What Dog Breed Should I Make Next?

          I am looking for your input! I want you to tell me what breed of dog would you like to see me make next. You can look through the breeds I currently make by clicking here. Do you like Herding breeds, Sporting breeds, or perhaps Toy breeds? It can be any AKC recognized breed from any group or any breed of dog recognized by any other registry. If the dog breed you pick comes in multiple colors please also include the color you would most like to see.

          On September 19, 2011 I will pick a dog from your suggestions. You can suggest as many different breeds as you like but I ask that you please post each breed separately. If by the Sept. 19th I don't have at least 5 different people's suggestions to pick from I will extend the search till the end of September.

Will your favorite dog breed be next? It could be!

Doggie Dental Care

     Did you know that dental care for your dog isn’t only important just for it’s teeth? If your dog has bad teeth you will also need to worry about the dog’s mouth , brain, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys.

     MOUTH - Periodontal disease can cause bad breath as well as lead to soreness and destruction of the gums, and loose or missing teeth.

     BRAIN - Occasionally, bacteria will cross the blood-brain barrier and may cause damage.

     LUNGS - Bacteria infecting the lungs may cause bronchial or other respiratory infections.

     LIVER - Bacteria entering the liver may result in a variety of liver disorders.

     KIDNEYS - Periodontal disease may affect the kidneys by contributing bacteria that cause kidney infection and damage.

     HEART - Periodontal disease may result in inflammation and damage to the heart.

    

Look for these warning signs.

·        Bad breath - one of the first signs of dental disease.

·        A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gum line.

·        Red and swollen gums.

·        Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched.

·        Decreased appetite or difficulty eating.

·        Loose or missing teeth.

     If your pet displays any of these signs, serious periodontal disease may be present. The way to prevent this from happening to your pet is to brush it’s teeth regularly.                                                                                                   

     I have found that dog toothpaste and the Pet Oral Hygiene Solution works wonders on the dog’s teeth. Remember NEVER use human toothpaste on any animal it is poisonous to them. Using the Pet Oral Hygiene Solution is very simple all you do is measure out the correct amount of solution and put in the dog’s drinking water.

Here are some easy steps you can do to get you and your dog used to teeth brushing:

     STEP 1- Prior to beginning a home-care program, examine your pet’s teeth and gums. Brushing inflamed gums may cause discomfort and upset your pet. A visit to the veterinarian for complete teeth cleaning may be required, if your pet shows signs of gingivitis or tartar present on the teeth.

     STEP 2 - Introduce daily tooth brushing slowly so that your pet will accept it. Initially, it may be necessary to get your pet used to you lifting their lip to examine their teeth without a struggle. Be sure to reward your pet with praise.                                 

     STEP 3 - As your pet becomes accustomed to having you examine it’s teeth, you can begin using a finger brush and rubbing the outer tooth surfaces. Start with a few teeth at a time and gradually increase the areas you rub until all the outer surfaces are being cleaned.

     STEP 4 - Now you are ready to introduce brushing with a toothbrush. As in Step 3, being with brushing a few teeth at a time, until your pet tolerates thorough, daily brushing.

You want your dog to live a long and healthy life and adding a dental care routine is just one step toward that goal.

Happy Brushing!

You can now find me at Zibbet!

          I am looking into other selling venues to sell from besides ArtFire and eBay, I have been hearing good things about a place called Zibbet so I thought I would give them a try. They are offering everyone to open a free shop which is one of the main reasons I now sell there. Stop by and check out my new store.

          My new store is up and running however I currently don't have my new store completely stocked just yet. When you have a free shop with Zibbet they allow you to have only 50 listing at a time and at the moment I have about 23 items listed. I will slowly be filling it until I reach the listing limit. I decided that since there is a listing limit that I would only be offering my single sided TAG-A-LONG crate tags there. But don't worry you can still find all my items on ArtFire.

          In case you haven't heard ArtFire is in the process of discontinuing Basic accounts (that was ArtFire's Free seller's account). I am sad to see it go but ArtFire is moving into a new phase in its life which I am hoping will make the site bigger and better. If you are looking to open a free shop online my suggestion is to give Zibbet a try. However if you are wanting to sell on a up and coming site then ArtFire is the place you want. Become an ArtFire Pro with this link and get your 3rd month free!

          Not interested in selling, no problem. Both ArtFire and Zibbet have loads of wonderful quality handmade items that you can't find at your local big box store.

Was Up?!

          Wow July was one hot steamy month, I hope you and your pets have been staying cool. On the bad days I have been taking my older dog out but as soon as she is finished I race her right back into the air conditioning. The thick humidity has been bad for her breathing, poor sweetheart. I would like to put out my dog's little swimming pool but I am worried about them staying outside long enough to use it. Let all hope that August will have better temperatures and less humidity.

          Last week I had a raccoon at my back yard gate, it looked like it had been contemplating on coming in the yard. Luckily it was a juvenile and I was able to scare it off. I know there has always been raccoons in the neighborhood but it is very rare that they are ever spotted. In all my years of living here I had only seen (before last week) two and had my tenant tell me about the very large one that was sitting on our fire escape. Hmm I wonder if this juvenile is what has been getting in the trash a putting holes in the trash bags. Still not sure if it a human instead as the trash can doesn't get knocked over. Also this year I have been spotting opossum footprints in my backyard, I still haven't seen the animal that the prints belong to though. I wonder if anyone else in urban areas are seeing more wild life.

          In case you were not aware my Christmas in July Sale is now over. Sorry to all those who missed it. To stay up on my latest happenings i.e. sales, giveaways, clearances, etc. make sure you are following this blog and you can also follow me on twitter. I rarely run sales so it is best to jump at the opportunity as soon as they are announced.

          Recently I have been (at least in between filling orders) slowly redoing my photos. It is a slow process as many of the crate tags I need to stitch a new one in order for my to take a photo of it. One of the tags I started to stitch was the Bernese Mountain Dog and as I started to work on it I decided to improve its colors. Back when I started first making my crate tags I didn't have the range of yarn colors available to me like what is on the market today. As soon as I have enough crate tags to set up another photo shoot I will show off it's new look.

          Speaking of photos I have been looking into getting some photo lights and a photo tent so I can take even better photos. Another thing nice about the photo lights and tent is I wont have to take my photos outside anymore. Taking photos at the mercy of Mother Nature can be frustrating an limiting. Cross your fingers that I can win the set on eBay for a reasonable price. So far everyone I have bid on I have been out bid on. This last one I have bid on I am winning but I have a three more days to go before it ends.

          Well I guess I best get back to work I have lots to do and never enough time to do it all!