Saturday, August 29, 2009

Cleaning for Company



I used to be, and maybe I still am, known to my immediate family, (hubby & sons) as being somewhat fanatical as it pertains to cleaning my home when we are expecting company. In fact my sons will actually try to leave town when they hear these dirty words, “cleaning for company!” To them this means , get this place clean now, if not, there will be a slight wrath from mom, 'cuz when she wants it done, she wants it done now, and wants it done her way! Unbelievable, I know! "Humm, Cleaning for Company, sounds like a game show doesn’t it?”

Picture this, everyone is around the dining room table enjoying some fabulous meal made by anyone other than me, and we’re talking and laughing about the days events when suddenly the phone rings.

“Hello?”I answer. “Oh hi Ell! Great, you’re coming up? When?”

Silence suddenly befalls the dining table, all chewing stops, breaths are held, forks and knives are gently laid down, chairs are slowly getting pushed further from the table and all eyes are wide open. I’m assuming my body must be starting to change into a lighter shade of pale monster green at this time judging by the looks on all their faces!


I think I’ve gotten a little better over the years, a little less strict, but let’s face it; dog hair as a condiment with dinner is still a turn off to guests, as is doggie odor when you walk through the door. I don’t go nuts over it on a daily basis like I did when I had my previous brood of six smaller dogs; those days were easy, mostly tiny feet to keep up with. Still, when company is coming, I like a thorough job. Of course since I quit smoking May 4th 2009 at 6:05 in the morning, (but who’s counting!) I am even more aware of such doggie odors and sure as I’m sitting here my dogs find them absolutely delectable, whereas humans may find them a bit repulsive!

So, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite rug cleaning products with you. I am not in the like of over powering floral odors such as what one would find in a country store; those odors steal my breath and give me a huge headache. I like scents that smell clean, not ammonia or bleach clean, just clean and for that clean smell I choose Woolite One Step Rug Cleaner or Woolite Power Shot. Both have a nice clean smell and when sprayed, they foam up, and you vacuum when dry. I have been known to go against the rules and vacuum the carpet when it was still wet as the roller brush on the vacuum gives the carpet that freshly cleaned look. The regular Woolite One Step Carpet Cleaner can cost about $3.50 and up for a 10. oz can and for a quick clean smelling room this is a product I would use. But to really zap out stains, as seen in the pictures above the new Woolite Power Shot with oxy clean for pet stains can really do a great job, even on dry set in stains.

Recently with my sisters visit, came a rug cleaning for my mother’s apartment, so as I headed out the door to work I asked sis to see if the rug cleaning company could clean my small area carpet as well which I would gladly pay for. Well, they cleaned it and they left it in my garage to dry. The price was right, 20.00, or free for me since my mom paid for it, and there it sat in the garage for four days until Peter returned home from a quick NY trip. When he rolled it out on the living room floor he pointed out a large stain that was left behind and had been dried in. It made me wonder what creature had wandered into my garage and peed on my clean carpet since my dogs do not have access to the garage unless I bring them in there! So I took my camera, grabbed a picture to demonstrate to you, my loving audience, what the stain looked like before I used the power shot and what it looked like after using the Woolite Power shot. You can clearly see the difference in the pictures above.

This product can be found in your hardware or grocery store for about $4.00 to $5.00, expensive, but it’s worth every penny! It does a great job even on dried pet stains which I really appreciate since I seem to have family members that conveniently do not notice the dog peeing on the floor right in front of them! Basically you would absorb as much of the urine (or vomit) stain that you can and then spray the power shot, let it sit for about five minutes, then blot with a clean cloth, and vacuum when dry. On a dried stain just point and shoot, let stand a little longer, and then blot up.
Peter discovered this product when he was on vacation last summer and decided to take the scatter carpets outside to the garage and clean them using a scrub brush and the shop vac.

Another carpet spray that I like that is not overwhelming and has a pleasing aroma that tickles your nostrils is Carpet Fresh~Super Pet carpet and room odor eliminator. This is not a cleaner like the power shot but it is a nice product to have for a quick freshening up. This is made by the WD-40 company and can be sprayed and left on the carpet, there is no need to vacuum this up. I love to use this on not only my carpet for daily freshening, but I also use it on my furniture, throw blankets, and mattresses when company comes for a visit. A 10.5 oz. can cost around $3.50 or higher.

So a big Newfoundland size, two paws up for the Woolite Company! Don’t ever change that clean fresh scent! And a big two paws up for the WD-40 Company. Two quick and easily used products that I hate to be without!

Power shot http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3196859

Download site for a coupon for Carpet fresh http://www.carpetfreshbrand.com/

Monday, August 17, 2009

Being a leader: Respecting household rules and why it is so important


(Do not miss the video listed at the botom of the site as it will give you a good insight in dog behavior)

Everyone who owns a dog (or in my case six), but does not take the time to establish who in the pack is the leader may find themselves with major problems ahead of them, from an alpha aggressive stereotypical dog who tries to dominate every other adult, dog, or child in the home to those that growl or nip at you when you go to remove them from the couch. Dogs that are not clear on who the leader is in the home may begin to try and take over that role, which causes more friction between all the dogs or the humans involved. Even if you have only one dog in your home, that dog still considers your family a pack, and if there are young children involved all the more reason why rules should not be broken. A very young child does not have a chance of being seen as a higher up in the dog’s pack and that is why so many children are bitten when the parents believe that leaving the dog and child alone in a room is safe. I really hate to hear this sentence or something similar from parents, “Oh, my kid can climb all over our dog and the dog just lays there. He would never bite my child.” These people will believe what they are saying until for whatever reason the time comes that the dog finally does bite the child. Then of course it’s the dog’s fault.

Although many people believe that humping is a sex act, and of course it is when there are two dogs actually mating, if a dog is humping humans or other dogs in the home it is not a sexual act but one of dominance. That is why humping is done by both males and females. I can’t tell you how many times I see this question. “My female is humping my other female and they are both neutered, does this mean they’re gay?” Of course through that question I can clearly see just how much knowledge this person has of dogs as females are not neutered!

There are many ways to establish yourself as the alpha and it does not mean you have to hurt a dog in the process. ‘Alpha rolls’ are not necessary and in most cases don’t last a lifetime, they last only as long as you are right next to the dog doing it. Also if you have to do it constantly what good is it? Why would you want to continuously have to do alpha rolls to your dog to keep the peace anyway? Why not just take leadership yourself by calm control so there is no confusion and no one is struggling to be the top dog?

Changing the dog’s attitude and the way he or she perceives you through everyday practices are simple enough to do and can fit into almost any routine. It is not the dog that growls, nips, or bites, that is seen as the alpha by other dogs, that dog is actually seen as an aggressive nuisance and is usually not socially acceptable. It is the dog that is cool, calm, and collective that no one messes with and who all wish to follow that is seen as the alpha in the pack.

Once your role is established there are certain things humans do over time to constantly confuse those in their charge because humans are built on emotions first, thought second, and even though their intentions may be well meaning (after all, it’s hard to resist sad doggie eyes), they can indeed really wreak havoc on a pack of dogs when rules once set forth are broken. (Yes honey I am talking about you!) Here’s an example; when you put down a rule that there is to be no food given from the table, that rule should be adhered to by everyone! (Grandmas included!) When the rules are broken, it is like breaking a silent chain of command which brings the human, who should always be on the top of the heap, down to the status of equal in a dog’s mind. Rule breaking creates nothing more than an opening to overthrow the powers that be, which then in turn can create chaos.


When dogs do not expect to be fed from the table they will not huddle around vying for the top spot to get the goodies. When the rule is broken and they start to huddle around the table it can eventually cause fighting between the dogs. What you have created by breaking this one rule is a bottleneck of hungry buggers in a small space with no way out. Thus internal fighting will eventually begin and you will loose your status among them. No longer will your words be heard as commands but they will be heard as yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah! (Yes hon, again, talking about you!) Once that happens, the human begins to resort to out of control yelling because the dog no longer listens to simple commands and the pack becomes so far out of balance that hard core training may have to begin all over again and all because one person let their human emotions get in the way. Hey, let’s face it, we all look pitiful every now and again, but it doesn’t mean we get what we want! If it really worked, I would be at the car dealership looking pitiful over a Mercedes Benz!

So, are you the dominant force in your home? Take this quiz and find out.
Dominance quiz http://www.bcrescue.org/dominancetest.html

If after you have taken the dominance quiz you find that you are not at the top of the heap, putting your dog (or dogs) on the Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) diet in combination with some obedience training can help to get things back on track.
Nothing in life is free diet click here 


NILF being the leader
http://siriusdog.com/articles/kids-dogs-bites-safety-prey.htm

In the video on the site below you will see how a pack of eight week old puppies already perceive each other. Take notice of the way the aggressive puppy treats everyone, but does it mean he is the leader? Happy watchingJ http://leerburg.com/dogfight.htm

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Is my Rug free of dog hair? How about my furniture?




Does this carpet look like it was just vacuumed? Well it was, and by one of the best vacuums around, but look at the next picture, there is still plenty of critter hair that was left behind and that is after just one strip of the rug was done with that attachment. I still had the rest of the carpet to go!

For those of you that have been tuned into my Face Book rantings you will know how I was searching high and low for a vacuum attachment that I have had for ten years which has gone through three vacuums with me. I would never get rid of it, in fact I consider it an heirloom to be passed to other family members when I'm dead! It is universal to fit most vacuums that have a wand. I bought it years ago from a dog catalog and I have not seen it again since. I found one that came close to it and was about to order that one when I finally found old faithful. What's so special? you ask. Well as much as I love and rave about my Dyson vacuum for the good job it does, it still leaves some dog hair behind and the dog hair that it does get up usually ends up getting caught in the roller brush as it would with any vacuum. (That's the reason I attach a pair of needle nose pliers to every vacuum with a roller brush. )

My favorite attachment above hooks onto the vacuum wand, the bottom is part lint brush with an opening where the vacuum can suck in the hair. Yes, when you do a couple runs on the floor you may have to take your hand and push the hair to the suction wand, but it's a small price to pay for the amount of hair you will find left behind from most any vacuum. You also have to pull the tool toward you, it is not a device that you would push back and forth. Basically it is used exactly like a lint brush only it takes less time when attached to the vacuum rather then taking a regular hand held lint brush and cleaning your furniture or carpet. I just wish there was a company that made them larger to cover a greater carpet area . If you know of one please turn me onto it 'cuz I'll snatch one up in a second.

In the pictures you will see the wear and tear it took over the past ten years, there are holes in the fabric , it's scratched up and the lint brush that used to detach to use as a regular clean your clothes lint brush has had to be duct taped so it does not fall out! But I love it and if you are a pet owner of anything furry you have got to try one of these.
Who else would show you something this disgusting in their home as what's in the above picture in the effort to help all pet owners out there? That's right , just me!

This is one tool that I definitely give a two paws up! It has lasted so long and gotten so much heavy usage I consider it my Cadillac. This is one tool I would not want to be without! It also does a great job on wood floors as well , no scratching! I paid a total of $20.00 for this ten years ago, best twenty dollars ever. Back then I had dogs with short hair and short hair sticks into everything, especially tweed type furniture.
Here is the site of the tool that came close to this one. The price seems to be the same but add in extra for shipping. http://www.householdgoods.com/vacuum-cleaner-attachment-lint-brush.html

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Fall Weather will bring Chance and Steeler back into the visiting pool!




I know, I know, it’s August but it is flying by and soon the fall will be here and when the weather begins to turn a bit cooler it is once again time for Chance and Steeler to do their therapy visits which they so look forward to. The tail wags, the kisses, and the drool that their human friends shed upon them is just as exciting for them as it is for those who love them.

There are a few bigger events that bring people back year after year looking for one or both of my big furry attention seekers. One being the very popular Bloomsburg Fair, granted we are not as popular as the sought out band Sugarland, but we do have our loyal fans!

On our first visit to the Bloomsburg Fair some three years ago with the State Animal Response Team (SART) Chance was the only one that grabbed the spotlight as I did not own Steeler at that time. Since that first year, the SART organization that they both now represent has become better known and gets loyal returnees to the Bloomsburg Fair just to see the big black mugs of Steeler and Chance. Those returnees usually come with new family members or friends to share their joy with these two big oafs and we are very thankful to those people for their support. Other patrons have told us they heard about the ‘Two Black Bears’ through family or friends which prompted their visit to the SART trailer. SART is very appreciative of the public’s effort to raise awareness and much needed supplies for our cause and for those of you that live in Pennsylvania that do not yet know about SART you can find us on the web at http://www.pasart.us/.
For State Animal Response Team’s in other states you can visit http://sartusa.org/

Other events we normally attend are the Bloomsburg Renaissance Fair and more close to my heart is the Danville Spring Fling. The last two years at the Danville spring fling went over so well that we decided to do the Danville Fall Festival this year as well. It was at the first Danville Spring Fling we participated in that I decided to try doing some picture taking with the dogs to help raise donation money for the SART organization and since it went over pretty well we took that idea to the Bloomsburg Fair as well. Hopefully, weather permitting; we will be able to do it again at the Fall Festival.

Danville Fall festival ~Saturday Sept 12, 2009 ~Booth Located in front of the Iron Heritage Restaurant across from the Courthouse.

Bloomsburg Fair Days~September 26th - Oct 3rd 2009~ Located at the SART Trailer in front of the Horse Barn. Please check for dates and times of arrival at the SART trailer bulletin board as the mother of these dogs does have a day job!

As an added note:

Working with SART is a great experience for both myself and the dogs. It's a wonderful feeling to be part of such a great team and we always welcome more team members and whatever you have to offer, we will use! Time, materials, or experience with animals, all are great assets to us.

But I must say that neither Chance nor Steeler may have been so popular had they not been trained as therapy dogs and this I owe to friends Connie and Dixon Cuff. Dixon has since passed and is greatly missed by all who knew him, but Connie has continued to run the Susquehanna Trail Dog Training Club and puts out new Therapy dogs yearly. Kudos to Connie for keeping the group together.

What? You say you would like to do therapy dog work but you don't have a dog? Well we can solve that problem, just log onto the Mostly Mutts or the Animal Resource Center websites listed below , I am sure you will be able to find a furry friend:) While you're at it why not make a donation, it takes a lot of money to keep these guys fed and healthy!

Mostly mutts: Sunbury http://www.mostlymuttsonline.com/

Animal Resource center: Bloomsburg http://www.animalresourcecenter.org/adopt.htm

The baby rabbits have hopped the coup!(or the garden)

The baby rabbits that made a home in the small garden I have on my deck have gone and not a moment too soon as Chance figured out something was up! For those of you that have not heard the story, Peter awoke to some barking then screetching and found that Bentley had found the nest and proceeded to start eating them! UGH, discusting. So we watched very carefully when we let the dogs out always taking Bentley out on a leash since he seemed to be the only one who was aware of the nest. I checked on them daily and all were doing fine, their eyes open and growing in leaps and bounds. Then one morning after keeping an eye on them for a week and a half they were gone:( Click on the post's title to view the movie or copy and paste the link below. Wildlife is so great to watch!

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

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Littermate Syndrome?


Are two pups better than one?
Many reputable breeders will not sell two of their pups (siblings) to one person and I have to admit until this subject presented itself from a co- worker and friend who is a breeder, I did not really give the prospect of raising two puppies at once much thought. The premise of littermate syndrome is that it is harder to train and socialize two pups at one time and that they should be made independent of each other or there will be problems when they are separated. Problems such as their individuality would be lost, and there would not be a bond between dog and owner but a bond between dog and dog.

This made me pause a minute because I have a family of Newfoundland’s, all biologically related. So I read the article and I began to think of the three siblings from Abby’s litter, Emma, Chance, and Steeler. Emma and Chance were born and raised in my home, Steeler, while born here, lived with other owners for three years before he was brought back to me.

Chance is very close to me so the dog human bond is there and he is independent of Steeler and Emma, however he is a mama’s boy and in Abby’s eyes Chance can do no wrong. But Abby will very quickly reprimand her daughter Emma. Chance is also Abby’s protector as he so demonstrated when Steeler tried to fight Abby upon his return.

Emma is more attached to Abby and the two do have a problem being separated, but they are not siblings, so the bond falls within mother and daughter, not sibling to sibling. Emma however does not care if Chance is near her or not.

Before Abby’s retirement from certified therapy dog work, when she and Chance went on therapy visits with Peter as her handler I noticed that if Chance was more than ten feet from her, Abby would pull at the lead and whine until I brought Chance closer to her, only then would she settle down. Again this is between mother and child, not sibling to sibling.

Abby’s son Steeler has no standing in her life as Emma and Chance do, and in fact she is afraid of him and mostly avoids him, even though she was the first to recognize and welcome him back into the family when he was returned to us three years after he had lived with his other family. Is this because he left home for a while, or is it because he did not know how to act within a pack of dogs upon his return?

So I have to ask, is it sibling to sibling or just the family relationship in general? I guess there are not many breeders who have sold both a parent and child to one family. If there are any of you out there I would like to hear from you.

Going by the site “Canine Learning Center” I did all the right things as it pertains to Chance and Emma so they are independent of each other, however, the same applied to Abby and Emma aside from them eventually sleeping in the same room (not the same crate) and their bond is incredible and it is fascinating to watch Abby’s devotion to Chance. So is it just a maternal thing, or is it the way they were raised?

Steeler is out in the cold with just about everyone because of his un-pack like behavior. The only one who will try to interact with him is his sister Emma and that doesn’t usually turn out well as Steeler does not know what to do in such a situation. They don’t fight, Emma just gives up.

I was once told by a former employer that she gave me the most difficult client cases because I command respect, not demand, but command. So I wonder if this is just my personality and is it also how my dogs perceive me. Is it my persona that keeps my pack in line?

You can read more on littermate syndrome on the site listed below and as far as I am concerned, if you don’t have the time to train one, then certainly two would be out of the question. I think if the right person is the taker of two pups things will work out fine, but unfortunately the breeder will not know for sure who that right person is so I can understand why they don’t take a chance with pups they’ve invested so much in and care so much about.

To see the interactions between Steeler and the rest of his pack click here.

raising siblings click here.  http://www.caninedevelopment.com/Sibling.htm