FINAL POST

For my last and final post on my blog I thought I'd write about the two most important dogs in the whole wide world, my two dogs Emma and Gracie
    My dad brought home Gracie on Labor Day about 8 years ago. She  was a complete surprise and the entire family was ecstatic to have this adorable pure breed beagle to join our home. Soon enough we realized Gracie had quite the personality. If  the front door was left slightly open she'd push it open with her nose and go sprinting around the entire neighborhood dodging cars and small children playing along the way. If a turkey or a batch of hot cookies were left on the dining room table Gracie would wait til our backs were turned and hop up and enjoy the food she felt was intended for her. And finally when it came time for walks Gracie loved to smell EVERYTHING and if you didn't give her enough time to sniff a stick in the grass she'd sit on the sidewalk and not budge or slip out of her collar and take off running, she had quite the stubborn attitude but we love her all the same.
      Emma came along much later in my life. It was two years ago my junior year of high school. I came home after softball practice to see a medium sized black and white dog sitting by my moms feet. "We got another dog!!" I stated with excitement. "No not exactly were just watching her for awhile", my mother said back. She explained to me that one of my older brothers friends' mom found a stray dog in a home she was trying to sell (she's a real estate agent). She tried to find the owners but had no luck so she intended to keep the dog but her own pit bull didn't take much of a liking to the pooch so she asked my mother to watch her until she could find a more suitable home. My dad was not pleased to be caring for another dog he thought Gracie was enough of a hassle and stated that we would NEVER get another dog. Once my family got to know the dog and found out just how sweet and obedient she was we all decided we wanted to keep her even my father fell in love with her.
   I love both of my dogs so very much and dogs in general. I think they are great assessts to any family or just to any single person they can make you laugh and give you much needed company when your sad. They're always excited to see you and  I think they are the most loyal creatures on the planet. Adopt and Love a dog sometime in your life if you already havn't.

Here's Emma
And here's a link to a picture of Gracie on Facebook and I didnt have any of her on my computer
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=1221661064534&set=m.16903725.1341137254&type=1&theater

Dog Breed Names

This is an older article but I thought it was really cool and interesting it's a list of 12 different dog breeds and it explains how each breed got it's name check it out!
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/21/dog.breed.names/index.html

Preventing a deadly illness

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/04/23/bloat.dog.illness.mnn/index.html

I read this article on cnn.com and it discussed a deadly illness that is very common among dogs referred to as "the bloat". It's actual name being gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). I was not even aware that this illness even existed this article sheds some light on what we can do as owners to protect our dog from this scary illness.

Behind the scenes at Westminster 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REvsvSzza-4

a fun little clip giving you a taste of what goes on behind the scenes at the Westminster dog show!

Dogs bad for the environment?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/26/dog.hybrid.mnn/index.html

apparently dogs are more harmful to the environment than SUV'S!! I found that hard to believe but read the article above very interesting.

Always Loyal

This video is so beautiful a dog refuses to leave another injured dog behind awwwww!

Protect your pooch!

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-02/living/dogs.poisonous.plants.mnn_1_dog-owner-peace-lily-wild-mushrooms?_s=PM:LIVING

This an excellent article for any dog owner to read. It talks about ten plants that our poisonous to dogs. You will be extremely surprised to see some of the things on the list I was especially shocked to see the GRAPES were on it yikes I know I have fed a couple of those to my dogs before scary!

HUGE DOGS!

I came across this website and was astounded at the size of these canines take a look for yourself!


http://www.worldslargestdog1.com/

Pricey Pup

Check out this Dog! Hong Dong is a Tibetan Mastiff puppy and has become the most expensive dog in the world when he sold for a whopping 1 million dollars!

Amazing pups who need good homes!

http://salute.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/14/dogs-who-protected-soldiers-need-homes/
Monday morning  on the "Morning Express with Robin Meade"  two retired military contractor dogs, Ivy and Nugget, were invited to the set. After their service sniffing out explosives in Iraq, these pups and many others need homes.This story is really touching these two dogs and many others worked extremely hard for the U.S military in Iraq and they deserve good homes I would adopt them all if I could!

Iditarod

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-12/us/iditarod.race_1_dallas-seavey-mushers-iditarod-trail?_s=PM:US

I thought this article was really cool it talks about the famous Iditarod dog sled race that takes place in Alaska and how this year the youngest contestant to ever enter into the race is looking like he could give the veterans a run for their money. Dallas Seavey is only 19 years old and he already had a major upset by winning the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. By winning that race he now holds the record as the youngest winner in that race's 27-year history. Now Seavey has got his sights set on winning the Iditarod. Good Luck Dallas!

Doggie Fashion

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/10/luxury-duds-for-dogs-apparently-a-recession-proof-fashion-trend-2/?hpt=T2

I think this article is pretty ridiculous. I don't understand why people find it necessary to dress their dogs up in little outfits. I understand if you have a very small dog who doesn't have enough body fat to keep them warm in the winter and needs a sweater or something when it goes outside to pee but bulldogs in tutus and Labradors in leather coats? I mean come on your dog doesn't want to be wearing that I'm sure it has to be extremely uncomfortable! To me it's kind of cruel to do that to your pet. And also the price of some of this doggie fashion is through the roof! Go donate 1,000 dollars to a charity instead of buying a leather couture jacket for your dog who doesn't want the thing near him anyways.

Diet for Dogs

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/10/vegan.dog.diet/index.html?hpt=C2

I was really surprised after I read this article about dogs eating a vegan diet. I would have never thought it to be healthy for a dog to not eat diary, eggs, or meat, but it turns out that I was wrong. When the dog from the article (Cleo) began her vegan diet within weeks her ear infection was gone, her coat was shiny, and her breath no longer smelled. I think it's really great that a health issue such as an ear infection could be cured simply by a change of diet. Sadly many humans don't take advantage of a healthy lifestyle and its benefits but that doesn't mean your dog can't! I'm really glad that the word is getting out about the doggie vegan diet I hope many pet owners consider it, I know I am for my two dogs! 

Yay!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/24380260;_ylt=AiPHS7FXCnyhV0KlessrJBi9SpZ4 I came across this video today on yahoonews.com, I suggest watching it. At first I was appalled to hear how the city council of Moscow was planning on rounding up the large number of stray dogs that roam around the city and deporting them to a camp outside of the city. That is absolutely ridiculous! But thankfully the plan was halted and the dogs are being allowed to stay, for the time being that is I hope the idea of kicking them out of town is never brought up again!

Awwwwww

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dog-bear-reunited-sacramento,0,7214024.story

Today I read a heartwarming story about a man who was reunited with his lost pup. Bear a white and black terrier ran away from his Sacramento home on Tuesday. But thankfully he was returned home, courtesy of a microchip. Turns out Bear had quite an adventure he turned up in Tacoma Washington 700 miles away!
This story is so cute and it made me think of my two dogs Emma and Gracie and how I should defiantly get them micro chipped because if they ever ran away I would be devastated!

Westminster 2011

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2011/02/scottish-deerhound-westminster-dog-show-2011.html

This is my response to the above article I suggest reading it.
History was made this year at the Westminster dog show. The first ever scottish deerhound took the title! I was really excited to hear about this it's nice that a tiny pekingese or a fluffy poodle didn't take win.....again. I'm really happy Hickory(the scottish deerhound) won. To make the story even better this was Hickory's last year competing before retirement what a way to go out with a bang good for her!

Magazine Idea

Title: How To
Target Audience: Anybody who wants to learn how to do something
Distribution: Stands, Subscriptions
Three Potential Articles:
1. How to Look and Feel Younger
2. How to Find Your Perfect Mate
3. How to Fix up Your Home
Three Potential Advertisers
1. Home Depot
2. Covergirl Cosmetics
3. Match.com

Dog Food Recall

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-19/us/pet.food.recall_1_pet-food-aflatoxin-toxic-chemical-byproduct?_s=PM:US

After reading this article I was very shocked, because I'm pretty sure my dogs Emma and Gracie have eaten one of the brands mentioned in the recall. Luckily  neither of my two pups showed any of the symptoms mentioned in the article, which by the one sound really awful " sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat. A yellowish tint to the eyes or gums, severe blood or diarrhea". Yikes! I feel horrible for the poor innocent dogs and cats that were fed this food. What is it that caused this pet food recall you might ask, Aflatoxin is to blame (a fungal toxin that contaminates maize during harvest). Hopefully Kroger gets this situation sorted out and the animals get to feeling better. 

Poor Wittle Beagles!

Savage beagles terrorize East End

By TAYLOR K. VECSEY

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/savage_beagles_terrorize_east_end_FpN3hlz90Jee9rKgTI8VEN#ixzz1C1tzcoUlou

I suggest you all read this article I came across on the nypost.com. Here's a little summary, so basically packs of feral beagles are "attacking" the local residents of Long Island. Due to hunters abandoning them after rabbit hunting season is over. I was so extremely shocked and sadden by this article. I myself own a beagle (Her names Gracie and she's slightly obese but extremely lovable!) and it breaks my heart to know that tons of beagles are resorting to attacking people out of starvation. I don't know how people can be so heart-less. One quote really struck a chord with me when a shelter worker described what a hunter said to her, " if you don't take the dog, I'll shoot it in the head." I would like to meet that guy and sock him in the nose! Thoughts?