Monthly Archives: July 2013

Help! Needham needs a dog park

Needham, Massachusetts doesn’t have a dedicated facility where dogs can run and exercise off-leash.  For a town that is home to approximately 3,000 registered dogs, it’s a real shame.

Dog park image

Thankfully, a group of dedicated owners led by Mike Verdun and Bill Paulson are hoping to change that.  They and a group of about 10 other passionate dog owners have located a suitable site, the Nike Site, next to Ridge Hill Reservation. The group is now fundraising to establish the park.

Needham Dog Park map

$25,000 is needed to establish the facility; the bulk of the money is needed for the fencing, combined with signage and a wood chip base.  Double gates will ensure that dogs are kept safe as they enter and exit the park.

‘We’ve talked to other communities in Massachusetts that already have dog park facilities,’ says Bill.  ‘We’re confident in our design.’

So far, the group has raised $3,500 – so there’s still a long way to go.  If you and your dog benefit from off-leash exercise in your community, maybe you can consider making a small donation to help the dogs of Needham be rewarded with their own dog park.

The Needham Dog Park donation form has all of the instructions you need.  And you can follow progress via the Needham Dog Lovers Facebook page.

San Diego’s Dog Loo

In 2008, the US Government passed legislation requiring service animals that are flying to have indoor and outdoor relief facilities.  For most airports, this law has been interpreted as a requirement to have a relief area somewhere on site but not necessarily in major traffic areas.

San Diego’s Airport (Terminal 2 to be exact) has gone a step further to cater for the flying canine.  They have installed a really posh doggy toilet past the security checkpoints.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The toilet features a fire hydrant, artificial grass and a hand washing basin for the owners.

Just a sign of the times – progress is made every day to ensure that dogs and their owners have appropriate facilities.  (Pet relief areas have become a true godsend to air travelers who are traveling with their dog.)  Appropriate facilities reduce the risk of conflicts between dog owners and those who are not doggy people.

Well done San Diego Airport!

Interested in this subject?  Read my earlier blogs on:

Awaiting the royal baby…

William and KateAs the world awaits the arrival of William and Kate’s baby (which by all accounts is due in days), I’m wondering if there’s anything in this happy event that can help animal welfare.

What if shelters around the world named puppies born on the new Prince or Princess’s birthday after the royal baby?  That way, adoptive owners will be adopting their own royal baby and can take part in the historic event.

Puppy

Let’s hope that all of the puppies born that day are healthy and able to thrive in loving homes!

Image

A thought for Monday

Dogs and family

Daisy’s birthday adventures

Today we woke up and went to the largest dog park in Christchurch, The Groynes.  Although the sun was coming up, it was also showering and we saw a lovely rainbow settle over the park:

Rainbow over dog park

Daisy loves being off-lead and able to exhibit her natural dog instincts.  She looks up to keep tabs on me often, but enjoys foraging around:

Foraging

And tonight Daisy enjoyed a slice of her birthday cake for dessert.  This cake is salmon and rice, with a lowfat cream cheese frosting, doggy choc drops and homemade chicken & parsley doggy treats:

Birthday cake

Happy Birthday, Daisy.  I love you!

Daisy’s birthday breakfast

Please, Mum.  Can I have these for breakfast?

Please, Mum. Can I have these for breakfast?

Daisy had a tin of sardines (packed in spring water) for breakfast along with some fresh apple chunks.  A nice combination (if you are a dog) that is high in fibre, protein and Omega III.

We won’t make a steady diet of this for breakfast (although there are always sardines in the pantry for a special treat at our house), but it is not every day that a girl turns 13.

Daisy’s birthday weekend

Daisy birthday portrait

This is it.  Daisy’s 13th birthday weekend.   The day started out the sad news that one of Daisy’s extended family, Icy, passed away yesterday at the age of 15 1/2.  It makes me realise that Daisy is definitely a senior dog and every day past 13 is a blessing.

We started this afternoon off with a visit to dog park on what is a warmer than usual winter’s day.  Daisy is proudly wearing her Birthday Dog scarf and is ready for action.

Tonight she had doggy meatloaf (a combination of kibble, beef, carrots, brown rice, beef broth and lots of love) for her dinner.

How do you celebrate your dog’s birthday?

Dog-tired?

Daisy bed photo

It’s been a long week  (for both of us) and so I started to wonder – where does the term ‘dog-tired’ come from?

Dog-tired is an old English phrase meaning physically tired to the point of exhaustion.   It comes from the tale of Alfred the Great who would send his two sons out with his large group of hunting dogs to chase the dogs down.  The sons (named Athelbrod and Edwin) competed to see who would catch the most dogs and the winner was allowed to sit at Alfred the Great’s right side during dinner.

These chases would leave them ‘dog-tired’.

And since we are both dog-tired tonight…we are heading to bed.

4th of July anxiety

My heart goes out to all of the dogs in the USA who have to suffer through 4th of July celebrations and their associated fireworks.

For many dogs, fireworks are no fun…

4th of July anxietyIf your dog is anxious (or worse) because of fireworks, here are some of the things you can do to help them through:

  • Thundershirts and anxiety wraps.  These shirts work on the basics of acupressure and  they help to stimulate acupressure points that induce a calming effect.
  • DAP  = Dog Appeasing Pheromone A pheromone is a natural chemical that animals, especially mammals, secrete.  D.A.P. is the pheromone that bitches secrete when they have puppies and are lactating.  Within 3-5 days of giving birth, the bitch secretes this pheromone and it has a calming effect on her puppies.  Scientists have isolated the chemical structure of the pheromone and re-created it. I recommend spraying it in your house and around the dog’s bedding in the later afternoon – before sunset.
  • Sedatives – for a dog that is truly overwhelmed by fireworks, prescribed sedatives from your vet are a short-term solution
  • Diversion and management – this consists of things like isolating your dog in your basement or garage (inside the car, with the radio on) to divert their attention.  By removing them to an environment where they can hear the fireworks less readily, you are removing them from the stressor – and hence, the stress response that follows.
  • Remove your dog to a quieter location, perhaps a holiday home in the country or a friend’s place out of town.  If they can’t hear the fireworks, they can’t get stressed.
  • Massage – get your massage therapist to recommend massage strokes and acupressure points that you can stimulate to encourage your dog to relax.

Long term solution:  Please lobby your local communities to ban the use of private fireworks and to limit fireworks to licensed public displays.  That way, people can enjoy fireworks but also limit our dogs’ exposure to this stressful event.