Rainbow Week - Second Day

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge..........



Winnie the Bulldog

She was a sweetheart who was only with us four years when she died of lymphoma. Broke our hearts. A gentle giant with children...and a first class snorer.



Dutchess 1988 to 2000

A much beloved Doberman rescue, who though riddled with arthritis, stayed by my side day and night when I tore my ACL and was homebound for two months. She seemed to wait until I was able to get up and around before dying shortly afterwards at the age of 12. I spent many nights sleeping on the floor beside her during her final days, trying to give back some small measure of the love and comfort she had given me. A great dog.



Oscar 1990 to 2003

A Daschund devil who gave me no end of pleasure at his antics. My husband learned not to yell at Oscar or he would later find his slippers filled with a 'deposit' from the boy. Dutchess and Oscar were a sight to see when they were together, as their coloring and markings matched, even if their height didn't. Oscar died at the age of 13, a wonderful little rascal.



Lodie

A sweet natured Boxer who came to us shortly after we lost Dutchess, when her former owner had to go into a nursing home. Her first night in our house was hilarious as she tried desperately to play with Oscar, the Daschund - the first time she had ever played with another dog. They became great friends and in their time together, Lodie and Oscar spent many a winter night curled together before the fire. Lodie-girl was 12 when she died not long after Oscar.

W had three yellow Labs at the same time we also had Dutchess and Oscar- it was a very full house with 5 dogs and four children under 12. Jo-Jo was mother to the other two labs, Red and Jake. Another bunch of wonderful pups. Jo-Jo actually saved two of my children from falling out a two story window. Obviously, she holds a very special place in my heart.



Looker

The neighbor came home with his new black and white puppy, a cute little fellow. The pup kept coming over to our house to play and just hang out. He seemed very attached to my husband. Soon the pup was waiting when he walked out the door and followed him everywhere, even jumping in the car to ride with him. One day the neighbor came to the door and said, " I think this dog was supposed to be yours, you two have something special going on." For the rest of his life, they were never apart.



Allie

Allie and his littler mate Jess were adopted together. Jess had a sleek black coat with neat little white feet. She was small and dainty and a fine mouser. Allie was large and messy and clumsy. Jess would jump from the floor to the bookshelf, then walk the stair rail to a sunny spot. Allie would jump and miss and crash to the floor taking picture frames and books with him. Once on the stair rail, he would lose his footing and tumble down the stairs. He preferred to hide from mice. He died several months after Jess.



Dylan (on the right)

He was a silly pup who loved to bound thru the snow with his dog friends. He could clear a room with his snoring and he could catch a bird on the wing. He went crazy at the sight of water, a wading pool, a hose or a lake, it was all the same to Dyl, a place to play. He accepted Ellie into his life in his later years and taught her to chase the cats, Allie and Jess.



To Love Again...
Oh what unhappy twist of fate
Has brought you homeless to my gate,
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth and food?
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny,
While she, with purr and velvet paw
Became within my house the law.

She scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed,
She ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day she died.
So if you really think, oh cat I'd willingly relive all that.
Because you come forlorn and thin
Well don't just stand there - come on in.

Author Unknown



Cat died 11/16/2009

We don't know where he came from or what sort of life he had lived. We know his people let him down and didn't deliver on the promises they made to him as a kitten. He was a pretty cat, smokey gray with white markings, but he hid from people and stole food to exist.

We don't know why he chose us at the end, maybe it was the stray piece of dog food overlooked by our pups, or the bird feeders that distracted the fat sparrows and made them easy prey, or maybe it was just the comfortable porch furniture that offered a soft spot to spend the night and a place to bask in the sun in the afternoon.

Maybe he knew he needed help when he became sick and sensed that we wouldn't turn our backs. We're sorry that we only knew you when it was too late, but maybe we helped end the pain and fear.

Rainbow Week - First Day

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together....

Author Unknown



Cookie

She was dropped off in the country one Thanksgiving morning. All she wanted was love, to sit next to someone and feel warmth and a gentle touch. She was one of the lucky ones who found a family to love her. After trying out several names, they called her Cookie.




Huck 1998 to 2009

I loved every single day with him.
I know you are here with me best boy, I miss you so.
I don't know how to move on and find joy with another dog.
Please send me an answer.



Dakota 8/15/1997 to 6/24/2009

You are missed everyday by your family and especially Thunder and Phantom




Oreo CDX RN AX AXJ AXP AJP CGC
12/3/1994 to 7/26/2009

Much loved and missed



Holly and Wiggles

Together again at the Rainbow Bridge



Taco

When I think of Taco, so many emotions go rushing through me. There's a feeling of sadness that I'll probably never have such a unique and remarkable relationship - teenage girl to geriatric horse. Nostalgia, a longing for the sweet smell of alfalfa hay and the sight of the barn that I made my second home for six years. I feel pride, pride for the life I gave him in his final years after enduring, for the better half of his life, what some would call neglect. Anger, for the failed and flawed effort that was put into saving him that fateful weekend he got sick. And sometimes I feel shock - shock that six years went by when it felt like only six weeks. Shock that in a blink of an eye, it was all gone away.

Most of all, though, I feel thankful. Thankful that my beautiful old man was with me for as long as he was, when everyone thought he'd have been gone so much sooner. Thankful for the way he allowed me to sit in a corner of his stall and do nothing else except form some of the best memories of my life. Thankful that he did not suffer for long at the end. Thankful that I knew him, and, above all. thankful to have been able to form such a magical friendship and have such a blessed experience in my life.



Callie

She was a grown cat when the two little babies and the goofy puppy came along, but she accepted them all and welcomed them to share her adored person with her.


Bo died 2009

He was the goofy puppy who grew into a big, gentle dog. He loved his kids more than anything and shared his home with several cats and other dogs. He loved to break out of the yard occasionally and wander off to visit his friends, but he was always there to play with his kids or cuddle with them to watch a movie. Rest in peace, dear friend.



Belle 1995 to 2009

Always a lady. She went everywhere with her person and was an exceptional ambassador for her breed. She is missed tremendously by her family.





If I Could...

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own
A place to find serenity
A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair
But let me be what I know best
A friend that's always there.

Author Unknown

Happy Holidays

Chan and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for joining us this year in our experiment called Dogs-N-More.


Chan and Gretchen and Sissy want to join........


Sue and Noah, Morgan, Samba and Fudge along with Tsar, Tess, Sky, Lola, Bailey, and Norma Jean in wishing a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.....


to you and your pets, whatever they may be.

Our Creative Readers

We've been posting lots of recipes and crafty items lately to help with your holiday planning. I guess it worked because you've been baking and sewing and you've agreed to share with the rest of us.

Don't these look good enough to eat? These are from Freyja and Scout and they say they taste as good as they look. Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter 'n Pumpkin Dog Cookies

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well. Dough should be very stiff. If it's too stiff, you can add a little water or applesauce. Roll dough to 1/4". Cut into desired shapes. You can make these a little thicker but you'll need to adjust the cooking time. Watch carefully!

Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes.

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There's another happy dog who's been helping in the kitchen. Here's Lucy with some of her homemade cookies. I'm going to make these for Samba. Ginger is supposed to be good for an upset tummy and Samba's medicines are upsetting hers.



Gingerbread Mailmen

1/2 cup molasses
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

In medium mixing bowl combine molasses, honey, water and oil. In another bowl mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.

Stir flour mixture slowly into molasses, mixing well.

Divide dough in half, shape each piece into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4" thick. Cut into shapes and transfer to lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned around edges.

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Have you seen those neat bandanas that slide over the collar. You don't have to tie them so you don't get your pup's hair caught in the knot. They aren't as bulky and uncomfortable around the neck as the big knotted ones. Well, on Ernie and Sasha's blog their crafty Mom shows how to make them. She has a great tutorial that's easy to follow and now we can whip them up for all seasons and holidays.

Here is handsome Ernie modeling one for us.


Sasha is wearing hers, but doesn't care for the modeling part. Very good job, guys.

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Thanks to all of you for sharing your ideas. That's why we started Dogs-N-More, so we could share ideas, recipes and information, pictures, announcements and more. Let us know what you'd like to read about in the coming year. Have a wonderful holiday with you pets and come back to visit often.

Saying Goodbye

I've always had animals in my life. My earliest memories are of the family cat. There have been dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, a hermit crab, a calf and a horse. There were hamsters and white mice and lots of frogs, toads and turtles. Sharing our lives with animals is wonderful, but we all know that their lives are too short and that someday we must say goodbye. I've held too many faithful dogs in my arms as they took their last breaths and I know you have too.

Chan and I would like to honor all those pets on this blog. Starting December 27 and running thru December 30 we will post pictures and remembrances of all the pets that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the ones who have gone recently and the ones who went before.

Please join us. Send pictures, names and dates and whatever you would like to say about your pet to either Chan or me. My e-mail address is on the sidebar. On those four days we will have posts dedicated to remembering the pets who we have loved. If there is an animal that belonged to a friend or relative feel free to include them. The last week of the year seems like the perfect time to stop and think about those small lives who meant so much to us.

Here Come The Holidays -Part 6: Yummy Treats

From your pet's point of view this is probably one of the most important parts of the holiday, second only to being with you. This is a great time to try making home-made treats. It's easy, it's fun and your pet will think you're the smartest, most wonderful person on the planet.


There are various methods just as with human cookies. There are drops and bars, but most popular are the rolled out cookies cut with cookie cutters.


Trust me, your pet won't care what shape the treat comes in, but I think it's fun to use dog shaped cutters for dogs such as bones and hydrants, cat shaped for cats, consider mice, etc. If you'd like to make animal shaped cookies, but you don't have a cutter, try The Cookie Cutter Shop. They have cookie cutters in every shape you can imagine. Yes, I have Portuguese Water Dog shaped cutters.


When I bake cookies, I have lots of helpers in the kitchen waiting for them to come out of the oven. I've done the leg work for you and here are some of the best selections of recipes for pet treats that I could find online. We're are so lucky to have access to the internet. We can find recipes for so many individual pet needs. If your dog is vegetarian, or allergic to wheat there are special recipes for them. If your pet is diabetic or has trouble putting on weight, or has problems with fleas or bad breath, there are recipes just for them. And if Fido has been packing on the pounds this year, there are low fat recipes for him. So we have no excuse.

Bullwrinkle has the longest list of recipes that I found. They're listed alphabetically starting with Apple Cinnamon Drops all the way thru Wacky Wheat Treats. In between you'll find Cheesie Bacon Biscuits and Snickerpoodles.

Gourmet Sleuth has a shorter list, but some interesting choices such as Bread Machine Biscuits, Flea Hater Biscuits and Vegetarian Treats.



Dog Aware has divided their selection into liver treats and non liver treats. My dogs aren't crazy about liver (I 'm not either), but in the non liver section I plan to try the Salmon Cookies. Another interesting choice is Sunflower Cookies. They also have recipes for dogs with allergies and recipes that are low fat/ low protein/ low phosphorus ( for dogs with kidney disease).



Hungry Mutt offers Banana Biscotti and Doggie Heaven (made with sardines), among others. We'll be making the sardine cookies. My dogs love sardines and eat them weekly.

Daily Drool includes Peanut Butter Basset Biscuits ( are you paying attention Sissy?) and Pet Party Mix.
Yummy For Dogs divides their recipes into several categories; biscuits, desserts and entrees. They also have recipes for bird food, wildlife food and rat and mouse food.

Cooks Recipes have some unique recipes. For cats they offer Mackeral Cat Munchies and for dogs you can choose from Beagle Bagels, Fatten'em Ups, Fussy Eater and Microwave Doggy Donuts.



Young Williams Animal Center offers recipes for Wheatfree Salmon Treats, Bad Breath Banishers, Wheatfree Scotty Biscuits and Milk Bone Dog Biscuits among many others.



Dragon Bear has some tasty offerings such as Dog and Cat Cookies, Carob Treats, Pumpkin Patch Biscuits and Bacon Biscuits.

Finally, Sugar Mama Baking has some wonderful choices such as Bacon Grease Doggy Cookies. That may not sound wonderful to you, but bacon grease is great for the coat. Flea Repel Doggy Cookies, and Baby Food Doggy Treats are also there.


This one is called Cheddar Doggy Biscuits. Don't they look good enough to taste? I used to make some similar for Monty and he liked them so much that he stole a whole sheet full, the one and only time he ever stole food.

I can hear you saying, "Is it worth it? I can buy a bag of treats." Yes, you can, but if you bake some treats you'll see responses like these.....


Samba


Norma Jean


Bailey


Fudge

Now isn't it worth a little time to see such happy pups? I have not personally tried any of these recipes, although I plan to. I will be posting a couple of my old favorites on my other blog, The Portuguese Water Blog, in the next couple days. If you decide to make some of these recipes, please let us know how you liked the recipe. Were they easy, did they turn out well and most importantly, did your pet like them? Your experience can help the rest of us choose which ones to try.

Here Come The Holidays - Part 5: Safety Tips

The most important thing we can give our pets and the rest of our family, too, is a safe holiday. None of us want to spend any part of our holidays in the emergency room. There are some simple things to keep in mind to ensure that we all get to enjoy our time together. Most of them are familiar, but there may be one or two that have slipped our minds.


One of the most important things to remember is that pets and candles don't mix. Always supervise pets when candles are in use. It's amazing how high dogs can climb to check out something of interest and cats, of course, can go almost anywhere. Birds that are allowed to fly freely can receive nasty burns.

We all know that some plants are toxic to pets. Poinsettia, while it won't kill your cat or dog, can cause burns to the mouth and throat. Mistletoe can be deadly and pine needles can puncture an animal's intestines.

Here's one that may be a surprise. Did you know that many snowglobes contain antifreeze. Only a very little can kill a good sized dog very quickly.


Animals, like children, are attracted to the shiny ornaments on the tree. These look like balls to a dog or cat, but the broken glass can cause injury to paws and mouth.


Dogs and especially cats think tinsel looks like fun to play with. They're attracted by the light and the movement. It can cause intestinal blockage if eaten and the metal strips can cut the mouth and throat. It's wise to keep glass ornaments and tinsel high on the tree, out of reach of pets. It's a no brainer to keep cords tucked away and to unplug lights when you leave the house.

We all like to indulge in special treats during the holiday season and our pets are no different. We need to be careful and monitor what they consume.

Alcohol is a no no for pets. Many dogs and cats are attracted to the sweet smell, but it can be extremely toxic to them. Don't leave empty drink glasses on low tables where Fido can reach them to do a pre-wash.

We all know the list of toxic foods for dogs - chocolate, grapes and raisins, coffee and tea and macadamia nuts. Don't forget that uncooked yeast dough can expand in the stomach or intestines causing a rupture.

Some people haven't heard about xylitol. It's an artificial sweetener used in some gums, breath mints, candy and other human foods. It is extremely toxic and can kill quickly. If your dog likes to raid visitors purses looking for gum (my boxer had this nasty habit) be aware and keep an eye on him. Just one stick of gum sweetened with xylitol can kill.


Why don't my cookies ever look this good? Remember that pets, like children, can overindulge during the excitement of the holidays. It's fine to want to share out special dinners our treats with our pets, but use good judgement and ration their treats. They'll be just as happy with one of their own treats as they will with a frosted cookie.

This is a good time to check smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other safety devices. Be sure to keep batteries in a safe place where pets can't get to them.

If Fido or Fluffy does get into something, keep these numbers handy:

ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435

Pet Poison Hotline 800-213-6680

If you're traveling for the holiday and taking the family pet with you,be sure to check ahead for the address and phone number of the pet emergency room near your destination. Planning ahead could save a life.

Now enjoy the holidays with your pets, knowing you've taken steps to ensure their safety.