The Fauna Sauna

A company called ‘Friends FIR Life’ has developed a device called the Fauna Sauna which will keep the warmth flowing all day and night. Instead of using light to produce the heat the sauna uses infrared rays to directly heat only the object (your dog or cat) lying directly in front of the device. Perfect for the Arizona summer!

Autoelex Pet Pavilion

The Korean manufacturer Autoelex has equipped this penthouse for pets with some impressive features. Though it looks a little cramped, it has temperature and humidity control, antibiotic air-filled environment, and carbon filter deodorizer. It is nicknamed the “Ultimate Dog House”, and we take umbrage with that. We’re the ultimate Dawg House!

The Dog-O-Matic Washing Machine

Invented and marketed by Frenchman Roman Jarry, there really is a Dog-O-Matic, and Jarry says dogs love it. Just look at these photos and tell me if the dog in the washing machine is loving it…It’s a little difficult to stand behind this product.  Although, we could get lots of other work done while Fido is getting clean. And admit it– you all would love to watch it if it was installed in our lobby.

Bowlingual & Meowlingual, Cat & Dog Translators

This one might be the favorite.  From Japan, electronic “translators,” let you know what your dog and cat really mean when they speak. They are programmed to “understand” the sound of six emotions your dog or cat may feel when he elicits a bark or a meow.  Most of the time here at Dawg House, there is no question as to what the dogs are saying to us; especially when we’re telling them to settle down or sit.  It’s crystal clear!

Hopefully, when you all run out and purchase these products you’ll be willing to give a consumer review!

When you are in the lobby with your dog,  please make sure your dog is leashed and under your control.  This is for several reasons–first off, the door to the outside can open at any time, leaving a loose dog vulnerable.  Also, as much as we try to maintain a safe lobby, there are items and foods to which your dog should not have access.  The only way to insure they don’t is to keep them leashed and under control.

In addition, we have many dogs that are truly excellent daycare dogs—sweet and friendly, playful and enjoyable, until “Mom” or “Dad” enters the picture.  We have several clients that call from the parking lot for us to remove the dogs from the playroom safely, and others that need a wide berth when entering and leaving.  Because of this,  please don’t approach a dog in the lobby without asking if it’s okay;  but also, please be respectful and move away from the gate as people are exiting. Many of the dogs that attend Dawg House are rescue dogs, and have some real trust issues as well.  They are fearful of strangers, and may even bite if touched when afraid.  We do our best to maintain a calm and conflict free entrance and exit,  so by giving people and their dogs plenty of room, you will help with the process.

What happens when two dogs are in the lobby together? It’s fairly similar to the above situation–many dogs are BEST buddies when they are running around for hours together, loose in the playroom.   Get them on the other side of the fence, or on their lead in the lobby with another dog, and immediate conflict arises.  For this reason, please keep your dog on a short lead and don’t let your dog approach another dog in the lobby; it may not end well.

The final piece of this puzzle is how to handle your time in the intro area/airlock.  Because during pickup and drop off time our entire job is to safely get dogs in and out of the pack, we ask that you remain calm and avoid putting fingers through the fence to touch the other dogs that are present.  We know how completely adorable the pack is, and also how exciting it is to see your dog after a long day of work.  However, excited and high-pitch sweet talking or paying lots of attention to the dogs through the fence, can both cause over-arousal and can lead to conflict.   The dogs will compete with each other to get to the person doling out affection, and actually get aggressive in doing so.  We don’t want to dampen your excitement,  but it will actually help in training your dog to greet you more calmly as well.

We are so happy to have all of you new clients as part of our pack, and also to have the dogs that have been with us for a long time.  We wouldn’t be here without you, and our goal is the same–safe, fun play for the dogs that actually helps build their confidence, and wears them out for the night!

Apparently, he was eating regularly and active up until the day before he passed.  He began to have difficulty breathing and suddently wasn’t interested in his food.  Pusuke then passed peacefully shortly after his owner arrived home.  His owner believes that Pusuke waited for his return.

Born in April of 1985, Pusuke was recognized last December as the world’s oldest-living dog by Guinness.

The oldest-known dog on record, according to Guinness, was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and five months before it was put down in November 1939.

What an amazing prospect—having our dogs live for 26 years! Sign us up!

Each year we try to outline some of the holiday-related toxins that dawgs should stay away from. It’s tempting to give our pets lots of treats (especially when we’re getting so many!), but the fact is, certain people foods (and other holiday items) can be hazardous to their health!

The usual dog-toxin suspects we list each year include:

• Bones (no Turkey bones, Ham bones, Chicken bones etc.)  They can lacerate or obstruct your pets insides–use them for making stock, not as a treat for your pet. (The bones that come in certain dog foods have been really softened up by soaking for a long time.)
• Animal Fat (undigestable); plus too many fatty, rich or new types of food can give your pet pancreatitis or gastroenteritis; two medical conditions that can be painful and even life threatening.
• Gravy / Butter / Dairy (a little turkey broth is OK!)
• Chocolate / Nuts
•  Garbage / Tin Foil / Plastic Bags (always tasty but toxic)–they can also cause a bowel obstruction.
• Poinsettas, Holly, Mistletoe, Cedar (trees) – all toxic
• Alcohol / Coffee
• Onions/Onion Powder (often found in stuffings, can destroy red blood cells and cause anemia.)
• Raisins / Grapes contain a toxin that can cause kidney problems in both cats and dogs.
• Also make sure your pet has a quiet retreat during the hectic festivities that may be overwhelming–give him/her a break if they appear stressed. Mental health is important for pets, too!

More detailed info can be found online:

http://www.petclassroom.com/toxictodogs.shtml

http://www.vetinfo.com/dtoxin.html

http://www.dogster.com/newsletter/index.php?i=167

...gross.

This year was particularly bad for ticks. Though we use vet-recommended products on our own dogs, we’re still seeing the occasional tick trying to find a good place on them for lunch. Ticks are also occasionally hitching a ride inside the playroom on our furry guests, even though we know our clients are vigilant about keeping their dogs up to date on Frontline and other tick (and flea) control products.

A pile of D.E.

We did some research on safe alternatives and ended up using Diatomaceous Earth. Here’s a description from Wikipedia:

“Diatomaceous earth, also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects’ exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate. Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency. It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate cockroach and flea infestations.”

There are two types of the DE as well.  We utilized the food grade, which means, if ingested, it is perfectly safe.  Many people actually consume about a teaspoon of the product per day, along with sprinkling that much on their dogs food, to kill any internal parasites and also to make dogs’ waste less palatable to other dogs.

The common ways people use DE to control pet-pests is to sprinkle it along the base of walls, inside dog crates, on dog beds, and sometimes rubbing it into their fur (though rubbing it on their fur can dry their skin out a little). DE commonly needs about 2 weeks to get rid of all pests, but it’s a great alternative to “bombing” or “spraying” chemicals around pet areas or your entire house. We have had terrific results here at Dawg House!

So, if you happen to notice a white substance around the base of the walls in the playroom, inside the crates, or on the bottom of your dogs feet—you know what it is! We’re not horrible housekeepers—we put it there on purpose .

We purchased a 5 pound bag of human-grade (edible) DE here in Tucson at OK Feed for about $6 bucks.

• If you have asthma or some other lung ailment, either wear a mask or be very careful when using food grade diatomaceous earth.

• Do NOT get diatomaceous earth in the eyes. DE is drying to the eyes, so do NOT put it out when you or your pets are down wind of it. DE is drying to your skin, hands, and feet, just as it can be to your pets.

• Do NOT give to very small pregnant animals such as cats, guinea pigs, etc. and do NOT feed continually to babies or small animals such as cats, hamsters, etc. DE can be fed on a continuous basis to larger animals and livestock for continuous parasite control and mineralization.

• Do NOT use heavily in carpet. Some advise too much DE causes vacuum problems.

• NEVER use pool filter grade DE around animals. It can poison or kill them.

• Some people experience a healing crisis (detox reaction) when beginning DE consumption. If this occurs, reduce the dose, till your body is cleansed, and then increase to the RDA.

• Remember, DE will kill beneficial insects as well, so use accordingly.

Resources:

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diatearth.htm

http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/diatomaceous_earth.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

We didn’t make a sign in that corner, but we quietly consider it to be a memorial to our dear friend and long-term daycare client Patricia Dietz, who passed away this summer due to complications from cancer.

Trish started bring her dog Dinky Dow nearly seven years ago, when Dawg House first opened. Her close friends Carol and Sandy also started bringing their dog Langston at the same time, because Dinky and Langston do absolutely everything together!

Carol and Sandy brought the dog sculptures to Dawg House and explained to us that they used to be in Trish’s yard, and that she would have liked for us to have them. We’re very pleased to have a little area of our ‘garden’ where we can remember Trish. We’re also so happy for Dinky, who has now become a permanent member of Langston’s family!

Thanks to Trish, a sweet and gentle member of our family pack, who we will miss seeing each week.

We have witnessed far more ticks and mosquitoes in the past few weeks than we have during the main summer months combined.  This includes finding ticks on dogs at Dawg House.

There are four main types of tick borne illness–Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,  Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis (which our vets commonly call Tick Fever) and Babesiosis. Mosquitoes can transmit Heartworm, as well as other illnesses between infected dogs/people.  These diseases are serious and often times fatal, especially if not diagnosed early. The website:  www.vetinfo.com has a wealth of information regarding symptoms and treatment.

Because our season goes so long and the potential for illness is so great, please continue to treat your dogs with whichever treatment you and your vet decide is best for your dog.  Some of the treatments not only kill the adult ticks once they bite, but they actually can repel both ticks and mosquitoes from their initial attraction to your dog.

Stay safe and see you all soon—the cool down is coming! Woof!

Yay Dawg House!

Hey, Dawg House won some sort of award! Thanks everybody for your kind words! We got four stars!

“How are Award Winners Chosen?  Our Research Department calculates scores through data obtained through a multitude of resources including online customer reviews and surveys, blogs, social networks, business rating services, and other honors and accolades. Only those with enough positive feedback, scores, ratings, awards and accolades to reach 4-5 stars will win this award.”

As a business rating service and publication company, Celebration Media U.S., along with Talk of the Town News, annually calculates CMUS Power Ratings™ based on a multitude of resources, including consumer-review websites and blogs, social networks, and other rating services and industry resources to determine the top consumer-rated businesses in the country.

Apparently, this scam is run much like the Craigslist scams where you are offered something for free, but then they ask you to pay all sorts of fees, and once you’ve paid, they disappear.

Regardless of how the scam works, we at Dawg House continue to support and advocate the adoption of animals from shelters and rescue organizations rather than from an irresponsible breeder.

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Pima Animal Care Center, Petfinder, and a bunch of very reputable non-profit adoption and fostering agencies here in Tucson are typically overflowing with animals who desperately need to be adopted into good home.

The BBB is doing a good thing by alerting consumers to watch out for these sorts of scams, but their article does not convey the sort of urgency this message requires. Stray dogs that don’t get adopted are often euthanized. The exploding pet population is in a state of crisis – there are far more pets than could ever hope to find good homes. Breeders prey on the uninformed consumer, and the very practice of dog breeding is often inhumane, leading to genetic health problems and birth defects that breeders will never disclose. Private breeders and pet stores are both guilty of these practices.

Adopting from shelters and fostering agencies is one sure way to help do the right thing when it comes to choosing a pet.

Here are some great resources when it comes time to adopt your new family member from a shelter or rescue organization:

Humane Society of the United States

AZ Humane Society Project 121

Breeders Vs. Rescues

WOOF!

You helped us make it to our seventh birthday! That’s right – Dawg House opened its’ doors on August 20th, 2004, and we’re still barking about how great you and all of your dawgs are! Thanks for coming in, being a big part of our pack, and keeping things nice and fuzzy! WOOF!

…and here’s a link back to our 5th anniversary post, which also links to an article the Tucson Weekly ran about us before we opened: Thirty Five In Dawg Years