Pop Dog of the Week: Last Ehco of Fieldfare

Or Ehco as he's known around the dog park. He's an awesome chocolate lab I met this weekend, great agility and flyball pup, who is on his way to completing his Canine Good Neighbour! Congrats buddy on being Pop Dog of the Week!

New Poll this week!

Check out the sidebar to your right...I've posted a new poll this week. Enjoy!

Mmmm, Merrick + Sardines = Happy Pup

So I'm being switched over to Merrick brand dry food. I've been getting picky lately with my other food, so after much investigation, my human decided to switch me over to Merrick. The cool things about this food is you can switch between flavours with no digestive problems. That is good for me, as I get bored easily.

I'm now sampling the Wilderness Blend, which is a combination of salmon, venison and buffalo. Mmmmm.

On top of that, I'm now being given a big sardine every night with my dinner! I've been having some dry skin issues, and this was recommended to me by a few other pups. I don't know what took my human so long to try it! I LOVE THEM!

Weekend Wrap-up

Phew! What a busy weekend! I'm ready to pass out! Well my human was showcasing her art at the Dog Days of Scugog this weekend, and yours truly was there to help out!


I participated in a Disc Dog seminar on Saturday evening. Jackie Parkin of the Southern Ontario Disc Houndz was the awesome trainer! I learned how to track the frisbee, and my human learned cool throwing techniques! Hopefully we'll both be able to put it all together and do some competing!

I met all kinds of cool pups too! Sooo many breeds! (Big shout out to Tilly and Echo!) My human even saw another Manchester! (I wasn't around to meet her).

Well, my human uncle is visiting for a few days...so we might be too busy to post...but keep checking in, I've got some new product reviews, and new companies to talk about.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Remember, I love your feedback!

Dog Days of Scugog - Visit the POP DOG booth!

My human will be at the Dog Days of Scugog this weekend (July 21 & 22)! She will have a booth showcasing her Pop Dog Portraits. So if anyone is in the Toronto/Southern Ontario area and interested in a nice drive to the country (located in Port Perry, 1 hour east of Toronto) she'd be happy to see you!

You might even catch a glimpse of yours truly! I will be attending a Disc Dog seminar Saturday night...learning the ins and outs of that sport.

There will be LOTS to see and do! Agility and Flyball demos, Disc Dog and Dock Dog competition, lots of fun contests and vendors to check out.

MISSING Manchester Terrier: Billie needs your help!

Anyone living in the Etobicoke/West end of Toronto: Please keep your eye out for Billie, a female Manchester Terrier. This message is from her owner:

Billie was spooked from our backyard on Monday, May 7th. She had done that before but this time she found a little cat walk near our house that goes to Eglinton Ave. As you know, Manchesters are very fast so by the time I got in my car and out to Eglinton she was at the corner of Martin Grove. The only call we received was from a person that saw her at the intersection of Eglinton/Martin Grove/HWY 27 on May 7th.

We are all very eager to find her, especially my 3 kids who don't know life without Billie and miss her very much. :(

Thank you very much for your help.

She is 7 years old, approximately 25lbs, Black and Tan markings and is described as a barker (aren't we all!). Posters have been put up in the neighbourhood, and local shelters have been notified of her status. There is a reward for anyone who finds Billie.

Silvana Lowe can be reached at 416-621-9212 or at this email address.

Oprah's dog dies in freak accident

As reported in Star Magazine, Oprah's beloved Golden Retriever Gracie passed away today in a freak accident. The smallest of her three Golden's, Gracie was out for a walk and apparently choked on a small rubber ball.

Gracie first came into Oprah's life in early 2005, and Oprah often said the young dog was one of her babies, who always found her way into mommy's lap. Gracie also graced the cover of O Magazine twice, in 2006 and in January 2007.

I cannot imagine the grief of losing your beloved pet. So we'll all say a prayer for Gracie tonight as she passes over to the Rainbow Bridge.

[photo credit]

Michael Vick Indicted in Dogfighting case!!

Aroooo!!! Some good news! The Washington Post reported this morning that a federal grand jury in Richmond indicted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three other men yesterday on charges related to their alleged operation of a dogfighting ring based at a property Vick owns in southeastern Virginia.

If convicted, Vick could face a total of up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines. He could face additional discipline by the NFL, even if he is not convicted.Vick's associates, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor, were indicted on the same charges.

Dogfighting is a felony in Virginia and 47 other states. Transporting dogs over state lines for dogfighting is a federal crime.

[source]

My first tracking experience

So my human thinks I'd make a good tracking dog. Being a terrier, I do have a high prey drive and always find myself sniffing out something on our walks. I have had two successful tracks recently to make my human think I may be on to something.

While on a walk recently my nose to the ground, my human spotted a lady up ahead with two Italian Greyhounds. They were quite a distance away, and were now crossing the street into a little wooded path. She thought this might be a good test..see if I could pick up their scent. She knew this lady, and knew her route back to her home...so she'd be able to see if I could simply track them.

Low and behold, I picked up their scent! I lifted my head to see if I could see them...I could not, so down my nose went furiously sniffing them out. We got to the street crossing, and my human thought I'd be thrown off from the oncoming traffic.

I wasn't deterred!! I wanted to go forward. So when the traffic eased up, off we went. I was tracking at a quick pace, looking up every now and then to see if I could spot them. All through the wooded path, and out to the sub-division where they lived. I made it all the way to their driveway! My human was very proud. So what do you think? Do I have what it takes?? Well she's investigating some clubs in our area. I'll keep you posted!

Spotlight Sport: Tracking

What is Tracking? A dog is "tracking" when he is following the scent trail left by a variety of sources, such as human being or other animal.

There are many forms and functions of tracking available for you and your dog to participate in. Hounds, Labs, Pointers and Retrievers track game, rescue dogs track people (either lost or from a disaster recovery site), police dogs track suspects and well trained pets can find lost items.

Many dogs and owners are involved in tracking for fun or as a sport (earning titles).

Check your local kennel club for more information and to find a local club near you.

Resources:
http://home.ntelos.net/~dtratnac/
http://www.bmdcc.ca/tracking.htm

[photo credit]