Thursday, January 6, 2011

Help Cozmo Find A Home


A friend of mine really needs your help! She is in an awful situation. The neighborhood she lives in will not allow certain breeds of dogs, including her family dog, Cozmo. Cozmo is a 3 1/2 year old, American Staffordshire Terrier. Even though there has not been a negative incident reported to the city, my friend has to find him a new home. He weighs between 70 and 75 pounds and has already been neutered.  He has never shown any signs of aggression towards people and does great with children! In fact, the home he has lived in for the past 3 years has a child under the age of 12. Cozmo is very playful and has a lot of energy.

Please be sure to research the dog ordinances/regulations within your city and make sure this type of breed is welcome.

American Staffordshire Terriers have the following characteristics: (information taken from www.justdogbreeds.com):

Intelligent
Graceful
Loyal
Very, Very Strong
Active
Love to Play Outdoors
High Energy & Need Regular Exercise
Must have Obedience Training
Need an Owner that will Establish Leadership
Love Children and are gentle, patient, and tolerant

Before adopting any pet, be sure to conduct your own research online and take your family to meet the dog in person to make sure it's the right fit.

If you know someone looking to add a new family member, please have them leave a comment with e-mail below so that we can contact them!


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Casa de Bella

In less than one week, my husband and I are leaving for vacation. We are pumped to spend eight glorious days swimming in the ocean, laying on the beach with my SPF 80 (of course), hiking, eating, and spending time with family. It’s going to be fabulous. That is of course, except for one thing, leaving our dog (affectionately known as Bella Dog, Boo-bers, Bubba, the list goes on) at home. I know…I know, I sound like one of those crazy people who carry their dogs around in their oversize purses and take them wherever they wish to go. And perhaps I would if I could AND if my dog wasn’t 45 pounds. I love her, but I’m not gonna break my back carrying her around and I don’t think she would last five seconds in one of those things anyways.

I realized that since adopting her in July 2009, we haven’t been anywhere for an extended period of time without her. She’s accompanied us on many road trips and camping excursions. So for me, it’s going to be like I’m leaving my baby behind. After all, she is the closest thing to a daughter to me; we sometimes treat her like one (if this is wrong in some doggy bible, oopsie, I do apologize).

So naturally, I did what any good parent would do. I started making a list for one of my best friends in the whole world who has graciously offered to keep an eye on her for us. I know Bella will be in good hands, but I wanted to make sure all of the bases were covered. I started typing. And typing. And typing. Before I knew it, the list was four pages long. Really? Really. I have detailed every ounce of information I could think of, from feeding rituals, to walking tips, favorite toys, and everything in between. Maybe I'm crazy, but then, I think I already knew that.

The whole list got me thinking for a second (just one second), what if Bella wrote a list, what would it include? What key points of her daily routine mean the most? I’m guessing it would look a lot like this:

1)      Bella is allowed to stretch herself across the bed, taking up the majority of space. This is completely encouraged as it allows for freedom of expression and the full stretching of the muscles to eliminate soreness and future fatigue.
2)      When it is time to give her nightly medication, please refer to it as “cheesers.” In no way does it resemble cheese, but she loves it when you call it that nonetheless.
3)      Allow her to have full control during her morning/evening walks. The harness is fine, granted it’s not too tight. Don’t worry about predetermining the route, Bella will show you exactly where to go and when. Failure to comply may result in severe physical pain and dirty looks from the Bella dog.
4)      Add a “sies” to the end of each word to make them more exciting. Some examples include: funsies, treatsies, and bedsies. And yes, you will sound like a dork and inside Bella will be laughing at you.
5)      Take her for car rides about once daily and 2-3 times on the weekends. This is important information. Make sure at least one window in the back has been rolled down for her sniffing pleasure. This must happen at all times, even during subzero temperatures and blizzard-like conditions.
6)      Regardless of what you have heard or read, it is ABSOLUTELY, without a doubt, OK to feed her scraps from the dinner table. It is strongly recommended that you feed her whilst you are still eating, maybe even before you take your first bite, to ensure consumption at the proper food temperature as required by the Health Dept.

Thank you for staying at Casa de Bella, we hope you find your stay as pleasant as possible.

Yours Truly,
Bella