J.J…..Jamaican Me Crazy With Your Cute Self!

in Barks and Blooms / dog walker / J.J. / Jamaica / Jamaican Me Crazy / Roundhill  by August 1, 2013
One of our Fabulous walkers Tracey shared this story with us and I couldn’t help but pass it along to you…


“Our family has had a home at Roundhill, Jamaica for about 20 years.  A few days before we left for vacation, we received a call from one of our staff who said they thought a dog may have had a litter of pups under the foundation.  They made sure water and food were available in case the mother was still around.  

When we got to the house, we could hear the pups crying but could not get to them.  There were two, one was all black and one was black and white.  One night they cried all night long and we were heartbroken because we could not get to them.  The next day our gardener found the black and white puppy, who must have crawled out of his birthing place.”



“Our gardener said he was pretty sure another gardener from one of the surrounding properties had the black puppy.  My daughter, my son, and the four other kids with us immediately took over care of this sweet puppy and discovered it was covered in fleas.  However, it was nice and plump so the mother did a good job taking care of them until she abandoned them.  The girls gave the puppy (that they named JJ) a bath; combing and de-flea-ing him until he was shiny and smelling good.”




“Our cook Jerome, who had just lost his dog, named Whiskey, asked if he could have him.  Of course the girls wanted to bring JJ home, but that wasn’t possible.  Jerome wants to change JJ’s name to Scotch.   We are going back to Jamaica in November for a delayed celebration of my 50th birthday so I should see JJ “aka Scotch” and will update you with a picture. We miss him already!”


The Prince of Cambridge Needs a Puppy

in Barks and Blooms / beagle / bull terrier / bulldog / collie / golden retriever / Irish setter / labrador retriever / mutt / Newfoundland / poodle / Prince of Cambridge / vizsla / William and Kate  by July 23, 2013

We’ve all heard the news of the birth of William and Kate’s new baby boy.  The world is waiting for its first glimpse of the new family and many are wondering what his name will be?  Well, we’re wondering what kind of puppy the brand new Prince of  Cambridge will have!  I’ve done a little research and these are the breeds that stand out as being extremely family-friendly.  
(We know the Queen is fond of her Corgis, but they didn’t make the list)
Bulldog

Beagle

Bull Terrier

Collie

Newfoundland

Vizsla

Irish Setter

Poodle

Labrador Retriever

Golden Retriever

We are also very fond of the mutt; a nice addition to any family.  If the Royals do acquire a furry family member, we’ll keep you updated.

Cat People

in ancient Egypt / Barks and Blooms / cat / cat people / domesticated cat / Sylvester  by July 9, 2013
People have lived with cats for hundreds…thousands of years.  These artifacts attest to human interest in cats in Ancient Egypt.
Some scientists speculate that cats  were first domesticated about 12,000 years ago and were descended from a Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis Sylvestris, which means “cat of the woods”.  

(This is what I think of when I see the word Sylvestris)


 Of course, we use the word “domesticated” loosely, because as every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.


Maybe cat and human relationships began when humans settled down to farm and store their produce.  Cats were drawn by the easy abundance of mice and other critters and humans were delighted by free pest control.  
In the United States today, cats are popular house pet with 30.4% of households gladly owning (serving?) around 36 million cats–that’s an average of 2 per household.

Tell us about your cats!




Did the Founding Fathers Have Dogs? Yes! (Cats, too!)

in 4th of July / Abigail Adams / Abraham Lincoln / American Fox Hound / Barks and Blooms / Ben Franklin / Briard / cats / Dogs / founding fathers / George Washington / John Adams / Newfoundland / Thomas Jefferson  by July 4, 2013
George Washington was the Father of our nation and also the father of the American Foxhound.  According to his diary, he named three of them Drunkard, Tipsy and Tipler.  

It is thought that John and Abigail Adams had mixed breed dogs.  Like George, they also had a sense of humor when naming their canine companions.  One was named Juno and the other, Satan.  (Maybe he could have benefitted from some obedience classes?)
Benjamin Franklin and his son William were partial to Newfoundlands.  Who could resist that sweet face?
Thomas Jefferson became enamored with Briards when he was serving as Minister to France.  He brought home a female he named Buzzy, who had two puppies on the ship home.
Abraham Lincoln’s dog Fido was a “floppy-eared, rough-coated, yellowish dog of uncertain ancestry”.  (Picture below)  He looks like a retriever mix to me.  He followed Mr. Lincoln wherever he went when Abe and family lived in Illinois.  

Lincoln also loved kitty cats.  Abraham Lincoln had the first White House cat, Tabby.  When his wife Mary was asked about Lincoln’s hobbies, her answer was “Cats.”  
‘Nuff said.

Happy 4th of July!!


Friday Funny: U.S. Pet Poll reveals 18% Want a Pet Dinosaur…Really?

in Barks and Blooms / dinosaurs as pets / Jurassic Park / Pet Sitters International / PSI  by June 28, 2013


I received a newsletter from PSI (Pet Sitters International) this week and one of the headlines stated that a recent U.S. Pet Poll (see here) revealed that 18% really would like to have a dinosaur.   Really?

This is probably what they have in mind:





Have none of them seen Jurassic Park?  Or the sequels?  We’ve all seen them. 

Everyone is all  “Awwww…..” and “Aren’t they cuddly?”  in the beginning.

















And then there’s a lot of screaming and running at the end.








                                                                          
 Another interesting result of the poll was that 26% of those polled wanted a tiger, 20% a giraffe and 16% wanted an elephant. 
















We at Barks and Blooms really love what we do, but I think we’re probably sticking to dogs, cats, birds, bunnies…….maybe the occasional snake………..

Here Comes the Bride….and the dog?

in Barks and Blooms / dog / dog wedding disasters / dogs in weddings / Pinterest  by June 27, 2013
by Sandy Kempton


One of our Fantastically Fabulous Pet Professionals here at Barks and Blooms sent me this picture the other day.



Dogs at weddings is becoming more and more popular.  There are websites dedicated to designing a wedding with humans and canines in mind.    Pinterest is overflowing with boards on the subject.


What do you imagine with you think about a wedding that includes furry friends?  


Or this?




Have you included a fur-kid in your wedding?  Know someone who has?  Tell us about it!


Baby, It’s Hot Outside! (or How to Help Your Dog Avoid Heat Stroke)

in Barks and Blooms / dog / heat stroke / hot weather / panting  by June 26, 2013

By Sandy Kempton


We all know that dogs don’t sweat–except for a teeny bit through their feet.  They depend on panting to exchange hot air for cool, but when the outside air is the same as their inside air, that form of air conditioning isn’t so efficient.  




Being left in a car during hot weather, confined on concrete or asphalt surfaces, and being without shade or fresh water on hot days can lead to heat stroke.  Did you know that Pugs, Pekinese and Bulldogs are more prone to heat stroke because of their cute little noses?


What does heat stroke in dogs look like?  It starts with heavy breathing, the tongue looks bright red, saliva thickens and the dog may vomit.  (The body temperature also rises to over 104 degrees, but most of us don’t have a rectal thermometer handy to check that.)  If shock sets in, the lips turn gray and the dog may become unsteady and collapse.  



So what do you do now?  First, you must cool the dog at once.  Usually moving him to an air-conditioned area is sufficient, but sometimes it is necessary to place the dog in a cool bath or spray him gently with a garden hose for a few minutes.  Be careful not to cool too much or too rapidly,  because that causes another problem:  hypothermia and shock.



Always, always follow up with your veterinarian if you believe your dog has suffered heat stroke to avoid other complications.

Wednesday Adoptables–Feeling Lucky?

in Barks and Blooms / Northern Chesapeake Sheltie Rescue / rescue / sheltie  by June 26, 2013
By Sandy Kempton

Lucky is a very sweet, friendly and playful sable boy about 5 – 6 years old.  He is great with other dogs and would love a friendly dog to play with.  Lucky likes people and enjoys other pets. He loves rides in the car and walks well on a leash.  He has a beautiful white face markings and reddish coat, this is a beautiful, special boy!  Fenced yard required.

If you are interested in finding out more about Lucky, please contact Northern Chesapeake Sheltie Rescue at 410-515-7029 
Or email them at [email protected]