Posted on July 03, 2009 by Nancy Houser

Welcome to Way Cool Dogs and our National Dog Blog Carnival #4—a special place for all dog lovers and animal lovers who wish to find out what the dog world is about, how to bring home a dog from the shelter, how to look for a rescue dog, or how to communicate with your pet. As your host for this month’s carnival, we hope you will enjoy what our participating dog bloggers have to say in each of their entries this month.

All links to entries are at the end of the carnival if you want to check out a particular link or blog. Don’t be shy…comment on what you do and what you don’t like about the carnival. Your suggestions and remarks can only help us improve on our quality.

And for those who have missed out on previous carnivals, simply go to the bottom of this post for all National Dog Blog Carnival posts. We are always looking for dog bloggers to share what they have to say, and hosts to have the carnival on their site. If you are interested, contact me at nancy@waycooldogs.com to sign up for an upcoming month host position. The subject matter can be open or one of your choice if you host!

"I've never been to a dog carnival before...what fun!"

MAD KANE

Our first entry from Mad Kane was her humorous social satire entitled , “Yoga for What???” from her Humorous Blog:

Yoga for What???
By Madeleine Begun Kane

There is yoga for doggies, I swear—
Caught a canine-filled class on the air;
Watched the owners and pets
Stretch and pose in their sweats—
Cosmic moolah they must have to spare.

Sometimes a lot of words are not necessary to get the visual, is it? Short but sweet, funny yet very ‘apropos….if you enjoyed this, check out Madeleine’s humor blog for more of her work!

THE PETS CENTRAL

Pets Central has submitted an entry about training a hunting dog from the blog that is entitled, “The Best Way to Train a Hunting Dog.” For those who hunt, or have a hunting dog that is not quite up to par, this is an excellent article to jump start the training regime.

Ranging anywhere from the best breed to dog hunting trips, the Pets Central offers some pretty good advice to our viewers. Check out their blog and see what they have to say…you just might learn something about commands, training techniques, wilderness walking, and puppy training tips!

LIVING THE SCIENTIFIC LIFE

This entry is from the Living the Scientific Life blog, which is about a Colorado author, Temple Grandin and her book titled “Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals”. It explores what the most commonly kept species of domestic animals need to live a good life — to be happy. An excellent book review, the book goes into what is considered normal for the most common domestic animals, as that is what humans judge their happiness on. Grandin goes into the research of neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp and the blue-ribbon emotions: rage, fear, panic along with seeking and playing. Also introduced are animal abnormal behavior repeated several hours at a time, or “stereotypes.” If this book is as good as the author’s other ones, it will be an animal lover’s favorite.

ANYTHING FOR ANIMALS

This excellent entry from the Anything for Animals blog is entitled, “What are Lungworms: the Unknown Parasite”. A subject very people know about, lungworms is something our pets can get from slugs and snails, eating rodents and birds who have already eaten the slugs and snails, and from eating feces of other animals already infected which lies in the grass.

When dogs have contracted these worms they live in their heart and main blood vessels which lead to the lungs. Dogs who have lungworms need to be treated at the vet, as the wormer is not available at the local pet supply store. A new treatment requires a few drops to be placed on the back of the neck. An excellent article, this blog involves all kinds of important information about animals. Check it out!

THE DOG TRAINING MANUAL

If you are interested in choosing a shelter dog and are looking for a few pointers, the Dog Training Manual is an excellent blog to check out before bringing one of the little cuties home and then regretting it. According to blog author, Kittie Austin, and her article “Choosing the Right Breed or the Right Breed Dog”:

To start with, “you need to consider things like”:

• The amount of space that you have for the dog at home.
• What access the dog will have to outside space.
• How much you can afford for buying the dog.
• How much you can afford for upkeep and care of the dog.
• How much you can set aside for insurance and/vets bills.
• Most important of all how much time you have to actually spend with the dog, quality time, playing; walking; training and so on.

AMERICAN CONSUMER NEWS

In Matthew Paulsen’s blog and the contributing article by Tisha (Kulak) Tolar, “Are you ready for a furry friend?”, American Consumer News demonstrates that we need to be honest with ourself when thinking of adopting a pet before bringing one home,going over each area thoroughly in the blog article:

• Do you want the responsibility?
• Why do you want a pet?
• Which pet is the right one for your family?
• How to prepare the environment.
• Understand the adoption process.

LUPIEN.NET (Pet Chatter)

“Animal Communicator, Pet Psychic, Interspecies, Telepathic, Pet Communication or Pet Chatter, no matter what you call it, your pets are talking all the time “.  This is how Pet Chatter from Lupien.net starts off–totally fascinating and coming from the sides of our animals. This is the blog to go to if you want to know what your pet wants or what they have to say. Enjoy!

Like people, pets have unique personalities that quickly emerge during our conversation. Is your pet an introvert or extrovert? Would you expect them to have a wicked sense of humor or are they the serious type? Big ego or shy? Do your pets seem to carry the weight of the world or are they flibbertigibbets? Some of them are real chatter boxes, others more reserved, but they all have something to say.

They try very hard to be understood and sometimes are successful at getting their point across; but more often not. They may even resort to behavioral issues in an attempt to communicate. This is certainly very frustrating for the pet as well as you. It doesn’t have to be that way. I can help unravel the mysteries behind their beautiful eyes: I am The Pet Chatter.

DOG TRAINING PET

Jake’s blog, Dog Training Pet, has submitted the article “When is a dog bite malicious?”. With summer here and dog bites at their peak, this is an appropriate article for every viewer  with objective questions asked and discussed:

For many families or couples, getting a new dog isn’t always just fun – it can also be a learning experience. This is particularly true if you find a new dog or puppy that exhibits some behavior problems. It’s not fun to have to explain to your children that the new dog you brought home needs to find another home. But for many people, this isn’t always true – sometimes, the behavior doesn’t necessitate any extreme changes. So how do you tell if a dog bite, one of the most glaring signs that the dog needs a change, is really malicious or not?

• You’ll have to consider the context in which the bite takes place.
• You’ll want to consider the dog’s behavior as a whole.
• You’ll want to consider who the dog bites.

HOSPITAL4ANIMALS

Jaime’s submission from her blog, hospital4animals, is in regard to hospice for elderly and ill animals. As Way Cool Dogs also deals with elderly and ill animals in our rescue, this is a field which is near and dear to our hearts. Please check this compassionate blog out and send Jaime any questions you may have pertaining to your pet or one you know.

“We are here to help with the difficult questions, answers, feelings, decisions, and current lack of information on hospice care for animals.  This means we are here to help anyone concerned with the end of life compassionate care for animals or relieving pain in animals near the time of death or trying to understand and relieve pain in animals.”

RAISING WHISKERS

Sometimes cat coughing can be an indication that there is something wrong with your cat. The cat blog Raising Whiskers offers the perfect article to know when to call the vet or to simply check things over and use some home remedies at their “The Most Common Reasons and  Remedies for Cat Coughing”.

“Like humans, cats also cough for different reasons. And different types of reasons can result in different kinds of coughs. You should know about the different kinds of cat coughing and the reasons that may be the cause behind it.”

• Hacking honking cough – This kind of cough is related with large brochi.
• Half hearted coughing – This kind of cough is related with fluid in the lungs.
• Moist cough – It can indicate infection or fluid in the lungs.
• Deep convulsive cough with phlegm – It can be related with chronic bronchitis.
• Sudden coughing and wheezing with difficulty in breathing- This kind of cough suggest feline asthma.
• Sporadic cough- This kind of cough with weight loss, listlessness and loss of appetite can indicate the presence of different kind of worms like heartworms, lungworms or fungus diseases.
• Spasms of coughing soon after exercise- It may be related with acute bronchitis.

CONDO BLUES

The blog Condo Blues has submitted their article, “Pet Promise Rescue Run 2009″ for this month with a focus on animal rescue and the Pet Promise Rescue Run charity organization. With some excellent photographs and some humorous tid-bits to go along with the serious dedication of the contributors to animal rescue, enjoy the fun and earnest sincerity these two had!

“Husband ran in this year’s Pet Promise Rescue Run because animal rescue is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts once Blitzkrieg joined our family.”

(Note from Blitzkrieg: Blitzkrieg means Lightening War in German. That means I’m so fast I made a German Shepard cry because he couldn’t keep up with me. I know that I would smoke all 703 people in the race. I don’t want to make the serious runner guys feel bad that they got beat by a one-eyed Pekingese. So I’m sitting this one out, because it’s a charity race and I’m charitable.’)

BREEDS OF DOG

The article, “A Pet Dog for a Healthier You” by the blog Breeds of Dog connects with the many reasons why a dog is enjoyable company besides simply being a companion–such as an exercising friend to help you stay fit and trim! Whether you are jogging or playing fetch, they are wonderful company and have nothing but your interests at heart….:)

“One day you will possibly look back and wonder how you ever stayed as fit before your puppy came along. So if you don’t have one yet, and have a big enough house and yard for a playful puppy to enjoy, then consider adopting one from a local public facility for stray dogs. You will likely be very happy you did!”

MYSTERIOUS BEAUTIFUL

Beth's little Isabel, a raw diet precious little Chihuahua!

Beth Lowell’s blog, Mysterious Beautiful, is tackling the sensitive issue of canine cancer in her article, “Canine Wellness – Prevention and Treatment of Cancer.” A heartbreaking subject when it attacks our animals, and even people we are close to, cancer in dogs forces us to contact cancer professionals who deal with such issues–including ourselves.

“People need to realize that they are capable of becoming the experts themselves, and more than that, they need to become the experts themselves to effectively advocate for the health and well being of their animal companions. To do this, they must read everything they can get their hands on and question, question, question – Is this food, vaccine, medication, procedure, training protocol, you fill in the blank, what’s right and healthy for my dog?- even if it means an uncomfortable conversation with the vet.”

A DOG NAMED FRED

The blog, A Dog Named Fred,  by Linda Ward is not only precious but adorable. With her article submission, First Things First, all you have to do is take a look at Fred and know he has his “moments”!

“For those of you who do not know, Fred is a small terrier-type who came to me a year and a day ago as my first foster dog. He was rehomed after three months, and bounced back. While he was away, my beloved dog Buster died, leaving me with my Greyhound Beauty. When Fred came back I couldn’t bear to let him go again, and eventually adopted him.

We go to pet obedience classes, where Fred has the natural ability to be a bloody nuisance one session – making me want to strangle him, then, as I call him, the Anti-Fred the next, giving me as perfect a performance as I’ve taught him. He shot from Class 1 (Beginners), through Class 2 (Intermediate), to Class 3 (Advanced) in six months, despite having to be muzzled for most of his first weeks, and me leaving more than one session in tears or temper.”

NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR DOGS LLC

“Preparing for the unexpected with a new puppy” is the National Academy for Dog’s blog entry this month from Lindsey Hein. New puppies are always cute and fun, but the words being prepared for the unexpected definitely should be forewarned!

“The first puppy I have acquired as an adult, I spent nearly five years planning for his arrival. I used that time to research the breed, contact multiple breeders, attend a specialty show dedicated to Welsh springers, as well as to learn as much as I could about training, socializing and caring for a new puppy. By the time my little one was ready to come home with us, I was certain I knew everything there was to know about raising a puppy to become the best dog ever. After all, I’m a dog trainer. What could possibly go wrong?”

…and now, read the rest of the story!! LOL

FOR PAWS HOSPICE

The blog For Paws Hospice has submitted their article, “Defining hospice and the human-animal bond” for this month. A technical term started out the article, which clarifies the term hospice:

Hospice:

A lodging for travelers (especially one kept by a monastic order)

A program of medical and emotional care for the terminally ill

Wordnet.princeton.edu

But then the article continues on with some pretty important information for those who have an elderly dog or sick dog dying of a terminal disease. An excellent article that complements some of our previous submission on related subjects, this is well worth reading:

” March 2008 the first International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care was held on the campus at UC Davis. Organized by Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets and Assisi International Animal Institute  the meeting’s stated goal was to begin to, “Explore veterinary hospice care, based on human hospice models.”

As those models manifest themselves more humans and their companion pets will find themselves encountering the growing sphere of influence of compassionate veterinary care.”

WHO MOVED MY BONE? (Everybody is a Suspect!)

An excellent review of a product, the blog Who Moved My Bone has the “Nutramax Laboratories’ Dasuquin Review” as their submission for Nutramax’s joint supplement for animals.

“I mentioned in the last Hill’s j/d review that Emma has also been taking Dasuquin for probably the 12 months. Dasuquin is a joint health supplement manufactured by Nutramax Laboratories, the makers of Cosequin. I feel like Dasuquin is was worth mentioning for two reasons: first, using Dasuquin alone, prior to starting the j/d, clearly helped Emma; Second, I felt like because of that maybe there are some synergies by Emma being on both concurrently and I want to fully disclose everything to produce an unbiased review of the Hill’s j/d.”

Large Dog Crates Guide and Training

The entry ” Crate Training Your Dog,  Useful tips that will make crate training your dog an easy job” by the blog Large Dog Crates is necessary for anyone who has an inside dog who participates in a part-time job redecorating the home when the owners are away, or for dog owners who travel and enjoy taking their pet with them!

“Every dog, even as an adult likes to have a small, tight, warm and comfy place of his own. That’s why they keep sneaking behind the sofa or under the bed. So if you look at it like this, you will have less problems crate training your dog. All you have to do is get him to enjoy spending time in there. So here’s how to crate train a dog….”

HAPPY HEALTHY PUPPY

The blog, Happy Healthy Puppy, has submitted a much-needed article on “Does Online Dog Training Suck?” With the title alone saying it all, most of us go to the Internet to find an article on dog or puppy training, only to be hit by thousands upon thousands of so-called professional willing to charge you an arm-and-a-leg for their so-called services. This blog article is one to read before ever staring on the “training journey” if you choose to go online:

What online puppy training is any good?
If you do a Google search for online dog training, or online puppy training, you’ll come up with millions of results. The trick, then, is to figure out which site is worth your time.

My advice?
First of all, don’t fork out your hard-earned money right away for online dog training advice. Most of the online puppy training information you need is out there, for free. If all your Google (or Yahoo, whatever) search comes up with is pay-for-information sites, try doing a more specific search. For example, search for “puppy housebreaking problems” instead of “online puppy training”. Try including the magic word “free” in your site to weed out sites that want you to pay for information.

WAY COOL DOGS

We at Way Cool Dogs have placed our article, “Spreading of Canine Brucellosis in the U.S.” into the carnival due to several states developing new cases of the disease. Recognizing what it is and how it can affect our own dogs is worth knowing, for not only the animal’s safeguard but our own.

“Many states require a dog with Canine Brucellosis to be euthanized to safeguard the disease from transferring to humans, while other states accept the diseased dog being spayed or neutered to eliminate the breeding problem. One affected dog can easily wipe out the entire kennel if the disease is not brought immediately under control.”

NATIONAL DOG BLOG CARNIVAL ENTRIES:

The first part of the entry is the blog’s home page, while the second part is the entry article for the carnival.

1. Mad Kane – Mad Kane’s Humor Blog “Yoga for What???”
2. The Pets Central – The Best Way to Train a Hunting Dog
3. Living the Scientific Life — Animals Make Us Human
4. Anything for Animals – What are Lungworms: the Unknown Parasite
5. The Dog Training Manual – Choosing the Right Breed or Choosing a Dog Breed
6. American Consumer News - Are You Ready for a Furry Friend?
7. Lupien.net (Pet Chatter) – What Happens to My Pets When I Die?
8. Dog Training Pet – When is a Dog Bite Malicious?
9. hospice4animals – The First Post/What is iaahpc?
10. Raising Whiskers – The Most Common Reasons And Remedies For Cat Coughing
11. Condo Blues – Pet Promise Rescue Run 2009
12. Breeds of Dog – A Pet Dog For A Healthier You
    
13. Mysterious Beautiful - Canine Wellness: Prevention and Treatment of Cancer
14. A Dog Named Fred – First Things First
15. National Academy for Dogs – Preparing for the Unexpected with a New Puppy
16. For Paws Hospice - Defining Hospice and the Human-Animal Bond
17. Who Moved My Bone? – Nutramax Laboratories’ Dasuquin Review
18. Large Dog Crates Guide and Training – Crate Training Your Dog,  Useful tips that will make crate training your dog an easy job
19. Happy Healthy Puppy – Does Online Dog Training Suck?
20. Way Cool Dogs – Spreading of Canine Brucellosis in the U.S.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of national dog blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. If you are interested in hosting, please contact me at nancy@waycooldogs.com.

Next Deadline:  July 31 for August 4th National Dog Blog Carnival

Related posts:

• Catch up on previous National Dog Blog Carnival Participants!
• National Dog Blog Carnival #3 is Online!!
• Update on National Dog Blog Carnival #3
• 7th National Dog Blog Carnival has arrived!
• Entries being accepted for the National Dog Blog Carnival #1