I just couldn’t resist this…the Winners of the ‘My Dog looks like Obama or McCain photo contest.’!

Here’s a link to all the contestants.

So who get’s your vote?

According to Susan Meddaugh (Martha’s creator), “Martha the dog is confident, honest, loving, talking and acting before thinking, sometimes wrong but seldom in doubt.” (sounds a lot like my husband). 

The show is meant to help build children’s vocabularies with complex words but also to teach good pet ownership behavior. They hope viewers will come away with an appreciation for the important role dogs play in our lives and to raise awareness for animal shelters and encourage more families to adopt.

The Real Martha
The “real” Martha was a rescue dog who was so out of control, they almost couldn’t keep her. But with training and patience, Martha’s true personality came through. The story premise came from Susan’s daughter who asked the all important question, “if I give Martha alphabet soup, will she talk?” …ahhh a story is born.

Martha Speaks was based on a book series which is being re-released in the fall with new editions and enhancements such as tips for families on building vocabulary. You can find fun and games with Martha at the PBS kids website. Two thumbs up for “Martha the puppy dog” which is what my girls call it.

His owner, Joe, developed seizures after sustaining a head injury during a military training incident 10 years ago so he adopted Buddy when he was just 8 months old to help him out. Buddy is an assistance dog who he taught to dial 911 when he’s having a seizure.

How did he do it? “If I have a seizure he will grab the phone and try to bring it to me and I have all the phone numbers programmed so that as he bites down on it he dials the police department,” Stalnaker reveals.

When buddy dialed 911 the operators just heard Buddy barking and whimpering and sent help as a matter of routine when a call is made and the caller is unable to respond.

When they arrived at the house they found Joe, unconscience with Buddy standing over him.

Joe is now recovering but has much to be thankful to his dog for… “I just hope I can be as good to him as he’s been to me,” he agrees.

Truly, man’s best friend.

The dog friendly city of Boulder, Colorado recently debuted a public transportation pilot project for people and their dogs. In an effort to help reduce carbon footprints (and paw prints), Hop 2 Chautauqua is a dog friendly bus route from downtown to a popular park where parking is an issue. “We’ve been tossing around the idea of allowing dogs on the bus for years,” says Cris Jones, a transportation planner in the city.

A few rules exist; no dogs on the furniture, they must sit on a lap or the floor and no one is allowed to stick their head out the windows. Which is only a rule becuase the bus windows only slide open at the top.

Other progressive cities also welcome canines on their public transportation; Seattle has dog friendly buses, San Francisco allows dogs on Muni trains and streetcars, and Boston allows dogs to ride the subway.

Progress can be such a good thing. Happy traveling with your pooch - but don’t forget the poop bags!

I’ve always been wary of the mixture of dogs & kids – especially very young kids.  And now we have a pair of both items I found myself warily watching the dogs whenever the girls got within 6 foot of them.  Jess, after an initial bottom-sniffing, I was pleased to find out was a real mother to them & gave out kisses at every opportunity.  Moreover, she let them pet her with no outward signs of panic. 

Henry was somewhat more skittish around them.  If they came near him he would trot away & hide in another room, only coming out when their micro attention spans had switched to destroying another item of furniture or seeing just exactly how far mommy’s patience will stretch.

Recently though, there has been a distinct warming between the two camps up to & including allowing our oldest to hug him without getting that same look in his eyes that Gromit had when confronted with the “wrong trousers” (in fact Henry has many gromit-like qualities…but that’s for another day).  Of course there had to be a reason.  Dogs & over-excited 3 year olds don’t become buddies overnight.  I found the reason to be, of course, food related.  Henry, while never being a glutton, has always had a weakness, shall we say for human food – table scraps & the like that which we’ve always said we would not give.  It turns out that our girls have been “supplying” both dogs with liberal amounts from every meal they have, meaning that in the last month alone Henry has had everything from waffles (& syrup) to pasta, chicken (a favourite), Mac & cheese, oatmeal, tinned peaches, green beans (which he now demands at every meal) & pizza….to our knowledge!

Last weekend I walked into the living room to see Henry lying on the floor with our oldest using him as a pillow while she watched Wonder Pets.  I think we’ll be ok.

“CIGARETTES, GIN, DOG FOOD.”

A shopping list Billie Holiday gave a friend who asked what she needed from the store.

(Photo is of Lady Day and her beloved dog, Mister.)

If the dog is on a leash, with an owner holding the leash, teach your child to follow these important steps:

W - Wait and watch the dog’s body language. Understand how to tell the difference among angry, afraid, and happy dogs. Dogs show what they are feeling.

A - Ask the owner for permission to pet the animal.  Wait for the owner to agree before you touch the dog.

S - Let the pet sniff you.

P - Pet the dog in the direction of the fur and be very gentle.

And be sure the child puts her hand palm up under the dog’s head so the dog can see it. They sometimes feel threatened when you try to put your hand on their head and they can’t see it.

 Here’s the rest of the article - just food for thought…

www.allaboutkidsmagazine.com

Had a little R&R at the lake. Jess and I love the lake. Lots of swimming, chasing ducks, barking at unknown noises and general frolicking. Not as many squizzles as I’d like but I’ll see to those now that I’m home.

For those of you looking for a good read and helping a good cause, Marvelous Mercer is the place to visit. Featured on the Today show, a little girl named Shea just published a book about her companion dog, Mercer and his wonderful adventures.

Marvelous Mercer
The adventures of a five year old companion’s dog who spends his days helping Shea in her everyday tasks, but spends his nights very differently. See how his adventures enhance Shea’s life with the help of his faithful canine friends. Beautifully illustrated by Curt Wagner.

A majority of the proceeds will be allocated to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) research and to Canine Companions for Independence.

Henry recommends it.