The Beagle probably derives from the larger Harrier breed

HISTORY
The Beagle probably derives from the larger Harrier breed, and has been used for hunting in Britain since the Middle Ages. These small dogs could even be carried by mounted hunters in saddlebags, and were bred to pursue rabbits and birds, either in packs or solo. The breed as we know it today was developed in Great Britain about 150 years ago.
It has been one of the most popular breeds in North America for more than a quarter century. The most famous Beagle of all is Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts.” Today’s Beagle comes in two height varieties (13 in. and 15 in.) and any true hound color, including tri-color, red and white and lemon.
TEMPERAMENT
The Beagle is described as :
Gentle, sweet, lively and curious dog
Loves everyone, a happy little tail-wagger.
Sociable, brave and intelligent.
Calm, loving and excellent with children
The breed is generally good with other dogs, but because of their hunting instincts, they should not be trusted with non-canine pets, unless they are socialized with cats and other household animals when they are young. Beagles have minds of their own.
Being a hound, the Beagle has one of the strongest noses in dogdom and this can leave Beagle guardians pulling their hair out. If there’s food to be had in the kitchen, the Beagle will get it. The Beagle is a happy-go-lucky dog that brings a breath of fresh air to any household. However, the Beagle can be a handful and breeders warn that prospective owners should rethink their decision if they work long hours and are unable to give the dog enough time and stimulation to keep it happy. The consequences of an unhappy Beagle can be disastrous: baying for long periods of time (sure to send your neighbors demented), destruction both in and out the house, serious attempts at escape, and a sad and doleful pooch.
They are determined and watchful and require patient, firm training. It is important you are this dog’s pack leader and that you provide the proper amount of mental and physical exercise including daily pack walks, to avoid separation anxiety. You can also purchase animal scents and play tracking games with your Beagle to help satisfy their instinct to track.
A Beagle has a loud baying cry that was a delight to hunting horsemen, but can be disturbing to family and neighbors. Beagles have a tendency to follow their own noses. They may take off on their own exploration if let off their leash in an unfenced area. Once their mind, and nose are on a scent, they may not even hear you calling them.
Beagles who are allowed to be pack leaders over their humans can develop a varying degree of behavior issues, including, but not limited to, guarding, obsessive barking, snapping, biting, and destructive behaviors when left alone. The Beagle looks like a small English Foxhound.
The skull is broad and slightly rounded, and the muzzle is straight and square. The feet are round and strong. The black nose has full nostrils for scenting. The long, wide ears are pendant.
The brown or hazel eyes have a characteristic pleading expression. The tail is carried gaily, but never curled over the back. Beagles have a distinct howl / bay of a bark when they are on the hunt.
IDEAL OWNERS
This breed does well with an active family and is adaptable to most living situations, country or city.
DESCRIPTION
This is a small, lean dog that is slightly longer than it is tall. It has a long skull and square muzzle. It has large, brown or hazel eyes and a black nose. The drop ears are long and broad and the naturally short tail is set high. The short hard coat is of any hound color.
BREED TIPS
A Beagle is bred as a pack hound and requires canine companionship and lots of exercise.
These hardy dogs need special care only for their long ears, which must be cleaned regularly.
The coat needs a thorough brushing, once or twice a week, to rid it of dust and dead hair.
Needs a fenced yard and to be leashed.

The Bearded Collie at Agility Trial

BREED HISTORY
According to breed legends, a Polish sea captain traded three of his Polish Sheepdogs to a Scottish shepherd for a valuable ram and ewe in the early 16th century. When these dogs interbred with the local herding stock, the Bearded Collie was born. There may have been two sizes of the breed originally: a smaller lighter one for gathering and herding in the highlands, and a heavier type for droving in the lowlands. They were used for centuries variously called Highland Sheepdog, Highland Collie, and Hairy Moved Collie.
Although shown at the turn of the 20th century the breed all but vanished. After World War II a Mrs Willison started its revival, and by the 1960s it was once again recognized and even exported to the United States.
BREED QUALITIES
Known for his “bounce,” the exuberant Beardie will charm you with his joyous, affectionate, happy-go-lucky ways. He is playful and lively with an always wagging tail. The perfect companion for children. Enthusiastic, stable and self-confident. Males tend to be more bold and outgoing, while females tend to be calmer and more submissive. The Beardie needs to be with people and not left alone without anything to do. If you must leave them be sure to take them for a long jog or walk prior to leaving. They are humorous and high-energy dogs and without enough daily mental and physical exercise they may get themselves into mischief. Very trainable for many activities.
An owner who displays a natural authority is a must as Beardies think a lot and will be headstrong if he sees you as meek. One needs to be calm, but firm, confident and consistent when dealing with this dog. Set the rules you wish the dog to follow and stick to them. Obedience training is recommended. The Beardie is a natural herder of people and animals. They are noisy barkers, but are not watch dogs. They should not be shy or aggressive.
The Bearded Collie, or “Beardie” as he is known to his fanciers, is a medium-sized, agile, herding dog with a shaggy coat and an ever-wagging tail. He is an ancestor of the Old English Sheepdog, and the family resemblance is obvious. The Beardie has a broad head, short muzzle and a shaggy coat all over his body, even under the chin (hence the name “Beardie”). Beneath the dense, weatherproof outer coat lies a thick, soft undercoat. Its head and teeth are large. The eyes are wide set and harmonious in color with its coat, set high on its head and pendent. The ears lie close to the head and the tail is long and carried low unless the dog is excited. The Beardie is robust, hardy and active, but not massive.
The color of the coat changes several times over the life of the dog. Puppies are generally born black, brown, fawn or blue. The puppy coat then fades to light gray or cream. As the dogs reach maturity, they darken again to their adult coat in any of the four colors, black, brown, blue, or fawn. The final coat color is somewhere between the puppy coat and the yearling coat.

Bullying or punishing a dog for inappropriate fearful behavior

My preference is not to use physical manipulation when working with dogs, but I will gladly employ emotional manipulation. One of the things a fearful, anxious or shy dog’s brain is good at is reacting in a fearful way. The practice of bullying or punishing a dog for inappropriate fearful behavior only helps their already adept-at-feeling-scared brains, keep feeling scared or aggressive. By tapping into their brain’s reward system we not only help them learn new behaviors, we can begin to manipulate them emotionally. We start helping their brains get better at feeling good.
Our brain’s reward system has so much control over our behavior that we can end up doing too much of a good thing. Eating, drinking, smoking, exercising, sex, even working can all be rewarding to people and taken to unhealthy extremes. When working with dogs the most obvious reward we can start with is food and no need to worry about them raiding the refrigerator at night for that last piece of cheesecake. When we control the rewards that our dogs value, we become part of the ‘chain of feel good’ that we use to train and modify behavior.
By systematically creating conditioned reinforcers (reinforcers increase the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated) we have a grab bag full of ways to change how our dogs feel. A conditioned reinforcer is anything that has been associated with a primary reinforcer (food and play are both primary reinforcers). I like to start with a clicker with dogs that are not sensitive to the sound. Click/food, click/food, click/food. Down the line the clicker morphs into a great training tool, but to begin with it helps to change how a dog feels. Saying a dog’s name and tossing them a treat turns their name into a conditioned reinforcer. Praising a dog and tossing a ball, makes praise a conditioned reinforcer. Studies have shown that the ‘anticipation’ of a reward causes more dopamine (our brain’s ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter) to be released than the reward itself. That’s pretty cool beans if you ask me.
If you are adverse to using food when working with fearful dogs, or any dog for that matter, I recommend that you read The End of Overeating, by David Kessler. The first half of the book looks at studies done with animals regarding food, motivation and performance. Written to address weight loss, the book makes a case for just how powerful food is for controlling our behavior. If we control our dog’s food, we control the behavior.
There is a new book out called The Compass of Pleasure which looks at the neurobiology of our brain’s reward system. I’m looking forward to reading it, which is pretty rewarding. You help fearful dogs by giving them things to look forward to, rather than worry about.

How we behave with dogs

Yesterday I attended a seminar with Suzanne Clothier to learn more about her Relationship Assessment Tool. It was, as expected, informative and thought provoking, but that’s not what I’m going to write about. I’ll save that for another post.
The seminar was held at the Monadnock Humane Society in Keene NH. It’s a pleasant facility with lots of outdoor space for dogs and an open, cheery entry way, which happened to also be full of cages of cats. Even for a ‘dog person’ it’s hard to see so many beautiful animals, some struggling to engage with visitors, stretching their paws out of cages, mewling and making what felt like pleading eye contact, others seemingly resigned to their lives in captivity. There were play rooms full of cats as well. Too many cats and kittens. I was told that many would be adopted but others might live there for years. But this is also not what I was planning to write about either.
Outside of the dog kennels were containers of treats (good treats in some cases, not just dry biscuits) and on the containers were the instructions- PLEASE FEED ME TREATS EVEN IF I AM BARKING. Huh? Feed them treats even if they’re barking? Won’t that just reinforce the barking behavior? I mean that’s the way it works right? Dogs repeat behaviors they get rewarded for, so giving them treats even if they’re barking means everyone who approached the cage would be teaching the dog to bark, right? Wrong!
What the good folks at the shelter understand is that dogs in shelters, and other stressful situations, are most likely behaving out of anxiety and stress. Some may be concerned about people approaching. The treats are not being used to address the behavior the dogs are displaying but rather the emotions the dogs are experiencing. Feeling a bit nervous about people? What better way for a dog to feel less concerned about people than to pair their approach with something the dog enjoys. Wanting out in a bad way and feeling frustrated and trapped? A treat may not be the perfect solution but it sure beats nothing. Some of the dogs were obviously fearful of having people approach their cages, but none so much that they couldn’t gobble up treats tossed to them. Many then sat and looked expectantly for more.
One of the big challenges fearful dogs face is their handler’s inability or unwillingness to acknowledge that every behavior has an emotion attached to it. We are always addressing the emotion when we handle or train dogs. Sometimes we use their enjoyment and excitement for a reward to get them to perform behaviors, withholding rewards until we get or improve behavior. Sometimes we see that the behavior is driven by fear and use rewards to change how the dog feels realizing that when the fear subsides the behavior attached to it is going to change as well. And importantly, for the handling and training of any dog, understanding we are also causing emotional responses to certain behaviors. How we behave with dogs, whether we shout, yank, hit, ignore, shock, praise or reward, affects how they feel about particular behaviors, not to mention how they feel about us.

A stray dog story with sunny

　　It doesn’t matter whom you talk with, whether they’re a dog lover or not, most people have a stray dog story.
Here is mine:

I met Sunny on a December afternoon 10 years ago. After I finished my classes that day, I was walking home alone in the rain. Suddenly, I saw him—a dog, there, by the side of the road. With a sinking feeling, I realized he was alone, and he needed help. I could hardly tell his breed. He is only 20 inches long with gray and brown fur. I took my water bottle and some cookies out of my bag and gave it to him. I sensed the fear from him as I approached in. He ran away from me immediately and limped back to me slowly with uncertainty. I know he had been attacked so many times that he was too scared to trust any human beings, even though he could tell that I was trying to help him.
The rain stopped and the sunshine came out. At that time, I noticed that meeting him was not a choice but my destiny. I named him Sunny and took him home. Every morning, he limps to me to give me a morning kiss and wakes me up at 6:30 a.m. So I am the only one in my class who has never been late for school. Ten years has passed, he is now healthy and strong with pretty white and yellow fur. I had never imagined that my life could be so colorful with him. I will never forget the rainy day I met him on the street. He is my sunshine, and I created this blog for him. I love him.
It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for dogs alone range up to 70 million.
According to the statistics from Ralston Purina and NCPPSP, about 15 to 20 percent of dogs are purchased from breeders, 10 to 20 percent of dogs are adopted from shelters and rescues, and 2 to 10 percent are purchased from pet shops. Five out of ten dogs in shelters are destroyed simply because there is no one to adopt them.
If you’re thinking about bringing a dog into your life, I would strongly recommend you to adopt one from the shelter.
1.Shelter dogs are generally kept up with they’re vaccinations, spayed or neutered, and micro chipped before or right after you adopt the dog. This helps cut vet bills tremendously. If you save a stray dog like what did 10 years ago, the first thing you should do is give vaccinations to him/her.
2.Most people want to buy pure bred dogs from pet stores because they’re under the impression that the only good dog is a pure bred dog or that pure bred dogs are the only ones worth having. For me, breed is not even important. Sunny is not a pure bred and I even can’t tell his breed but think he is the best companion to have. He shares my happiness and sorrow and also makes my life colorful. Pure bred or not? Who cares?
3.Stray dogs or puppies in shelter are more grateful and loyal.Stray dogs do everything they can to please their new owner in return to their hard-won happy lives. They understand treasures and they never complain about new lives without starving and attacking by other people.(or dog people)
If you see this post and you want to have a dog, please run to the nearest stray dog shelter to find your little angel. Save their lives and give them a home. They really need your help!
Here are some tips to make you a great rescuer for stray pet：
1.Be ready to rescue. Here are some things to have in your car at all times: phone numbers of local animal shelter, and a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic; water bowls and water; strong-smelling foods.
2.Consider the safety of the animal. A strange, frightened, and possibly sick or injured animal may behave unpredictably. If the animal looks or acts threatening, or if for any reason you feel uneasy about the situation, remain in your car.
3.When approaching the animal, speak calmly to reassure him. Make sure he can see you at all times as you approach, and perhaps entice him to come to you by offering a strong-smelling food such as canned tuna or dried liver.
4.Try to lure an animal into your car with food, close the door, and wait for help.
5.If you’re not able to safely restrain the animal, call the local police or animal control agency.
6.If you are able to transport the animal, take him to the nearest animal shelter.

Dogs with behavioral challenges

When the term ‘less adoptable’ dogs is mentioned different images come to mind. Some might think of dogs with physical disabilities or old dogs. Others might think of dogs with behavioral challenges, dogs that don’t get along with other dogs or certain members of the human race. When I think of less adoptable dogs I have to admit that almost any dog over 6 months of age comes to mind. Everyone loves puppies.
There are those of us who would rather not adopt a puppy, we have had this experience and as fun as it might have been, are happy to forgo it, thank you very much. But as a friend involved in a recent adoption event commented, “it was like a fire sale on puppies,” people almost can’t help themselves from snatching them up. This is not always a good thing. Puppies get older.
The difference between an adoptable dog and a less adoptable dog is often just one thing-skills. Give a dog a few skills and they go from being ‘one-eyed, old and not quite what I was looking for’, to, ‘OMG isn’t he clever!’. Teach a deaf dog to sit and look expectantly up at a person and they move up a peg on the adoptability scale. Teach them to ‘down’ or ‘shake hands’ and potential adopters can think they are looking at the equivalent of a doggie prodigy. These skills can help get a dog adopted, other skills can help them stay adopted.
I am aware of the limitations of time, energy and money rescue groups and shelters face and so training dogs themselves may be a limited option, but it still surprises me that more that could, don’t require that new adopters take a training class with their dogs. Some shelters include the cost of these classes in the adoption fee. A trainer friend offers a 75% discount for a private, in-home lesson, to anyone who adopts a dog from our local shelter. In five years she has had 2 takers. Whether this is due to a lack of marketing the offer to new pet owners by the shelter or simply a disinterest on the part of the owners, I don’t know. But if the shelter made training mandatory (oh the dreaded word) perhaps more would have taken her up on the offer.
I frequently hear groups cheering about how many dogs they’ve adopted out but none shouting out the numbers of those animals that are still in the original home 2-3 years later. Judging by the number of times some dogs go through the system I’d guess that a note-worthy number of dogs are not. Dogs who are unsuccessful in their adoptive homes continue to drain the resources of the rescue system. Then there are the dogs who end up being passed on to another home, despite any clause in a contract requiring the dog be returned to the shelter where the adoption originated, the dogs who end up dead because of behavioral issues, the dogs who are never seen again after fleeing not long after adoption and the dogs relegated to a life on chain because of unresolved behavior issues.
Here’s my dream-large rescue groups, shelters and humane organizations change the culture of dog adoptions and make it fun and sexy to be required to attend a training class as a condition of adoption. Dog trainers are some of the most caring and giving professionals on the planet. I can’t think of one who I have met who wouldn’t support making it financially available to new pet owners to attend their classes in obedience, agility, nosework, rally, manners, tricks, CGC, you name it. Getting ‘less adoptable’ dogs into homes is just the first step. Keeping them there is the next.

Bull Terrier in England

　　British Bull Terrier is now one of the types of small dogs and British Bull Terrier now lives in England, Wales and Scotland. This is a very rare type of dogs because they trentuno the world has little more than 4,000. Majority live on the island U.K. but there are a few British Bull Terrier dogs who live in the States.

This dog can grow a maximum of half a meter and its height is not greater than 100 centimeters. British Bull Terrier can be black or white but a mixture between these two colors. This dog is now kept in the house as well as in the garden and very easy to learn. If the start time you upload a little while then you have a great chance to learn different things to you when you listened to grow.

British Bull Terrier by some estimates can live between 9 and 14 years and the average number of years that can live this dog. British Bull Terrier was developed more than 30 years and the first dog in this type appeared in England in 1978. This dog is then rapidly adapted and used to man and now this dog is loyal to the people who kept him and living with him. British female Bull Terrier year brings a youth to this world and their number can be in one delivery from one to four. However, there are cases where it is and more than four but they are rare cases.

British Bull Terrier eats all his favorite food is and all the dogs meat and Rage. You can feel free to eat food that is made for dogs, and his more select one of the many and see what he is most prefer. British Bull Terrier is a very calm dog and not aggressive but can be and if they feel threatened and if you think that it is necessary to defend its owner from another.

Dog's Dance

I was reading a blog recently written by a woman who confessed that though she had not always been a dog lover, she now had to greet every dog she saw. If that is truly the case I hope we never cross paths. My dogs don’t necessarily want to greet every human they meet. Even my fabulously social and cuter-than-buttons cocker spaniels began to hide under my chair when sitting at an outside cafe in Provincetown and they couldn’t take one more person cooing over them. I understand that people’s behavior is coming from a place that is essentially good, but it’s also often only essentially good for them.
At a large pet event I watched as a dog trainer, who seemed like a lovely, kind person, took the leash from a woman who had brought along a young dog she was fostering. Walking away with the dog the trainer began to gently manipulate the dog into heeling position and a sit. This was occurring in a function room with high ceilings, hundreds of people, tables, chairs and even ferrets. I watched as this sweet, stressed dog complied with the requests being made of her. Even if the trainer and dog had met before it could only have been the equivalent of a first date and here the trainer was asking the dog to hop into bed with them. The dog to her credit did the best she could. I was desperately trying to figure out the point of the exercise.
Was the trainer trying to impart some skills to the foster care giver? To the dog? It sure wasn’t a teachable moment as far as I could tell. Was the trainer trying to show off their skills? Even if only gently pushing down on a dog’s hind end and lifting up their tail to get it to sit works, I was far more impressed with the dog than the trainer. It was loud enough in the room that I had to lean closer to people speaking to me and crowded enough that people brushed by as they maneuvered past. I can’t imagine what the dog, with senses more sensitive than my own, was experiencing. But I tried. I tried to imagine the world at that moment from the dog’s perspective. A dog who had not only never been in a place like this before, was a dog in transition.
The experience likely did not cause any damage to this resilient and tolerant dog but I continued to wonder why two people who were obviously caring, kind, gentle dog lovers, would take the risk of putting a dog into a situation in which she might be continuously pushed toward being overwhelmed. The only conclusion I could come to was that they were unaware of what the dog was trying to say. I’d like to think they’d care, if they had taken a moment to pay attention to what the dog was asking for with her slight resistance, look-aways, attempts at avoidance, or in one case flopping to the ground.
Fortunately most dogs are resilient and adaptable. They manage to learn and cope despite how we handle them, not because of how we handle them. Some of that handling may even contribute to their ability to cope with extremes, but some dogs may not benefit and become anxious or negatively reactive. If we really and truly love and care about dogs why don’t more of us inquire as to whether a dog would like to add us to their dance card or sit this one out before we drag them onto the dance floor?

Helping fearful dogs

During a seminar I suggested that people with fearful dogs reward their dogs for moving away from what scares them. Did I mean reward them for trying to flee? For many this flies in the face of what their goal for the dog is. Don’t we want to get dogs closer to what scares them? Well, yes, and no.
Working with any dog is a process and throughout that process the dog’s behavior changes, at least that’s what we’re hoping for. But sometimes the changes are not necessarily what we’d like. As a fearful dog gains confidence we may see happy, eager to engage behavior toward a trigger. Or we may see a dog who with some confidence discovers that they are more willing to be assertive and express what they truly feel, which for some dogs is, GET AWAY FROM ME! It’s that ‘get away from me’ behavior that can become dangerous for a dog and whatever they are concerned about.
Unless you know with surety that a fearful dog is going to end up loving a trigger, you take a risk whenever you encourage them to get closer to it. Early on with Sunny I used to take him for off leash walks on a wooded trail near town. When people appeared he would run off into the woods, sometimes barking. As time went on he became bolder and I remember thinking how much progress he was making when he no longer chose to run off into the woods, but instead followed after people for a bit. But I also remember having a flash of doubt at what was really going on. Was he truly just investigating them? Was that head lift toward the jacket tied around their waist a sniff or had he tried to get his mouth on it? Because he had never shown any aggressive behavior toward me or my husband, nor had any of the people who had handled him previously mentioned aggression, it was not a consideration I kept in the front of my mind. I do now.
I am not suggesting that we never work with our dogs to increase their comfort level when in closer proximity to their triggers. It’s how we go about it that matters. Suzanne Clothier’s treat/retreat technique provides dogs with the opportunity to practice moving closer to a trigger while never removing the option to move away from it. When we take the option to move away from something scary, a dog may hunker down and suck it up, hating every second of it, some may be ok with it and figure out that it’s not as horrible as they expected it would be, but there will be some who will respond aggressively in order to make the exposure end. Don’t ever eliminate ‘move away’ from a dog’s repertoire of behavior choices.
Ultimately our dogs need to learn skills for dealing with what scares them, if only peripherally. But how we get them there matters. The ability to decrease proximity between themselves and a trigger is not necessarily proof of success. You may be willing to go into work and pick up your paycheck and still hate your boss. Or the work you do. People are not the only animals that can go ‘postal‘.

When it’s time to say GOODBYE

The reality is that unlike your children–or anyone else you’ve helped raise and take care of–your dog will probably not outlive you. Even more sobering, you may end up facing a difficult decision about when to end the life of this precious friend and family member.(enthanasia)
When it’s time to say GOODBYE:
Sometimes Death is the BEST option (source from Dogtime)
· Does your dog have a terminal illness?
· Ask your veterinarian what to expect at the next stage and then ask whether you’re prepared to go there.
· Is your dog in the kind of pain that cannot be significantly alleviated by medication?
· Will more treatment improve his quality of life, or simply maintain a poor quality of life?
· Can you afford treatment? End-of-life care can run into thousands of dollars, and people can end up prolonging their grieving while paying off credit cards.
· Is your dog so old he has lost most bodily functions? If he can no longer stand up, get down stairs, defecate, and urinate on his own, the quality of his life is pretty poor.
· Does he still want to eat? Once a dog loses his appetite he’s signaling he’s close to the end.
· Are his gums pink? When gums aren’t a normal pink, your dog isn’t getting enough oxygen.
Is it in his best interest to extend his life, or are you extending his life for yourself? This last point is the most difficult one for most of us to sort out, but it may well be the most relevant.
How to get rid of the grief?
You might catch yourself getting ready to feed your dog or let him out, only to remember he is gone.
You might come home sometimes expecting your dog to greet you.

Because your pet was an everyday part of your life, even the most mundane tasks can be heartbreakingLittle things like scratch marks on the floor from doggie nails can trigger an emotional response. Items like dog beds, toys, bowls, leashes, collars, etc. are obvious reminders. However, getting rid of all the things that remind you of your dog is not the answer. If you wish to remove your dog’s belongings from sight, simply store them away somewhere. You might want to go back and look at them in the future.
Memorizing your pet:
Doing something special to preserve the memory of your beloved companion can be very therapeutic. Some pet owners even decide to have a small memorial service after the death of a pet. The important thing is to do something from your heart that will help you remember your dog and process your grief.
1.If you were able to make arrangements before your dog died (as in the case ofeuthanasia), you might have gotten the chance to create a paw print out of clay or ink. A lock of hair might have been collected.
2.If you did not get a chance to do one of these things, save some of your pet’s small belongings. Consider displaying one or more of the items in a window-box frame with a photo of your dog. A small inscription with your dog’s name will complete the memorial. You can even hang it near one of your dog’s favorite spots in your home
3.Another unique way to remember your pet is to create a unique artistic memorial from the cremains. The company Art From Ashes has been creating beautiful handcrafted glass remembrances of pets for many years. Due to high demand, they even began to make pieces from human cremains upon request.
4.Some owners also decide to bury their pet’s body or cremains in their property. After burial, consider having a special headstone or artistic sculpture placed in this area, or grow beautiful flowers there.

Don’t be afraid to cry. It takes time to heal.

Promise me that you would never leave me alone!

Getting ready to feed your dog

You might catch yourself getting ready to feed your dog or let him out, only to remember he is gone.
You might come home sometimes expecting your dog to greet you.

Because your pet was an everyday part of your life, even the most mundane tasks can be heartbreakingLittle things like scratch marks on the floor from doggie nails can trigger an emotional response. Items like dog beds, toys, bowls, leashes, collars, etc. are obvious reminders. However, getting rid of all the things that remind you of your dog is not the answer. If you wish to remove your dog’s belongings from sight, simply store them away somewhere. You might want to go back and look at them in the future.

My Lovely Knee

　　For a while now I have been having behavior problems with my right knee. Sometimes I tell my right knee that it is time to jump down the back stairs and chase the squirrel up his tree, and my knee says “nooooooo, I will not participate in that craziness. I am a boring and old knee and I do not want to have fun with my owner, the fabulous Uba”. This makes me pretty annoyed, but I go about my important work of bouncing and running and chasing and having fun and just carry my naughty knee along with me. I even dragged that naughty knee along when I got into the kitchen sink the other day to look for my red rubber ball.

　　When it is time to relax my naughty knee punishes me for not agreeing with it, and I have to rest it on a soft pillow so it stops yelling at me.

　　My mom took me and my naughty knee to my regular doctor and then to another special doctor so they could take pictures of it and tell it that it is a naughty knee. After a lot of people talking and looking at me walking and more talking about how my naughty knee is bad, the people have decided that I am going to get a new knee. I am really happy about this. I will have a new knee that will say “woo hoo! Lets chase things and jump and run and have fun!” and I won’t have to carry it around with me and then get yelled at by it later and rest it on a soft pillow.

　　My mom says it will take a long time for me to heal, just like it did when Lolo and Daisy got their new knees. I will have to wear a donut thing around my neck and I will have an itchy zipper and maybe I’ll even have to wear pants like Audie. I will also have to walk slowly on the boring slow and noisy treadmill instead of running on my most beloved TREADMILL!! I won’t be able to go to nose work class or to circus class and I will have to sit around in my crate and be bored. But then, after a really long time, once the doctors look at my leg again and take more pictures, I will be bionic, just like Lolo and Audie and Daisy.
Boring Treadmill from Letti de Little on Vimeo.
I have been practicing on the boring treadmill so I know what to do when I have to use it while I’m “on drugs”. I don’t know how I could forget how to walk, but she says it might be hard for me to figure out after surgery because of the drugs, so I have to be all bored on the boring treadmill almost every day. My surgery is next Wednesday, but I am not nervous. I get to have all the fun I want now because she says it doesn’t matter if I hurt my naughty knee more. I’ll deal with the drugs and the boredom next week.

This summer has been so far

　　This summer has been a whole lot of fun so far. I've been going to nosework class and learning circus tricks. When I'm not at school we go for walks at my favorite park and sniff things and look at the squirrels there.

　　I get to play with my spring pole outside now its not raining all the time.

　　I've spent a little time doing famous dog stuff and hanging out with friends.

　　I look at the squirrel in the tree in the back yard every day and I've taught him how to bark just like me.

　　The only sad part of this summer was saying so long to Winnie when she went to her forever family. I love Winnie, but I'm really glad she found her family.

　　I wonder who my next foster sister will be? I can't wait to find out.
I hope you're enjoying your summer as much as I'm enjoying mine.
hugs,
Uba