Traveling with Dogs

I know most of the "travel season" is behind some of you, for us however it seems it never ends with children, parents and relatives spread out all over the place. Take today for instance. We have arrived in North Carolina to visit my son and his girlfriend.



My pups always look forward to the trips. They know something is up the moment we take the padding out of the kennel in preparation to folding the kennel up for the trip. They beat us to the door, leash in mouth...well almost anyway, more like with tongue hanging out and slobber starting to form!



I always do a double check to make sure all ID tags are in place, as well as latest booster tags, that the collars/harnesses and leashes are all in good condition so as not to have an unexpected break in them when traveling. I put together a goody bag with treats, toys, water bottles, food for the trip/stay and doodoo bags plus their kennels.



Here are some other good travel tips from about.com:

1. Lists of rest stops and veterinary hospitals along your trip (if driving)
2. List of veterinary hospitals near the location where you are staying
3. Crate / kennel
4. Leash
5. Water and Bowls
6. Dog Food
7. Treats
8. One or two toys
9. Blankets and/or dog bed
10. Bags to pick up waste
11. First Aid Kit
12. Grooming supplies, if necessary
13. Medications, if applicable
14. Your dog’s medical records (including vaccine history)
15. Health Certificate (obtain from your vet

We will be posting pictures of our mini-vacation here and at the beach later. For now however we want to say, Happy Dogs on Thursday, wherever you may be!

Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson too!

Health Benefits of Dog Ownership

Our perfect companions never have fewer then four feet.

-----Colette----

Let me take this opportunity, to openly confess here in front of you all, that I am...*gasp*...a dog person! I have been as far back as I can remember. Even when it wasn't cool to have a dog in the house, as a dog's place was outside in those days because well you know "dogs were dirty". My how things change!

Most people get a puppy because they are cute, their kids beg for one, companionship, or protection, etc. But did you know it has been proven in scientific studies that dogs are good for you! Really! Unless you get one like Marley, but even in that story love conquers all! I digress...

It has been proven that just by petting your pup you can reduce stress, your blood pressure and heart rate. Individuals who have been hospitalized for serious illness or surgery show a much faster recuperation time when visited by therapy dogs or being with their own dog recouping at home.

People who own dogs also get out and walk more. The increased exercise benefits the body, but also consider that it alleviates loneliness and depression by getting persons susceptible to this affliction out and about, meeting other dogs and owners. I know people who have lived in the same neighborhood for years but never spoke until they see the person out with a dog! Talk about an instant ice breaker! Take your dog to the park and see what happens! I have made many new friends walking with my pups on the bike trail, as well as acquaintances (i.e. oh yeah that is Max's or Roxie's mom!)

Having a dog also gets one's mind off of self as you now have someone else to care for. My sons are still waiting for me to get one more dog...they say each time one of my boys left home that I replaced them with a Basset Hound. There may be some truth to that as I am the nurturing type... Dogs love you unconditionally, accepting you just as you are. They just want to be cared for and loved.

They say laughter is the best medicine. I don't know about the rest of you but my pups (who are two of my best friends) crack me up several times a day with their antics and expressions. And so do yours as I faithfully read your posts!

There are a lot of good rescue groups out there and shelters are over flowing with dogs who need homes. If you are one of our readers who do not have a dog and are considering it, you will find that a lot of the participants here are blogging about dogs who have been adopted. Having a dog comes with extra responsibility but it is worth it!

Happy Dogs on Thursday!

Tina, HoneyDew and Sampson Arrrooo!

Dogs on Thursday!!

Hello everyone!! Welcome to this weeks Dogs on Thursday. Paula is out of town so I'll be covering for the next two weeks. Let's all wish Paula a great trip. I just got back from another one of my trips so I haven't had much time to get a post together. We'll get back into the swing of things soon....stick with us.

Well, for this week's blog post I wanted to share a news story from a neat site. I recently started reading DogsintheNews.com and I found this cute article about the largest and smallest dogs in the world. I figured I'd share the link this week.

And I'll leave you with a little funny.

If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater . . . suggest that he wear a tail.

Fran Lebowitz (b. 1951), U.S. journalist. Social Studies, "Pointers for Pets" (1981).

Dog Facts

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.
For me they are the role model for being alive.
~Gilda Radner

Welcome Everyone to Dogs on Thursday!
(Sorry I am running a little late this morning.
We have flu at our house today.)

Here are a couple of reminders and updates:

If you haven't already voted for a charity for the upcoming snuggle project, please do that.

We will announce the results next Thursday and then start working on the snuggles the following Thursday.

Next Thursday we will also announce the info/rules, etc... on the Spring Swap.

And... Don't forget to wear orange on April 10th and support your local ASPCA.

Thank you Nichole for that information.

For today, in place of the "Doggie Spotlight" is a new feature called "Fun Dog Facts".

Here is the first installment:

1: The worlds largest dog..... The worlds heaviest as well as longest dog ever recorded was an Old English Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, Zorba weighed 343 lbs and was 8 feet 3 inches long from nose to tail!

2: The worlds tallest dog..... The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder!) and weighed 238 lbs.
Worlds smallest dog..... The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie from Blackburn, England. At two years of age and fully grown this little dude was an incredible 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long! He weighed only 4 ounces! HE was approximately the size of a matchbox.

3: The worlds oldest dog..... The oldest dog that has been reliably documented was an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey. He was put to sleep at the age of 29 years and 5 months!

4: The worlds Best Drug Sniffing Dogs.....A US Customs Labrador named "Snag" has made 118 drug seizures worth a canine record $810 million. The greatest number of drug seizures by dogs is 969 in 1988. IN ONE YEAR! The team of "Rocky" and "Barco" patrolled the Texas and Mexico border, alias "Cocaine Alley." They were so good that Mexican drug lords put a price of $30,000 dollars on their heads.

5: Dogs can see color but it is not as vivid a color scheme as we see.
It is much like our vision at twilight.

6: Some authorities estimate that some dogs sense of smell is as high as 1 million times greater than ours. (I would vouch for that at out house with Elise, especially if there is was a squirrel in the back yard!)

7: Canis Major or The Great Dog:- The great dog follows his master, Orion, as he makes his annual journey through the sky.
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is located on the shoulder of Canis Major.
It is the brightest in the heavens, and its name means sparkling and scorching, as it is nearest to the sun during the height of summer.

8: The hot, summer days - The Dog Days - which Sirius was thought to cause, run from July 3 to August 11th.

9: The three stars of Orion's Belt point at the Dog Star, Sirius, in Canus ajor at Orion's heels.
It is best seen in the northern hemisphere during winter, between December and March.

10: The wild ancestors of all dogs were hunters.
Wolves and other wild relatives of the dog still hunt in packs for their food.
Dogs have retained the urge to be with the pack. This is why they do not like to be left alone for too long.

If you would like to submit a dog fact please email it to me or Natalie and we will post it on the next 'Fun Dog Facts' installment!