Get Ready To Smile!

I bet when you think of a Scottie, you all think of a little black dog. Right? Well, would it surprise you to know that Scotties come in other colors? According to the AKC standard they can be "Black, wheaten or brindle of any color".

Here is a brand new litter of wheaten Scottie pups welcomed by Rocky Creek Scotties.


This is their Dad, Piper.


This is Mom, Carrleigh, with her babies.


This is Hamish.


This is Angus.


Meet Dugan.


Introducing Finlay.


This is Henry.


This is Sophie's Scarlett Sage. What a long name for such a little girl.


The blur is Jasmine. I know from experience that this one is going to be a real mover. My Bailey was a blur, too.


Say hello to Ciara.


And finally, meet Snickers.


What a beautiful little family. If you didn't smile looking at all those puppies, you need a good night's sleep.

Meet Our New Sister

This is Sasha. She's a yellow Lab and was once a rescue.


This is Ernie. He's a Schnoodle and he was a rescue, too.

Ernie and Sasha are best friends. Recently their Mom told them that they were going to help her foster a little dog that didn't have a family. They were going to let her live with them and play with them until a new family came along to adopt her.


Then she brought home Chica.


At first Chica wasn't sure how to behave and get along with Ernie and Sasha, but very soon they became good friends. Chica became such an important part of the family, that Mom and Dad decided to adopt her and make her a permanent part of the family.


Now Ernie has a full time playmate.


Chica and Ernie love to race around chasing each other.


And when Chica gets tired of playing, she and Sasha can take naps together.

And then guess what happened? Mom and Dad decided to foster again and brought home Milli.

Milli is looking for her forever home, but in the meantime she's the perfect size to play with Chica. Congratulations to the whole family. What a happy ending for everyone.

New Dog On The Blog

We have a new dog to welcome to the blogging family. Meet Cricket!!


Isn't he a cutie?

When Kathy lost her beloved Huck, she knew she wanted another dog in her life, but it took a while to find the perfect fit. She checked out the shelters, but she didn't make that special connection, till she met Cricket.



What a sweet little guy. I have a special fondness for black dogs, eight of mine are black, but did you know that black dogs are the least adopted from shelters and the most euthanized? The statistics are appalling. Cricket is a lucky boy, he found his safe, loving happy forever home. Congratulations, Kathy, you made a great choice.

Dog Tags

This is a good time to check your pet's ID tags. Are they still attached to the collar? Are they still legible? Have you moved or changed your phone number and forgotten to update the tags?

Maybe you'd like to get your best friend a fancy new tag just because you love him. Dog tags come in lots of materials, stainless, brass, plastic, enamel and others. They come in pretty colors and designs. They're now a fashion statement as well as a safety feature.

I get our tags at Boomerang Tags. They're not fancy, some are stainless and some are brass, but I've found that they are deeply engraved and the writing remains legible longer than any other tags we've used. Several of our dogs have medical conditions and I have those plus their vet's phone number engraved on the backs.


There are lots of other options for the well dressed pet. Here are just a few.
Good Dog Tags has a huge selection of designs. They have animal, nature, abstract, celestial and holiday designs. Check them out.
This is just a small sampling of their designs.




Red Dingo Dog Tags are stainless steel and enamel. They have a large selection of colors and designs. They also have some adorable cat ID tags featuring fish , mice, flowers, etc.


They're perfect for any size dog.


Some of the prettiest tags I've seen come from By Nicola. These are all handmade and are stainless with copper or silver.


There are a number of designs available.



Pet Expectations have a variety of shapes and colors available.

They also have some devices that are perfect for the lucky dog that has several collars.

This handy item is called the Nite Ize Pet Tag Holder. If you like to change your dog's collar with the seasons or to match your outfit, this makes it easy to just snap off the tags and switch them to another collar.


This is the Cetacea Tag It. It also holds the tags and clips onto the collar for easy removal.




Calling All Dogs have a lot of unique designs in various metals and colors. These are just a few of the styles they offer.



Be sure that the tags you buy are engraved and not stamped. The lettering on stamped tags will rub off from constant wear and won't provide the protection you're looking for. Check the tags frequently for legibility.

Even the very best tag won't protect your pet if it can't be read or if the pet loses it. Microchipping offers the best protection. If your dog or cat dashes out the door without it's collar when the UPS man knocks, a microchip can help him find his way back home safely. It's inexpensive and relatively painless and lasts for the life of the pet.

Happy tag shopping. It's like buying pretty jewelry for our pets, with a very practical purpose. Let us know if you have a favorite place to buy tags. We'll share with everyone.

Dogs That Work - Literacy Dogs

There are lots of ways that dogs help people. They see for people with vision problems, they hear for those who can't and they help those who are unable to move around on their own by performing many useful tasks. But do dogs help us read? The answer is yes.



There are several organizations that use dogs to help children learn to read.



One of the organizations is R.E.A.D. Reading Education Assistance Dogs.
It is designed to improve childrens' reading and communication skills by having the children read to a dog.



The idea is that dogs are non-judgmental don't criticize and don't laugh if you make a mistake. Besides, it's fun to read to a dog. Have you tried it?

The program was started in 1999 by Sandi Martin and her Portuguese Water Dog, Olivia (You knew I had to slip that in there), and was the first such program in the country.



R.E.A.D. was so successful that there are now other similar programs all across the country. Reading With Rover is one that began on the west coast.


Handlers take their dogs into schools, libraries, pediatric clinic waiting rooms,after school latch-key programs, hospitals, detention centers and boys and girls clubs. They are also useful in programs where children are learning English as a second language.



The handler sits with the child and dog to assist and assess how well the child comprehends what he or she is reading. This is done by asking the child to explain to the dog what was read.



The results of these programs have been positive. The children become more self confident, they show more interest in reading on their own for fun, reading scores improve and hygiene improves. All in all the children demonstrate higher self esteem.



Reading therapy dogs must meet certain qualifications. They must be registered therapy dogs. You can begin by attending a basic obedience course with your dog. The next step is passing the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test which was discussed on an earlier Dogs-N-More post. Then contact either Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International for specific directions on becoming a registered therapy dog. They will assist you in finding an instructor in your locale.



Once you and your canine partner have fulfilled the requirements, there are many possibilities open to you for making a difference in the lives of others. Most therapy teams find their work not only rewarding, but a lot of fun. What a great way to spend quality time with your dog.

Choosing A Vet

Are you happy with your vet? Does he listen to you? Does he answer your questions? Does he explain things in understandable terms? Does he demonstrate how to give treatments? Will he make referrals? Will he do research and make phone calls for additional information? How does he handle your pet? What about the staff? Are they friendly and helpful? Are they interested in your pet?


One additional question that Samba insists I post, does he have a supply of good treats within easy access?

If you are looking for a new vet, there are some things you might want to consider. Is the facility clean and well organized? Request a tour of the facility at a time when they are least busy.

How many veterinarians are in the practice? Who covers if your vet is unavailable? Check their licenses.


Does the vet have special interests such as dentistry, geriatrics, etc?


Is the staff caring, calm, competent and courteous and do they communicate effectively?
When we lived in Maryland we had a vet we liked a lot and he was good with our dogs, but the staff was so unfriendly and difficult to deal with that we changed vets.

Are x-rays, ultrasound, bloodwork, EKG and other diagnostics done in house or referred to a specialist? If not done in-house, where is it done?


What emergency services are available. If an emergency vet is recommended, which one do they use and how well do they communicate?

Discuss fees. Is there a multi-pet discount. Will they price match on medications or will they write prescriptions so you can shop around for the best price?
With ten dogs, it's necessary for me to shop for the best price. For awhile we did price matching, but now my vet writes prescriptions for maintenance drugs such as heartworm preventative.


Does the vet speak to your pet and act as if he really likes the animal?
At one time we had a vet who acted as if he was afraid of dogs. Obviously we went elsewhere.

You want to build a good relationship with your vet. There are some responsibilities the owner must accept in order to keep that relationship running smoothly.

See your vet regularly for preventive visits, not just when your animal is sick.

Learn what is normal for your pet so you can recognize the early signs of illness. Remember you know your pet best. If you think something is wrong, seek medical help and insist on the proper tests being done. Trust your instincts.

Schedule appointments and be on time. When you enter the office be sure your animal is confined with a leash or a carrier.

Don't expect your vet to make a diagnosis over the phone.

Discuss the treatment with your vet and follow the agreed upon treatment. If you don't follow thru with medication or other treatment, you can't expect the vet to make your pet well.


Write down your questions ahead of time and if necessary write down the answers as you talk with the vet.

Take a friend along. Two sets of ears are better than one. They might catch something you missed.

Ask lots of questions. If you don't understand the directions or the reason for something, ask about it. Ask to be shown how to administer meds, such as eye drops. A good vet will be happy to teach you how.

Remember, you are the advocate for your pet. His life is in your hands. Choose a vet you are comfortable with and who shows real concern for your pet.

Pets and Allergies

Hello out there! I am still alive and well...

We've spent the last few weeks on another adventure with Sissy. We now have a new to us vet with a special interest in nutrition and digestive issues, a new diet (for the dogs, thanks much) and we might finally be making progress on Sissy's life-long problem with her anal glands. Along the way, our friend AllyB and her dog Sam introduced us to allergy testing for pets. Her vet used The Spectrum Group, but I'd love to hear any experiences you've had with similar services and/or other types of allergy testing for pets.

(See that super-pink belly?! That's not ideal... no wonder the girl always wants someone to rub her belly.)

I'll be asking New Vet about the blood testing on Monday when the girls go in for follow-up on Sissy and a "meet and greet" plus annual exam for Gretchen. I've had a dog with seasonal allergies and he spent his last years on assorted allergy pills, but this is a whole new adventure for me. How many of you have had pets with allergies, and what sorts? How did you manage them?