simple. Dogs are like humans, some are able to do things that others are not. There is very little that we know about Cooper’s dog, except that he will be an Australian Labradoddle. Angel Service Dogs has to follow certain regulation when training a dog to become a service dog. First is obedience. The dog has to act on command: Sit, down, stay, walk easily, no signs of aggression, recall, sit in public places and so on. Once he passes that and earns his certificate, he must be able to detect a peanut from a building, vehicle, or luggage in five minutes or less to become "peanut" certified. From there he needs to be able to “stack” which means, he needs to pick up the scent of cashews, get certified, pecans, get certified, walnuts get certified, and so on until he meets Coopers needs, and with the same regulations as a peanut. Some dogs will be able to do this, and some will not. This is why we won’t know which dog will be Coopers until we get “the phone call”. Trust me, it is hard. I want to post pictures, I want to tell you his name, and how he is progressing but I can’t. All I know, is we are hoping to get Cooper’s dog in about six months. This will allow Cooper and the dog to become familiar with each other before Cooper starts kindergarten. (Which by the way, these dogs have been detecting peanuts from “peanut free tables”. Just as an FYI to parents of peanut/nut allergic children.)

Our family is rooting for Ranger. He is a beautiful, brown Australian Labradoodle that is simply adorable. He’s about a year old, and is in training to become peanut certified. He aired on the today show and is working hard, to meet the needs of a child, we are just hoping that child is Cooper! I promise to keep you updated as often as I can, and again thank all of you for your support! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33825344#33825344

Thank you again, to everyone who has contributed to help Cooper get his dog.  Additional funds are still needed to pay for the dog, so if you would like to help out, you can do so by purchasing my PawPrintArt cards, or by donating at Cooper's blog (http://coopersdog.blogspot.com/).  ~Zoe