Rachel Ray doing a good thing for dogs everywhere.

A celebrity is putting her money where her dog's mouth is! Rachel Ray's darling pit bull mix, Isaboo was the inspiration for her new natural dog food line. Nutrish is made with all natural ingredients, no fillers and meat is always her first ingredient! Her dry food and dog treat line is fabulous and benefits her new foundation called Rachel's Rescue. As she mentions in her advertising, Rachel's Rescue sends their funds to agencies and non-profits who care for dogs who have no one looking out for them. What a great cause! My dog especially likes the Isaboo Booscotti treats! Try them out, available at most pet centers as well as your local Walmart. You can visit the website at www.rachelray.com/pets/nutrish.php. Sign up for your free sample!

1..2..3....Start Walking!

Spring is in the air! What better time to resolve that this summer you will grab the leash and treat your dog to the highlight of their day; the walk. This is the most amazing experience for all breeds and ages, not to mention the handler.

Young and energetic dogs who are learning leadership from you really bond during the experience of being on the other end of a leash. Those of us with a fenced yard are not exempt from this. Far too often, the fence has good intentions but quickly becomes that crutch that permits us to "out" our dogs and chuck the leash into the basket for months on end. Dogs need to understand that you are their leader and walking is a fantastic way to reinforce your leadership over them.

Dogs enjoy the change of scenery, the smells of the season and the social aspects of walking. The exercise, while a nice benefit, is certainly secondary to some of the other unintended benefits of a good owner/dog neighborhood walk. Get a comfy pair of shoes, a nice 6 foot lead and start walking. Does your dog walk horribly for you on a lead? Perfect time to brush up on the heeling command. No excuses, people. This is part of dog parenting and they so appreciate your efforts. You may even notice that they will nap and rest more contently while you catch up on your daily household chores. Nothing like a little nap after your walk. Happy strolling!

Interior Design for Dog Lovers

I have a deep interest in interior design and have worked painlessly to renovate a 1903 Sears farmhouse. We spared no expense, added historic touches like wonderful tin ceilings and wainscoting....it really is a "throwback" to another time. Problem? I am also a dog owner and foster dogs for our local rescue, so how do I factor in those things like dog gates and water bowls without looking like we live in the dog's house?

Never fear ~ we, like many of you, have found creative ways to add the dog necessities without sacrificing design. Here are just a few of my new favorites and we would love you to share yours. Both of these finds are offered by http://www.inthecompanyofdogs.com/ . If you have never visited their site, please don't delay. It is a real treat for dog fanatics and I have quite the wish list going myself.

The family dog - the silent victim in foreclosure

Our local rescues are all buzzing about the new trend, a sad one indeed. It is what we refer to as the "foreclosure dog" wave. The phones are ringing off the hook with tearful families on the end of the line trying to explain why they must seek help to find a home for their loving pet. I recently had one woman meet me at my church parking lot to tell me her plight and allow me to photograph one of her dogs for a listing on Petfinder.com. The meeting lasted an hour and started with a crying session that I was desperate to pull her through. "This wasn't supposed to happen to me", she lamented. I attempted to reassure her that our process was thorough and we worked very hard to match the pet with a well-suited, loving family. But, here was a woman who truly never thought she would or could part with her best friend. Two family job losses and tremendous hardship have led the family to seek employment in the south and the housing they have secured will only allow one pet. They made the tough decision to keep the pit bull which she felt was less likely to find another loving home. So the lab-shepherd mix was coming my way by default.

This story will eventually have a happy ending for this dog because the woman was responsible and contacted our group very early in her plight. She still has 90 days before her move which will give us the necessary time to assist her, meanwhile her pet stays securely with the family it has always know. We advise families who are in this same situation to please call early for assistance. Often we can find loving homes and it requires that the pet make only one move, rather than going into foster care or a shelter environment first. Above all, make sure there is no other option for your pet. Often we have found that family members or close friends are willing to offer assistance on a temporary basis until the dog owner's life returns to some sense of a new normal for them. Your local rescue can be a great source of support and advice. We encourage people to support them generously when you are financially able. Non-profit rescues do a great service in the community.

Get ready for the hummers!

Hummingbird season is in full swing on the West coast and in the south, we in the Northeast are so anxious for these wonderful creatures to dance in our flower garden! Visit our store; http://www.aloveofdogs.com/ and see our amazing collection of hummingbird feeders, we think most of them are "works of art" for the garden! See our fabulous crystal feeders from Bird Brain, you will love them more than the hummers!

Wine Lovers & Dog Lovers Unite!

One of our favorite websites, http://www.dogloverswineclub.com/ ! Carivintas Winery blends wine with philanthropy. Read about the founders who are partners in several California vineyards who formed their own winery to pursue their passion for dogs. They have a diverse selection of wines and are now featuring the wonderful labels of Cyrus Mejia, one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT. Cyrus has created gorgeous art for use on wine bottles that depict the Vicktory dogs and their success stories of rehabilitation at the sanctuary. Some of these dogs have been featured on the acclaimed series on National Geographic Channel, Dogtown. Bottles are available by the bottle or in collections. Happy shopping and happy toasting! What a wonderful business venture and we highly recommend a visit.

The Perfect Gift!

Celebrate every gift-giving occasion...or no occasion at all with the new Kitras Birthday Wish Balls, now available in the smaller 2" size. The balls incorporate the colors of the birthstone in a given month with other complimentary colors and glass is blown into mini one-of-a-kind creations! The ornaments are tagged with wonderful little tags listing characteristics of one born in that month, they make such wonderful little commemorative gifts and folks love them for graduations, wedding parties, birthdays (of course), Christmas ornaments, package tie-ons...the list is endless. Celebrate the birthday of someone you love with the Kitras Mini Birthday Wish Ball. visit our website for details; www.aloveofdogs.com (Kitras Art Glass Category)

A great resource for help with your adopted dog!

Finally, a wonderful new resource that covers all aspects facing adoptive families when bringing home a newly adopted puppy or adult dog. As the book cover so aptly states, "sometimes the rules are different with an adopted dog". Much of the time, we know little about the background of the pet and quite often they are nervous, certainly feeling confused and overwhelmed. This book can provide guidance for the complete process, from choosing the dog through re-training and acclimating them to life in your home.

Check out this fabulous book, finally a guide that covers so many bases that we just can't recommend it enough. I think this is also a great resource for foster families and shelter volunteers. Now available for purchase through http://www.petfinder.com/dog-bible.

Help for the Diabetic Dog

Finally...solid advice on how to feed your diabetic dog and help to manage the disease with proper diet. Visit one of our favorite blogs: www.diabeticdog.typepad.com . Read about the amazing life of Winston, an older West Highland Terrier whose owner was unable to manage the disease. He came to Tammie Vasek in his senior years and she was able to manage his diabetes so successfully for the last three years of his life through a diet protocol that complimented his insulin therapy that she now specializes in fostering diabetic dogs. For a great list of recommended foods, visit her blog and learn from her expertise. There is so much to be said for the proper diet when dealing with this chronic problem. Help your pet to live the healthiest and happiest life they can. We highly recommend visiting her blog for daily advice on animal nutrition.

Visit your local dog bakery!

It was only 7 short years ago that an NCB television show titled "Providence" told the story of a small town family whose dad was the local vet. His daughter followed in her dad's dog-loving footsteps by opening a bakery business called the Barkery, a bakery for dogs. At the time I thought it was a fabulous idea, but being a retail store owner myself I doubted the actual viability of such a venture. Boy, was I wrong!

In the years since, almost every town has sprung a creative and wonderful bakery for furry canines and felines. Near us, the Grateful Dog Bakery in North Ridgeville, Ohio serves customers who line up for wonderful homemade goodies in many different shapes; muffins, cakes, birthday cakes, biscuits, scones, and more. Dogs are now dining on fresh baked goods made with natural ingredients and farm fresh produce. The names of these treats make them sound good enough for humans to eat, and yes...most of the time we certainly can. The human grade ingredients make us feel good about feeding them to our best friend. So we encourage you to visit google up "dog bakery" this summer and find one in your area. You will not only discover delicious things for your pooch, but you will no doubt meet some wonderful dog folk while you shop! my favorite: http://www.gratefuldogbakery.com/

Preparing for Emergency ....don't forget your best friiend!

We have all recently been thinking about things like "making our disaster plan" or "creating an emergency kit"....all good things. Just a reminder to consider your dogs when making these plans. Animals will of course be going with us, so here are some of the things to put aside in a little kit that is ready-to-grab, along with our personal emergency kit. Get this done and then rest assured your pet will be as ready as you are if and when disaster strikes:

• an extra leash and harness or collar
• 2 bowls or container that will suffice for meals
• bottled water, enough for several days
• several cans of food and can opener
• dry food packaged to prevent mold
• 1 month of any required pet medications
• an extra ID pet tag with your personal information
• complete pet medical history written out with vet contact information
• calming meds if needed
• dog or Kong
• collapsable crate for smaller dogs