Planet Dog Blog

Working Like a Dog

Summer is officially here, and that means that Take Your Dog to Work Day is coming up on Friday, June 24. Officially sponsored by Pet Sitters International, this annual event encourages employees to bring their canine pals to the office and share the special bond we enjoy with our pets with our office-mates.

Every day is take Your Dog to Work Day at Planet Dog, and that means every day we practice responsibility with our pups. If you are lucky enough to bring your dog to work, be sure to follow some common sense guidelines so it is enjoyable for everyone.

Not every dog is cut out for the working grind. There are many new sights and sounds in the office that some dogs will handle better than others. Consider your pet's personality when thinking about bringing them to the office, and be sure to have the flexibility to bring them home if things aren't working out.

Not every worker is cut out for dogs. Some people have allergies and aversions to dogs, so be sure that the office community is agreeable to having pets there, and establish locations that will always be dog-free (conference rooms, kitchens, break rooms, etc.).

Keep your dog under control all day. Leash your dog on the way in and out of your space, and use a pet gate or baby gate, or a tether to keep the dog with you all day. A sure way to ruin the day is to have someone's lunch stolen off their desk, or a special surprise left in the hallway. Believe me, we have had both of these things happen, and not everyone thinks that is funny or cute! 

Schedule time to give the dog frequent walks outside, and time to visit with those co-workers who are interested. TYDTWD is a wonderful way to let your coworkers without dogs see what a special bond you have, and what a joy it is to have a pet. Have some resources for local shelters and rescue groups in case your colleagues become interested in adopting a pet. 

Have fun! Study after study shows that dogs in the office increase productivity and lower stress for employees. If your dog has the work ethic to join you, it should be a fun, educational and exciting day for everyone! Please, share your dogs at work stories with us here!

Read more about Take Your Dog to Work Day at http://www.takeyourdog.com/About/.

Tick Season is Upon Us!

Welcome back, faithful readers! Please excuse the hiatus from the PDOG Blog- we are back, and moving forward better than ever! Please enjoy this week's post from the Planet Dog Company Store Manager, Jim Williams.

I don’t know anybody that likes ticks. This is the time of year when we, at The Planet Dog Company Store, get lots of questions about ticks and Lyme disease. This year is no different. Some have described this year as an epidemic year - not only does it seem there are more ticks, but they seem more resistant to the traditional tick prevention products.

There is a great debate about which flea and tick prevention is preferable- chemical or natural? We carry Frontline and a range of herbal and all natural tick control and prevention products at our store. Our goal is to educate ourselves about the options so that we can educate our customers. We want our customers to make an informed choice about what might work best for their pets. 

A couple of years ago I started using an herbal wellness formula for my dog, Pirate, and I have had some good success with it. Over the course of those two years, I have found maybe 3 or 4 ticks on Pirate, which is actually a lot fewer than when I was using the more traditional topicals. This particular formula, Canine Wellness Blend, is something we carry at The Planet Dog Company Store and we get it from Joyce Belcher, an herbalist from York, Maine, who has a company called Herbs for Life.  All of her herb-based products are designed to keep pets’ immune system healthy and balanced. 

Joyce does a lot of research and work with holistic veterinarians in developing her products. She recently came to educate the store staff to understand how herbs like Spirulina, Bee Pollen, Hemp Hearts and Neem impact the overall body systems. Additionally, Joyce introduced us to her latest product, a tincture designed to actually prevent Lyme disease in both dogs and humans. 

We all learned so much from Joyce, that we invited her to present a broader seminar for our local community. She  will join us for our next “Yappy Hour” on June 23^rd at 5:30 pm. Like all of our Yappy Hour events, it is free and we will provide some yummy snacks for people and pets.If you are reading this and can be in Portland, ME, please come join us. I promise it will be informative.

What have you used for flea and tick prevention? Has it worked for you? Have you noticed any differences in efficacy in the past few years?

 

Gifts for Burma

Hello, All: Please enjoy this guest entry from a very special member of the Planet Dog Family, Emily Fisher. She recently brought donations of t-shirts from Planet Dog, and baseball hats from Planet Dog's long-time partner, Life is Good, to an orphangae in Burma. Here is her story:

Decades of misrule by a military government have taken their toll on Burma, or Myanmar as it is now called.  Young children hanging around marketplaces looking for chores, or cracking rocks on roadways for road building are an all too common sight: some are orphans while others have families who cannot afford to care for them.  While traveling through the southern Chin State a few years ago, several of my colleagues from Bard College at Simon’s Rock encountered Twee Twee, a young woman who was inspired to help the children in her hometown of Kanpetlet.  She started a home with little but the conviction that these children needed to be looked after.  We were inspired by her vision and determination and have done what we can to help.

The Metta Home, which means loving kindness, houses 55 children between the ages of 3 and 20.  The children attend school in the local village and help to maintain the home and 13 acres surrounding it. Among the many youth homes in Burma that we have visited, this one stands out due to the children’s joyful spirits and the care and respect they show each other.

 

 

 

 

 

For the past four years we have visited the Home, teaching the children games, talking to them about their educational goals, helping plan the yearly budgets, and then returning home to raise the money necessary to feed, clothe and educate the children.

Two weeks ago I returned from my 4^th visit to Burma where I was able to distribute the wonderful Planet Dog shirts that were donated as well as baseball hats donated by “Life is Good”.  Caring for 55 children is an on going project.  But knowing and working with these children has given us great joy. Thank you for your help.   - Emily Fisher

Guest Bloggger Stephanie Hulse: Where Was Your Wiener This Weekend?

   

Greetings from Austin, Texas!  My name is Stephanie Hulse and I am one of the Inside Sales Representatives here at Planet Dog.  When my husband, Jarett, and I relocated to Texas a few months ago we weighed the pros and cons of each city. We chose Austin. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Austin’s proximity to Buda, aka the Weiner Dog Capital of Texas, definitely played its part. Needless to say we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the most exciting event of the year this past weekend – the 14^th Annual Buda, TX Wiener Dog Races.

That’s right! It’s a race – just for DACHSHUNDS! Someone looked at these silly dogs, with their long bodies and stubbly little legs and thought “what would happen if I made this little guy race against its brothers and sisters?”  The rest is history…and hilarious.

This year’s theme was “Alice in Weinerland” and the weekend was complete with a costume contest, parade and every dachshund themed vendor you could possibly imagine.  Jarett and I met hundreds of doxies and their people, many of the pups in colorful Alice in Wonderland themed costumes. Johnny Depp is no match for a dachshund in a Mad Hatter costumer. Nobody is as dedicated to fun as the group that gathers to celebrate the funniest dogs on earth. It was like Shangri-La, if Shangri-La was filled with strange looking hound dogs designed to dig holes.

This was our older Dachshund, Kielbasa’s first run in the Buda Weiner Dog Races, but we had high hopes. We had been training him in the backyard using our Planet Dog Squeaky Tennis Ball (his favorite) and baby carrots for weeks. We even made our 12 week old puppy Klink run with him for distraction. So, naturally we were convinced he’d be a champion as we loaded him into the blue lane for his first race of the morning. The crowd went wild as the gates were opened and so many little stubby puppies shot out of their cages. Tiny legs worked over time and bellies grazed the grass as these athletes sped towards the finish line. The roar of squeaky toys and owners calling to their little champions was deafening, but Kielbasa was nowhere to be found? Sadly, he got a little intimidated when the doors opened and just wandered aimlessly around the starting line. He saw the crowd, peed a little and sat down waiting for me to retrieve him from this nightmare.  Finals was definitely not in our future.

But, while Kielbasa was not the champion he still walked away with the Baby Carrot of Victory and to a dachshund, what could be better?

Poor Planning

I didn't plan very well for Easter Sunday this year. It was so rainy and gray on Saturday, I decided to postpone the trip to the grocery store until Sunday, when, of course, all purveyors of any kind of real food were closed.

After facing the jarring reality, I really had to scramble. First, to scramble some eggs for the dogs to eat, as the top of my shopping list was fixings for a new batch of Dr. Kate's stew. Then  I scrambled to re-imagine my dish for the family Easter dinner with what I could forage at home and from neighbors. Sarah's rosemary plant, Carla's garlic, Meghan's brussel sprouts, and a collection of potatoes from anyone I could find.

It reminded me of Thanksgiving, a few years back. As always, I was in charge of the mashed potatoes. Thanksgiving morning I searched frantically, but could not find the 5-pound bag of potatoes anywhere. I must have left them in the grocery cart, or on the cashier's belt, because they were not in my kitchen or my car.

Let the scrambling begin! Fortunately, I was able to beg and borrow just enough potatoes to remain in my family's good graces, but they were clearly disappointed that something as fundamental as mashed potatoes could be jeopardized by my forgetfulness.

A few days later, I was cleaning the house, and noticed something under my bed. I reached under and extracted. . . . .  a 5-pound bag of perfect potatoes.

Eventually, I deduced that sneaky Kaya had absconded with those potatoes, and, with her mouth, carried the whole bag from the kitchen through the dining room, across the living room, UP a full flight of stairs, down the hall and under my bed before nosing her way in to the bag and realizing that raw potatoes don’t taste good, even to a dog. The thought of her lugging all those russets up the stairs, peering from side to side to make sure she didn't get caught, and finally reaching her secret place where she could nosh in peace – and imagining the ensuing disappointment. . . . it makes me chuckle every time I think of it.

That time, it wasn’t poor planning. It was a very sneaky pup. But this time, as I scramble more eggs for this morning’s doggie breakfast, I know there is no bag of potatoes under the bed - just my own procrastination to blame. Note to self: add an emergency bag of kibble to that grocery list.

What do you do when you run out dog food?

Aging Gracefully

My dogs just had their annual check-ups with our favorite housecall vet, Dr. Kate.

I was worried about her visit because my senior dog Kaya dog is showing some signs of aging, and I had myself convinced there would be nothing but bad news from Dr. Kate. I was 100% certain that her spine and hips were protruding too much- clearly the result of a fatal, degenerative disease.

And surely, the time she spends just staring at the wall means she is completely blind. And totally deaf, since she doesn’t hear me enter the house anymore when she is sleeping. And the episode when I found her with her head stuck in the back of the closet, wedged between the wall and the vacuum cleaner? Obviously, a sign of senility caused by a massive brain tumor. 

Dr. Kate pronounced Roxie to be of sound mind and body, and also extremely, ridiculously cute. I was relieved to know at least one of my precious puppies wasn’t on the fast track to the great big dog park in the sky.  

Dr. Kate then examined Kaya calmly and gently, showing no sign of concern while listening to her heart, her eyes, her organs. My stomach hurt- I was fully braced for the proclamation of her imminent demise. But Dr. Kate just looked up and commended me on how gracefully Kaya was aging.

But, what about the head in the closet? The staring contests with the wall? The sound sleeping? Surely Kaya was at death’s door and she didn’t have the heart to tell me.

But instead, she said, yes - there is some atrophy in the muscles in her back end, but she still has a healthy muscle tone that shows she is getting enough exercise. And yes- there is definitely some ocular clouding that compromises her vision, but she isn’t blind. And her coat still has the beautiful shine and condition she’s enjoyed since puppyhood, with almost no trace of gray beyond her cute little chin. Her teeth remain remarkably tartar-free, her digestion is great, her heart sounds strong and healthy. Dr. Kate proclaimed Kaya to be a dog who is aging, but aging very, very gracefully. 

She then told me when her first dog turned 12, she worried about every creak and limp, every sneeze and wheeze. And she worried about those things for 5 years until the dog finally passed at the old age of 17. Most gently, she urged me to be hopeful and comforted by the many signs of Kaya’s good health, and to try not to keep burying her in my mind.

Maybe there were some really tasty treats from under the couch in the vacuum cleaner bag? Maybe she hears me coming in, but is finally relaxed enough to just rest through it. And maybe this will be the summer where the rumble of thunder and fireworks won’t send her hiding under the bed. There just might be a bright side to her aging after all.

Welcome Home, Heroes

Hello, friends. What a crazy week we at Planet Dog have had! There is so much I could write about - our trip to Orlando, FL for the Global Pet Expo, our Best in Show Prize for our new Orbee-Tuff TableTop Display; our wildly popular Happy Birthday Orbee Flash Mob Dance; our I Love My Orbee So Much Contest. . . . but all of that can wait for another post.

Today, I want to welcome home the 6 teams from the Search Dog Foundation who were deployed to Japan following the devastating tsunami. Last week I wrote about Pearl, the shelter dog who was rescued herself and now has a career rescuing others.

While I was in Orlando last week, I realized what a true superstar Pearl really is when my colleagues and I flipped on the TV and saw Pearl and Capt. Horetski chatting away with Pat Sajak and Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune!

Of course, that appearance had been taped earlier. By the time we saw her on TV, Pearl and her handler, Captain Ron Horetski, had joined the other Search Dog Foundation teams, and volunteer teams from all over the world in Japan to help search for survivors.

You can read all about their mission and homecoming here. The Search Dog Foundation motto is Leave No One Behind. While these valiant teams did not find any survivors, they provided tremendous comfort to those in Japan that everything had been done to try and find survivors. 

Global Animal has also posted a beautiful gallery of images of the Search Dog Foundation teams and many others as they risk their own lives and safety to try and recover survivors.

We are extremely grateful to all of the brave men and women and dogs from across the globe that have been working tirelessly to help in so many ways in the aftermath of the earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the disaster.

Another Job for Pearl - A Rescued Dog Rescuing Others

Let me introduce you to Pearl, and a wonderful group of Second Grade students from Alamo, California, who have worked very hard to tell her story. With the help of author Allyn Lee, Ms. Forslind's class created the book A New Job for Pearl: A Homeless Dog Becomes a Hero.

Pearl is a very bright and energetic black Labrador Retriever who landed in the animal shelter after repeated escapes from her first home. Fortunately, a volunteer at the shelter noticed that Pearl had perfect qualities- not necessarily as a family pet, but ideal to be trained as a search dog.

She was tirelessly energetic, athletic and sure-footed, and always eager to play. 

After a thorough evaluation, and a long training process with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, Pearl was placed with Captain Ron Horetski, joining him at the Fire Department where he works, and being deployed to assist rescue efforts in disaster zones. In January, 2010, Pearl utilized her new skills in Haiti following the devastating earthquake. Today, as I write this, she is on her way to Ofunato City area on the North East coast of Japan, to assist disaster response teams seeking survivors of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Along with the other 11 teams sent to Japan, Pearl and Capt. Horetski will employ everything they have learned to search the rubble and save lives.

Many thanks to all of the teams from the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, the children of the Rancho Romero School, and the animal shelter staff for sharing this amazing story with all of us! The Planet Dog Foundation proudly supported their efforts in Haiti last year, and looks forward to continued support as the Japan rescue operation unfolds.

 

We Did It! 20,000 Sold!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! In a very special edition of Chew On This!, I am thrilled to share the results of the Planet Dog Foundation's Romp-a-Thon Challenge. With the help of hundreds of stores that carry Planet Dog products, we achieved our goal of selling 20,000 Glow for Good balls in 2010. 100% of the proceeds of these bouncy, minty, orbee-tuff balls support the work of the Planet Dog Foundation, and service dogs helping people nationwide.

We awarded our coveted Orbee Bone Trophies to our top three winners in the challenge. Many thanks and congratulations to Texas-based Whole Earth Provisions and Pennsylvania's Elite Dogtique for winning runner up and honorable mention prizes. And a hearty congratulations and thank you to our Grand Prize winner, Moochie and Co., for their enthusiastic participation and thrilling victory. In addition to winning the deluxe bone trophy, they will also receive a supply of custom-printed dog balls from Planet Dog.

The greatest prize of the contest is a special $10,000.00 grant awarded to the canine service organization of Moochie and Co.'s choosing. I am very happy to announce that they chose Ohio's Circle Tail, Inc., a non-profit organization near Cincinnati that provides service dogs and hearing dogs to people with disabilities.

On behalf of all of the dogs working to help people in need everywhere, thanks to everyone who bought a Glow for Good Ball and helped us reach our Romp-a-Thon goal!!

A Slobbery Show-Down at the Planet Dog Company Store

Sloppy, wet kisses were on full display at the Planet Dog Company Store in Portland, ME last week, as it hosted the 7th Annual Canine Kissing Contest, with proceeds benefitting the Planet Dog Foundation.

Last year's winner, Bo, arrived in a homemade champion cape, and began eagerly practicing offstage before the contest began. It was clear to all the dogs there that Bo was the kisser to beat. He had persistence, enthusiasm, great form and the stamina to go the distance.

A few dogs tried their best, but the roar of the crowd proved very distracting for those pups used to performing on their home couch. Then, it was Bo's turn. He didn't match his 2010 winning time of 59 seconds (!), but he logged an impressive 15 seconds before losing his focus and looking away. Was it sabotage? Was the pressure too much?

Enter Miles. Miles' people had been encouraged for years to let him compete - his personal best was 2 minutes and 30 seconds during pre-contest training. Despite his rookie jitters, Miles took the top prize with a full 20 second smooch! Click here to see video coverage of the winning kiss http://www.wmtw.com/video/26871770/detail.html.

Bo was a very graceful runner-up, handing off his champion cape to Miles, and settling in with his mom for some consolation kisses, while Miles soaked in all the glory of taking home the 2011 title of the Best Canine Kisser in the World. Congratulations, Miles! 

As we enter the off-season, questions remain. Will Bo be able to recapture his title? Will Miles let the fame and glory go to his head? Are dogs allowed in Disney World?