The photos of the week come from Sue in Moneta.
These three schnauzer sisters are Mickie, Annie, and Chloe, collectively known as The Girls. According to Sue, treats helped to hold their attention for the first shot, but something distracted them for the second photo. Or perhaps they simply tired of the puparazzi.
I confess that I typically don't think of fish as pets. I usually joke that I love fish, especially with a little lemon and a nice dill sauce.
My attempts to maintain healthy aquariums back in the 90s were spectacular failures. When I did find the delicate balance of alkaline to acid that allowed the fish to live for at least a little while, I never really bonded to them like I do to the furry variety of pets.
They weren't happy to see me when I came home. They didn't snuggle with me in bed.
Come to think of it, that also describes most of my cats, but I am digressing.
Today's entry on Matt Chittum's Datasphere blog made me care very much about a little pet fish. Click hereand read an ode to a little betta that beat the odds and will be sorely missed by his family.
Go gently into this good night, Harry.
We haven't had a giveaway for a while here at the Wag. Today we will try to remedy that.
I have in my possession a lovely photo book titled "Cat Capers: Catitude for Cat Lovers" by Gandee Vasan. I would like this book to be in your possession.
The book is loaded with gorgeous photos of all kinds of kitties, and it's chock full of bits of cat-like wisdom, humor, jokes and quotes. Anyone who loves kitties should get a smile from this book.
All I ask is that you post a comment about your kitty. Tell us something funny about your feline or how your cat can make you howl with laughter. The most amusing comment, as judged by the best panel of experts I can assemble from a newsroom full of cat servants, wins the book.
I'll keep this open for comments until Monday. Good luck.
[This contest is now closed. You may still post a comment, but it won't be considered for the book giveaway. Thanks.]
Alaska Canine Cookies of Anchorage is recalling Peanut Butter, Power Bone and Carrot Cake flavors of Canine Cookies because they were manufactured using peanuts recalled by Peanut Corporation of America and could be contaminated with salmonella.
The company issued the voluntary recall on March 10. Click here to read the full news release published on the FDA's Web site. The release contains a detailed description of each of the recalled snacks including gift basket packaging.
The cookies were sold at four stores in Alaska and through the company's Web site.
Hey readers! Break time is over and the Wag is back. And not one minute too soon to let you know how you can add a click of support to the Roanoke Dog Park.
Follow this link to vote for Henry, a rather adorable pup, in the Bissell Most Valuable Pet Photo Contest. If Henry wins, he would earn $10,000 to help build the city's first public access dog park.
Voting is as simple as adding your name and e-mail address (with the promise of no mailing lists or spam) and one click of the mouse.
Look at that face. How could you say no to that face, huh? Today is the last day you can vote for Henry. All he wants to do is play in the park with his friends.
In the year and a half I have been writing this blog, I have traveled often, but I have always toted the Happy Wag with me. But not this week.
The Wag will return on Tuesday, March 17, in time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Hope you all have a great week and if you take your pooch to the Roanoke St. Paddy's Day parade downtown this weekend, send me a picture.
Lots of pet-related news to share with you today:
Big savings for small donations:
Black Dog Salvage, the architectural salvage store located at 902 13th Street at the Memorial Bridge in Old Southwest, is now a permanent drop-off location for pet food donations for the Roanoke Valley SPCA.
The RVSPCA collects donated pet food to distribute to needy families through Manna Ministries and Meals on Wheels. The expected need for families in the Roanoke area is 40,000 pounds per year.
To kick-off the food drive, the store is offering a 25 percent discount on all merchandise to customers that donate 6 or more cans or 8-pound or larger bags of food at the Black Dog.
The store is chock full of relics and antiques from commercial salvage and it's also the home of the Memorial Bridge Marketplace that features home and garden accessories from vendors and local artisans.
Call 343-6200 for more information.
Quick Take Pets
Photographer Kevin Hurley is offering 20-minute portrait sessions for pets for a sitting fee of $49 today and tomorrow. Hurley will donate $25 of each sitting fee to three local non-profit groups: the Roanoke Valley SPCA, St. Francis Service Dogs, and the Roanoke Dog Park.
The studio is located at 1360 Maple Avenue SW. Call 345-3055 for an appointment.
Adoptathon at PetSmart
The Roanoke Valley SPCA will have adoptable pets at the PetSmart store at Valley View on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Doggy curfew in Campbell County
Finally, if you live in Campbell County, you should be aware that you are required by county ordinance to keep your dogs confined to your home or yard for a five-week period, beginning April 13 and ending May 15, from sunrise to sunset, Monday through Friday.
According to the public safety news release, the ordinance is intended to assist in identifying and capturing stray dogs.
Beagles and other hounds engaged in lawful hunting, the news release says, are exempt while they are hunting or training, but they need to have proper identification, specifically the owner's name and telephone number, attached to their collars while they are out.
During the confinement period, any such wayward beagle or hound picked up as one of the usual suspects will be returned to the owner without penalty.
Blog reader Andrea nominated her cat Stewie to become the first feline face on the Wall of Shame. She said Stewie's nickname is Chicago, because he's the Windy Kitty.
Poor Stewie. He looks so adorable in this sweet little kitty pose. However, Andrea warns all of us with functioning noses not to fall for that tender trap.
"Just remember, looks can be deceiving," Andrea writes. "...so cute but so very gassy."
Is your pooch going through withdrawl because you're decided to skip the manufactured peanut butter snacks in the wake of the salmonella scare? If you pulled the plug on peanut paste, you may want to whip up a homemade batch of nutty treats for your dog made with real peanut butter.
Here's a simple recipe for peanut butter doggy biscuits that I got in an e-mail today that I am delighted to share with you:
2 tbsp corn oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine oil, peanut butter, and water. Add flour 1 cup at a time, then knead into firm dough. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with small bone-shaped cookie cutter (Editor's note: Clearly you can use any shape you like. I will be using a heart).
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. For hard and crunchy treats, leave them in the oven for a few hours after baking. Makes about 3 dozen.
But wait! Why should all the goodies be for the pooch? Here's a people-friendly sugar cookie recipe, and a link to a Web site that sells cookie cutters in the shape of AKC dog breeds like the ones in this picture.
(Remember, this recipe is for people. Don't feed these to your pup.)
6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring
1 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350
degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe
can make up to 5-dozen 3” cookies.
This recommendation came from blog reader Kim:
"I’ve been keeping up with the blog regarding pet products that work and those that don’t. I have one for the “works” category to pass along and it is the Gentle Leader head harness/leash. Before we got it we’d walk Cali on a traditional leash. She would get so excited that she’d pull very hard on the leash which caused her to choke and gag herself. She’s so strong that I’d almost have my arm dislocated from my shoulder when she’d make a sudden change of direction.
My husband bought the Gentle Leader and at first I rebelled because I thought it was mean and Cali absolutely hated it. However, when we started doing dog training our trainer recommended the Gentle Leader. Not only does it make Cali walk like a normal dog but it keeps her from damaging her esophagus (and my arm). It’s not something you can put on a dog and expect them to like it and take to it right away. It took a step-by-step process of wearing and rewarding for Cali to accept it. I can’t say that she likes it, but she knows she gets to go for a walk if she wears it and we both have a more enjoyable walk with it on. If any fellow blog readers have dogs that pull too hard on their leash then I recommend the Gentle Leader."
I second that recommendation, Kim. We had the same problems with Stormy that you described with Cali, and our dog trainer also told us to use the Gentle Leader. He hates it too, but it makes all the difference in walking him. While the Martingale-style collars work best for the long skinny necks of our greyhounds, the Gentle Leader is the best way to handle our bull-headed little terrier.
What other tools have been helpful with leash-training your dogs? Post a comment and share your lead/collar recommendations
