With the holiday season approaching things can get mighty hectic, so

don’t forget your furry best friend.

First and foremost you need to make sure your house is safe for your

dog at this time of year.  Make sure there are no electric cords form

Christmas tree lights that your puppy or dog can chew on,  make sure

the Christmas tree is secure so your dog can’t knock it over.

How about a gift for your little furry friend?

Here are some suggestions under $50:

KONG

DOG TORNADO

DOG BED

SWEATER FOR COLD WEATHER

HOMEMADE TREATS ( PAMPER YOUR POOCH)

I’m having a Christmas Contest for all dog lovers to send

in there cutest dog or puppy picture.  It can be any kind of

picture of your dog you own now or in the past.  Tell us the

name of the dog, date of birth, living or deceased, write a

short story about how you came to acquiring this K9 of yours.

The best submission will win the ebook ‘ Pamper Your Pooch’.

Submit your entries to toppooch[at]k9s4ever.com

Contest ends December 31, 2009.

CBC News

A dog in New York has been confirmed to have the pandemic
strain of H1N1.

The pet, a 13-year-old mixed breed, seemed to have caught
the virus from his owner, Michael San Filippo, a spokesman
for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said Tuesday.

It is the first reported case of H1N1 in a dog, but other
pets, including cats and ferrets, have caught the strain
from humans, veterinarians say.

In theory, the strain could be transmitted from a pet to a
human, “but so far it’s really looking like a dead end in
pets,” San Filippo said.

The dog came in for a checkup Tuesday and is “getting back
to his old self” but has not fully recovered, said veterinarian
Julie Steffens.

It is rare for pets to spread flu viruses, and people should
not be afraid to enjoy the animals, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far, 111 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been made
available in the U.S., she noted.

“Surveys are showing that initial doses of vaccine were
relatively quickly taken up and they were going to the people
they were targeted for,” Schuchat told reporters in a telephone
briefing.

The agency estimates that nearly 50 million Americans have been
infected with swine flu and 10,000 have been killed by it.
Seasonal flu results in about 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S.
and 4,000 to 8,000 a year in Canada. The death toll from swine
flu in Canada as of Dec. 12 was 367.

The World Health Organization cautioned Tuesday against making
comparisons between confirmed H1N1 deaths and seasonal flu deaths.
The comparisons can be misleading and don’t accurately measure
the impact of the pandemic, given that H1N1 affects a much younger
age group, WHO said in a briefing note.

It likely won’t be possible to accurately assess the disease and
death rates until a year or two after the H1N1 pandemic has peaked,
using methods such as those used to estimate deaths during seasonal
flu epidemics, the agency said.

How many times has someone told you can’t do that with your dog?
For instance, I have heard that you should never, play tug-of-war with your dog
I have also heard that your should never allow your dog to sleep on your bed with you and you should never feed your dog the food you eat…and the list goes on.
Now here’s amusing part, playing tug-of-war with your dog is a good thing. Allowing your dog to sleep on your bed will not turn him into a Werewolf.
As for feeding your dog the food you eat can and will make him or her healthier. So you what you must know is… That each dog is different and every household has different rules.
There should no problem with letting him sleep on your bed as long as he can be made to understand that you are in charge and that it’s your bed.
If I walk into a room and tell them “OFF,” they immediately jump off the couch or bed. The should not resist or defend them. They should follow your commands.

If your dog does growl or try to defend the couch or bed then he or she should lose those privileges. When a new puppy comes into your house, a good thing is to leave a leash on him or her to drag around
The leash allows you to have a little more control of your puppy than if the leash was off.
How many times has your pup stolen something and ran away, only to have you chasing him in a wild goose chase around the coffee table, behind the couch, or up the stairs. The leash would prevent all of this nonsense. By stepping on the leash and end this shenanigan.
This is an excellent way to teach your dog the word “OFF”. The easiest way to do this is walk up to your dog…give the command “OFF”. If he or she should ignore you, simply pick up the leash and give it a quick tug and say “OFF”. Repeat this until he understands that “OFF” means that he should get off the couch or bed when told. By following these simple steps you can teach your dog that you are the Alpha Dog, and by doing so you can train your dog to any obedience command. Once your dog understands some commands and that realizes that you are in charge the relationship between you and your dog becomes much more enjoyable.
Have fun with your dog.