My mother’s Westie-Poo, “Sugar”, was sprayed by a skunk in the face about 3 weeks ago, as did my 2 miniature schnauzers, Knosey and Kurious.

We’ve tried to bathe Sugar numerous times with shampoos, tomato juice, mayonnaise and peanut butter, which worked the best of all of these home remedies.

However, my mother still couldn’t stand Sugar’s smell, so we resorted to bringing her to our favorite dog salon, Poodle Fluff & Puff in St. Catharines, Ontario where Joan Schoures and her granddaughter, Dana Sampson, takes care of our doggy’s problem.

Find out how the professionals deskunk your dog in this video:

Once Sugar’s hair dried, it doesn’t smell like skunk anymore! She hasn’t gotten wet since as it hasn’t rained, so I’m not sure what she’ll smell like wet, but it’s certainly more liveable now!

I guess it’s important to Read the rest of this entry »

Only a fraction of the people out there are prepared for an emergency or disaster of some sort.

Do you have canned food, bottled water, candles, a generator?

Even fewer people think of stocking up on Pet Supplies in case of an emergency.

I don’t mean just a bag of dog food or some canned wet food either…

K-9 First Aid Kit

…I mean supplies for dog safety like first aid kits, a portable dog bowl, and a dog shelter or kennel to keep them safe, if something ever happened too.

Be sure your animals have tags on a collar or harness, so people will know where to return them to or call if they get lost. Know where your leash is at all times!

Blinking Pet Safety Light

Have you seen those blinking dog safety lights for their collars, dog safety coats or even your own jacket? You can see them up to a half mile away, so it’s safer for your dog around traffic or when you’re out in the dark with them. Many are water proof as well!

We even have dog booties for all 5 of our family’s dogs, just in case they have to walk over tough terrain.

Maltese Terrier In Dog Carrier

If you have a small terrier dog, then do you have a dog carrier handy?

Now, this holds true across the board when it comes to different pets and their pet supplies.

Do you have a dog first Read the rest of this entry »

You may think you’re way too busy to take any more time out of your day to do anything…Am I correct?

Well, I’ll tell you what, if you don’t take some time out to smell the roses and play with the terriers, you’ll be missing out on a little thing called “Life”!

Do you spend time watching TV? Do you read before you go to bed? Do you mindlessly talk on the phone or surf the internet?

Be Honest!

Do any of these things really improve your relationships with anyone? When you are on your last living breath, will it matter that you read that extra love story novel? NO!!! Will that comfort you? NO!!!

Know what will? All of the Read the rest of this entry »

Well, I must say, we actually did it…

…We actually bought footwear for animals that don’t actually need them…LOL

However, when it’s rainy or snowy outside, like it often is in Spring, Fall and Winter in Canada, they can be handy. Even during the summer when you happen to get 1 week of rain! LOL

Now, bear in mind…We have 5 dogs in our Canadian household when we visit – 4 miniature schnauzers and 1 Westie-poo.

For the Westie-poo…forget about it – She hates you even looking at her feet, let alone touch them, so don’t even bother trying with a pooch you have that you know they feel the same way about feet!

For the other gluttons for attention in the household, namely Kaptain, Kurious, Knosey and Precious, they don’t care what you do to them, as long as you’re paying attention to them and loving them up!

Yes, these booties can keep their feet dry and clean, as long as they’re not tearing around the yard chasing bunnies, squirrels, birds or each other, like ours.

Sometimes, they’ll come back to the door with a couple of those booties Read the rest of this entry »

I’m so excited about all of the pet services out there to help make your pet traveling so much easier.

For instance, I went to Pets-Allowed-Hotels today online and looked up Kissimmee, considering a trip there.

Photo left: Kurious & Knosey at the Beach

What I got was an entire list of hotels that are dog friendly, what their rules, deposit fees and regulations are, etc.

There were 17 hotels alone in Kissimmee – probably more that aren’t listed too!

That is my first concern when planning travel – will my dogs stay home with a family member or are we bringing them?

If we bring them, where will we stay? Then, what kind of fun can we have with the family and furry ones?

Well, now that a hotel is more than covered, what fun can we have?

There is some mixed opinion on Mill Slough Park – some like it, some don’t – I’m not picky and neither are my dogs – as long as they have us and a wide expanse to run in, they’re more than happy!

Plus, many shopping venues, provided they don’t sell food, allow small dogs you carry (like ours). So, we can run around town, get activities in, hang at the beach and have a great time!

If we’re doing something where the pooches aren’t allowed, one of us stays behind – a luxury when you travel altogether!

Don’t Forget: Sea Turtle season runs from May through September – Please be sure your dogs stay away from them! They’re so important to the planet!!!

* Kissimmee is giving away one more weekend getaways for 2, and week-long vacations for 4, so be sure to enter the sweepstakes to win!

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I hope you enjoyed this Terrier Tips post on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Don’t let your dog eat your updates – Get ‘em here: Terrier Lover Updates through Email

Technorati Tags: dog friendly, dog friendly hotels, Kissimmee hotels, Kissimmee vacation, dog friendly travel, dog friendly vacation, dog tips

I chatted yesterday with a friend of mine from high school asking for advice about her 9 month old cock-a-poo pup.

Apparently, he gets aggressive when he has a treat, a toy, a bone or his food. He growls and threatens to bite when you get near him.

* Honestly: We must be doing something correctly – our dogs never give us aggressive behavior when it comes to their toys, treats or food. We could put our face in theirs when playing and take the item away without a 2nd thought or any negative reaction from them whatsoever. I never fear grabbing something from them, no matter how fabulous it is to them, even a bone. The same goes for any child or baby that is around them. We’ve never had a problem…

There could be 2 Reasons for this behavior in a puppy, in my opinion.

1. He’s afraid you’ll take it away – Why would he feel like that? Well, if you put food out in intervals for your dog and then take away the bowl in between, or if they don’t feel like they get enough food, they may have this behavior when you approach him at this time.

Maybe you or your child will tease them with the toy and never let them get it back when playing, this could create this sense of protective behavior over their toys. Puppies need time to play with their toys and to attain the toy when you’re playing tug of war or throwing it to them - i.e. don’t always pretend to throw the toy for them – actually throw it!

Photo left: Our Kurious Kissyface as a 3 month old puppy playing with her boney.

2. He doesn’t respect you & thinks he’s in charge – If your puppy or dog is aggressive towards you at all, they feel they’re in charge, and have no problem showing you.

What To Do:
1. Reassess the amount of food you’re giving your dog. Also, consider leaving the bowl out for them during the day with food in it. They may not feel so anxious and aggressive in protecting the food that’s always out there.

Some dogs overeat and will eat and eat themselves until they are sick. I’ve never heard of a terrier that’s very prone to this. Typically, dogs know when to stop. They’ll snack throughout the day and usually wait until after your meals (mostly to see if they’ll get some of what you’re eating) to eat more substantially.

We always leave a bowl of food out for the dogs and we’ve never had a problem with an overeater.

2. Make sure they know Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder how professional groomers get your terrier looking so darn good when you pick them up?

I know I have…

So, I thought I’d organize a trip for our terriers to see the groomers @ Poodle Fluff & Puff Dog Salon, Joan Schoures and Debra Deiter. They agreed to show us just how your dog comes out looking like $1 million!

They have been grooming all of our dogs for the past 27 years, and we just love them!

If you want to learn to groom your own dog, or even if you’re just “knosey” to see how the pros clip those beautiful schnauzer eye brows and beards, watch this video that Joan and Debbie were so gracious to do for our Terrier Lovers, featuring one of our minis, Knosey Konversation:

All 5 of our pooches came home looking beautiful, sleek bodied with fluffy legs and big beautiful eyebrows and beards! They actually looking like terriers after that long winter of growing their hair!

They are enjoying themselves outside with the wind a little closer to their skin when they run and soaking up the sunshine…LOL…You can tell they feel so much better and refreshed.

Special thanks to Poodle Fluff & Puff Dog Salon – 93 Carlton St., St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 1R1, Canada. You can call to make appointments @ (905) 688-6200 or email debdeiter@cogeco.ca

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I hope you enjoyed this Terrier Grooming post on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. I think the most essential tool for a professional doggy hair cut would be dog clippers! Check out a great pair here for your at home grooming:

Oster Turbo A5 Two-Speed Dog Clippers Increased blade speed coupled with the new CryoTech Blades make the Turbo A5 clippers more efficient than ever. The 7-1 gear ratio provides for more powerful clipping. They give you both comfort and versatility with the powerful, cooler-running Universal motor, detachable blade system & single or 2-speed versions. They are more powerful and faster running. Each clipper comes with an improved size 10 CryoTech blade, clipper grease, lubricating oil and cleaning brush. Warranty: 1 year. * Strokes per Minute: 3100/4000. *Handpiece Weight: 1.97 lbs (including blade). *Handpiece Length: 7 1/2″ (including blade). *Break-resistant housing. (See Item number O3-FF carry-case) 45 Watts of Power! FREE Nail Grinder (O3-AN) With the purchase of any Oster A5 Clipper. No limit. While supplies last. Expires: 03/31/2009.

Technorati Tags: how to groom a dog, how to groom a miniature schnauzer, miniature schnauzer, how to groom a terrier, terrier grooming, dog grooming, dog hair cut, Poodle Fluff & Puff, dog salon, Knosey Konversation

I found a really neat contest where you can win $500.00 for submitting a “scary” photo of your pet.

It’s on a website called “Energized Seller” where they give you fabulous information about selling and staging your home to be sold.

I entered a photo of our Kaptain Knickknack after he shredded a bunch of paper when we left him at home one day. That’s pretty scary and a good reason not to leave your pets home when you  have people coming to see your home to buy it!

This is not the photo I entered, but this is our baby Kaptain! Paper shredding is his only vice and it doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it can be pretty bad!

That’s why they’re having this contest on this website…They feature their 101 Home Selling and Staging Tips, and we can all guess that leaving “scary” pets at home when you are staging or selling your home is a no-no…These are great tips, by the way. In this state of the real estate market, we can use all the help we can get when trying to sell our homes.

You never know how they’ll react to visitors or new “things” in the home when staged.

So, if you want to win $500 and you have “scary” pet pictures of your pets hanging around, put them to good use.

Be sure to check out the photo of our Kaptain in the contest and “Digg It” if you can. Here’s the link to the file on their site of Kappy, if you just want to check that out: http://energizedseller.com/members/KimberlyE/files/KaptainThePaperShredder.JPG.aspx

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I hope you enjoy this Terrier Tip on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Be sure to Subscribe to Terrier Lover Updates!

Technorati Tags: terriers, scary pets, pet photos, miniature schnauzer, Kaptain, dogs, 101 Home Selling and Staging Tips, Energized Seller

This is very true, especially if you don’t give an older dog the needed training to change their behavior.

Photo right: Kaptain and Kurious as a puppy

It may be really cute to see your puppy have fun, ripping up a useless, harmless newspaper…Right?

It is for that moment in time, but when that behavior rears it’s ugly head when your terrier is older, it’s not nearly as cute or funny!

They need dog obedience training in some way, shape or form. You must be firm and realize that the things that you wish them not to do as an adult dog, they CANNOT do, even if it’s cute, as a puppy.

Terriers can be especially naughty with digging and ripping apart pillows, blankets and cushions…Most of them were bred to be ratters and hunters…you can’t blame their instincts…You just need to curb them a bit.

For Example: Our Kaptain, when he was a baby of about 3 months old or so, he got a hold of a newspaper and started to shred it…

He was frolicking around, pouncing on it…barking at it! We were all watching and laughing…It was way too cute!

However, as Kappy grew, so did his appetite for paper! Anything paper…

Newspapers, computer paper, cardboard boxes, Kleenex boxes, tissues! Whatever!

Photo left: Starring Kaptain as “The Paper Shredder”

He usually only did this when we would leave the house and he was by himself…

We’d try to “paper proof” the whole house, but he’d always seem to find something!

One day, he got into my dad’s blueprints of their home that they needed for a court case…NOT COOL! He was in big trouble that day!

He does much better now, as he gets a serious time out and a scolding when we return to a big mess. He hates not being a part of the pack…Everyone else is having fun, greeting us, and he’s in time out! It’s utter torture to him.

Some dogs wouldn’t care about that so much…It depends upon the dog.

I’ve found a great training course for dog owners to help them curb their dog’s disobedience problems in 30 days or less – You must check it out: Puppy-N-Dog-Secrets.com. It’s from a man that formerly trained dogs for Disney! That’s right! I’d say he definitely knows what he’s talking about!

Most dogs have a vice that they’d love to get into trouble with, but for the most part, they love their humans much more and respect them to the point that it deters them from misbehaving.

Please, have your puppy trained, or train your old dogs some new tricks…It will make your lives together so much more fulfilling!

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I hope you enjoyed this Dog Training post on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Subscribe to this Blog.

Technorati Tags: dog training, puppy training, dog behavior, training, terrier training

I’m always looking for a quicker, easier and more efficient way to deal with messes in general.

I know I’ve done a post before that explains Terriers are hypoallergenic and don’t shed.

However, if your dog is a terrier mix – mixed with another breed of dog that does shed – you may very well have a mess on your hands.

Also, simply having a dog of any kind can be a bit messy with crumbs, mud, sand, etc. on the floor…

If you do, you’ll need to be prepared to tackle this problem with a good vacuum. If you don’t, it may get to be very frustrating constantly vacuuming and sweeping.

I found some information that shows the Kenmore canister ranks at the top on Consumer Reports and is listed as the best canister.

However, reportedly, it has lacks good maneuverability and has poor filtration.

I’m going to show you a video I found about the Go Vacuum Canister and the comparison between it and the Kenmore.

What I felt was shocking about this was that people are purchasing the Kenmore, thinking that it has superior HEPA filtration, but as you could see, it didn’t.

What I loved about the performance of the Miele was that the vacuum is so very quiet.

Why?
If you read my previous post about our dog Knosey, I describe how the dogs feel about the vacuum cleaner in the home.

It’s actually quite a stressful experience for all…The louder and closer it gets to them, the more they fuss and bark, and the more Knosey wants to kill it.

The sheer lack of noise while the Miele is operating is fabulous!

Not to mention that the laser recorded absolutely no dust coming out of that machine…Not even 1 particle…The regular air was up over 200,000 particles. That’s unbelievable and will leave you with a much cleaner home and much less allergy-causing dust!

* Fact: Did you know that dust, in general, is acidic? Being acidic, it will start to fade your furniture fabric or anything else it’s on…

That crush proof hose sounds like a great idea because when you’re trying to “shew” away the dogs, it’s easy to step on it and anything could happen…

The sheer ease this vacuum picked up the dog hair was fabulous! That’s the most important feature for animal owners whose animals shed. Also, I hate having to grab the crevace tool to get the corners! Uhhh! This worked on the corners really great!

Plus, the maneuverability was far superior to that of the Kenmore. I don’t know about you, but it gets on my last nerve to drag a vacuum around that doesn’t want to move the way I want it to!

If I have pure bred terriers, why do I care?
Out of the 5 dogs we have in the home – 3 are ours, 2 are my mother’s…She has a white Westie-Poo, but I think she may be even more mixed than that.

She leaves a lot of white hair on my mother’s maroon carpet in the dining room and we have to vacuum quite a bit, as there is a large window to the front of the house there and the dogs frequent the window to “protect” us and warn us of visitors or intruders.

Anything that can make our lives easier is great…We are in the market for a new vacuum now! I’m glad I watched this video…

To find Miele Diamond Dealers, click the link.

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I hope you enjoyed this Great Terrier Product on Terrier Lover! Until next time…

Love Your Terrier,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Please be sure to Subscribe to this Blog.

Technorati Tags: Miele Callisto, Kenmore canister, vacuums, dog hair, canister vacuums, good vacuums, Miele Diamond Dealers, Go Vacuum