BostonZest

Duchess Poppy Is Seven Years Old

If you see Duchess Poppy out and about with us this weekend, say Happy Birthday. She turned 7 years old yesterday. That is 44 in human years for a small dog. Here's a chart and link to an article from WebMD with the conversion by dog size.

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Kudos to Dog Communities

Imagine yourself walking across the Boston Common just after dark. You spot a hulking figure in a sweatshirt with a hood hiding his face. He’s lingering on the path ahead of you. Your city senses begin to tingle and you look around to see just how alone you are.

Suddenly a beautiful chocolate Lab runs up to the figure and deposits a ball at his feet and you breathe a sigh of relief. 

People with dogs bring activity and added security to our sidewalks and parks all year long, at all hours, and in all weather conditions. That hulking figure may have been making use of the Boston Common Off-Leash Dog Program. The Friends of the Public Garden who initiated the program in 2013 describe it as, “... the first approved off-leash area in a city park that does not fence off and designate a single-use restricted space in this historically open park of shared use.”

Since the hours for use of the space are 6 am to 11 pm, those people using the area do add to the number of neighbors who are around during the dark, early morning and evening hours this time of year. In fact, that hulking figure may never have caught your attention because you may have felt secure walking by a group of people chatting and playing with their dogs.

Introductions

We live in a large, dog-friendly building. Often we are among the first to meet new neighbors with dogs. Our pets are the perfect reason to introduce ourselves and, once we know the new family, we can introduce them to dog-less neighbors.

Beyond our building, we meet many neighbors and engage with them because of a connection we make via dogs. A neighbor, walking the dog because his partner was sick, once said to us, “No wonder Michael knows everyone and I don’t. He walks Jewels.”

Official K-9 officers are not the only dogs who help deter and respond to criminal activity.

Neighborhood Stewards

As a group, dog walkers spend a lot of time out and about and may notice things that other neighbors miss or ignore. This makes them excellent stewards of our neighborhoods.

In Boston, anyone with the 311 app on their phone can quickly report anything from trash left out at the wrong time or in the wrong place, to dangerous, dangling tree branches.

We were among a group of dog families who attended an instructional meeting on how to spot and report any suspicion of Long Horned Asian Beetles in our area trees. Many dog walkers have taken the time to learn about the symptoms of Dutch Elm disease and can report sightings.

Since we have bags in hand, you will often see someone with a dog picking up not only after their own dog, but also after a scofflaw who failed to pick up. Some dog walkers carry an extra bag and pick up litter left by other park users.

We have often referred to members of the dog community as an informal but key crime watch team. We know what is normal and not normal on our blocks. Criminals tend to ignore us, so we can often report that person walking down the street checking car doors to see if one is unlocked, or someone stealing packages off front stairways.

Kudos to all those out and about with dogs who add far more value to our neighborhoods than the few people who don’t pick up or don’t control their dogs, take away.

 

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2011-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino top photo istockphoto.

Naming Dogs and Cats, Starring Harriet!

 

Sometimes a name seems to be a perfect fit for a dog. Once you know the lovely pup above, you can’t imagine any name for her but Harriet. She was named for a place not a person.

How did you decide on a name for your dog or cat? Did you have the name before the animal? Did you keep the name the rescue already had? Or, did you wait to see how the critter inspired a name?

Fortunately, dogs never tease one another about their respective names and seldom create cruel nicknames for their acquaintances. That leaves bestowers of names open to monikers that might embarrass a human.

One of our Maggie's best friends belonged to an architect, known for his habit of collecting beautiful objects, who named his lovely female Scottie, Knick Knack. Her pals never teased her about her name.

  

Here's our Poppy with Skye Westie as a pup, and a photo of the cutie-pie Sky friend.

People and Names

Would you be insulted is someone named their dog after you? Penny is always happy to meet a dog who shares her name and loves it. We’ve yet to meet a dog named Ed, so we await his reaction to that happening.

We were not so sure about Penny’s Aunt Margaret when we named our second dog, Maggie, after her. To be safe, we lengthened it to Maggie Mae so we could use the popular song as our story, if needed.

We’ve heard of family feuds that arose from the use of a name that someone felt was their exclusive property. That doesn’t seem to happen with dogs. No one cares if there are three dogs named Max in the neighborhood. Folks just add the breed when talking about them. Among our friends, we have a Westie Skye and a Malti-Poo (part Maltese, part Poodle) we refer to as little Sky the cutie-pie.

 

Mr Swiffer, we were so fortunate to know him. 

Names Have Tales

If you ask people how they came to name their dog or cat, you may be entertained by an interesting tale that might just tell you something about that person. This can be a very good conversation starter.

We knew a dog name Kepler. He was named for the German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer Johannes Kepler. That's a very Bostonian approach to naming a dog.

One of the rescued Westies we placed in a local home came with the name Rad. His new family (we soon learned they were truly fun and funny people) renamed him Swiffer. Why not? His sometimes long and shaggy coat did a great job of dusting their hardwood floors.

A friend's Ragdoll cat was called Max, but his full name was Maximilien De Whisker, a take on Maximilien de Winter, hero of Daphne du Maurier’s book "Rebecca." 

Our own Poppy has a full name of Duchess Poppy Whitehead. The “Duchess Poppy” comes from a character in an E.F. Benson book. (It also refers to our love of sparkling wine and corks that pop!) When we introduced her to one friend, she admitted she planned to name her next dog Poppy. We told her our Poppy would be honored to have a dog of hers share the name.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2008-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

Preparing for an Animal ER Visit

Would you be ready to take your dog or cat to an emergency animal hospital if you had to do it in the next five minutes? Here are some things you can do to help make that stressful situation a bit calmer for you and your animal.

Angell Animal Medical Center is open 24/7/365 (directions & contact information are in the link).

Be Ready to Go

First, you should know where the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital is located and have a transportation plan and route in mind to get there. We are car-free city dwellers and, over the years, have taken taxis, rideshare cars, and accepted offers from kind friends to bring our dogs to the ER.

When traveling, we always check for the nearest veterinarian and emergency hospital. It's not a bad idea to develop a habit of noticing any signs for veterinary services when you’re on the road. You just never know when you will need one.

Do your best to slow bleeding, stabilize injured limbs, and prepare to deal with gastric upsets on the way to get help. (Photo courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association.) 

First Aid

If your furry friend is hurt or sick, you’ll wish you knew some basic first aid and a bit about caring for a sick dog or cat. Do some reading on these topics ahead of time and consider adding a pet first-aid kit and a Pet First-Aid app to your smartphone. Or, take a course in pet first aid.

Do your best to slow bleeding, stabilize injured limbs, and prepare to deal with gastric upsets on the way to get help. We recommend that anyone with pets keep a package of puppy piddle pads on hand. These highly absorbent, disposable pads can save hours of cleanup and help reduce stress. Having had a carsick dog in the past, we have a prepacked “barf kit” that holds a few pads, paper towels, a bottle of water, and plastic bags for trash.

Poppy was on the way to the ER for a sore paw, but we covered the car seat and protected it in case the ride upset her tummy.

Moving a Hurt or Sick Animal

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) suggests calling the clinic before you leave so they can be ready for you. They may also be able to give you suggestions for the best way to care for the cat or dog until you get there. 

Your next challenge is moving a hurt animal to a vehicle and keeping everyone safe on the way to the hospital. The AVMA begins its advise on this topic with this warning, “Never assume that even the gentlest pet will not bite or scratch if injured. Pain and fear can make animals unpredictable or even dangerous. Don't attempt to hug an injured pet, and always keep your face away from its mouth. Although this may be your first impulse to comfort your pet, it might only scare the animal more or cause them pain.”

You might want to improvise a muzzle for an injured animal as long as they are not vomiting. You can use gauze, a bandana, or scarf for this purpose. Small dogs and cats can be wrapped in a towel or blanket and carried or placed in a soft carrier. A blanket can be used to make an emergency stretcher for a large dog.

In research done with Angie's List members, 65 percent have experienced a pet emergency. We know that we have made a lot of emergency veterinary visits during our years of having canine companions. 

An animal emergency is the time to accept the help of others in your animal community. Especially if you are facing transport alone. Again, this is best arranged ahead of time. You can set up a reciprocal arrangement with a friend to assist one another, if needed, for an ER run.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Top photo courtesy of MSPCA.

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

 

Prepping for Travel with Your Favorite Dog

Thinking ahead, doing a bit of extra planning, and a bit of targeted training can make traveling with your dog a lot easier. For us, taking our dog is a given, not an option. We have more fun and meet more people and other dogs when she’s with us. Our Poppy is a family member and we go on family vacations.

Poppy is always ready to travel to any beach, any time. She loves walking on the sand.

Reservations

This means we have to reserve early to be sure we can find accommodations in our favorite dog-friendly places. Poppy does fine traveling in her travel crate, but she doesn’t like staying alone in unfamiliar locations.

We also alert our vacation area pet sitters and see when they can fit us into their schedules so we can enjoy a few date nights without the pup. We don’t want to be the ones who spoil things for other families with dogs by leaving a barking dog in our room. If you’re going to a new area, ask your hotelier to recommend a pet sitter, should you need one.

Because we rent cars to travel, we have a travel crate to ensure the vehicle is returned in good condition. Poppy is great on car rides. Our last dog, Maggie Mae, suffered from motion sickness, so we’re pros at protecting car seats with our own waterproof puppy mats and disposable puppy pads. 

Travel Training

There are a few behaviors you might want to perfect before your trip. The first is “down and stay.” This can be very helpful when putting your dog into or getting out of the car. You don’t want to have a dog bolting away when a car door is opened at a highway rest stop.

Next is renewing your effort to have your dog walk closely by your side. This will be helpful on crowded sidewalks, in shops where dogs are allowed, and when you're slightly distracted.

Finally, see if you can train your dog to relax on a towel or mat any place you happen to be. This will help when you want to take a break, if you want her to settle down under a table on a dog-friendly patio, or by your chair on a beach.

Poppy has a waterproof puppy mat that she is happy to settle on while we dine al fresco.

Brilliant Ideas

We were talking about travel plans with one of our favorite bartenders, Gina Richard Sargeant, at Select Oyster Bar in Boston. She travels with a big dog so we asked her if she had any tips to pass on to our readers. She did!

To reduce the shedding problem at a vacation rental, she gives her dog a very good brushing before she leaves home. On her packing list are old towels and sheets to cover the furniture and keep the dog hair off it. Favorite marrow bones to fill with goodies and freeze for times when he is left alone make him happy. A long dog lead gives him a bit of freedom while keeping him safe and away from neighbors who might not be dog lovers. (After she suggested this, we bought this long leash for Poppy.)

Finally, she makes sure she has applied fresh flea and tick medication when heading for places that have a serious problem with those insects. That reminds us that you should check before you leave to be sure the area you're visiting is not one that requires additional vaccinations for your dog.

We would add, make sure your dog’s ID tags are up-to-date. And, if you’ve been putting off adding a microchip to help should you ever be separated, now is the time to do it.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2017-2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

A Sunday Dog Alert: Careful with Those Dog Paws, There Are Bees in Them There Blossoms!

Blossoms from Linden trees are drifting down and blanketing walkways and grassy areas where we walk our dogs. 

If you look closely, you may see bees and other stinging critters buzzing among the blooms. 

When you see a tree in bloom, dropping blossoms along your path, be sure to check for possible dangers to those precious paws. 

When the three of us are out walking, one of us walks ahead of our dog Poppy to gently scatter the insects. This avoids having her step on and anger one of the busy pollen gatherers. Since she's a small dog, if she's walking with just one of us, we carry her through the blossoms.

Prepare for a Sting and What to Do if Your Dog Is Stung

We reviewed a number of articles on this topic and prefer the information in the one below from Preventive Vet. 

Bee & Wasp Stings — Be(e) Prepared

It outlines what you might want to have on hand:

• What to do if a sting happens
• How to remove a stinger
• And, much more that we didn't know as long time dog guardians.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Poppy Says, "You Can't See Me..."

"I'm hiding down here."

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs. (Since this one is part of that category, it will appear at the top.)

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino