FitDog Friday- Dock Diving Lab

Wednesday I wrote about a Japanese artist who illustrated one of my stories about a girl and a horse. The illustrations are unique and amazing. Now I'd like you to meet another artist with a very different style, who has created an absolutely gorgeous painting of one of my dogs. The artist, Margery Caggiano, has entitled the 24 x 36 inch oil on linen painting, "Hi Mom!"

I love her use of colors, the reflection in the water, and the misty, peaceful feel of the moment. I am honored to have Hudson's memory preserved in this beautiful painting.

The dog is our yellow lab Hudson, who is now over the rainbow bridge. Hudson used to love to swim, and at the time we frequently visited my in-laws cabin in the New York Adirondack's Brant Lake. We would throw floating toys and Hudson would jump off the dock with delight. He was a strong swimmer and enjoyed the water even when the weather turned chilly. We snapped this photo of Hudson and it ended up one day on my blog.

Artist Margery Caggiano saw the photo and requested my permission to use Hudson as a model for a painting. She changed the background to the San Domingo Creek in St. Michaels, MD. The result is stunning.

Margery Caggiano is an instructor at The Academy Art Museum in Easton MD. Her paintings are in more than 300 private and public collections. The painting will be on display during the Easton (MD) Waterfowl Festival, November 8-10.

Join the FitDog Friday blog hop, hosted by Peggy's Pet Place, Slimdoggy, and To Dog with Love. *Link up any of your posts about health and fitness for dogs. Previous posts are just fine. The more fit dogs the merrier!

Want more positive pet tips, good news, and special offers? Fetch my free newsletter, Pawsitively Pets. Kelly and Ike hope to see you there!

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Will Neutering Make Your Dog Fat?

This is part of Be the Change for Animals and World Spay Day blog hop.

 I had a yellow lab named Hudson. He was a sweet, friendly, beautiful dog. Was Hudson neutered? Let me tell you in a minute.

As part of Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, this February 26, organizations and bloggers worldwide recognize World Spay Day, a day promoting spay/neuter as a way to save lives. This blog hop is a way to help spread the message.

Most people understand that there are more cats and dogs in shelters than there are available homes. Unfortunately, the result is that millions of homeless animals are euthanized each year. Yet there are still many pets (those not being bred by responsible breeders and/or being shown in dog shows) who aren't spayed/neutered. Part of the reason is because of misinformation about the risks or disadvantages of spaying/neutering.

One common myth preventing some people from getting their pet spayed or neutered is: If I spay/neuter my pet, he will get fat.


Now what about our yellow lab, Hudson? We did get him neutered, and he did become overweight.
But one event didn't necessarily lead to the other.

Young Hudson. Happy and neutered.

1. Was I feeding him the proper amount for his size and activity level?
2. Did I refrain from giving him table scraps and extra treats?
3. Was he getting several walks and plenty of exercise daily?


The answer to all of these questions is no. Although I loved Hudson and wanted the best for him, at the time I didn't fully understand the importance of keeping him fit and giving him enough exercise. I'm quite sure that the reasons for him being overweight had much more to do with his lifestyle than his being neutered.


Our newly adopted Brooks was neutered just before we adopted him, at 11 years old, and he has not suddenly gained weight. He's fit and healthy, eats an appropriate amount of food, and gets plenty of exercise.


So in the experience with our pets, I would say that neutering does not cause weight gain as long as you are mindful of other lifestyle factors.
So cross that reason off your list! Get your pet spayed/neutered, and help spread the word!

*Join in! Write a blog post sharing the news about World Spay Day and Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and link up to BTC4animal’s World Spay Day blog hop. The link list will remain open through February 28.

Want more great pet news, fun content and special bonuses? Subscribe to my free newsletter. Brooks and Kelly hope to see you there!

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A is for Adoption (yay!)

Kelly poses after a haircut

I've decided to give myself a little challenge for the new year, and blog about something for each letter of the alphabet, one each day. So without further ado, I'll start at the very beginning...a very good place to start...

A is for adoption.

Remember that scene from Modern Family where Cam and Mitchell clapped and said "Yay!" every time they said the word "adoption," because they wanted Lily to form a positive association with the word? Well that's the way it should be with pet adoption too! Pet adoption (yay!) is positive for so many reasons, because it can save lives of homeless and unwanted animals. But it's strange to me that not-all-that- many years ago, I never even considered adoption (yay!)

When I was growing up, our dogs were strays, or given to us by friends whose dogs ran loose and had puppies that needed homes. Later, my husband and I bought our first dog, a dalmatian, at a bargain price from a backyard breeder. Fortunately Schuyler was wonderfully healthy and had a calm, gentle disposition. He was a pampered only dog, earned his CD in obedience, and became a nurturing big brother to his two human siblings.

Hudson

When it was time for our next dog, I still knew nothing about adopting (yay!). And I couldn't help but wonder why. Surely there were humane societies then, and good people fostering dogs, but I knew nothing of that world. We found a yellow lab through an ad in the newspaper. Again, Hudson was a wonderful member of the family and I wouldn't have traded him for anything. But I know I would have wanted to save a homeless dog, if I'd only been more aware.

Nearly ten years ago, we added another dog to the family. This time, computers were a part of our lives. And I finally figured out, for me, that is what made the difference. Now I had access to a myriad of thoughts and opinions, advertising and websites. And when it came time to find our new dog, Petfinder was a household name, and we searched there without a second thought. And, luckily for us all, we found an adorable 1 year old spaniel-mix, and Kelly was adopted. (Yay!)

Today I read about pet adoption (yay!) everywhere. Animal advocates are spreading the word. All of my friends have either purchased their dog from a responsible breeder (I'll add a yay for this too! I've shared my home with purebred dogs from breeders and I don't think anyone who goes this route should feel guilty for not adopting. There are many good reasons to get a dog from a reputable breeder too!) or adopted (yay!) their pet. So more and more homeless dogs are finding good forever homes. And there's only one thing I can say to that.

YAY!

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