The Doggy Delivery Dog Blog

Protect your dog from summer heat

2008-06-10T11:36:00.002-04:00

So, we're here in Georgia and the heat has been relentless. It's been 90-plus degrees for the last week and there is no sign it's going to get any cooler. This time of year, it's really important to monitor your dog for heat exhaustion. You already know how important it is to keep your dog hydrated, but here are some signs, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that your dog is suffering from overheating:
- Heat stroke can occur quickly in dogs, especially big dogs. Heavy panting is the first sign, but there's more.
- Along with heavy panting, a dog suffering from heat stroke will lay on his side.
- Often, the pet won't be able to stand up and has thick saliva coming from her mouth.
- The mucous membranes are usually red but may be pale.

The solution? Move quickly to the shade and pour cool (but not cold) water on the dog. A fan blowing cool air on the dog will also help cool her body temperature. Consult a vet if you think it's really serious. A temperature of 106 or higher is considered a serious emergency and should be treated as such.

Is tap water safe for your dog?

2008-06-04T11:18:00.003-04:00

Doctors have found that people who drink unsafe tap water for a long period of time can come down with bladder cancer. Now, doctors have been studying the effects of disinfected tap water on dogs. Turns out, according to this post on eMaxHealth, that there is no link between sick dogs and disinfected tap water. So for now, you can save the Evian for the people.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

2008-05-21T09:12:00.004-04:00

We are not sure who came up with this idea, but this is a week that the United States Post Office takes very seriously. With 3,184 letter carriers bit last year this is something they are trying to crack down on. About 800,000 Americans are attacked by dogs each year. Nearly half of those attacked will seek emergency care, out of those injured about a dozen die.

With a strong community outreach there were 89 fewer dog bites nationwide last year. If people are made aware of this problem we can continue to fix it!

In April we posted a Dog Bite Prevention Week from Massachusetts, but the third week in May has been designated for National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Here are some tips from our previous post that will help support National Dog Prevention Week.

· When your letter carrier comes to your home keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room or on a leash.

· Don’t allow your dog to bark, jump up against the door, or bite the mail as it comes through the mail slot; this will only teach your dog to attack the letter carrier.

· If your dog has to be out during mail delivery time, make sure it is restrained and that the length of that restraint does not allow it to reach the path the mail carrier has to take in order to deliver your mail.

· Do not tie your dog near the mail receptacle.

· Do not let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.

· Obedience training can teach your dog proper behavior and help you control your dog in any situation.

· Spay or neuter your dog — un-neutered dogs are more likely to bite.

· Make sure your dog has had its shots and is licensed.

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com, Sink your teeth into this: it's National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Grand Opening of Dog Park

2008-05-05T09:22:00.002-04:00

If you live in the Hartford, VT area and are a dog owner check out Watson Dog Park. The grand opening of this fenced in two acre off-leash park will be June 7th at 10am. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremeony an dog owners and their furry friends are welcome to join the fun.

For more information on this event, contact: info@watsondogpark.org, or call Hartford Parks & Recreation • (802) 295-5036.

Dog Bite Prevention Week

2008-04-11T09:37:00.003-04:00

We see it in movies and on tv, but dogs chasing and biting our mail carriers has actually become a problem. Postmaster William H. Dunn of Winchester, MA is trying to make sure dog owners will be responsible and keep their pets contained during mail delivery times. 3475 mail carriers were bit last year, which can result in pain and suffering for the mail carrier and the mail delivery itself can be disrupted. In the last 6 months there have already been over 35 dog bites.

Dunn offered these great tips for being a responsible dog owner:

· When your letter carrier comes to your home keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room or on a leash.

· Don’t allow your dog to bark, jump up against the door, or bite the mail as it comes through the mail slot; this will only teach your dog to attack the letter carrier.

· If your dog has to be out during mail delivery time, make sure it is restrained and that the length of that restraint does not allow it to reach the path the mail carrier has to take in order to deliver your mail.

· Do not tie your dog near the mail receptacle.

· Do not let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.

· Obedience training can teach your dog proper behavior and help you control your dog in any situation.

· Spay or neuter your dog — un-neutered dogs are more likely to bite.

· Make sure your dog has had its shots and is licensed.

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com, Beware: Dog Bite Prevention Week

Get Ready for your New Pet Calendars

2008-03-27T15:49:00.002-04:00

It is already that time of year again and the Houston Astros are gearing up for their 2009 Pet Calendar. Here is the press release with more information.

HOUSTON ASTROS HELP “STRIKE-OUT”
PET OVERPOPULATION
Photoshoot for 2009 Astros Player & Pet Calendar will take place on April 21, 2008

HOUSTON, Texas, March 26, 2008 – Next month, a whole team of professional athletes will come together to promote kindness to animals, pet adoption and the importance of spay/neuter. For the third consecutive year, the Houston Astros will help “strike-out” pet overpopulation by producing a 14-month Astros Player & Pet Calendar! Petco and the Petco Foundation have joined the team and will sell calendars in all of their Houston and Austin area stores, and the Houston Humane Society (HHS) will be the beneficiary of the proceeds.

On Monday, April 21, 2008 Astros players and pets will be on hand at Minute Maid Park for a photoshoot with well-known Houston photographer Evin Thayer, who is donating his time for the project. Players will be posing with their own pets and with homeless animals from the Houston Humane Society. Media is welcome beginning at 1 pm CT and should use the media entrance on Texas Avenue .

Astros Pitcher Dave Borkowski started the project to raise critical funds and awareness for Houston ’s homeless animals. He says, “My wife, Jill, and I have three adopted pets so pet adoption and spay/neuter are very important to us. We hope the Astros Player and Pet Calendar will be a great fundraiser for the Houston Humane Society, we hope it will bring attention to the wonderful animals available for adoption and we hope it will be a great educational tool.”

The Houston Humane Society is a non-profit animal shelter dedicated to eliminating cruelty, abuse and the overpopulation of animals. HHS receives no federal, state, or local funds and relies solely on donations, special events and fundraisers like the Astros Player & Pet Calendar to care for the animals and fund programs. HHS provides a wide variety of animal welfare services to Houston area residents and pets including pet adoptions, humane education and Houston 's only $30 spay/neuter clinic for the general public.

The Houston Astros also remain committed to helping the community. The Astros in Action Foundation sponsors a number of community events during the course of the year. In 2007 alone, the Foundation held the following events: Astros Race for the Pennant, Astros Spring Training Week of Caring, Astros Wives Charity Softball Game, baseball clinics at Boys & Girls Clubs, Fielder’s Choice School Visits, Impact a Hero Day, Literacy Day at the Ballpark, Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, Stroke Awareness Day, the Astros Wives Gala benefiting the Houston Area Women’s Center and more.

The 2009 Astros Player & Pet Calendar will be available early this fall at all Houston and Austin area Petco stores, The Astros Team Store in Minute Maid Park , the ballpark souvenir stores in Corpus Christi and Round Rock and at www.houstonhumane.org.
###
If you are interested in adopting one of the homeless animals featured in the 2009 Astros Player & Pet Calendar, please contact the Houston Humane Society at 713-433-6421, visit www.houstonhumane.org or stop in to the shelter – open seven days a week! – at 14700 Almeda Road .

Oprah's Dog Passes Away

2008-03-26T10:02:00.002-04:00

Oprah's Cocker Spaniel, Sophie passed away yesterday at the age of 13 from kidney failure. This is Oprah's second dog to pass away in a year. Her Golden Retriever, Gracie passed away in May of 2007 from choking on a ball. This has to be a rough time for Oprah since she has had the dog for 13 years. Although they new Sophie was not doing well there is no way to prepare for the loss of your pet, especially when they have become such a huge part of your family. Our condolences go out to Oprah and her dogs.

Source: www.allheadlinenews.com, Oprah's Dog Dies Of Kidney Failure

Wearing your dog?

2008-03-21T14:57:00.004-04:00

Wondering what to do with all that dog hair laying around? Well now instead of getting the vacuum out you can have it spun into a sweater! I am not sure how I feel about this, but it seems to have turned into a new trend. Victoria Pettigrew, the owner of VIP Fibers will spin your pets fur for $9 per ounce. The first thing I thought of was the smell, but Pettigrew states the spinning removes the enzymes that cause the dog odor.

Another knitter, Betty Burian Kirk will make you a coat, sweater, or other accessory for $50-200.

It turns out pet fur is 80% warmer than wool, remember that next time your dog is left outside in the summer!

Well I guess I better jump on board with this trend...gotta go brush my dogs.

Source: blogs.usatoday.com, Sweaters made with dog fur take Internet by storm

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-16T17:09:00.002-04:00

The annual San Diego St. Patrick's Day Parade honored service and rescue dogs this year. Members of the Westie Rescue of California marched right along with elected officials and dignitaries. The West Highland white terriers were marching in style with their kilts and leprechaun hats to help celebrate and show their Irish spirit.

An estimated 10,000-15,000 people attended the volunteer-run parade, many of those in attendance were animal lovers.

Source: SignOnSanDiego.com, Annual St. Patrick's parade a real pet project

Dog's Five Senses

2008-02-18T08:38:00.003-05:00

My son recently brought home a project from school on the five senses. It made me wonder about my dog's senses and how they really experience the world differently from us. Dogs have the same five senses as us; seeing, hearing ,tasting, touching, and smelling.
Before reading the article, 5 Ways Your Dog Senses The World Differently From You, by Charlie Lafave I had only known dogs are color blind and have a heightened sense of smell and hearing. I have now learned that dogs can see some color, and have better night vision due to a reflective layer in the eye. So when they are barking out the window and you tell them there is nothing there - maybe you are the one that is wrong.

I knew my dogs could hear better than me, but I learned they can hear 4x greater than I can. So the next time I am calling them to come inside and they don't respond, I guess it's not because they can't hear me.

Dogs can sense touch all over their bodies just as we can, another reason to give them that extra squeeze each day.

The second I walk in the door my dogs are at my legs smelling and sniffing every inch they can. I usually shew them away and don't understand why they do that when I have just gone to the grocery store. Well it has been estimated that our dogs sense of smell is 100,000 times more powerful than ours. So the next time you are at a friends house and they have pets, be a little more patient with the snout attack when you walk in the door - your furry friend is just finding out where you have been.

I have often wondered if a dogs sense of smell is so good, why do they try to eat such horrible things? Well it turns out the smellier the better -dogs differ from us because if something smells bad they will eat it!

After learning about my dogs senses, I have a better understanding of how they experience this world and I hope you do to. I am going to be more patient with my dogs and realize that we don't see things through the same eyes!

Police dog honored with funeral

2008-02-14T21:03:00.002-05:00

Beny, a retired police dog in Lawrenceville, Georgia was laid to rest on Thursday at a special funeral. The dog was buried in a tiny American flag-draped coffin and police officers and their K9 units paid respect. The flag was later presented to the family of Cpl. John Surowiec.

Beny helped catch a gang member accused of murder and more than 160 criminal suspects during his time on the force, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Indictments filed over pet food recall

2008-02-13T09:23:00.003-05:00

Remember all that dangerous dog food that led to an estimated 2,200 dog deaths last year? The Feds are getting involved. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Missouri has filed federal indictments against three companies that distributed deadly dog food throughout the U.S. One of the charges is that a Chinese dog food manufacturer used melamine to artificially reach desired protein levels. Melamine is deadly, which led to the recalls.

Three years later, a missing dog is found

2008-02-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

This heartwarming story is another reason to keep the faith:

Traveling by car with your Dog

2008-02-12T16:35:00.000-05:00

Our dogs have thousands of miles and hundreds of hours clocked on their traveling card. I found this article about traveling with your dog cross country helpful and full of great tips.

Including:
- Make sure there's a barrier between you and the dog in case your dog is a hugger and wants to be close to you during the drive.
- Buy a doggie seat belt for the dog to ensure their safety.
- Don't forget any pet medication and your favorite doggie toys and blankets.

One thing we have learned over the years is not to feed the dogs too much before a long trip. We usually give them half of their food before we leave, and then feed them their regular portion once we have reached our destination. This seems to help keep them from getting an upset stomach, yet they still have a little food in there so they aren't starving.

Remember to keep their water and leashes handy for when you stop. This allows for a quick drink, and potty break without having to tear apart your packed car! (again something we learned from experience).

Hopefully your doggies will get to enjoy traveling with you this summer, it can be a great experience. We wish you happy and safe travels!

Put your dog on a real U.S. stamp

2008-02-10T17:09:00.000-05:00

Well let's see, our dogs are already on our Christmas Cards. And admit it, you sent out doggie announcements when you got that new puppy. It won't be too long until your credit card sends 1 percent to your doggie college fund. But until then, you'll have to live with the latest dog idea: Putting your dog on a U.S. stamp. It's part of the latest initiative on stamps.com called photo stamps and dog lovers are using this feature to send the cutest pictures of their dogs out with the mail. Maybe a cute picture of our dog will help cheer up the bill collector at the electric company. Now excuse me, I have to find the perfect picture for a 41 cent stamp.

They do your doggy dirty work

2008-02-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

I'm sure these companies are popping up all over the country as dog service businesses continue to grow, but we found an Atlanta-based company that handles my least favorite job: scooping dog poop. You have to check out this website: DirtyWork.net: Atlanta Pooper Scooper, if only to see the hilarious pictures of dogs on their site, including one dog doing his business while reading the morning paper.

How much does it cost? We'd love to know, but there was a quote request form we had to fill out. Oh well.

Prized pit bulls stolen from breeder

2008-02-09T16:33:00.001-05:00

This story certainly gets at the increased value of show dogs: A Florida resident and pit bull breeder was recently held up at gunpoint in his house and his 11 prized pit bulls were stolen from him. In a story that ran in the Miami Herald, three bandits held up Moreno Yohai in his own home, telling him and three house guests to hit the floor. They were then tied off and the bandits made off with the pit bulls. According to a witness, one of the pitbulls alone was worth over $10,000.

Dog Survives Avalanche

2008-02-08T13:42:00.000-05:00

This is an unbelievable story about a dog named Lizzie. Lizzie is a three-year-old black lab who was out hiking with an avalanche swept her down a mountain in Montana. Her owner searched for three days looking for Lizzie without any luck.

Then he got a call from some snow-mobilers.

"The caller, Jess Sullivan, told Pick that he and his family had been riding snowmobiles and ice fishing at Hyalite Reservoir when they noticed a black Lab hanging around. He said that they were among the last to leave and that the dog didn't seem to be with anyone, so they took her back to Bozeman and called the number on her tag."

The Associated Press story posted on ajc.com, said Lizzie and her owners were reunited. She's now officially retired from high-terrain hiking.

Your Christmas Photo Contest Winners!

2007-12-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

The final votes are in and it was nearly too close to call. But after much in-fighting at the Doggie Deliveries offices, we settled on three winners. So without further ado...

FIRST PLACE

It wasn't an easy choice, but Daizy won over our hearts with this adorable elf picture. We'll be sending Daizy one of our Ultimate Christmas Dog Gift Baskets for finishing in first place. Congrats Daizy, you big cutie!

SECOND PLACE

We don't know the name of this adorable bulldog, but we loved this photo sent to us from Tony. We'll be shipping a dozen gourmet dog treats to this lucky bulldog.

THIRD PLACE

We call this the boxer brigade and this talented trio won third place.

HONORABLE MENTION

We loved this submission from our new favorite collie, Mitzvah!

Christmas Shipping: Important Dates

2007-12-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

If you want your DoggieDeliveries.com Christmas Dog Gift to arrive before Christmas, here are some important dates to remember:

December 16: Last day to ship using UPS Ground and have a guaranteed arrival by Christmas. We're located in Acworth, Georgia (30101), so if you're shipping it somewhere near us, you can probably get away with shipping around a couple days after. If you're shipping to California? Dec. 16 would be the absolute last day.

December 19: Last day to order using all other shipping methods (UPS Overnight, and Next Day).

December 20-30: DoggieDeliveries.com will be closed for the holidays.

More Christmas Photo Contest Entries

2007-12-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

We have the best customers in the world! We were absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of Dog Christmas Photos sent in for our first (and sure to be annual) Christmas Photo Contest. Here is another sampling of the photos we received, and this isn't all of them. If we didn't get to yours, please forgive us. Between the huge rush of Christmas orders for our Dog Christmas Gift Baskets and Gourmet treats, and the volume of photos, we could only get a portion of them entered an online. Thanks to those who entered, and we'll be deciding a winner soon. If you feel strongly about one of the entered photos, be sure to leave a comment on the blog. We certainly can be swayed because it's too close to call.

And now, more pictures:

Dog Christmas Photo Contest

2007-12-04T12:28:00.001-05:00

Here are the contestants so far in our first-ever Dog Christmas Photo Contest.

Lucky found new home

2007-11-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

Lucky the dog, renamed Bitsy by her new owners will have a warm, safe home for the holidays! This was a story we blogged about a few months ago and are happy to hear there is a happy ending. Bitsy is a pit bull who was stabbed in the head by some sick person. She was taken to the Atlanta Humane Society and they nursed her back to health. Although the person who stabbed Bitsy was not found, she now can move on and enjoy her new home - I am sure she will be getting lots of presents this year!

Source: ajc.com, Lucky pit bull has new home for Thanksgiving

Merry Christmas, Happy Howlidays!

2007-11-14T12:17:00.001-05:00

Here is our first Christmas pic from Lexi and Miles! (Miles was our 2nd Place winner in the Halloween Contest). Lexi wanted to join in this time and maybe win some treats for herself!

Sparky has Recovered

2007-11-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago we put up a story about Sparky, a schnauzer-terrier mix that was tied to a car bumper and dragged until he broke free. The person who was responsible for this has not been caught, but luckily Sparky has recovered and is ready to be adopted.

Animal lovers and caregivers from all over have called to adopt Sparky but the list has been narrowed down to 20 applicants. Although it may be a tough decision for the Atlanta Pet Rescue I am sure they will find Sparky a loving home - just in time for the holidays!

Source: ajc.com, Four months after tragedy, Sparky's ready for adoption