Dog Stuff and News

2006-01-01 - Dog Food Recall

Diamond Pet Food Company has recalled 19 varieties of their dog and cat foods, due to aflatoxin poisoning causing the deaths of more than 23 dogs.

Sold under the brand names Diamond, Country Value, and Professional, the food bears the date codes March 1, 2007 through June 11, 2007. Distribution has occured in 23 states and 29 countries.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occuring chemical caused by fungus growing on corn or other crops. The poisoning causes liver damage, can cause severe liver damage, resulting in illness or death. Watch your pets for signs of sluggishness, lack of appetite and in some cases, vomiting, fever, and jaundice (jaundice is most easily recognized by the yellow in the whites of your pet's eyes, on its gums, or skin on its belly).

If you have any product on hand, stop using it immediately and immediately notify your veterinarian if your pet exhibits any of the symptoms listed above.

Read more of the story here.

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2006-01-02 - Foster's Find: Cool Dog Website

Check out ChazHound to connect with other dog lovers around the globe. They have a super-active forum, fun games, free wallpapers, and a ton of dog resources.

You can also enter your pup in their photo contest. If you haven't yet seen Gordie, an adorable English bulldog puppy, you're missing out. Admittedly, I have a thing for bulldogs, but seriously...he's c-u-t-e, cute!

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2006-01-03 - "Max" Most Popular Dog Name for 2005

According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, Inc. (VPI), "Max" leads the pack for the third year running as the most popular dog name.

Below are the top names among VPI's 360,000 policyholders for 2005:

2005 Top Male Dog Names
Max
Baily
Buddy
Jake
Rocky

2005 Top Female Dog Names
Molly
Maggie
Lucy
Daisy
Bella

For a list of the Top 30 Dog names from previous years, visit popular dog names.

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2006-01-04 - Dog Rescues Fallen Woman

Dallie, a one year old sheltie pooch from Bath, Maine, was recently rewarded with a treat of popcorn chicken and extra dog bones.

The reason?

Young Dallie rescued Bath resident June Hallowell after Hallowell took a severe fall, breaking her wrist. Disoriented and confused, the elderly woman lay there until Dallie, barking and pulling her leash, dragged her owner to the rescue.

Read more about Dallie, here.

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2006-01-06 - More Dog Rescues: Husky Saves Newborn

Baby, a 10-month old husky pup, saved the life of a newborn in Taiwan Sunday.

The baby's mother retreated to her bathroom as contractions started and ended up giving birth while sitting on the toilet. Exhausted and bleeding, she was able to cut the umbilical cord, but was left too weak to call for help.

That's when Baby stepped in. Grabbing the infant's leg in her mouth, she saved the child from drowning, and placed him next to his mother, then covered him in puppy kisses when he started to cry. Thankfully, both Mom and son are in stable condition. You can more of the story here and see a picture of baby-loving Baby.

Note to whomever adopts this gal's baby: take the dog, too, would ya?

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2006-01-07 - Puppy Training Tip: Train Early...and Often

If you're the recipient of a new puppy this holiday season, take advantage of the time you have now to get your dog started on good habits.

Pups are like kids, so their brains are little sponges, eager to soak up whatever you want to show them. Since dogs also benefit from repetition, it's critical you exhibit the desired response over and over (and over) again until they get it.

One of the most important aspects of training is socializing your dog. Use the first 14 to 16 weeks of your puppy's life to introduce him to loads of people, dogs, and places. Make each experience fun and keep it short. Visit the local dog park for interactions with other pups and dog lovers. If you don't have children, but want your dog to be kid-friendly, then invite family or friends with children over for some playtime. Reward him with plenty of treats, hugs and kisses.

For more tips on training your new puppy, read here.

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2006-01-07 - Dog Coupons and Freebies: Petco

Through January 31, 2006, save $15 off orders of $75 or more at PETCO.com!

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2006-01-09 - Trainers to Celebrity Dogs Keep Pups in Line

As puppy trainers to the stars, Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson often have their work cut out for them.

But thanks to training puppies (and owners!) with consistency, treats, and plenty of praise, they've discovered a successful formula to raising terrific dogs.

The team run obedience classes and workshops from their 120-acre home in Gardiner, NY. Over the years, their famous client list has included John Leguizamo, Diane Sawyer, and (it makes me blush just to type his name!) Harrison Ford.

Besides being frequent contributors to Parade Magazine and the authors of several dog training books, the couple also a new DVD out to assist new dog owners. Read more about them and their My Smart Puppy DVD, here

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2006-01-09 - Jake Gyllenhaal and his New Pup

Continuing with his "To Kill a Mockingbird" theme, cute star Jake Gyllenhaal has named his new puggle pup, Boo Radley. Wonder what his German Shepherd, Atticus, thinks of the new addition to the family?

Source: People

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2006-01-13 - AKC Lists Most Popular Breeds

For the 16th year in a row, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in the United States.

According to the American Kennel Club registration data, labs are top dogs, followed by golden retrievers and yorkshire terriers.

2005 Most Popular Dogs in U.S.

Labrador Retriever (137,867)
Golden Retriever (48,509)
Yorkshire Terrier (47,238)
German Shepherd Dog (45,014)
Beagle (42,592)
Dachshund (38,566)
Boxer (37,268)
Poodle (31,638)
Shih Tzu (28,087)
Miniature Schnauzer (24,144)

The mini schnauzer hasn't seen the top 10 since 1990, but this year, registrations surpassed those of another popular mini-pooch, the Chihuahua. Looks like it's not only Paris that's traded in Tinkerbell for bigger things...

The least popular breeds in America? The English Foxhound and Harrier.

If you want to see where your purebred pup fits in the list, check it out here.

And for those of you with mixed breeds, take heart: your lovable mutts will always be top dogs.

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2006-01-13 - Adopted Mutt Finds Perfect Home, Takes Extreme Vertical Championship

Another reason to adopt a homeless dog: the chance he'll earn $30,000 this year as a dock dog.

Dock dogs compete in an agility contest, running and leaping from a platform into water. Whichever pooch gets the biggest air, wins.

And Colby, a dobie/lab mix rescued by a young college student four years ago, turns out to be the Michael Jordan of dogs.

Learn more about Colby and his owner, Anna, here.

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2006-01-15 - Foster's Finds: Cool Dog Website

The latest website capturing Foster's attention: Puppy Wars.

A spin-off of the popular "rate my pic" sites, Puppy Wars lets you put your dog head to head against another adorable pup. Foster and I agree that the pics are pretty doggone cute!

Check out their list of Top Dogs for the highest ranked pooches on the site. I have to say...Diddles has my vote!

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2006-01-15 - Dog Travel: Terrific Tote

Pet Pouch Overnight Bag

Perfect for quick trips, use this overnight bag to pack for your pup! Includes personalization.

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