Nancy Freedman-Smith, dog trainer and owner of Gooddogz Training, provides a place for dog owners to find positive training tips, canine-activities and places to visit along with the latest information on keeping your dog healthy and active. Nancy lives with her three young kids, Charlee and Finney the dogs, Yellow the parakeet and Tater-Tot the Hamster. Staying current, keeping fresh, and always learning new things is a must for Nancy and her profession because one thing that animals surely teach you is "the more you know, the more you know you don't know."
Maples Give back day today!
Mid afternoon today I have a date with Maple's Organics blueberry gelato. OMG is it good! 100 % of today's profits will go to New England Border Collie Rescue in Maple's very first of many "give back days."
Maple is the owner's name sake Border Collie and it is fitting that a rescue near and dear to my heart be the recipient of Maple's very first give back day. I got Charlee from NEBCR nearly 8 years ago , and I have stayed on as a volunteer ever since.
An extra special thank you to Maples for rescheduling NEBCR's day. Feb. 7th's snow storm was a very unlikely day for gelato seekers.
This blog gives Maple's Organics
151 Middle Street, Portland
the highest of all possible ratings.
Four paws off the ground!
About the photo-that's Maple!
UPDATE
Thank you Maple's! While there we finally got to meet owner Kristie. Here she is with Maple's 6 week old puppy Uno. Dont worry, pup's Mom was in the car.
Gift idea! A subscription to Downeast Dog News, Maine's only dog newspaper.
Every month our local doggie rag just keeps getting better and better. Last month's article on the pitfalls of pain medications was too important to miss. Have it sent right to your door--never miss another issue!
While you are there buying your subscriptions, be sure to check out the 4 pages of dog license plates here,and add your own if you havn't already.
Author Jacqueline Sheehan at Borders Books
Below is the press release for an event at Borders Books on 8/28 that looks to be very interesting. Thanks to the Maine Animal Coalition for emailing it to me.
AUTHOR JACQUELINE SHEEHAN TO DISCUSS NEW NOVEL ABOUT THE HEALING POWER
OF ANIMALS SET IN PORTLAND MAINE
WHO: Jacqueline Sheehan, a New England psychologist noted for her essays
and the critically acclaimed novel "Truth."
WHAT: New England author, Jacqueline Sheehan, signs her new release,
"Lost & Found."
WHEN: Tuesday, August 28 at 7 PM
WHERE: Borders at 430 Gorham Rd, South Portland, 252-637-5262
WHY: Committed to enriching lives through entertainment and knowledge,
Borders offers customers the opportunity to meet their favorite authors
and musicians in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. With this event,
fans of Sheehan will have the chance to purchase "Lost & Found" and have
the book autographed by the author.
ABOUT THE BOOK: HarperCollins- After Rocky's veterinarian husband dies
too young, at 42, she leaves town and her job as a psychologist and
heads to secluded Peak's Island, off the coast of Portland. There, she
becomes the local Animal Control Warden and reinvents her past so that
it no longer includes the tragic fact of her husband's death.
When Rocky finds a dog with a strange handmade arrow sticking out of his
shoulder, she both finds a soulmate, and uncovers the beginnings of a
mystery. With the new friends she meets on the island, Tess, the
synesthete; Melissa, the young anorexic; and Hill, her archery
instructor, whom she is simultaneously suspicious of and attracted to;
Rocky slowly unravels the mystery of Lloyd the dog, the arrow, and his
missing owner. In doing so, she learns that her grief can be displaced,
slowly but surely, by moments of joy.
Fashion Show in Freeport
Looking to shake off the "it's still winter blues"?
How about attending a pet fashion show at the Pet Pantry in Freeport tomorrow, Sunday the 18th @ 12:00.
The staff tells me there will live models and plenty of fashions to see.
Pet Pantry also tells me they will be moving to a much larger location on 177 Main St. by the first of May with much more space, two floors and plenty of parking.
If I ever get shoveled out, maybe I'll see you there.
Ocean Omega Fish Oil
I have been remiss in not blogging Ocean Omega Fish Oil sooner, a great "made in Maine" product.
and...
Ocean Omega has been kind enough to offer A Dog's Life readers a discount.
Animals need a balanced diet just as humans do. Omega-3 fatty acids are a tremendously important part of this diet. Omega-3's are considered to be "essential" meaning they are necessary to animal health, but which the animal cannot produce on their own. Research has shown benefits in a variety of areas including;
Immunity
Bones and joints
Skin and coat
Trainability
Brain and eye development
Reproductive functions
Heart rate during exercise
Cardiovascular functions and breathing
Overall heart health
Menhaden oil is considered a perfect source of omega-3 because they are a clean fatty fish, rich in EPA and DHA long chain fatty acids. EPA and DHA are the basic components for the benefits mentioned above. Omega-3 fatty acids found in plant oils come primarily in the form of ALA, which then must be converted before any benefit is derived. This conversion rate is extremely low, making fish oil much more efficient.
Recent research has shown that plankton eating Menhaden, which is the species of fish from which Ocean Omega Fish Oil is derived, has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of CRF Critical Renal Failure.
They have two versions of fish oil specially formulated for ALL carnivorous pets; to include dogs, cats, and horses, Ocean Omega Gold and Ocean Omega Plus. They have one and five gallon containers available, as well as individual 8, 16, and 32 ounce bottles.
Ocean Omega is proud to announce its newest product, Ocean Omega Flavored Equine Fish Oil, offered in either peppermint or butterscotch flavor. For more information regarding the many health benefits of the amazing menhaden fish, please visit their website, including their satisfied customer link for some great product testimonials.
A Note From Bill, founder of Ocean Omega:
A Dog's Life Blog Readers can buy Ocean Omega-3 Menhaden Fish Oil for Pets AT AN OUTSTANDING INTRODUCTORY OFFER, Ocean Omega normally offers repeat customers a 10% discount, and we provide free shipping on all first orders. For ALL NEW OCEAN OMEGA CUSTOMERS READING THIS BLOG ARTICLE, WE WILL PROVIDE BOTH FREE SHIPPING AND A 10% DISCOUNT ON YOUR FIRST ORDER WITH A FULL 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: PLEASE NOTE OUR ALREADY SPECIALLY MARKED GALLONS WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THIS SALE! JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND WHEN YOU CHECKOUT, JUST PLACE A NOTATION IN THE COMMENTS COLUMN THAT YOU ARE A DOG":S LIFE BLOG READER INTERESTED IN TRYING OUR PRODUCT! Ocean Omega will adjust the pricing and charge your credit card only for the special sale pricing amount unique to the size of the bottle ordered!
Note-This blog (Nancy) is over worked and overwhelmed. Therefor, A Dog's Life is taking a short vacation.
See you all in a bit.
Go now and spend time with your family, friends, and dogs. I will be dong the same.
The Brown Dog Inn
Zel- resident brown dog
Last night I started teaching at a new location, The Brown Dog Inn in Freeport. It is the kind of place that any dog lover would walk into and wonder, why don't I live here? Which is of course is just what I wonder whenever I am there.
I give a huge and hearty congratulations to my friend Holly, who is the proud new owner of the Brown Dog Inn. Situated on 10 acres, The Inn was built only a few years ago and went under the name of Queen Sparkle. Tragically the previous owner who constructed the Inn, died of cancer before the business was open for very long.
There is still space available in my basic manners class that starts this coming Thursday night. By spring I hope to be offering Rally-O, Freestyle and Agility in Freeport as well. Enrolled in this class is Mica, another New England Assisatance Dog. Puppy Mica, a 5 month old Golden, will be the second NEADS dog to attend my training classes.
A hearty shout out to Chuck, who has graduated from his foster mom Karen and moved on to the prison program. Also entering the NEADS program is Casey, one of Finn's littermates, who I hope to hear great things about soon. Interesting to note that Casey attended day care and boarding with Holly at the Inn and in her home, before the Inn opened.
It sure was hard not keeping Casey myself when he was returned to the breeder for personal reasons. This is the second puppy that Finn's breeder has donated to NEADS.
Way to go Amy!
My goodness I am a bit of a cheerleader today, but how can I not be when I am surrounded by good people doing great things.
Here is a sweet photo that Karen sent me of Chuck's last day with her. She said " I spent 3 hrs in MA with Chuck that day. I think it helped me. I only cried a little as I handed him over & watched Kerry lead him around the corner of the building & on to the next chapter in his life".
Well done Karen!!!
Cat room
Ooops, I forgot to mention that the The Brown Dog Inn is a great place for cats to.
Cat runs
Pet Quarters Howloween event
Charlee says Happy Halloween!
Some of you may remember that last year I was a judge at the annual costume contest at Pet Quarters flagship store in Scarborough.
This year looks to be bigger and better!
With the exception of the Falmouth location , all PQ's are having a costume party with prizes awarded but the biggest event is happening in Scarborough.
Check out the following...
Annual Pet Costume Party
Dress your pet in a creative costume and compete to win one of 3 gift card prizes...$75, $50 & $25. The Scarborough store is offering 3 extra prizes: A years supply of WYSONG pet food (12 coupons for a 16 pound box). A years supply of NUTRO pet food...(12 coupons for 20 pounds of dog food and 12 coupons for 6 pounds of cat food).
This year Pet Quarters in Scarborough is holding a fund raiser to benefit the Animal Welfare Society and here is the schedule of events.
Costume Judging 1-2 Pm
** GAMES**
$1.00 dollar donation for 1 game, $2.00 for three games
Biscuit Toss 2-2:30
Bobbing for treats 2:30-3pm
Musical Poo Bags ( a game that I invented-it plays like musical chairs, only you step on bags -sans poop of course!)
Announcement of contest Winners 3:30-4
In addition PQ is holding a drawing for a chance to win free food for a year
Cookout
Truckload sale on Artemis and Timberwolf food (10-4)
Goodie bags
I will also be there from 1-3:30 for behavior consultations and tricks for treats. Come to me, put some cash in my donation jar and pick my brain, and/or show me your dogs best trick for a chance to win a prize.
Camp Buster part 1
For the third year in a row, Camp Buster was a blast, and a great time was had by all. I am already formulating a camp song (can't believe we don't already have one!), and working on next year's skit for the talent show. All the dogs and their people got along famously, and if you haven't tasted Brenda's cooking, and especially if you have, buy the Camp Buster Cook Book when it becomes available. A doggie weekend and gourmet food, how great is that!
The only bad thing about the weekend, was that my camera malfunctioned, and that means no pictures! But I do have several campers sending me pics that I will be posting on the Maine Today Seen page real soon. For now, check out Holly's great pictures over at the ever fabulous DownEast Dog News.
Click here to see the Down East Dog photos and yes that is me with Charlee drinking out of the water fountain.
Publisher/photographer Holly Sherburne was one of my many cabin mates, and I know we will be seeing her back at camp next year.
For the third year in row, I returned as Barks 'n Crafts director and this year we made paw print tiles and decorated bait bags. It has been suggested to me by many people that I should add my duties at Camp Buster to my resume!!!
One of the best things about Camp Buster is that you can do everything or nothing at all and still have a great time with your dog.
And three cheers for my new pup Finney who passed his AKC CGC test at camp with flying colors.
It is not too early to plan for next year, and we expect to be full up by early spring.
Featured local business: Downeast Dog News
Have you checked out Maine's new dog newspaper yet? The second edition of the Downeast Dog News is out and available free at these locations.
Pick one up!
You can also subscribe and have it delivered right to your door.
The Downeast Dog News goals are to:
-Provide local dog news and information.
-Encourage and support dog-friendly businesses and Maine-made pet products and services.
-Cultivate a community of responsible dog ownership.
-Support animal welfare causes.
You can also submit your dog news, stories and rescue information right on line.
Congratulations and best of luck to publisher Holly Sherburne. I sincerely hope your paper is a huge success and I look forward to meeting you at:
Take Your Dog to Work Day
Congress Square
Friday June 23rd, 4pm-7pm
Holly will be there in person passing out lots of free papers.
Featured local business: At Your Barkin' Call
Kudos to my friend Gail Conley Reagan who opened At Your Barkin' Call Dog Daycare last weekend in Gray on Route 100. She is realizing a life long dream to own her own business and also work with animals. Gail and her husband purchased the building on 238 Portland Road, and they have done extensive renovations to accommodate dogs, with plenty of space to relax, run and play, both indoors and out.
Best of luck Gail!!!
More local business spotlights coming soon. Next up:
Ocean Omega Fish Oils
Here are a few pictures from open house.
Gail's dog Fanza (sounds like Tony Danza) is a GoodDogz graduate!
In this photo Fanza is executing the "chill" command perfectly.
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