Sunshine on my shoulder.......

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy! And a little yappy! Iris and I have been enjoying the freedom of our own doggy door at our house in Tampa. She actually remembered how to use it right away and did not run straight through the screen like last time. We are not much for swimming in the pool but Iris thinks laying beside it is the best!! If I had a wish that I could wish for you, I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while!

Summertime Safety

 Summertime, and the living is easy! Here are some ways to keep me safe.

Make sure I have dog tags with my name, address, and phone number. I also have a microchip, so if I do get lost, the animal control officer can scan me and get me reunited with Mom and Dad ASAP!

Never leave me in the car, even if it is “just for a minute.”  Cars heat up very fast, even if it is only 70 degrees outside. Remember that you might be comfortable, but I am wearing a fur coat and my body temperature does not adjust to temperature changes as quickly as yours does.

Signs of heat stress: heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, unsteady walk, deep red or purple tongue, vomiting, diarrhea. You must lower the body temperature immediately by:  1) moving the pet to the shade and gradually pour cool (not cold) water over its body to gradually lower the body temperature. 2) Apply icepacks or cold towels to the pet’s head, neck, and chest area only. 3) Let the pet lick ice cubes or ice cream but limit access to cold water. 4) Take the pet immediately to a veterinarian. This could save its life. If you see an animal in a car exhibiting signs of heat stress, call your local animal control or police department immediately!

Walk me in the early morning or in the evening, when it is cooler. If I am a partner in your walking or jogging exercise routine, please bring along some water and a soft bowl (available at pet stores) for me.

If I am outside a lot during the day, please make sure I have a shady place to rest and access to fresh water.  Do not tie me up or chain me. That would be cruel.

If you want to take me boating or to the beach, please consider buying me a life jacket. Believe it or not, some dogs cannot swim at all! Please don’t throw them in. Even though I am a Lab and live for the water, I can get tired or injured and that life jacket might save my life.  And again, bring me my own water and bowl.  You will want to hose me off with fresh water when you leave. Please towel-dry my coat and wipe out and dry my ears.

Summer is often a time when people fertilize their lawns and work in their gardens.  Keep me away from plant food, fertilizer, and insecticides. These can be fatal if I ingest them. Also, over 700 plants are potentially poisonous to me including azaleas, daffodils, lantana, and oleander.

Antifreeze may leak from a car in the summer or anytime during the year. Antifreeze tastes sweet to me, but can be toxic in small amounts. Please be aware of leaking antifreeze and keep containers of it out of reach.

If you are traveling with me, it is a good idea to have the name and address of a Vet where you are visiting, in case I need medical attention.

Fireworks. I don’t like thunder and lightening, so why would you think I would enjoy fireworks? Please leave me at home with a good bone and some country music.

Spaying/Neutering....it's the right thing to do!!!

Myths and Facts About Spaying and Neutering

Think you know all the facts on pet overpopulation?

~from The Humane Society of the United States

The most important thing to know about spaying and neutering is that it saves lives. In every community in every U.S. state, there are animals sitting in animal shelters waiting for homes. Only about half of those dogs and cats will ever get one. The other half will be euthanized.
Making the decision to spay or neuter your pet means fewer pets—pets as sweet, loving, healthy, and deserving of companionship as your own—will be euthanized for lack of a home.
But just in case you need more information before making this important decision, here is the truth behind some commonly spread myths about spaying and neutering.
MYTH: It's better to have one litter before spaying a female pet.
FACT: Every litter counts.
Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures.
MYTH: I want my children to experience the miracle of birth.
FACT: The miracle of birth is quickly overshadowed by the thousands of animals euthanized in animal shelters in communities all across the country. Teach children that all life is precious by spaying and neutering your pets. 
MYTH: But my pet is a purebred.
FACT: So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats—mixed breed and purebred. About half of all animals entering shelters are euthanized.
MYTH: I want my dog to be protective.
FACT:  It is a dog's natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog's personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.
MYTH: I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.
FACT: Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
MYTH: My pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.
MYTH: But my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy (or kitten) just like her.
FACT: Your pet's puppies or kittens have an unlikely chance of being a carbon copy of your pet. Even professional breeders cannot make this guarantee. There are shelter pets waiting for homes who are just as cute, smart, sweet, and loving as your own.
MYTH: It's expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.
FACT: Many low-cost options exist for spay/neuter services. Most regions of the U.S. have at least one spay/neuter clinic within driving distance that charge $100 or less for the procedure, and many veterinary clinics provide discounts through subsidized voucher programs. Low-cost spay/neuter is more and more widely available all the time.
MYTH: I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.
FACT: You may find homes for your pet's puppies and kittens. But you can only control what decisions you make with your own pet, not the decisions other people make with theirs. Your pet’s puppies and kittens, or their puppies or kittens, could end up in an animal shelter, as one of the many homeless pets in every community competing for a home. Will they be one of the lucky ones?

Lab Rescue...we are getting involved

Mom and Dad are getting involved with a Lab rescue. It is called Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac(Lab Rescue of L.R.C.P. Inc.)This group rescues, fosters, and adopts out Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retriever-Labrador Retriever mixes. Their volunteers are active in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, including Northern Virginia and Maryland, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region including the Baltimore area, the greater Richmond area, Virginia's Tidewater region, Maryland's Eastern Shore, eastern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania. So, it is a huge organization. Mom and Dad will be volunteering out of the Tidewater region, which includes VA Beach (where I live), Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and the VA Peninsula. They will be checking out potential adopters and new adopters and more than likely, doing some fostering. I am not sure how I feel about another dog in the house, but I will try very hard to be nice. Here is a picture of a dog named Nestle who is looking for a home.....he is wrapped up and ready for Christmas! Please click on the link below for Nestle and find out all about him and all the other Labs who are waiting for a furever home!
Nestle

I am a beach dog!

Mom wanted to pick up some driftwood after the nor'easter, so we took a little trip to Sandbridge Beach. We went to Little Island Park, which is almost in North Carolina. I love this park because there is usually no one around and I get to run off leash! There was a lot of trash on the beach and a bunch of decaying stuff, so I had tons of new smells to investigate. There were a few live conchs washed up and I really wanted to roll on them, but Dad threw them back in the ocean. I would rather play on the beach than anywhere else, so I guess that makes me a beach dog!

FINALLY!! Beach Walk!

 

Mom and Dad finally got off their butts and took me to the beach!! Yippee!!! After Labor Day, dogs are again allowed on the beach in Virginia Beach. I am so very happy!! I got to run and play and swim and roll in the sand at Sandbridge Beach. It was AWESOME!! I got sand all over the car but who cares!! I am, once again, a BEACH DOG!

Beach Dog!

I thought we were just going for a normal "long walk." That's what my folks call it when they put on my auto restraint vest, we go for a ride, get to an interesting destination, and walk a couple of miles: "the long walk." But, the car ride was a bit longer than usual and when we arrived, well, I could just smell the salt air!! We went to the beach!! The beach is my absolute favorite place!! I love swimming, and running in the sand and smelling all the different smells! So, off comes the leash and away I go, flying into the water, and yes...I am swimming!!! I think that this is Heaven! We walked about a mile and a half. It was cool on the beach, about 65 degrees, which made me very frisky. Then we stopped at McDonalds for a cheeseburger because being outside makes you hungry. I slept all the way home. I am a happy, happy doggie!