Fractured Fryday Hairy Tails

It's time again for

 

Hosted by Murphy & Stanley

When you left me last month

I was disappointed 

at finding vinyl siding in the box

Well what I am going to tell you now is a

re-enactment of what happened next

It is a true story

Mom & Dad had siding left over after

putting it around the front door

They decided to put the rest on part of the garage

and that part is inside our yard

This is Dad's box of screws

Those two red thingies are ear plugs

Mom & Dad were busy putting the siding on 

when Mom noticed that I was

 chewing on something

She looked down and saw

Only ONE Ear Plug!

She gave me that

"GIVE ME THAT"

 look 

and GULP!

OMD!

I can't believe I ate . . . 

an ear plug!

 and Mom couldn't believe it took

four days for it to pass

Butt all's well that ends well

 BOL!

And you will forgive me for not 

re-enacting that part of the story

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

An InLinkz Link-up

Our First Chewy Review!

We are really excited to do our very first review for

CHEWY.COM

We have been customers of Chewy.com ever since I developed allergies 

and Mom was looking for limited ingredient dog food. 

Chewy had the best price around and with the free shipping 

it was an easy decision to become a Chewy.com customer

Since then we have purchased other supplies, most recently an exercise pen.

 Again THE best price and free shipping (over $49) - can't beat it. 

On the occasion we called customer service with a problem 

they have been very helpful and issues were resolved quickly.

For our very first review we chose

 The Honest Kitchen Pecks

Buffalo & Blueberry treats

We thought they sounded yummy 

and Mom liked that they had just a few ingredients

Let's read the box

Pecks are made with the finest artisan ingredients 

including grass-fed buffalo and organic virgin coconut oil. 

They're crafted into tiny bite-size morsels so they're ideal for training. 

They're perfect for tiny mouths - but big dogs love them too!

Ingredients - Barley Flour, buffalo, molasses, water, eggs, 

organic coconut oil and blueberries

That's it!

Come on - lets get this thing open 

and check those little morsels out!

Just like they said - bite size

mmmmmm - they smell good!

Hazel approves!

Bailey does too!

We don't do hard crunchy, but these have a 

light crunch - just right for us pugs.

They are quite tasty and 

one other thing that Mom likes about them

 only 0.6 calories per treat!

That means we can have more than one

at a time - right Mom?

We give The Honest Kitchen Pecks

buffalo & blueberry treats

12 paws up!!!

Thank you Chewy 

for letting us try these out!

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

A Big Milestone -

We can't be wordless today because 

we reached a big milestone!

A big thank you to 

Scout & Axel

for being number 100!

These two Sheltie boys from Canada 

are new to blogville

please stop by and say Hi!

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

Hard at Work at the Campaign Office

While our assistant (aka Mom) was away

Hazel & I were hard at work 

at the campaign office

Murphy & Stanley have been traveling 

around blogville meeting lots of friends

and when you are running for Mayors 

you need to have 

flyers and buttons to hand out

I got busy at the copy machine

Aren't these flyers great ??

Hazel got busy packing up boxes to send 

out on the campaign trail with the Doods

Boxes full of flyers and buttons - Oh My!

Go Ahead!

Grab a Button!

Grab a flyer!

Use your Noodle and Vote for a Doodle!

We are the PugRanch Kids

B H & G Management

Mr Bailey, Ms Hazel & Ms Greta

Remembering Char Shu

We can't believe 

it has been five years since we said goodbye

Char Shu

6/12/1992 - 8/12/2009

Char Shu was the son of our own MaoYen

After a C-section 

we were told one of the pups had fluid in his lungs 

and might not make it

Mom sat up all night and helped him nurse

by morning he was doing well

and Mom had already decided

 that he would stay with them forever

When Char Shu was young,  

mom took him to some obedience trials

Never got a qualifying score back then

but he entertained the crowd with

his slow crawl toward mom 

when he was supposed to be on a down stay

Two more pugs joined the family

The original PugRanch Kids

McKenzie, Mao Yen, Pugsley and Char Shu

After taking some years off

Mom and Char Shu returned to the Obedience Ring

At the age of 10 

he earned his Companion Dog Title 

in three shows 

The following year at 11 yrs old

He was the High Scoring Dog at a Fun Match!

He retired from shows 

after winning second place in a Veterans Class

 at the age of 12

But his most favorite thing 

was to be close to those he loved

He loved Dad but in his last few years

it was Mom he came to depend on as

his eyesight and hearing left him

Once Mom went out of town for a few days

and Dad got very little sleep

 as Char Shu barked and cried for Mom

He was so gentle, 

the grandkids loved him

he had gone totally white in the face but was still spry 

celebrating his 16th birthday with friends

(that's Hazel with her back to you)

The little pug puppy 

who was not supposed to make it

lived 2 months past his 17th birthday

Our sweet, sweet boy

We miss you everyday

We are The PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

Senior Citizen Day!

 Thank you Ranger for letting us know

that today is 

Senior Citizen Day!

 I would like to honor the seniors in our family

This picture is from last summer when

Hazel's dad & brother came to visit us

I am the only youngster!

left to right, in front, current age

Bailey, going on 12 yrs

Brutus, almost 10 yrs

Me (Greta) 2 1/2 yrs

back row

Hazel almost 10 yrs

Daddy Buzz 12 1/2 yrs

Can't you see the family resemblance here!

Brutus, Buzz, Hazel

 Mom is gone for a few days

she left this morning to go visit

Brutus and Buzz 

Oh yea, she said she is also

going to visit her human daughter

 while she is there

Mom will be gone till Sunday evening

Butt please come back tomorrow for 

a special Flashback Friday

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

Wordless Wednesday - Sunning Sisters

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

A Good Weekend

Mom and I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at an Obedience/Rally Trial in Idaho Falls, ID

The trial is held at a lovely park with lots of shade

This is the same trial we attended last year 

where I earned my Rally Novice title 

and 2 "legs" of my Beginner Novice Obedience Title

You might remember that I earned the 3rd "leg" 

and finished that title in June

This time we entered Pre-Novice Obedience. 

This involved both on leash and off leash work

1. On leash heeling pattern and figure 8

2. leash is removed - Stand for Examination

3. Off leash heeling pattern

4. Recall, sit in front, return to heel

5. Sit or Down Stay while Mom walks ring perimeter

And although I was being quite silly - 

I kept heeling on the wrong side

I managed to get qualifying scores on Fri & Sat

Yay!!!!

Then came Sunday - 

well on Sunday I wanted to stop and eat grass 

instead of staying with Mom.

Then when I was supposed to get ready for the Stay

I was trying to hack up grass that was stuck in my throat

 and I puked a little with the judge standing right there!!! 

And that was the end of that.

So we got 2 "legs" and we only need 1 more.

It wasn't my best performance 

but we had fun and that's what counts

And we saw this guy!

A Weim boy!  

Just like our furiends Goose and Easy!

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta

Hot Weather Safety

Welcome to 

Hot Weather Safety

with

The Idaho Pugs

Every buddy loves the summer time. Summer brings lots of fun activities, like walking and hiking and swimming. Butt  - summer time also brings HEAT and heat can be very dangerous to your pet, they can easily suffer from heat exposure.

Hot weather is especially tough on brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds like pugs. Because of their short noses and smaller air passages, pugs can’t adequately cool air or release heat when they are in hot temperatures.  Take extra caution with your pug whenever they are in an environment with temperatures exceeding 75 degrees. Brachycephalic  dogs have the highest risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke

Brachycephalic dogs are the cute, personable breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekingese and Boston Terriers. Their short noses and flat faces are at an extreme disadvantage in hotter temperatures because the dog’s primary mechanism for beating the heat is panting, and these dogs do not pant efficiently.

You can see how Flat my nose is!

Panting is a form of evaporative cooling, and air must easily flow for the process to work. The shorter faces of brachycephalic dogs make them look adorable, but they create big problems for airflow. These dogs suffer from brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS), which causes inefficient breathing and, therefore, inefficient cooling.

The mouth could do all the work, except brachycephalic dogs have long, soft palates in the back of their mouths. The palate tissue blocks the flow of air to the trachea. And lastly, many have small, hypoplastic tracheas in which the diameter of the trachea is greatly reduced.
Each of these structural problems interferes with how quickly air can pass to the lungs. Air movement for a brachycephalic dog might be the equivalent of a person who is trying to breathe with swollen tonsils and a clothespin on his nose.

If evaporation is the way a system cools, and little air is passing through, the system quickly overheats. Dogs can easily suffer from heat exposure, but brachycephalic dogs have the highest risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Owners of brachycephalic dogs can help their dogs breathe easier and stay cooler through elective surgery. Nares can be made wider, the soft palate can be shortened.

BUTT - ANY PET CAN BE AT RISK FOR HEAT EXPOSURE

Heat stroke (hyperthermia)
If your pet is exposed to hot temperatures and you suspect heat stroke, act immediately.  Heat stroke is an EMERGENCY since it can be fatal in as little as ten minutes.  Here are signs of heat stroke any pet owner must be aware of:

• Frantic, rapid panting
charged similar interest
• Bright red tongue and  red or pale gums
• Thick or sticky saliva
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Shock
• 
  

If you suspect your pet is experiencing heat stroke, it is a life threatening emergency and you need to call your veterinarian right away! Immediately get your pet out of the heat and into an air-conditioned area and take their rectal temperature if possible- it will exceed 103°F with heat stroke.  Offer your pet small amounts of cool water if they are not vomiting and are able to drink.  Spray them with cool (not cold) water, especially on their head, neck, feet, chest, and belly as well as turning on a fan and point it in their direction.  You can spray their paw pads, under their armpits, and groin area with isopropyl alcohol.  Do NOT immerse your pet in ice or in ice-cold water.  The goal is to decrease the body temperature normal in the first 10-15 minutes but then the cooling process needs to be slowed and monitored by your veterinarian as their temperature can drop dangerously low.

Thank you Barking from the Bayou and PetPlan for the cool graphics

Here are some tips to Stay Cool in the Heat


Protect your pet from the heat. 

Provide plenty of shade, air-conditioning, and a cool pool of water to help your pet escape the heat.

Make sure your pet always has plenty of fresh, cool water every day in a bowl that won’t tip over.

If you are headed outdoors with your pet, be sure to bring along cool water and a portable bowl for them to drink from.  Anytime your pet is outside, make sure they have protection from the heat and sun.  Tarps and tree shaded areas are ideal as they won’t obstruct air flow. A dog house won’t provide relief from the heat and could actually make it worse for your pet.

Exercise your pet in the early morning or late evening hours when it’s a little cooler.

Make sure to adjust the time and intensity of exercise based on the temperature and humidity.  Older dogs, young puppies, overweight pets, short nose breeds, pets not used to exercise, and pets with heart and respiratory problems are more likely to overheat in hot weather.  Keep in mind that the street and sidewalks as well as the sand on the beach can be very hot and can burn their pads.

Monitor your pet’s health.

Pay close attention to your pet’s respiratory rate, effort to breathe, stamina, willingness to continue and fatigue. All can be signs of possible overheating.

Respond quickly

If your pet is working hard to breathe, and if his tongue is flat and wide for maximum evaporation, don’t ignore it. Take immediate measures to cool him down 

Control your dog’s weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight can help your pet  breathe easier

Never leave your pet in a parked car, not even for a few minutes.

On a day when it is 85°F outside, a car with its windows slightly opened can heat up to over 100°F in just 10 minutes! Even on seemingly mild days, an enclosed car can be deadly. Recent studies show that when it is 72°F outside, a car’s internal temperature can climb to 116°F within one hour. It can take as little as 10 minutes for a dog to sustain organ damage or even death when trapped in these temperatures so plan your day and travel to guarantee your dog is never left in the car. 

Use sunscreen on your pets when they are outside.

Pets with light colored skin or thin fur can sunburn easily and are more prone to skin cancer. If your pet will be outside in the sun a lot then use sunblock, yes, there is sunblock for pets!  Be sure to apply it to exposed areas like the ears, nose, and even the belly for those pets who tend to lay in the sun.

Keep your pet well groomed.

While a haircut may help keep your pet cooler, cutting them too short can remove insulation against the heat and also make them more susceptible to sunburn.  Keeping them free of mats and loose undercoat with regular brushing helps their coat to “breathe”.

Make sure to use proper flea and tick prevention.

Flea and tick populations thrive in warm, humid environments, and are most prevalent in the summer months. They can pose serious health concerns such as the spread of Lyme disease, the transmission of tapeworms and cause allergy dermatitis, so it is important to use the proper flea and tick preventatives and treatments with your pets.

Watch for signs of heatstroke.

Signs include: Sudden collapse, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, drooling profusely, panting excessively or difficult breathing, rapid heart rate, glazed eyes, wobbly or uncoordinated movement, stupor or coma, bright red or purple gums and/or tongue

If you suspect your pet is experiencing heat stroke, it is a life threatening emergency and you need to call your veterinarian right away! Immediately get your pet out of the heat and into an air-conditioned area and take their rectal temperature if possible- it will exceed 103°F with heat stroke.  Offer your pet small amounts of cool water if they are not vomiting and are able to drink.  Spray them with cool (not cold) water, especially on their head, neck, feet, chest, and belly as well as turning on a fan and point it in their direction.  You can spray their paw pads, under their armpits, and groin area with isopropyl alcohol.  Do NOT immerse your pet in ice or in ice-cold water.  The goal is to decrease the body temperature normal in the first 10-15 minutes but then the cooling process needs to be slowed and monitored by your veterinarian as their temperature can drop dangerously low.

Be sure to visit the rest of today's safety hosts!

Goose

Wallace & Samuel

Five Sibes

Bunk the Pug

Bentley & Pierre

Ranger

A HUGE thanks to Sarge & Sidebite for 

organizing Safety Week!

We are the PugRanch Kids

Bailey, Hazel & Greta