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October 2007
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What to Expect in Your Pup's First Year! Even though we no longer breed Westies, we continue to get daily calls and emails related to "puppy care" and are asked often to recommend a breeder. When we bred Westies, our moms received tremendous care every day, but especially during the days before and after whelping a litter of pups. We were with them every step of the way. For the first few weeks the pup's whole world consists of his mom's quite, nurturing warmth and the close comfort of littermates. Eyes normally open around two weeks and hearing begins shortly thereafter. His world begins to broaden, he begins wobbly walking, and he begins to wrestle with his littermates. He learns some very important lessons during this time. <<More>>
What About Your Own Doggie Collection of Postage Stamps? Design your own stamps in seven different denominations, from 26 cent postcards to a $4.60 Priority Mail rate. Sheets of first-class 41 cent stamps are $18.99. With the holidays coming, your doggie will be a star! Other collections are available:
Click on the PhotoStamps banner above to order your stamps.
Great Shopping Sources |
 Who's Top Dog in Your House? I'm sure you don't need statistics to tell you that your dog probably runs your life, but it's a fact backed by the recently published AKC 21st Century Dog Owners Study, focusing on the behaviors, attitudes, and purchasing habits of dog owners. Of the 750 owners of AKC - registered dogs surveyed:
Do You "Really" Know
Your Groomer?
Let me state upfront
that I am biased in the area of grooming. If a groomer gets upset
about my feelings, the problem is "theirs", not mine! We have
preferred to do our own grooming for several reasons and get a lot of
calls or emails about grooming. Whether it is to recommend a groomer
in the Metro area or questions about age of first grooming, or whether
they should groom themselves, it is a topic of interest among Westie
owners. According to American Pet Products Manufacturers Association,
in 2006 Americans spent a whopping $2.7 billion on grooming and
boarding services for their pets, an 8 percent increase over the
previous year. You might think that taking your pup to the groomer is
like having 'your' hair done. What's the worst that can happen besides
a bad "hair-do"? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. While the number
of grooming related pet injuries and deaths is small, there is
evidence it is a growing problem among groomers. The Better Business
Bureau says that complaints against groomers have jumped more than 50
percent in the last five years. Part of the reason is that the pet
related industry is big bucks for some people. Increasing demand for
pet services has resulted in more inexperienced groomers hanging out a
shingle. And it puts established facilities under pressure to get
animals in and out faster. One evening, not long ago, we were visiting
one of the major pet retail stores in our area and a young man was
grooming a very unhappy dog. He was fighting with the dog, while two
other young workers laughed and taunted the dog. To them it was
reckless and fun, but to Fido, it was a bad experience.
What to look for at an
experienced grooming facility:
- no dryer cages.
Insist your pup is hand dried. To be certain, stay and watch.
-may deserve a second
chance if you feel the groomer is honest and explains what happened,
and acknowledges a cut, scrape, or burn, cares for it properly and is
genuinely apologetic, especially if you have had a good experience in
the past
-trained or has
completed an apprenticeship. Seek out someone who has been in business
in the same place for a long time
-clean and well
maintained facility
-love what they do
and have a rapport with pups
-will let you watch.
If a groomer won't allow it, go elsewhere
You might want to
consider a Mobile Groomer who will come to your house. Most Westie
owners feel that their dog is worth "whatever the cost" to be sure
they get the best. Don't shop for price, shop for experience and
quality service. With all that said, why not do your own grooming?
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Lyme Disease I read an article recently about Lyme disease that I wanted to pass along to you. Vets are finding that canine Lyme disease is more common than thought. New testing techniques have discovered many infected dogs, yet what to do with them is uncertain. Lyme disease is spread by ticks. Your dog's risk for contracting it depends on tick exposure. A dog who lives in an apartment and walks only on concrete probably will never pick up a tick. But a dog who goes for walks in any wooded area could be exposed. Lyme disease has been found in all 48 contiguous states, but the Northeast and the upper Midwest are considered hot spots for the organism. Testing and treatment of Lyme disease among vets varies. Frequent tick removal is the best way to prevent Lyme disease. If you check your dog for ticks daily, you will almost certainly prevent Lyme disease. Some vets question whether canine Lyme disease is a severe enough condition to warrant vaccination. For us, we will continue to check our dogs for ticks and would consider vaccination only if we lived in a really bad, really bad endemic area. Are You a "Picker Upper"?
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