Dog Logic

A collection of some really great quotes. There's widsom in them there words!

The reason a dog has so many friends is that
he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
LOVE THIS ONE!
-Anonymous

There is no psychiatrist in the world
like a puppy licking your face.

-Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth
that loves you more than he loves himself.

-Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person
than the average person.

-Andy Rooney

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like
never washed a dog.

- Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat,
you aren't getting enough exercise.


-Unknown

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous,
he will not bite you;
that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.

-Mark Twain

Dogs are not our whole life,
but they make our lives whole.

-Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count,
try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket
and then give him only two of them.

-Phil Pastoret

Cavalier Cousins

This weeks puzzle is of Lucky and Sparky, two adorable, loving ruby Cavaliers, and their cousin, Gemma. Gemma is an English Toy Spaniels. Gemma and the boys are "cousins" and live near each other. Cavaliers are also very closely related to English Toy Spaniels and share a common history. In this photo, Gemma, Lucky and Sparky are fresh from the groomer. We thought it might be fun to showcase the two together this week.

Enjoy. (If you are impatient to complete the puzzle, just click "auto-solve" and the computer will do the work for you!)

A Dog Named Beau

This is not about a Cavalier, but is a very sweet and moving poem from one of the legends of Hollywood. In this four-minute clip, Jimmy reads a poem he wrote about his dog beau. Yes, a Cavalier would never go after the mailman, but there are so many things to relate to in this poem. If you have ever loved-and lost-a beloved dog, this poem will make you smile and maybe shed a tear or two in remembrance of your own sweet dog.






He never came to see me when I would call- 
Unless I had a tennis ball.
But mostly he didn't come at all.
When he was young, he never learned to heel or sit or stay,
He did things his own way.
Discipline was not his bag.
But when you were with him, things sure didn't drag.

He'd dig up a rosebush to spite me,
And when I'd grab him, he'd bite me.
He bit lots of folks from day to day,
The delivery boy was his favorite prey.

The gas man wouldn't read our meter,
He said we owned a real man-eater.
He set the house on fire,
but the story is too long to tell,
Suffice to say, he survived,
and the house survived as well.

On evening walks, and Gloria took him,
He was always first out the door.
The old one and I brought up the rear
because our bones were sore.
He'd charge up the street with Mom hanging on -
What a beautiful pair they were!
And if it was still light and the tourists were out,
They created a bit of a stir.

But every once in a while he'd stop in his tracks,
With a frown on his face, and look around.
It was just to make sure the old one was there
To follow him where he was bound.

We're early bedders at our house,
I guess the first to retire,
And as I would leave the room,
He'd look at me from his place by the fire.

He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs.
I'd give him one for a while.
He'd push it under the bed with his nose,
And I'd push it out with a smile.
Before very long, he tire of the ball
And he would be asleep in his corner in no time at all.
And there were nights when I'd feel him climb up on the bed
And lie between us and I'd pat his head.

There were nights when I'd feel him stare.
And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there.
I'd reach out to stroke his fur And sometimes I'd feel him sigh.
I think I know the reason why.
He'd wake up at night and he would have this fear
Of the dark, of life, of lots of things
And he'd be glad to have me near.

And now he's dead, and there are nights
when I think I feel him climb upon our bed.
And be between us, and I'd pat his head.
And there are nights when I think I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair And he's not there.
Oh, how I wish that wasn't so -
I'll always love a dog named Beau.

Syringomyelia (SM) Diagnosis and Treatment in Cavaliers

Most owners of Cavaliers are aware that Syringomyelia (SM) is a very persvasive problem in our Cavaliers.  It's a very serious and debilitating disease that is much more common in Cavaliers than in most other breeds.  There is a wealth of information online about SM and every Cavalier owner (and prospective owner) owes it to their self and to their dog, to understand this condition, it's symptoms and the treatment and prognosis for SM.

Simply speaking, SM is a condition where the Cavalier's skull is too small to accommodate all of the brain's cerebellum.  This creates a lot of pain for the dog and is characterized by sensitivity in the neck area, including an urge to scratch at the neck and shoulders.  As the disease progresses, there is increasing pain around the head, neck, and shoulders.  It's is an extremely painful disease.

A few dogs on our forum (http://www.cavaliercorner.net) are living with SM.  It's an extremely painful disease for the dog.  Some members are finding some help by using Lyrica to manage the pain when traditional medications are no longer effective. Some dogs also undergo decompression surgery to attempt to alleviate the problem by relieving the pressure of the brain inside the skull.

This short video provides some basic information on SM, what it is, and how it's treated.  It's a good starting point for understanding the disease.  We urge you to also check out Cavalierhealth.com to further educate yourself on this horrible disease afflicting our Cavaliers.





* Please consult your veterinarian if you think your dog may suffer from SM.  The information on this video and this blog is not intended to replace the expertise of your veterinarian and is merely a starting point for learning more about this disease.

SNOODS!

If you feed raw or wet food, a snoods a MUST. Snoods help keep your dog's ears clean and dry when eatting. Your dog might resist them at first, but, once they realize the snood means yummy FOOD, they quickly

Tiabellas
http://www.tiabellas.com/boutique/snoodsclick-more-choices-p-507.html
Tiabellas has some gorgeous fabrics.  The site is easy to navigate and it's easy to see the available inventory.

Spanielbowls.com
http://www.spanielbowls.com/
(Click on "Available Now". You'll also get to view Cindy's gorgeous spaniel bowls, which work perfectly for keeping your Cavaliers ears ears dry!).
Cindy takes payment via Pay Pal and offers a higher degree of customized service. Cindy is very responsive.

Do you any other sources you love for snoods? Let us know!

Playing Dead

Not a Cavalier, but totally worth a view. It's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

Adorable Ruby Rescue Puppy for Adoption

A little ruby Cavalier puppy needs a home. This information is cross-posted from the OzCharlieList.

I don’t know if you heard, but we are picking up a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy from a rescuer in southern Virginia at the end of the month. The rescuer, Shanon, went to Oklahoma and rescued several dogs from a puppy mill, including a pregnant female Cavalier who had three puppies on June 8th. There were two females and one male. The other female went to her permanent home last weekend. And as I said, we pick up “Rosie” at the end of August. Well, Rosie has a little brother who is very cute, and who hasn’t found a home yet. In case you don’t believe me about the cute part, pictures are attached. Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might like to be a puppy parent.

Here's a really cute little guy. This information is from the OzCharlieList. I am awaiting information on a contact, should anyone be interested. Just let me know.

Puppies' First Day Outside!

An adorable and fun video of a litter of puppies first time outside! It's absolutely adorable and might remind you what a great adventure life can be! It's filled from a dog's-eye view, so you can totally immerse yourself in the wonderment of their new world! Enjoy!

Dogs 101 - Cavaliers

For anyone who hasn't seen the Animal Planet Dogs 101 segment, it's cute and filled with adorable dogs.

Just a warning, it's a bit corny and there are some over-simplifications and inaccuracies. For example, they say that there are four colors, including the "Prince Charles" and "King Charles", which are actually English Toy Spaniel color names, but are known and tri-color and black and tan in Cavaliers. They also refer to them at one point as "King Charles Cavalier" (Boo). There's also no mention of SM in the health concerns. It's a cute view, but be warned that it was created for a very general mass-audience and there's lots more to the story than is told. :-)

The segment runs about 4:30 minutes.

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-cavalier-king-charles-spaniel.html

A Totally Cute Cavalier Song

This is an adorable little Cavalier Song. You'll love the upbeat lyrics that totally reflect our little Cavaliers. It's a fun and happy song, just like a Cavalier.

If you like it, check out her songs on iTunes. She has 9 CDs with songs about several dog breeds. They are fun and so right on target.

http://www.stumbleaudio.com/#simmonds9/8

Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance

This is an interesting article that compares the theory of the alpha-dog and some of the training methods of trainers such as Cesar Milan with positive-reinforcement training methods, such as those employed by Victoria Stilwell.

The article is interesting in that it doesn't totally debunk the training methods of Cesar Milan, some of which are shared with the positive training methods used by Victoria Stilwell, but rather explores how the deviation towards "alpha" techniques can create more harm than good. It's an interesting read.

Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance

Three Gorgeous Tris

We are back after being gone for a week or so on vacation. We had a wonderful time visiting with friends, both human and canine.

Check out this gorgeous group of tris featured on this week's puzzle. This is Jake, Shelby, and Micah. Seriously, they could not be any cuter!