Little White Dog in Summer

So now that the heat has really started here in sunny Campbell, CA I have had to learn more about dog care in summer.  Bizz is a very fluffy white dog and he can overheat really quickly.  I've had to figure out a few things and fortunately found some web sites and tv shows that have offered some helpful tips.

1.  Hydration - dogs can dehydrate very quickly.  I make sure Bizz always has a full bowl of water at home and it's full of ice.  I know that people who know me are very aware of my ice addiction in all things cold, but - dogs like icy cold water as well. Helps them cool off.  One show also recommended that you make a dog ice lick mixing water and chicken stock and freezing it so dogs can lick it.  Bizz and I aren't quite there yet since he does like to carry food to odd places in the house - I'm not sure I want a big block of frozen chicken stock melting in my bed.  I have also started carrying with me small bottles of water (available at Trader Joes) and I've trained Bizz to drink from a bottle. He laps the water out of the bottle or I pour it slowly and he licks it like he would from a faucet.  I now carry water bottles for both of us when we are out walking.  And at restaurants, outdoor cafes and even fast food places - just let them know you have a dog and ask for a cup or plastic container of ice water.  Everyone is incredibly obliging and helpful and I've never been turned down yet.  I am still in search of the perfect foldable container so if you know of one send me a comment.

2.  Walk at the coolest times of the day - Bizz and I do two longer walks during the day - one before 10 am and one after it gets dark (after 8 p.m.).  That way he can walk longer and the hot pavement doesn't hurt his feet.  Also, the advantage of California microclimates is that you can drive to a cool foggy place fairly easily - hence our explorations of Fort Funston and Carmel.

3.  Always have a shady spot outside for him to rest - we are very lucky to have two shady trees in our yard and a small overhang that provides shade all day.  Dogs can't be left out in a yard in full sun without anyplace to retreat.

4.  Frequent bathing - not every day but  Bizz does get a bath at least once a week (more if he rolls in something disgusting).  Dirt on a dog can cause them to get hotter.  Also, I make sure to wash his head and face each day with a cool washcloth to help him stay cooler.

5.  Don't expect them to eat as much. I was fretting since Bizz wasn't eating very much but I realized that like humans dogs feel the heat as well.  I make sure he always has access to fresh kibble and water and he still gets his wet food but in smaller amounts. 

6.  NEVER LEAVE A DOG IN A CAR - I am endlessly shocked that people will lock a dog in their car just for "five minutes".  Cars can heat incredibly rapidly and cause heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death. I never leave Bizz in the car except at the gas station and there the window is open and I'm right outside of it talking to him. If you can't be making sure your dog is ok and comfortable then the best thing to do is leave him at home in a shady yard or cool house.

Bizzy Unleashed

My friend Kathy's visit was awesome last week.  We cruised all over the Bay Area with Bizzy in the back seat enjoying the ride. It all culminated on Friday with a trip to the place I now consider Doggie Heaven - Fort Funston. Fort Funston is in San Francisco and was once an old military installation. It has now been converted to a park which allows dogs to be completely off leash throughout.  It includes hiking trails, fields, green grasses and a beautiful beach and overlook. 

Our morning started with the drive up to Fort Funston - a short 35 minutes from Campbell but a world of difference in terms of climate.  We went from hot and dry to foggy and cool which was lovely.  When we arrived the first thing I saw was dogs - lots of them. And all off leash.

Now the thing to know is that Bizz is a bit of a runner. He runs around in dog parks and the fenced in yard but I've never taken him off leash.  He has three times escaped from the yard/house. The first time through a hole in our fence which has since been patched. I discovered he was gone and found him fairly quickly - two blocks away attempting to break into a yard where several dogs were fenced in.  He did come back when I called. The second time he made it to the end of the block but he saw I was not following when he looked back (I was stopping traffic to try to keep him from getting hit if he ran into the street) and he came back to me when I called. The third time he ran around my car three times and I was able to catch him on the third pass.  So my fear has always been if he's off leash he'll take off and be completely gone.  Well Fort Funston was going to be my experiment - would he take off at a mad run never to return?  I was counting on getting him pretty far in and a lot of other people to help catch him with me if he didn't come back.

We walked in with Bizz on leash. The park is lovely and we went quite a ways in before I took a breathe and released Bizz from his leash.

 

He was terrific. He stayed within 20-30 yards of us the entire time.  The training we've done the last 4 months paid off. He would check over his shoulder to see where I was (if I was following him) and would wait if he was too far ahead. He came very time he was called. And most hilariously he would periodically run up to strange dogs and bark then come running back to stand between my legs.  Kathy said it was obvious he was brave as long as he had me to protect him. 

 

 

The best part for me was how happy Bizz was off leash. He could run as much as he wanted and it was amazing how happy he was.  Here are some photos - thanks to Kathy and her camera for the excellent shots.

 

 

 

We had a great time on the path, the beach, and all parts of the park. We will be going back at least once a month so Bizz can be unleashed and enjoy.  We followed our outing with a visit to Half Moon Bay then came home and crashed with a very tired little dog spending the night sound asleep.

 









Bizzy vs The Golden Gate Bridge

I was really hoping to be able to report to everyone how Bizzy did crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. But alas, we arrived to discover a large sign that clearly stated no dogs on the bridge.  My friend Kathy and I were so disappointed - we had walked across the bridge and back several years ago and thought Bizz might be up for the adventure.  Instead we discovered a hiking trail that leads from the Visitors Center down to the former warming hut by the water.  Kathy and I got some great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

 

Bizz had a good time and enjoyed what must be his version of a stair master.  He got a lot of exercise and lucky dog just pooped out in the car on the way home.

 

4th of July was not as much fun for Bizz - he's terrified of fireworks and we'd gone for a walk in Campbell when suddenly it was as if we were under fire from all directions. Poor little guy trembled for over an hour after we got home. I must admit I was none to calm myself.

 

Tomorrow I'll post on our biggest adventure yet.

Beach Blanket BIzzy II - Carmel

So my friend Kathy Dear, who has known me since grad school, is visiting for the week.  We are notorious when together for loving to travel near and far.  So today we loaded Bizz in the car and off we went to our favorite place - Carmel CA.

Jerri:  I have drinks, towels, both leashes, a bowl, treats, toy alligator.   I'm ready to go.
Kathy:  We're going to Carmel, not the moon.
Jerri:  Never underestimate the needs of the tiny white dog.
Bizz:  Treats Now!  And where is my alligator?

Arriving in Carmel we found a parking space and hit the streets.

Bizz: So many trees, so little time.
Kathy:  I thought the purpose was to walk the dog - it's taken 10 minutes to go a block.
Jerri:  Bizz has to greet each tree in his own special way.  Trust me it will be easier on the way back.

Upon hitting Ocean Ave we stopped at one of the first stores because there in the window was what looked like a small painting of Bizz.  Kathy immediately went inside chanting Christmas gift while Bizz and I followed. He was greeted by both the store owner, the clerk and our fellow customers as the celebrity he is.  Kathy secured not just the picture (which is actually note cards) but several bars of soap that smelled divine. I have so many soaps in my stash I am not allowed to buy more until I use mine up.

Kathy:  Awesome place.
Jerri:  Bizz -they treated you like a star in there.
Bizz:  Their treats were not good.  I do not like crunchy treats.  You should tell them.
Jerri: I know, but they really liked you.
Bizz:  Was there ever any doubt?

We proceeded down the street with people actually stopping us to ask his breed and tell us how cute he was.  After shopping a while we decided it was time to find lunch. Dogs can not eat inside a restaurant however open patios do allow them.  We found a very handy map to Carmel which included a listing of all restaurants with those that are dog friendly highlighted.  The Hogs Breath Inn - Clint Eastwood's place - was dog friendly and my car was parked outside so we headed that way.  Upon arrival we were greeted with great enthusiasm by our waiter.

Waiter:  Will this table do?  (A lovely table in front of a fireplace).
Jerri:  Yes, thank you.
Bizz:  He was talking to me.  It will do my good man.
Short time later the waiter arrives with water - for Bizz.

  Kathy and I never did get any water.  We ordered burgers and I had them make a burger for Bizz - just what I thought would be a small meat patty since he hadn't wanted any breakfast.  Our burgers arrived.
Bizz:  Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me.
Jerri:  It's hot and all in one piece. I need to cut it up.
Bizz:  Mine, Mine, give it to me.
Jerri:  Try this piece.
Bizz:  Yummy, yummy.  I want Clint to make this for me every day.  More, more.

Our burgers were quite good as well. Bizz ate about 1/3 of his burger and the rest is in the frig for another meal.  He loved it.  The good news was he would walk it all off at the beach.

We arrived at the beach at the end of Ocean Ave and parked.  I had to double back for the poo bags and Bizz waited quite impatiently.

Bizz:  What is that smell?
Jerri:  That's the ocean - the salt, the sand, the sea air.
Bizz:  What's that noise?
Jerri: That's the ocean.
Bizz:  What is this?
Jerri;  Sand.  And the Ocean.
Bizz:  All mine.

Bizz was on his long leash and headed down the sand to the water.  At first he deftly avoided getting wet but then a wave caught him and got his feet wet. The look on his face was priceless.

Bizz:  What is THIS?
Jerri:  That's called a wave baby.  They happen a lot here.
Bizz:  We'll see about that.

Well, we walked all over - probably around 2 miles and by the end Bizz was quite happy splashing about.  We got him back in the car and ended our day with a long drive up Route 1 and over the mountain home.  I popped Bizz in the bath and got all the sand and salt out of his hair and he is now settled in for a long sleep. He was so tired he could barely take his evening walk.  Just wait till he sees what we have planned for him tomorrow.

When Famous Diabetics Fail

As the world knows Paula Deen is flaming out spectacularly in a very public way.  A deposition she gave enlightened everyone on the racism and misogyny that still exists in Paula's world - at least at some time in her life.

 Having lived in Atlanta Georgia for one year I can truly say I'm not surprised - people would say the most amazingly bigoted things to me when I lived there because being a fair haired, fair skinned blue eyed person they assumed I must be a bigot too.  One poor friend took me to see her hometown and meet her Dad, who we took out to lunch.  We drove past an oddly located large flat concrete slab and I asked about it.  When integration had come, the town was told they had to open their public pool to minorities.  Instead the town filled it in with concrete - effectively keeping out minorities and all the other children in town as well.  Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.  I was aghast and my poor friend spent most of lunch apologizing to me for her father.  I never saw him again but I knew he was not the only one in the South with that level of hate and racism.

Which brings us to Paula Deen.  She has been famous for many things- her southern cooking, her chawmin' way of talkin' to folks, her excessive use of butter and all things sweet and fattening.  Then the revelation of her type 2 diabetes created a stir. She had to change her ways and focus on healthy living.  Her two sons also gained enlightenment and both lost weight and the family became symbols of eating right. 

Many criticized her then for keeping her diagnosis a secret but I wasn't one of them. I remember how upsetting my own diagnosis was and that there were periods of denial, grief, regret and then embracing it and learning what to do.  I'm not surprised that she didn't immediately go out and talk about it - for a long time you are trying to figure out exactly what it means to you to be Diabetic. Can you control it with diet and exercise, with oral meds (too many to name), with shots (Byetta, Insulin and others)?  What can you eat and when can you eat it?  My doctor and my diabetes educator told me to have oatmeal for breakfast - I did and it spiked my blood sugar 100 points. Then it was not instant oats but the slow cooked kind.  Well that took an hour to prepare and - it spiked my blood sugar 100 points.  Then it was eat it with some protein.  Well....  all I can say is the quest for breakfast took over a month just to figure that out.

But at last Paula Deen came out and admitted her diagnosis and began cooking healthier.  And I wsa hoping for a diabetic only cooking show.  That didn't happen but I keep waiting for one. Same with magazines - I don't get cooking magazines anymore - I can't make anything in them.  I content myself with diabetic cookbooks, diabetic magazines and my own inventions.  Having someone focus on healthier cooking was a nice change.  (Yes, there are some cooks on Food Network who focus on health - but they aren't in the Food Network Stars category.).

It is good for any disease to have a celebrity contract the disease - they elevate the disease to be more a part of the national discussion. Look at Angelina Jolie and Breast cancer, Rock Hudson and Aids, Michael J. Fox and Parkinsons.  Having a celeb diabetic because it calls attention to the disease and potentially helps raise more funds for research through both donations and government  funding which helps all of us.  Every marketer knows that you need to repeat messages over and over to be heard.  Having a Paula Deen speaking about Diabetes helped get the message out through magazines, tv, websites, etc.

But all that may be coming to an end.  Paula Deen has lost her tv show on the Food Network and is starting to lose her sponsors.  Question is can she make a comeback?  Some say no, she admitted to too much and in a way that made it seem as if saying racist things was natural.  And do diabetics really want their celebrity to be associated with racism?  Not really.

However, Americans love a comeback.  I would have thought we'd never see Peewee Herman again but he's come back. Football's Michael Vick horribly abused poor defenseless dogs for entertainment - and he is playing football and raking in the cash. Of course he's not endorsing dog food.  Tiger Woods was a serial cheater and America is loving his new girlfriend (who looks remarkably like his ex-wife). So can Paula Deen come back?  We'll have to wait and see how she does with Matt Lauer on the Today Show tomorrow warning. I've set the DVR to record it - I'm just hoping she doesn't talk about her diabetes.

Bizzy Goes to the Groomer

This post is a story of before and after.  When I first got Bizz he was a shaved down, underweight, shaking little dog. In the last three months he gained weight and his hair grew in - masses of soft fluffy curls that were amazing to dig your fingers into.  But as with all things thick and curly - I started to see the signs of potential future mattings.  Copious amounts of conditioner and a lot of brushing helped but Bizz was also starting to over heat slightly on walks during the day, his nails were getting long and much like his owner - his hair was getting in his eyes.

So, I decided it was time to go to the groomer.  This was a challenge because I am an over researcher. I read Yelp reviews - eliminating every one with a negative review.  At last I found one - Judy's K9 Grooming - which was less than a mile from my house and had nothing but five star reviews. I called and Judy interrogated me before agreeing to an appointment.  When Bizz had his accident she insisted on postponing so he'd have time to heal.

I dropped Bizz off yesterday. Here are the before pictures I took:

When I dropped him off I asked for the works - bath, grooming, ear cleaning, toe nails, anal gland (don't ask) and to make him summer ready.

She called a few hours later  and said he was ready.  I went back and for a moment I did not recognize the beautiful stylish dog I was presented with.  If he hadn't come over to me and immediately put his paws up I would have thought I had the wrong dog. My lost little waif has become a show dog.  Here is the result:

My photos don't do him justice but his ears and tail are like silk and his short cut keeps him so much cooler.  And his legs are divine.  I think he's still getting used to it as am I. 

So I did pick the right groomer.  We'll see how all this grows in the next two months. 

Rest In Peace Tony Soprano

I was saddened to learn of the passing of James Gandolfini, Mr. Tony Soprano himself.  I wasn't a huge fan of the Soprano's but I watched the show for the background shots.  I grew up in the part of New Jersey where the Soprano's was filmed.  The town the Soprano family lived in was Essex Fells where my Great Uncle Norman lived.  Tony Soprano's mother lived in my home town of Verona - how do I know that?  Because when she was taken to the hospital who was in the scene but the Verona Rescue Squad -the same guys who came when my mom needed them so many years ago.  I ate in diners just like the one on the show, in fact my step grandmother always got excellent service since she spoke fluent Greek and most of the diners were owned by Greek families.  Every time I watched the show it would remind me of New Jersey and my childhood.

Was the show realistic?  Who knows?  Was the mob in New Jersey? Yes absolutely.  I volunteered at a local hospital once and a known mobster was being treated there - surrounded by security with very scary guns.   Did we know made guys?  Who knows? 

Did we sound like the Soprano's - absolutely not - but I knew people who did.  And can I do the accent?  Oh yeah, absolutely, on occasion I let my inner Jersey come out.   

Do I think about Jersey often?  Not often but certain things remind me -   Chris Christie rising to national prominence and being such a Jersey boy himself always reminds me.  And my cousins posting photos from the Jersey shore bring back the memories of hot sunny summer days and being at an ocean you can swim in (I love California but you cannot swim here without a wet suit).  And every time I saw James Gandolfini on anything I'd think of the Sopranos and Jersey.

What is it about New Jersey that holds such a place in my heart?  My sister said it very well once - everyone in New Jersey has this slightly sarcastic tone - it doesn't mean they don't like you, but they just cannot help giving you a little bit of a dig even if they're a waiter hoping for a nice tip.  You don't find that anywhere here on the coast. 

So it is with sadness I saw Rest in Peace Tony Soprano.  You will be missed.  And what was up with that finale ending?