Hot, humid summers are hard on double-coated dogs DC It's time to break out the ice necklaces again, a trick I use to keep our dogs cool during their morning walks.

We never EVER leave our dogs alone in the car, even for a minute; a car in the shade with windows rolled down may still heat up to DOUBLE the outside temperature in under 10 minutes. Leave a dog in such a car and your pet may end up brain-damaged or dead in minutes.

I bought two new 'Canine Coolers', the smallest size available and place each one in the back seat of our car, just before each car ride. Our dogs are addicted to car rides with nice cool air conditioning. The canine coolers help them to keep their body temperature lower and neither dog pants at all during car rides. I purchased our canine coolers at Petsmart, when they were on sale.  The only problem with these doggy waterbeds is that they can sometimes leak (our last one broke and waterlogged our wood floor). Even with these comforts, if there's a chance we'll get stuck in traffic or the ride is an especially long one, we leave the dogs where they'll be safe: in an air-conditioned home.

During summer, we keep both double-coated chow chows shaved very short. Don't believe that double-coated dogs stay cooler with their longer hair -- if that were true, we'd all keep wearing our fur coats in hot weather. Our artic dogs stay inside almost all the time now. Unless we're out there with them, they're not outside. Besides, one chow is determined to eat all the flowers we're growing; he finds sunflower leaves irresistable.

Some dogs love to suck on bits of ice. To encourage our dogs to drink, we keep extra large bowls of iced fresh water around the house.

Wow, Ebay is going to roll out rss feeds, which means you can roll your own 'watch' feed. Customize a feed for your site or yourself via FreeBidding Tools. Here's dog supplies (thanks to Free Bidding tools). [Jeffrey McManus via Scobleizer]

Dog's obsessive compulsive behavior fuels her passion for creating sought after art [wavy.com] If your dog's behavior is driving you crazy, maybe you too can strike it rich by channeling your dog's inner artist...

Usul, the therapy dog, proves most useful to disabled companion VA With the help of a certified service dog, valued at over $30,000, (and provided almost free by Canine Partners for Life) a retired dental technician enjoys mobility and freedom... [Freelance-Star]

If a stray dog can get thousands of dollars in eye surgery [Ananova.com], then maybe there's hope for 'Honey Bear', the sweet old chow, who needs a home to finish out her remaining days.

Pet dog saves family from house fire MY [The Star Online, Asia]

 

Paws get much need relief from cicadas with old-fashioned therapy... During the cicada season, daily walks embed my dogs' paws with dead cicadas; it's not only disgusting, but downright itchy for high-maintenance and allergy prone dogs.  According to my vet, some dogs find relief from itchy paws with a good old-fashioned epsom salt bath rinse of their paws. If you know your dog's paws are dirty, but not infected or wounded,  clean her paws with a minimum of fuss. Here's how you do it:

Add a pinch of epsom salts to a cup of lukewarm water, stir, and then pour the mixture on a clean surface or floor that you can get your dog to walk through. Walk 'Spot' through the treated water. The small amount of epsom salt will draw the dirt and crud from her paws and leave them dry and refreshed.  If your vet approves this strategy for your pet, you may avert an outbreak of allergic hot spots and a vet visit. Wish I'd known this, for my dog had to get antihistamines, vet visits, baths, and other medicine to cure his allergic hot spots. (always check with your vet first; not all dogs require as much fuss... )

Ultimate Iditarod for Kids & Teachers Learn about the dog training, equipment and dog nutrition science behind the Iditarod races. [Lii.org]

The ASPCA lobby resources by 'the first and oldest national animal welfare advocacy group' provide tools to help you guide legislation in your state and at the federal level.

Learn about animal cruelty prevention from Annemarie Lucas, special investigator of the ASPCA and featured humane law officer of Animal Planet’s Animal Precinct, in a discussion hosted today, June 9, at 1:00 pm in an online event at the Washington Post.

Want to adopt a friendly old bear? .... Maryland, this beautiful black chow resembles a great big cuddly bear, from her giant paws to her enormous soft head

Yesterday, on request from a good friend, I visited this gentle old soul .: #214, no name, a great big black FRIENDLY quiet chow in the Montgomery County Humane Society shelter in Rockville, Maryland. She was someone's pet, at one time, because she's well-fed, house-trained, leash-trained and sweet. But she came in with no collar, a 'stray.' This old but lovely girl still has lots of love to give. She reminds me of my beloved chow', because she has the same unflappable demeanor. She resembles a great big black bear, with a gentle smile and bowed head. I wish for a miracle, that someone will adopt her, or at least help her out, even if only to foster her for a few weeks.

When pets get old, they get dumped. I think our throwaway culture enables the betrayal  of faithful pets with such an anonymous and undeserved fate. 'Honey Bear' (I'd rather call her that than '#214') lies in a 4x9 foot cage, unwalked (because she's hard of hearing and slow to get up) and unnoticed by all the visitors to the shelter. Nobody wants her now; she's so docile that she smiles at the faintest illusion of friendship. The desperate crescendo of barking around her doesn't faze her. She's resigned to her fate: she doesn't know nobody wants hers. She doesn't know she may never find another loving home. No, she's still got faith in humanity...

No. 214 is fosterable and adoptable, if you accept that all she has to give is love. She's not a barker, she's not up for big walks, but she'll lay at your feet and radiate happiness. If you know of anyone who wants a 'couch potato' dog, who's basically no trouble, she's the one. Thank you in advance for your help.

You can visit her and other homeless pets at the Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville, Maryland Phone 240-773-5960. Visiting hours are M-F 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm