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!

Pizza, Pit Bulls & Lost Keys

The past weeks been kind of crazy, so I thought I share a chuckle with you...

This is one of those stories where I would love to tell you I graciously jumped over an 8ft fence, elegantly leaped through a tiny window, fought off two Pit Bulls and generously opened the doors for the others to come in the house!

My husband and I enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner with a wonderful family friend. While leaving the restaurant our friend noticed that she had forgotten her house key…at home.
While driving back to the house we were thinking of best ways to get into the house. She wanted to call locksmith, while my husband had the brilliant idea the bathroom window might be slightly open.

Great idea but we still had to overcome an 8ft fence.
During one of my dog park visits I learned how to jump an 8ft fence quickly (don’t ask why and how). Therefore I was the chosen one to check if the window was open.

There was another minor detail, our friend’s two not so small, hyper and ready-to-defend-their-home Pit Bulls. My friend assured me the door separating the bathroom from the living room area was closed and locked. Oh LORD!
They are sweet dogs but you never know how dogs will react when someone tries to climb through a window!

With determination on my face I got out of the car, ready to leap over the fence. It wasn’t quite as easy as I had hoped. My new skinny, super tight jeans didn’t make the job easier. Our friend came to support me. With support I mean literally support. I had to take laughing breaks. The idea alone hanging on someone’s fence with too tight jeans and someone else pushing my rear end just cracked me up.

Having taken the first hurdle the next one was waiting around the corner. Her yard was dark it was like entering a black hole. What kind of freaked me out was the idea of the dogs getting in the yard, trying to eat me. (Stay positive)

I found the window and it was slightly open, indeed but 8 ft in the air with a 2ft x 2ft opening. Luckily a trashcan was nearby which I used to climb up to the window.

My first leg made it through the window but again due to my tight jeans I wasn’t able to get the second one through. Not to fond of the idea going head in first I had no other choice. Now, imagine it was pitch black and I had never been in her bathroom before. I had another burst of laughter while hanging head down into her bathroom and the rest of me on the outside of the house. Kind of like a potato sack that doesn’t fit through an opening.


The dogs were just going crazy! I swear they were ready to eat me (at least it sounded like it). ;)

It wasn’t pretty and it took me a while but I made it through the window without harming myself nor destroying the bathroom. The rest is history. I let my friend in through the side door and let her open the door to the living room while I politely walked to the front door and rang the bell to be let in ;)

I don’t know what surprised me more that I was able to actually get through the window or that no one of the neighbors got alarmed by all the barking and commotion! Life’s mysteries!

Happy Holidays!

Flea Treatment For Dogs

If your dog has an active lifestyle like hiking and regular dog park visit and you happen to live in Southern California, I strongly recommend to give your dog flea treatments all year around.

FLEA TREATMENTS:
For city dogs I find that FRONTLINE PLUS and K9 ADVANTIX work pretty well when applied on a monthly basis.
When traveling to canyons, open fields and more rural areas I prefer to administer the more expensive REVOLUTION. It seems to be stronger and not only protects from fleas & ticks but also from heart worms and parasites.
A greener and probably healthier option for dogs is Bio Spot which smells really nice but did not work for my dogs. Results vary widely on Bio Spot treatments. It's cheap, best way to find out just try it on your dog ;)

WHO CAN GET FLEAS:
Basically everybody (dogs & humans).
However, fleas love to go on dogs with "sick skin". If your dog has dry, flaky skin he might be an ideal host for those little blood suckers. My dogs get 1 capsule of human grade fish oil/ day (capsule should not exceed 1000mg). It leaves their coat soft and shiny and moisturizes the skin. So far, combined with Frontline Plus we have not had any flea problems.
Some people swear of adding 1 teaspoon of apple vinegar (the real stuff not the "flavored apple vinegar") or fresh garlic to the dog's food every day. Don't have any statistics if it really works.

DOG HAS FLEAS! WHAT NOW?
Now, this is important if your dog has fleas make sure that at least one week lies in between treatments. Make sure you DO NOT mix different treatments, e.g. use either drops, flea collar or flea bath, DO NOT combine any of them! There is a serious chance of poising your dog. Be aware that flea treatments work differently, read the instructions carefully. It can take up to one week until all fleas are gone. Fleas hate water and tea tree oil, an additional option would be to bath your dog every two days and shampoo with a tea tree oil shampoo. Caution: Bathing can dry out your dog's skin.
If your dog is just infested with fleas (meaning millions of them) take him to the vet.

TREATING YOUR HOME:
Do not call the exterminator right away! There are great and cheap ways to get rid of fleas in your home.
Sprinkle Boric Acid (Borate Powder or Borax) over your light colored rug and leave it for a few days. The Borate will dry out the fleas.
Buy a simple flea collar, cut it in pieces and put in your vacuum bag. Vacuum your rug and furniture every day for 7 days. The flea collar in the vacuum bag will kill the fleas vacuumed off the furniture and rug.
Wash your sheets!

PREVENTION RECAP:
1) Make sure flea treatments are applied on a regular basis
2) Use a flea comb at least once a week and go through your dogs coat
3) Be aware of signs like scratching, itching, biting
4) Bath your dog on a regular basis
5) Healthy nutrition = healthy skin & coat

Puncture Wounds in Dogs

I had an awful day! LA is going under in rain and I was happy to be the only one at the dog park besides one other person. No drama (at least this is what I thought)!
Two dogs in my pack got into a scuffle that quickly escalated. Usually I am pretty good in reading the body language and can quickly react before anything serious happens. Unfortunately, due to the rain and muddy ground condition in the park I was not able to get to my dogs fast enough. I had to witness how female A chopped down on female B several times before I got there. Just seeing the way female A bit female B I knew I had to thoroughly check for puncture wounds. Sure enough I found an innocent but deep looking puncture wound. My day at the park was over! Knowing that puncture wounds can be quite serious for dogs due to high risk of infection, I collected my pack, shoved them in the car and drove to the vet.
Besides cosmetic abrasions female B needed minor surgery plus a drain for a few days. It looks much worse than it is.
I just the hate the moment you have to inform owner A that their dog bit another dog and than call owner B and letting them know their dog is injured at the vet. It put quite a damper on my day. Halleluja! All that ruckus before the holidays.

This is important: If your dog gets into a scuffle, check the skin thoroughly. Puncture wounds tend not to bleed until later and can be hard to detect especially on long haired dogs. An unnoticed puncture wound could get infected which is painful and stressful for the dog and your pocket book! My tip, no matter how small, take the dog to a vet immediately. Rather safe than sorry!

Bailey's Bedding & Bone

Exciting news our fellow Studio City neighbors Karen & David Shapiro opened up a really cute down to earth pet accessory store named Bailey's Bedding & Bone. The store is located on Tujunga Ave across the street from Aroma Cafe.
Bailey's Bedding & Bone is a small store packed with down to earth products made from recycled bottles, natural rubber toys, hemp leashes and other great products made in the USA. Products range from doggy beds made by Earth Dog, unique looking food dishes from Melia Pet, tough toys by West Paw Design & Go Dog (my favorites), sassy leashes from Harry Barker and Up Country and many more. It's definitely worth it to check it out. Prices are affordable and not over the top.
Stop by and get a free biscuit sample for the pup (fresh from the pooch bakery) or grab a bag of fresh baked, natural treats in shape of Santa or a rabbi pup for the holidays (see pictures).

Bailey's Bedding & Bone
4377 Tujunga Ave (in between Moorpark and Ventura)
Studio City, CA 91604

818-763-1867

Store Hours: Monday - Sunday 9AM - 7PM

Oh Benadryl - The Story About The Bees

One summer morning I noticed that my chocolate lab's face was entirely swollen (he looked like botox gone bad). At the time he was 4 month old and I just had lost my previous dog. In panic mode, not knowing what is was I rushed him to the vet.
Apparently, while sniffing in the grass he got stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction. The vet removed the sting from the upper lip and gave him an antihistamine. $80 bucks and a few hours later he looked normal again. What did I learn? Always have a pack of Benadryl ready! Much cheaper, same effect.
Benadryl has a nice side effect, it makes dogs sleepy. My recommendation if you travel or you have a nervous dog and need to calm him down, give him Benadryl. It works wonders!
Please, use nothing other than Benadryl Allergy! Benadryl Cold or Decongestant are not suitable for dogs.

Note: I am not a trained veterinarian, so please when giving any meds to humans or animals, it's strongly advised that you get professional advice from your doc or your vet.

How many dogs fit in a PT Cruiser?

Yesterday it all started at 6:20AM at my first clients house. I was standing in front of the gate for about 10 minutes not being able to get it open. I called my client (who was still asleep, I usually just get the dogs out without disturbing them) and he basically told me I forgot to push the # sign (I have opened that gate many times before, who knows why I had to forget the # sign today...sleepy I guess). So, by now I am running late. Still had to go and pick up other dogs before meeting my hiking budds for our 7AM morning hike (I am a punctual fetishist, I admit publicly, I hate being late).
At my next client's house I got soaked in cold water from the sprinklers while trying to put on the leashes. It was 42F/5C degrees outside (no further explanation necessary). Now, I am pissed! With soaking wet pants I get in the car and blast the heater on 5 (it was so hot in my car that I hardly could breath but I got my clothes half dry). Not a good start for the day!
Later in the day while leaving the dog park with 6 dogs my car starts acting up. Seemingly out of nowhere it started shaking and the engine check light and other warning lights came on. Now, I am in panic! Who knows if the engine blows up any minute in the middle of the intersection and how in hell would I get all the dogs out in time if the car is on fire! I manage to drop off 2 of the dogs that live close by. Luckily I was near the Toyota Service Station. With 5 mph and a bucking and shaking car I made my way over there. Of course, they had to keep it there for inspection.
Second stage of panic set in. I had to drop off the dogs and make my other appointments. Clearly, I wasn't able to make it to my other appointments but what about the dogs in the car.
I called the Fabulous Miss K, who just happened to be in her car and on her way to the dog park. The Fabulous Miss K was kind enough to pick me up. Since she was on her way to the dog park she had her 2 dogs in the car + we had to get my 4 dogs in there. Can you fit 6 dogs in a PT Cruiser? Absolutely (see pictures below)! Does it look pretty? Absolutely not! We looked so absolutely ridiculous, people were honking and laughing at us all the way!
The end of the story. My car is fine, it had a system error that shut down my tires and who knows what else. The people at Toyota will always remember the frantic looking skinny chick with 4 big dogs in their office!
By the way, when I picked up my car the guy pulled off plastic seat covers that were placed over my regular seat covers. I said, since I already had seat covers there was no need to put another protection over it. He replied politely with a grim face that he put them on not to protect my seat but himself from all the hair! Oooops! :-)