Dog eating peanut butter

See it here.

How about putting the slip cover on the dog?

Thinking of ways to change your decor in the New Year?

Well, the San Jose Mercury News has an article about coordinating your pet's needs with your household's.

"Most dogs like to stretch out on rectangular beds that keep their shape, with defined edges for hanging one's head over," says Julia Szabo, author of "Pretty Pet-Friendly: Easy Ways to Keep Spot's Digs Stylish and Spotless" (Howell, 2009).

She recommends a polar-fleece, futon-style bed by Bowser "that's tufted, so the insides don't shift. Burrowing dogs, such as dachshunds, should have a small blanket they can snuggle under. Cats prefer a round concave nest."

How exciting it is to know that William Wegman of the Weimaraner portraits has also designed illustrated fabrics for pet beds. Click here.

I particularly like the article's advice to color coordinate with your pets.

The apartment I rented in Connecticut had beige carpet in the living room and office. I religiously vacuumed once a week, but didn't realize how much Kate really shed until I moved to Poughkeepsie and had hardwood floors.

So if I truly embraced the color coordinating suggesting my life would only be beige.

Help the shelter feed their animals

A plea from the Dutchess County SPCA:

"You shouldn't be forced to choose between feeding your pet or giving up your best friend. The DCSPCA urges all animal lovers to make a donation of dog or cat food that will go directly to those in need in Dutchess County. If you can help, please make a pet food donation at either the shelter at 636 Violet Avenue (Rte 9G) in Hyde Park or at the Beacon Barkery, Main Street in Beacon or at Embassy Travel, Rte 82 Hopewell Jct. Thank you!"

And watch this video the shelter made:

Dogs — and more — in antlers

From the Washington Post, a photo gallery of pets in Christmas finery.

Click here.

iPhoning it in

I've always wanted to do a year-end round up of the best of the year-end round ups.

But I'm way too lazy to do that.

The next best thing is a mashable.com's 10 best iPhone apps for dog lovers.

A couple of these I've written about before (Off Leash and Fail Dogs), but the rest are new to me.

The thing about an app like Off Leash, which is sponsored by Eukanuba, or Pet Services Finder from PetMD, is if you are looking for a dog park in an area that isn't heavily populated, it probably won't be there unless you email the information in yourself. Last time I checked none of the dog parks in Dutchess County were listed in Off Leash.

Other apps, like dog first aid also from PetMD, could come in handy, even when it costs $1.99.

Then there is an app like DogiDuty, which gives a dog walker an easy interface to communicate to an owner just what Fido has been up to. Though at 99 cents I think I would use the notepad app that came with the iPhone and can also send emails.

Let it snow

For the skiers out there, have you ever considered taking your dog along when you hit the snow?

An article in the Summit Daily News in Frisco, Colo., by Julie Sutor, makes that suggestion.

The team sport of skijoring is something dogs and their owners can do together.

In skijoring, dog and skier each wear a harness and are linked together by a Bungee lead. They work together to travel along the trail. The human half of the team can wear classic Nordic skis, skate skis or even backcountry touring skis. The skier uses a set of commands to direct stopping, starting and turning. There's even a command to ignore squirrels, other dogs, birds, or other distractions on the trail.

As with any sport, you have to make sure everyone — dog included — is safe.

Watch for ice balls between the dog's toes and frostbite. Joint and ligament problems can occur over time as well.

And as with jogging and bicycling with a dog, be careful you aren't letting your dog overexert himself.

Merry Christmas 2009

It's Christmas Day, and Kate and I wish everyone the best of the holiday season.

I can no longer embed my all time favorite Christmas song video, but you can still watch it.

Click here to see a Flash animation by Joshua Held of "White Christmas" recorded by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters in 1953.

I've said it before and will say it again, it is, frankly, genius.

Photo of City of Poughkeepsie Christmas Tree by Darryl Bautista/Poughkeepsie Journal.

Christmas Eve vids

My sister always sends me the best Christmas cards. And the noisiest.

Remember last year's?

Well, her latest card arrived yesterday just in time for me to post it on Christmas Eve.



In case you missed The Late Show with David Letterman last night, Darlene Love made her annual appearance closing the show singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." She's looking better than ever and sounding better than ever.

Here's Darlene on Letterman's show taped in 2006 via the miracle that is youtube.com.

And it wouldn't be the holiday season without seeing my JibJab Christmas card.



Happy Holidays, everyone!

UPDATE: Darlene Love's 23rd appearance on Letterman's show the other night was posted on the Enterwebs. Watch and enjoy.

Nice and snug on Christmas Eve eve

Bo making the Christmas rounds

Continuing a tradition that began with Bess Truman, First lady Michelle Obama visited the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, reading " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to patients, parents and caregivers.

Here's the complete article in the Washington Post written by Robin Givhan.

What set apart this event from that of Truman's or any of the other subsequent first ladies was Obama was accompanied by her two daughters — Sasha and Malia — and Bo, the first dog.

According to the WaPo, this was Bo's first formal appearance since his arrival at the White House was unveiled.

The girls worked the velvet rope line, where children sat on chairs and cross-legged on the floor, along with Bo, who seemed as interested in a baggie of treats brought along by the girls to keep him on his best behavior as he was with the toes of a young man in a wheelchair. Bo, by the way, was looking particularly festive in a red and white jingle-bell collar.

Unfortunately, Givhans reported that Bo began barking at Santa Claus. He — Bo, that is — settled down as Santa moved out of his sight lines and Obama began reading the holiday poem.

Not for nothing, I covered the Holiday Hunt at Locust Grove Sunday in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Children — and adults — were invited for a "treasure hunt" in which they had to find certain words and phrases from the poem, attributed to Clement C. Moore.

According to Ursula Morgan, Locust Grove's director of public programs, scholars now believe that Moore only published the poem and it was actually written by the mansion's first resident Henry Livingston Jr.

Ready for snow

Kate's taking the news really well that we might get 7 inches of snow. You probably can't tell but she's poised to start shoveling ... or at least sleep while I do.

Say 'no' to puppy mills

Even though nothing could be cuter than a new puppy bounding around a Christmas tree, the holidays are probably not the best time to introduce a new pet into a household.

Another concern, from the Humane Society of the United States, is that people who do get a puppy make sure they are not unwittingly supporting the "puppy mill" industry.

Read this article in the North Country Gazette from Chestertown, N.Y.

Simple advice: Don’t purchase puppies from a pet store, from a Web site, from a classified ad — or from any source where you cannot be absolutely certain that you are dealing with a reputable breeder. The HSUS urges families to first consider adoption from local shelters or rescue groups, where healthy, loving animals need nothing so much as a happy family this holiday.

Some puppy mill facts from the article:

• Dogs receive little to no medical care.
• Dogs live in squalid conditions.
• Dogs are confined in cramped wire cages.
• Dogs receive no exercise, socialization or human interaction.

There are so many dogs in shelters across the country that it doesn't make sense to risk getting a dog from a puppy mill.

Pet calendars posed for big sales

For the animal lover on your Christmas gift list, how about a 2010 calendar that features pets.

The Houston Chronicle's Lana Berkowitz wrote an article about the Yoga Dogs calendar by Dan and Alejandra Borris of San Antonio that has pictures of pooches doing yoga poses.

Borris' wife is an animal lover and former yoga instructor who recruits dogs belonging to friends, neighbors and even strangers.

She positions the animals in yoga poses, or as close as the four-legged models can get, for the photos. Borris uses Photoshop to concoct the final images.

Don't worry, feline fanciers, this year there is a Yoga Cats calendar for those so inclined.

The article also lists a number of other pet-related calendars available online and at bookstores, including Ferret Frenzy 2010 World Tour, with ferrets visiting the pyramids and the Statue of Liberty; the New Yorker Dogs wall calendar and the Pets Rock wall calendar, with animals dressed as rock stars (of course!).

Dog v. owl

From the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa, comes the remarkable story of Sadie, a Pomeranian.

The 10-year-old pooch owned by Michelle McCarten found herself airborne after being snatched by a great horned owl.

Here's the link to the full story.

Sadie’s owl-napping saga began when her owner, Michelle McCarten, and friends were watching fireworks a week ago Saturday in the Village of East Davenport. Sadie was spooked by the booming, jumping off McCarten’s porch at 2216 E. 12th St., and fleeing into a nearby woodsy area. McCarten and friends called and searched. No luck.

What they didn’t realize was that a giant owl known to perch in the area had grabbed Sadie.

Sadie became the flying dog. She was soaring over east Davenport, destined to become a late-night snack for the owl. But the owl lost its grip. Sadie plunged to earth.

The dog was flown some 24 to 30 city blocks before it got loose. Sadie, fortunately, had nothing more serious than bruises and a broken tail.

Who knew great horned owls liked dogs.

Trim that tree the doggie way

I ran across a couple of cute videos while I was taking my last few vacation days.

Here is the best way to decorate the house at Christmas time.

I would put up a tree if Kate would trim it.

Next is a collection of funny dog clips.

I have to say the last one made me laugh out loud. But I wonder what was going through the skydiving dog's mind.

Comfy

The weather outside is frightful

Though the calendar begs to differ, it really seems like winter, especially since we had about 4 inches of snow yesterday. (How about that thunder and lightning around 5 p.m.?)

So it's time to think about keeping your pets safe during the colder weather.

An article in the Deseret News from Salt Lake City, Utah, offers some suggestions.

"Warm-blooded mammals can't survive without adequate protection in the kind of cold weather we're going to be having," said Gene Baierschmidt, executive director of the Humane Society of Utah. "If you can't actually keep your animals in the house with the rest of your family or in a basement or garage, then please at least see that they have snug, insulated shelter away from the wind and elevated off the ground."

Baierschmidt includes farm animals in his advice, adding that horses should be brought into a barn.

Other cold-weather tips include:

• Keep cats inside.
• Older pets should never be kept outside at all, as well as young, ill or short-hair breeds.
• Don't let your dog off leash during a snowstorm; they could lose their scent and get lost.
• Spills of antifreeze, which is highly toxic to pets, should be immediately wiped up.
• Never leave your pet in the car during the winter; the car acts like a refrigerator during cold weather.
  

Few pets getting swine flu

The Associated Press is reporting there are a few confirmed cases of pets infected with the H1N1 flu virus, otherwise known as swine flu.

The virus ... has been diagnosed in only a few cats and ferrets since it emerged in April. Veterinarians say they don't know if that is because so few animals have been tested or because so few have the disease.

"I think we're probably going to be seeing more (pet) cases in the future. There is more focus on it so people are looking harder," said Dr. Kristy Pabilonia of the Colorado State University Department of Veterinary Medicine, which confirmed two new cases in cats on Friday.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, the AP reported, said while it is rare for flu viruses to jump between species, there is no evidence people can get the swine flu from pets.

Whether doctors are treating humans or pets, they give the same advice: Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze and limit contact with others if you are ill.

Symptoms in pets may include lethargy, decreased appetite, fever, runny nose and eyes, sneezing, coughing and changes in breathing patterns. Because there have been only a few cases, Pabilonia said vets have limited information about the severity of the disease in house pets.

And medical officials urge people to not share human medications with their pets. It could be as dangerous to your pet as the disease.

I want a chew toy and a rubber ball and ...

It was pictures-with-Santa day at Petco Saturday in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The store was giving the photos away to customers who made a purchase.

Jeff Knapp of Highland brought his 1-1/2-year-old Great Dane Amigo for a portrait.

It took a while, because Amigo couldn't stand to be away from Knapp for even a second, constantly looking at him instead of concentrating on Santa.



As you can see, Santa had his hands full.



Here are some other pictures from the event.





On Saturday, Dec. 12, at Petco on Route 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can have your pet's photo taken with Santa, but it will cost $8.95, $5 of which goes to support P.A.N.T. — Partnership for Animals Needing Transition.

Photos and video: Michael Woyton/Poughkeepsie Journal

Pixelated pooches for your iPhone

Among the many timewasters, er, games, available for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a freebie called Touch Pets Dogs.


You pick out the kind of dog you want, name it and take it home. Petting the pooch garners you points, as does grooming, feeding, training and exercising.

Though, unlike in real life, you seldom see "Petting at 100%" rise above your dog. Dogs can't ever get enough petting.


The dog will tell you when it wants to go out, and then relieve itself in a nice little swirl of dog doo. You then have to get a baggie and clean up after the dog.

It will also have little thought balloons that give you hints as to what the dog requires.

There are a limited number of toys to play with at the beginning. You can "purchase" others, as well as clothing and treats, with the points you collect.

While the game itself is free (you can also get a free version that has 18 more feeding bowls), you can purchase — up to $29.99 — other versions with more food.

The problem with the food is, the dogs need constant feeding (don't get me started on the amount of shampooing a digital dog seems to require) and the food bowl can stay empty for a while, especially if you purchase another dog and that one can't seem to pay attention when the food bowl is put down.

Don't get me started.

If you enjoy Sims-like games where the creatures change over time, then a pets person might like Touch Pets Dogs.

Personally, I get bored quickly with games like this.

Birthday girl donates to the shelter

From left, Jake Carson, dog Ryan, Eden Bogen, and Carson Bogen (Courtesy photo)

When Eden Bogen turned 6 on Nov. 27, she asked people coming to her party to bring food and other donations for the animals at the Dutchess County SPCA.

She and her family dropped by the shelter recent to deliver the items, including a car load of dog and cat food, along with paper towels and bleach.

Board member Ron Lane was on hand to present Bogen with a certificate of appreciation.

During her visit, Bogen and her brothers Carson Bogen and Jake Carson enjoyed meeting Ryan a black lab puppy from the shelter.

Holiday concerns for pets

With Christmas trees going up in myriad living rooms, keeping pets safe and sound should be on everyone's minds.

Dr. Calvin Clements, a Palmyra, Pa., veterinarian, answered some questions at PennLive.com.

Decorations on the tree can pose hazards to pets. Calling them an "attractive nuisance," Clements said glass ornaments can cause serious lacerations to the mouth, face and feet of pets. And if swallowed, they can seriously harm the gastrointestinal tract.

The hooks that are used to hang ornaments? He said they can become lodged inside the animals requiring surgery to remove them.

Tinsel and garland become an attractive play toy to many pets. If swallowed, these can result in serious consequences that if not identified early results in fatality. Electric lights are often a beckoning call to be chewed and swallowed. Obviously this can result in electrical shock and serious electrical burns of the oral cavity.

Clements also talks about holiday plants being poisonous (or not), holiday treats causing stomach upset and traveling and having visitors making your pet stressed.

A little preplanning, as well as caution and common sense, and both you and your pet will enjoy the holiday season.

Photo: Michael Woyton/Poughkeepsie Journal file