Disney's Santa Buddies: Puppy Paws & Tiny

One beautiful song from Disney's Santa Buddies. Song by Tiny. Watch for the christmasmovie on Disney DVD this winter.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUUGL6neScA&hl=en

Allergic to Grass Pollen? Here Are 5 Answers to Questions About Grass Pollen Allergies

Grass pollen can be a constant allergy or asthma trigger and is a major cause of hay fever from early spring to late fall depending on the climate in your area.    Here are 5 answers to questions that will help you be more comfortable whenever grass pollen season begins where you live.  

What time of day is best for being outdoors? You can avoid large amounts of airborne pollen by choosing to do outside activities later in the day. And the air will contain less pollen after rain because it literally washes the pollen out of the air. So if you are an avid gardener, or just enjoy being outdoors, as long as you choose carefully, you can still do a lot of the activities you enjoy.  

How can I find out when the season starts where I live? If you are seeing an allergist for you condition, they will be well aware of months that are the most worrisome for you. You can also keep a daily check on the pollen count by check the website of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Upon request, they will send a daily pollen and spore count to you each day by email. The local newspaper and TV weather channels are also excellent resources for what's happening with air quality in your town.  

Should I consider moving to another city? Moving to avoid grass pollen is not effective. It's true that there is less grass in some parts of the country than others, but because pollen is so easily transported by wind, there is very little you can do to totally insulate yourself from exposure to it.  

What kinds of things will help me reduce symptoms during grass pollen season? Close the windows to your home and your car. Use air conditioning to cool rather than window or whole house fans. Try to park in the garage at work and at home to keep pollen from settling on your car whenever the grass is cut. Have someone else cut the grass if you have it has ground cover at your home. If you must cut it, use a mask to filter as much of the pollen as possible.  

Would an air purifier in my home help? Yes it would. If you're thinking that your air conditioning and heating system already has a filter, you're right. But those filters are designed to trap big particles that might interfere with the efficient operation of the machinery connected with the system.   

A high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) air purifier is specifically designed to remove small particles including all types of pollen, mold and mildew spores down to .3 microns. This is an excellent solution to making your home a place that is virtually free from pollen.   

HEPA purifiers are also incredibly efficient at removing other normal household pollutants that aggravate allergies such as dust, dust mites, and pet dander. So filtering your air not only during grass pollen season, but all through the year would insure that there are less pollutants in your air to triggers your allergies because you are always breathing the cleanest air possible.

The Great Golden Retriever

Golden retrievers have a way of making you fall in love with them. They are not only a stable breed, they are eager to please, and they are gentle - actually they have a reputation of being a great family dog. They make both great companions and pet, but can just as easily make great service dogs.

But how do you know if it's the dog for you? Whenever you want to get a dog into your household or home, you must make sure that it will fit in with the rest of the family (if there is one) and that the conditions in the home are right for it. You must also make sure that it will be able to adapt to your lifestyle pretty easily, making the hurdles for it to settle down less and less.

Retrievers are devoted, they are loving, they are mild and love attention. They are also full of energy and can be very playful. They love human closeness and companionship, and as such, if you are planning on getting a retriever, you must be prepared to spend some quality playful time with it.

You must be ready to exercise it - that's part of the care a retriever has to get. They need to have enough room and time to play too. And when we talk space, we mean enough to throw a frisbee around, to chase after a ball or after sticks.

They love to socialize with other dogs too - and not necessarily of the same breed. The best way to get your retriever to do this is through daily walks; he'll get some outside time, he'll meet other dogs and of course he will get some exercise.

Retrievers are fun dogs in so many ways - they love to swim, hike, jog and bike with you. They need to be challenged with mental exercise too - it gets them out of their comfort zone and makes them that much more smart and fun to hang around. You can play interesting games too, and since they are people pleasers, you can keep them busy for a long time. Make sure to show your appreciation one way or another after that - they love to be praised too.

Retrievers are good children dogs, and strangers and pets don't upset them too. This though, is where their most widely known weakness comes in - they make poor watchdogs because they tend to love everyone. If you are looking for a watchdog, a retriever is definitely not it.

On the other hand, since they are such fast learners, and really intelligent, they are easy to train. An inexperienced owner will have an easy time with them. Farmers use them all the time to round up sheep and this from just a couple of weeks of training.

They love to eat though, so be ready for a dog food budget. They easily become obese - maybe it's their easygoingness about life that makes them big eaters also. A retriever will welcome a treat any time. A younger one may not have real obesity issues, but as they grow older, they may start to pile on the pounds. Watch their diet and make exercise a daily routine.

There's lots to be said for golden retrievers, but they really are the perfect family dog, especially for kids to grow up with, or if you live in the suburbs and are an outdoors kind of person.

It would not be fair to mention that they love to chew, so unless you want to find your cushions in a mess, get them enough chewy toys. Grooming them is easy; just brush their coats once or twice a week, or more if they are shedding a lot. They may need a trim once in a while just to get the matts and tangles out. Pay attention to the bottom as well - this is just to make sure that they remain hygienic and if there is a problem you can catch it on time. The ears need cleaning out too - all floppy eared dogs need this.

One last thing: they are heavy shedders and can give people with allergies lots of problems. If you have allergies and want a dog, you may have to search quite carefully for one that does not shed much hair.

Taking Your Golden Retriever With You on Away Trips

The Golden Retriever breed of dog craves attention, and loves to be surrounded by people in social gatherings and events. Away trips such as camping trips, or hikes in the country are the cream of the crop for them. Getting involved in these kinds of activities makes them feel much more as a member of the family. This is why it is important to teach your dog a few things that will allow him to become part of these events and enjoy himself without ruining the whole experience.

When packing up your dog on his first road trip, make sure to take a few snacks with you in order to feed him throughout the trip. Avoid feeding the animal generous amounts of food just prior to leaving; otherwise he is likely to get sick half way down the road. Take the food with you and give him some every now and then, as opposed as all the food in one gulp. Less food in his stomach at a time will allow him to digest easier and handle the sway movements of the car.

As Forgotten part of the plan your trip with your dog, you hear, even for him. Plan to stop every now and play some games a dog, give your pet the chance to stretch their legs and relieve himself. You can not or do not want these stops to connect to yours, after all, we all need a break. Although not the ideal situation, your retriever hold up if necessary. Regardless of the distance of your trip with your dog and you plan in advance for any consideration necessarystops.

We have all seen it in Hollywood movies, the family dog is sticking out his head and tongue out the window and we think it is alright to do that as well. As fun as this may look, a dog in this position is liable to get an eye, nose, or ear injury. Vehicles in the highway are travelling at great speeds, something could fly off, such as trash or a small bird, which could impact the head of the dog at great speed and cause serious injury.

Another common mistake made by pet owners is making a stop at the convenience store and leaving the dog locked in the car with the windows closed. Even if you open the windows just a bit to let the air in, the heat will start to rise in the interior and could be the cause for a stroke on your pet. The results of a heat stroke on your dog could be lethal in nature. If it's absolutely imperative that you leave your dog behind, make sure you park under a shade and allow for plenty of air to breathe.

As long as you follow a few simple rules, there is no reason why you can't take your retriever with you on away trips and enjoy each other's company. Your dog will need a break in period in order to adapt, but you'll be surprised at how fast they can do that. After a few trips, it will all be dog games for him. You will notice he can tell that a trip is at hand and greatly look forward to the adventure.

How To Pick The Right Puppy For You By Testing A Puppy's Personality

Have you ever notice a dog or puppy how they seem to have individual personalities of their own, just like us humans you can find your puppy's personality type at a very young age.

When you determine the puppy's personality you are determining the puppy's mental stability and its nature. For instance, is the puppy easy to get on with.

How A Puppy Test is Arranged

1. Place the dog in a room or space he has never known about. The space should be open and have nothing that could disturb the dog to distraction.

2. The puppy's age is a factor and should be tween 5 to 7 weeks as the personality at this age is naturally occurring.

3. To ensure accurate results, make sure the tester has not met the dog before.

Honest Testing = Accurate Results

There are many tests that exist including the "Campbell" test...as described below. The puppy is tested on the following criteria:

Social Attraction

Sitting a few feet away from the puppy the tester notices how the puppy performs. Does it come forward? if so, is the tail high or low? Does the puppy explore its surroundings or does the puppy go the opposite way?

Facility to follow

Putting the puppy next to him, tester walks away. does the dog follow? Will the puppy follow but jump on the tester? Does the puppy try to bite the tester? Follow from a distance or wander off on his own?

Response to obligation

The puppy is placed on his back and held down by placing a flat hand over his chest. The puppy is tested for the possibility of protesting, and tries to bite the tester or alternatively the puppy does not protest but is calm. Of the puppy just licks the hand of the tester?

Social domination

Sitting down next to the puppy the tester attempts to stroke the puppy. How does the puppy respond? By crawling to the tester? Or bite the hand of the tester? Lie on your back and lick the hand of the tester? Alternatively, the dog runs away?

Acceptance will be repealed

Off the ground through the chest of the puppy does not see the face of the meter. What happened? If the dog fight and try to bite the hand tester? If your puppy to fight, but then calmed down? Or simply remain silent?

Completion

The pup was observed and a maximum score of five points for each part of the test. The results arethen tallied and the eventual score determines the personality of the dog.

If you are a novice just about to buy a puppy its always a good idea to pick a puppy whose personality is based on test results that are not far removed from the ordinary or average results.

Because, if you pick a dog that is hard to exercise control over or is inclined to be humbly obedient then you are going to have to be an experienced dog handler.

Labrador Retriever: Does This Breed Fit You?

The purpose of this article is to improve the public's knowledge about dogs, the Labrador Retriever in particular. Many people decide that they want a dog based off of appearance alone. While this may not be a terrible thing to do if the person has the ability to accommodate all types of dogs, for some individuals the care for specific types of dog breeds is not possible. The best way to avoid any surprises after the adopting or purchase of a dog is to understand the breed and what it takes to care for it. We will go over some of the basic characteristics of the Labrador Retriever to help you get a better understanding of the Labrador Retriever as a breed and possibly a new addition to your family.

The Labrador Retriever is the most recognizable breed of dog these days. Everyone has them labeled as the sweet and friendly, lovable and gentle, rough-and-tumble dog. This description couldn't be any more accurate. Standing at about 23 inches and weighing about 70 lbs, the "lab" is easy to keep groomed, very intelligent and reasonable on food. The lab can eat as much as you allow him to, so regulated diet and an extensive amount of rigorous exercise is necessary and much enjoyed. Labs can run all day and swim so well you may sometimes think they are part fish. They learn quickly and enjoy the challenge. They learn so well and are so even tempered that, like the golden retriever, they make fantastic hunting dogs, guide dogs for the blind and also drug sniffing dogs. The lab is highly used in all facets of human life, but they are best used as a loved part of the family. Labs are extremely gentle and play great with young children making them one of the highest rated household dogs.

We hope that we have assisted you I your quest for knowledge and understanding of the Labrador Retriever. Please look below for some additional resources. The first thing you will want to do is see what the Labrador Retriever looks like. The next thing you will need to do is house train your Labrador Retriever. We find that one of the most common reasons that someone will get rid of Labrador Retriever's is that they are not house trained. There is a wonderful manual that can be used and you will find the link below. Lastly we want you to show off your new Labrador Retriever. There is a wonderful online dog community complete with a forum for you to post pictures to. Check it out.

The key to success is to love your Labrador Retriever and nothing will help you achieve that more than bonding with them. Spend time with your Labrador Retriever and make them a happy and healthy addition to your family.

Comet - Ohio AKC Field Trial Competition 9/8/2006

Golden Retriever in first two series of AKC Field Trial competition in Ohio



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpuUPPzyRkc&hl=en