French Bulldog National Specialty in MA

As many of you know, I judged Sweepstakes at the 2008 French Bulldog National Specialty. It was a blast and I impulsively agreed to attend the 2009 FBDCA Nationals with my dear friend, Kelly of Pawsitive Healing. Plus, I get to go this year having lost a LOT of weight and that is always a good feeling – teehee. Anyway, I batted my eyes and the Nationals are almost upon us! The Blissful Dog, creator of NOSE BUTTER, will have its very first booth at the FBDCA Nationals. So, if you are in the area…stop by and see us, plus, get to meet and greet about a bazillion Frenchies!

Monday: October 12
Afternoon: Seminar by Dr. Jerold S. Bell DVM on Genetic Aspects of Developing a Healthy Breeding Program for the FrenchBulldog.
Evening: Welcome Party

Tuesday: October 13
Independent Specialty: Judge Kenneth M. McDermott**
Evening: Buffet & Costume Contest
(** Mr. McDermott is replacing Frank Wolter, who was originally scheduled to judge.)

Wednesday: October 14
National Specialty: Obedence and Rally – Judge Pat Scully;
Sweepstakes: Judge Dr. Dorit Fischler
AKC Judges Education Seminar 1 – 4 PM
End of judging: Annual Meeting of Membership.
Evening: CHF Art Auction

Thursday: October 15
National Specialty: Junior Showmanship, Dog & Bitch Classes – Judge Patty Sosa
During lunch break: Parades of Rescues and Veterans
1/2 hour after judging: Seminar on Breeding and Judging the French Bulldog by Luis Sosa and the FBDCA Breeders Education Committee
Evening: Top Twenty Invitational – AKC Judge: Dr. Anthony DiNardo, Breeder Judge: Joyce Haas

Friday: October 16
National Specialty: Best of Breed, Stud Dog, Brood Bitch, Brace – Judge Patty Sosa
During lunch break: Parade of Titleholders
Last event: Breeder Class
Evening: Silent Auction and Awards Banquet

EZBoy’s Wheels Got Re-Tooled!

As many of you know, I have an especially mischievous pony/mini-horse named Nyker. One of Nyker’s favorite tricks is to get loose and plunder around; tearing stuff up, eating what he cannot destroy and generally wreaking havoc. He opened the mudroom door and snatched up EZBoy’s wheels and promptly broke them! I think he was jealous, Nyker tried to blame the bear…we know better.

Thankfully Jim Luljak was here for Frenchie Fun Camp and successfully repaired the wheels and they are reinforced to withstand even Nyker attacks now. Thanks, Jim, you rock!

Nose Butter to the Rescue

Warning…BLATANT PLUG! The Blissful Dog would love to help YOUR rescue organization raise money. I can create customized labels just for your organization and I offer special rescue pricing for your rescue organization. Some ideas that are sure fire money earners are: Nose Butters with YOUR organization’s label on them, Vibrational Essences created specifically for dogs in transition with your label on them and hot off the drawing board (and not even on the store yet) space clearing sprays for your dog and you!

These items can be sold on your websites, at events, to adoptees…the ideas are endless. I can also help you brainstorm!

Please, let me help you help your rescue grow! Email me today and let’s get started!

Awareness And Prevention For Our Best Friends During Pet Cancer Awareness Month

By Dr. Mona Rosenberg, Founder and Chief of Staff, Veterinary Cancer Group

The impact of cancer on humans and pets is enormous today, and according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) the number of pets with cancer is growing each year. In fact, the AVMA states that approximately 1 in 4 dogs will develop a tumor of some kind in their lifetime, and the Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center approximates that cancer accounts for nearly 50% of all disease related pet deaths each year.

When dealing with cancer, there is no adage truer than an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While we may never be able to cure the world of cancer, through persistence and education we CAN reduce the number of pets that are diagnosed with cancer each year. With National Pet Cancer Awareness month upon us, there has never been a more relevant time to educate ourselves about the factors that contribute to cancer in our pet and what early warning signs to look for.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the cause of cancer in pets: the aging process, genetics, the environment we live in, a deterioration of the immune system, and just plain bad luck! While there are some factors that cannot be controlled, like genetics and the aging process, there are some things we can do for our pets. Providing our pets with a healthy and clean environment, just as we do for ourselves, will assist in maintaining their overall health. Clean air, a good diet, and plenty of exercise will stimulate a healthy immune system in our pets, and will give our pets a ‘leg up’ when it comes to prevention or management of an illness or cancer. In addition, the AVMA reports that some cancers, such as breast cancer, appear to be largely preventable with early spaying.

Awareness is another key step in reducing the risk of death from cancer in our pets. They, of course, cannot tell us when they feel poorly, so we need to pay special attention to their behavior and physical appearance. There are ten symptoms that, if noticed early, can help identify a potential problem:

Unusual swellings that persist or grow
Sores that do not heal
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Offensive odor
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
Persistent lameness or stiffness
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

An attentive owner will notice when something is not quite right and get it checked out quickly. Do not take the ‘wait and see’ approach. ‘Waiting and seeing’ gives cancer an opportunity to take up shop elsewhere in the body and makes successful cancer treatment that much harder. Regular health examinations with your general veterinarian will help ensure that abnormalities are noted in a timely fashion, and can help save your pets’ life.

The more aware we all are of our pets’ health, the better and longer our relationships will be with these four legged family members of ours. Our goal in veterinary cancer medicine is to improve the quality of our pets’ lives through excellent and innovative medicine and compassionate care.

Dr. Mona Rosenberg is the Founder and Chief of Staff at Veterinary Cancer Group. She is a Board Certified Veterinary Oncologist, with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from UC Davis. Since 1992, Veterinary Cancer Group has been committed to taking the fear out of cancer diagnoses, and replacing it with hope. With three offices located in Southern California and a team of nine caring doctors dedicated to cancer care, VCG is the largest private oncology practice in the country, serving Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, and Ventura Counties from three premier locations: Culver City, Tustin, and their newest facility in San Diego, California. For 17 years, Veterinary Cancer Group has remained committed to continuing the mission of providing hope and help to pets and their families that love them. For more information on Veterinary Cancer Group please visit www.vetcancergroup.com.

What a GREAT Week – Frenchie Fun Camp was a HOOT!

I will admit here at the beginning, that this year we kinda played more with our Frenchies. There were no obedience classes, no CGC tests, no lessons on conformation…nope, none of that. Just as our Frenchies are getting a bit older, so are WE, and in dog years that makes us even older…hmmm, I don’t think I want to go down that particular stretch! It was fulfilling to work on our arts and crafts, chat, listen to each others tales/tails about life and just enjoy the company of friends.

The dogs enjoyed meeting new faces (and butts) and just be-ing outside. The weather was absolutely perfect, never could I have imagined that every single day was more picture perfect than the day before. Perfect weather for people and French Bulldogs.

Just be-ing with others who completely adore their dog companions; no reservations, no excuses, no shame, was delightful and heart swelling. To see the looks on my dear friends faces as they played with their dogs, or just sat with them on their laps (and there was plenty of that), made all the years of stress and anxiety that is part of having bred dogs for so many years worth it. The sleepless nights, the sorrows inherent in breeding dogs, and the snarkiness that can be a part of the sport of purebred dogs drifted even further into the recesses of my memory (hopefully one day soon, I will remember only the good parts). The sheer love that my friends here had for their dogs makes my eyes tear and my throat tighten…

The bond between humans and dogs is a treasure, something to be held close to our hearts and protected.

Ahhhhhh…counting the days until next year’s Frenchie Fun Camp.

Frenchie Fun Camp starts Tomorrow!

The culmination of the French Bulldog calendar, at least here at Dancing Bear Resort, begins tomorrow! Hordes of Frenchies, and their adoring owners, descend upon far northwest Minnesota for heaps o’ Frenchie Fun!

Actually, there will be a lot of relaxing, telling of tales of Frenchie escapades around the campfire and well, probably more relaxing. We will keep you posted on the festivities as they progress….

What Exactly ARE Vibrational Essences?

Vibrational Essences – What are they? How do they work? How can they help you?

I will be the first to admit that the very idea of the dew shaken from a flower, or water that sat in the moon on a glacier, being able to help me tackle emotional issues is pretty ridiculous. At first thought there is nothing about it that makes sense. But at first thought, who would have ever thought that injecting a virulent into wrinkles would be as prevalent as it is. So, Botox aside, I have decided that I do not care how or why something works, as long as it works and does no harm…hey, I am all for it! THAT is why I believe so strongly in the efficacy of Vibrational Essences, especially for our pets, as they have no mental blocks…it wither works or NOT for them! So, let us look a bit more closely at just HOW they do work.

Essences are based on plants, gems or minerals. Each essence has a particular vibration or resonance characteristic of the matter it is made from and that resonance corresponds with particular emotional, physical and spiritual attributes. Whew, I know…but think about it. Sunflower essence is used for brightening up and allowing light into our lives. Duh.

Essences use very subtle “healing” that works on the energy centers of the body, balancing the energy flow. They are effective in removing negative ideas, blocks, negative emotions and releasing past (and past-life) traumas. Essences are also effective in supporting and assisting people to move forward in more positive ways.

Dr Edward Bach discovered flower essences in the 1930′s. His essences are the Bach Flower essences, but many other essences have been discovered and developed since then. The essences I use are the Alaskan Project Essences and Isha Lerner’s Essences. I adore the Alaskan ones, as the growing season is so short it condenses more energy into the flowers, plus, I feel as there is more connection between the triad of flower, mineral and environmental essences.

Using vibrational essences can be a gentle, yet effective way of bringing balance into your body healing issues and patterns that are often below consciousness to bring lasting change. Working on a subtle level essences assist in removing negative emotional and mental habits clearing the way for a more positive relationship with your body. All this with NO drugs or chemicals.

“The Alaskan Flower Essence Project is the only essence company in the world that has designed a system of vibrational healing based on the co-creative relationship that exists between the plant, mineral, and elemental kingdoms. This threefold system derives its effectiveness from the special qualities of healing energy that each kingdom has to offer, and from the synergy that is created when these essences are used together. Following is a brief introduction to the three different types of essences in our system (further information is available on the pages introducing each group of essences).

Flower Essences – The plant kingdom occupies the central role in this co-creative relationship, bringing the gift of spiritual consciousness to the earth. Essences made from flowers awaken dormant qualities of consciousness within us and stimulate the release of blockages that prevent us from fully integrating this higher consciousness into our daily lives.

Gem Elixirs – The mineral kingdom helps us fully anchor and embody changes in consciousness that are catalyzed by the use of flower essences. Just as the rocks and soil of this planet provide structure and stability for the growth of the plant kingdom, gem elixirs stabilize and restructure our energy systems so that our physical bodies can maintain their balance as the consciousness within us grows and expands.

Environmental Essences – The gift of the elemental kingdom is energy for change. The environment, through the elements of air, earth, fire, and water, supplies vital nourishment for all living things. Essences made from the environment provide the potent qualities of energy we need to create and sustain change at the core level of our beings.” This bit of info from The Alaskan Essence Project website.

Foot Licking Blues…

Recently, a frustrated Frenchie owner emailed me about her dog’s incessant “foot-licking.” Her question “got me to thinking” and I felt moved to share my reply to her below. Official Disclaimer: I am not a vet, never played one on tv, this is just info I share to help you make good choices and be informed.

MY RESPONSE: You know, actually I think it can even have a couple more causes…some dogs get into a habit of “foot-licking” like an OCD behavior. The foot may not even itch any more, but they are so used to sucking their foot…they keep doing it! It can even be a form of “self-soothing’, like some of us who overeat to soothe our emotions.

It can also be a way in which they cool themselves. Have you ever seen the Discovery Channel shows where foxes, etc. lick their feet to keep cool. The evaporative action cools them.

It can also be fungal, like an athlete’s foot, but in dogs. Or even bacterial. In either of those cases, antibiotics and steroids would have no effect on the licking. Maybe your vet could do a scraping and see if it is bacterial or fungal. If so, there are many excellent medicines available to help that.

All of these are somewhat unconventional ideas, but I have seen it and know it to be so. I wish you the very best of luck and hope this helps…

Yaks, and Bears and Dogs, Oh My!

I feel moved to share this exciting episode, but first, allow me to assure you that this was a very unique event here at Dancing Bear Resort…no need to fear visiting us!

Yesterday morning I was out feeding Kundun, my nine week old yak his am bottle, just enjoying the moment when something caught my attention. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a big, fat, ugly dog tearing along beside the fence, just a few feet away from us. Right on his heels was Zoe, my big, fluffy Great Pyrenees dog. You know how thoughts flicker through your mind…I was thinking, “That is one fat, ugly dog,” “Did my neighbors get a new dog?”, “That dog runs funny.” Then my brain kicked in and I knew…BEAR! From his size, I estimated him to be in the 250-300 pound range, probably a year or so old…

I looked over and all the alpacas had scurried to the fence line and were very curiously watching the scenario unfold. Zoe was chasing him, but not in a frantic way…more like she was just “shooshing” him away from HER property.

Then some neighbors pulled up and yelled out, asking if I had seen the bear. They told me he was standing at the end of our driveway, standing up on his hind legs, beside our Dancing Bear Resort sign, which pictures a bear, well, dancing. Of course, they fumbled with cell phones, trying to get a picture…but the scene only lasted a moment! We laughed about it and they went on their way.

I looked down and realized that throughout all of this Kundun, in true Yak fashion, had not missed a beat and was finishing off his six pints of breakfast. I guess that pretty much showed where his priorities were!

Zoe strutted around all day…she knew she had, yet again, done what the Great Pyrenees was bred to do for thousands of years…guard people, property and her animal charges.