Are you ready to adopt a dog?

If you are thinking of adding a dog to your family the most important question you must answer is “Do you and your family understand that this is a lifetime commitment”?   You must make sure that you have the resources in time, money, and dedication to care for this dog for the rest of his or her life.  There are too many “breeders” out there who are in business to make a buck and thus have produced too many dogs.   Too many dog owners don’t think through the commitment required to own a dog and abandon their dog or drop it off at a dog shelter.  We should not be surprised that many dog shelters are overcrowded with dogs waiting for adoption.

Here are my tips on the thinking and research you should do before you adopt a dog from your local shelter.

• Research the various breeds to determine which dog is the best match for you and to learn about possible behavioral problems or health issues with the breed you have chosen.  If you are gone a lot from your home make sure that you pick the right dog that can adjust to your schedule.
• We dogs are not inexpensive to own.  If you want your dog to look as good as me you need to research what you will feed your dog.  There are too many dog food suppliers that are putting fillers and animal byproducts (who knows what that is) in their dog food.  These foods are cheap but you will end up giving your dog health problems and making many trips to the Vet.  Learn to read dog food labels.  Your dog will need a collar, leash, water bowl, food bowl, comb & brush, toys, a dog bed, annual vet visits, shots, and heartworm care.  Other costs are trips to the groomer if you are not going to trim our nails, clean our teeth, and keep us clean yourself.  If you love your vacations you need to check out boarding costs if you aren’t taking your dog on vacation with you.
• Just like humans, we dogs need a lot of exercise to maintain our health.  Will you have time to do this?  Are your kids old enough to help or are they too young and will actually not allow you to have the time to exercise us?  Dogs and kids need a lot of attention.
• Make sure you get the medical records from the Adoption Agency.
• It is possible that the dog you choose may have some bad behaviors from the previous home or may just not be socialized as yet.  Read books on dog behavior and watch for the signs.  You might even need help from a Trainer.  Another cost I just thought of.
• If your dog is a puppy and is not housebroken most Trainers suggest a crate.  If you do not hold the dog in the crate for more than 5 hours he will not mess his own crate and will get used to doing his business outside when you release him from the crate.

I know all of the above sounds like a lot of work and reasons not to own a dog but the two things that cancel out all the work and cost are the unconditional love and companionship that we will return to you each day we are together.

Whoops I almost forgot, if you live in the Cleveland Ohio area make sure to drop by One Lucky Dog Bakery in Medina.  The smells coming from that bakery and the healthy dog biscuits they make are well worth the trip.  I’ll probably be in the back of the bakery waiting for Mom to turn her back so I can “sample” the treats off the cooling rack.  Someone has to make sure these treats are good enough for all you dogs who drop in every day.

Help for your Nervous Dog

I thought I would take a few minutes to talk about nervous dogs.  The world we dogs live in can make even the calmest dogs a little nervous at times.  Here we are relaxing on our dog bed with our favorite toy when all of a sudden one of the following things happen.  The neighbor starts shooting off fireworks, fire engines with sirens blaring keep going down your street, the dog next door will not stop barking, you are asked to jump in the car and head off to that Vet or Groomer that you simply do not enjoy, your owner grabs the leash and asks you to go on a walk and you hope it is that remote field or woods rather than the city with all those big cars with loud horns and impatient drivers.

Did you ever take notice that most calm dog owners have calm dogs and they somehow just know when something will upset us and they do not push us to do it anyway?  Our owners watch us closely and understand what gets us upset and then they calmly talk with us and just like that we are calm again.  Another thing that helps is having very predictable routines. I have also noticed that Stacey puts a few drops of Rescue Remedy on my food or slips a Complete Calm pill in some Bil-Jac before we do something (like the Vet trip) to simply relax me.  Since these supplements are all natural they cannot hurt us and simply help to relax us dogs.  Stacey thinks I can’t read but I know about these all-natural supplements and have recommended them to some of the dogs that come in our Bakery.  We dogs have to stick together.

If you have an extremely nervous dog and nothing you do seems to help my advice is to look for a Trainer who specializes in this field.

One other thing that I know will help your dog to relax is to give him or her their favorite dog treat from One Lucky Dog Bakery.  It sure works for me and now it is time to counter surf and to find one at the Bakery.  I don’t eat these because they smell and taste so good, I do it for the health benefits.

Dog Bakery Questions

If this is your first time reading this blog please let me introduce myself.  My name is Finn and I am a Scottish Deerhound.  If you have stopped in at our Bakery in Medina to pick up some dog treats, a new collar, leash, toy, dog bed, winter coat, greeting card, dog art, or an all-natural supplement we have probably met.  Most people who visit the Bakery believe my only job is to greet you and your dog and to sleep on my bed at the back of the Bakery.  While that is very important my two more important jobs are to listen to all your comments to make sure everyone is happy with our products and service plus I must make sure our treats are the absolutely best for your dog by tasting the treats and giving Mom a kiss if they can be released.  Here are the top 10 questions asked at One Lucky Dog Bakery and my answers as a public service to those Customers who have thought about asking them but did not.

1. What is in a Monkey Bone dog treat?   Peanut Butter and Banana.
2. Do you make all the treats at the Medina Bakery?  Yes, Mom dreams them up and I taste them.
3. Is this a Bakery for people or Dogs?  Dogs!
4. Where is the cupcake bakery in Medina?  There are two and although I know where they are, Mom will have to give you directions.
5. Are the Squirrel dog treats made with Squirrel meat?  No, these just look like Squirrels since most dogs love to chase squirrels.  The treats are Monkey Bone flavor.
6. What is a Bumbleberry?  This dog treat has Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries.  The term Bumbleberry comes from Canada.
7. Are the Dog pictures on the wall Customers?  You bet, and we love them all!
8. Is that dog sleeping on the dog bed an Irish Wolfhound?  No, but a good guess as I am a Scottish Deerhound and a cousin of the Wolfhound.
9. What is a bone Hole?  It is like the donut hole for humans.  It is made with left over dog treat dough and could be any of the flavors at One Lucky Dog Bakery.
10. Are you sure you are not a real Bakery, because the great smells from this Bakery are travelling a block away?  Yes, we are a real Bakery but only for dogs.  Mom believes that Dogs deserve great smelling and tasting dog treats.

We love all the questions that our Customers ask; no matter how many times we hear them.  We know you are interested and we really appreciate your interest.

Thanks for listening, now it is time for me to go taste some dog treats to ensure that your dog is getting nothing but the very best healthy dog treats.

 

Dog Allergies

Skin allergies are the most common reason dog owners take their dogs to the see their Veterinary.  With humans allergies usually result in respiratory problems but with dogs the problem is usually the skin and itching is the principal sign of trouble.

What causes dry skin on dogs?  The number one allergen for dogs is wheat.  The first thing you need to do is check the label on the dog food you are using.  If there is wheat, corn or chemical preservatives on the label you may want to look for a dog food without these ingredients.  As you are probably aware all of our dog treats except pumpkin biscotti do not contain any wheat, corn, soy, or preservatives.

What can you do to help solve dog skin allergies? 

1. Eliminate all wheat and corn from the diet of your dog.
2. Add a small amount of natural kelp to the food you feed your dog.  Kelp is a valuable source of vitamins and also helps with digestion and healing injuries.  We carry this at the store and on our website and have many Customers that will be pleased to tell you about the positive results their dog received from this product.
3. Use a dog shampoo with omega-3 and make sure you rinse completely.

 

At One Lucky Dog Bakery our #1 focus will always be to do what is best for the health of your dog.  The solutions are simple and inexpensive to solve dog allergies and the result is your dog will be as happy as me.  Right now I am going to get a little happier because Mom just put some Monkey Bones on the counter to cool and I am going to grab at least one while she is waiting on a Customer.

 

Water for Dogs

My Mom loves to read and she was reading an article in the Natural Dog magazine Fall 2011 issue about water for dogs. The article listed the kinds of water that are better for us dogs because we are what we eat and drink. Toxins in water can affect our bodies on the inside and outside. Christina Chambrea, the article author states the following:

“ Bottled water is just tap water from another location.”

“Tap water that is filtered is a good choice.”

“Distilled water has been boiled and then allowed to condense to remove the impurities. Some dog owners believe distilled water is not good because it lacks minerals.” The truth is dogs and humans get the vitamins and minerals we need from food not water.

“Dogs who drink pool water on a regular basis are getting too much chlorine.”

“Some Vets say that vitamin fortified water for dogs may not be worth the hype and the cost but it should be safe.”

Dog owners should change our water at least once a day, Mom likes to change it 2 or 3 times because she doesn’t like floaters. Don’t forget to wash our water bowls. If your dog is drinking more or less water than normal you may need to go to the Vet. There might be a medical reason for the change in water intake.

One Lucky Dog Bakery uses Distillata spring water.

Sometimes changing or controlling something as simple as water can make a big difference for us dogs. Another thing that can make a difference is the all-natural dog treats from our bakery. I think it is time for one now, this thinking and writing makes me hungry.

Dog Health & a solution for Dog Joint Pain

I having been writing this blog for a while but most of you might not know that I’m 8 years old. For a male Scottish Deerhound that age is about our average lifespan. As you have probably noticed after reading this blog I am definitely not average. The problem is Mom has seen me move slower when I get up and she doesn’t want any of her dogs to feel bad. She started giving me Green Dog Naturals “ Healthy Motion”. Green Dog Naturals is new to the One Lucky Dog Bakery but it has a long excellent history of success of solving issues for older dogs plus they have other all natural products to solve other problems. I must tell you that I like it, it makes me feel young again and allows me to run around with more energy plus I am not as stiff. Mom says I look like a puppy.

Healthy Motion is an all-natural product therefore you won’t find any man produced chemicals in this product. It has glucosamine, HCI (shell fish source), MSM (contains organic sulfur found in fruits & vegetables and is required to produce healthy cell structure), meadowsweet (helps to sooth the stomach), bromelain (enzyme from pineapple which speeds healing), stinging nettle (natural occurring calcium), ginger, salmon, cod & tuna oil (source of vitamins A & D), cinnamon, cloves, organic flax, sprouted barley, and malt. I take three little bones a day. It also comes in powder form but I like the taste of salmon in the pills. If you are an older dog and are feeling your age just stop in at the Medina Ohio store, talk to Mom, and give Healthy Motion a try. Another option is to click on this link and view the Green Dog Naturals video. By the end of November 2011 you will be able to order Healthy Motion at our website. While you are at the store be sure to pick out your favorite wheat free and preservative free dog treats from the display case. Hopefully you already know how great they taste. I’ll bet I can sneak one off the work table now because Mom is baking.

Dog Beds and your favorite companion

If you are looking for a good dog bed hopefully the following tips will help you in your search for that perfect dog bed for your very special companion. Here are my five top things to look for in a dog bed.

Comfort   Humans like a comfortable surface to sleep on or just curl up on with a good book. While we dogs are not big readers we do like a comfortable place to sleep and when we curl up it is usually to be near you and enjoy our favorite chew toy.

Warmth Does your dog climb into bed with you on those cold nights? We dogs are looking for the same thing as most humans, a nice warm bed.   Make sure the bed you choose is made of material that will contain the dog’s body heat.   If you do, a small or large dog jumping into bed with you during the middle of the night will not disturb your sleep.

Companionship You probably rescued or purchased your dog for companionship and that is exactly what we dogs want. We want to be near our leader and if you have a great dog bed on the floor next to your bed we will be happy and so will you.

Ease of keeping clean The bed should be made of material that will attract our loose fur and should be easily thrown in the washing machine. You humans like to sleep on clean sheets and we dogs love the smell of a clean dog bed.

Environmentally friendly You probably didn’t know that we dogs are very concerned about our environment. Try to find a dog bed that is made of material or stuffed with a material that provides all of the four objectives above and also helps to keep our environment safe for the future.

My suggestion is the next time you stop to pick up some great dog treats at our Medina Ohio store (you may see me there) take a look at our great dog beds from West Paw. Of course these dog beds meet all five of my top objectives. If you can’t find the time take a look at the dog video on the West Paw site by clicking on this link.  After clicking on the link click on dog crate bed highlighted in blue below the picture and view the video.  

Memorial Day

If you have been reading this blog you now know that we dogs are avid readers and we love our countries as well as our owners. If humans showed as much love toward each other as we dogs show to everyone I am sure we wouldn’t have wars and the USA Memorial Day would never have been necessary.

General John Logan officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May 5, 1868.   There is evidence that many women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil war in 1865. As I am sure most of you know the American Civil War resulted in 625,000 deaths and still ranks as our worst war as far as deaths. World War II had 405,399 deaths, and World War I had 116,516 deaths. What is amazing to me is the number of missing members of our armed forces in wars. There are 30,314 missing from World War II, 4,759 missing from the Korean War, 3,350 missing from World War I and 2,489 missing from the Vietnam War.

In 1925 Moina Michael was inspired by the poem “ In Flanders Fields” and she wrote her own poem:

           We cherish too, the Poppy red

          That grows on fields where valor led,

           It seems to signal to the skies

           That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. This tradition spread to other countries and the proceeds from selling artificial poppies that people pinned over their hearts went to the children of service people who had died.  Sadly the poppy tradition, parades and memorials at cemeteries honoring those who died in the service of their Country are fewer each year.

I have one request for all of my dog friends out there as well as their owners. Please pause on Memorial Day to say a prayer for all of our fallen members of the military and then take a few minutes to place some flowers on the graves of the military at your local cemetery.

Thank you!

Dog Cataracts – Part 2 of 3

My last blog talked about all the issues that can cause cataracts. As I promised this blog will talk about how to prevent them. Adequate nutrition is a must! Feed a preservative free diet or a homemade natural diet with supplements. Dogs and cats require meat as a central item in their diets because a lack of protein amino acids contributes to cataracts and the lack of amino acid taurine causes blindness in cats.

The following are recommendations from experts:

• Per Dr. Richard Pitcairn, cataract reduction will occur simply from placing a drop of eucalyptus honey in the animal’s eye twice daily over a period of several weeks.
• Raw cucumber juice used twice daily as an eye drop or bathing the eyes with a few drops of cold black tea and a drop of raw honey is recommended by Juliette deBairacli.
•  Cantor oil is an effective cataract eye drop.
• A poultice of grated raw potato applied twice daily is also effective. Aloe Vera juice with chlorophyll and beet juice is an important internal cleanser. The aloe Vera juice can also be used as an eye drop.
• The bottom line it is very important to move toxins out of the body.

All this technical talk has made me hungry for preservative free and wheat free dog biscuits. I know where there are some cooling on the counter and I’m sure Knight can distract Mom so I can grab a few for us.

Dog Cataracts – Part 1 of 3

Cataracts are considered common in old age for humans and us pets and they are another indication of the pollution we live in. Our environment and internal toxicity are causes of this disease. The good news is the disease can be prevented and even reversed by holistic methods if they are started early enough.

Malnutrition is a factor in cataract formation. The lack of real nutrition in many commercial pet foods can leave us dogs malnourished even though we get a full bowl of food. It is up to every owner to read the labels and make informed decisions on what they are feeding us.

Human sugar substitutes (sorbitol) have been linked to cataract formation in people. If you read the labels on most dog food and dog treats you will see sugars, chemical preservatives, and flavorings. More research needs to be done but my guess is these things are not good for us dogs since you cannot find them in a natural diet. Hopefully you already know that most dogs and cats have intolerance for cow’s milk.

Heavy metals like lead and aluminum have been found in pet foods. Like humans we pets are developing food allergies, high cholesterol, are exposed to chemical drugs, x-rays and radiation, and free radical damage from pollutants. This list of issues is too long and a real shock to many pet owners.

I’ll talk more in the next part what can be done to prevent these issues but for now I know that my eating wheat free dog treats from One Lucky Dog Bakery will ensure that all those chemicals and sugars will not get in my perfect body so that is what I am going to do. Maybe I can sneak an extra treat; someday I’ll train you on how to sneak dog treats. Of course it helps when your nose is as high as the table. I guess being a Scottish Deerhound has a lot of advantages.

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