How to choose a good dog food. Part 1

If you do one thing... and only one thing for your dog, you should feed a high quality dog food. As a dog ..owner... guardian.. parent... I feel responsible to offer my dogs the best I possibly can as they cannot choose what to eat on their own and even if they could, I don't think dirty socks and dead mice would suffice.

When choosing a dog food, you should look for something that does not contain wheat or corn. Not because it is bad for dogs in general but because when used in dog foods it is generally there to provide a cheap source of protein. Dogs can survive on a vegetable based protein but they cannot effectively thrive on it. They need meat based protein to thrive. Therefore, if there is wheat and/or corn in dog food, it's not a good thing. (Note: as long as your dog doesn't have food allergies, wheat and corn can be in treats. But wheat, corn and soy are typically the top three things dogs are allergic to in their food with chicken and beef being the top two meat protein sources they are generally allergic to).

To be continued......

Dog Park in City of Grand Haven

It's been a while since I've been here. The blogging thing is new for me so if I'm don't know much about something, I tend to shy away from it. I'm trying to fight that urge and get to know more about blogging. So please forgive me of my abscence. With that said....

I've recently taken on the task of raising $15,000 for a $30,000 dog park to be located in the City of Grand Haven. I've never done any fundraising, unless you count selling candy bars for school so this should be fun. My goal is to have the park open by next spring/summer. We all know that there can be setbacks but this is my goal. If you want to stay informed on the progess of the park, keep checking on the blog or better yet, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mustlovedogsonline where I update most frequently.

Below are excerps from an update that I posted to Facebook Fans and some is updated information since then:

I started attending the GH City Parks & Recreation meetings at the end of last summer. I had caught wind that they were talking abot a dog park. I wanted to be involved to help this park come to fruition and do whatever I could to help. At the February meeting, I asked what I could to to expedite this process. They said FUNDRAISE. Pat, the city manager, happened to be at this meeting and he said that the City of Grand Haven is willing to put $15,000 towards a $30,000 dog park.

So I decided to take on the challenge of raising the remaining $15,000.

Here is what happened so far. I met with Holly at the Community Foundation to talk about how to handle donations.

I have set up an account in the dog park's name at Community Shores Bank to securely hold donated funds.

Sam Janson (Management Intern from the City) and I met with Carol at the Community Foundation to talk about a grant. I have recruited Abbei Monroe from the Harbor Humane Society to write grant on behalf of the city. I am extremely grateful that she volunteered.

I will begin fundraising activities shortly as I organize ideas, volunteers, etc.

The location of proposed park is at East Grand River Park.

If you have any questions in regards to the park, feel free to contact me at 616-935-9588 or email at tonya@mustlovedogsonline.com.

Pumpkin, me and Rally

I just wanted to share with y'all a bit of what Rally Obedience is about. Take a peek at the video and check out http://dog-training-muskegon.com/ for class schedules! Rally is a great way to build a trusting relationship with your dog as well as an opportunity to bond with them.

Lost Dog! Part 2

Lost Dog - Be Prepared - Part 2

This is Part 2 to our series on how to be prepared for if your dog gets lost. We never plan on our dog getting lost. We think that it might not happen to our dog. But it does happen and it may happen to your dog. The following series will help you be prepared in such an emergency.

Microchipping - Microchips are an excellent back-up indentification system. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin between the shoulder blades of the animal. It gives off a low frequency radio signal that can be read by a scanner. Make sure that your pet gets a widely used microchip that can be read by a "Universal" scanner. If your pet gets lost and for some reason the collar w/tags broke off, got stuck on a branch, etc, the microchip will be able to identify the pet as yours. Most vets and rescues/shelters have scanners.

When choosing a microchip, ask about registration fees. Some chips require an annual fee in order for them to keep your records. The Harbor Humane Society microchips pets and the pet is registered to HHS who keeps your information on hand. This way, if you need to change your info, you do it with HHS and there is no fee. There is also no initial registration fee with HHS's chips. See below for future Chipping Clinics at Must Love Dogs!

Homework - If your dog is already microchipped, your homework is to make sure that the information linked to your microchip is accurate. If you've lost all records of microchip, you can have your vet scan your pet and they can tell you which manufacturer it is with. They can also most likely provide you with a phone number. Then verify/update information with manufacturer.

If your pet does NOT have a microchip, then your homework is to get your pet chipped! Your vet mostly likely can microchip your pet and Harbor Humane Society also microchips pets (or your local animal shelter). The injecting of the chip is slightly painful to some dogs and others don't even flinch. Don't think you're doing your dog any favors by NOT getting them chipped. The pain (if any) lasts for only seconds when the benefits of the chip will last the life of the pet. SOOOO Worth it!

Stay tuned for Part 3!

MICROCHIPPING CLINICS AT MUST LOVE DOGS BOUTIQUE & SPA BY HARBOR HUMANE SOCIETY!!!

February 21st - 12pm to 4pm
March 14th - 12pm to 4pm
April 18th - 12pm to 4pm

ONLY $20

Mark it in your calendar today!

Lost Dog! Part 1

(This has been taken from Must Love Dogs Email Newsletter. To sign up for our Newsletter click this link http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101449490300 ).

Lost Dog - Be Prepared - Part 1

This is Part 1 to our series on how to prepare if your dog gets lost. We never plan on our dog getting lost. We think that it might not happen to our dog. But it does happen and it may happen to your dog. The following series will help you be prepared in such an emergency.

Identification - To begin - your dog should have an ID Tag on his collar with up-to-date information. This ID Tag should have 2-3 phone numbers on it. Phone numbers are recommended more than address and phone number because the odds of someone just dropping your dog off is less than trying to call you to arrange a reunion. What I have done on mine is put my cell phone, home phone and work phone. I KNOW someone will reach me somewhere and I'll be looking for calls if one of my dogs is missing.

Some people even put "REWARD" in the place of the dog's name so if someone finds the dog, they might be more motivated to return the dog rather than keeping it themselves. Just be prepared to pay up when they return your dog.

Homework - Check your dog's ID Tags. If they don't have one - go get one! We have many styles of ID Tags. Our Red Dingo tags have a life-time guarantee on the engraving. They don't wear off in 6 months like those ones you find a big box pet stores. That is important! If your dog has a tag, make sure all the information is correct and current.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Frosty Paws

The weather here in Western Michigan has been hitting low temperatures. I'm sure your dogs have been complaining about their paws being cold. One thing that you can do to help them out is clipping the hair around the pads of their paws. You can use a beard/mustache trimmer or a trimmer actually meant for dogs. Just take care not to cut the skin between their toes. By trimming up this fur, they won't get clumps of snow/ice sticking to it.

Also, there are boots. If you think your dog won't wear boots, you probably haven't tried the all natural rubber boots we carry here at the store. They are called Pawz Boots. The reason these boots work better than the fleece or thicker boots is because the dogs can feel the ground through Pawz boots. Dogs aren't as opposed to wearing them. The rubber helps to keep the boots on. Also, Pawz comes in packs of twelve so if one happens to come off, you just grab another. Last year, Hudson only used his original four. They range in price from $12.99 to $16.99 depending on the size.

We also carry the fleece boots with rubber bottom and toes.

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us at the store at 616-935-9588.

Keep those paws warm!

Tonya

Puppy Social Hour

Did you know that by 16 weeks of age your puppy should have met at least 100 dogs and 100 people for proper socialization? This is a difficult goal to achieve simply because the breeder has the puppy until it's 8 weeks old ( or longer ) and your vet recommends not socializing the puppy until it has it's Parvo shot at 12 weeks. That leaves you 4 weeks to socialize your puppy before the Sensitivity Period has come to an end. (The Sensitivity Period is the beginning of a puppy's life that ends between 13 - 16 weeks of age. This is where the dog gets educated about things that are normal and acceptable. Anything the dog has not been exposed to during that period may be something that the dog will be wary, cautious or afraid of later in life). Think of the dog who lunges and barks at the end of it's leash every time another dog passes. This dog, unfortunately, may not have received enough socialization as a young puppy or continued socialization through out it's life.

Must Love Dogs hosts a FREE Puppy Social Hour every Tuesday at 7 pm until 8pm. This is for puppies who are up to 1 year old and under 30 lbs. People bring their puppies to the store at 211 Washington Ave. and we let them off leash for a fun filled hour of playtime with other puppies and handling by people they may be unfamiliar with. This is a priceless opportunity to get your puppy used to interacting around and with other dogs and people.

Some people say "Well I have two other dogs at home" or "My neighbor has a couple of dogs that my dog plays with so I don't think we need Social Hour". This is VERY incorrect. Although those are great play buddies for you puppy, he still needs unfamiliar dogs and people to interact with.

Many people would like to socialize their older dog or large puppy. I would love to be able to accomodate those requests but unfortunately the store is too small for that. Older dogs play differently than puppies do and puppies may unintentionally get injured. As for larger puppies, they need more space to play without injury. Please don't misinterpret this as not "wanting" to cater to larger dogs. I love them all equally and hope to some day be able to offer this for the larger dogs. But do remember that the larger puppies can come until they are 30 lbs.

There is no RSVP or appointment needed. Just show up with your puppy on Tuesday(s)! Your puppy needs to be current on vaccinations. We do allow puppies under 12 weeks of age to attend but just know that it is at your own risk (without being fully vaccinated). If your puppy piddles or "other" at the store, it is your responsibility to clean up after him. We have paper towels and cleaner.

If you have any question about Puppy Social Hour or anything else, pick the phone up right now and call 616-935-9588 or email info@mustlovedogsonline.com!

Hope to see you Tuesday!

Tonya

Make a Tail Wag!