July is Pet Safety Month

   July is Pet Safety month.  The summer months are always fun with outdoor activities, vacations, flowers blooming, swimming, and barbecues.  While all of these things are meant to be enjoyed, they can pose a safety hazard to our pets.  I asked Bentley and Pierre to do a public service announcement on things they feel are important to safety issues.  I think that maybe I ought to have explained a bit more.

Basset Hounds 101 ~ Part 2

   In our second installment of Basset Hounds 101, we are going to discuss the breed standards. If you missed Part 1 click here.  A breed standard is the blueprint for a dog that fits into the function that it was bred such as tracking, herding, etc.  A breed standard is not etched in stone and can vary in different associations and countries, even for the same breed.

   For the purpose of this post, we will use the American Kennel Club breed standard.  Bentley is registered with the Continental Kennel Club, but the A.K.C. is the most accepted standards in the U.S.A.  There aren’t any glaring differences in the two clubs preferences.

General Appearance: As I mentioned in last week’s article, the Basset was bred to follow a trail over and through difficult terrain.  Considering their size, they have shorter legs and are heavier-boned than any other breed.  A Basset moves deliberately and once it grows into those long ears, they are not clumsy at all.  They’re known for their mild temperament and should never be aggressive or timid.  Bassets are known for having great endurance in the field and are extremely devoted.

Dog Sleep

Dog sleep; when 18 hours a day just isn’t enough.

*Don’t forget to scroll through Bentley’s Bargains at the bottom of our post for savings on great pet supplies at discounted prices.

Thanks to Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retriever, our hosts for Black & White Sunday’s blog hop.  By clicking on the blogger icons below, you can see more black & white photographs.

Real Dogs

Real dogs aren’t afraid to show their softer side.

Happy Fourth of July

ILeesh Review

We recently received a box from ILeesh, Inc.; a pet supply company specializes in breed specific products.  Our box contained a retractable leash for Bentley along with a poop bag dispenser and a West Highland Terrier coffee mug.  The boys were so proud to represent their breed.  I’ll turn the review over to them.

Bentley: “Thanks Mom.  I just have to start by saying that this is my first retractable leash.  When we would go out for our walks, Mom always wrapped my regular leash around her hand a bunch of times.  If I decided to stop or run, it would squeeze her hand.  Since she uses her hand to scratch my belly, I didn’t want to cause her injury.  My new leash solves this problem.  She simply decides how much lead she wants to give me, then clicks the brake button and I’m limited to how far I can go.”

Mud Puppy

Bentley was such a cute puppy.  He would trip over his ears when he tried to run.  When he discovered mud, we couldn’t help but laugh at his dirty face.

“But Mom, I thought mud facials were good for me!”

Our Visit to an AAHA Veterinarian

Isn't this a great quote to be on a vet's walls?

   We recently published a post on  Partners For Healthy Pets and AAHA.  I met their representatives at the BlogPaws conference and was intrigued with their information.  When I began searching for AAHA accredited veterinarians in our city, I was dismayed to find only three existed.  After some research on each of these, I selected the one that was a good fit for Bentley and Pierre.

   Bentley was the first to get to meet the new veterinarian.  I called the University Veterinary Hospital to make an appointment.  It was surprising that they were able to schedule us for the same day.