Time for Another Change

 Brad Smith Photography

My pet parent had a doggone great time at BlogPaws over the weekend.  She was in the company of pet bloggers such as Tom Collins, Ken from DogFiles and Yvonne who never stopped smiling.

Now "Mom" is on fire to change the format of my blog once again.  The first blog was eaten by a nasty virus and she doesn't feel this platform has all the bells and whistles that I deserve so there may be a hiccup along the way before you see our postings again.

I may be getting older but I am wise enough to learn new tricks to blogging for your benefit. It is time for another change. See you in my new blog, same domain.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

BlogPaws is for Pet Parents Who are Passionate About All Pets

BlogPaws is drawing my pet parent away from home for the weekend.  She is anxious to make new friends and learn more ways to make my blog fun and educational...do those two words really go together?

I have been told that there will be a lot of giveaways too so I have instructed my pet parent to take an extra suitcase to bring them home.  I am an excellent product tester. Watch for our pet product reviews when she gets back.

In the meantime, I will have to keep my pet sitter and my "dad" entertained. No sleeping on the couch this weekend!

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Pet Parent Panics When Dog Has Seizure

 Would your pet parent panic if you had a seizure?  Mine did, but only momentarily.  I have not wanted to write about this because it happened to me.  But since this blog is all about you, I thought that I better share some information so that your pet parent can respond appropriately.

From the description that "Dad" gave to "Mom" who was not present when the event occurred, she feels that I had a grand mal seizure.  It's the first time for me and hopefully the last.  

Dad reacted by cleaning the froth away from my mouth and massaging my chest.  He thought that he was losing me.  Once back on all fours, I ran around the house like a buzzing bee flies and barked and howled, frenzied and disoriented. After 15 minutes, I settled back down.  Mom arrived home and took me out into the dark night to cool down.


It's been a little over two weeks now and Mom says it is like my electrical button has been reset. I am calmer, more focused and no longer wash my legs down to my skin. She wonders if I could have avoided this with more regular visits to the holistic vet that lives over 3 hours away.


Mom is using a holistic approach with nosodes and the healing codes at this point.  We may never know what triggered the seizure. Hopefully, that trigger will never be pulled again.


Have your pet parent comment on their experiences with pets that have seizures.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Scent Training for Dogs - Step by Step Mind Game

Scent training for dogs can be  as simple as a step-by-step mind game.  The weather outside here in the Mid Atlantic states is heavy downpours with flood alerts.  My pet parent just gave me a bath so I am not about to get muddy again so soon.  


Fortunately, a positive pet trainer, Pamela Johnson, has come to the rescue with this game that we can play even after the sun starts to shine again. This is a great excuse for your pet parent to reward you with treats! Do you think you can get them to play this game with you? Let us know whether you thought this was fun.


Enjoy this pet video:

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Let's Bark at Cars!

Let's bark at cars!  The Pet Safety Lady Christina Selter of Bark Buckle UP published the 2010 Top Ten Pet Safe Awards after attending the Chicago Auto show.


I have used seat belts and occupied crates while traveling with my pet parent. An unrestrained pet can be a hazard in an accident in many ways.  Christina tells us that a 60-pound dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, a windshield, or another passenger. Of course, rescue workers might be attempting to care for our pet parents first and our injuries or protective behavior would add to the drama.


My pet parent has seen posters of dogs that have been lost after their pet parents have been in an accident.  Some pets are never found or they may have been hit by another car.  It always amazes me to see pets still traveling unrestrained in the back of pickup trucks!

A little kitten climbed out of the cardboard box it was riding in and parked itself under the brake pedal of the car my then teenage pet parent was driving.  I am glad I didn't hear that squeal as the car was going down a long, steep hill with no braking power due to the little body wedged underneath the pedal.


A recent statistic shows that 50% of dog owners consider their pet's comfort when buying a car.  That's true in my case too.  I travel around in a Honda Element.  


Watch this pet video of why the Honda Element rocks!

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Have you Met This Celebrity Dog Trainer?

Suryia and Roscoe

Have you met Suryia, the celebrity dog trainer at the T.I.G.E.R.S. sanctuary in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina? Well, the story is making the rounds around the internet.  I have not been able to sniff out the truth, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so I will let you be the judge of  the accuracy of this viral story.

Apparently Suryia was not doing well at the rescue center.  He had no purpose in life.  His prayers were answered when an old, emaciated hound dog wandered in.  The staff named the dog Roscoe.

Suryia was drawn to Roscoe from the moment he arrived and stayed with him night and day while Roscoe regained his health.  Now the two are inseparable and really ham it up for the photographers. They play in the water together and hang out in the tree house...and just hang out. 

Hamming it up for the camera

They each have a purpose now in living for each other.  Does your pet parent make sure you have a "job" so that you don't lay around behaving neurotically, chewing your nails or chasing your tail? Have them leave a comment on how you impact other lives.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Napping Makes Our Pet Parents Smarter

 Photo from FunnyUnderline

The importance of people napping to become smarter is quite the buzz now. My pet parent loves to nap when he comes home from work and then again before he goes to bed...well, okay, I am exaggerating a bit. He doesn't do it every night. 

People all over the world have known the value of napping but here in the United States if our pet parents are "caught napping" they could suffer severe repercussions on the job. Dr. Matthew Walker, a Berkeley psychologist, claims that it all happens in a part of the brain which temporarily stores "fact-based memories." When pet parents nap, they clear out the memories so that they have room to take in more.  I wonder if that is the same as clearing the cobwebs from your brain which is the way our grand pet parents talked about the process.


So how does this memory stuff relate to us as pets? A writer for PetPlace reports that our memory banks need periodic purging and reorganization during sleep too. After we attend 5 weeks of training classes, our pet parents observe that we act like we have not learned anything at all.  Actually, our lessons are just going from short-term memory to long-term memory.  I wonder if the process would happen sooner if we took naps halfway through class...but then we would miss all the fun.


Does your pet parent feel that naps make them smarter? Have them leave a comment.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia