Grooming ~ to shave or not

The great debate, to shave or not.  Many with long haired dogs are faced with this dilemma when the temperatures rise.
What we have experienced.
Over the almost 13 years that I have had Maid Morgain every summer I ponder, as I love her long coat.  Personally I have always felt if there coat is long by nature then leave it be.  And for every time I have taken her to the groomers and ask for a "show" cut the variety has varied to what they thought show meant.  Granted maybe I was using the wrong term but I have been noted to show a picture of what I was talking about.  Some have replied "do you show her?" my answer is always nope but that is what I would like.
When Lady Shannon was with us it wasn't as much of an issue as her coat never really grew long.  She was the perpetual puppy.

Things to concerned when concerning what "cut" is right for your pet, family & household.

~ what coat does your dog have? Here is a simple diagram to explain how a double coat works
imgur: the simple image sharer
~ does your pooch have light coloured fur?
~ do you want to keep the look of the breed?
~ will you really do the grooming(daily brushing) to have there coat looking great?
~ does your pooch have allergies?
~ do the humans have allergies?
   *I have personally lived with animal allergies all my life and yes we have 2 long haired dogs.  With     being around ours my body has become used to M&M.
~ do you need to check there skin often?
~ is your pooch wet allot?
* Some long haired dogs can get hot spots which can be painful and hard to heal.
~ do you want to pull out the blow drier when there coat wont dry?
~ would you think its odd to have a towel ready to dry your pooch off before they enter the house?
~ do you like the smell of wet dog?
~ do you get offended when your dog is called another breed due to the short cut?
    example, springer's can look similar to a pointer if shaved.

I could keep going with the questions but at this point you have made up your mind.
What from I know now about grooming of Springers,  Mackay won't be shaved at all.  No clippers for him.  As Morgs had the most beautiful coat then she had a few cuts and her coat changed.  So now from time to time she looks like curly locks or a polar bear lol.
So stop and think hard before those clippers are pulled out.  Talk to groomers & your vet and see what they say.
Have a great day!
~ Paula

Is pet ownership sustainable?

This is an interesting & possibly scary article.

The mention of the use of secondary products as a sustainable benefit as they would otherwise not be used makes me wonder what is "secondary products" and if we as humans don't consume should our pets be?
Read the article and think it over.  Please feel free to comment.


Is pet ownership sustainable?

Being Careful at Easter Time

Easter is just around the corner, and at this time there are hidden dangers for pet owners.
Here is an article of what to look out for.

Veterinarians Caution Pet Owners: Dangers at Easter Time

What's Titer?

After hearing about titer testing a few times and once again in the video I decided to look further into it.
This is information that I have found is presented by Dr. Ronald D. Schults, PhD a leader in his feild.
For more information on Titering reveiw Titer Testing: A Crash Course and More on Vaccine Titers by W.Jean Dodds, DVM

Video is Saving Lives with Antibody Titer Tests

Use your own judgement/research and consult your veterinarian if you have any questions.
This video is not an endorsement by Bark'n Up The Green Tree

Vaccines Series

This is a four part series about Vaccinations of Pets

This video is Part 1,  I found it very interesting and insightful.

Dr. Karen Becker Interviews Dr. Schultz (Part 1 of 4)

 Use your own judgement/research and consult your veterinarian if you have any questions.
 This video is not an endorsement by Bark'n Up The Green Tree

Food for thought

This video is about "processed-food-industrial complex" of human foods.  I am sharing this as food for thought as the Pet Food Industry has different regulations but a chemical is a chemical, right.  Please use your own judgement/research and consult your veterinarian if you have any questions.

Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal

Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal

Please note this video is not an endorsement by Bark'n Up The Green Tree

Why Eat Local?

It's on the mind of everyone on why we should eat local.
Michael Pollan: Why Eat Local?

Please note this video is not an endorsement by Bark'n Up The Green Tree