You light up my life: Lighted collar cover, is it worth it?

So recently my beloved Steeler jumped out yet another window into the freedom of the front yard., The front yard, where only Chance and Casey are allowed access because they are not likely to look for broken fence pickets and push their bodies through to get to the street, and if by chance either were smart enough to do so, they would just run down the driveway and head to my mother’s for some tea and crumpets. Steeler, who if were female, I would have to name Elsa because he thrives on being ‘Born Free’ and is a dog with a different story. If you have read my past posts you surely would have heard all the stories of his attempts to seek greener grasses. My thanks go out to my many thoughtful neighbors, who when once they spot him in their yard and realize he is not a black bear passing through the neighborhood, gladly grab him and walk him home or wait patiently, sometimes clad in pajamas, on their front lawns grasping his collar until they see the familiar blue van driving slowly down the street calling his name.

I have to say he is good at his game. I thought I had secured every window he would possibly try to get out of but I certainly did not anticipate that he would actually resort to moving large pieces of furniture in an attempt to break out. He has become a bit more thoughtful though as he stopped busting through the screens and is now considerate enough to push the screens up as he does the windows. This is why when you pass my house you will either see no screen or a screen that has been pushed up half way.
His latest romp took him walking in the middle of a fairly busy road not far from home. A neighbor, which I had never met until that night, happened to be traveling that dark busy road with his children and when he stopped and opened his van door for Steeler, Steeler gladly jumped in, at which point the family took him home.

In the mean time, I am traveling down many neighborhood roads with a wee flashlight trying to find a black dog in the black of the night with my heart slowly moving up toward my throat. I always seem to start panicking right around the 15 minute mark when one of my dogs has gone missing as I am gripped with fear that I am going to find them hurt, or worse, on the side of the road.

While driving I suddenly I heard my cell phone ring and it was my neighbor Deb.
“Sally, there’s a guy and his kids walking Steeler to your house, they just passed here so they should be there shortly.”

Thank God! I thought. “Okay, thanks Deb.” I said as I quickly headed for home. That Deb, she knows everything!

Upon pulling up in front of my house I saw a gentleman and his two young boys braving the first frigid winds of the winter trying to manipulate the crotchety old gate lock attached to the crotchety old fence that lines my front yard. A feat that is hard enough to do in the daytime let alone in the dark of night.

I pulled the van up as close to them as I could and jumped out.
“Thank you!” I said with a big sigh of relief as Steeler practically pulled the man’s arm off trying to get to my van. “Where did you find him?” I asked.

“Hi.” the gentleman said. “He was walking in the middle of Sunbury Road. We stopped, opened the car door and he jumped in. We got home and I saw his tags and called our neighbor Lynn and she told me where he lived.”

The wind was whipping now as the three of them stood amongst the cold poorly shoveled walkway to my home. The little boys had their heads tucked deeply into their hoods, but it offered little comfort. I put Steeler in the back of the van and closed the door. The wind whipped a bit more as the three started for home.

“Where do you live?” I asked. “I have no back seats in my van for obvious reasons, but you could pile into the front seat.”
“No, that’s okay, we’re just around the corner.” The man said as they disappeared from sight.

Could it have been Santa and his little Elves doing a good deed? Surely for me it was.


It is I believe, Steeler’s Therapy Dog tags that are his saving grace, because surely he would go with anyone who opened their car door to him and probably would happily spend the rest of his life with whomever!

Why is this whole story pertinent to begin with? Well it was the first time Steeler had gotten out of the yard during the dark of night and I just then realized how hard he was to find in such darkness, and if I could not see him, what chance did a moving vehicle stand of spotting him on a darkened highway?

Hence the next day I went in search of a reflective collar. A normal collar would not do because of Steeler’s long hair and tri fold neck. Nope, we had to find something that would stand out so he could be seen from a distance and something that would not be pulled off during play like one of the flashing collar tags you hook to the loop near the license. Someone suggested reflective tape from a hardware store and that may work for some dogs but my guys can get pretty rough and tumble and I thought that would peal too easily.

Enter the Lighted Collar Cover by Top Paw. It is about seven inches long; it has three Velcro attachments (top, middle, & bottom) and can fit on any large collar. But again my dilemma was the long hair and skin folds around Steelers neck making his collar not so visible. Solution? Attach it to his harness!

The lighted collar has three settings, fast flashing, slower flashing or no flashing, just light. The switch to change settings is a push button inside the cover, but you don’t have to open the cover to do so. The cost was $7.99 at PetSmart and well worth the money. Even when the collar cover is turned off there is still a reflective look to it so I feel it would still be picked up by car headlights. It runs on a lithium watch battery which is easy enough to replace when needed. All I have to do is remember to turn it on at night! Oh and lock all windows!

If you are a late night/early morning walker, jogger or fresh air freak and you enjoy outside time with your dog I would highly suggest this item.

This gets all paws up, way up, from this dog mama! To see this product work go to my you tube site here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV8tqJ_qNqk

U Groom self cleaning slicker brush

A Pin Brush by any other name is still a pin brush!

Over the summer Peter and I attended a dog show at the Bloomsburg fairgrounds, the same dog show in fact where I bought my lawn carpet that I used for the dogs during fair week. I also bought a retractable pin brush for ten dollars. The gentleman who sold it to me did not have one available made for giant breed dogs which probably means it would just be a little bigger than the one I ended up getting and cost about five dollars more. Now for those of you who use a pin or slicker brush you know how much it hurts when you go to clean the brush and one of the pins gets stuck under your fingernail. I liken it to the annoying but still very sore for days, paper cut which I am sure everyone has had. Sometimes the pins are bent the wrong way from over use and sometimes they just fall out of the brush totally sticking under you nail or in your skin when you try to break the dog’s hair free of it. Eventually once it is that worn you need to throw it out before the dog gets hurt as well.

The retractable pin brush was made to alleviate the sore fingers and hands buy the press of a button which pulls the pins into a plastic compartment and the hair falls freely into the trash as there is nothing holding it to the brush. Is it worth the ten dollars? Well, as stated, I got the brush made for a medium to large dog, not one made for gargantuan dogs with two and three layers of very thick fur, however no matter the size in width of a pin brush, a good one will still get through layers of hair. I first tried it on my Newfoundland Chance, and a hairy fellow he is! While it got the hair on the outer coat alright, it did very little for the undercoat, certainly it did not get deeper than my regular slicker brush which cost half the price and which will probably last just as long, providing that that no one uses the handle for a chew toy! .

Next I tried it on my Golden Retriever Casey. Casey’s hair is quite a bit thinner than Chance’s is but there were a couple of spots where the hair was long and had begun to knot a bit. While it did fine on Casey’s shorter hair, there was still a problem when it came to the feathers along his legs. The brush did not seem to get deep enough into the fur without me separating it with my fingers.

I also found some problems with the push button that made the brush retract and release. I had to make sure it was locked in place. When I extended the pins even though I was sure i had locked it in place I had to have to fiddle with the button a little to get it to stay. I can see having trouble in the future with the button feature.

Again worth ten dollars? Well I suppose if your dog’s hair is short with a slight undercoat, and your fingers are full of pinholes then yes, you may want to pay the ten dollars. Me? I’ll invest in a sturdier slicker brush and a roll of gauze to wrap my fingers in! So it’s a two paws down from this big dog's view.

When are six dogs too many? An Erma Bombeck moment for Sally

When are six dogs too much?
Six dogs are too much when they all become ill at the same time, six dogs are too much when they all want to ride in the car together, six dogs are too much when you want to go on vacation, six dogs are too much when others bring their dogs over for a visit, six dogs are too much during mud season, six dogs are too much when your house is up for sale, and six dogs are too much when their main caretaker is down and out due to illness.

Having had at least six or more dogs most of my married life I have been hit with illness before usually lasting a day or two and while at the time it would seem the dogs were a pain in the neck I was still able to keep up with their needs, because really, who else would know what to do? Should I trust that the rest of the family knows which dog gets only brand A dog food and which gets only brand B or diarrhea will occur? Can I trust that each dog on medication will get the right medication or get their medication at all? Do I trust that all the water bowls will be filled both inside and outside? Can I trust them to put the dogs out in the correct pens? Can I trust they will even be let out at all if not reminded? Can I trust that the dog hair will be vacuumed up and cleaned off the counter tops and stove before a meal is made? Can I trust that sweeping, vacuuming, and floor washing will be done before they leave for the day?

I often wondered why my family rolled their eyes at me when I took the time to type out a 4 page letter on how to care for the dogs in my absence.

After recently taking a knock out punch from the Swine flu my questions were answered. Before I go on let me just say that one household acquiring six dogs was not the decision of one person. Puppies were brought home by just about all who lived here and many pups were even born here. So I wonder why one person is generally designated the dog’s constant caretaker. We all work, sure the hours are different, the places are different, the jobs themselves are different, but we are all still expected to keep up with a household regardless of what that entails. We all rake leaves, we shovel snow, we all mow the lawn, we fix fences, and clean for company, yet the poop scooping, the feeding, the brushing, the washing, and the medicine giving for the family dog or dogs seems to fall upon one person.

So if you are reading this and you are not the primary caretaker of the dogs, please know that the caretaker who writes those 4 pages of notes does so to make it easier on those that must take over the job. On the other hand, if you are the designated primary caretaker, don’t assume that all who live in the home automatically know what to do just because they live there. It’s one of those 50/50 things, ya know?

Swine Flu Day one: I am awakened from 14 hours of sleep as Bentley barks to go out. I get up, put on shoes, grab a leash and walk him to the pen. Come back, get the other dogs and walk them to the pen. Drink, eat, and ask hubby to fill water jugs because the dog’s free flowing water dishes have been put away for the winter and replaced by old tin buckets and bowls. Hubby fills up the jugs, I go back to bed, then wake to bring them back in, feed them, and check water bowls. For some reason are all extremely thirsty.

Sunday: day two: Awakened to dogs pacing back and forth around the bed, Bentley gives a light bark which says, “Wake up, wake up, I want to go out.” Hubby has gone grocery shopping as usual. Get up, put on shoes, put leash on Bentley and take to pen. Walk to kitchen; see water jugs filled from previous day on the counter, which explains why everyone was so thirsty the day before! Take the girls out to pen so hubby can get through back gate with grocery bags, and then bring out the jugs of water for dogs. Eat, drink, take meds and go back to bed. Wake, bring in dogs, feed dogs, give meds, fill water bowls, get ready for bed.

Monday: day three
First day of the work week, dogs pacing around bed, dogs barking, “Take me out!” I get up, put on shoes, get leash, take Bentley to pen, grab water jugs and bring girls to prospective pen. Let out remaining three dogs, drink, eat, sweep, vacuum, wash floors. Rest. Get up, get dog food ready, feed three dogs, bring in remaining dogs, give meds, and feed them. Ah, bed for the night.

Tuesday: day four.
Carry out water jugs, Put dogs in perspective pens, sweep, vacuum, wash floors. Drink, eat, take meds, and rest. Feeling a little better so get up and bread some pork chops for dinner, hardly believable I know. Rest, get dog’s food ready, bring in four dogs, feed, fill water bowls, and eat dinner. Bring in the girls, feed, give meds and try to relax.

An hour later, bang, bang ,bang, bang, Abby is smashing her paw against the kitchen gate.
“Abby, knock it off!” says hubby.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
“ABBY! STOP!” says hubby as he walks to the kitchen. “You’ve eaten and you got water, now knock it off!”
Hubby walks away.
Bang, bang, bang, bang! Slams Abby’s foot.
“ABBY!” boasts a voice with a slight annoyance from another room.
“I think she needs to go out.” I yell from my sick bed.
“No she doesn’t! She’s fine. Abby go lay down.” Hubby yells
“She hasn’t been out since she ate over an hour ago.” I suggest again.
Bang, bang, bang. Abby paws the gate again and I am now gripping my head between my hands!
Hubby gets up and lets her out.

Now, all of that aggravation could have been avoided had he only known her routine and remembered that she has a urinary incontinence problem to deal with!

Wednesday morning: Day five
I hear heavy thudded pacing up and down the hallway. I know it is Steeler, nothing about him is subtle. Ruff, ruff, says Bentley on the side of the bed. More heavy thudded pacing, and more ruff, ruff, ruff by Bentley. Then plop, bounce, bounce! On the bed jumps Casey with a shoe in his mouth, prancing all around my cold yet fever filled body that is hidden deep beneath my blankets. I know Casey very well, he does not have to go out, he is nervous that something between the dogs is about to happen and he carries this object in his mouth to tell the others he means no harm to anyone.

I get up, grab my shoe from Casey’s mouth, put the leash on Bentley, take him to the pen, get the girls and jugs of water, put them in their pen, and then call Casey to go out, just because I can! Then, Bam! What do my wandering eyes a see? A soft, dark brown, melted into the rug, lump of dog shit from a dog who was obviously not feeling well. I break out the paper towels and the Little Green rug cleaner, a more disgusting smelly scene I did not want to encounter while having Swine flu! ‘

Go to the bathroom, empty and clean the Little Green rug cleaner, go to the kitchen, pick up the dog mats and bam! Urine soaked kitchen floor. Throw the mats outside with the bag of shit and break out the bleach and start swabbing. Eat, drink, and rest. Get up feed dogs, give meds, fill water bowls, tell hubby how frustrating it was to wake up ill and have to clean such a mess , then off to bed for the night.

Thursday morning: day 6:

HOLY CRAP! I’ve slept until 10 AM and there is no noise! No barking, no pacing, no whining, no thudding, no bang, bang on the gate, just the faint tap, tap, tap, on a plastic mat of a dog trying to get comfortable! I slowly stick my head out from the covers fearful of wakening a whole brood of dogs and opening the floodgates which will make me have to jump up and take care of everyone at once and quickly! But no, the only one in the room is Casey and he lay comfortable on his plastic mat. I poke my head out of the bedroom door and glance down the hallway. Empty! Kitchen? Empty! SWEET! I stroll to the kitchen and grab some coffee, look out the kitchen window and see all the dogs in their appropriate places. Start up my computer and upon opening my email box I see, RE: “Good Morning” and it is from hubby. “Hope you are feeling better, all dogs out (except Casey) let the barking begin! Have a nice day.”

This past week has made me feel like I have been stuck in the movie Ground Hog Day. These little “inconveniences” are things I do on a daily basis but don’t give much forethought to until one day when I awake stricken with Swine flu. And this my friends, is definitely the answer to, “When are six dogs too many?” Oink, oink. Stick an apple in my mouth, I’m Done!

Obviously the moral here isn’t just that dogs are a pain in the ass when you’re ill, but it is about communication among the family and sharing responsibilities.

I do so hope that none of my loyal friends and readers get stuck with this dreaded illness, but if you do, hire someone to care for your dogs!

pig in a blanket

Canine capers is down for the moment due to the author having swine flu. However if anyone would like to post an article feel free to send it to my email. Funny stories are always welcome, dog product reviews or more serious topics. Everything will be copied and pasted just the way it was written.

Staying clean: ground mats

This year, as we do most every year, Peter and I went to the dog show at the Bloomsburg Fair grounds to see all the beautiful show dogs. While Newfy’s were the object of our desire, there were quite a few Great Danes and Bernese Mountain dogs that also captured our hearts. Of course, what is a dog show without vendors and we would be remiss if we did not stop and check out each one!

All the vendors were outside this year rather than inside the building so I was not sure if it was just because the day was nice or if for some reason there wasn’t any room for them inside. It was a warm sunny day so we stopped at each booth to browse and noticed that most of the booths had floor mats that covered the grass under their tents. The mats came in a variety of colors and designs and since I am not into showing dogs, but more into dog gazing, I was a bit perplexed but interested in these mats. So what does one do when they are perplexed about an item? Why they buy it of course! Well actually, they whine and pine over it until their significant other buys it for them!

So that was our big purchase for the day. We thought it would be a good idea to try it out at the upcoming Bloomsburg Fair event that Chance and Steeler would be a part of. Generally you can’t escape fair week without at least one day of rain and our hope was that the dogs could lie on the mat keeping their fur free from dirt and debris. The mat was encased in a handy carry case which was long and slim but not bulky at all.
When we got home from the dog show I unfolded the 6 x 9 mat which is made out of plastic, and laid it partially on top of the carpet and partially on top of the hardwood floor in my bedroom where the dogs and I spend most of our day. Yes, yes, picture them all nestled at my feet as I slave over my computer working and sipping coffee.

My thoughts on this mat? I love it! Not only does it keep the dog smell and hair off the carpet but it also protects my wood floors from dirty wet dogs! In fact I think I would like to get more of them for the other rooms in my home where the dogs and I spend time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to take the doggie smell off of your dog, only a bath will do that, but it should keep the odor from oozing into the weaves of your carpet.

I must admit, I was still unaware of what these mats were normally used for and why I never thought to ask the vendor I bought it from I don’t know, or maybe I did ask the vendor but just don’t remember, either scenario is possible! Aside from seeing the vendors using them under their tents that very day, I don’t think I ever noticed them anywhere else. So I asked my friend and co- worker Nancy, who knows much more about showing dogs than I do, what they were used for. She explained that they are laid on the ground under the x pens to keep show dogs free from not only dirt, but also broken glass, cigarette butts ( I guess a lot of show people smoke), and anything that may get caught up in the coat or paws. She also told me that while the mats were good for that purpose, many show dogs have been on them since they were pups and so the dogs also get used to eliminating on them. This can be a problem later when trying to house break the pups. Essentially the pups are learning to eliminate on floor covering so when pups are in the home, how are they to discern that mat from other floor coverings? This is a perfect example of people who potty train their older puppies on wee, wee pads or newspaper laid on the floor. To the pup, the carpet in the home then becomes just another floor covering to pee on. This is not to be confused with laying down papers when you are caring for a very young litter of pups as it is more sanitary to dispose of the waste in this manner. What I am talking about is when someone buys an eight week old pup and is too lazy to take the pup out every two hours so instead they lay down pads, then wonder why the dog has started eliminating on the carpet. An eight week old puppy is old enough to learn that the grass outside is for potty purposes.

Anyway, I digress, and lucky for me my dogs are already potty trained so here’s the message I mean to bring. This is a great mat to place over your carpet or hardwood floors. It keeps the carpet a bit cleaner, the hardwood floors a bit drier, it is light weight so it folds up fairly flat and easy when you need to put it away, and it can be used for any event where you need to keep the dog off of dirty ground. It rinses off with the hose and you can bleach it as well to get off any germs or viruses. Looking at the website I see it can be used for more than just a dog carpet. If you don’t have dogs, you can use it for picnics, camping, or the beach! I’m sure if you’re imaginative and like clean areas you can think of more uses!

After a week on the fairgrounds this mat got a heavy workout from fair foot traffic, and we’re talking hundreds of people walking on it, and it is still in good shape. Once the fair was over I hosed the mat down, let it dry, and back in my bedroom it went.

You can find these mats in dog catalogs and possibly at other dog events where there are vendors. I do believe I will be getting another one in the future! And yes this is a hint to my significant other or a shout out to my kids!

This product gets four paws up from me, until of course some study comes out saying that the plastic can cause cancer!
Mats for x pens http://www.dog-training.com/groundmat.htm

Who's your Daddy?

Who’s your Daddy?

A question came across my doggie desk from women who had a purebred Bernese Mountain dog which was in estrus and she mated it with another Bernese. The problem? Well, a Heinz 57 dog also got to her purebred dog so her question was, “If the male Bernese was the first to mate with her dog did that mean that he was most likely the father of the pups or could the mutt be the father and should she consider an abortion for the female.”

Thus the compilation of this article. On the left you will see a picture of my dog Babe as well as a random litter of mixed pups on the right.


I remember years ago running to the ASPCA because Pete and I saw that there were St Bernard mixed pups up for adoption. When we looked at the pups that were left from the litter, the facial mask could have represented a St Bernard, but the feet and body were very small.

“I don’t think this is a St Bernard mix.” I said.
“Sure it is!” Peter said. “Look, right here on this kennel card, St Bernard mix.”
“But the feet and body are too small.” I said.
“They wouldn’t say it’s a St Bernard if it wasn’t.” Peter replied.

Was it worth the argument? Nah, a pup is a pup, is a pup, as far as I’m concerned, I love them all!

Babe as we so fondly called her was not even close to a St Bernard! She just about came up to our knees! St. Bernard indeed!

My dog is a mix of:
Mother: Collie.
Father: Beagle, Sheltie, Cocker, Retriever, and St Bernard?


What’s up with that? When you get a mixed pup, there can be many different breeds listed on its adoption papers but can a pup have more than one father? Can the mother get pregnant by many males at once? Can a female get pregnant if there is no tie with the male? Questions, questions, questions!

So here it goes, the dog listed with all its mixes probably doesn’t have that many breeds in it. Possible? Yes, if the mixed mutts have really made the rounds in procreating which I guess is possible with irresponsible owners, but not likely.

Can many males that mate with the female during one estrus cycle contribute to the making of one very mixed variety pup? No, while the female who is in estrus from 4-9 days and can become pregnant by more than one male at a time, there can only be one father per pup. Hmm, so who’s the father if she ties with many males? Well they can all be a father, but each would be the father of one individual egg. So the Collie can be a father of one or more in the litter, the Sheltie can father of one or more, and the St Bernard can father one or more eggs and so on. Yet the pup’s heritage or mix listed on the adoption card may be named after what breed or breeds the owner saw mate with the female or by the looks and markings of the pups themselves.



So when you pick a mixed dog be aware that it can list many mixes on the card, but there would be only one father no matter how many mated with the female. The male’s sperm lay in wait a day or two until the female’s eggs mature and make their way down the uterine horns then all the surviving male sperm which has been hanging out on the sidelines, make a mad dash toward the eggs to fertilize them. Who reaches the eggs first is anybody’s guess; it could be the first dog she mated with or the last. I guess it depends on how strong and fast the swimmers are!

Do dogs actually have to tie to make puppies ? Nah, there is such a thing called slip mating so if the male ejaculates at the right place at the right time, some of his swimmers still have a fair shot at getting a dog pregnant, however breeders would prefer to see a tie take place.
You can read about slip mating here. http://www.bernese.tv/stud_dog_2.htm

In recent years DNA tests have been made available for dogs so one can see what breeds of dog make up their mix. Is there importance to know this? Well, it may answer some potential health questions as some breeds may be prone to certain diseases. It may also answer that question, why is my dog so hyper? Or the opposite, why is my dog so lazy? I guess it comes down to the importance to each individual owner and the price they want to pay to find out. These tests can cost anywhere from 49 dollars and up. You can get a kit online or pick one up at Pet Smart.

DNA kits
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1T4GUEA_enUS345US346&q=dna+kits+for+dogs%2Fpetsmart&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

SART at the 155th Bloomsburg Fair

155th Bloomsburg Fair 2009 ~Experiencing it through a Flip Video Camera

Tell tale signs of the Bloomsburg fair: Rain, livestock, traffic, aromas of fried food, funnel cake, complaints about the traffic, smell of livestock, and laughter.

I have not actually walked through the fair in about four years since I became a member of the State Animal Response Team (SART) because along with the team I have become part of the fair attractions. For the last four years Peter and I spruce up the dogs, parade them in front of the SART trailer, and prepare to entertain and enlighten all those who pass us. We prepare ourselves for the same old questions such as how much do they weigh, how much do they eat, do they shed, is there a lot of drool, and can I pet them? Although the questions are the same year after year the faces are not and I love to watch the public’s expressions as they approach Chance or Steeler. I don’t think I ever noticed it quite as much as I did this year when I started taking a video rather than still pictures. When you’re taking still photos usually there are only one or two subjects in the frame. With the Flip video camera I was able to stop the movie into still frames and take snapshots and that is when I really took notice of the expressions of all the people passing by. The gapers, the gawkers, the wowzers, and the holy cow fair goers. This is not an unusual reaction, we have heard it before on Therapy dog visits, but it takes on a different meaning when it is said over and over by masses of people.

For Pete and I this size of dog is normal, but in reality it is not the norm for the general public and working the fair each year reminds us of that.

Steeler loved the attention as he is such a love hog and a big ham always awaiting the next person to pet him. Chance was his normal reserved, ‘yes I’m here and you can pet me because that’s my job’ self!


Chance and Steeler will be seven years old in February and I am not sure how much longer they will belong to the public, but for now, I am glad that they make numerous of people happy and that many remember them from year to year and return to our trailer at the fair just to see them.

For those of you who are not aware of what the State Animal Response Team (SART) does, we aid animals in disaster as it pertains to rescue, shelter, and care until it is safe for them to return home again with their families. It is SART’S mission that no animal be left behind during a disaster situation. We do not take in stray animals and find them new homes! Many people confuse what we do with rescue or no kill shelters that take in animals and find them a new forever home.

Recently the Columbia/ Montour chapter of SART has teamed up with the local chapter of the Red Cross in Danville, so for residents needing to seek shelter with the Red Cross at the Danville High School, bring your animals with you as SART will have a shelter set up right down the hall in the Ag room. We also have shelters at Bloomsburg University, Bewick High school, and Southern Columbia school district.

SART is always in need of volunteers and there is plenty to do for everyone, from rescue to caring for the animals, however it is imperative that you officially sign up with SART and you can do this by going online at www.pasart.us Once you fill out the application you’ll need a brief orientation, and will eventually need to take a couple of 2 – 4 hour classes which can also be done open book on your computer. I always enjoyed taking the courses in an open forum with friends, food, fun, and question asking. You can’t ask your computer a question if you are confused about something. Well, I take that back, you can, but the people around you will think you’re in need of medication!

I am going to place a form below of how a resource volunteer can help as well as an expiation of what is required to be an active SART volunteer. (Don’t let the course requirements scare you, they’re a breeze) Even though it says Columbia/ Montour County, most counties in Pennsylvania have a SART and you can find the one nearest you by going to the SART website, open the map and click on the county where you live. The county coordinator’s name and number will show up on the screen so you can contact them.

So, go to a meeting, or read the meeting minutes online and feel free to lurk a bit before you totally commit to it. Remember the definition of a volunteer is “A person who performs or offers to perform a service voluntarily” It’s not like we’re gonna’ hold a gun to your head and make you do something you are not comfortable with! Everyone has expertise and knowledge in something, just dig deep enough and you’ll find it!
Come, sit, stay, relax, and listen, that’s all we’re asking from you!
To find a SART (or likeness) in other States go to www.sartusa.org

Enjoy the video of Chance & Steeler at the 155th Bloomsburg Fair and for those of you who were there and contributed to SART, we thank you!

Fair video
http://www.youtube.com/user/abigailsrun

Information on the easy to use Flip Video Camera.
http://www.theflip.com/





Columbia/Montour
County Animal Response Team

What is a resource volunteer?

A resource volunteer is someone who can lend either expertise or resources to assist the team when animals are rescued or sheltered. For example, the team may need help grooming recently rescued animals or finding temporary housing for a goat.

What can you do as a resource volunteer?

Provide temporary housing for a variety of species (dogs, cats, birds, horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats, reptiles, etc.)
Provide expertise about animal husbandry for specific species
Provide food and bedding for sheltered animals
Lend a helping hand in special situations

Lend equipment to the CART for use during a disaster

What is required of a resource volunteer?

Attend one meeting where you will go through a brief orientation.

CAN YOU HELP? Go to www.pasart.us and enroll or mail this form to PASART, 2605 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9364
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Name:_______________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________

Phone:___________________________________Cell_________________________

Email address:__________________________________________________________

Area of interest:
Animal Experience
Species of interest:__________________________________________
Shelter
Species of interest:__________________________________________
Provide food, bedding or supplies
What might you be able to supply? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team
Columbia ~Montour
County Animal Response Team

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in joining Columbia/Montour County Animal Response Team (CART). CART is a member organization of the PA State Animal Response Team (PASART). Below, you’ll find information on some of the things you’ll need to do in order to get started.

Volunteer Requirements
PASART policy states individuals may volunteer to be members if they are 18 years of age or they are 16 years of age and have submitted a formal written consent from a parent or guardian and must be in compliance with any state and federal regulations regarding the use of minors as volunteers. To be a Level 1 certified responder to an incident or shelter activation, the volunteer must have submitted a Criminal Background Check within 90 days after submitting a membership questionnaire. The volunteer must also submit a signed Code of Conduct, a signed Liability Waiver, a signed Sexual Harassment Policy, and a signed Photo Consent Form.

In order to maintain PASART and/or Columbia/Montour CART certification, it may be required that team members complete or meet a designated requirement as deemed necessary by PASART and/or Columbia/Montour CART. Completion of any additional training as listed on PASART’s website or any training made available through the year by various organizations and other CART’s is optional but highly recommended. In addition, attending and participating in various drills and exercises conducted by any CART is to the team member’s advantage and is encouraged.

A minimum of 8 hours of training per year are required to keep an active status. Meetings for Columbia/Montour counties are held once a month (subject to change periodically) at 7 PM at the Agricultural Center, 702 Sawmill road, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 and is open to anyone interested.

Visit www.pasart.us for more information on a SART near you.

Level 1 Requirements

PA State Police Background Check- https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp

Columbia/Montour SART Orientation

FEMA -IS- 700 National Incident Management system

IS-5A Introduction to Hazardous Materials

FEMA IS-100 Incident Command System

FEMA IS 700 & FEMA IS 100 are available to take on line at http://training.fema.gov/

Rat Virus? Maybe, maybe not, read on.

I recently came across a question on a site that read, “Is there such a thing as Rat Virus?”

This made me curious as I did not know the answer so the first thing I did was google it, and there it was in black and white on another dog site called, thedogplace.org. It was quite a fascinating and scary story to say the least. It was the story of a store clerk who was sent to clean up the storeroom and came across a lot of mouse and rat droppings. Several days after cleaning it up, he came down with flu like symptoms and subsequently died. The article went on to warn people that they should always wipe down boxes and cans of food they purchased from a store as none were exempt from this hazard.
The very thought that humans could get sick or even die from inhaling the dust left behind from rat and mouse droppings is a scary thought and it brought into mind my mother who grew up in the great depression and had always washed the cans in which she bought from the grocery store. One day I asked her why she did this because I thought it may have something to do with the depression and how surely mice or rats would be crawling on those cans in the storeroom that no one had any money to buy. Makes sense right? No money, items don’t get sold and they sit around in some storeroom for months. I also remember her saying how she used to scoop boll weevils out of her flour in order to use the flour for cooking, so that’s where my train of thought was going.
When I asked her why she washed the cans she proceeded to answer me and the answer was plain and simple. One day when my Aunt Evie was walking to her car after a days shopping, three children in tow, she saw several pallets of canned vegetables, soup, and the like piled up at a door behind the grocery store. In the near distance, she also spotted a dog and be damned if that dog did not go up and pee on every one of those pallets! And so the can washing had nothing to do with rats, or mice, or boll weevils during the great depression, but rather one lone dog causing havoc doing what dogs do best, marking! That image always stuck in my mother’s mind and so to this day at age 90, my mother still washes her cans! By the way, the story of the dying store clerk turned out to be a hoax and I have included two sites below for you to read about that.

However the discussion of rats brought back a different memory for me because I do have a story to tell and anyone who has ever gone into a large pet food store or farm store for dog food needs very much to know what to look for.

One day I was in a local farm store looking to buy my usual 120 lbs of dog food for the week. There were only two 40 lb bags left which laid not on a shelf but on the floor and as I went to pick one up I saw what I thought was a baby mouse scramble across my shoe and as I lifted the bag a little further, four more mice ran for cover. I quickly dropped the bag and stepped back. I was in a dilemma as I was totally out of dog food and the food I used could only be purchased in the farm store at that time.

So I stood back and stared at the bags and the floor intensely, looking for the slightest movement, my heart pounding from fear at the thought that any moment a mouse would leap from a shelf and go right for my neck sinking its teeth into my jugular! (Too many Stephen King movies!) Never the less, I tapped one of the bags with my foot and stepped back. Nothing. Tap, tap, tap, my foot said again against the bag. Still nothing. So with arms stretched, feet back and ready to sprint, heart pounding, I quickly examined the bags for any damage such as holes, and seeing none I picked them up and placed them onto the cart and then ran like hell to the counter and paid for them, loaded them into my van and drove home. Whew, I was free!

When I got home I inspected the bags again for any holes or chewed parts I may have missed but they were sealed and looked fine so I dropped them on the living room floor and laid the bag of biscuits I had also purchased on the couch, all scheduled to be put away later into plastic bins by one of the male members of the house. But like every household in America, these things rarely get done until the bags are just about empty and I can do it myself.
Come dinner time that night, I opened the bags with scissors and fed the brood.

The next morning I saw little pieces of the dog food bag scattered on the floor and saw Cody, my old Cocker Spaniel, sucking down the biscuits I had left on the couch. It looked like he helped himself to 3/4 of the bag and his belly looked a bit more expanded than normal so I promptly put him outside for I surely thought he would eventually bring at least 2/3 of them back up!

A week or two went by, the old dog food was long gone and new food was brought in and all seemed to be right with the world. Well, at least until one night when I was bringing in Crazy Bentley and he bolted toward the living room couch going nuts jumping and pushing the couch aside like he was trying to get at something underneath, and in a split second out of the corner of my eye I saw a rat run under the table then under my wood burning stove!

Sorry folks, no way to make this long story short!

“Peter” I yelled. “There’s a rat! Bentley’s found a rat!”

Peter surprisingly came running into the living room as I stood on top of the table with the fireplace poker in hand. Now for those of you who do not know Peter, he is not the type to be so brave around things like rats, mice, or snakes so this action was out of the ordinary to say the least. He probably thought I was pulling yet another joke on him and he was not going to fall for it.

“Get the broom!” I shouted. “It ran under the wood stove, we’ll flush him out and let Bentley kill him.”

Peter ran to get the broom and again surprisingly started to swipe it under the stove. Nothing. The rat was gone.

While still standing atop the table I noticed that when Bentley moved the couch with his body trying to get the rat, he also moved the couch cushion exposing the back of the couch where it meets the cushion and there lay half a biscuit and the chewed up innards of my sofa!

“He lived in there!” I shouted at Peter as I pointed to the couch.
The couch was only about three feet from where I had laid the bags of dog food that I purchased from the farm store on that ominous day.

Peter picked up the couch and turned it on its side and as he did we heard plrrrt, plrrrt, plrrrt ,plrrrt, and I thought that there were baby rats falling to the floor hitting the wooden frame as they tumbled down the length of the sofa. I was ready to run, but what came out were the biscuits that I thought Cody had eaten weeks before along with many rat droppings! Ugh, just the thought is nauseating.
A few days later in my basement I saw a part of my wall chewed and so I laid down a rat trap. Snap! We got that bugger! Thankfully it was not a pregnant rat!

So what happened? I checked the bags before buying them, quickly at first, but once home I inspected them again for any tears or holes and there was nothing. The bags seemed to be well sealed, but they were not. In fact in many other bags I have since inspected before purchasing, I found almost 30 % of them had little, unseen to the naked eye, openings at the bottom. If you pick up the bag from the bottom where it meets each side you can in many instances put your fingers right into the bag of food touching the nibblets! This is how mice or baby rats can easily get into the bag without chewing through it.
This also explains how many, many, years earlier, when my children were tots and in car seats, how a rat got into the interior of my car and lived there for months! Now that was a freaky experience!

So the next time you pick up a bag of dog food, at least one of the 40 to 50 lb bags, check the seal on the bottom by sticking a couple of fingers through the sides to see if you can feel the food inside. I placed a picture of a dog food bag with an arrow showing where to put your fingers. The dog food in the picture does not represent the brand that I purchased that day; it is a random picture from the internet. So, happy shopping!



Hoax story about rat virus
http://www.thedogplace.org/Archives/HotNews/ch3.htm
CDC information
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hoaxes/hanta-hoax.htm

Anything to make it easier! (Dog tips)

Well folks, I had planned on putting this up on Sunday but it seems I may be a bit exhausted from working at the Bloomsburg fair so I'll post today and you may not see another for a week or two. Okay,stop laughing!
Anything to make it easier! Tips for dog owners.


Hey, I’m all for making life easier when you own a big brood such as I do. Maybe if they were smaller, some things would not get destroyed so easily, but one lift of a paw or one jump on a window sill from a Newfoundland can indeed cause much damage, so I ask myself, do I want to spend my life agitated at the dog for being a dog, or do I want to enjoy the many hours of love they want to shed on me throughout their lifetime? After all I can take my aggravation out on family!

I do, like everyone else in society, like to have the best of both worlds, a fairly clean but comfy home and the love of a dog. So I choose to cut my losses where personal property is concerned, seek out the big red CLEARENCE tags in a store, and stock pile items like world war two is coming!

This dog tip article was partly prompted by a coworker (Thanks Karen for your
suggestion), whose friend brought home a new dog, and unfortunately when they got home, the dog got loose without any identification on it. So the first tip would be for owner’s picking up a new puppy or dog from a kennel/rescue.







1) Identification: Collar tags get lost and micro chips believe it or not, can fall out, so buy a solid color collar, write your dog’s name and your telephone number right on the dog’s collar in black permanent marker. Go over as needed every couple of months. I especially recommend this when picking up a new dog since you may not have time to get a micro chip or I D tag before you get the dog home and settled. Should they run off your telephone number will be written right on the collar. I can’t tell you how many calls we got saying “ I have Steeler here!”

2) Buy Cheap, buy plenty! If you have or need to use scatter rugs, first of all, buy cheap and plan on them getting ruined, this will save you some aggravation in the long run. Buy two of each when they are on sale so a dirty one can easily be replaced when company comes.

3) Scatter rugs: Turn carpet runners or scatter rugs upside down, this keeps them free from stains and dog hair, when company comes just flip them right side up! Purchase scatter rugs that can be cleaned with water so if it becomes bad enough you can clean them outside with a power washer. (The type of washer you use to clean the outside of a house)

4) Urine marking: If you have a dog that urine marks, never let them have run of the whole house if you cannot watch them. Set up six foot tethers in a couple of rooms and use them. Dogs don’t usually like to eliminate where they eat or sleep. This gives the dog some feeling of freedom from a crate, but also keeps them contained. Tethers should be made of wire with hooks on both ends so they can easily be removed from the eye bolt when not in use. This is only for when you can’t keep an eye on the dog and you are home.

5) Window covering: If you have a dog that freaks out and jumps up on windows during storms, fireworks, or for other reasons, buy extra sets of cheap blinds and/or that extra set of curtains you find on sale as they will eventually need to be replaced!

6) Water Dish: If your dog is one that loves to play in the water dish making a mess on every floor you own you can continuously follow the dog around with a shop vac and refill the water bowl or you can get a spill proof bowl. This is a bowl that the dog can toss around all they want and still no water comes out. (the spill proof bowl is different than the travel bowl with just a lid. The spill proof bowl has a funnel inside. You can find a sample at the below site.)
http://www.activedogs.com/buddy-bowl-1-quart.html


7) Wall messes: If you have dogs that make a mess of your walls with dirt or slobber, first of all use washable paint or wallpaper then use the Swiffer mop to clean them. It makes the job go faster and is easier than lugging around a bucket of detergent water and a sponge. This can even be used on your appliances. For harder dog stains use a Mr. Clean magic eraser as there is very little scrubbing involved and it takes just about everything dog off the wall and molding.

8) Doggie odor: Let’s face it multiple dog owners will have some form of dog odor now and again and you may notice it more after returning home from a long day at work. There is no aromatic smell of freshly baked cookies, or that freshly cleaned odor after you use woolite rug cleaner to take over the doggie smell. But at last, a little invention called the car air freshener; you know the ones that clip right onto the heat vents in the car? Yup, clip those babies on an AC unit, or the fan you’ve left on for the dog and there is a constant summer breeze going through your house!

9) For Quick hair spot clean up of a rug without dragging out the vacuum use a dog’s slicker brush. (Some people call it a pin brush). It really grabs the up hair and lifts the strands of the rug, just don’t do this on Berber type carpet or you’ll pull up loops. With Berber, which I never recommend when you have dogs, you’ll need to drag out the vacuum

10) Outside clean up: What was I thinking the last 13 years? For poop detail I used to carry around a five gallon bucket over an acre of land. A five gallon bucket is not large enough for a thorough clean up of my brood and I’d end up taking out one bag, tying it off then putting in a new bag until my lawn was scattered with poop bags that I then had to go back and pick up. One day thankfully my bucket broke, not a pretty sight, and when it did I took a regular garbage can with WHEELS and a handle and put inside it a heavy construction bag. No more backtracking to pick up smaller bags of poop! Heavy duty Construction bags can be found at a hardware store. Much easier when you have an acre of property and multiple dogs!

11) Dog hair on the bed, part one: If your dog is a bed hog, which is of course a personal preference, buy two or three of the same bedspreads/quilts because they are bound to, at least once in their life, jump up on the bed with a muddy body! This way you can wash one and still keep your bed made with the other, plus it will still match your curtains if you are the matching bedroom attire type. Sometimes I’ll buy a cheap oversized bedspread and plop it right over the bedspread that’s on my bed so the cheap one gets the dirt and hair, but if company pulls in the driveway, I can quickly put the dogs outside, pull off the cheap bedspread, stuff it under the bed and there underneath is a perfectly preserved bedspread.

12) Dog hair on the bed part two: If you are one to sleep with the windows open in the winter but like to stay warm under an electric blanket, you’ll notice the blanket can really attract dog hair if your dog is allowed on the bed. While electric blankets can be washed, washing them too often can eventually destroy them and it does not always get the dog hair off. What I found last year that I did not know even existed is a heated mattress pad! I love it! It goes on like a fitted sheet and your sheet goes over top of that so the pad stays protected from dirt and dog hair!

13) Dog hair on the bed part three: To keep your regular bed blankets as free from dog hair as possible, again this is for bed hogs, when you lay your top sheet on the bed, lay down the blanket, but don’t put it all the way up to the pillows (neck height), but rather put it at chest height, then pop another top sheet over the blanket so your blanket is sandwiched in between the two sheets. Both sheets should help keep the blanket free from dirt and hair.

14) Expecting overnight company: This is a must if you have spare bed rooms that the dogs go into where one day you hope to house your complaining mother in law or picky sister in law for a few nights. Get a separate bedspread, sheet set, and blanket and keep them together in the zip up bag (the kind that comforters come in). Keep them well hidden from your children and husband (sorry guys) because let’s face it; they’ll throw anything on their beds without thought as to its purpose! Put in a fresh smelling dryer sheet, or, you can spray the spread with Pet fresh rug spray for a nice odor. By keeping these together in the bag they are less likely to get dog hair on them. Also, it will save you from doing loads of wash trying to get all the dog hair off of the linen that already covers the bed. Don’t forget to take everything off once immediately after your company has gone because other family members are sure to leave it therefore their own use! (Kids, dogs & husbands need to be lumped in one category! Again, sorry guys!)

15) Counter surfing! Originally I bought this product called “Driveway Patrol” to alert me when someone was pulling into my driveway and I found that it had a duel purpose, especially if you have counter surfing dogs. Putting one of these motion detectors on the counter or kitchen table is usually enough to scare them away and it’s very affordable! Once the dog stops surfing, you can put it back in your driveway! Click on the site below to see one of these buggers.
http://www.as-seen-on-tv-products.ws/store/driveway-patrol-motion-detector-elia48-p-38.html?gclid=CPGksvHx9pwCFdVL5Qod4kR-aw

16) Falling Leaves: Long haired thick coated dogs can come in the house looking like your shrubbery in the autumn when the leaves start falling to the ground. Some people use their lawnmowers to chop up the leaves and then let them remain on the lawn for “fertilizer” which is a nightmare for the owners of long haired large breed dogs. This is when keeping a soft grip shedding blade handy near the door can really help. This is basically the only thing I use this blade for as my dog’s fur is so thick that it really does not penetrate below the outer coat but it does a good job getting off stuck on leaves! You can see this tool here. http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_FamilyID_14270_ShoppingGuideID_25_ShoppingGuideElementID_109.aspx

17) Travel: When I make day trips or travel plans that include the dogs I don’t often think of ‘hot and humid’ weather in September, but that’s just what we have had this year and even in the year prior, temperatures in September were in the 90’s and humid. So keep a small outdoor thermometer inside your car so you will be mindful of if it’s just too hot to bring the dog out with you. Air conditioning is great for the driver and passenger, but in some cars it does not travel to the back seat very well; however you can be sure that the sun’s hot rays are making their way through the rear windows. So check the temperature before you load up the dog and make changes if necessary, such as running the car to cool it down before Fido jumps in. The same holds true for winter when your car actually holds in the cold like a refrigerator. A neat car accessory that is helpful to move air around is a fan which plugs into the lighter. This can help move cooler air to the back of the car/van. I purchased two of these little babies and attached one right to the vent in the front seat to push the cool air to the back and one on the back seat to push the air even further to the back of my van. I will not rely on them totally top keep a hot car cool, you have to know the limits of your own vehicle.


Well that’s it for now and hopefully you won’t see me as totally lazy, but just frugal with how I choose to spend my time! I welcome any other tips that readers may have; just hit the comment button at the bottom of the post and post away my friends. Also I added a new addition to the bottom of each post. Let me know if you find the post interesting, funny, or cool as it keeps me in touch with reality! Although I don’t really know what Cool means, but there was no other third choice!

What's in a family?

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What's in a family anyway?

It wasn’t long ago that I did an article on litter mate syndrome as well as one on who is the leader of the pack in your home. Both articles dealt with the family dynamics of a pack, either with or without human involvement. It’s been about four years since Steeler was brought back to me and integrated into his biological family unit and in that four years, while he has come a long way from the out of control fence breaking, wall pounding, window jumping dog who turned my body into one gigantic black and blue mark for about six months, he still has a ways to go. He is a great Therapy Dog and does interact well with other outside dogs he meets; however he is still unknowing of how to treat his own family.
From that very first time he pulled the gate right out of the wall to go after his mother Abby in the kitchen to the time he beat the crap out of our gentle Golden, Casey, over a dinner plate , Steeler has learned a little etiquette but his family is still very untrusting of him. Sister Emma will try to interact and show him how to play politely, but soon gives up when Steeler just does not get it. Mom Abby has over time become more fearful of him in her golden years as he can really body slam her and that hurts. Bentley will sit or lie down in one position until I or someone from the family walks outside to save him from the torment, and Chance will open a can of whoop ass on him if Steeler dare show himself a threat to any family member, be it human or dog, while he is in the area.

When Steeler first came back to us he worked his way through the family by intimidation and threats, until one day he picked on his mother, Abby, a little too much while Chance was coming through the back gate. There was no time for me to exhale any words from my throat as within seconds Chance was virtually on top of Steeler’s back riding him like a horse, all the while biting and pulling at Steelers neck. Steeler stood strong for quite some time as Chance rode him with all four feet being lifted off the ground due to Steeler’s height. I did not know how long Steeler could undergo such brutality and remain standing and that was the day I thought Steeler would die. Thankfully Steeler went down to the ground and gave into defeat as Chance stood over him. Surprisingly no serious wounds had occurred to either dog, except for the wound of self esteem. Steeler took a turn for the better that day, although he still does not quite get the play bowing, or the non threatening moves that one does to maintain peace among the group, he has come a long way and his memory of that day with Chance seems to be forever etched in not only my mind but Steelers as well.

So here it is, nearly four years later and finally I have been able to capture these interactions on film. Daddy Bentley was purposely left out of this one but I do hope to catch Steeler’s interaction with him on film as well someday.

It has always been said by me that bringing a puppy into an already established pack was a lot easier than bringing in an adult dog and Steeler, through no real fault of his own, has proven that to me over and over again.

Through the video you will see how Steeler’s continuous barking is ignored by his sister Emma, who seems to be thinking, yeah , yeah what ever, to how he tries to manipulate or intimidate mom Abby by towering his body over hers, putting his neck over her neck until she either fights back, or comes to stand by me. It will be just the three of them at first with Chance just on the other side of the fence listening to everything that is going on and you can hear Chance whining a bit in the background. The dynamics will soon change when Chance is let into the backyard to be with us.



So here it is, a Newfoundland’s story told by a human, but seen through the eyes of a dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8vnKmiHxfE

Happy Watching!