Pictures are in!

Some humans on Long Island, NY sent in the first set of pictures of shelter blankets being made. The pics really show how easy it is and they look like they had lots of fun!


Here the two fabrics are placed together. The pretty sides go on the outside.


Then, the fabric is lined up so all the edges are close together.


Next they cut out the corners (they used 4" Squares on a large blanket)


Next the strips are cut around all sides.



Then the they made the ties.

Viola! A completed blanket!


Wow! They made a whole pile!!!

Hope you have as much fun making yours as they did!! That's Lex, Lar, Drew and Matt. Their fingers don't even look tired :)

Don't forget to send in your pics of completed blankets! We can't wait to see them!

Tis the season for giving!

Hi dawgs! An Occassional Dog Blogger here with some news your humans can use.

We'd like them to join us in a giving project for dawgs waiting for great new homes at shelters all over the dawg world. Dawgdom is sponsoring a shelter-blanket project that young and old can do quickly and easily.

This project is designed for people of all ages and is great to do as a family project. The blanket is made of fleece and requires no sewing skills. Make one, or many, and bring them in to Dawgdom at 441A Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY.

If you don’t happen to live nearby, you can bring your blanket(s) in to a shelter in your town that accepts blankets (not all shelters have the facilities to wash them so call ahead and ask). Google “Animal Shelters” or “Humane Society” to find one near you.

Dawgdom would love to share your good work to inspire others, so take a picture

• while making the blanket
• of the finished masterpiece
• and/or of you dropping if off at the shelter.

Then send your pics and story to us! Post on our Dawgdom Facebook page, email us at info@dawgdom.com OR comment here on the blog and attach a link to your story.


Supplies Needed:

• A pair of good scissors (If your scissors are dull, it will take a lot longer to complete!) OR rotary cutter and mat
• Ruler or tape measure
• Two coordinating pieces of any fleece . . . Xsmall 17” x 17”; Small 21” x 21”; Medium 27” x 27”; Large 36” x 36”

Directions:

1. Cut off rough selvage edge on both sides. (This is the side that is machine finished, not cut.) Trim only as much as necessary, usually not more than 2 inches on each side. At this point, make sure that your cut sides are relatively straight.


2. Lay your fleece wrong sides together, with edges matching up. (Often times with fleece, it's hard to tell which side is the wrong side and it often doesn't matter which side you use as the front or back.)


3. Cut a 3”x”3 square out of each corner (through both layers of fleece) and discard


4. Make 3" cuts into fleece at 1" intervals around all four sides. (no need to be exact, but if you’d like you can use a tape measure placed above the 3 inch cutting area.)


5. Tie overhand knot close to blanket edge by using one strip from the front and one strip from the back to create finished fringe edge - then tie again. Tie every other set of strips around all 4 sides. Then flip the blanket over and tie the remaining sets of strips. Make sure you make two tight, overhand knots for your fringe.

Happy blanket making. We are thankful for a great community of followers who are always working to make a dawg's day!

WAGGIN' TAILS PET RESCUE

ADOPT A DOG!

Hey, this is Fred and I am the newest pack member in the DAWGDOM household. I joined the group a few months ago and thought, now that I am settled in that I should tell you about the great rescue group I came from. Amy Ranucci, a nice lady, runs Waggin' Tails Pet Rescue out of Schenectady. They have great foster homes from Albany to Saratoga and work really hard to make us safe and comfortable while we are trying to find our forever homes. I started out in a Penn. Shelter and ended up being fostered in Saratoga. My foster mom and sisters kept bringing me into DAWGDOM. Finally, Dave and Sara agreed to bring me home. Waggin' Tails is a great place to adopt a dog. There are adoption clinics at DAWGDOM and boy do those bring the crowds - Cute Loving Dogs, what more could you ask for? Check out Waggin' Tails Website for Available Dogs and more!

Sadie's Product Pick

Mom brought home our new Inital ID Tags and they are unbelievable! They're really fun on the front with an initial surrounded by almost any color you want, but the best part is the quality. The back of the tag is impressed and then filled with an epoxy. Do you know what that means? It means the engraving won't wear off - Amazing! My Tag is Purple Sparkle with an S for Sadie.
They are made of lead-free pewter and handcrafted in the United States. They come in a ton of colors and 3 sizes. They come in Small: $18; Medium: $20; Large: $22 and ship straight to your house.
Call the store for more info!

HOPE fundraiser @ DAWGDOM

Hi everyone.
Pip the Dog here. I know I have been out of the loop lately. I had a bit of a setback in my behavior and have been working with Miss Justine on being a better boy. Maybe I will post more about that later. Anyway, I haven't been downtown in a few months (forever in dog time!). Mum told me about the fundraiser that HOPE did last weekend at the store. They brought in super cute kittens and raised some money for their rescue. Click here to see the mention in the Saratogian.

HOPE is going to be at DAWGDOM again this weekend for the big Travers Festival. Stop by and see the kitties and throw some quarters in the pot while you're at it. If you would like find out more about HOPE click here.

This is Pip, signing off!

Avoid Getting a Puppy Mill Dog

Here is a great Set of Tips that the Humane Society has put together to help people avoid Puppy Mill Dogs. The only way to put these awful facilities OUT OF BUSINESS is to STOP BUYING THEIR DOGS!

1. Consider adoption first when getting a pet. Animal shelters are filled with dogs and cats of all breeds and sizes who need and deserve loving homes. Nationwide, approximately 25 percent of the dogs in shelters are purebreds.

2. Find a responsible breeder and visit their premises in person to see how the parent dogs are living and the conditions in which the puppy was raised. Responsible breeders house their dogs as members of the family and do not keep them confined to cages.


3. Don't be fooled by common claims made by pet stores when pushing their puppies. Good breeders do not sell to pet stores because they want to meet the families who are taking home their puppies.


4. Don't be swayed by a great website or ad; many of the puppy mills The HSUS has raided in recent years hid behind beautiful and deceiving websites promising "family raised" puppies.5. Avoid the temptation to "rescue" a puppy mill puppy by buying him; your purchase will only help perpetuate a cruel industry and another dog will quickly fill his cage.

If you are set on Purchasing a Puppy, please:
Download our "How to Identify a Good Dog Breeder" [PDF] checklist and take it with you as you visit different breeders. If the breeder you're working with doesn't meet all of the minimum criteria listed, The Humane Society of the United States advises you to walk away. Remember, your dog will likely live 12 to 20 years, so it's well worth investing some time now to be sure you're working with a reputable breeder who breeds healthy, happy dogs.

For more information on how to get a puppy from a shelter or a responsible breeder, go to
http://www.humanesociety.org/puppy

CANINI WINNER - CHASE DECKER

CONGRATULATIONS CHASE!

Chase and his people came in on Sunday and picked out a large green "Verve" Canini Collar (worth $50) for winning our July Giveaway! He seemed like a very happy boy!

Chase is a 2 year old yellow lab who has been such a gift to his new family. The Deckers adopted him from another family who decided they couldn't care for him as he deserved. He is described by everybody as "loving and mellow." He loves car rides and going for long walks.

"We are so excited. Thank you! I discovered that Chase looks like the store's mascot Maverick! He looks good in the simple red collar we brought him home but it will be nice to change it up every once in awhile after a swim! THANK YOU FROM CHASE AND HIS FAMILY!"

- Karen Decker

Canini Winner to Be Announced!

WE HAVE A WINNER!
We are waiting for them to get back to us with all their info and we will let everyone know.
We will soon be announcing a new Contest so stay tuned!

LOCALLY DESIGNED LEATHER COLLAR GIVEAWAY

DAWGDOM is giving a beautiful CANINI leather collar away! These collars are locally designed and absolutely beautiful. Bright Spring colors for dogs of all sizes. The winner will pick a size and they'll get it FREE! Two ways to enter - Leave a comment on this blog with your email OR email us at info@dawgdom.com with your info (just make sure to write "Canini Giveaway" in the subject field). Winner picked July 31st!

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO MY TOY BASKET

Taco,here. My people are Heather Bohm-Tallman of HBT Photo and Chad Tallman of the Bread Basket. Mom brought me a toy from DAWGDOM the other day and here is my review. It's a all natural handmade 100% boiled wool Octopus! Look how freaken cute it is!!

Here I am, chewing the same rubber chicken I've been chewing since Christmas time. I really wish I had a more unique, colorful & durable toy to gnaw on. Hmmm...I kind of feel like someone is behind me.

Aha! You are mine!

Hmm, this is pretty good.

Ahhh! The ecstasy of gnawing on dense fabric...great for getting out doggy tension and exercising my jaw.

Ugh...my big sister "Queen Lily" is coming towards me. Don't even think about taking my new toy!

I give this toy an A+. Or if based on the "Pips Super Scientific Ratings Chart" I rate my new Octopus friend 5 spots. I keep chewing and he's still there...I'm sure he'll last a long time!!

SUMMER HOURS

Yes, it is here already...SUMMER! Our hours are extending and we want everyone to know.
The store will be open:
Mon-Thurs 10-6
Fri & Sat 10-8
Sun 11-6
Enjoy this beautiful weather and we look forward to seeing you downtown!

Getting with the Times

Mavdog here. Looks like I'm taking over Shad's Blog. I thought he may keep posting from wherever he went, but mom says probably not. I'm gonna try and do a good job, but I have alot of activities that keep me real busy especially now that spring is here...frisbee #1, fetch of any kind (jollyball, toys, balls, sticks, logs, firewood, etc). Mom said she would help me focus and I told her she needs to get with the times...facebook, twitter...and link them all so people can know what's going on! She hesitatingly agreed.

Point is - Check us out on facebook and twitter - Just click the links on the right.

-Mav

SHADDY'S PASSING

Sara here. Sorry to report on such a sad note, but we lost our Shadrach today. While we wish we had more time with him, the last few months have been wonderful. We are so happy to have him spend the remainder of his life in the comfort of our home and not the cold floor of a shelter.

Shaddy had a large mass that was growing in his spleen. The mass led to anemia. He had some ups and downs since he came home with us, but he was always able to rally back. On Friday he took a turn and we spent the weekend enjoying our last moments with him.

This is another friendly reminder to all - Please do not purchase pets. ADOPT - SAVE A LIFE. They give back to you so much more than you can ever do for them!

Please enjoy these photos of Shad taken by the always fabulous Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography.

PUP SCOUTS

WHAT: Puppy Social Hour – An informal way for puppies to interact and socialize beyond regular day activities and training class - For pups with all shots up to 8 months old.
WHERE: DAWGDOM – 441A Broadway (3 doors north of Putnam)
WHEN: Tuesday, May 5th 7-8 PM. Continuing every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the coming months
WE PROVIDE: Playmates, toys, supervision, stimulation and FUN! Professional Trainer on site will help you learn how to safely encourage healthy social behavior. Puppy training tips offered.
COST: $15 per puppy per session
BRING: Your Puppy, treats and a few WHOOPS - poopy bags
PLEASE NOTE: No pre-registration for May, but it will be required for June. DAWGDOM will be offering Forums on Nutrition, Leash Walking Skills, Behavior Issues and more. Check our website or blog, call the store or just stop in for further information. DAWGDOM is dedicated to enriching your dog’s world. It’s not just about BASIC OBEDIENCE TRAINING anymore!

LOST DOG $1000 REWARD
MALE Shiba Inu

Ballston Spa

We lost our Shiba Inu near the Ripe Tomato on 2/09/2009: Gunner is a SMALL Shiba Inu. Microchipped (last 3 number are 364) neutered male and weighs only 22 lbs and is about 15 high. He is reddish tan (sesame) in color (including his curly tail). He is extremely friendly and loves car rides. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts or have seen him, please call 581-2876 cell 441-5007. For his safe return, I will give ONE THOUSAND dollars to the person who brings him back to us. I desperately need help in finding him. If you have any info or if someone in your neighborhood has a pet that resembles Gunner,

Please call Mike – 581-2876 cell 441-5007.

EVENTS, EVENTS EVENTS! Saden Laden in the house! I saw that a ton of stuff is coming up in the community and told mom we should post all these happenings in as many places as possible. We've got them posted in the store's window, on the bullentin board, the website and now the blog! Read everything and come to these great events! More posts will follow about these and others. Cio!

Now thru May 1st
COLORING CONTEST
Coloring sheets may be picked up at Impressions, Dawgdom, and the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. All entries need to be dropped off at the above locations. Contest to be judged on May 2nd - DOG DAY Extravaganza at Impressions!

April 18th
H.O.P.E. WALK
Where: Fountain at Congress Park
When: 12:30
A year has passed already and it is time to walk again! A great cause and a fun downtown walk. Come in for a registration form or print one out from their web-site and start raising money! http://www.hopeanimalrescue.org/

Saturday, May 2nd
DOG DAY EXTRAVAGANZA!
When: 10 and on
Impressions, Dawgdom and more are getting together to celebrate the barkers in the family! Coloring contest winners announced at 10am. The rest of the festivities kick off at 11am. Pet food and supply drive for the shelter...Count the biscuits contest...Battle of the Biscuits...Pet Photos...This year, Tracey Buyce, will be on-site at Impressions taking photos of your dog(s) for $10. All proceeds to go to the Sandy Frankel Foundation. Events at both locations. Updates to follow.

Sunday, May 3rd
Dog Park Clean Up
Where: State Park Dog Area
When: 11-2
A year has gone by already and the poop has piled up! Come and help everyone clean it up. More info to follow.

Saturday, MAY 9th
BUSY BONES Walk
Where: Saratoga County Fairgrounds
The 3rd annual dog walk to benefit the animal shelter! The first two dog walks to benefit the shelter have been a great success. This is all due to our canine friends, their human companions, the sponsors, vendors, and of course Carol and her group of volunteers. We are looking forward to another great walk this year. More info to follow.

Wednesday, MAY 13th
Shopping with Downtown Susie Brown
When: 6-9 PM
Where: Starts at Paper Dolls and ends at Cantina
What is more fun than a night of shopping and what better place to do it than local downtown businesses! Giveaways at the evening’s end. Multiple Stores to participate including Dawgdom. More info will follow.

Lucky Pip

Hello friends! Pip here.

I have some pretty exciting news on the doggie products front. There is a wonderful line of collars out there made by a lovely company called Lucky Fiona. They use cool retro and vintage fabrics to make really unique and oh-so-stylish collars (and you know, dear readers, that I'm all about style).
Plus, Fiona is an English Setter and really pretty cute:

(don't tell Sadie I said that!)

So on Fiona's blog, pets can send in pictures of themselves wearing their new collars and Fiona will pick one of them to be a "Friend of Fiona". Friends of Fiona get to choose any collar they want as a free prize. And guess what??

She picked me!!

I had mum send in these pictures of me in my new "Ted" collar. I tried to pose extra handsome so Fiona would pick me but really, was there any contest? Nah!

Be sure to check out Lucky Fiona's blog. Shadrach plans on bringing in these collars soon to the shop so stop by and check them out. You will be the coolest cat (er, dog) in Saratoga if you wear one of these so go on, starting chewing on your human's wallet until they take the hint. (My friend River knows exactly what I'm talking about.)

Cheerio!
Pip, supermodel

MavDog here. I was reading an article in the local paper the other day and thought that I should pass it on. It is about the "dog park area" in the State Park. I know there are some really strong feelings about this whole thing and I don't know what I think just yet. I know I like to go there, but that is mainly cause I am very obsessed with frisbee and my dad brings the frisbee when we go there and we play frisbee. I really like frisbee. Well, I have a good friend who knows a lot about this stuff, so I am gonna talk to her and get more information and write again, but for now here is the article:

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/doc4994eafc8c585096565674.txt

Thoughts of an Aging Mutt

Sorry I haven't written more often. I am still getting settled in my new home, hopefully my forever home. It takes us older folks some time to get comfortable and feel secure. We've had a whole life of experiences both good and bad to remind us that we are not in control of where it all takes us. All of this thinking on my part left me exhausted. I slept 2/3rds of most days for the first month I've been here. All that said, I am getting the hang of it. I like my people. Sadie is real bossy sometimes. Maverick is a rambunctious youngster who ignores me most of the time except when he is pushing me out of the way. I snuggle on the couch on a regular basis, which is great except I can't get off without assistance - You see, I am old. The one thing that terrifies me is the car and recently they have been taking me on short rides. I hope there is a very good reason for this, other than scaring me half to death!

I was looking over Sara's shoulder the other night, while snuggling on the couch, and noticed that the current issue of Bark Magazine has me in it! Not me really, but the idea of me - old dogs. The whole issue is celebrating us old timers, so I read it cover to cover. I suggest you go buy it if you don't already have it! My favorite article was about Old Dog Haven, a non-profit group in Washington State that helps senior dogs live out their final moments in home environments. Judith Piper is the founder and has helped over 600 dogs in under 5 years leave this world feeling loved and respected instead of forgotten on a cold kennel floor.

A volunteer for ODH points out that we are not all about special needs, medicines and leaky bladders! She's quoted, "They are easy. They're usually housebroken. They don't chew your stuff. If you want to take them out for a walk, they're ready to go. But if you want to hang out at home, they're happy to do that too." I can vouch for that being the truth! I don't like long walks though. My point is that it is good article and a great issue of the magazine. The spring issue of Modern Dog seems to have an article that highlights this same haven. I googled elderly dog organizations and there are only a handful throughout the country. My point - They are important, we need more of them and we should give generously to the ones that are out there!
Bark doesn't have its article online, but Mod Dog does. Check it out before it's gone:
http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/old-dog-haven/754

Pip's Scientific Review of Himalayan Dog Chew

Allo everyone! Pip here. I was recently adopted from Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue. I am good friends with Shaddy and Maverick over at Dawgdom. I like Sadie too, but I don’t think the feeling is mutual… yet, anyway. The shop has asked if I would sample one of their newest and most exciting products:

The Himalayan Dog Chew!!!!












I was very excited when the store got these in. My mum has heard so much about them and our greyhound friends Angel and River already gave them the dewclaws up. I couldn’t wait to try one! Himalayan Dog Chews are a special kind of preserved cheese. They are made from yak and cow’s milk, a little salt and a little lime juice. They are all natural and have no chemicals or preservatives (I don’t really care about stuff like that, but my mum does so I thought I would mention it.)

Boy that dog on the package sure does look happy!













Here’s what it looks like out of the package. Please forgive the state of my mum’s fingernails.












Come on, give it already! Let the scientific testing begin...












Nom, nom, nom...












This is what it looked like after a half hour of steady chewing. I’m about a medium chewer.












Not bad, but more tests must be run!
Nom, nom, nom…












Here’s what it looked like after an hour of chewing. I just didn’t want to stop!












So after an hour mum took it away so I could have some more tomorrow. I really can’t wait. I have to say that this treat is everything a dog could want. It tastes great. It does have an odor but not a strong one. It smells faintly like smoked cheese. It does not appear to stain paws or dog beds so it’s probably safe on carpets. The best thing about it is that even though it’s edible it lasts a pretty long time! You just chew on the ends to soften it and little chunks of cheese will eventually come off. Mmmm! They last as long as small rawhides and are much healthier.

So, Himalayan Dog Chew, you get a 5 SPOT rating from me. Congrats!












This is Pip saying, “Cheerio!”

Hello

So, I was so tired last night I couldn't even introduce myself or say what I am planning to do. It took me a really long time to set up this whole thing, so instead of blogging I went to sleeps. Now I'm up and ready to get going. I'm Shaddy, the newest addition to Dawgdom's family. I was living at a rescue group down state for a while and then they closed down. The nice peoples at Catskill Humane Society picked me up and I lived with them for a few months. During the day I was able to greet all the shelter visitors cause they let me stay up at the reception area. My shelter friends were afraid that no one would come for me cause I am 13 and a little stiff in the legs. Sara and Dave heard my story and picked me up the other week. I was really nervous at first, but I am easing my way into it now and getting more comfortable everyday. There are two dogs at their house, Sadie and Maverick who aren't bad. Sadie keeps to herself with me. Maverick is a hyper youngster who I am not sure of just yet.

I want to come to the store sometime so I can greet all the peoples, but I get real nervous in the car. I am going to try and work on that. So, since I am not coming in just yet I wanted to keep busy. You know, it keeps ya young. I thought I would start a blog. I hope to blog about all sorts of things - Dog issues, personal things, and hopefully fun things too. I hope some of my new friends will add things too.

I added this photo from yesterday. It is from when I discovered the comfort of the couch. Oh boy! I LOVE IT.

Welcome

Shaddy Mac here. I'm going to sleep now cause it is super late, but I'll write in the morning.