A dog is for life not just for Christmas.

A dog is for life not just for Christmas is the famous slogan created by Clarissa Baldwin in 1978 by the then head of PR for Dogs Trust and now the CEO, 35 years on and the campaign is still just as strong today educating a new generation.

Every year hundreds of thousands of children plead for the latest fad or top toy on the market, only to discard them a few weeks after Christmas when the novelty wears off. Unfortunately, the same is also true with dogs.

Looking through the small ads in the local paper and also on the Internet I've seen puppies advertised with the heading ready in time for Christmas, stay well clear if anyone is targeting the Christmas market with puppies they can't be trusted and could very easily be be puppy farmers wanting to make a quick few quid.

These days, the vast majority of dog re homing centres, responsible breeders and many privately owned pet shops place a complete blanket ban on adopting or buying a dog from them during December. This has gone some way towards stopping the acquisition of dogs for Christmas gifts on a whim by people who have not thought things through or done the necessary research. However, as it is by no means impossible to find a dog for sale at Christmas time, a number of dogs do still end up abandoned or surrendered to shelters in the early part of the New Year nevertheless. However, these numbers have reduced dramatically due to the advent of the ‘no-adoption December’ policies, and the highlighting of the reasons behind it.

Introducing a puppy into a new home is never a good idea with all the festivities going on and visitors coming and going, the pup is going to end up very stressed. On average a puppy sleeps for around 17 hours a day to help aid there growth and development, a puppy could easily run out of an open door, be stood on or eat something it shouldn't, plus how are you going to go on with training a puppy should be toilet training should be taking place as soon as you arrive home with your pup how can you do that and entertain guests, as if a pup's not going to be stressed enough after being separated from it's Mum and siblings.

What happens with a cute pup after Christmas when the kids are back at school and adults back in work, the poor thing will end up in a rescue centre that is over crowded so sacrifices have to be made, a puppy is easy to re home but to make room the elderly senior dogs aren't so fortunate and might be euthanized to make room for a pup.

If you want a puppy think and talk about it over the Christmas holidays and consider giving a senior dog a loving forever home you could be saving his/her life.

A Rescue Dog's Christmas Poem

Based on the epithet that: "A dog is not just for Christmas".

'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full - we are lost but not found,

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care,

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
"Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!!"

But now we sit here and think of the days...
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways,

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew -
now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash?

We "jump on the children", "don't come when they call",
we "bark when they leave us", "climb over the wall".

We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors they made.

If only they'd trained us, if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us and worshipped them, too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse - let to roam -
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...

"Maybe someone else will give you a try."

So now here we are, all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,

They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads...
of a home filled with love and our own cosy beds.

Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears -
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn -
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?

We count on your kindness each day of the year -
can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat...
and help get us something special to eat.

The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

Author unknown

Christmas Humour.

Sorry there's no Grumpy cat this Sunday he's gone Christmas shopping causing mayhem more like I dread to think what he will come back with I bet it won't be child safe though lol

So I thought as it's the 1st December I would try and get us in the Christmas mood.

Happy Thanksgiving (How to keep your pets fit over the holidays)

Obesity rates have risen dramatically over the last few years, mostly contributed by over eating, poor diet and lack of exercise. Obese pets are usually accompanied by obese owners if owners exercised there dogs more it would improve there health as well.

I'm not saying they're bad owners they probably love there pets very much, but they are killing them with to much love.

I've heard people use excuses like it's to cold, to wet and a host of other excuses for not walking there dog if you're wrapped up well there's no excuse apart from laziness and if that's the case they would probably be better off with a cat or a gold fish as a pet.

I know times are hard financially but feeding cheap crappy food is not the way to go, all those colourings, E numbers and every other number number of the alphabet and all the other chemicals included plus most of the time it's not proper meat included it's all the crap scraped up off the slaughter house floor feathers saw dust, hooves and anything else that's lying around.

In the long run cheap food accompanied by lack of exercise works out more expensive because you end up with more frequent vet visits which don't work out cheap, cheap food will end up going straight through your dog were as better quality food stays in the system longer enabling the dogs to draw out the nutritional value from it so you end up feeding less and will also lead to firmer stools making it easier to clean up after them.

Ben Franklin said that “Experience is the best teacher, but a fool will learn from no other”.   Although dear old Ben was not known for his svelte body, he was quite a brilliant man.  With that said, we would like to share our second, reader inspired infographic with tips for keeping your dog fit and slim.   (You can see the first instalment here).

This infograph is loaded with great tips that have worked for others and that can be helpful to anyone who is trying to keep their dog fit.  Take advantage of this collective ‘experience’ to make it easier to keep your dog fit and slim.  Please share with your friends, family & readers.

Infographic kindly provided by SlimDoggy.

Getting  out for a good walk or a run on the park with your dog before the festivities begin can be a big help if they're tired there likely to be less of a pest and better behaved overall. A tired doggy is a happy doggy.

Despite the fact that it is easy to stay indoors and be lazy when the weather turns cold, it is more important than ever to keep your dog exercising through the fall and winter months.

Overweight pets are susceptible to the same types of life-shortening, chronic illnesses that humans can suffer from, such as heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, arthritis and diabetes. And given the fact that the Association for Pet Obesity estimates that more than half of all U.S. pets are overweight or obese, it is your duty as a pet owner to ensure that you furry friends gets the proper amount of exercise and activity that is necessary for their body in the colder months.

Here are just a few ways in which you and your dog can stay healthy and keep fit indoors this fall and winter season:

Teach Them Advanced Tricks.

As they say, you can never teach a dog too many tricks―and they are right! Not only are basic dog training commands a good way to stimulate your dogs mind and build up their basic skills and knowledge, but they also are a great bonding activity for you and your furry friend.

    Spinning: A good example of a dog tricks which will really get your dog moving is spinning. This fairly simple trick will teach your dog to spin in one direction, or can even have them switching between spinning left and right. Be sure to start your dog off small and work their way up to spinning all the way around once they get the hang of it.

   

 Backing Up: Not only is backing up a fun trick for dogs, but it can also come in handy in your day-to-day activities. If you have a dog who tends to jump at people when they walk through the door, or crowd you whenever you are in the kitchen or laundry room, backing up will help you to claim back your space. All you need is a few dog treats and a little bit of patience to get your dog to back up a few steps when they hear the signal.

 Play Tug-Of-War: Many pet owners are unsure about playing tug-of-war with their dogs because they feel as though the game may bring out aggressive behaviour in their pets. However, this game is actually a great form of physical and mental exercise for your dog.

Find An Indoor Pet Centre: If you have a large dog and do not have enough space to get some quality exercise in your home, try enrolling your dog at an indoor pet centre. Many of these centres are available across the United States and offer classes such as agility courses, canine play dates, pet yoga classes, and even dog-friendly meet and greets for both pet and owner.

Play Hide and Seek: One favourite indoor activity for both pet and owner is good ol’ fashion hide and seek. This game can be played several different ways and can involve multiple people and toys to keep your pets attention. When playing with toys, hide your pets favourite things in various spots around your home when they are not paying attention. Once everything is carefully hidden away in different spots, ask your dog to go and find each of them. They can become fooled for quite awhile, while also getting plenty of exercise racing and running throughout the house.

You can also play this game with yourself and a friend. Try hiding in different rooms or spots in your house and call your dog once you are completely hidden out of site. Once they have found you, reward them with a piece of dog food or their favourite treat, and tell them to go and find your friend. This will not only help to get in a good workout for your dog, but it is also a great bonding activity for the both of you.

Information taken from PetAG

(Click image to enlarge)

[ SOURCE: Carrington's Veterinary Assisting Program ]

Related posts.

History of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving pet safety.

Happy Thanksgiving stay safe and keep healthy.