Today was a BEAUTIFUL sunny Sunday in Seattle! Not the first day of Spring, but the first day it really felt like the flowers would begin to bloom. While I’ve enjoyed playing on the snow-packed mountains with the pups, I’m thrilled for the abundance of warm weather, fur-friendly activities. Below is the beginning of our 2010 Spring/Summer must-do list. Lots to do, but I’m sure I’m missing a ton of hidden, creative and downright fun ideas, and that’s where you come in. Big and small, all ideas are welcome and appreciated.

Dogland Approved Activities

• Hop the ferry and float your way to the San Juan Islands for a relaxing weekend with your dog(s)
• Step into action and walk for a cause. We had a great time participating in last year’s Walk for the Animals and can’t wait for round two. September 26, 2010 (we’ll post more on this later)
• Escape the bustling city and head south to the Oregon Coast where you and your pooch can pop a tent and unwind to the sounds of the sea
• Grab your pup, then grab a brew at Norm’s Eatery & Ale House
• If you only have an hour or two, visit your local dog park (Magnuson’s our favorite), stroll around the neighborhood and let your dog socialize and smell the activity around them, or get a heart pumping exercise in with a hike through one of the thousands of Washington trails

Above all else, don’t forget to keep your dogs cool in the heat.

Happy adventures!

Sharing a link to this USA Today post about Dogland Adventure pup, Winnie! Hope to see a post about Jenna go up soon as well, and we’ll flag if and when it does. In the meantime, I encourage you to follow USA Today’s ‘Paw Prints’ community. They’re doing great work sharing stories about dogs everywhere, including rescue pups who overpopulate every shelter in the country. If the stories they publish inspire just one person to adopt from a shelter, that’s a wonderful outcome.

About four weeks ago Jeff and I (and Ruckus and Kaiya, of course) welcomed our first ever foster pup – a five year old husky/Samoyed mix named Jenna.

After living her entire life chained up in someone’s backyard with no shelter and poor nutrition, the sweet girl was abandoned in a park and then sentenced to her death by the Kent animal shelter. The day before Jenna was scheduled to be put down our good friend sprung her from the joint and brought her to live with us until we found her forever home.

I’ll admit, the first one-two weeks were challenging. We had to keep Jenna separated from our other animals since she came to us with kennel cough, which we think came from being in the shelter for three weeks. Jenna was timid, malnourished, didn’t want us to pet her except on her head and wasn’t 100% housebroken. If you did pet her back of legs she would emit an ear-piercing cry. However, we learned so many great things about Jenna in just a couple of days of knowing her that we had no doubt she would soon make a turn for the better. Now, just four weeks after joining our pack, I’m so happy to say that Jenna has been reborn!

Below are just a few of the things that make Jenna such an amazing animal, and a couple of things she still needs to work on. All-in-all, Jenna loves people and will want to be very close to whoever she ends up with. She needs a fully-fenced yard, someone who will exercise her at least 5 days a week, will need to sleep indoors and will need someone that is patient and willing to gain her trust. If all that is done, her forever home will have an amazing animal to love and who will love them in return.

I have grown to truly love Jenna, the little white fuzz ball that has a strong resemblance to the Coca Cola bears. If we could take in a third dog permanently at this time, I would keep Jenna in a heartbeat. I’m so excited to see how Jenna will continue to flourish.

Jenna’s Pros:

• She’s not in the least bit aggressive. You can put your hands in her food bowl when she eats, take toys from her, feed her around our other dogs and wrestle with her.
• She loves to be outdoors: The girl can run, enjoys going on hikes, always up for a walk, loves car rides and likes to wade in the lake.
• She’s super friendly: Jenna gets along with our cats, our two huskies, all the dogs at the dog park, adults and children.
• She’s a great listener: Jenna knows her name really well, comes when you call (usually, she is still a husky and they sometimes have selective hearing), is often in our front yard with us and never runs off.
• She’s a FAST learner: It only takes Jenna once to learn if she likes doing something or not. From car rides to dog parks, everything is new to her and she learns by watching our huskies and often mimics them. She also learns commands really well. Within a week she learned to sit for her treats, she learned “down”, knows what we mean when we say “who’s hungry” and goes running to the bin that holds the food.
• She mirrors your energy: If you’re frustrated, she’s concerned, if you’re stressed she’s stressed, but if you’re happy and smiling, she is tens times more excited and shows it by doing screams of joy and talks to you with the husky chatter.

Jenna’s need-to-knows: (I don’t call them cons because she doesn’t do anything because she’s bad, she’s just ignorant to certain things due to her past)

• Housetraining could use some work: She has had only a couple of accidents in the house and realizes as soon as you catch her that she did something wrong. The problem is she’s just now learning how to tell us when she needs to go out, and there have no accidents in over a week. We have been crate training her in the evening when she goes to bed and put her outside often during the day. She’s definitely catching on.
• She’s a bit self-conscious: Jenna was chained up her whole life and it appears physically mistreated as well. Therefore, it takes about two solid weeks of someone giving her love, patience and guidance before she feels she can trust them, relax and let someone pet her all over without cringing or giving one of her ear piercing shrieks.

To learn more about Jenna, visit http://home4jenna.tumblr.com

If you’re interested in being considered for Jenna’s forever home, email home4jenna@gmail.com

Quick post to catalogue the things Winnie has destroyed in the past month. My oh my, I think it’s time for an in-home trainer…

• A keyless entry device for a Honda Civic
• A pair of sunglasses
• A hands-free cell phone earpiece
• A book
• A vase
• A mini-mouse sensory button embedded in a laptop

Fortunately, most of these items are easily replaced, some at a higher price than others. As luck would have it, in the same week Microsoft launched Windows 7 (full disclosure – I work for an agency that does PR for Microsoft  ), Winnie’s destruction outlined in that last bullet may be a sign that it’s time for me to upgrade my existing PC. Which new Windows 7 machine should I get? Check them out here and let me know what you think: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pc-scout/default.aspx

I’d love to share a cute and funny picture of Ruckus and Kaiya donning this year’s Halloween costumes, but unfortunately they’re having no part of the dress-up game so many dog owners partake in… and understandably so. I mean who doesn’t love to see a Dachshund dressed as a hotdog, Ferdie dressed as a bee, or Champ dressed as our favorite Disney character. I know I do! However, I made a pact with my huskies when they were very young that we’d stop at the occasional scarf, and even then I know I’m pushing my limits.

So while I don’t have any treats of my own to offer, I do have a few photos graciously provided from friends, the internet and fellow Dogland bloggers.If you’re looking to strut your dogs diggs in front of your fellow Seattleites, check out the 5k Pumpkin Push at Seward Park on October 24. Dogs are welcome!

However it’s not Halloween if you don’t have some tricks to accompany your treats. Here are a few tricks to make sure you and your pooch have a scary safe time!

• Chocolate is hazardous to dogs, so be sure to keep your loot far from Fido’s reach. Unfortunately if they find the bowl they’re likely to eat every last piece, foil, wrappers and all. If this occurs make sure you call you veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1 (888) 426-4435.
• Keep pets safely inside, rather than out in the yard. The noise and commotion from trick-or-treaters might spook your pet, and there is always the risk that pranksters may release your pet from the yard. If you happen to be a cat lover as well (like me), Halloween can be a dangerous time for them. Make sure the ID tags are on and up to date.
• Lit pumpkins and wagging tails do not go hand in hand. Keep pumpkins out of reach to prevent burns and fires (not to mention smashed pumpkins). If consumed in large quantities, pumpkins can cause stomach issues and intestinal blockage.
• Putting your pooch in a costume can be fun and funny, just make sure it fits comfortably and your furry friend isn’t restricted from moving or breathing in any way. Also check to make sure there are no loose parts that could get caught and strangle him. It’s a good idea to never leave your dog unsupervised while he or she has their costume on.

A few links to kick off your weekend – some light reading and a chance for your dog to earn his or her 15 minutes!

Ever wonder what the world is like from your dog’s point of view (smell!)?  The New York Times reviews Alexandra Horowitz’s “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know”

CityDog Magazine’s Cover Dog Model Search continues on Sunday at the Fremont Oktoberfest.  Can’t make it?  The search continues on 9/27 at FidoFEST at U Village.  More details and a registration form are here.

A person’s health (mood, skin, hair, and overall well being) is tied closely to their diet. Not surprisingly, animals, including your pooch, aren’t much different. We learned this first hand the time we didn’t pay close enough attention to the ingredients in the bag of Bil-Jac dog food we purchased from PetSmart and saw poor Kaiya and Ruckus suffer the consequences. Within two weeks their energy levels had weakened and their coats became coarse. When we did a little online searching we discovered all the icky additives leading to our pups’ poor state. Needless to say we’ve been scrutinizing food labels ever since, and have found Acana to be a great fit.

While we are happy with the kibble, we still wanted to give them something homemade, straight from the kitchen, and made with love – something healthy, fairly inexpensive, all natural and easy to make. Below is a recipe we found through researching dog nutrition books during one of weekly trips to Barnes and Nobles. The result, two happy huskies!

Recipe
• 1.5 – 2 lbs of uncooked chicken thighs (you can also use chicken breasts, but we like to give the dogs a little bit of fat since they are extremely active and to help maintain a healthy coat)
• 2 large yams chopped into small cubes
• 2 zucchinis sliced
• Head of broccoli broken into small pieces
• Head of cauliflower broken into small pieces
• 4 large carrots cut into small bite size pieces

Place all of the ingredients into a crock pot, fill 2/3 of the way with water, and cook on high for 6 hours.

We feed our dogs one cup of homemade food in the morning and then one cup of kibble in the evening. If you have two dogs, this recipe should last you one week.

Bon Appétit

Between the trips to Lake Washington, play dates with their fellow fluff balls, and dive bombing in the mud during last week’s rain spell, our two pups had hit their max on filth. Even their own mother (me) couldn’t stand the smell of them for one more night. Their white fur was taking on a tannish brown color. Enough was enough.

In an effort to avoid the mess of washing in our bath tub at home and the somewhat hefty costs that can come with a full-service groomer, we opted to take our pups into a little shop we found in Kirkland known as Pup Scrub. It’s a self-serve puppy wash (although they have full-service if you really want it), and they’ve thought of everything. You pick your scent of shampoo and conditioner (we prefer the oatmeal scent), the friendly staff shows you and your pooch to your oversized tub, throw on an apron, roll up your sleeves and get to work. After spending as much time as you need de-funking your pup, you pat them down with a towel and then turn on the turbo dryers that leave their fur fluffy and full. You give a final cotton swab to the ears, run a brush through their coat and ta da , your pup is good as new.

Believe it or not, this gives you some great quality time with your dog and is actually a lot of fun. We’re even considering upgrading and getting the Booster Bath for at home, but it’s kinda nice getting to leave the fur balls behind at Pub Scrub.

Title: Seattle Humane Society\’s \”Walk for the Animals\”
Location: University Village Shopping Center
Link out: Click here
Description: Join the Seattle Humane Society on September 27, 2009 for Walk for the Animals – a scenic walk in and around the University Village Shopping Center. Registration & Check-in for the Walk is at 8:00 a.m. and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. The cost to register is only $30.00, but all walkers receive a t-shirt and bandana for their furry friends. Make sure you arrive early to enjoy breakfast, fun activities, yoga with your dog, and other animal demonstrations. For more event information and to register to walk with your pooch, make sure to visit the Walk for the Animals website.

Start Time: 8:00 a.m.
Date: 2009-09-27