Hudson, a little gray around the edges...

“Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit us well.”

– Bonnie Wilcox

Anyone who has owned a dog into old age knows a secret that others don’t – old dogs are best. There’s no other time in a dog’s life that is as sweet. Even puppies can’t compete with the character and worth of an old dog. Old dogs are loyal. They have gumption, lack self consciousness, and have the wisdom of a dog who has given up chasing his tail. 

Dogs have a come long since they were killed at young ages to accompany their master into the otherworld in ancient Egypt. Today, not only do they rule the roost, they live longer than ever. The world’s oldest ever official dog was an Australian Cattle Dog named Bluey. He died at age 29 in 1939, aged 29 years and five months.

Several factors contribute to a dog’s years. Different breeds have different life spans. The Parson’s Terrier, the Miniature Poodle and the Whippet can expect to be around for thirteen years or so. The Bull Mastiff, the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound are sometimes limited to ten years. Obviously, size plays a role with an exception – the hardy Chow can average fourteen years. Perhaps those years of serving as a delicatessen to emperors toughened their immune system. 

Spaying and neutering a dog offers health advantages that can increase a life spans. For both female and male, cancers of the reproductive system are lowered. But females have an added benefit just for being female – they live an average of one-and-a-half years longer than male dogs.

Inbreeding shortens life spans. Often, a mutt, will be generally healthier and longer lasting than a purebred. Nutrition is key and with the choices we have today, it’s no wonder dogs live so long. And, of course, healthcare is phenomenal right now. Preventative care includes vaccines, heartworm pills, yearly vet visits where your dog is checked for lumps, swollen glands and anything unusual, and bloodwork. Even brushing your dog’s teeth adds to their health. 

But with so many choices of healthcare, it can get daunting. It can be tough because you can’t explain to a dog that the treatment is for their own good. Our dog, Manny, was diagnosed with stomach cancer during an operation. She went to her own oncologist, who gave us our options which included chemotherapy and radiation. We chose to be rather non-invasive with treatment but, even so, she got an extra Good year out of life. 

But, even with the increased years our dogs are getting, it isn’t enough for us dog owners. If you’ve ever had to put a pet to sleep, you know what an excrutiating choice it is. Still, it can be far more selfish to keep a dog alive for our pleasure than to give the gift of peace.

Today, we are so lucky to have an industry that caters to bereaved pet owners. There are urns we can get to keep our pets close by, granite memorials, even a “personalized tears stone” (www.inthecompanyofdogs.com). There are print cards for pet loss and electronic cards to send to the bereaved (http://www.sloppykisscards.com/thinking-of-you-ecards.php). 

Old dogs have stinky breath and they sleep way past the alarm clock.They snore, and the bedroom they share with you often now has an officious odor. Sometimes they wear diapers. The dog who used to eat poop now demands Prosciutto. But if you have to carry an eighty pound Am Staff with a distinguished white face up and down the stairs now,  it’s worth it. Afterall, he devoted his life to you.

Hmm, leftovers...

It’s 7:30 a.m. and you’re downing your third cup of coffee. Kingfish has been fed and walked and done his business and, as far as you’re concerned, he’s ready to go for the day. But, instead of curling up snuggly on the couch or one of the myriad dog beds scattered on the floor, he’s sitting there at your feet, looking at you expectantly.

“What?” you say, a little miffed because you’ve got to get out the door. “Ah,” you think, I’ll fill the Kong with treats — that’ll keep him busy. So you hurriedly stuff cookies into the Kong, make it look appetizing by playing “fake the throw,” then pop out the door while Kingfish stares at you becomingly, tongue hanging to the ground. “I hope he doesn’t get into any trouble,” you say cautiously, driving down the street.

It’s 1 p.m. and you, back from your super-cool job where you get an hour for lunch, have come home to walk your pup. You’re relaxed, confident that the Kong did the trick. Secretly, your subconscious is very stressed because it knows that half the time the Kong works, half the time…

“Kingfish!”

The stench of old bananas and stale milk reach your nostrils. There is trash strewn all over the downstairs. Kingfish is cowering behind a chair. You are furious but know that to reprimand him now is useless — he must be reprimanded when he is in the act. This is getting old.

You’ve tried getting an expensive can that only opens when stepped on — he figured it out. You tried putting something heavy on it — he’s 70 pounds, so that meant nothing to him. You’ve moved the trash but you always end up moving it back because it’s more convenient when cooking. But, as you pick up empty butter wraps slippery with dog saliva, it dawns on you.

You eat quickly and leave again for work. But this time, you secretly wait around the side of the house, having left the front door unlocked. In a minute or so, you run back in and, lo and behold, catch the culprit in his act. You make lots of noise, correcting him. He is surprised. After doing this for a few days, he is cured.

This worked very well for my dog, Kingfish, and me. The element of surprise is one many people don’t realize works well with dogs. Using a whistle when you catch him in the act is also very effective. You can also set up a walkie-talkie, and that way you can yell into that when you’re not in the room. But the physical presence is the best.

Dogs are very much in the moment but they do have the capacity to learn. A little creativity and you can cure your pooch from Dumpster diving.

It's easy to be green.

In early May in New Orleans, one puppy took the term eco-friendly to a new height – he was born green: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6In4cPFqgA4. Word has it that PETA tried to grab immediate rights to his fur and Greenpeace jumped in with a billion dollar offer to make him their mascot. Since the green tinge wears off quickly, this seems unlikely, but he can be a reminder that eco and pet often go hand in hand.

The most obvious way to have an eco-friendly pet is to spay. If you think there’s human overpopulation in the world, consider pet overpopulation – Number of cats and dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters each year: 3-4 million (HSUS estimate.) The dogs most euthanized are pit bulls. In accordance with that, adopting from a shelter greatly helps to control the overpopulation. Breeders often put-down unwanted animals and even purebreds end up in shelters. Some of my favorites – Grey2K, PittieLove, All Dog Rescue.

The next one is probably the number one reason non-pet owners dislike dogs – poopie. If you clean up after your dog, using biodegradable bags, you’re doing more than pleasing your neighbor. You’re protecting the environment from dog waste running off in rain water and melt-off into lakes and rivers. You’re also protecting humans and other dogs from the possible spreading of roundworms and hookworms. If you have a yard, a composting system is an option which you can buy or build yourself – http://www.plantea.com/dog-waste-compost.htm.

When you buy your dog toys, buy them sustainable goods. You can get toys and beds made from recycled materials now, or hemp which lasts forever (unless you have pitbulls). There are also many eco-friendly options for shampoo and health products. An excellent site that sells these things, along with natural food and treats, is www.onlynaturalpet.com.

And, while your pets are working so hard at being eco-friendly, you can return the favor by buying cruelty-free. It used to be very expensive to buy beauty products that did no animal testing but that’s changing. At drugstores, you can get Essence of Beauty products, a line of lotions and soaps which is cruelty-free. You can also get Lumene make-up, Burt’s Bees, and there’s a great product out there for undereye bags (yes, a particular problem of mine) called Eyesential which is cruelty-free (and works!). Now these products are not necessarily all-natural and a visit to an all-natural health store will offer you many options for both but my last lip gloss there ran about $35, so it’s nice to have an alternative.

There are a multitude of cleaning products out there, too, which really work now. Two less-expensive products that I like are Mrs. Meyers and Method. Or you can make your own: www.aboutmyplanet.com/daily-green-tips/cleaning-products/.

And, though I dislike their politics, PETA has a very good cruelty-free product list: http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp.

If we’d leave animals to their own, they’d be in harmony with the environment they live in. But instead they have to adapt to the environment we create. It’s up to us to try to balance things out, to make it a better world, not just for humans, but for animals as well.

“The Spirit of Patriotism is the Spirit of the Dog” – Mark Twain

Stubby was heavily decorated in WWI.

Dogs are often depicted as loyal and courageous. They guard their stuffed raccoon, the tiny piece of rawhide they’ve swallowed and regurgitated multiple times, and the blanket you haven’t been able to wash for a year. But give them an imaginary burglar and they’ll guard you with their lives. 

It isn’t surprising, then, that dogs also guard our country. “Official” dogs have been working in the military in the U.S. since the Seminole Wars but dogs have been used in war since ancient times. Sometimes sent into battle, they were most often used for guarding. A Pit Bull Terrier named Stubby, pictured above, rose to the rank of Sergeant in WWI. Some 4,000 dogs were used in the Vietnam War and are estimated to have saved over 10,000 human lives. 

In modern wars, Scout Dogs walk out front for the unit, looking for booby trap trip wires, ambushes, hidden caches of food or weapons, and snipers. Messenger Dogs carry messages. Trackers follow ground (blood trails, body odor etc.) or airborne scents in order to locate missing personnel, such as downed pilots, wounded GI’s, or the enemy. And Sentry Dogs detect and detain.

Many different breeds have been used in war. The Pugnaces Britanniae, a progenitor to the Mastiff, was used in ancient Rome. In Vietnam, the German Shepherd and the Lab were mostly used. In WWII, among the 32 breeds used were the Am Staff, the Dobie, the Newfie, and the Great Dane.

But, regardless of breed, some dogs stand out. “Sallie,” a brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was the regimental mascot for the 11^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. At one point, she got separated from the unit. She returned to the Union battle line at Oak Ridge and stood guard over the dead and wounded. Sallie died in battle and is memorialized at the 11^th Pennsylvania monument at Gettysburg.

Stubby was never hindered by being a Pit Bull. Instead, he became the mascot and member of the 102^nd during WWI, saving hundreds of lives. In fact, he became the most decorated war dog in history. And, though not famous on the big screen like his granddad, Rin Tin Tin’s grandpup was a decorated soldier and trainer for dogs in WWII.

I, personally, don’t want to see our dogs on the warfront just as I wouldn’t want my dog to take a bullet for me, so this reflection of their place in war’s history is just that – a reminder that they’ve served us both near and far, gladly. Do we deserve this? No, we don’t. Sending them into a solution that we, as humankind, have concocted, something they have no concept of, is unconscionable. Dogs don’t know war. But they do know loyalty and courage and the desire for everything to be right.

Perhaps we could avoid war if, like them, we would concentrate on guarding the important things, the things closer to home and to our heart, like the love of our families and our right to autonomy. Oh, and also, that bone buried in the backyard. 

A smiling dog is a happy dog.

Dog lovers often offer advice to new or expectant dog owners about the importance of teaching their dogs to sit and stay and lie down. Strangely enough, though, most people don’t return a dog to the pound or find a place for him in the country to let him go because he didn’t win first place in obedience class. The main reason dogs are surrendered to animal shelters is because of behavior problems like chewing up the couch or being underfoot. 

Always hungry

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email about Cocoa Mulch being lethal to dogs – like any other chain mail, I shrugged it off as spam. But it wasn’t until a few days ago that I realized how wrong I was.

Then again, who can blame me? Product bashing is so expected nowadays.

I was out for a walk with Marius when I saw my neighbor, Matt, getting out of his car. I asked him how things were and then he told me about his dog, Duke. Duke accidentally ate some Cocoa Mulch that caused him to vomit.

As soon as I got home, I Googled “Cocoa Mulch” and to my horror, it confirmed that it does contain ‘Theobromine’ – an ingredient found in all chocolates. Theobromine can induce vomiting, seizures and even death to dogs. Since Cocoa Mulch contains larger quantities of theobromine and caffeine, it makes it even deadlier to dogs and cats.

According to the ASPCA(American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), ingestion of enough cocoa bean shells can cause dogs to develop symptoms similar to chocolate poisoning. Although the ASPCA has not received any cases involving death due to Cocoa Mulch ingestion, they advocate caution and care towards the usage of such organic materials.

Regardless of Hershey’s (manufacturer of Cocoa Mulch) negligence to put a warning on their product, one should always be wary of the products we purchase – especially the ones that are accessible to kids and pets who can’t decide for themselves, what to eat or not. Being meticulous once in a while can be beneficial. Taking the time to read the label the next time we go shopping can and might save us from inconveniences, money, and can even save the life of our loved ones.

Remember, ignorance is never a good excuse, especially when it comes to the health of your pet.

Try these things some time; it can be much help to anyone:

• Read labels of products
• Familiarize oneself with harmful ingredients
• Make sure lids are properly closed
• Ask your vet if in doubt about products
• Keep an eye on your dog whenever around organic products, especially if your dog does not care what he eats.