Warning!

All dog lovers should know that chocolate is bad for their dogs.  Dogs cannot handle it.  But now there is a threat that you may not have thought of.  Mulch.

This new mulch is supposed to be good for the environment and is "all natural" but it is also very strongly fragrant of cocoa.  The product is HIGHLY toxic to cats and dogs.  This mulch is sold at garden supply stores.  It is manufactured by Hershey's.  Several deaths have happened from pets ingesting this product.  You can do everything in your power and if your neighbor has this mulch out and your pet gets loose, it is super dangerous.  The levels of theobromine are lethal.  The pets go into convulsions and die.  And the worst part is that this product has absolutely no warnings on it, though there are some brands that do have disclaimers.  It is better to be safe than sorry and keep your pets away from any cocoa mulch!

Vet Visits

Bella

This week my bagel---half basset/half beagle hybrid---had to visit the vet.  She has seasonal allergies and the new grass is making her go crazy.  Her usual dosage of Benedryl wasn't cutting it, and then the allergies migrated her to right eye.  It made her eye go filmy blue and it kept rolling into the back of her head and finally, she just wouldn't open her eye.  So, off to the vet it was.  Of course as usual, they had to check to see if she had fleas, because she's allergic to them as well.  And as usual, they didn't find any fleas.  Just a very badly irritated heinie and a blue, irritated second eyelid (who knew dogs had a second one?).  The vet changed her medication to Zyrtec (yup, more expensive but still OTC) and gave me a cream to squeeze into her eye twice a day.

Bella, post medication roll....and belly rubs.

I dunno about you, but putting a metal tube near my dog's eye made me nervous.  The first time or two, it was okay.  Bella didn't fight the medication and I didn't have to hold her eye open too much.  And then the medication started to help.....I think.  I don't know what to think, but suddenly she seemed to see the tube coming at her eye and would slam her eyelids shut like Fort Knox.   She didn't paw me, or pull away, she just shut her eyes as if they were super glued shut.  She still has a film across her eye, and she still lets it loll into the back of her head like a half zombie, but I think it's getting better.

Long story short, lots of dogs have allergies and the preventative---such as the flea medication she's on year round----is much easier than clearing up the aftermath of a full blown episode.  If your dog is acting uncomfortable, they probably are.  Just because they don't have words doesn't mean they don't talk.  Whining, loss of appetite, excessive sleeping, chewing at their behinds/paws/legs, or pawing at their ears/eyes are all signs of allergies.  If there is a change in your dog's behavior, please watch and see what they are trying to tell you.  After all, dogs are people too.

Puppies!

My good friend's dog had puppies.  Her dog is a rescue dog and fortunately they are very happy to have mama and a litter.  I just had to share the adorable lovelies!

And that is my dose of doggie sweetness for the day.

A new dog treat recipe

Bella doing her pirate imitation, "Arrrrrrr"

I found another dog treat recipe that sounds like it will be very popular with my pooches. It's all natural ingredients and hey, in a pinch, looks like it would taste like a savory cracker.

Dog Treats
by allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.
Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter (I prefer bone shaped), and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container

My Pibble's Ear Infection

Pibble

Pibble is a very active dog, so it's not often that she sits still long enough to get her picture taken---unless a toy or chewie is involved.  So the other day when she sat down and just shook her head, I knew that something was up.  Then she started to dig at her ears.  All of the classic symptoms of a dog with an ear infection.  Another symptom that didn't show up for a few days was a waxy sort of discharge and scratching at her ear, then stopping and smelling and/or licking the foot she scratched with.  Irritability, loss of balance, and dark discharge are other common symptoms.

Well I'm not terribly fond of prescription meds.  I, personally, tend to have this annoying and often painful habit of developing an allergy to a drug if I'm on it for any length of time.  Which led me to a whole other world of exploration of all of the folk remedies and home cures.  Surprisingly enough, almost all of them that I've tried have worked extremely well.  So why not try a natural approach with Pibble?

First thing I did was make a wash to clean out the ear discharge and the scratches on her ear where Pibble would not stop scratching.  She has fine fur and it was easy for her to scratch herself bloody.  After a bit of research, I settled on one of the common washes that I saw recommended by vets and groomers, a combination of witch hazel and white vinegar.  According to them, you dribble the warm solution into the ear canal and wipe gently.  I tried it, which lead to the second thing......a bath for me and reinforcements to hold her down so I could use a damp washcloth and clean out the discharge.

The second step of the treatment process is to treat the infection.  Just because I use it on myself and I had it on hand, I went with tea tree oil in the ear, although if it didn't work I was ready to do garlic infused coconut oil.  However, much to Boo Boo's disgust (he hates tea tree oil and walks around snorting his displeasure), I did use the tea tree oil and it worked just fine.  I'm not sure that the infection is completely cured, so I'll be doing the wash/treatment routine for at least a week before I stop, but all indications are that Pibble is feeling much much better.

Dog Ear Wash

1 tablespoon of witch hazel--found in most pharmacy sections by the hydrogen peroxide

1 tablespoon of white vinegar---not sure why white was recommended, but since it was and I had it, I went with it.

Combine the two ingredients and warm slightly over a bowl of hot water.  Dribble the concoction into the ear canal and gently massage.  Yeah right.  As soon as the first drop hit her ear, Pibble's head became a whirling dervish.  Afterwards, gently sponge with a cotton ball or soft cloth.  Allow to dry before treating.

Dog Treat Recipe #2

Due to popular demand, I've got another dog treat recipe.  Ummm, the demand might be from the four hounds currently hogging my electric blanket.

Boo Boo doing his best pathetic puggle imitation.

Doggy Treats

2 cups flour--again, it called for whole wheat, but I use regular flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tbl salt---I often leave this out.  If I don't use salt in my cooking, then my dogs don't need it either

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup water or broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the cookie sheet by greasing or using parchment paper.  I use a silicon pad normally---no sticking and nothing wasted.  Combine the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients.  You may have to add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.  Once the dough is combined, roll about a teaspoon worth of dough into a ball and place on the cookie sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.  Flatten the balls.  You can use a fork to mush them peanut butter cookie style or I sometimes use a glass that has a design on the bottom if I plan on giving them away.  Pop them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  

Homemade Dog Treats

image from www.browneyed.baker.com

I'm not the type of dog owner who makes their dogs' food and I don't watch every little thing that goes into their mouths (that would be a full time job anyway), but I do make my own dog treats.  Why?  Well honestly, I did it at first because it was a novelty.  Then the dogs really got into Mama's cookies and when I got lazy and bought store bought dog biscuits, well they didn't snub them but they sure didn't wolf them down the way they did with the homemade ones.  I don't claim to be a math wiz, but most of the ingredients were already lying around or were in the pantry, so other than some time and a bit of effort, it really didn't hurt me to whip up a batch.  I shared my recipe with another friend who is a dog lover and suddenly I started getting requests for my "dog cookies."   I thought I'd just share the tried and true recipe.

Mama's Dog Cookies

2 cups of flour---the original recipe called for whole wheat, but all purpose is what I had on hand and it goes over very well

1/2 cup of oatmeal---instant or whole oatmeal, it doesn't seem to make a difference

1 egg

1 beef bouilion cube, crushed---again, the original recipe called for bouillon granules, but I had cubes

1/2 cup hot liquid--I use water, but I've also used leftover soup or broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water (or whichever liquid you decide to use).  Grease a cookie sheet.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until a stiff dough forms.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter....or I just usually make squares with a knife.  Place on the cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart.  They will slightly poof as they cook.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool before storing or feeding to your hounds...if they let you.  Mine like to tackle the first batch and bay at the counter until I can pull them off and toss them across the room like a linebacker.  They will store for about a month.  You can keep them in the fridge or even freeze them for a longer shelf-life.

Dog Baiting

When you get a dog, please make sure you are getting one from a reputable breeder or a rescue.  Be wary of pet shop puppies who's parents are often victims of puppy mills.  And if you have puppies, please be wary whom you sell or give them to.  There are so many idiots out there who will willingly take your dog with a story and turn around and use them as bait in dog fighting rings or puppy mills.  The black market slave trade of the canine world is just as horrific and terrible as human slave trafficking.  Help put a stop to it by being a humane owner.

This wastrel was last seen in North Dakota.  Unfortunately, he is just one of many.  Please help put a stop to animal cruelty, dog baiting, and puppy mills.

Pitbulls = Chewers

Pibble loves to chew.  She goes through cheap toys like a knife through butter.  If it squeaks, she loves it.  Unfortunately, once the toy gets into her back jaws, it's dead.  She love, love, loves to play with her rope.  She'll haul it around like a security blanket.  She bonks the other dogs in the head with it when she wants to play.  When Mommy comes home, the rope comes out like an offering.  She's gone through three ropes.  As long as she has something else to chew on, she leaves them alone.  Otherwise, she chews them to threads.  The other day I was cleaning and found rope threads on the ceiling.  I have no idea how she got them up there.

So, what are good toys for pitbulls?  One might think, "oh a chewer, must get rawhide bones" but the fact is, rawhide doesn't digest very well.  That is not to say that an occasional bone isn't unheard of in my house, but what seems to be the most popular thing for Pibble and Bella, my other chewer, is a beef knuckle or a goat hoof.  The hoof, not the ears, lasts for quite awhile.  And while, yeah the spawn does go around grossing out about the dogs chewing on "toe nails," they are digestible.  It's the same keratin in your own nails, only thicker.  Another idea that was suggested by a hunting pal that I haven't tried yet is deer antler.  He said his dogs love them and they last for weeks.

A lunch rope is another good toy for pitbulls.  It works with their need to chew as well as their lunging/leaping tendencies.  A lunge rope is basically a rope on a springy pole with a glove, leather tie or some other toy on the end that the dog has to jump up to reach.  The more they leap and grab, the more the toy swings and bounces around, giving them a good physical workout, as well as eliminating the need for you to be the one swinging the rope around for hours on end.

Lunge Rope, spring pole, firt tag

Kong toys are great.  You can stuff them with a treat or just peanut butter and the dog can chew all day trying to get the goodies out.  Of course, if you have four dogs like I do, you need to get four Kongs with the appropriate size for the dog.  When Pibble got the puggle's Kong (it was softer rubber), she chewed it to bits in less than an hour.  Kong also makes tennis balls, which are great because they can be hurled and help use up some of the boundless energy that Pibble has.  Bonus!  They squeak!

Kong

Finally, in my experience at least, is Orka.  They make heavy duty plastic toys that last.  Santa Paws brought Pibble an Orka stick toy that squeaks and it STILL is intact.  The other dogs absolutely detest the thing.  Probably because Pibble has a tendency to bonk them on the heads with it and then squeak the hell out of the thing, trying to entice them to play with her favorite toy.

Orka

Now for special occasions I get the dogs stuffed animals.  They are supervised with them because within an hour, they will be eyeless and have no guts left.  They also love to get the apples that fall from the apple tree out back.  And ice cubes....in the summer I freeze dog treats in a bucket of water and they will gnaw on that all day or until it melts, whichever happens first.

Keeping your dog from getting bored is the key to keeping your house intact.  A bored dog is a destructive dog.

Trinda's Pitbull Experience

A few weeks ago, I came home from work early.  All I wanted to do was go to the grocery store, come home and make dinner and chill in front of the TV.  I gathered the spawn and we hopped into the car and went down the street, heading to the nearest store.  We were on a two lane road near the 465 overpass when we spotted a dog in the middle of the lane.  I slowed down, of course, and the people in the fast lane honked.  I noticed that the dog was really two dogs.  The dog I thought I saw was a big brown male pitbull standing protectively over a puppy.  I pulled to the side and we opened the door, thinking to coax them off the road.  Well, they had other ideas and bounded happily into the car.  We canvased the neighborhood and no one claimed the dogs.  By this time, the spawn had dubbed the puppy "Blueberry" and the other one "Big Boy" and was making all sorts of starry-eyed plans to blend them into our existing pack of four hounds.  They were friendly and clean and wearing collars, so I knew they were someone's beloved dogs and there was no way in hell I was going to turn them over to the shelter since it is a kill shelter.

I ended up driving to my vet and having them check the dogs for microchips.  Fortunately, the big brown pitty had one and even better, they were able to contact his former owner who contacted his current owner who called me and asked for directions to my house to come pick up the dogs---yes, they were anxious to reclaim their missing dogs.  I had to rush home to beat them to the house. Thirty minutes later, Mocha and his puppy pal, Lucky, were happily reunited with their human parents who were grateful that I had gone to the trouble to try and find them.

Mocha the "ferocious" pitbull eagerly awaiting a car ride.

So, after turning the dogs over to their human parents, the spawn and I went to the grocery store and just as we emerged, the snow began to fall.  It wasn't any old snow, but blinding white out conditions with bitter wind and heavy wet snow every where.  It wasn't difficult to see that I had saved two dogs' lives.  I think in dog years, I earned about 14 years of good karma that day.

Moral of the story, microchip your pets.  It hurts as much as drawing blood and costs about $50 to ensure their safety.  And furthermore, make sure you keep your information updated with the microchip company.  If the people the vet called hadn't known who or where the new owners were, Mocha and Lucky might never have found their way back home....if they survived the weather and the horrible drivers.

Bully Breeds--American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT)

There are several breeds that fall under the general term "pitbull."  So I'm gonna spend a bit of time on each one in the category.

HISTORY:
The modern American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) comes from stock in England and Ireland.  They were specifically breed between bulldog types and terrier types to create a dog to use in bear and/or bull baiting.  These poor dogs have been used badly by humans for a long time.  They have courage and tenacity and are good at coralling bulls.  Fortunately, bull and bear baiting was deemed inhumane in 1835.  Unfortunately, things turned more sinister for the dogs that were breed for baiting and dog fights were the new direction that the APBT were steered.  It is interesting to note that these dogs were never breed for human aggressive traits and that dogs who exhibited aggression toward humans were put down.  The "pit" part of pitbull comes from the pits that the dogs were put in to fight each other.

The first registry for APBT was actually in the UK in 1898 and to be on the registry, the dog had to have won three fights.  The AKC adopted the APBT under the name Staffordshire Terrier in 1972.  The breed is often referred to as APBT or American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, AmStaf, Staffy, and so on which often leads to a lot of confusion about whether it is one breed or several.

CHARACTERISTICS:
The American Pit Bull Terrier differs in appearance from the breed in other countries as the "bull" aspects are more muted and less pronounced in the dogs' features.  They are a medium sized dog with short coat of fur.  They can be any color.  They have short to medium ears, which can be cropped---a practice that was done to prevent excessive bleeding when the dogs were fighting in the pits and serves no real purpose anymore other than for appearance.  They range from 17 to 22 inches tall and weigh between 30 and 60 pounds.  They have a lifespan of 12-14 years.  They are muscular, but should not be overly muscle bound.

TEMPERMENT:
The APBT is highly intelligent and eager to please.  They are quick learners, strong and full of energy.  They are very friendly and make excellent companion dogs, particularly for families with children.  Because they are so friendly and outgoing, they don't make the best guard dogs.  They are very energetic (this cannot be stressed enough) and very athletic, so long walks and play time is a daily necessity.  They can leap fences very easily.  They are not human aggressive.  In fact, most reports of human aggression in the news are from dogs who were used in dog fighting (Shame on you Michael Vick!), dog baiting, or in dogs that have been trained to be "aggressive."  Dogs who have been trained to go against their nature are more dangerous because they have no filters of their own and only have the ones they were taught---remember they are eager to please.

RESOURCES:
About Dogs--pitbull
trainingapitbull.net
Pit Bull Rescue Central

Rescue a Pitbull

Pibble is part pitbull, part labrador and all a ball of energy.  She is also a rescue dog.  We adopted her from a wonderful organization, Mended Hearts.  A rescue dog gives a dog a second chance.  They usually need less training than a new puppy and are much less likely to come from a puppy mill.  Rescue dogs tend to have gotten off to a rough start and, in my mind, they are more grateful and loving.  They just seem to have a closer bond to their people than those who were purchased.  I have two rescue dogs who just epitomize the way rescues seem eager to become part of their pack.

Here she is the day she found her forever home---scared and too thin.

Pibble was found wandering the streets of Lafayette as a puppy.  I'm still not sure how she ended up in Indianapolis, but she came from a foster family that had other dogs to teach her how to socialize and she was crate trained.  She was almost completely house broken.  Most rescue dogs are up to date on their shots, spayed or neutered and microchipped.  Pibble was spayed, chipped and completely up to date on her shots.   Yes, I paid to adopt her but then I would have paid to buy a puppy at a store or breeder as well.  AND I would have had to pay for her to be spayed and chipped, and most likely update her shots.  I am so very happy to have her in my life and my little pack is a happy family.

Pibble and Boo Boo are my little "brown dogs and are the best of friends.

INDIANAPOLIS RESOURCES:

F.I.D.O.

Indy Pit Crew

ARPO

Mended Hearts Indy

Southside Animal Shelter

Pitbull Information

a very happy Pibble

First of all, pitbull is just a generic classification like caucasian.  The word "pitbull" has come to encompass several breeds with similiar characteristics, but are primarily from the following breeds:  the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire TerrierStaffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bulldog or any dog with crosses between one of those.  The pitbull was specifically breed as a working dog by crossing the bulldog with a terrier, and as such, will have traits from both lineages.

Pitbulls are known for their square, stocky head and thick chest.  They have short fur and a tail that tapers to a point, which may or may not be docked.  They are energetic and muscular dogs.  Owning one means spending at least two hours of quality exercise time a day.  And contrary to popular opinion, they do NOT have locking jaws.  In fact, in a study done by Dr. Brady Barr studying the locking pressure of a rottweiler, a german shepard and the Americal Staffordshire Terrier (aka AmStaff or pitbull), the pitbull had the lowest bite pressure of the three dogs.

Pitbull bite force study:  link 1, video of the study

American Bulldogs

There is a lot of misinformation out there.  I recommend everyone to get to know the pitbull and join a pitbull organization.  There are several good groups out there.
Pitbulls on the Web

Pitbull Rescue Central

Dog Breed Info Center

Badrap.org

For the Love of Pits

Dogs Are People Too

I have four dogs.  They have been with me through thick and thin.  They have watched me cry as life became overwhelming and they have celebrated with me when life was joyous.  Just like people, they are different from each other.  If I were to describe them as people, Bella is borderline hyperchondriac.  She is jealous and possessive of those she loves.  And she talks way too much.  Boo Boo is in the middle of an identity crisis.  He can't decide if he is a boy or a girl.  On one hand, he loves his pink toys and is overjoyed to be praised but on the other hand, he does like to, err, hump.  He's also as smart as they come and is the leader when it comes to plotting schemes.  Penny, well she is the middle-aged, laid back friend everyone would like to have.  She isn't afraid to talk back to you, but she isn't about to waste any unnecessary energy to do things either.  She loves a long nap in front of the fire or space heater so her joints don't hurt.  Finally, there is Pibble.  Pibble is young and rambunctious.  Every day is a day to live life to the fullest.  She wants everyone to like her, but she won't take any guff either and often feels left out of the group because she's the new kid on the block.  She slim and athletic, a real pretty little girl who loves to run.  Our last pack member passed awhile back, but let me describe Katy too.  (There is a reason)  Katy was a sweet old girl.  She never complained, even when she was in pain.  She just wanted to be with people, a wall flower.  She never wanted to be the center of attention.  She was fiercely loyal to her family and loved them regardless of how they hurt her (yes, I am referring to an accidental broken tail).  She gave her entire attention to whomever she was with and couldn't be bothered with anyone who wasn't part of her family.

So why am I describing my dogs this way?  I am a fierce opponent of breed specific legislation.  Under BSL, both Katy and Pibble would be considered dangerous dogs and banned from some communities.  Some states and countries would put them to death because of their breeds.  BSL means that ALL dogs of a specific breed are considered dangerous simply because of their breed.  Sound familiar?  Excuse my language, but it sounds a hell of a lot like Hitler's regime.  A dog is born.  Period.  Whether he or she becomes dangerous has a lot more to do with their training than what their breed it.  It also has a lot to do with which breed the media has labeled the demon of the week.  I think the self-proclaimed dog whisperer has said it best.

Each dog has it's own traits and tendencies and yes, most breeds have some generalized tendencies just as most stereotypes have some kernel of truth to them.  I invite you to say no, once again, to discrimination---for it if starts with an animal, how long before it rises to people....again?

Sign the Indiana BSL Petition here:  Indiana BSL Petition

New Beginnings

Welcome!  A new year and a new start. I've got a lot to share with the world from causes to hobbies to favorite quotes to recipes.  My interests are eclectic and varied and I suspect all of my posts will be as well.

So who is Trinda Barocas?  I'm a happily divorced mother of two.  My son is serving in Afghanistan and I couldn't be prouder of him for standing up for what he believes in.

My son at boot camp

My daughter, aka the spawn, is finishing high school this year and will be going to IUPUI in the fall with a major in psychology. (The spawn won't let me post her picture) I also have four furry hounds who also are convinced they are my biological children.

left to right:  the puggle is Boo Boo, the basset hound is Penny, the basset-beagle is Bella and the pitbull mix is Pibble

I have lived in Indiana, New Jersey, Illinois, and Florida.  I like to cook and I'm pretty damn good at it too.  I am an artist of many mediums.  I write.  I try to grow things with a hopelessly black thumb, but I do try.  I home school my daughter.  I am also just enough of a hippy that I make my own shampoo, laundry detergents, and cleaners.  Okay, maybe not a hippy but allergic to a lot of things which made it necessary.  See what I mean about being eclectic?

Okay, let's focus on one aspect of Trinda Barocas tonight.  I am an artist.  It's kinda hard for me to say that because I am no DaVinci, but yes, I am.  I love colors and seeing how they go together and I like being the one to blend everything into a cohesive creation.

As a digital designer, I have worked for Digital Pixel Pixies until they underwent a change of ownership.  I have also designed for Arkansas Outhouse Scraps and a few other smaller stores.  My preferred program for designing is paint.NET, a freeware program that took the place of Jasc Paintshop.  I have very eclectic designs that don't really fall into any one specific category.  One of the things that I really enjoy doing is cutting out high resolution photographs to be used as elements.  Of course that has led into a sideline hobby of digital photography, which I also like to share.

As a traditional artist, I have painted murals in Indiana and Florida.  I work with acrylics and latex and do most of my own color mixing to get just the right shades.  I also like to draw.  I have done charcoals, pastels,  and of course, traditional pencil.  But I have to say, my favorite medium is colored pencil.  I am a Prisma Color fan, but I have also fallen in love with Derwent colored pencils as well for their soft leads that easily blend and rarely break.

And that is Trinda Barocas in a nutshell....until next time.