Planet Dog Blog

How Much is Too Much?

A few months ago, my 4-year old terrier mix, Roxie, began showing signs of back pain. She became limpy, lethargic, and lazy. We tried steroids. We tried muscle relaxants. We tried acupuncture. Nothing helped.

Within a few weeks, she appeared to shrink- her back half withered and atrophied. She could barely walk, she cried out when she was touched, and she stopped eating. She could not lift her head and she trembled non-stop.

She was clearly suffering, and it would not be healing itself. Finally, the vet told me I had a choice- spend $3,500 for surgery to repair her severly herniated disk, or spend $150 to put her to sleep.

He gave a very optimistic long term prognosis, but was clear that there was no guarantee that this wouldn't happen again on a different vertebrae at some point in the future.

It was just before Christmas. I had gifts to buy, and a nearly empty heating oil tank. I had already spent several hundred dollars on her diagnosis and treatment. I didn't have any money saved. I couldn't justify spending so much on a pet, right?

But, she's only 4 years old, I thought. I have a lot of blankets, I thought. I had just enough room on my credit card.  I thought about how lucky I was to even have credit, and the option of charging it and paying for it later. I thought, it's only money! I work at Planet Dog!

But mostly I thought about how much I loved her and wanted her to feel better. I thought how unfair it would be to rescue her from death row at an Arkansas shelter, give her a short taste of a really good life, and then let her die in so much pain.

I explained to my family that I didn't want any gifts for Christmas, and would only be giving to the children. I maxed out my credit card. I turned down the heat. She had the surgery. I don't eat out much these days.

If she had been 14 years old, I would have likely made a different decision, but I am very hopeful that I will enjoy another decade with this dog. That's only $350/year - it's practically a bargain! I hope that karma will appreciate the investment I have made in her and keep the rest of her spine healthy.

She has healed beautifully. She still has a funny looking patch on her back where the hair hasn't grown back in, but she is more agile, more energetic and more adorable than ever before.

Every time she lifts her head to look at me, I just know that she is saying thank you. And that she'll keep me warm when the heating oil is gone.

How much have you spent on a pet's health? What do you consider too much? How do you decide?

Thanks to the Therapy Dogs at Maine Med

As we closed out 2011, we awarded nearly $70,000 in grants to 10 organizations that utilize dogs in some capacity to help people in need. One of those grantees is the Therapy Dog Program at Maine Medical Center, based right here with us in Portland, ME.

Over our holiday break, a good friend of Planet Dog found herself on the receiving end of one of our grants, and she wrote us this note to share her story.

We are grateful to the amazing volunteers involved in the program and thank them for the furry love given to our friend Rachel, and to all of the patients and staff at the hospital.

"Let me set the scene. It's Christmas Eve, around 10 pm, and my stomach is starting to hurt.  Four hours later, the pain is worse, and I go to the Emergency Room.  Well, turns out my gall bladder has taken all the gall it can handle from me and has to come out. I have to wait in the hospital until after the holiday for the surgery. They send me home, but I have to return just days later- you guessed it - on New Year's Eve.  Again, I have to wait until after the holiday for the next surgery. It's the holidays, I am in pain, rest doesn't come easily, and as I'm sure you can imagine, my self pity meter is off the charts.

Imagine now, it's my 8th day in the hospital, and suddenly a big, lumbering black lab comes into my room.  An older dog, he has grey around his mouth and he's sporting an adorable bandana.  As a lifelong dog-lover, it's always a fun surprise to see a dog when you're not expecting to. To see a dog that day, after being in so much pain for so long, was emotionally overwhelming.  

Amos the black lab leans into me and I scratch his rear while soaking in all the love and energy he had to give. I am crying with gratitude- a gentle face, a soft coat, a loving friend.  In the hall I see a French Bulldog, and as a Boston Terrier lover, I have a soft spot for those pushed in faces.  I don't want to be selfish, because Amos was being fantastic, but I was so happy when ANOTHER volunteer came into my room. Eloise Violet jumped right onto the bed, and all of the trauma of the previous week melted away while she snorted away in my lap.

I have spent many years working with dogs, and never thought I would be on the receiving end of a therapy dog. The love of those dogs and the kindness of their handlers literally gave me the strength I needed to get through the next few days in the hospital, and on the road to healing."

A huge thank you to Rachel for sharing her story, and to Amos and Eloise Violet for brightening her day during an extremely unpleasant time. We are incredibly honored to support their work. Have you had a therapy dog visit that changed your outlook? Brightened your day? Got you on the mend?

 

The Dogs that Sit With Santa

Santa Claus made his way to the Planet Dog Company Store on Sunday for our 6th annual Sit with Santa fundraiser.

All the money raised helps to fund the grant program of the Planet Dog Foundation, supporting non profits that train, place and support dogs helping people in need. 

Santa works overtime on Sit with Santa day, doing his best to snuggle with 95 dogs.  Small dogs, huge dogs, terrified dogs, multiple dogs . . . .  our Santa loves them all.

Of course, then there are the crying babies, the 7-person families with 2 dogs, the camera crews from the local stations . . .  Santa limps back to his workshop every year. 

And while Santa is exhausted when the day is done, we know that the PDOG pups have a great holiday card to share with all of their friends!

In Honor of Senior Dogs

Greetings, friends! November is Senior Dog Month- a wonderful time to celebrate and appreciate our grizzled and wise companions.

If you are considering a new dog for your family, there are so many reasons to bypass the puppies and head to the aged aisle. Senior dogs have already been down the teething and housebreaking and shoe chewing path and have reached a state of low maintenance contentment. A couple of short walks, a cozy bed, a nutritious diet and a loving hand- that is all it takes for an older dog to find true bliss.

If you are not able to adopt a senior dog, there are other ways to support them - there are often lots of older dogs in shelters, being overlooked because of some gray hairs on the muzzle, or some old dog lumps . . .  volunteer to walk the elder dogs, donate special treats and toys designed especially for old souls, or fund a veterinary service that might make adopting the dog more affordable for someone else.

A senior friend of mine said it best- "Gracie doesn't mind how old and gray I am, so I cut her the same slack!"

 

Celebrating Ten Years of Giving

Join us at Planet Dog as we celebrate 10 years of giving! Planet Dog proudly donates 2% of every sale to our non-profit arm, the Planet Dog Foundation, to fund the training, placement and support of dogs working to help people in need. Over the last decade, we have contributed more than $800,000 in cash grants and in-kind donations to exemplary non-profits throughout the country.

Now through December 12, we are asking you to share with us your Stories of Service. Do you, or someone you love, work with a service or assistance dog? Do you have a certified therapy dog? Do you participate in K-9 search and rescue in your community? Share with us a story of how a dog you know has given back to a person in need, or how a person you know has been helped by a dog, and be entered in a contest to win a year's supply of Planet Dog products!

 

To enter, submit your story on our Facebook page, or email it to us at customerservice@planetdog.com.

We will choose one special story each week, and then invite all of our customers and fans to vote on the winning story in December.

Join Planet Dog's 10 Years of Giving celebration, where every single purchase gives back. Share your stories of service with the world!

The Origins of "Man's Best Friend"

The Planet Dog Foundation crew is busy preparing for our 6th Annual Woofminster Amateur Dog Show, a celebration of the many ways dogs endear themselves to us. There are a variety of "challenges" to allow participating dogs to show off some hidden talents (stay tuned next week for a full report on the festivities!)

I have noticed a lot of use of the term "man's best friend" in relation to the event, and it got me thinking - Who coined that phrase? I hadn't heard the story, so for those of you who haven't heard it either, here's the story of poor Old Drum:

Old Drum was a black and tan hound dog belonging to Charles Burden. On the night of October 18, 1869, he was shot and killed by Leonidas Hornsby, Burden's brother-in-law and neighbor. Hornsby was disgruntled at the loss of several of his sheep, and vowed to kill the next dog caught on his property - and that dog was Old Drum.

The death of Old Drum resulted in three separate jury trials and an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court. In his closing arguments to the jury, Mr. Burden's attorney, George Vest, delivered the following tribute, and is credited with naming the dog as "Man's best friend". Mr. Burden won the case, and was awarded damages in the amount of $50.00, an astronomical sum for the time.

Eulogy of the Dog

"Gentlemen of the Jury, the best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith.

The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it the most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads.

The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

Gentleman of the Jury, a man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side.

He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and the sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert he remains. When riches take wings and reputations fall to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”

Happy National Guide Dog Month!

September is National Guide Dog Month. In celebration, here are some fast facts about guide dogs, and some tips on etiquette when you meet one. All of us at Planet Dog are honored to be able to support these amazing dogs and all they do to increase the independence of visually impaired people. Enjoy September, and be sure to praise a Guide Dog this month!

Guide Dogs and Their Owners

 

 

• A guide dog is a highly trained dog that acts as a mobility aid to blind and visually impaired people. It provides not only mobility but gives freedom and independence as well as being a faithful and loving companion.
• With the increased mobility and independence gained through the use of a guide dog, the confidence of the blind or visually impaired person soars.
• Well trained guide dogs are intelligent, alert, and always willing to serve.
• Guide Dogs are allowed to go everywhere that the public is allowed to go. This includes  restaurants, taxicabs, hotels, planes, boats, retail stores, etc.
• It costs more than $25,000 to complete the training for only one guide dog. There are almost 60 schools in 26 countries.
• Matching the correct dog with the correct owner takes skill and experience. The owner’s length of stride, height and lifestyle all contribute to the type of guide dog they will be matched with.
• Dog and owner spend up to four weeks of intensive training together until they qualify together.

A guide dog is taught to do a wide range of tasks, including:

• Walk in a straight line in the center of the pavement unless there is an obstacle;
• Not to turn corners unless told to do so;
• To stop at curbs and wait for the command to cross the road, or to turn left or right;
• To determine when it is unsafe to proceed;
• To judge height and width so that its owner does not bump their head or shoulder;
• How to deal with traffic.

Some Do’s & Don’ts When Meeting a Guide Dog:

• Don't walk on the dog's left side as it may become distracted or confused.
• Do walk on the owner's right side but several paces behind him.
• Don't attempt to grab or steer the person while the dog is guiding him or her attempt to hold the dog's harness.
• Do ask if the owner needs your assistance and, if so, offer your left arm.
• Don't give the dog table scraps. Do respect the owner’s need to give the dog a balanced diet and to maintain its good habits.
• Don't allow children to tease or abuse the dog.
• Do allow it to rest undisturbed.
• Don't allow your pets to challenge or intimidate a guide dog.
• Do always ask permission before petting a guide dog. If permission is granted, don't pat the dog on the head. Do stroke the dog on the shoulder area.

 

 

Working Hard for the Kibble

It is grant season again at the Planet Dog Foundation. Every year, we receive hundreds of proposals from organizations seeking financial support for the programs they conduct, helping people by using specially trained dogs. As always, the range of programs that are using dogs is inspiring.

Let's start with just the sniffing dogs. Dogs are being trained to sniff out early warnings of bladder, lung and ovarian cancers. They can alert a diabetic to a subtle shift in blood sugar levels, long before available glucose monitors can. They can locate the scat of endangered animal species to help conservation efforts to protect ever-shifting habitats. They can find drugs, bombs, carbon dioxide leaks, termites, bedbugs, missing people, or the tennis ball that rolled under the dresser 3 years ago.

Then there is the comforting dog. Dogs are brought in to disaster situations to help calm and console survivors. They visit hospitals and rehabilitation centers to soothe patients and their worried families, or to encourage someone to continue doing painful and frustrating exercises to rebuild strength and capacity.  They can help at-risk youth learn compassion for the first time, and even the most hardened inmates shed tears when pups they raise in prison move on to more formalized training. They can calm an autistic child, a veteran suffering from PTSD, or a person struggling to learn how to read.

And of course, there are assistance dogs helping people with a wide range of needs. They can open doors, and pay for goods in a store. They can alert a hard-of-hearing person when the smoke detector goes off, and retrieve the telephone when someone falls. They can lead a visually impaired person through the busiest intersection, or pull off someone's socks and place them in the washing machine.

It is the highlight of our year to read more about the variety of programs that are harnessing a dog's natural capacity for smell, for pleasing people, and for unconditional love. It is an honor to provide our modest support to some of these groundbreaking organizations. Stay tuned to learn more about the programs we will fund this fall- it truly will warm you heart.

Our Human Pets? Or our Pet Children?

Research continually shows that many of us consider our pets a part of the family. We treat them as our children, pamper them, and often make heroic sacrifices to accommodate their peculiar needs into our routines. As we dive further in to the 21st century, it is clear that we ascribe human traits and very human desires to our dogs.

Planet Dog recently hosted 2 events that bring that anthropomorphic sensibilty to the pets and pet owners of Portland.

Animal communicator and Reiki practitioner Sarah Moore appeared at the Planet DogCompany Store last week and offered "readings" of the various dogs who attended. She asserts that she can "hear" what the dogs are thinking and feeling, and is able to be the conduit between the curious pet parent and the pet itself. In channeling the thoughts of various dogs, she taught us that dogs really DO care about the color of the collars and jackets we make them wear.

My dog apparently was never a fan of the blue collar, but really loved the red one with the daisies on it. She also really hated the little sea-glass knick-knack I have hanging from the rear-view mirror in my car. Sarah couldn't be sure if it was because it swung around and distracted her from better views out the window, or if it was because she never liked the person who gave it to me many years ago.

In either case I felt very badly. I always thought she loved that friend, and I honestly believed the blue collar must have been more comfortable for her than the red one, especially in the summertime. But apparently, I was wrong.

Sarah informed one couple that all those times that they put the life jacket on their dog and carried him up by the back handle like a six-pack of beer, the dog simply loathed it. In fact, through Sarah, the pup asked very specifically NOT to be carried that way ever again.

Next in the chain of dogs-who-like-human-things events, we held our 5th annual Bark in the Park, a fundraiser for the Planet Dog Foundation which allows people to bring their dogs to a Portland Sea Dogs game, our local Red Sox Double A affiliate. The dogs participated in an on-field parade, and were warmly greeted by Slugger the SeaDog, the Sea Dog mascot who takes the whole "animals with human attributes" thing to the next level.

After the parade, dogs relaxed in the bleacher section by the mini-Green Monster, taking up 2 seats, and gathering every dropped crumb and hotdog piece the rowdy Sea Dog fans released. They did a hearty Downward Dog at the 7th Inning Stretch, and howled as the batter swung at a pitch that was clearly not a strike.

How about you? Do you take your dog along on "human" adventure trips? Do you think your dog enjoys being at human events doing human activities?

 

  

  "But Dad. who would swing at that pitch? It was way outside!"

The Woodchuck has a big fan!

Wow! We couldn't have said it better ourselves- many thanks to the Pet Secret Shopper for an outstanding review of the beautiful and eco-friendly bamboo and cork WoodChuck.

They also posted a fantastic how-to video- it makes us want to dance!