aussies and biker

Carnival costumes

I've never been adept at fantasy animals, even in Carnival, but some are cute ;)

February

If there are months that tells me something, this is the month of February because on this month I become a mother and there is no greater gift than the gift of life.
So is the month of my little sun ... he made 10 years (xiii I really feel old).


Additionally is the month of Carnival, which is nevertheless a major event for our small children, though less important to the four-legged companions, as being the target of matches is never positive.



Finally, we can not forget Valentine's Day is celebrated today and nothing like a bit of history to know better why this day ;)

The History of Saint Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.


The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.


Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.


The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

Source: http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm

Beer for dogs

We must be original ... and this rule is followed by our friends to the north, particularly a Pub in Newcastle (England), where they now serve beer made ​​especially for the 4-legged canine companions.
Accompanied with the beer there is also a snack menu for dogs and dog owners we can both come in and enjoy;)

Original complete news: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083958/Pub-sells-special-beer-dogs-Newcastles-Brandling-Villa-offers-mans-best-friend-pint.html

Do dogs gave souls ?

If a dog has a soul or not is a very old argument between dog lovers and other people.

The issue becomes more complicated since dogs (and other animals) are seen, in most cases, has properties and therefore if they were consider living beans with souls, where would their rights start and ours end.

The fact is, that in our Christian Religion, the philosophy predominant in most western countries, it is based in the concept of God have creating Earth for humans and everything else is to serve humans.
That just doesn’t sound very good !

So, anyway, today I read that a lady has a sue against a pet store to prove that dogs have souls, and therefore, the some rights and cares as any human being.

When Elena Zakharova looks into the eyes of her puppy as it suffers from bad knees and achy hips, she does not see a defective product to be returned to the store for a refund.

The New York City resident believes Umka, her 1-year-old Brussels Griffon, is a living soul who feels pain and emotion. Now her attorney aims to prove it in court.

Zakharova has filed a civil suit in a New York court against the Upper East Side pet store that sold her a puppy who went on to develop numerous medical complications. The suit seeks to hold the store liable for the dog’s pain and suffering, as well as its medical bills, as if it were a person rather than an inanimate product.

Under New York law, pets are considered “property,’’ but the complaint is trying to change that definition. The ultimate goal is to help shut down the puppy mills, many of them based in the Midwest, that often mass-produce the animals sold in boutique pet stores like Raising Rover, where Umka was purchased.

“Don't call them property anymore,’’ Zakharova’s attorney, Susan Chana Lask, told TODAY.com. “They're not inanimate objects. They’re not tables. They’re not chairs. You don’t just throw them out.’’

“Umka is a living soul with a heart,’’ the suit reads. “She feels love and pain.’’

The ownership of Raising Rover has changed since Zakharova purchased Umka.

“I know nothing about the sale [of Umka]. The prior owner has all the records. We are very careful about where we get our puppies,” Raising Rover owner Ben Logan told the New York Daily News, which first reported the story of Zakharova’s unusual complaint. Logan declined to provide any information about the prior owner.

Zakharova is seeking compensation for past and upcoming surgeries and other medical treatment involved with Umka, which totals at least $8,000. She also wants a full return of the dog’s sale price plus interest since the date of purchase in February of last year. If Zakharova is awarded the money, she will donate it to an animal charity or animal-rights program, Lask said.

New York state currently has a “Puppy Lemon Law’’ that allows buyers to return a sick animal to a pet store within 14 days for a full refund. One objective of that law is to slow down puppy mills’ mass production of dogs that end up having heart conditions and other ailments. However, in a case like Umka’s, the medical issues did not become apparent for months after Zakharova purchased the dog. The suit claims Umka will never walk or run properly again after several surgeries.

“Umka suffers a disorder causing her pain, her legs hurt, she cries when she is in pain, she drags herself with her front paws, [and] she cannot run like other puppies,” the suit reads.

“The Puppy Lemon Law doesn't cut it,’’ Lask said.

If the definition of a pet is changed from that of property to an animate being with feelings, it could substantially change the amount of damages that could be awarded when an owner buys a defective dog born in a puppy mill, according to Lask. That could, in turn, have a chilling effect on pet stores buying animals from puppy mills out of fear of getting slammed with large payouts from lawsuits.

“It’s going to put a number on my dog’s broken hips that you created because you’re negligent, you’re greedy, and you’re mass-producing these puppies,’’ Lask said. “Right now, even if you return it, they just kill it, which is so inhumane.’’

Lask is an animal lover who owns a Chihuahua named Lincoln who was found to have a hole in his skull months after her purchase. That discovery led her to investigate the practices of shady puppy mills. She has waited six years to bring a case of this nature, fielding calls from other pet owners in the past, but felt Zakharova is the perfect client to help correct a larger issue.

“It’s much bigger than this case,’’ she said. “I am looking to shut down the puppy mill world.’’

The main issue will be proving to a judge that pets are living souls who experience feelings of pain and emotion.

“It’s a leap,’’ Lask said. “Human beings themselves have treated other humans as property in history before recognizing it was wrong. People will say this isn’t a human being, but they have a heart, so it’s not too much of a stretch to ask the courts to change the definition. Then we’ll see how quickly pet stores think twice before buying from puppy mills.

“It’s already a felony to abuse an animal. If I kick my Chihuahua and beat it, I’m getting arrested, so that animal has rights. If they have criminal rights, why not put rights on a damaged leg or a heart condition? If we’re not equating [an animal] to a human being, and we’re not equating it to a table, there has to be something in the middle.’’

Whether the suit is successful or not, it brings to light the practices of puppy mills and their damaging effects on animals and their human owners, animal rights advocates say.

“I don’t know where this case is going to go, but it’s good that it brings awareness that pets are not just a commodity and that we have to take this seriously,’’ said Sandra DeFeo, executive director of The Humane Society of New York. “We feel that animals are living, breathing beings, not a piece of furniture or inanimate object. People develop relationships and bonds with these animals, and you see how distraught they are when the animals pass away.’’

A 2011 investigation by The Humane Society of the United States revealed that Raising Rover, where Umka was purchased, was one of 11 upscale pet stores that purchased animals from Midwestern puppy mills with horrendous conditions.

Source: Woman sues to prove dogs are 'living souls,' not property

One more help for a 4 paw job

Here is a very interesting technology for professionals in real time to see the places that dogs can go and and humans can not access.



Even today, the machines can not replace rescue dogs!

In the Dinosaur Exhibit

It is amazing how kids love Dinosaurs (ok, I sound my mother about this) and that is why this weekend we went to see a so call "biggest Europe" exhibit about Dinosaurs. In the Dinosaur Exhibit with my son and my Australian Shepherd ! It was nice, specially because it was a good excuse to go out in an cloudy holiday ... but I can say 10 things I would like to see better in this exhibit. Any way, we saw the exhibit, play with our dog (yes there were nice green gardens to play with a ball) and went to Belem to eat some Pasteis de Belém. So a nice day !

Other trips and travel:

• A trip to Palmela


• A trip to Aveiro


• Dog trekking to Guincho


• Trip to Fluviário de Mora


• Dog Trekking to Cabo Espichel


• Dog Trekking to a Museum


• Dog trekking in Almada


• Dog Trekking in Serra de Sintra


• Alcochete - goldens and aussies


• Economic Trips with Dogs


• An Australian Shepherd in Salema Beach


• An Australian Shepherd in Armona Island


• Dogs in Meia Praia


• Silves, a visit to medieval times with Cookie, our Aussie


• Two Golden Retriever in Monchique


• A trip to the São Domingos Mine with our Australian Shepherd


• Taking a Golden Retriever to the fortress of Sagres


• A walk with my Australian Shepherd through Luz, Algarve Portugal


• A Walk with Brad, our Golden Retriever through Lagos


• Portugal Algarve, Amado Beach with our Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd

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>> Back to Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog Blog Homepage <<

Dog Chapel

Some say that is blasphemy to say that animals have souls, but only those who never shared his life (yes, it is not to say that is the owner, but said that is the companion) with a four-legged companion knows that is a statement very difficult to accept.

Pets mark our lives with their simple joy of living and being with us, without requiring something in return ... well, unless, at least in the case of the canines, a plate of food and attention. Cats, depend of the spirit in which they are ... sometimes they require food and attention, and other times they allow pampering and eat to our benefit ;)

Anyway, sharing this vision, there was a friend of the animals that decided to build a sanctuary where people could cry and pray for the souls of their deceased four-legged companions.
The result was a chapel called "Dog Chapel", and is located in Vermont.

Here are some pictures that I have gathered,

A new toy for cats and dogs

As someone who has several very intelligent dogs, I am always looking to find something that entertains them mentally.

I read with great interest an article about a new accessory for dogs and cats that is receiving good reviews in the U.S..

At the end is a food bowl or food distributor, which requires dogs (or cats) to seek food and think how to open the compartment where it is, forcing them to use the mind and senses.


Two videos showing the product,

Official website: http://aikiou.com

I hope it can reach Portugal in affordable price ;)

A trip to Palmela

On this weekend, taking advantage, of the bad weather break, little blue sky and wormer weather, we went to take another trip in our country. Since my son is learning the Portuguese history in school, were the Setúbal district represented an important part, I decided to take him to see in live one of the castles that had an important role in our history. So, we went to visit the Castle of Palmela in the small village of Palmela that is located in the coasts of the Serra da Arrábida and from above Lisbon. I have to admit that the will wasn’t huge, since the weekend had a bad start, but me and my son needed the break, and there is nothing like taking our four leg friends for a trip to lift the spirits and of course in the end we were very satisfied and happy with our decision to go ahead with our plans and go out. Our 4 leg companions were two Australian Shepherd, that, like always, love the chance to be the envy of friends. Palmela is a picturesque town with cobblestone streets that really takes us back to the time that what was so common to see on our lands and easily forgotten in the big cities. The castle is very well preserved and with a lot of signs explaining what we were seeing, and although we were forced to go on Sunday instead of Saturday how I had planned, we didn’t lost anything, since everything was accessible and open to visitors, including (to my great surprise) the tourist office located within the walls of the Castle. Even our canine companions had a chance to run in the castle gardens and had a stress relieve. We have some mandatory points when we go to visit a new place, one is the local museum, other is the local church (since in many places is the most ancient building) and the local cuisine. In addition to wine and muscatel, I was unaware of the sweets of Palmela and was the office of tourism that pointed out a local pastry that was focused on the traditional sweets On this pastry we taste three different queijadas de Palmela, a regional brad, and of course, the cheese of Azeitão, that my son just love. Also we bought a small dry sweet to give to our four leg companions. In the end we visit the Palmela church which is the first we've seen almost totally covered with tiles, which gives it an unusual clarity and lightness. Palmela is for certain one more of our Portugal sites that will stay in our hearts and memories ;)

Other trips and travel:

• In the Dinosaur Exhibit


• A trip to Aveiro


• Dog trekking to Guincho


• Trip to Fluviário de Mora


• Dog Trekking to Cabo Espichel


• Dog Trekking to a Museum


• Dog trekking in Almada


• Dog Trekking in Serra de Sintra


• Alcochete - goldens and aussies


• Economic Trips with Dogs


• An Australian Shepherd in Salema Beach


• An Australian Shepherd in Armona Island


• Dogs in Meia Praia


• Silves, a visit to medieval times with Cookie, our Aussie


• Two Golden Retriever in Monchique


• A trip to the São Domingos Mine with our Australian Shepherd


• Taking a Golden Retriever to the fortress of Sagres


• A walk with my Australian Shepherd through Luz, Algarve Portugal


• A Walk with Brad, our Golden Retriever through Lagos


• Portugal Algarve, Amado Beach with our Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd

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>> Back to Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog Blog Homepage <<

Thinking green ...

We, animal breeders (well or very occasionally breeders) may well think in our effect on the general world and society.

I once read that a pet consumes a lot of resources, but in my opinion, a person really consumes a lot more, since we are not satisfy but just the basic survival needs, and a pet is really happy with the basic, food, care and love. And if having a pet reduces the need for people to have other people in their lives, then … anyway, lot of debate in this matter …

Recently, maybe due to my professional area, I have being confronted with the new iPad and the necessity to make products available for e-reading.

So, how those e-reading really affect our modern world ? in my opinion it really helps reducing the consuming of paper and I already read several reports that newspapers and magazines have decreasing sells, since people already read on-line for the news.
This shouldn’t hurt the news industry, but make then to need to invest in new areas, like e-reading.

For books … well I believe that will be harder, since there is still a image that people need to accomplish having a lot of shiny books on their living rooms. They might not be big readers or even like to read, but to have a library always looks good, doesn’t it ?

So maybe we should make a personal effort to change our cultural label and really think above that. Books can be read by e-readers and there are some that are available to those that can’t spend a lot (for instance the Kindle for Amazon).

Buying a e-reading device used, also helps to recycle, since there wasn’t a need to produce one more to our flavor.

In the end it is the words, the story and the ability to enter in the writer world that matter when we read.

So, one more suggestion from people who like to think green !

St. Francis of Assisi and Animal day !

This week, on the 4 of October, we celebrate St. Francis of Assisi and Animal day !

St. Francis of Assisi was dear to my father and he always said that when he would dye it was to his heavenly garden he would go to help St. Francis of Assisi to take care of the animals over there, so it is where I imagine my father soul.

For those that don’t know St. Francis of Assisi, he was a man that was born in a very rich family and along his live path decided to dedicate his life to the church and animals. He defended the ideal of a brotherhood that would integrate men with nature and animals.
For him each living being was an expression of God kindness and to love an animal was to love God and his creation.

This year, I lost one of my oldest friend, that was with me since the beginning of my adult life. To her as to the rest of my lost four leg family, I dedicate my memory and prays.

A trip to Aveiro

Aveiro is one of those Portuguese cities you must visit ! Known for its Moliceiro, confectionery and characteristic architecture, leaves an imprint in our memories and hearts. I remember having visited this city with my parents and perhaps because of the mark that left on my soul, I have tried to show it to other people that are close to me. So, I organized a special trip with my son and I sincerely hope, like with me, I accomplish my purpose and left a mark he will remember and share in the future. On our trip we made several stops along the way because I am always delighted with the landscape that unfolds in front of us, when we go to the north of Portugal and is so different from South of our country. It is worth stopping, enjoying nature and walk to stretch your legs simply enjoying ;) When we arrived in Aveiro we immediately encounter the Parque Infante D. Pedro, a densely wooded area, with varied fauna and flora, and even a lake of reasonable dimensions, where a couple kindly gave some of his bread to Gabriel, and he enjoyed feeding ducks and fish. Inside the gazebo stands wrought iron of the early century, the Museum of Hunting and Fishing and a beautiful tile panel. My four-legged friends loved this stop, where they had the first olfactory experience of the city of Aveiro. The Museum of Aveiro city, established in the former Convent of Jesus, women of the Dominican Order, was another point that we decided to visit. Here we found a vast collection of Baroque religious art, and we can visit and therefore get to know part of the convent and the nuns daily life. The Church of Jesus and the tomb of Princess Saint Joan is also in the Museum. The food and sweets is still a battle between me and my son, because like all children, he is suspicious regardless of what is new and unknown. But as I had explained to him, and he already had experience with the pastel de Belém, everything that identifies us as the Portuguese and is done in our land, we have to experience and have knowledge to say and talk to other people. And after he read about the history of Ovos Moles and the Pão de Ló de Ovar, became convinced that he had to taste and he particularly like the Pão de Ló de Ovar and brought with him a barrel of Ovos Moles. The Ria de Aveiro with its famous Moliceiro, which so delighted my son, is a famous icon of the city. The hotel where we were staying was the Palace Aveiro where we were well attended, well received and have opened their doors to animals, and was not surprised with our four-legged companions. The room was excellent (in the words of my son "slept like a baby"), the shower is very good, and heavenly breakfast. Therefore, a reference;)

Other trips and travel:

• In the Dinosaur Exhibit


• A trip to Palmela


• Dog trekking to Guincho


• Trip to Fluviário de Mora


• Dog Trekking to Cabo Espichel


• Dog Trekking to a Museum


• Dog trekking in Almada


• Dog Trekking in Serra de Sintra


• Alcochete - goldens and aussies


• Economic Trips with Dogs


• An Australian Shepherd in Salema Beach


• An Australian Shepherd in Armona Island


• Dogs in Meia Praia


• Silves, a visit to medieval times with Cookie, our Aussie


• Two Golden Retriever in Monchique


• A trip to the São Domingos Mine with our Australian Shepherd


• Taking a Golden Retriever to the fortress of Sagres


• A walk with my Australian Shepherd through Luz, Algarve Portugal


• A Walk with Brad, our Golden Retriever through Lagos


• Portugal Algarve, Amado Beach with our Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd

---

>> Back to Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog Blog Homepage <<

Want to stay fit ? walk a dog

Personally I can say it is quite true ...

When it comes to getting fit a person's best friend just might be a four-legged one.

Experts say studies show dog owners walk more, walk faster, and are more likely to enjoy an active lifestyle because of their companion animal.

"I'm fascinated by what a great motivator dogs can be," said Dr. Sandra McCune, co-editor of the book, "The Health Benefits of Dog Walking for People and Pets."

McCune, an animal behaviorist based in Leicestershire, England, said studies show if you're a dog walker, you're more likely to meet the guidelines for daily activities.

Dogs are the reason behind two-thirds, 66 percent, of the walks their owners take each week, according to a recent survey of more than 1,011 adults commissioned by pet food company Mars Petcare.

One-quarter of people with children and pets regularly visit parks and other outdoor spaces because of their dog.

"Personally, I have a Labrador," McCune said. "When it's dark, when it's raining, the dog needs a walk, every day."

She said dog walking also strengthens social and communal ties.

"If people go out with a dog, they're more likely to have a conversation," she explained.

According to the poll some 44 percent of dog owners aged 65 and older exercise on a weekly basis because of their dog.

"Dogs are strong drivers of social capital," said McCune, explaining that social capital is a sociological term which she defined as the value of all relationships.

"Dog ownership benefits the entire community," she said.

This fall YMCAs in several U.S. cities are hosting their version of dog days. Called the Power of Pets, the programs include dog run/walks, dog yoga and other dog fair activities.

"It's a chance to get the community together," Katy Leclair, executive director of the Lake View, Illinois YMCA said of the program. "Families with dogs tend to be more active."

As workout partners, canines can offer energy, enthusiasm, and the social support so crucial to sticking with an exercise program, according to Shirley Archer, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.

"Dogs can provide that companionship," said Archer, a Florida-based fitness instructor. "Frisbee tossing, ball throwing, agility competitions, dog and human boot camps, are great opportunities to be active," she said. "But obedience training is a must."

She cautions that as living creatures dogs need to be taken care of.

"If they ride with you on a bicycle, they need to be trained to stay close," she said. "Keep them hydrated. Check their paws. Don't let them run right after they eat."

Laura Cartwright Hardy, a grandmother and full-time graduate student living in Little Rock, Arkansas, has two huge German Shepherds.

"I've had big dogs since I was 20 and that's definitely been part of the reason I've always been fit," said Hardy, who started lifting weights in her 30s so she could carry 40-pound (18.14-kg) bags of dog food with ease.

"They certainly keep you honest about walking," she said. "Those big brown eyes make it impossible to say no."

She added that every human walking partner she has had, except her sister and her husband, quit because she went too fast.

"My dogs (all girls) have been steadfast," she said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44667201/ns/health/

Dog Heroes

No words since a image can sometimes worth a 1000 words, and this one, not only recalls the tragedy, but also the 4 leg heroes that together with the 2 legs, saved, many times paying with their life's, dozens of people !


Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/steve-dales-pet-world/2011/09/dog-heroes-of-september-11/