A Mixed Breed Resource

Earlier this year, I was browsing the "pets" isles in our city's largest bookstore. It is located several miles away from where we reside, so I seldom shop there. I came across this book, entitled: "Mutts: America's Dogs", written by Brian Kilcommons and Michael Capuzzo. I flipped through its pages. I already own a book on mixed breeds. Did I really need another? But I was thrilled by this finding. Brian Kilcommons is a nationally-renown animal behaviorist/trainer. I own two of his books. I never knew that he co-wrote something about mongrels!! And.... This book is different. Honestly. It is nothing like my other mixed breed book!! Nothing. "Mutts: America's Dogs" not only celebrates every mixed breed canine, but it also offers wisdom, plus insight on which beautifully unique creature best suits your lifestyle!! It covers known crossbreeds. It covers "Mystery Dogs". Now is there a "one-size-fits-all" with mongrels? Never!! Example: One Border Collie cross can be hyperactive. ADHD. Another laid-back. "Mutts: America's Dogs" features both heart-warming, and heart-breaking stories about true canines!! It is honest, hilarious, poignant!! And, of course, "Mutts: America's Dogs" provides special training tips, as well!! To quote a blurb on the book's back cover: "Brian and Mike make mixed-breed dog owners proud of their mutts. Through their comprehensive, creative, and very amusing descriptions, the prospective adopter will learn a wealth of information about every imaginable 'breed' of mutt. Brian and Mike have made the thousands of homeless dogs in animal shelters stars. Any adoptive pet owner must read this book before deciding on which mutt to adopt." ~Jane M. Stern, executive director, The Anti-Cruelty Society, Chicago. Well said. Plus, within this book's pages is a picture. Of an adorable hound mix. Tail curled, ears perked.... Just like Rose!! On its page are various notes. "Mischievous eyes--if you can catch me you can have my toy." "Large ears to hear refrigerator door opening from anywhere in the house." "Big nose--anything, anytime, anywhere." "Long legs for taking journeys whenever possible." Yep.... Every part of those notes describe Rose!! Purchase "Mutts: America's Dogs". It is a wonderful mixed breed resource!!

"Rose Elizabeth!!"

Readers: Apparently, I am in sort of a blogging "funk". Is that contagious? A "non-dog" blog author whose site I visit, recently stated the same complaint!! Ah, writer's block. I suppose when you type stories, insights, feelings, plus opinions twice a week, that is bound to happen sometime!! Sigh.... Well, I am in the mood for a "bad dog" story about Rose.... Here goes.

Every morning for breakfast, Uncle Michael eats twain slices of buttered sourdough bread, plus a strawberry yogurt. On our great room carpet. This is one of Rose's favorite moments!! A chance to spy on poor Uncle Michael while he ingests his breakfast. An opportunity for begging. A chance to lick up any bread crumbs which inevitably fall.... And, best of all, an opportunity for stealing Uncle Michael's toast "crusts" off his plate when he is not looking!! Sneaky, sneaky.... None of these activities are allowed. And Rose knows this fact far too well!! She and I spend mornings together on "our" bed. While I read the daily newspaper, drink orange juice, and engross myself in books. However, when Uncle Michael is eating, Rose prefers to watch him!! She awaits patiently for crumbs, or abandoned buttery bread "crusts". Uncle Michael is usually quite good at remembering to remove his white plate from the carpet. But every now and then.... One morning, I was emptying/filling our dishwasher. I knew in advance that Uncle Michael's breakfast plate still lie on the great room floor. Forgotten. Usually in cases like this, I take care of the plate myself to avoid Rose's thievery. Seriously. She does not need the extra carbohydrates and oily butter!! But I didn't. For reasons beyond my own comprehension, I thought Rose could resist such a temptation. What was I thinking? Rose? My "Living Breathing Vacuum"? The "Mongrel-Hound" with an amazing love affair toward food? My "Little Beggar"? Rose? Avoid temptation? Really?! What on Earth was I thinking? My head must have been groggy that morning, with all common sense emptied out!! I turned around, and glanced through our French doors toward the great room. Where was Rose? Wolfing down the toast "crusts", and licking Uncle Michael's plate "clean"!! For whatever reason, this all-too-common scene shocked me!! Why? Because mentally, I was certain that Rose could resist temptation!! So my reaction was not very ideal. It was just that. A reaction. I did not scold "Bad dog!!", because this isn't my training style. I never gave Rose a firm "No!!". I did not even shout: "Hey, hey, hey!!", which, for reasons beyond my comprehension work on her. No. I yelled, in a rather shocked tone, "Rose Elizabeth!!" Using my Beagle/German Shepherd's middle name also seemingly works wonders. As does keeping a firm tone of voice. Immediately, sans hesitation, Rose ducked away. "Go to bed." I gently commanded. She did.... Licking butter off her paws. Honestly? My naughty girl looked way too pleased with herself....

A Drastic Change

What did I accomplish today? Well.... For a few weeks I have wanted to make some changes on this blog. But how? Search for a new background? No. I like my blog's background!! It is pretty, whimsical, cheery.... So I made a few adjustments.... At first. I added to the header. I discovered a lovely quote about being different. Typed that onto my blog's sidebar. I "decorated" it for Christmas. Good enough.... Right? Not exactly. Earlier this afternoon, on a whim, I took to the notion that my blog's "title" should change!! To "Beautifully Unique". Now that is a drastic change!! Which, honestly, I was quite nervous about partaking in.... As if doing so would be permanent, with no looking back. But the new header swiftly grew on me.... I love it!! "Beautifully Unique". Like every human being. No one is ordinary, able or handicapped."Beautifully Unique". Like every mixed breed canine. In the world. Especially "Mystery Dogs" and "Oops Babies". Like Rose. A Beagle/German Shepherd cross. My "Big Dog/Medium Dog". A "Shepherd-Hound". The "title" fits. Works. Bodes well with life. Readers can still find my site at raelynsendlesspossibilities.blogspot.com. That much has not changed. Just the header. Now, my blog has sort of a "unique" theme to it. Yep. Standing out and being different is a positive thing. And, as I have struggled mightily with this very issue, hopefully my perspective will change, as well. I am "Beautifully Unique", too....

National Mutt Day

It was Friday, December 2nd. I went about my usual morning routine: Woke up, let the cat outside, checked e-mail, read people's "dog blogs". Rose was sleeping peacefully on her comically-sized pillow in "our" bedroom. My "Lazy Bones" never wants to get up each morning.... I was groggy, and half-asleep, as I'm still fighting a head cold. Then.... I saw it!! A photograph box on the internet homepage's sidebar.... Of this mixed breed!! What's that about? I wondered. It contained an article on "hybrid" dogs. Out of curiosity, I clicked the story. And it taught me something!! December 2nd is National Mutt Day!! I was thrilled. Seriously? Today is National Mutt Day? There's an actual National Mutt Day? I thought. Yep. And, according to some online research, there is even a Web site, www.nationalmuttday.com. It was funded in 2005 by Pet Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige. The Web site is fantastic!! National Mutt Day embraces, rescues and celebrates mixed breed canines!! Its mascot is Tyler, a suspected four-year old hound/Pointer mix. He's owned by actress Charlotte Ross. National Mutt Day encourages everyone to adopt a mixed breed dog on December 2nd. I visited my local Humane Society's Web site earlier this afternoon. It was filled with picture after picture after picture of homeless mixed breeds!! National Mutt Day suggests volunteering at any local shelter. Be a dog walker, perhaps? National Mutt Day encourages people to donate toward local shelters on December 2nd. They suggested only $5.00, but anybody can give more!! Or donate food and other supplies to local shelters. They are oft in need of such simple items. Like toys or dog beds. National Mutt Day even suggests that grieving owners donate in the name of a beloved lost mongrel!! Wow.... What wonderful ideas!! Well to me, December 2nd is now a holiday of the sorts!! I have it written on my calendar!! Any reason for celebration, I say!! I attended a large Christmas bazaar, with 1,000 booths that day. Among them, was this table selling locally-baked, thin organic dog biscuits. They came in three flavors. I bought Rose some peanut butter treats. My Beagle mix, of course loves them!! So we celebrated National Mutt Day in the most appropriate way possible to Rose: With food!! Yum.... Rose is the best mixed breed canine that I have ever had!! I cannot express this nearly enough. I could shout it on our rooftops!! Somehow, I love her more than any dog that I have ever known. Honestly!! Rose is beautifully unique.... As are all mixed breeds!! I am glad we have a day to set aside and celebrate mongrels!! They certainly deserve it!! And as a tall, short-haired, lanky volunteer at the Christmas bazaar's Humane Society's booth said: "Every day is a day to celebrate mutts!!" Agreed!!

The Christmas Ornament

Readers: A cold germ is going around over here, and, unfortunately, I have caught it. Sigh.... And I am not quite recovered yet from my calf/ankle/foot injury!! What else can go wrong? Hopefully, this blog post will not be foggy.... Like my head!!

I always think about and remember Shadow Sunshine, my beautifully unique "blond" furred German Shepherd/Golden Retriever cross at Christmastime. She was euthanized on June 15th, 2010. I have an entire decade worth of memories filling her stocking, purchasing treats and dog toys, celebrating December 25th with my mixed breed. I recall as though it was yesterday our final Christmas together. Shadow had been showing tell-tale signs of aging: Deafness, stiff joints, senile behavior. I somehow knew within my heart that this would be our last. So I took complete advantage of it. Shadow no longer played.... Spending money on tennis balls seemed useless. Instead, I filled her stocking with treats. Nothing else. She ingested each treat. Less than six months later, Shadow died. I was right. My intuition did not steer me wrong. Last Christmas, three months after adopting Rose, I was struggling with grief. It came upon me suddenly, like an ambush during some war. This was a Christmas of colossal firsts: My first with Rose. Our first sans Shadow. I had bought Rose a fuzzy red and white Christmas stocking. Purchased her gifts. Yet somehow, the memory of Shadow's last Christmas haunted me. I missed her so much!! It felt selfish and wrong to be experiencing such an intense longing for Shadow.... When I have Rose!! Honestly.... But I could not help myself. There were tears, sorrow, plus heartache. We drove downtown to do some shopping during that time, and I was really depressed. I wept in an antique shop. While looking at merchandise. Snuck off to a Jack-In-The-Box restroom during lunch to compose myself. Then, we discovered this quaint little store. It was decorated for Christmas. Everything looked so nice!! On display, there was this small tree. An artificial one. Hanging on its branches were various glass dog breed ornaments. Naturally, I was drawn to the Golden Retriever, "half" of Shadow. No. I thought. Move on. I coached myself: Time to move on.... Be in the "now". Walk away from that tree!! Walk away I did. Then suddenly, a tiny voice inside me said: Go back. Go back. Look for the Beagle. I walked over to that artificial Christmas tree once more. And.... There it was!! A glass, glittery brown, black and white Beagle!! It was flawless!! Plus, the ornament may as well have been custom-made!! Black on its back, a white chest, this adorable brown-colored furrowed forehead.... Just like Rose!! I purchased the ornament. Its tag read: Beagle: Dogs selflessly give humans their unconditional love and loyalty. Beagles are one of the most popular scent hounds because of their energy, willingness to work and sweet dispositions. They make great family pets and truly enjoy their status as "man's best friend." Wow. Minus the "energy (and) willingness to work" part, that describes Rose extremely well!! Loyal. A sweet disposition. Loving. I will treasure forever that sparkly glass Beagle ornament. One glance at it reminds me of so much. That first Christmas without Shadow. My emotional meltdown. Healing. And everything that Rose blesses me with!! She is an incredible one-of-a-kind, friend to me!! A four-legged "kindred spirit". Different, like myself. She is amiable, submissive, and easy to train. Sneaky, strong-willed, plus sometimes naughty. I love it all!! She is a beautiful, amazing creature!!

If You Rescue One Dog....

I found this quote on somebody's blog. I have no clue who said these words, but they instantaneously spoke to my heart:

"If you rescue one dog, you won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that dog."

Mmmm, so true, so true!! Before we adopted Rose from a local shelter on September 21st, 2010, she had been caught wandering some busy street. Sort of like that scruffy-looking mongrel, Tramp from Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp". Then, respectable dog-catchers somehow grabbed her. Drove Rose to our shelter. She wore no collar. Was never microchipped. Had no name.... Rose seemingly knew zero basic commands. Either nobody taught them to her, or they were not very consistent!! So Rose learned everything from me!! She had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Temporarily. Only until she settled into our family, that is!! Rose must have been an outside-only pet. Because our backyard was where my Beagle/German Shepherd cross always wanted to be!! Strange.... The sliding glass door would open, and Rose ran swiftly in that direction, as if she was going to miss out on some great adventure!! My independent girl.... I worked hard on encouraging her in this area. I have a comfortable bed.... She is welcome to lie on it.... I will provide her with nonstop petting and affection!! She suffered from Separation Anxiety. A mild case, anyway!! She would leave behind poop "accidents" every time we left home, and "abandoned" her. Then I discovered that pumpkin is a natural canine laxative!! I began feeding it to her. Problem solved!! Rose refused to interactively play with us. She would just snatch her toys and roll on them. How sad was that? This left me to wonder if Rose's previous owners were the go-go-go type and paid her no attention. Now she interacts with friends' children, as well as us!! Rose will frequently find me--toy in mouth--and "ask" to play!! It is adorable!! There.... A deeply personal, proven example of the truth in this quote!! And Rose is, indeed, my greatest life accomplishment!! Seriously!! But I think that the reverse is also true: Rescuing one dog changes your world!!

Toxic "Human" Foods

Readers: Thanksgiving is over.... Relatives entered and exited people's homes.... Traditional food--turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes--have been eaten. Devoured, really. Plus, in our family, are some non-traditional dishes: Green bean casserole, and corn pudding!! Yum!! Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, bring on the Christmas parties!! Yeah!! And if you are like me, who owns Rose, a Beagle mix with an incredible love affair for food, read this post. Because, seriously. You will be educated. And surprised!! In fact, read it even if you do not own a food-loving canine!!

(Taken from one of my HealthyPets e-mails!!)

There are various foods that are toxic to dogs. Some we
know about, however, there are many others we are not
aware of that are just as dangerous and poisonous to your
pet. Below is a list of common foods that are harmful to dogs.

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound
that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic.
After their pet has eaten a large quantity of
chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not be seen for several hours, with death following within twenty-four hours. Symptoms include staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, death.
Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.
Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat.

Mushroom toxicity does occur in dogs and it can be fatal if certain species of mushrooms are eaten. Amanita phalloides is the most commonly reported severely toxic species of mushroom in the US but other Amanita species are toxic. Symptoms include abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarrhea, convulsions, coma, death.

As few as a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill; however, of the 10 cases reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), each dog ingested between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.

Macadamia nuts are another concern, along with most other kinds of nuts. Their high phosphorus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

Baby foods can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.

Bones from fish can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system. (The same goes for turkey and chicken, as well!!)

Cat food is generally too high in protein and fats.

Fat trimmings can cause pancreatitis.

Milk & dairy food: Some adult dogs do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. (However, Rose has zero issues with dairy products!!) This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.

Raw Eggs contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.

Raw Fish can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly. (Raw, or undercooked salmon, steelhead and trout from the Northwest carries flukes that can cause Salmon Poisoning. According to one of my books: "It is not the fish itself that causes canine salmon poisoning but the presence of a bacteria--Neorickettsia helminthoeca--that lives in one of the salmon's internal parasites. This parasite, a fluke, travels throughout the fish's circulatory system, invading its muscles as well. When a dog eats uncooked fish, he ingests these flukes--and the pathogenic bacteria they contain. The flukes pass through the dog's intestinal tract, but the lethal bacteria remains behind, causing disease and often death." Eating small amounts of raw or undercooked salmon, steelhead and trout can kill your dog. Symptoms are slight fever, followed by a loss of appetite. Then higher fever, often reaching dangerous levels. Above 107 is considered a lethal temperature for canines. Even if they survive the 107 degree fever, worst, oft deadly symptoms include: Severe diarrhea and dehydration. Few dogs survive untreated.)
So keep this information in mind as you celebrate the Christmas season!!