Not dead yet

Heartwarming Christmas tale of a dog thought to be dead, but came alive the next day before being buried, via Huffington Post.

Ultimate Dog Tease

If you like dogs, like millions of others, you'll like this video.

Stuart the Salsa Dancing Dog

The chihuahua we had when I was a boy didn't do this. Not that I'm envious.

Bishop Arts District, Dallas TX

Spotted this well-behaved bulldog chilling while his owners enjoyed a light lunch at a sidewalk table in the pleasant Bishop Arts District of Dallas, Texas, in November. Well behaved and much admired by passersby.

City dogs

Lawrence Park is the most dog-populated area of Toronto and pit bulls are rottweilers are popular in Downsview, according to Global TV News.
They've created some cool maps showing where the dogs live in Canada's largest city.
When I was in Toronto recently, I was surprised how many dogs were being walked. Is this the world's most dog-loving major metropolitan area?
Global also finds a trend in naming dogs. Owners are giving them human names - with Max being the most popular. You have to reach to No. 8 before finding a more traditional dog name, Lucky.
Could it be city dogs are a child substitute?

Missing dogs euthanized before owners can claim them

There's a mix of anger, outrage and sorrow as stories from throughout North America crop up about animal control agencies and humane societies euthanizing stray dogs before owners have a chance to claim them.
The Huffington Post reports a case of an elderly dog put down hours after being found in Virginia. The story goes on to describe other similar incidents, including a war hero dog mistakenly put down in Arizona after a worker took the wrong dog to the procedure room.
In Newmarket, Ont., north of Toronto, Rocky, a 17-year-old husky, was killed within hours of being picked up after a neighbour complained about the dog barking and being unattended. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) said Rocky was in poor health - a fact disputed vehemently by the dog's vet.
It gets worse. There was no attempt to contact the owners before killing Rocky. OSPCA, according to a column by Sun Media's Peter Worthington, lied about Rocky not have a collar with identification. When Rocky was sent for cremation, he still had his collar with a vaccination tag showing the vet's phone number and a microchip ID was in his shoulder.
We know shelters get overwhelmed and tough decisions have to be made. But there's no excuse for not following up with owners and not keeping picked up animals for a minimum period. 

Dragons bark at dog clothing

Love CBC's Dragons' Den, but thought they were a little nasty to a dog clothing business owner. See for yourselves on episode 8 online here.

Why we buy dogs for our kids

Now I wish we had a dog when our kids were rug rats.

Urban dog walk

A citizen of the suburbs, I didn't expect to see so many dogs being walked in downtown Toronto, including this well-beohaved pooch crossing in front of a construction site on Bathurst Street near historic Fort York.

Grey ghosts at Evergreen

Gorgeous and obedient Weimaraners, aka German grey ghosts,  enjoy an outing at the dog-friendly Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto's Don Valley.

Dog dies after being given LSD

Meet the couple who gave their dachshund LSD.  The dog died.

Minnie at Evergreen Brickworks

Minnie, a seven-year-old mini schnauzer, gets carried throughout the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto's Don Valley, home to one of the city's largest farmers' market. Minnie's owner visits the dog-friendly property, enjoying its extensive trails, monthly.
There are sometimes conflicts between dog owners and market vendors when dogs bark at each other, causing a stir among non-dog-owner patrons. If your dog's a barker, might be wiser to avoid walking through the busy market.

Poster pup for anti-euthanasia

Meet Daniel, the miracle beagle who survived an attempt at euthanasia by gas. Click here for the story.

Sad choice

A dog in Sarnia, Ont., was put down to enable her owner to stay in his apartment.Here's the link to a Sun Media story.

He's big

Goliath enjoys his walk at Springwater Conservation Area near Aylmer, Ont.

Wheelchair theft leaves pug housebound

Seriously? Who'd steal a wheelchair from a disabled pug?

Greek rescue dog returns to Canadian owners

On the lam for 10 days after arriving from Greece to a new home in Canada, this dog has been reunited with grateful new owners, reports the Toronto Star.

Incredible journey for missing dog

Two years and 5,000 km later, look who's home. Who says these pooches are only for purses?

Cringe worthy

This X-ray photo of a puppy who managed to eat a garden pole looks disturbing, but the event had a happy ending. Here's a Toronto Star posting.

Great pet pics increase adoptions

One of the many duties I had while working on small community newspapers was taking photos of the pet of the week. Many smaller newspapers do this.
Mine were never as good as those featured in this story from CBS Sunday Morning describing how a volunteer project by a true professional portrait photographer made all the difference in the adoption rate for a local shelter. The call is now going out to other professionals to donate their time and take great photos of deserving pooches - and felines.

Boo's big

Very cool. The owner of a cute pomeranian  sets up an open Facebook page, populates it with cute photos and, voila, almost 2 million fans. Here's the Boo link.

Dog owners and non-dog owners in conflict

Vancouver is looking at its dog park/public park rules, CBC reports.
Seems to me that it's a no-brainer off-leash parks need to be fenced for the control of the dogs and comfort of passersby.

Pawlooza at Plunkett's

The Plunkett Estate in London, Ont., is becoming quite the community place. Today, it hosted Pawlooza, a rescue fundraiser. Here are excellent photos from the London Free Press. And a blurb and pics from London Community News.
My sister-in-law's family attended with their golden lab. He was among those trying the diving competition, but didn't get enough air to win. The first four top diving dogs were, however, goldens.

Dog park yes, neighbourhood no

Nellie the walk-refusing wheaten loved her hour with peer dogs at the off-leash park today, playing and running with all dogs, although she did show her teeth to a young German shepherd - memories of bites earlier this summer.
She walked near the park afterwards ... but still refuses to leave our driveway to walk in the neighbourhood after the capgun incident.
Sigh. 

Dog psychology 101

Anyone able to reason with a dog?
Our wheaten has refused to go for walks in our neighbourhood for a month now after encountering a group of kids playing with cap guns.
She'll go for car rides and play with her peers at the off-leash park.
Finally, my son had her stay in the driveway while she watched him go for a walk without her.
A day later, he tried to walk her in a different part of the neighbourhood - and much to our delight she went willingly.
Hope this sticks, because owning a dog who won't go on walks means we're missing out on half the joy of pet ownership.

Walk refusal

Ever since encountering a bunch of neighbourhood kids playing with cap guns, our Wheaten refuses to go on walks. Not that the kids were doing anything wrong, but the sound really freaked her out. She goes down on all fours and won't leave the driveway.
She will, thankfully, go for car rides and play with her peers at the off-leash dog park.
Over time, her unwillingness to go for walks in the neighbourhood will be resolved, right?

Shakin' all over

Cool photos of dogs shaking off water by Carli Davidson via Wheatentweets. Enjoy!

Dog debate packs city hall

A dog debate drew an over-capacity crowd to city hall in London, Ont., over issues such as no kill at the pound, private contracts for animal control, money for spaying and neutering, pet sales and a no-kill policy.
Here's The London Free Press story, in which reporter Chip Martin calls the crowd animal evangelicals.
The answers to the main points are straight forward:

• No kill policy? Nice ideal, but there are too many unwanted dogs and cats in a city to enact this policy at a reasonable cost that all taxpayers would embrace.
• Lift the limit of three dogs, three cats per household? Only if it's a temporary fostering situation. Otherwise, you have de facto kennels and "cat ladies" in neighbourhoods throughout the city.
• Expand spaying/neutering: Yes, despite the fact dog-owner purists like to keep their males complete. Providing this service at cost could be something for local vets to consider.
• Increase licensing fees? Dog ownership is already costly enough; raising fees will mean people will just not buy a licence.
• Feed, trap feral cats and relocate them: Do you really think farmers want cat colonies relocated to their properties? Don't you think there are already enough cat dropoffs in the countryside? Do you really imagine these cats live a charmed, relaxed life? Or are they owl food?
• Create a fourth off-leash park? Yes! Making it convenient to socialize dogs and their owners and get the dogs out of cramped city houses and yards is necessary. Dog parks rock and are fun to observe even for non-dog owners.

Here's the tab for dog ownership

It costs $14,000 over a 15-year lifespan to own a dog, with obviously vet fees being the biggest expense. One of the biggest cost saving tips: keep your dog's teeth clean. Here's a link to the CTV report.

Raw Video: Chihuahua Chases Off Robbers

Chihuahua chronicles, or why robbers dislike yappy lap dogs.

Do dogs belong at festivals?

There's a debate in London, Ont., about whether or not dogs belong at summer festivals held in city parks.
The festivals are free and the parks are public. Dogs and their owners have every right to walk through and linger.
But the events are usually packed with people and concert goers like to sit on the grass to listen to the live music. They don't want to meet a dog, no matter how friendly, face-to-face, put their hand where a dog has just peed or pooped - no matter how well meaning the cleanup, one never gets it all. There have also been dog-to-dog conflicts which likely sound, to a non-owner, like something serious. Or not - sometimes bites are exchanged.
There have been a couple of opinion columns in the daily London Free Press and at least one letter to the editor asking people to keep their dogs at home.
Here's the link to the latest column, with a too-bold headline, published July 16, 2011.
This weekend is the second consecutive one with a major festival at Victoria Park - the excellent Sunfest was last weekend and this weekend it's the Home County Festival. We were at Sunset - without Nellie our wheaten terrier.

Dogs who ate owners adopted

A sad story from Saskatchewan, but the outcome is what the dog owners would have wanted. Good that the dogs were expertly assessed before being adopted. Here's the link to the Toronto Star story.

Pet buyers need to sober up first

Pet buyers need to be completely sober, shop says.
Only in New York.

Allergic to dogs? Pass on labradoodles

Hmm, about the notion some dogs are better than others for allergy sufferers ... the Globe & Mail has some input.

Dog gone seven years

Now this is an incredible tale - almost a lifetime for a dog. Here's the story of a pooch missing for seven years and finally reunited with the original family.

What a road trip

This is one travelling pooch, found in B.C. after going missing from Quebec. Here's the story published in Metro.

Basset hound running

I once knew a reporter in Newmarket, Ont., who almost got fired for misspelling the name of the owner, Doug Bassett, as Doug Basset, as in hounds. It was incompetence, not malice, and I'm sure all parties can laugh about it now.
Just like we can share a laugh over this cute photo of a basset hound running shared by a Twitter connection. Enjoy!

World's ugliest dog home from tour

Yoda, a Chinese chihuahua (?) isn't that ugly, right? Here's Yoda's hometown story.

Dancing Chihuahua

Many thanks to "Harshlesson" for posting this on Youtube. My boyhood dog was a chihuahua, but I don't recall Tippy dancing. Thanks also to a Twitter friend for pointing me to the video.

Safe in cars

Is it irresponsible for pet owners to drive with their pets unrestrained. Yep.
Here's the safe way to transport Fido, courtesy of the Toronto Star.

Nellie's recovery

Our vet says Nellie got off easy. Animal control related stories about children cut for hundreds of stitches after being bitten by off-leash dogs.
Turns out the German shepherd being "walked" off leash along our street bit our Wheaten terrier three times. The vet bill was $200 and I hold out little hope the other dog owner will pay it. We don't know the young man and he does not live on our street.
We're lucky my son was not bitten - in addition to the obvious, it would've meant finding the German shepherd to verify he had up-to-date rabies shots.
Lucky for us, Nellie is not trying to take off her bandage, which needs to stay in place for five days.
Animal control says dog owners should treat encounters like traffic accidents, exchanging contact information for followup.
This particular biting dog is not identified, but the location of the incident, circumstances and description of the dog (a classic coloured-German shepherd or mix) are on record. Hopefully nothing will happen again involving this dog, but if it does it should be Strike 2.

Our Wheaten bitten by off-leash German shepherd

What's the price of dog owners who overestimate the control they have over their dogs? In my case, maybe hundreds of dollars.

Yesterday, a 20-something man who doesn't live on our street "walked" his off-leash German shepherd through the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately for us, my teen son was coming home from a walk with our Wheaten terrier when the free-running German shepherd was coming down the street, far away from its owner.
Usually dog-to-dog confrontations are just a lot of barking, but in this case the shepherd managed to bite our Wheaten on her underbelly near her groin.
Eventually, the owner caught up with his dog and controlled it. He was confronted by a neighbour working in her yard. The response from the shepherd owner was laced with profanity.
If I ever see this dog in the neighbourhood, further discussion awaits.
Meanwhile, I hope he now knows enough to keep it on a leash.

Dog hosts orphaned kittens for lunch

Enjoy this CBS report from an Iowa animal shelter where a female dog is caring for kittens.

Dog blown away by tornado returns

Alabama dog swept up in tornado, returns on two broken legs. Dogs rock. Here's a link to a story and video in The Telegraph.

Dog park controversy in Toronto

Residents in a north Toronto neighbourhood, including some dog owners, are ready to show their teeth over a proposed off-leash park.
I enjoy taking our dog to a similar park in London. There's usually less barking at the park than in the neighbourhood.
Here's the link to the Toronto Star story.

5 dogs dead in home

It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds as the Toronto Star reports five dogs were found dead at a home in Clarington, an area of farms and subdivisions east of Toronto. I doubt the dogs were pets, more likely rugged hunting or guard dogs, by the tone of the article.

A little help with pets on rapture day

Those who believe nothing much will happen May 21 are offering to take care of the pets left behind when believers rise to heaven, or whatever. If you truly believe this is going to happen, make arrangements for your pet with groups like this.

Dogs kicked, hanged by leashes

This is obviously no way to train dogs. As the Toronto Star reports, an Oshawa, Ont., trainer is facing cruelty charges after some unorthodox methods were used.

Dogs wander Japan's nuclear accident zone

This is a huge developing problem for the Japanese. Pets are wandering the troubled nuclear accident zone, with unknown ramifications, according to the Toronto Star.

Dogs separated from owners during wildfires

Lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina have helped human society workers cope with the displaced animals at Slave Lake, Alberta, where wildfires have destroyed much of the town. A quick evacuation meant possessions and pets were left behind. The Edmonton Journal has a great article.

People and pets

Enjoyed this feature on canoe about the sometimes silly things we do with our dogs. Hope you enjoy it, too. Here's the link.

Dog falls from sky

Does this story not sound like a Disney movie? An eagle picks up a lap dog, then drops it in a nursing home yard instead of an alternate destiny. Here is the link to the Vancouver Sun story.

German shepherd dragged by teens

Sad story of teens, a pickup and a German shepherd dragged almost to his death in the Maritimes. Came across this on the CBC website.

Chihuahuas removed

When I was a kid growing up in Clifford, Ont., our dog was a chihuahua - decades before they became purse pooches.
I'll never forget two things. One, on the day my uncle delivered him he pronounced the puppy was already named Tippy for the white tip on the end of his tail.
Two, was a visit back to the 1960s-era breeder. It was shocking to a child. Chihuahuas were scatting around at ankle height everywhere. Entire rooms were covered in newspapers. The house, which might've been a "modernized" log cabin was dark and ominous.
Clearly, this was a puppy breeder who needed to do it for the money and not for the love of the breed. Today we'd call it a puppy mill.
I'm thinking about this today as this story is published in the Toronto Star.

Sled dogs to be exhumed

Remember the healthy BC sled dogs shot for business reasons following the Winter Olympics? The investigation continues and will include exhuming the canine corpses, according to the Globe & Mail.

Pet shot in backyard

Seriously. Want kind of person would randomly shoot a Yorkie? Read the Toronto Star story.

Dogs poisoned in Alberta

What prompts people do to this? Calgary Sun reports nine dogs appeared to have been poisoned in Alberta.

Coyote ugly

And relatives wondered why I kept our Wheaten on her leash while walking around my brother-in-law's farm and woodlot. Coyotes! Here's what happened near Whitby, Ont.

Reality bites

Maybe it would've been better just to let the dog pee on the lawn instead of going through this.

Dogs rescued before reaching dinner table

Eating dogs is common in some parts of China. One truckload destined for a market was stopped by a citizen, purchased by a vet clinic for $15,000 and saved from the table. The dogs were nobody's pets - they were semi-wild mongrels. Came across the story in the Toronto Star.

That bites

After a greeter was bitten on the nose by a lap dog with issues, Home Depot has banned all pets from its stores, according to canoe.ca. It's nice to bring behaved pets into warehouse-style stores, but not those that bark or bite. And, yes, the greeter made a mistake by leaning her face into the cart where the cute canine was riding.
Read the story by clicking here.

New trends for dog owners

OK, I admit to some of these trends. But doggie birthday parties?

Home Depot dog policy reconsidered

This is a terrible incident at Home Depot - a staff member had the tip of her nose bitten off by a customer's dog, according to the Toronto Star.
The incident has Home Depot reconsidering whether dogs should be allowed in its stores. The current policy says it's OK as long as the dog is under the owner's control.
The dog in this incident was a Shih Tzu.

Harry Potter amid lavender plants

Harry Potter, a golden retriever, patrols the lavender plants at Steed and Company near Sparta, Ont., Canada.
(Wayne Newton photo)

Dog speak in North Vancouver

Twitter network yields this cute photo from a North Vancouver, B.C., park.

Park time

Nellie the Wheaten terrier at Listowel, Ont., Canada park.

Crufts dog show

Great shots from Crufts dog show are posted on thestar.com. Particularly like the poodles - but where are the Wheatens?

Wolf created by wind, sand

'Wolf' in the Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ. (Wayne Newton photo)

Police officer, three dogs zapped stepping on utility cover

This is an all-too-common problem in Toronto. Dogs with wet paws step on hydro box covers along the sidewalk and get electrocuted by stray power. This time, a police officer who was helping with a distressed dog was also zapped. Here is the Toronto Star link.
Does this happen in other cities?

Superpuppy?

Sometimes, things are just meant to be. How else can you explain this Oklahoma City dog who refuses to die? Here's the Associated Press story.

Jump!

Love this shot shared on Photobucket by user Findstuff2.

Dog dies at off-leash park

Not sure why a chihuahua and a pit bull-type dog are in the same off-leash park, but it happened in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Now, there's a lawsuit against the city alleging neglect in offering the park to dog owners. Maclean's has the story.

When barking dogs are not controlled

In Rome, four dog owners who didn't control their 10 barking dogs found themselves in the kennel - or should I say jail.
This might be a little extreme for irresponsible dog owners, but it is "paws" for thought.
The London Free Press has the story under news of the weird.

German shepherd puppies abandoned

Seriously, what responsible dog owner would do this?
Eleven German shepherd puppies were found abandoned in Ottawa, according to CBC.
Fortunately, they were found and are doing well.
Here's the drill: Spay, neuter or be prepared to care for puppies.

Dog learns sign language

How amazing can dogs be? How about this one, who was taught sign language, thanks to inmates in the U.S. and children at a school for the deaf?
Maybe I should have our Wheaten, who doesn't even always come when called, trained by these guys

Healthy sled dogs culled

OK, I know sled dogs, like hunting dogs, are not household pets and are closer to wolves than Paris Hilton's chihuahua.
Still, an incident of 100 healthy dogs being culled when business dried up for a dogsled tour company in British Columbia is hard to take.
No wonder the employee who was ordered to do the shooting needed counselling.

Dog encased in ice

Animal cruelty? I'd say so. Here's the article from British Columbia.

Greyhounds at The Factory

Wasn't hard to miss these greyhounds at The Factory in Franklin, TN. I was there enjoying lunch
 with Kellye, a local tourism official, who took me on an excellent tour of Franklin and Kix Brooks' Arrington Vineyards.

TheStar World’s first bionic vet gives pets new limbs

This is cool. Vet replaces damaged pet parts. Here's the story from the Toronto Star.

TheStar World’s first bionic vet gives pets new limbs

Clicking

Psst . . . bloggers make money when readers click the ads. Just sayin'.

German shepherd chases coyote away

Are aggressive coyotes becoming a problem? Stories like this one posted by CBC makes one think so.
A man escaped being seriously bitten because he was wearing a bulky winter coat and because a passerby walking a German shepherd happened by. The German shepherd was unleashed and chased the coyote away.
We have a family member who owns a rural property north of London where coyotes are routinely spotted when a runway meets a woodlot. The concern is that the pack coyotes will lure one of our extended family's off-leash dogs into the woods and attack.
Hunting, anyone?

Elgin County Kennel Club

The Elgin County Kennel Club is holding is annual dog show at London's Western Fair. I'm unable to be there, but Morris Lamont of The London Free Press has better photos than I would've shot. See them here.

Greyhounds at The Factory

Greyhound chills during an adoption event at The Factory mall in Franklin, TN.

The Schnoodle Can Sing

Coyote Attack Best Footage Ever

A little close for my taste in northern B.C.

Nazi dog

This Danish dog sometimes called Hitler had the Nazis in a tizzy during the Second World War, according to the Toronto Star.

Today at Greenway Off-Leash Park, London, Ont.

Yikes

OK, this deviates from my blog's theme. But did this cat just see a dog?

Rufus

Rufus the boxer, moving rapidly through puppyhood.

California Dreaming

Wheaten terriers Mo Mo and Rex, 5 and 2, check out the snow
 near Ilderton before leaving Ontario to live in California.

Dog Day: Pooch Gets Head Stuck in Wall

Doggone tough day for German shepherd.