Seriously. Our home is dog-hair central, and we gave up being anal about it years ago or we’d surely be in the Chock Full o’ Nuts hotel by now. If we combined the shed hair on the floors, furniture and in the car with the hair we amass when we brush them, we could easily fill the Pentagon—annually.

Okay. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s sometimes how it appears to us. I’d need a vacuum with a canister the size of a beer barrel to get up all the dog hair in one shot. But, just like you, the love we have for our fur kids far outweighs the dog-hair hardship we endure.

That said, there actually is something we can do with dog hair. It probably won’t make us rich quick (or at any other rate of speed, for that matter), but this idea does give new meaning to “puttin’ on the dog.” Here’s a book entitled Knitting with Dog Hair: Better a Sweater from a Dog You Know and Love Than a Sheep You’ll Never Meet by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery. The authors tell you:

• How to make an afghan, beret and other knit items
• How to collect, clean and store your pooch’s fur
• How to modify your patterns to accommodate pet-spun yarn
• How to find experienced pet-hair spinners—a guide to resources and suppliers

How about some dog-hair designs and a video to inspire us? I should be able to open a department store by the end of the year…

I’ve believed for a long time that I’m a dog in another existence. It’s the only theory I can think of that explains why I have such a strong connection to and love for dogs that I chose not to have children (and I’m married), because I have always liked dogs better than kids.

I grew up with dogs, and my husband and I have always had one or two dogs running our lives. As foster parents for our local German Shepherd Dog rescue group, from time to time we have three dogs to hug, cuddle with and love. When I pass someone walking a dog on the street, I greet the dog and stoop to see if I can pet the pooch’s head. Then I remember to say hello to the human. When I’m driving around and I see a dog on the street or sticking its head out of a car window, I say “Hi, Sweetie!” Out loud. When I’m in a pet-friendly pet store, I have a conversation with every dog I pass. Most of our charitable donations during the year go to pet organizations.

Anyone can make me smile simply by emailing me photos or videos of dogs. Bottom line—I wouldn’t want to live in a world without dogs. I read somewhere that dogs are the only animals that love and protect their owners. (I’m always amused by the idea that I’m considered my dogs’ owner. They own me, and they know it.)

Sometimes I think my love of dogs borders on insanity, and then I remember that my spiritual connection with dogs is a connection I wish everyone had. When you love something that much, you would never think of harming it, neglecting it or abandoning it—no matter what.

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Look into a dog’s eyes, and you’ll instantly recognize the depth of their love and the trust they have in us. My dogs are rescues, and for my life to come, all my dogs will be rescues. All they want is the chance to love and be loved. Want to do something that will make you feel better than you’ve ever felt before? Go to a pet shelter or contact some of your local pet rescue groups and rescue a dog. In a single moment, you’ll change two lives for the better. You know what dog spells backwards. It’s not a coincidence.

Hi, folks! Max here, with a guest post from one of our best friends, Susan, who’s having a little difficulty in the dog department. I’ve never had this problem, so I don’t know how to help her. When it comes to training, I’m always on the receiving end. So I’m asking all of you to help her out with some good solutions.

Thanks, Max! This is driving me crazy, and I don’t know how to stop it! What makes it worse is that I’m not sure which of my German shepherds is doing it. I have a 3 1/2-year-old 90 lb. shepherd and a 4-year-old 60 lb. shepherd, and either one could be the culprit. (That’s not them in the photo, though they look amazingly like my two sweeties. But I digress.) Here are the facts:

• They’ve both been housebroken for three years, except for the occasional accident, which might be anywhere in the house.
• The dogs are crated while we’re at work.
• I let them out as soon as I go home, opening all the doors required to get them into the fenced backyard, where their bathroom is located.
• Every few days I discover one of them has urinated in the same place on a corner of the love seat in our family room, so it’s pretty well marked, though I clean it as best I can every time it happens.
  
• We close off the area at night so they can’t get into the family room.
• We let them out first thing in the morning when they get up.
• We’ve been renovating our whole house over the summer, so the house has been in disarray and occasionally full of painters, plumbers, etc., but the urinating started before we began the renovation.
• We’re out of ideas on how to stop it.

I need your help. What can I do to eliminate this problem? Thanks for your help! S

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For decades, I’ve dreamed of doing this exact same thing for dogs. I have nothing against cats, of course. Some of my best friends have cats. I just have this thing for dogs. I truly believe I’m a dog in another existence, because I feel so connected to them. And frankly, I wouldn’t want to live in a world without dogs–the ONLY animals who love and protect their owners.

All I need is about $3M and a nice, big piece of land in the North Georgia mountains. If you can help me out, just let me know! When it’s up and running, you can visit my puppy paradise any ‘ol time you want…

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(CBS) A Michigan man says he has his dog to thank for saving his life by chewing off his infected big toe as he lay in a drunken stupor.

For months, Jerry Douthett had refused to see a doctor for the festering digit, in spite of his wife’s pleas and her suspicion that he had out of control diabetes.

About two weeks ago the couple went to a bar, where Douthett told the Grand Rapids Press that he drank four or five beers.

“Jerry had had all these Margaritas, so I just let him sleep,” his wife Rosee, a registered nurse, told the paper. “But then I heard these screams coming from the bedroom, and he was yelling, ‘My toe’s gone, my toe’s gone!’”

Kiko, the family dog, had suddenly become a surgeon.

“It wasn’t an aggressive attack. He pretty much just ate the infection, so he saved my life,” Jerry Douthett said.

He was treated at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids where physicians said he had type 2 diabetes and was suffering from a dangerous toe infection. Surgeons amputated what was left of the digit.

“Maybe he thought it was not part of Jerry’s body,” Rosie told the Grand Rapids television station WOOD-TV, “that it was a dead animal laying on the bed. But he chewed off the infected part so he knew when to stop, which was great.”

Jerry Douthett says Kiko, a white terrier with brown ears, is a hero. Now that he knows he is diabetic, he has given up drinking.

Why 40? Because Dog Fancy magazine is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Congratulations, Dog Fancy! And congratulations to all the winners. (I’m betting my city is somewhere in that top 40. I love where I live!)

What Makes These Cities the Best?

The criteria used to select the winning city include lots of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their people, sufficient veterinary care, plenty of pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets.

The next nine cities in the top ten are:

* Carmel, Calif.
* Madison, Wis.
* Benicia, Calif.
* Fort Bragg, Calif.
* Lincoln City, Ore.
* San Diego, Calif.
* Virginia Beach, Va.
* Sioux Falls, S.D.
* Salem, Ore.

I think every city in America should do whatever it takes to win this competition next year!

At the moment, we have three German Shepherds—two of our own and a foster. Those giant paws running rapidly from one end of the yard to the other several times a day are tearing it up slowly. But that’s not the big problem…

Hindsight Is 20-20

I’m still working on training all three to relieve themselves in the far-back part of the yard, which is mostly brush and trees.  Not happening as quickly as we’d like.  After a few days, the yellow spots began to appear, followed by  big patches of dead grass and dirt.

About that same time, I noticed an ad for a product that neutralized the high nitrogen content and high ph in dog urine to prevent this problem. I hit the dog-supplies trail and purchased two products—one for the dogs and another to spray on the yellow spots and neutralize everything at the point of contact (which, of course, means I have to watch them while they’re in the yard to see where they go and run outside with the spray bottle, hoping I’ll remember the exact spot where the stream landed. Easier said than done.)  So, right now, it’s hard to tell if it’s working. We wish we’d started them on the edible prevention well before the sod went down.

It’s Not Too Late For YOU!

If you have dogs and you’re planning to install new sod, the easiest protection may be to simply train your dogs to do their business in one spot specially designed for them, filled with either river pebble or Astroturf for easy clean-up. But just in case,  you should know about the different kinds of urine neutralizers. There are products on the market for both dogs and lawns. Ingestible urine neutralizers are available as chewables or liquids/sprays for their food or water.  And you can choose from a number of lawn treatments on the market.  I’m off to do some research on repairing my lawn before the problem gets any worse. Meanwhile, our beloved dogs are enjoying the heck out of their new backyard “digs.”

Admit it! Sometimes you cringe when a dog (or any dog, for that matter) gives you those big, sloppy, wet kisses on your face, don’t you? It’s not that you don’t love us like crazy. You just might find it a little icky from time. My mom and dad call it “getting slimed.”  Well, the next time you get slimed, think about this…

FOX news reports researchers have found that the DNA on my tongue might be the key to new treatments for rare cancers in both humans and dogs.

According to FOX news, “The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), developed the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium, to understand why people and their pets get sick. The study used saliva, blood and tumor samples of dogs volunteered by private pet owners for testing in hopes that by studying canine cancer, oncologists can determine the cause of human cancers.”

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Why Dogs Matter!

“Rare diseases in humans also show up in dogs. By studying the DNA of canines, we expect to more quickly discover the genomic causes of disease and more quickly find ways to better treat dogs, and people,” said Dr. Mark Neff, director of the new TGen-VARI Program for Canine Health and Performance.

The testing, approved by the American Kennel Club and Morris Animal Foundation, will be animal-safe, and funding will be supported by private donors, along with a $4.3 million dollar federal stimulus grant.

They said cancer is the cause of death for nearly 50 percent of all dogs older than 10-years-old. Pretty scary, but I think I speak for all my canine comrades when I say we’re glad we can help change that for the better. Since my mom and dad found out about this, they let me slime them to my heart’s content!

Customize Your Profile, and Then Buy Pets!
Are you a wolf, a cat, or a bird? Choose which animal you want to be and also pick a habitat. Then, check out all of the other human pets, and buy a few to take care of!

Search for Pets
You can find “human pets” near you, and become real life friends! Or, check out the random profile viewer and meet people from all over the world.

Besides online auctions, chats and blogs, games, discussion boards and classified ads, you can create similar interest groups known as “herds,” and discuss your hobbies with new friends. There’s an online market, so you can go shopping and find new items for your pets. You can even open up your own shop and earn virtual points from sales. We think they can take it even further!!

Let’s See How THEY Like It!

You know how much humans like to dress us up in ridiculous outfits they wouldn’t wear in public themselves? Well, Mittens and I think this Web site provides a great opportunity to turn the tables. After all, turn-about is fair play. You know how my Mom and Dad put me in dog sweaters every once in a while? I just suck it up and have fun with it, because it makes them happy. With this new site, you all have a chance to have your pet stroll the neighborhood streets au natural—naked, nude, like pets are supposed to be. Won’t that be fun!? America, get your cameras ready!

I love this site! Created for people who treat their pets like family (and that would definitely be me,) it features a health center and an encyclopedia of animals, where you can find out about hundreds of potential pets. There are also forums for all kinds of pets and some fun games.

Mostly, it’s about hooking up socially active pets and their people, encouraging inter-species connections, too. Just because you have a dog or a cat doesn’t mean you can’t “hang” with a fish or a rodent. You’re invited to create a free profile for your best friend, where you can share photos, videos  and information about favorite activities, favorite toys, even the energy level of your pet. The site covers dog breeds extensively, and you’ll be happy to know the many breeds of cats, horses, fish, birds, etc. are given equal time.

Especially touching is Rainbow Bridge–a place on the site where people can memorialize the pets they’ve loved and lost. The page includes the beautiful work of an unknown author who wrote comforting words about where our deceased pets go and the extraordinary moment when we’re reunited with them.

And, of course, there’s a blog–Cindy’s Blog. She’s a former surgical veterinarian technician and education specialist for the Humane Society. Covering everything from ear mites to raising chickens as pets to heartwarming orangutan/dog relationships, Cindy gives great tips for caretakers of precious pets.

Why not head over there and browse awhile? I think you’ll be amazed, not just at the variety of pets people share their homes with, but the deep, enduring love at the heart of those relationships.