Connie's Blog

Wag The Flag

Happy Canada Day! Happy 4th of July!

It’s time to celebrate freedom and be grateful for the opportunities provided us in these wonderful countries we live in. So get out and celebrate the day with your furry best friend... whether it’s watching a parade, relaxing at the ball game, a backyard barbeque or simply hanging out at the beach... have fun, be safe (see fireworks tips below) and make sure there’s plenty of food and drink for the both of you to enjoy. If you need some help with the menu, why not give our Patriot’s Picnic lunch a try?  If you need some relax'n ideas, take a cue from my dog Kaya getting some R & R at the seashore. She’s just come in from a refreshing ocean swim and then hogged my towel before I could get there. Of course it's all wet now and smells like dog... she may be old, but she's just as crafty as ever!

Fireworks always play a part in Canada Day/Independence Day festivities and with most dogs fearful of the sudden bursts of light and loud explosions, keep your best friend safe and happy with these helpful tips from the Humane Society of the United States.

Casting Call: Underdog to Wonderdog

Here at Modern Dog our motto is, "make rescue your first choice". Overcrowded shelters house countless homeless dogs that are awaiting their chance of a forever home. If you've been thinking about sharing your safe, warm home with a pooch in need of some tender loving care AND would like a chance at being casted in Animal Planet's "Underdog to Wonderdog" television series, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!!

Sharp Entertainment is casting for the second season of the Underdog to Wonderdog TV series that pairs abandoned shelter dogs with loving and deserving families. Guided by the expertise of their Wonder Team, these once neglected and forgotten shelter dogs will be transformed and given a second chance at life by being placed in loving and caring homes.

Not only will the pooches undergo an amazing transformation - so will the families and their homes with a special doggie make-over that insures the home and family are ready to welcome their new canine member.

They are looking for charismatic, enthusiastic and energetic families and individuals - who have a unique, sentimental, or powerful emotional reason to want to bring a dog into their lives.  But above all else, they are looking for caring people who have a lot of love to give and are truly serious about giving a shelter or rescued dog a "forever" home.

Sharp Entertainment is looking for families in the New York area immediately. This includes New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, and Pennsylvania. If you know a kind, loving person that would like to adopt a dog please email them today! Also, make sure to check them out on the web at http://animal.discovery.com/tv/underdog-to-wonderdog/

 The hosts of Underdog to Wonderdog:

Hurray, It's Take Your Dog To Work Day!!!

One of the best perks of working at Modern Dog is everyone here gets to bring their dogs to work with them every day. We don't have to worry about them pining away for us, lonely or anxious while we're at the office. Rather, they have their beds parked beside our desks and we can take them out for walks and bathroom breaks as required. And on those days where deadlines require burning some extra hours at the office, we don't suffer qualms of guilt or nervousness wondering whether our delayed return home will cause our dogs harm.  

It's well documented that dogs in the workplace help reduce stress (i.e., lower blood pressure and heart rate) and as well decrease absenteeism. Here's an interesting fact for you, 40% of Modern Dog readers bring their dogs to work with them (19.2% every day; 20.8% once in a while), while 54.4% of our readers would take a lesser paying job for the privilege of being able to bring their dog to work with them.

Wish you could take your dog to work with you, too? Well then, today is your day! Now in its eleventh year, Take Your Dog To Work Day was created for the purpose of showing your dog-less co-workers what wonderful companions dogs make and encourage them to adopt a dog themselves from a shelter or rescue organization. Thousands of businesses throughout the world will be participating in this event... if you missed the boat this year and didn't plan ahead, start planning early for next year's event. You will, of course, need your employer's consent/cooperation and you'll want to make sure you've got your co-workers on board with the idea too.

First and foremost you'll want to make sure Scruffy is well-groomed, fresh smelling and good-mannered. You'll also want to make sure that he gets some regular bathroom breaks so there won't be any embarrassing mishaps on the office floor. To be on the safe side we recommend having the appropriate cleaning supplies on hand "just in case". For more ideas on how to plan a successful dog-on-the-job day, visit Pet Sitter's official Take Your Dog To Work Day site.

Here are a few of our 2008 Take Your Dog to Work Day photo contest winners

Doubledog Design's Art Director and staff Beagle hard at work

Photo-assistant Buffy hard at work at Jeffrey Photo Studio, Nesconset, NY

Tokyo and Cairo at the board meeting

And here's my dog, Kaya, clock-watching for snack time 

Connie & Kaya Appeal For Your Help

We've all been hearing that our oceans are in trouble with fish stocks declining as a result of pollution, logging, over-fishing and climate change. I therefore find it unbelievable that my government would consider applications that would enable two more fish farms to operate in an environmentally sensitive area (opposite each other in narrow Sunderland Channel where it meets Johnstone Strait).

In spring, millions of juvenile salmon will have to run through or alongside these fish farms en route to open water. For those who are unaware, the danger to these juvenile fish is that they are prey to sea lice and viruses that run rampant when large concentrations of farmed fish are contained within nets in "our" waters. If pathogens don't kill them the sea lice probably will (sea lice attach themselves to the Salmon Fry, weakening then killing them). See photo below:

"Fish farms should be taken out of our oceans and reinvented on land where the pollution and negative environmental effects can be controlled. "

Please do your part and help us save our sea life by voting against these fish farm applications:

The voting box is on the upper right hand side of the page at http://www2.canada.com/courierislander/index.html

Please also help wildlife advocate Alexandra Morton by signing her letter at http://www.adopt-a-fry.org/ asking that the Fisheries Act be applied to fish farms as it is to all other marine activities.  If there are enough people raising their voices reason will be brought to bear on this situation.  

Full details are provided in Alexandra Morton's email below:

Omar's a New Doggie Daddy

To my delight when I walked into the office on Monday morning there was a cute-as-a-button puppy there to greet me.  Just over two months old, miniature Dachshund Neo, quickly made himself at home and soon had all of us wrapped around his little finger (or should I say paw?). With my old girl, Kaya pushing 16 years now and slowing down (her main interests are eating, sleeping and barking), you forget just how funny puppies can be with their sudden leaps in the air, tail-chasing, falling over their feet, insatiable curiosity and all-round joy of life.

So, on that note, I introduce this sweet little guy. Here's a picture I snapped today of new doggie daddy, Omar with baby Neo.

Woofstock - Coming Live This Weekend!!

If you live in the vicinity of Toronto, Ontario then get on down to the St. Lawrence market neighbourhood this weekend (June 13^th and 14^th) for the best dog-gone party ever. North America’s largest festival for dogs, this one-of-a-kind, two-day event is not to be missed! Admission is free, dogs are of course welcome, plus there are all kinds of fun stage events including contests like ugliest dog, dog tricks, best costume… just to mention a few. With more exhibitors than you can “shake a stick at” you’re guaranteed to come away laden with the latest and greatest of everything “dog”, not to mention tons of freebies and it's SO MUCH FUN!!

Don’t forget to stop by the Modern Dog booth to say “hi” and pick up your free Modern Dog bandanna.

Here are some fun pictures from last year’s event:

Weiner Dog Song

If you're a Dachshund lover, this video/song  will bring a smile to your face!

Click on this link to see the video.

 And speaking of Dachshunds, here's a picture of  Esther Louisa Rose, a Doxie near and dear to my heart...

Yummy Frosty Paws Recipe

The sun's supposed to be shining bright and sunny in my little corner of the world this weekend, so when Suzi Beber from Smiling Blue Skies emailed me with her Frosty Paws recipe I thought it was a perfect time to share this with you. Refreshing and nutritious, with almost limitless combinations as you choose and mix nutritious ingredients, Frosty Paws will have Rover barking for more (kids of the human variety love them too!).

Here's the recipe, if you have any particularly good combinations you'd like to share, let me know!

Frosty Paws

1 small container of plain or vanilla yogurt  (175 grams/4ounces)
1 ripe banana
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) filtered water

Blend ingredients, using a food processor or blender.  Freeze in ice cube trays, and then transfer to Ziploc freezer bags, for easy storage. Molds can also be used, or small Dixie cups.  If using Dixie cups, fill them 2/3 full, to allow for expansion.  A large measuring cup, makes filling trays, cups, or molds, very easy.  Frosty Paws are great for teething puppies.

In place of regular yogurt, why not give goat milk yogurt a try?  Goat milk has 13% less lactose than cow milk, and because its milk particles are small, goat milk is very easy to digest.  Goat milk fatty acids have a unique metabolic ability to limit cholesterol deposits in body tissues. Compared to cow's milk, goat milk has similar amounts of protein, fat, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin D, but has more natural vitamin A, and more vitamin B.

Remember, you can use any kind or combination of fruits to make your Frosty Paws, or use a medley of vegetables instead.  Banana strawberry is a yummy combination, or how about fresh cranberries, or, one of the very best sources of antioxidants . . . blueberries.

Many dogs absolutely love wheat grass, so how about making your canine buddy a super Frosty Paw treat, combining wheat grass (1 teaspoon per ice cube) and homemade broth or filtered water.  Wheat grass juice is a concentration of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll.  One ounce of wheat grass juice is the equivalent of more than two and a half pounds of leafy green vegetables.  Isn't that amazing!

Here are some other similar combinations for you to try.  Preparation remains the same.

1 large container of plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt (1 litre/32 ounces)
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons peanut butter, with no added salt or sugar
2 tablespoons honey (optional - This is a great time to try Manuka Honey aka "the healing honey.")

OR

1 large container of plain or fruit bottom yogurt
2 ripe bananas
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

OR

1 large container of plain yogurt
1 cup pure pumpkin pureé
1/8 teaspoon carob powder (a big pinch)

OR

2 cups melon, e.g., seedless watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe  (Mango and Passionfruit are also doglicious!)
2 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons honey (optional)

OR

2 cups applesauce, with no added sugar
2 cups filtered water
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon ( a big pinch)

For other cool summer eats, check out these treat ideas.

Have a great weekend!!