It’s Mardi Gras season and Oskar B. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana celebrated by joining the parade put on by The Capital Area Animal Welfare Society. They host a fundraising parade known as The Crewe of Mutts parade which attracts a large number of dogs and their owners to down town Baton Rouge. This year’s parade, themed 2010 Space Pawdessy took place Sunday, January 31st, and many a Mutt got into the Mardi Gras spirit. It’s open to the public and has become very popular with kids and adults alike. Check out the pics below…
This was a great social test for Oskar which he passed with flying colors:
We had a blast! So many great dogs and people came out for this worthy charity. This day out had personal benefits to Oskar as well. What better time to get experience associating with so many people and dogs? Their were hundreds of kids with their hands out to touch and pet dogs. Kelly and I were amazed with Oskar’s behavior. As far as manners go Oskar was on top of his game. Sure walks around the lake and visits to the dog park offer opportunities for such experience, but not on this scale.
I like parades too.
That’s one big dog. Like 8 of me put together.
He’s controlling your brain right now.
Tags: costumes, Dog, Friends, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, Oskar, park, Schnauzers
Happy new year! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and that you’re looking forward to what 2010 brings. We thought we’d kickoff the new year by telling you a bit about Kaiser’s wonderful Christmas. He traveled to Atlanta with us on our flight via American Airlines. Once again, no problems with the air travel, and this time we even had a lay over in Dallas. Our Schnauzer had a sedative from the vet which made him sleepy for pretty much the entire day.
Kaiser had a great time playing around the bigger house and backyard and got to enjoy Molly’s company again. Kaiser was spoiled by all the nice gifts that were given to him, not to mention all of the loving attention he received for the week. Kaiser chewed on new bones and slept in a brand new bed. In the picture below you’ll see Kaiser donning his brand new Snuggie, which he really must love because he just stands there motionless while wearing it.
Check out the other gifts below that his Aunt Melissa gave to him, they include a cool doggie towel by Soggy Paws and a handy water and bowl device by Pet Trek. Kaiser says “Thanks” Melissa, even though he doesn’t want to see too much action with the Soggy Paws towel – See Kaiser Hates Baths.
Tags: airplane, flying, Kaiser, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, Products, Schnauzer
Kaiser and Lucy, the Puggle, spent some time together this past Thanksgiving as our friend volunteered to take care of Kaiser while we were out of town for the long weekend. So, we just got around to posing some pictures and a great video that our friend shot. Kaiser loves playing with Lucy and after he gets home from her house he is so tired that he lies motionless on the couch for about a day and a half. Lucy lives with a cat named Khoda who Kaiser also loves to play with. Check out the video below to see what we mean.
Tags: Dog, Friends, Kaiser, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, park, Puppy, Schnauzer, Schnauzers, YouTube
Maddie’s Fund is a organization that aims to have a “no-kill nation” by 2015. Founded by David Duffield, the founder of software giant Peoplesoft, and his wife Cheryl. Their beloved Mini Schnauzer, Maddie, passed away in 1997 and the couple promised to their dog that they would work towards making a better life for all dogs.
The goal is to raise money and provide direction so that shelters can provide excellent service to dogs who need a home.
Maddie’s Fund grants are designed to help build a no-kill nation so that all shelter dogs and cats can be guaranteed a loving home.
Maddie’s Fund currently offers fourteen different kinds of grants, ranging in size from $500 marketing awards to community collaborative grants worth millions of dollars. New York City, our largest grant recipient to date, will receive as much as $23 million by the time their ten-year project is completed.
Maddie brought a lot of joy to the Duffield’s life. It’s great to see how they are repaying her. Check out the YouTube video of Maddie for some great puppy moments.
Tags: Dog, Mini Schnauzer, Puppy, Schnauzer, Schnauzers, Shelters, SPCA, YouTube
A new pet carrier insurance program backed by Sherpa Pet Group (recognized for their dog bed, crates, and carriers) should help air travelers who bring pets on-board avoid being denied or “bumped” from their flights. Eight major US airlines recently conformed to pet travel standards and the insurance covers any expense incurred if you are indeed refused to travel. This much needed move by the airlines should hopefully provide some uniformity to airport employees and airlines and generally improve the overall travel experience.
Sometimes travelers are turned away because the airline has reached their quota for a certain flight or because the owner doesn’t have a proper crate to keep both people and the dog safe. As dog owners it can be difficult understanding the feelings of those who are either not “dog people” or genuinely nervous around dogs, and the airlines keep strict policies on pet travel to keep both sides of the fence happy. So, before you travel make sure you have checked your airline’s policies, use the proper pet carrier, and always check with your vet to ensure your dog is healthy enough travel.
GOB Program Acceptable Crate Sizes
American Airlines. Apart from accepting the standard GOB small and medium carriers, the airline has also designed its own bags in the following sizes:
Small: 16 inches long x 10 inches wide x 8.5 inches tall
Medium: 17 x 11 x 10.5
AirTran: Small and medium
Alaska: Small and medium
Continental: Small and medium
Delta: Small and medium
Northwest Airlines: Small, medium and large. (The large size is not approved for Northwest Connect flights.)
Midwest Airlines: Small and medium
Southwest Airlines: Small and medium
This helpful news brought to us from Oskar B’s family in Louisiana. There’s more to come from Oskar B. As for now, he keeps a watchful eye on those not adhering to the TSA’s guidelines.
When Oskar B. says 3 ounces he means 3 ounces, and it better be in a clear plastic bag or no takey on flighty.
Tags: airplane, Dog, flying, Friends, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, Schnauzer, Schnauzers, Travel, VCA Peninsula, vet
If you’ve been to Kaiser’s blog before you are probably well aware that he likes watching TV when dogs show up on the screen. He usually jumps off the couch and will stare intently at the screen while cocking his head for at least a few seconds. Well, this time around our Mini Schnauzer showed a little more enthusiasm as he saw one of his own courtesy of America’s Funniest Home Videos. The show happened to be on and when we saw the Schnauzer we decided to record the clip with our DVR and playback a few times for Kaiser just so we could get his reaction. So, here’s the video of Kaiser. Sorry for the poor quality and purple sun streaks.
Tags: Dog, Friends, Kaiser, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, San Diego, Schnauzer, Schnauzers, The Dog Whisperer, YouTube
Wow, time has gone by fast. Kaiser is glad the blog is finally getting some much needed attention. We thought we’d get back into the swing of things by sharing a training tip that Rebekah uses on Charlotte the Schnauzer.
Charlotte, being a puppy, was having separation issues. She began to understand that she was about to be left alone for awhile as the family routinely left for the workday. The separation anxiety would make Charlotte ‘chatty’ which made mornings very stressful, especially when taking care of two kids.
Since nothing could change with the daily schedule, and consequently Charlotte’s alone time, Rebekah needed to come up with a way to keep Charlotte focused on something other than her impending isolation.
After trying strategies like positive reinforcement and placing treats in hidden places to make Charlotte work failed the family decided to try out one of Charlotte the Schnauzer’s favorite foods: Peanut Butter. Most of us know how much dogs love peanut butter, and yes it is safe for dogs. You can even stick it on the roof of your dog’s mouth if you want it to seem that your dog is talking to you and you are deaf.
So, Rebekah took some peanut butter and filled a Kong toy and then placed it in the freezer. By freezing the PB in the Kong the treat lasts much longer. After a few minutes Charlotte is presented the treat and then spends the next half hour licking her Kong to death. It’s been working like magic and helps keep Charlotte delightfully distracted as the family leaves for the day.
The BusterCube has also worked like a charm with Charlotte as she will spend 45 minutes or more to get the dry food out of the puzzle. The toy has different settings to change the level of difficulty and proves to be a great source of fun for her. Often times she is exhausted after eating and this toy has brought much joy and happiness into the household.
Tags: Charlotte, Dog, Mini Schnauzer, petco, Toys
This weekend we made it down to Balboa park to get Kaiser some play time and exercise. He spent most of the time exploring the park and sniffing everything possible. There’s usually a couple dozen dogs down at the park so there’s lots of friends to make. This time around Kaiser got to meet his first Giant Schnauzer. His name is Murphy and he is a real giant, weighing in at 120 pounds!
He’s a real nice dog and likes playing with smaller dogs. His paws are more like hooves and he eats about a half dozen or more chicken bones a day as part of his BARF (bones and raw food) diet. Murphy definitely represents the breed well, and based upon Kaiser’s normal antics at the dog park we think Kaiser sees himself at about the same size.
Tags: Dog Park, Kaiser, Mini Schnauzer, park, San Diego, Schnauzer
