Beware Foxtails and Groom Your Dog!

Here's an article listing the benefits of keeping your poochie well groomed. Not only is your dog better looking after you groom them or even take them to a groomer, but the dog is without a doubt happier.

Dogs with long hair must be combed out everyday. If you don't comb out the long hair it invariable tangles and you have to spend more time untangling the knots. If the tangle or knot grows it gets more twisted and thick causing the knot to pull up against the dog's skin. That pulling sensation is irritating and even painful to a dog. You'll often see a dog licking it's coat/hair where it's hair is knotted or tangled and that's because that area hurts the dog.

Our dog just got her nails cut. Make sure you take your dog to the groomer regularly for a nail-cutting. Overgrown nails start to curl under causing the dog's paw to twist unnaturally which can result in hurting the paw. Make sure you know where the quick is on the nail. If you cut too much of the nail you'll cut the quick and cause bleeding.  If your dog has dew claws make sure they're cut back also.

Best not to let water get into your dog's ear, the bacteria in water can cause an infection.

California is infamous for it's "Foxtails" which are tall thin weeds with very pointed ends. These pointy ends invariably end up in a dog's paw, legs, back and even ears during a walk. Always check those areas on your dog when coming back from a walk. Our dog has suffered from ear infections ever since a small point of a Foxtail got stuck in her eardrum. Paw infections are also common. Foxtails are as nasty an enemy as your dog can have in California-always check your dog for them!

Here's the article on grooming your dog at The Seattle Times.

Dog with Two Broken Legs Crawls Back to Family Home!

A fearless and loyal Terrier-mix named Mason got caught in one of the horrible Alabama tornadoes a few weeks back. His family couldn't find him and thought he had died or run away. But,  Mason who had suffered two broken legs survived the tornado and actually crawled back to his home! He was found and brought to a vet who treated his broken legs and will be living with his family again.

Here's the story of Mason the courageous Pup.

Joyful Crying Emotional Dog Greeting Mom Back From Afghanistan!

Few things are more touching than kids and dogs who are overjoyed by seeing their parent who's been gone and has just returned. This touching video shows a Golden Retriever who is overjoyed at seeing her Mom just back from Afghanistan. Listen to the dog crying over and over with happiness that Mom is back home.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

Haven't heard anything lately, but I hope by now they've determined who exactly let the dogs out and that they've been punished accordingly. - Weird Al Yankovic

Family Dog Keeps Watch Over 2 Year Old Boy

Elgin South Carolina Two year old Tyler Jacobson went to go get his juice last Friday and never returned to his family home. His frantic parents called police but they had to call off the search late at night. The next morning Saturday April 3rd, neighbors called the police saying they heard crying from the back of a home across the street from the boy's family home.

The boy was found across the street behind a neighbor's home. Apparently 2 yr old Tyler wandered across the street and the family dog, a Labrador Retriever followed him. When the boy settled down on the ground the dog laid down right next to him and kept him warm all night. It was a chilly 40 degree night and the boy was only wearing a diaper. The next day the police were called when crying and barking was heard by neighbors.

No doubt Divine Intervention in reality saved the boy but the fact that a dog was chosen to help him once again is proof that dog's are man's best friend.

More details at WISTV.

2 Family Dogs Survive the Japanese Tsunami

Nice article about 2 family dogs who were smart enough to run up to the top level of their family home in Japan. Both dogs survived and are heroes to their family:






The detailed tail-wagging story is at the Wall St. Journal Online.

Funny Dog Quote

Sometimes I'll pick something up and put it back down, five or six times, just to show my dogs how superior opposable thumbs are. - Guy Endore-Kaiser

Tennis Sportscaster Mary Carillo will Co-host the Westminster

Veteran former tennis player and current popular tennis announcer Mary Carillo will co-host the most fun and famous Dog Show in the world The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She will provide commentary based on her love and knowledge of dogs from the perspective of being a Westhighland Terrier owner along side Westminster stalwart David Frey.

Check out the article here at the New York Daily News.

Medications and Dog Kennels

How a Dog May Be Given His/Her Medication at a Kennel or Doggy Day Care Facility
By Travis Huber and Vicki Huber

Many dogs do not like to take their medicine. If you put it in their dog dish with their food they will eat around the pill. If you just give it to them they either will not take it or spit it out. What are you to dog when the dog has to take his medicine? Usually, a dog is given medicine for a medical condition of some type that the medicine will help them get better or improve their condition.

At the dog kennel in Portland we have many different methods of giving medication. This may be one reason that most kennels charge for providing medication to a dog, because it usually is not an easy task. One method is rolling a ball of cheese up and putting the pill in there. Most dogs swallow the pill right away with no trouble. Peanut Butter can also be used for this same trick. Sometimes sticking a pill in a hot dog will also fool your pet and he will eat his pill without knowing it. Another method is to feed your dog some canned food, and to stick the pill in this. A lot of dogs love canned food and will eat it up right away. If you do not like giving your dog canned food just give him a little bit with the pill and usually they eat it up right way.

Those are some of the methods we use at the dog boarding kennel in Portland. We have found that usually one of these methods work to encourage the dog take his pill while they are being boarded or attending   doggy day care.

Hi My name is Vicki, I run Fletcher's Boarding Kennels is a Dog Boarding Kennel in Portland, Oregon.

Fletcher's Boarding Kennels has been run by Vicki for 27 years. This business provides a safe place for dog owners to board their dogs or leave their dog for doggy day care in the Portland, Gresham, and Greater Portland and surrounding areas in Oregon.

How to Tell if Pet Products are Safe

Are your pet products safe? How to know


(ARA) - For dog owners, there are no two ways about it - pets are part of the family. You want your four-legged companion to be as happy and healthy as any other member of your family. Many of the things you buy for your human loved ones - like food, medicine and beauty products - are regulated by agencies that make sure those products are safe. You might assume that there are similar restrictions on pet products, but unfortunately, that's not the case.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that accurate ingredient lists be put on human items like shampoos and soaps.  The agency strictly regulates supplements intended for human consumption. Though laws regulate what advertising claims can be made on pet supplies for dogs, the FDA does not regulate shampoos used on pets unless the shampoo is classified as a drug, e.g., anti-dandruff. This means that many manufacturers are misleading the public as to what is in their shampoos. Even when some manufacturers claim drug facts, many forgo the costly product registration process and unfortunately are too low a priority to get noticed by the FDA.


Given the trend toward organic products, some vendors make claims about their products being all natural when they are not - often with impunity. Worse yet is the fact that they might not honestly list the ingredients in the product, which could be harmful for your dog. A short ingredient list is a red flag that you might not be buying an honest product.


"Without a thorough and honest ingredient list, it can be hard to recognize that some pet shampoos are actually products made for humans, just re-labeled," says Lorenzo Borghese, who founded Royal Treatment pet products out of concern for the skin problems his own dog was experiencing. He notes that while that might not sound too bad, human soaps are bad for dogs' skin. "Human skin is acidic, while dogs' is alkaline, and a product intended for human consumption has an improper pH which can cause the skin to burn or become irritated."


Adding to the problem, foaming agents like sodium laureth sulfate, often found in human shampoos, strip oils off the skin. Human skin is porous, so it can naturally replenish those oils, but dogs' non-porous skin can't, leaving them with extremely dry skin. That is often a big part of why veterinarians only recommend washing your dog every four to eight weeks.


For those looking for a natural dog shampoo, the problem of incomplete labels is frustrating, and even more so when trying to help a pet with skin and coat problems. Borghese's Royal Treatment line of shampoos and conditioners was formulated with ingredients that are ideal for animals' sensitive skin, all of which are listed on the label. Because the products are sold on television they have to meet rigorous standards and have complete and verified ingredient lists.


The same problematic lack of regulation that affects topical pet care products also makes it difficult for pet owners to know whether pet health supplements are safe and effective.


The low cost of overseas production often means that manufacturers will outsource the work of producing pet supplements. That also means that there is sometimes a lack of oversight and quality control - pet supplements might not contain the ingredients in the amount claimed on the bottle. For pet owners who want to take care of health issues like joint stiffness or a poor coat, it's almost impossible to verify whether the supplement they're giving their pet has the ingredients it claims in the active quantity listed on the label.


Working with renowned veterinarian Dr. L. Phillips Brown, Borghese also launched a line of supplements for dogs with the same principles of providing verifiable ingredients that are ideal for pets. "The ingredients in these supplements are standardized," Brown says. "They are made in the United States, and what's on the label is in the product." Batch testing helps to verify that ingredients are present in the correct amounts that are necessary for the supplements to be effective.


Knowing precisely what you're giving your dog is important. It can be difficult to take the guess work out of shopping for pet supplements and care products, but the most important thing to demand is information about the exact ingredients in everything from food to shampoo to supplements. Armed with that knowledge, you can give your pet a healthy, happy life. For more information on pet-safe products, go to www.royalpetclub.com.