THIS ONE IS GOING TO THE DOGS!
Since I was a very little girl, dogs have been a big part of my life. My first best friend was a collie who I named Missy. She was the most beautiful, loving and dear creature. Over the years I have known quite a few furry best friends, each one leaving an indelible mark on my heart and memories which I will cherish always. I can’t imagine life without these wonderful beings, even though we only get to have them for a short while, they add so much to our lives.
When I first moved out on my own, I adopted Banquo–a little white toy poodle puppy who was born on Halloween. He was my world and so very smart. One of his favorite things to do was to perform and one of his favorite tricks was “Play Dead”. It would go like this;
I would start the trick by saying, “ok, Banquo, we’re going to have it out”. He would lay down and give a snort. Next, I would slap my leg and point my finger at him, (like a gun), and say “BANG!”–he would then fall over onto his side and stay that way until I blew the tip of my finger, as if it were a smoking gun-this was his cue to jump up and run over for his treat.
August 26th is National Dog Day and an excellent opportunity for my friends and I to share a few things about our adorable fur babies, learn a few fun facts, lend a great treat recipe and read up on the most popular dog names. It’s time to celebrate!
For Maddie’s birthday party dinner, I made cute little favor boxes which also served as place cards. I filled them with a yummy confection called “puppy chow” for the humans and doggie treats for Maddie’s dog friends.
At 14 weeks old, Tucker is new to us and new to his world. He came to us via the Oregon Humane Society’s Second Chance Program from a shelter in Fresno, CA. We’re not sure what breed/s he is, but he’s growing fast and is a bundle of fun. He’s the most affectionate dog we’ve ever had, and his sweetness is mixed with a bit of attitude and wild child. He loves exploring his environment and we’re taking him to exercise on the many walking trails nearby. He likes to engage with people and other dogs. He’s doing well in obedience training. Will work for treats! At this young age he seems happy with everything, but what he loves, loves, loves is an ice cube!–Judy
Brownie Brown came into my life 8 years ago. My husband knew that I had a hole in my heart from the loss of our poodle that year. I didn’t think I was ready for another dog….but he did. So SURPRISE…on the last day of school when I got home, I was greeted by this adorable little brown toy poodle puppy. Brownie Brown filled my heart with love and continues to every day. He is designated as my emotional support animal and is a good traveler on the airplane. He loves to take walks and snuggle close, which includes sneaking into bed in the morning and getting under the covers.
He likes to attend outdoor Symphony concerts in Sun Valley.–Lisa Marie
Here is a watercolor painting I did as therapy for the loss of my beloved “Buddy”. Buddy was my poodle before Brownie.–Lisa Marie
Sadie, my miniature Schnauzer, became my companion three years ago after my stem cell transplant! She weighed 4.5 lbs when we brought her home! She loves it when Greg takes her to Manito park in Spokane and lets her chase the squirrels and quail! That is her most favorite outing! She loves her daddy to the extreme!
Sadie has been a great traveling companion in our treks to Arizona and remembers people, places and things! She keeps us busy! She is naughty, adorable, fiercely loyal and completely hilarious! She loves all other doggies and loves to play, and asks them to play all the time, even if they are elderly! She has been known to chase deer and turkey like she is a big dog, which scares us to death! She makes my heart happy and I love her dearly!–Deb
Did You Know
- Dogs can learn more than 1000 words
- Puppies grow to half of their body weight in the first four to five months and then take a year or more to gain the other half of their body weight. They
can sleep 18 to 20 hours a day during that rapid body growth phase - Tire puppies get cranky just like little kids! If you have a grumpy puppy, have them take a nap
- The average dog lives 10 to 14 years and in general, smaller breeds live longer than larger breeds
- Stroking dogs and gazing into their eyes releases the “feel good” hormone oxytocin for both people and dogs
- Petting a dog can lower your blood pressure
- Dogs have three eyelids, including one to keep their eyes moist and protected
- A dog’s sense of smell is reduced by up to 40 percent when he’s overheated and panting
- A dogs sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than a human’s
- A dog’s average body temperature is 101.2 degrees
- Walt Disney’s family dog, named Sunnee, was the inspiration behind “Lady and the Tramp.”
- More than half of all U.S. presidents have owned dogs and President Calvin Coolidge owned at least a dozen
- Just like human fingerprints, no two dogs’ nose prints are alike
- Puppies have 28 teeth and adult dogs have 42
- Puppies are blind, deaf and toothless when born
- The best age to bring a puppy home is 8 to 12 weeks
- Dogs aren’t colorblind but their eyes don’t have receptors for red. They see in shades of black and white and also in shades of blue and yellow
- Dalmatian puppies are born pure white and develop spots as they grow older
- Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet
- Dogs can get jealous when their humans display affection toward someone or something else
- A dog’s whiskers are used as sensing devices
- Three of the 12 dogs on the Titanic survived
- The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world
For almost 17 years this little beagle has been faithful, loving, fun, naughty, a runaway & he will eat anything that doesn’t eat him first. He’s the very best! Cuddling on our bed is his favorite treat, & going for walks, mostly though it’s celebrating virtual birthdays with his pal Maddie. –Rae
Homemade Dog Treats
These easy to make treats are Maddie approved. I modified this recipe from one my friend, Rae, shared with me. It makes a lot of cookies so there are plenty for Maddie to enjoy and plenty more for her to share with her friends.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil and chicken stock.
- in a separate bowl, combine flours and oatmeal.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Place dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/4″ thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies-Maddie is a small dog so I use small cookie cutters.
- Place cut out cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 14-16 minutes
- Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. William Shakespeare
When choosing Maddie’s name, we had several things to consider; first, she had a big personality so she should have a full name, second, we wanted to select a name that reflected her sweet nature, and third, though she was ‘rough and tumble’ in many ways, she was also dainty. After much deliberation, we decided she would be called Madeleine Rose.
madeleine
mad·e·leine | \ ˈma-də-lən , ˌma-də-ˈlān \Definition of madeleine
1: a small rich shell-shaped cake2: one that evokes a memory–Merriam-Webster
If you are looking for a name, either for a new puppy or maybe just for your dream dog that you plan to get in the future, here is a list of the 50 most popular dog names, according to dogtime.com
Top 50 Most Popular Male Dog Names
- Bailey
- Max
- Charlie
- Buddy
- Rocky
- Jake
- Jack
- Toby
- Cody
- Buster
- Duke
- Cooper
- Riley
- Harley
- Bear
- Tucker
- Murphy
- Lucky
- Oliver
- Sam
- Oscar
- Teddy
- Winston
- Sammy
- Rusty
- Shadow
- Gizmo
- Bentley
- Zeus
- Jackson
- Baxter
- Bandit
- Gus
- Samson
- Milo
- Rudy
- Louie
- Hunter
- Casey
- Rocco
- Sparky
- Joey
- Bruno
- Beau
- Dakota
- Maximus
- Romeo
- Boomer
- Luke
- Henry
Top 50 Most Popular Female Dog Names
- Bella
- Lucy
- Molly
- Daisy
- Maggie
- Sophie
- Sadie
- Chloe
- Bailey
- Lola
- Zoe
- Abby
- Ginger
- Roxy
- Gracie
- Coco
- Sasha
- Lily
- Angel
- Princess
- Emma
- Annie
- Rosie
- Ruby
- Lady
- Missy
- Lilly
- Mia
- Katie
- Zoey
- Madison
- Stella
- Penny
- Belle
- Casey
- Samantha
- Holly
- Lexi
- Lulu
- Brandy
- Jasmine
- Shelby
- Sandy
- Roxie
- Pepper
- Heidi
- Luna
- Dixie
- Honey
- Dakota
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