Fido Fluffy and Friends Blog

Twin Foals Born in San Diego

Jennifer — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:45:36 +0000

Helen Woodward Center

On March 31st, a Quarter Horse mare named Lena gave birth to twins Sunny and Angel. They are being monitored around the clock by people at Helen Woodward’s Equine Hospital. Twin foals are so rare that most do not survive the first two weeks of life. Stay strong little guys!

Live Streaming Video of the Horses

Oscar, the Angel Cat

Jennifer — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:29:25 +0000

Oscar, the Angel Cat (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)

I know the majority of people have already heard his story, but Oscar deserves a little more time in the spotlight. Oscar gives an incredible gift to patients and their families at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island. Some have called him the Grim Reaper, but I prefer to call him an Angel Cat. Through his actions Oscar has given family members the chance to say goodbye to loved ones before it’s too late. No one knows how he does it, but he can sense when someone in the nursing home is going to die and refuses to leave their side.

Not only does he give family members the chance to be with their loved ones, the patient (if aware) is probably comforted by having a soft, purring, furball by their side. Even in times of great distress, animals can have a very comforting and calming effect.

One of the doctors, Dr David Dosa has recently written a book called “Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.” This should be a very fascinating read.

It’s 5:30 AM and My Dog is Howling

Jennifer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:28:33 +0000

You gotta love Beagles! I do! Some people don’t like their howl, but I think it’s adorable…except when it’s at 5:30 in the morning. Baxter either caught a scent this morning or heard something (probably both) and boy did he let us and the entire neighborhood know about it! The only way I was able to get him to quiet down and move him back into the house was with a treat.

Apparently howling is exhausting. My sweet beagle is now sound asleep in his bed. All is quiet.

: Sleeping Beagle

Teach Your Dog To Stop Pulling

Jennifer — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:42:49 +0000

I have a daily dog walking client who constantly pulls on the leash. He is approximately 50 to 60 lbs. I’ll call him Max. After talking to his owner, I started teaching Max how to walk on a leash in an easy, controlled manner. While it may take a few weeks of constant training, I could tell the pup was starting to understand what I wanted from him. By the end of our 30 minute walk, I noticed he was more in-tuned with me, in addition to his surroundings. How could I tell? Instead of trying to pull me every which way, he would occasionally look up at me as if to ask ”Is this what you want me to do? Where do you want to go next?” You may think this is strange, but this is the feeling I got every time he looked at me. I have been walking Max every weekday for about 2 months now – today was the most enjoyable walk we’ve had!

If you are wondering how I was able to stop the constant pulling, it’s very simple. Every time he pulled, I stopped and would immediately head in the opposite direction. I must have done this at least 50 times. The first few times I stopped and turned, Max seemed very confused. ” Ummm…You want me to go this way? We just came from there. We’re going this way.” It took a little coaxing for him to follow me, but with a light tug on the collar and a smelly, tasty treat he eventually followed. After walking in the opposite direction for a few feet, I would turn around and continue walking. I repeated this exercise every single time I felt him start to pull.

The tools I used for the exercise included a regular nylon collar, a 6 foot leash, small treats Max loves and lots of patience and consistency.

Patience and Consistency are the keys to this exercise. If you want to stop your dog from pulling your arms off, you must stop every single time he or she starts to pull. It may take some time, but being patient and consistent will pay off in the end for both you and your canine friend.