THE CHOCOLATE DOG BLOG: January 2007



Speak Up for Park Pooches in Halifax

Tuesday, January 30, 2007
From the Chronicle Herald

UNDERSTANDABLE if Halifax residents lately feel like they need to be old, big-lipped multi-millionaire rock stars to use some of the city’s best green space for a simple Sunday afternoon frolic, especially if it’s with their best four-legged friend.

Currently in our vast regional municipality, there are only two parks where we can take our pooches and legally let them off their leashes — Seaview Park and some areas of Point Pleasant Park.

The Common — a lovely bit of green in downtown Halifax — forbids leashless doggies, though many of us have been known to take our drooly wonders for an untethered twirl there, too.

To the city’s credit, however, municipal staff are talking seriously about possibly opening up more off-leash dog park areas by 2009.

It seems a long way off, but now is when dog owners need to step up to the food bowl.

The municipality is currently holding public information sessions at various locations. Two sessions have already been held, but there are still four left.

Click here to read how you can get involved.

Chew chew chew

Monday, January 29, 2007
Picked up a new chew bone for Bosco today. Needless to say he worked on it for four hours before I took it away from him. He should learn to save something good for another day as well.

Featured Blog: Puppies and Life

I have been exchanging emails with one of Bosco's biggest fans so I thought it would be nice to try and direct some more readers her way. Natalie over at Puppies and Life has been a long time follower of Bosco and always leaves nice comments for us to read.

She has her own blog to take care of, do the school thing and all the other things that come along with being a 19-year old. There was a picture that was posted on her site that I just had to share because it made me think of how dogs (Labs) seem to have more than one personality. So please go check out her work and say hi. Her and her crew of dogs will really appreciate the attention.

Bosco says hi by the way and wants to pass along a well wishing to Toronto. We both miss our walks in High Park.

Another Monday, another Bosco picture

Just getting this week going so I thought it was only right to start off with some pictures. Here we capture Bosco waking up with the sun beaming in on him.

Woof Woofington Needs Your Help

Woof Woofington has been nominated for a blog award! Yes, it's true. And I am the only dog in the whole set of categories of the 2007 Bloggies, which I am told, apparently, are the blog equivalent of the Oscars. This is pretty amazing and a great opportunity to get the dog blogging message out there - a vote for me is a vote for dogs! Well, that's how I see it.

It would bring me great joy (and maybe even big presents from the Mistress) if you would take just 2 mins to keep my tail wagging and boost my blogging ratings with a simple click and vote. The Bloggies are voted for by the public so every vote counts. Literally!

If you feel you can let your paws do the talking, here's what you do:

Go to http://2007.bloggies.com/

You need to choose three finalists and here's a tip - obviously you click the button for Woof Woofington in my category. Scroll down to the various categories:

Best-Kept Secret Weblog

Woof Woofington

Some books to check out

Friday, January 26, 2007
Got a nice email from the publisher of these books, might as well share the wealth.

Cold day in Halifax

The bone chilling weather is back today so the boys layed low and stayed warm inside. I figured it was a good moment to capture.

Dutch brewers launch dogs' beer

Monday, January 22, 2007
A small brewery in the Netherlands has launched a new beer designed to bring cool relief to thirsty dogs.

Kwispelbier, marketed as "a beer for your best friend", is made from a special brew of beef extract and malt.

The beverage is a creation of pet shop owner Gerrie Berendsen, who wanted her dogs to share light refreshments with her after a day's hunting.

The beer is non-alcoholic and fit for human consumption, but costs four times as much as a Heineken.

"Kwispel" is the Dutch word for wagging a tail.

Ms Berendsen, who lives in the eastern town of Zelhem, commissioned the small local Schelde brewery to make and bottle the beer.

"Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," Ms Berendsen told the Associated Press.

Dog-owners 'lead healthier lives'

Well I read a very interesting and promising article today on the BBC website.

If you want to live a healthier life get a dog, research suggests.

The companionship offered by many pets is thought to be good for you, but the benefits of owning a dog outstrip those of cat owners, the study says.

A psychologist from Queen's University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular 'walkies' may partly explain the difference.

Dr Deborah Wells reviewed dozens of earlier research papers which looked at the health benefits of pet ownership.

(Full story here)

As my friend who sent me the link said, I must be one healthy guy! I would like to think so and Bosco has a big part in that. It is exercise and stress relief for sure and knowing he is always there when I get home, needing me for something.

Bosco also suggests checking these out:

Children with pets 'more healthy'

Hospitals should allow pet visits

Pampering pets for profit

Gassy Bosco

Saturday, January 20, 2007
I apologize for the graphic nature of this post but the story must be told. Katie has told me about one of Bosco's habits but I had never seen it until the other day. Now of course I see it all the time.

Bosco has this thing where he always gets out of a chair and does kind of like a downward dog yoga stretch and over half the time as he is stretching, he will let off a little toot. It is kind of gross and funny all at the same time.

Does anyone else have this issue with their dog? I guess dogs have gas as well and need to let off some steam just like people. I would try and get a picture of this but I am sure you can all visualize it well enough.

Anyways that is all that is going on with Bosco these days. We are in the midst of the winter blahs so I will try and step up the blog work soon.

Thanks everyone the numbers are way up and I appreciate the readership.

Bosco likes Borat

Thursday, January 18, 2007

The Thursday happenings

Good morning everyone how is the dog barking today? For the second day in a row the temperature is very, very cold in Halifax and it has made for a lot of inside time for Bosco. I know he does not mind laying around and sleeping all day but that makes for a chubby dog and as you know from a previous post, I don't want to get charged one day haha.

But seriously Bosco is in no danger of being over weight since at his latest weigh in the other day he is down to 76.8lbs. So really he is just getting fitter and fitter by the day. Great job Boss, looking lean and mean and ready to take on the world.

On the walks we have been taking it has been a fun week because we keep running into other fun dogs who also like to play in the snow. I do not know what it is about snow but it certainly makes dogs go crazy with excitement.

I picked up a few chewy bones at the store the other day to keep Bosco busy on these snow days and of course he chews on them for hours and then falls asleep. Perfect I say.

Today is very icey and just now when Bosco went out for his morning pee, he was slip sliding all over the place. I have to admit I was watching in the window and laughing to myself. Such a graceful chocolate guy haha.

Anyways things have been good and I don't see that changing any time soon. Here are some pictures from the last few days. Hope you all are having a fun winter whereever you are and it has been great to hear from all of you.

America's top dog

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

America's most popular pooch is once again from Canada's eastern-most province.

American Kennel Club officials confirmed in New York City on Monday that the Labrador retriever was the most popular purebred in 2006, a title it has maintained the past 16 years.

The retriever represented about 124,000 registrations, or 14 per cent of the club's total last year.

Labrador retrievers evolved over the last 1,000 years, descendants of the dogs European fishermen brought with them when they visited the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, says Sonny Allinson, spokesman for the Canadian Kennel Club.

"Many of them were left to run free on the island when the fishermen went back. So whatever dogs that came from Europe interbred," he told CBC News Online.

According to researchers at Memorial University in St. John's, the dog does not come from Labrador as its name suggests. The confusion arose when British breeders gave the dog the name Labrador to differentiate between it and the Newfoundland dog, also descended from the fishermen's dogs.

Pudgy pooch lumbers home

Saturday, January 13, 2007
Read this one in the paper today, could you imagine getting charged for having a chubby dog?? Maybe it is a good idea.

Owners fined for cruelty after Lab ballooned to 70 kilograms

LONDON — Two brothers were convicted Friday of causing unnecessary suffering by letting their dog become obese, prompting fears among pet owners that they could be prosecuted if they let their animals put on too much weight.

In an unprecedented case, David and Derek Benton were prosecuted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals because Rusty, their pet Labrador retriever, tipped the scales at 70 kilograms, more than double the weight he should have been. They denied causing unnecessary suffering to the 10-year-old dog but were found guilty by magistrates in Ely, Cambridgeshire, eastern England.

(full story)

Robber thinks twice about holding up vet

Friday, January 12, 2007
This is Bosco's vet just down the street from us.

A man ran away empty-handed after trying to hold up the Halifax Veterinary Hospital on Thursday night.

Halifax Regional Police said officers responded to the robbery at the Quinpool Road clinic at about 7:50 p.m.

Watch commander Sgt. Dave Reynolds said a man walked into the animal hospital, threatened staff with a handgun and demanded cash. ,P> However, "it appears as though the suspect panicked and fled before obtaining any money," Sgt. Reynolds said.

No one was injured.

(full story)

Maybe they should hire Bosco as a guard dog. Well that would not work unless they wanted to steal the treats jar. Still kind of alarming to think we could of been there having a checkup or getting a weigh in.

An unsolved mystery

So there is a mystery on Kline Street that even Robert Stack would have a hard time solving. Maybe we should call in the CSI's or something because Katie and I can't 100% confirm what happened even though we think we know.

It all stems from a missing chocolate terry's orange. You know the one you smack on the table and it breaks into wedges. Well Katie had a mint one that was half eaten and it has vanished. Could it of been Bosco?? Well that would be what makes sense but it is hard to pin it on him. There was no foil paper laying around and he never takes stuff off the coffee table. There is always candy and stuff sitting there, so why the chocolate egg?? There have been no signs of him being sick or hyper from the chocolate so who knows.

I guess this one will go down as a mystery unsolved and in Katie's case, a chocolate orange uneaten. Don't worry Katie we can get you another one and keep it up higher in the house. As for Bosco he has a great poker face so he won't be fessing up anytime soon.

Chocolate chill

Thursday, January 11, 2007
Today the cold weather returned in Halifax. It is not a suprise really because it is January but the last few weeks have been so nice it got us all a little spoiled. Bosco had a good time playing in the park but even he has found it a little chilly in the house today. Do you think this is a hint that maybe we should turn up the heat?

Finders keepers

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Bosco found an orange hockey ball today. He carried it all the way home and is currently deciding on whether to keep it or destroy it. I will let you know the outcome at a later date. Good luck to you orange ball.

Bosco says not cool

Last night on the local news there was a story about animal cruelty involving puppies in rural Nova Scotia. I cannot find a link to the story but it went down like this. A box was found in a ditch that had nine puppies and the mother in it. Sadly two of the puppies died from drowning in some water and the mother was dead as well. Police believe she had been hit by a car.

Two local women found the pups and quickly got them to a vet and they are doing great and ready for adoption. This act of cruelty just makes me sick and I can't imagine why someone would do this. They are trying to track down who did it because it is against federal law to dump animals like that.

Local vets said that there were a few calls from someone looking to put down nine dogs so that is who they are checking into. I guess vets said no and of course they would. Most vets would rather just take the dogs and try to find them a new home.

Puppies are part of what you sign up for when you get a dog. IF you get a female dog and don't have her fixed then it is your responsibility to take care of those pups if and when they happen. In my experience it is not hard to give away cute pups, there are always people who want one.

I hope they find the person and put them in a box and dump them on the side of the road and let them see how it is.

Just wanted to pass along this story because it made me really angry with people.

Spa day

Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Just finished giving Bosco a brush and a mail clip and thought I would mention some tips on nail clipping. I know it is not one of the most pleasant things for both dog and owner so here is how I go about the whole process.

The most important thing that pays off in the long term is getting your dog used to it early. I cut Bosco's a lot as a pup even if it was a little but just so he would get used to it. I read how you should play with their feet and ears a lot so later in life they won't get freaked out.

Now Bosco just rolls over and lets me do it, even though I know he hates it. But hey he does get a treat after. The hard part with Bosco is he has black nails and it is hard to see the vein. So it is important to take small clips off a bit at a time. I have done too much before and he did bleed a little. No big deal, it stops quickly and that big slobbery tongue fixes the rest.

I also think it is important to invest in a good pair of clippers so it does a good job. They run about 10 bucks and just ask for whatever kind the vet or store uses themselves. Seeing as vets and other places charge anywhere from 10-30 bucks to do this 2 minute task I think learning how to do it yourself can save you a great deal of money. You can then spend the savings on toys and food for the dog instead.

Don't forget to keep those nails trim so it doesn't scratch up your floor.

The mood of Bosco

Can we go outside soon??

Ahhh that is better

Celebrity chuck it

Monday, January 08, 2007
Jessica Alba pictures at the dog park. Talk about a dog park to check out. I would get a dog just to go to that park. Anyways here are pictures of the event. She likes to use the chuck it as well, cool stuff.

What Bosco did today

Figured you would all want to know what Bosco got up to today. Here is the scoop.

  • woke up around 7am and realized it would be a few hours til any body would be around to feed me, went back to sleep.
  • Heard Michael come home just after 9am, raced downstairs to see him
  • ate, went out, back in.
  • slept some more til Katie got up and I followed her around making sad faces in hope that she would take me for a walk.
  • Finally got to go play in the park and chase tennis balls. There was another dog there, it was fun.
  • Afternoon nap on couch as Katie watched a movie.
  • Michael got up and fed me, went out, back in to play with octopus.
  • Slept in chair, moved to couch, back to chair and then upstairs for some peace and quiet.
  • Wanted to watch TV but the humans kept flipping.
  • Went out, had a treat, went to bed and called it a night.

A site to check out

Sunday, January 07, 2007
Came across this site tonight. It is called Cute Overload. Go there and click on pups and it gives you years worth of cute puppy pictures. This one I think will be enough to draw you in.

Christmas wrap up

As you have read already Bosco had a different Christmas this year. Katie and I were in Toronto and Bosco was not able to make it. Flights are pricey and Bosco prefers to travel in first class so we had to make alternate arrangements.

Luckily for us, there were many offers to watch the chocolate guy. Sara, a friend of mine was the fortunate winner of the bosco babysitting sweepstakes and her entire family got in on the act. So here is the wrap up of what it was like to watch chocolate.

A Chocolate Christmas

Doesn't that face sum up what Christmas is all about? I've opened up all my presents, now leave me alone... I'll be on the coach all day until I'm called for dinner. Yep, it didn't take long for Bosco to adapt to our family motto of exerting as little energy as possible, especially at Christmas.

It was a brief visit, but I'm pretty sure I would have developed some sort of seperation anxiety if he'd stayed any longer. What can I say, he makes an awesome foot warmer! But seriously, it was a pleasure having the big guy around over the holidays (that's Bosco, not Santa... no offense Santa). And I'm pretty sure he liked the attention from all the ladies i.e. myself, my mum, and two sisters... who still ask how he's doing when they call. So I tell them, visit his blog... he's like the most famous chocolate dog in the world!!!

All the best for 2007,

Sara

Talking dogs

Saturday, January 06, 2007

I am very happy Bosco does not talk, I am sure he would have a lot to say.

Tempting chocolate

It is video clips like this that really make me want to get another labby to go with the Boss. I am sure Katie would have something to say about that.

Weighty issue

Was just checking out the blog world seeing if there is any dog news out there. I see the FDA has approved a new diet pill for dogs! Now that would be handy if Bosco was still a fat chocolate like he was just over 10 months ago.

Bosco lost all his weight the hard way with lots of exercise and a strict diet and now he is a svelt 77 lbs as of yesterday.

Katie even commented on how slim and trim he looks although he still seems to take up just as much room in the house.

This is the time of the year Bosco tends to put on his winter fat but so far so good on that front.

It is funny that he is as light as he has been in some time and I have taken to calling him Jelly as a nickname.

Don't ask me why I call him that, I go through stages of calling him various names and he always seems to like it. The other night Katie was calling him to go out before bed and he did not move from his bed. I yelled down that he won't come unless you call him Jelly. Sure enough Katie calls for Jelly and he came running down the stairs. I guess it is true that even dogs like to feel cool and have pet names.

Doggy day care in doghouse

Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Canine Casbah operator fights charge of violating city bylaw

This is a local doggy daycare that is just down the street from me. Bosco has stayed there once and they do a great job at taking care of your dog. If you live in the Halifax area I suggest checking it out and helping out in anyway you can.

from the chronicle herald

A Halifax woman who runs a doggy day care out of her west-end residence is hoping to work with the city to amend a bylaw that makes it illegal for her to care for animals in her home.

Janet Chernin opened Canine Casbah on Oak Street in early 1996 after calling the city to check what regulations existed for running a pet day care.

She said she was given the go-ahead to start up and now cares for as many as eight dogs on top of her own four furry friends, Oreo, Ursa, Pickle and Sassy.

It wasn’t until someone filed a query into the legality of her business in July 2005 that the 51-year-old entrepreneur found out she may be in violation of municipal bylaws.

"I was under the presumption I was legal," Ms. Chernin said Tuesday.

read the full article

do you Labradoodle??

Came across an interesting site today all about one of the oddest dog breeds going. Labradoodles is a site all about the wonderful world of one of the newsest breeds going. Labradoodles were originally a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Standard Poodle, now they are a breed of their own!

The site has everything you could ever want to know about the breed and I for one learned a few things I did not know about.

One of the cool features of the site is it helps you find a local breeder just by typing in your Zip code. That can be helpful to locate someone breeding these new and popular dogs. Being a Lab owner myself I would think this breed would be a perfect pet for anyone. I am sure the poodle part is okay as well haha.

The site offers featured dogs each week and has some tee-shirts to buy. All in all if you are looking to take a Labradoodle into your home this site can be a great starting point. From there you can also check out other dog breeds and even join a Labradoodle webring to meet and keep in contact with other owners.

Reunited and it feels so good

I forgot to update everyone on how the farm (Boss & Mercy) are doing now that things are back to normal after the holidays. I think Mercy had the rougher time away from home as it sounds like he just spent his time under a bed.

Bosco had a blast and as always was the center of attention wherever he went. Talk about tales of two pets.

Well now they are back together again just like Tom and Jerry or Butch and the Sundance Kid. It took almost no time at all before the two were doing their usual thing of acting like they are not friends when we all know they are. In a funny way Bosco represents some comfort to Mercy I think because the chocolate is part of the norm.

So life goes on and hopefully Mercy won't have to get stuffed into his cat carrier anytime soon. Bosco on the other hand can't wait for his next trip.

Muddy Waters

Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Well all the snow has melted with the day of rain. So of course when Bosco came in this morning from doing him business, the floor showed signs of the muddy yard. I wish Bosco knew how to use a mop and bucket.

2007 the year of Bosco?

Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy new year everyone!! 2007 is here and Bosco is ready to dominate in the post. He is trim and fit and as smart as a whip. There is no telling how far Bosco can go this year. The holiday season was a time to relax and refresh for a new year of blogging about everyones favourite Chocolate Dog.

There are a lot of good ideas in the hopper for the coming weeks and I hope you will continue to come and check us out. Nothing inspires us to blog and talk about Bosco more than knowing we are providing you with some great reading during your day.

The parties are over and Bosco is ready to shine in 2007. There will be many stories of walks, new toys and funny moments. There will be endless pictures of the cute guy doing his thing on the east coast.

The goal is to bump up the readership by 100 by mid-year and go from there. Can we do it? Who knows but if you don't have a goal you don't have something to shoot for.

Pardon the mess as well because we have to get the holiday decorations down at some point. I am pretty lazy when it comes to taking down the holiday cheer. If only you could leave it up all the time, now that would be festive.

Enjoy the day and start the year off right by spoiling your dog with a long walk or a new toy. I am about to go and take Bosco out to play in the snow. Bye for now.