By Mark Carlson and Musket

Have you ever wondered about Guide Dogs?  How do they know where to go?  Do they understand traffic lights?  Where are they allowed?

And most important, how does a blind owner find the poop?

These and many other strange questions are answered in Confessions of a Guide Dog.  It tells the remarkable story of a man and his little buddy in a way no book ever has.

It only takes a glance at the title to tell the reader this is not a typical dog book.  For one thing, the dog has a job.

Secondly, he definitely has a fetish for treats and belly rubs.  He attracts women like Hugh Jackman in a thong, and the most amazing things seem to happen around him.

Musket helped write the book, to make sure the facts were told his way.

But Mark managed to squeeze the truth in here and there, since he was the only one who could type.

Musket is not only cute and lovable, he’s a great Guide Dog who has accompanied Mark all over the country, met celebrities and astronauts, been featured in several articles and television news, but also changed the lives of people with disabilities.

So sit back, relax and prepare to hear some very revealing confessions.

You may never look at an Assistance animal the same way again.

This is their story.

The book is available at:

Amazon.com
iunverse.com
barnesandnoble.com

For more on Musket, please visit: http://musketmania.com/

Also, check out the video Petopiatv produced: Musket the Inspirational Guide Dog

The team at the San Diego Air & Space Museum Courtesy Linda Stull All Rights Reserved

“Houston, I have a problem. I have to pee!” Courtesy Linda Stull All Rights Reserved

•  Watch the Decorations.  Decking the halls is fun, but it also can be dangerous to pets.  Make sure electric cords and candles are out of reach of dogs and cats.  Remember that pets can easily eat ornaments and tinsel.  Also, poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, and many other holiday plants can be toxic to dogs or cats.

• Wrap It Up.  While gifts and giftwrap can make the holidays very festive, beware of bells, ribbons, small toys, and other items that could be choking hazards for your pet.

• No “Roasting on an Open Fire.”  Fireplaces, candles, and hearths are great for chestnuts and holiday gatherings, but they can be dangerous to wandering or excited pets.  Make sure all fire sources are monitored and pets don’t have the opportunity to accidentally knock over a candle or anything else.

• Don’t Supersize Them.  Do not feed your pet human food.  But, if you do, avoid giving large amounts of food during the holidays.  Humans are much larger and heavier than dogs and cats and can handle bigger food servings.   Our pets cannot.  During the holidays, it’s very easy to forget and over feed pets, upsetting their digestive system and compromising their health.

• Rich Foods Lead to Poor Health.  Holiday foods can be filled with spices and seasonings and can cause health problems in pets.  Human holiday treats, which are not good for pets, include buttery foods, nuts, candy, and chocolate, all of which can be very toxic to some animals.  Just try to keep your pets on their regular schedule with their regular food.

• No Paws on the Bubbly.  Pets and alcohol don’t mix.  Keep the champagne, wine, and other drinks out of reach of pets, which might sneak in a sip only to find they are very sick afterwards.

• “Ain’t” Too Proud to Beg.  As pets become accustomed to human food, they can learn irritating begging habits.  These habits can be rude to family members and guests during holiday time.   Try to keep pet meals in a separate room with designated pet food rather than human leftovers.

• Adding A New Member To The Family.   Many families choose the holidays to give a pet as a gift or to add a new pet to the family animal population.  There are many wonderful “adoption” events at SEAACA and with SEAACA partners during December.  Remember, time and effort are needed to acclimate a pet to a new environment throughout the year – the holidays are a special challenge requiring even more time and attention.

Rigatoni - up for adoption at RCHS

I’ve been volunteering at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) for more than two years. While I don’t get in as often as I’d like, I’m always given a burst of energy after sharing an afternoon with the animals. There is usually at least one I can hardly resist taking home.  I say a little prayer each of them will soon find their forever home.

Dog Trainer Lisa Sellman recently shared the below tips with Petopia.tv on things to consider as a volunteer. I highly recommend volunteering no matter how much or little time you have to give!

-Nina Jimenez

Tips for Successful Volunteering

“If you want to feel good, volunteer,” said Sellman, also author of the children’s book The Legend of the Wolves of Gunflint Lake, which contains the theme of the value of community service. “There are few ways to feel as good about yourself as volunteering. Now, I realize that many of us are wrapped up with work and family, trying to make ends meet, so the idea of volunteering can seem like it’s just another ‘have-to’ to write into the already crowded calendar. However, I know for a fact that if you do it right, it can be a great stress reliever and a source of true joy in your life.”

The key to discovering that feeling is to let your passion guide you when you decide to volunteer, she added. Her tips for beginning volunteers include:

• Choose Wisely – Many people get “roped into” volunteering for an organization because their boss is involved with a charity or a family member is working on a community project. Those can be rewarding ways to enter volunteerism, but only if the project is a match for your personal interests. The most important aspect to volunteerism is to find what you love, and direct your energies into a charity or community organization that matches those passions. If you’re an animal lover, work with a wildlife rescue mission or animal shelter. If you are a nature buff, there are plenty of environmental foundations that can use an extra set of hands. If sports is your thing, there are plenty of community recreation centers that need coaches for needy kids enrolled in their programs. No matter your interest, you can match it to a cause that needs help. Just pick the right one, and your volunteer time won’t be a chore – it will be a joy.

• Watch Your Schedule – As much as you want your passion to direct your choice of project, you don’t want those volunteer projects to rule your schedule. Make sure you balance your volunteer time carefully so that your professional life and your family time doesn’t take a critical hit. Most organizations will take as much time as you offer them, but if you only have an hour or two each week, they’ll take that time, too. Your volunteer life should not consume your work or home life.

• Have Fun – Helping others is its own reward, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. Even the most mundane task can be fun if you manage it with a sense of humor and passion for helping others.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of time as a volunteer,” Sellman said. “If everyone gave even just an hour a week, every community organization in the country would be turning volunteers away, because they’d have more than enough. The key is to understand that volunteerism doesn’t have to take over your life, and that if you do it right, it will add far more to your spirit than it takes away from your calendar.”

About Lisa Sellman

Lisa Sellman is a professional dog trainer and owner of a pet care business who volunteers for half a dozen charitable organizations. She believes that community service is its own reward, a message that resonates throughout her children’s book The Legend of the Wolves of Gunflint Lake. The book encourages parents and children to discuss being of service in the community and how this can lead to lives of compassion and connectedness. More about Lisa

Wendy and her rescued Russian Blue Pasha

Did you know that of the 86.4 million cats in the United States, more than half (58 percent) are mature or seniors aged 7 and up)?  That’s why it’s important for cat owners to know how to keep their feline friends feeling their best as they enter their golden years.  In celebration of National Pet Wellness Month this October, Hill’s Science Diet has teamed up with Today Show pet contributor and Animal Fair editor-in-chief Wendy Diamond to provide the latest and greatest products to ensure your older cat is living a healthy and happy life.

• For the mind – Keep your cat’s mind sharp with Hagen’s Cat Design Senses Food Maze – a constantly changing maze that challenges your cat to figure out how to retrieve food or treats
• For the body – Try new Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying – a new cat food specially formulated to help senior cats be more interactive, alert and agile in just 30 days
• For agility– Want to make sure your cat stays active?  Pick up an item such as The Incredible Motor Mouse Cat Toy – a battery powered mouse races around the toy’s loop, staying one step ahead of your cat
• For the house – Check out products such as the 6-in-1 Cat Tree House & Scratching Post – it’s a great, safe place for your cats to lounge, keep their joints limber and also minimize scratching in other parts of the home

Log onto Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge. By answering simple health and lifestyle questions about your cat, owners can determine how old their four-legged friend really is. Every quiz participant can enter to win thousands of prizes, including a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa and also receive an exclusive coupon for new Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food.

Dogs, cats and other pets can suffer separation anxiety, especially during the fall.  As kids start a new academic year, pets around the country may need help to adjust from a freewheeling summer of fun and a house full of people to lonely days waiting for children to return from school or adults to come home from work.  For these situations, SEAACA (Southeast Area Animal Control Authority; www.seaaca.org) has created a list of behaviors to look for, as well as solutions to help alleviate the back-to-school blues.

Many behaviors can signal a pet’s anxiety or sadness because of a shift from a summer to a school schedule.  These behaviors may include:

• Excessive pacing, barking or meowing
• Urinating or defecating in the home or in unapproved areas
• Escape attempts
• Destruction of furniture or toys
• Unusual chewing, digging or other frantic behavior

If such behaviors are evident, pet owners can take specific measures to help their animals.  Some strategies to consider include:

• Introduce short separations to help your pet become accustomed to the upcoming schedule change
• Foster your pet’s independence by helping him or her play alone with toys and other activities
• When your pet is alone, leave her or him an interactive toy via a food dispenser, such as the Kong
• Do not punish or scold your pet for unusual behavior during the adjustment period (the behavior could be rooted in fear, and punishment could exacerbate that insecurity)
• If the behavior does not improve, seek the help of an animal behaviorist or your local veterinarian

“Back-to-school is a wonderful time for families, but it can be anxiety-provoking for pets, especially for some shelter pets who haven’t had stable homes before,” noted SEAACA Executive Director, Dan Morrison.  “If pet owners know what to look for and are equipped with preventive and healing techniques, this annual rite of fall can be more pleasant for everyone,” he added.

For more information about SEAACA, please visit www.seaaca.org.

The Best of Today's Dogg

Recently, I read a charming book called The Best of Today’s Dogg.  The author is award-winning cartoonist, Guy Gilchrist – who has written 48 children’s books, was the cartoonist of the comic strips “Nancy” and the “MUPPETS” and was the character designer for Tom & Jerry, Pink Panther, Looney Tunes & Disney.

The book is about 140 pages and only took me about 30 minutes to read.  Guy does a great job of capturing the wonderful personalities of dogs and cats.  The cartoons are funny, heart warming, intelligent and witty.  Any dog owner can relate to this book!  I found myself laughing out loud in my bed, as I thought of my own dog, cat and their relationship.  Some of the cartoons make you reflect, some melt your heart, some make you tear up, some make you giggle – but all make you want to hug your dog!

This book is yet another example of how dogs make the world a better place and how we are blessed to have one in our home.  I loved taking time out of my busy day to just simply enjoy a book full of spirit and remind myself just how special a friendship I have with my dog and cat.  It gives you some humorous insight of what dogs might be thinking if we could get into their heads.  Between chew toys and treats to loyalty and unbreakable bonds, and of course, getting into mischief, you will find yourself saying, “That’s so true” or “My dog does that!”

The best part of Today’s Dogg is a portion of proceeds go to pet rescue organizations.

I give this book and its mission four paws up!

For more information, please visit The Best of Today’s Dogg

- Michelle Brubaker

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs.

Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine.

The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression.

The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother’s cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother.

The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment.

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species.  The only orphans’ that could be found quickly, were a litter of weaning pigs.

The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger – would they become cubs or pork chops?

Now, please tell me one more time why can’t the rest of the world get along?

I received an email asking if I wanted to review this book.  Having had more than 1 dog with different forms of cancer, I thought it would be very interesting and a good learning experience.

I am very grateful to have this book in my library now.  Being a huge dog lover,  I know I will always have dogs throughout my life, unfortunately, I know at some point in my life, this book will come in handy. 

Aimee Quemuel did a great job of making this book easy to read and follow.  There are a ton of ideas to help incorporate veterinary care, modern medicine, holistic medicine, diet, and supplements into creating a comfortable longer life for your dogs.   There are also a number of uplifting success stories to give owners hope into this awful disease. 

I won’t get into the individual tips in the book, that is for you the reader to look into, but I will tell you that  this is a great book for any dog owner to have on hand. The first thing I am going to do is look into using Aimee’s recipe for a natural flea control.

Check out the link: http://www.mophdepartmentpa.org/Brutus%20Dog%20of%20Honor.pdf