Painted Dawgs

Two of my biggest dogs stepped into a can of paint on the way from the garage to my car. Of course, I had only noticed it once they were in my car staining/painting my black interior in khaki! What a mess at 6:30AM! Of course, the paint ended up on my siding, exterior, seat covers, pants, eyebrows, hands....pretty much everywhere! Luckily it was "just" water based paint and easy to remove and not oil based paint! Whew! It was still a mess to clean up, though and a nice way to start the weekend. Never a dull moment!

Dog Seizure

Today one of my clients had a seizure. It was pretty scary and heartbreaking to watch.
When I entered I found the usually jumpy and happy pup cramped up on the floor. He looked horrible it freaked me out.
Luckily the owner was home and notified me that he had a history of seizure but haven't had one in over a year. This one lasted more than 5 minutes, it felt like an eternity.

Intersting Facts About The Dogs Nose

Here are some interesting facts about the dog’s nose.
The dog’s nose has up to 300 million chemo-receptors in his nose (compared to 5 mil in humans) which makes it possible to basically sniff out everything on the go. Dogs with longer snouts have more receptors than dogs with shorter snouts (German Shepherd vs. Puggle).
Dogs like to lie! Yes, there are actual studies indicating that trained police dogs like to give false alarms once in a while just to get a treat. Smart little creatures!
Knowing this now what makes you think you can take treats or any kind of food unnoticed to a dog park? Right, you CAN’T! If you don’t want a herd of dogs following you, please don’t bring treats!
Also, a walk is not a sniffing and peeing competition! Your pup can pretty much “smell-out” the neighborhood on the fly-by, meaning while walking obedient next to you. No need to have him on a 16’ lead “reading” the news on the ground.

Great Toy for Dogs

A while ago I changed all dog toys from fluff to tough, meaning hard rubber bones, tires etc.
No matter what "chew proof" fluff toy I bought, it took my dogs 2 minutes (sometimes less) and the thing was gone. At least Orbee Tuff rubber bones last a year or longer.
Karen Shapiro, owner of Bailey's Bedding & Bone, convinced me to buy one of her Chew Guard toys from Go Dog. I took the "cow" home expecting it to be annihilated within minutes. To my surprise it survived an entire week of constant tuck-a-war and chewing. So far, we compromised one of the five squeakers, one foot and part of the ear! The rest is still fully intact which is major for a "fluff" toy. The $13 were well invested. Watching the dogs go crazy with it for hours, priceless! Two thumps and 4 paws up!




Note: I have a Lab and Min Pin mutt. Wouldn't recommend it for Pit Bulls or any other breed that has jaws like a chain saw ;)

Ear Mites in Dogs

Ear mites are nasty little creatures that are highly contagious in between pets and quite a bit of pain to get rid off! Ear mites usually live in your dog’s ear but are not limited to the ears only, depending on the severity of infestation they can spread all over the dog’s body.

Ear mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye but can be well detected under a microscope. Having said that they are cases where mites where detected with the naked eye due to the size of the mites. Ear mites usually affect BOTH ears.
If the infestation is well progressed, the ear canals may bleed.

The most common sign of ear mite infection is shaking of the head and ears.
Dogs may also scratch at their ears, rub their face and in severe cases may even cause bleeding sores behind their ears in their effort to relieve the discomfort from the mites. The intense itching associated with these mites is thought to be due to a hypersensitivity reaction, which is similar to an allergy.
Some pets can be infected without showing signs of itching or head shaking, apparently because they don't develop the hypersensitivity reaction.
Itching, scratching and shaking of head can also be caused by “regular” ear/ yeast infections.
It’s very important to take your dog to a vet to get the right diagnosis and treatment.

Ear mites are very common but still serious. If not treated it can cause severe damage to the eardrum and loss of hearing.
Treatment can take up to 4 weeks to get rid of all eggs and adult mites.

To prevent ear mites keep your pet’s flea treatments, e.g. Frontline Plus, Revolution etc, up to date.

The Beagle Hound

While browsing the world wide web I came across a website that listed the 10 best suited dogs for house and family life. To my astonishment the Beagle was the no. 1 recommended pet for families.

Don’t get me wrong I love Beagles I think they are wonderful dogs. However, I would never recommend a Beagle to the generalized public.

Besides being sweet tempered, funny, good looking and great dogs, they do require a lot of patience and a strong leadership.

Don’t get a Beagle when you live in an apartment, unless you own it and you like to torture your neighbors.
The Beagle’s loud baying cry can be utterly annoying. I know people that got evicted because of their Beagle’s lust to “talk”.

Originally bred for hunting in the UK. The Beagle’s sense of smell is extraordinary. It’s so extraordinary that you run into danger of losing your Beagle while being on an off leash walk. Once the little guy picks up a scent, he is in his own little world tracking down the smell, forgetting everything and anyone around him. This is what I call a ‘one track mind’. There is a reason why the airport police, likes to use them for “screening” bags.

The extraordinary sense of smell is followed by their strong hunting instinct. Don’t be surprised when your Beagle is bringing you little gifts like fresh caught squirrels or dead mice. Hungry anyone?

The three most used sentences from Beagle owners are “he barks like this in the middle of the night”, “he comes when he wants to” & “he has a mind of his own”. Yes, they are stubborn, stubborn, stubborn those cute little creatures!

If you live in a rural area, with no neighbors, are strong willed and active the Beagle is the perfect dog for you.

My suggestion if you live in the city or work a lot or have neighbors but still want a Beagle…..
Spend time at the local dog park (there is always at least one Beagle). Get a kick out of the Beagle playing, sniffing and barking (the barking is only funny when you don’t own one yourself). It’s a great way to experience the fun stuff without the hassle at home!

I am happy to answer any questions relating to Beagles or other dog related questions! e-mail: k9@hollywoodonaleash.com

LA in the morning

I love taking pictures of Downtown LA while hiking at Runyon in the morning . I thought I'd share the best ones with you....
Merry Xmas!