K-9 LifeSavers

Did you know that the only sweat glands dogs have are between their paw pads? What this means is they cannot cool themselves off by sweating like humans.  They only produce a limited amount of sweat through their pads, so the main way a dog cools off is by panting.  Unfortunately this only does so much in hot and humid weather. 

Ideally your dog has access to an air conditioned place to cool off in, but if this isn't the case, make sure he has access to fresh, cool water and shelter from the sun - ideally an insulated dog house in a shady spot. If your dog loves water, consider giving him access to a tub or kiddie pool (plastic not inflatable) to lounge in. 

There are a variety of products on the market designed to help your dog beat the heat from cooling dog beds to cooling collars and vests. Every dog is unique in his preferences and needs, but it is important to be aware that dogs can overheat as easily as humans and help to keep them cool.

It's heating up outside, and if you enjoy an ice cream cone these days, you can be sure your K-9 would like one too! Here's a quick recipe for homemade frosty paws to cool off your K-9!

Frosty Paws
• 32 oz. vanilla yogurt
• 1 mashed banana or one large jar of baby fruit
• 2 tsp peanut butter
• 2 tsp honey

Blend it together and freeze in either 3 oz. paper cups or ice cube trays. Microwave just a few seconds before serving.

Huskys have been the subjecy of many a Disney movie, but Balto earned his very own animated movie with the voice of Kevin Bacon.  

In 1925, doctors realized that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was beginning to sweep through Nome, Alaska.  The only medicine was in Anchorage, nearly a thousand miles away, where plane engines were frozen and would not start to transport the medicine.  Officials determined to move the medicine by sled dog, and more than 20 teams worked together to move this medicine through a blizzard and temperatures 23 degrees below zero.

Balto was the lead dog in the sled team that took the final leg of what is now known as the "1925 serum run to Nome," which has been commemorated by the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Balto himself was honored by a sculpture that still stands today in New York's Central Park.  Balto was present at the unveiling on December 17, 1925, just 10 months after he safely delivered the medicine to Nome.  The statue is located on the main path leading from Tisch Children's Zoo and bears the following inscription:

Balto died in 1933 at the age of 14, and his remains were mounted by a taxidermist, and donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

When you hear about a husky, you probably imagine snow and a pack of beautiful dogs pulling a sled, but how much do you really know about huskies?

Siberian Huskies are one of the oldest breeds of dogs and have descended from the Eskimo dog once found throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Siberia to Canada.  The term husky is actually deviated from the nickname "Esky" which Europeans once applied to the Eskimo tribes and subsequently to their dogs.  This breed has historically been a working dog, helping their owners to pull heavy loads across long distances.  These dogs helped not only with the survival of many tribes, but also assisted explorers in their search for places such as the North Pole.

Huskies are active, energetic and resilient, and known for commonly having different colored eyes. Huskies can make wonderful family pets, but may not be the dog for first time owners as they require quite a bit of attention and training.  Because huskies are pack animals and highly intelligent, they will naturally assume the role of leader, unless their owner clearly takes on that role.  Husky do well with obedience training, but it must be ongoing to keep them mentally stimulated, and they need a good amount of exercise to avoid destructive behavior.  However, if you are willing to give a husky the attention they need, you will have a loyal and lasting friend.

This time of year it seems that more people attend religious services that usual, but have you ever thought about a chapel for dogs? In 2001 artist Stephan Hunech established the very first Chapel for dog.

Located in Vermont, the welcome sign pictured below reads "All Creeds All Breeds No Dogmas Allowed".  No services are actually held, but all dogs and dog lovers are welcome in the chapel at any time.

The chapel also holds a memorial Remembrance Wall that people have posted, or sent in, remembrances of loved dogs that have passed away.  To send in your own memorial write to:

Stephen Huneck
1356 Spaulding Road
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

or click here learn more.

Sasha's not quite ready for the Remembrance Wall yet, but she is hoping to find a family that will love her enough that someday a trip to the dog chapel could be in her future.  This beautiful girl is a husky mix 2-3 years old that is looking for a quiet home to love forever.

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month and in honor of older dogs everywhere we are sharing the top ten reasons that senior pets rule, orignally posted by Jane

10 Reasons Senior Pets Rule:

1. When senior pets are adopted, they seem to understand that they've been rescued, and are all the more thankful for it.


2. A senior pet's personality has already developed, so you'll know if he or she is a good fit for your family.

1. You can teach an old dog (or cat or other pet) new tricks (I do every day with my own cats!): Senior pets have the attention span and impulse control that makes them easier to train than their youthful counterparts.


2. A senior pet may very well already know basic commands anyway!


3. In particular, senior pets are often already housetrained, or can be more easily housetrained than a young pet with a tiny bladder.


4. A senior pet won't grow any larger, so you'll know exactly how much pet you're getting.


5. Senior pets are often content to just relax in your company, unlike younger pets, who may get into mischief because they're bored.


6. Speaking of relaxing, senior pets make great napping buddies.


7. Senior pets know that chew toys (not shoes) are for chewing and scratching posts (not furniture) are for scratching.


8. Senior pets are some of the hardest to find homes for -- so when you adopt a senior pet, you're truly saving a life.

Kasha is one of the senior dogs in the K-9 LifeSavers pack.  She is a wonderful girl who is very friendly and affectionate.  Her biggest wish is to be part of a family.  Kasha is a very well behaved girl who can sit and give paw on command.  Kasha loves to go for walks and is very lady-like on a leash.  Kasha is looking for friendship and devotion.  She will give back ten fold in return.   

What do you think true or false? There have been reports of puppies born with green fur?

Surprisingly enough this is not a whopper! Though this is not exactly common, occasionally amniotic fluids from the mother's placenta or fecal discharge can stain a puppy's (or kitten's) fur and turn them green.  One such case was reported in 2003 when Pixie, a Siberian Husky in Oregon gave birth to seven puppies.  The first six came out white and normal, but the seventh was green.  Dog owner Debra Ashdown was sure there was a problem, "I thought it was doing to die on me because I had never seen a green dog before!"

Ashdown's vet declared the puppy healthy and Pixie took care of her green child along with all the others.  After several weeks the green tint faded and everyone lived happily ever after.

How many of your out there were in the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts? Did you earn your merit badge for dog care? 

We think it's wonderful that both the Boy & Girl Scout organizations offer merit badges for dog care and think it's extremely important that children learn about the responsibility of dog ownership and best practices.  If there's anyone out there that has a merit badge, we'd love to see a picture of it and hear what you (or your child learned), and hey if you can slip us some Thin Mints as well, we won't complain!