Fur Baby Inc

Stella in Tonimari "Tiffany" coat

Stella just had her first haircut.

This classic pink "Tiffany" beaded dress coat from

www.tonimari.com keeps this little fashionista warm.

Christine Monroe Sculpture - Harry, the Agility Maltese

Talented sculptor Christine Monroe made this sculpture - Harry, the Agility Maltese:

Harry is in agility training and he loves it - especially the "Dog Walk!" Here's a video clip of him in class:

If you are on Facebook, become a fan of Christine Monroe Sculptures on Facebook! She's a very talented artist.

Happy New Year - and Another Canine Photo Secret for You!

Harry and Stella wish you a very happy 2010! We’d like to give you a Christmas present by explaining how we got them to pose with the piano.

When you first bring out a prop, it can make your dogs a little nervous. You want to encourage them to be curious and get comfortable with this new object. Clicker training is marvelous for this!

We put the toy piano on the floor in the middle of the living room so they’d have to learn to live with it. At first, we clicked and treated every time they even so much as looked at it. Gradually they were approaching and sniffing it. Again we clicked and treated for this. Eventually the piano was no big deal.

We left the piano there for a week. Every so often, we’d play a game with Harry and Stella. We’d call them over and put a treat on top of it. When they bravely approached and took it, we clicked. We gradually increased the complexity of this game until they were putting their paws on it. This was harder than you might think because it is very slippery plastic and they were nervous about sliding off. (BTW, it’s battery operated, so without the batteries we didn’t have to worry about getting them used to the sound it made when they pressed the keys!)

After a week of clicker training, the piano had become a fun exercise. Time for the photo shoot! Harry and Stella were given treats and praise for posing and the picture turned out beautifully!

Harry & Stella model Christmas fashion!

Harry & Stella are this month's cover models for go.fetch!

They look like Hansel and Gretel, but don't worry, there's no wicked witch, only visions of liver treats dancing in their heads. Stella is modelling a My Little Gingerbread Girl embroidered Christmas dress and Harry is wearing a My Little Gingerbread Boy embroidered Christmas vest! You can see these styles and more at the go.fetch online store. They are very happy to have such high quality canine couture to wear for Christmas and go.fetch has fantastically friendly customer service!

Stella the Snow Bunny

Stella is 8-months-old today!  This is the first Canadian winter for our California girl and we're really happy she likes snow.

We have to be careful, because with her snowy-white Maltese coat, she'd be well camouflaged if she decided to play hide-and-seek in the yard!

How to get your pup to pose - Harry's 2008 Christmas card

Everybody knows a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are a few hundred about how to get that picture!

Here's Harry making his 2008 Christmas card!

You want to be able to select those 1000 words so that your picture tells a story. We'll help you by revealing some of our tricks!

The most important thing is to keep it fun! Posing for a long time to get your photo taken can be boring or even stressful. Praise and treats are mandatory. Most poses are just obedience exercises done in front of the camera, like sit, down, and of course, stay. Make your photo shoot seem like a normal training session. As you can see in the video, the perfect shot doesn't come right away! Sometimes it helps to use your clicker to "freeze" the pose you're looking for. If you're doing an action shot like this, then posing can be a game, too. Stop for a rest every now and then. We taught Harry a new command, "Take 5," to let him know when it was okay to break his pose and wander off for a stretch and a drink of water.

Your background and foreground should usually just support your photo, not feature in it. Pay attention to them so that they don't distract from your subject. For this photo, we used a roll of photography backdrop paper for the background. To make the foreground a little more interesting, we used a sheet of fibrefill insulating fabric because it looks a bit like snow and it gave Harry some traction for jumping. Most of the time the floor and a clear section of wall will work well. Our favourite do-it-yourself background and foreground is a bed sheet draped on the couch or a couple of dining room chairs. A plain sheet makes a great backdrop because you already have it, it doesn't reflect the flash, and it's often got some texture to make the shot just a bit more interesting. Also, it doesn't wrinkle like paper, so it's a lot easier to pack around with you.

We like to use props and costumes to make every photo unique. Our basement sometimes looks like a Hollywood backlot from the good ol' days before green screens and CGI. It doesn't have to take a lot of work. For this photo, we spent a couple of weekends hunting for the biggest wreath we could find. We got the idea from Harry's agility class because he had just learned to jump through a hoop. We added a little bit of garland and some ornaments and it was done!

Both you and your dog will get better with practice, so get started and keep it up. Have fun and post them on-line for us to see!

Adopt a Shelter Dog!

When it's time to add a dog to your family, there are options other than buying a pup from a breeder or a pet store. What about adopting a shelter dog? These animals are often strays who have lost their way, or much loved pets who can't stay with their owners any more. Shelter staff are experienced in making sure dogs have a good temperament, and in many cases these dogs are neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before they're adopted. This can save you time and money.

When you're choosing a shelter dog, it's important that you don't fall for the first pair of soft brown eyes you notice. To avoid this trap, write a list of all the features you'd like in a dog. Do you like long hair, and do you have the time to keep it tidy? What about exercise? If you're a runner, you'll enjoy a working breed who will gladly pound the footpath with you, but this would be a very bad choice for an elderly person who doesn't walk much. Do you want a small dog that fits in your lap, or do you like bigger dogs? If you have a family, make sure they all have an input into making the list.

Armed with your list, go to your shelter and have a chat to the staff. They'll introduce you to the dogs that meet your criteria, and tell you what they know about their background. They may be able to give you an idea about how they get along with children, or whether or not they enjoy the company of other dogs. That sort of information may allow you to cross some dogs off your list.

Spend a little time with each of the dogs they recommend, and see how you get on with them. Obviously you won't get a great deal of information from that short period of time, but you'll notice if they're interested in being with you, or if they are reluctant to come too close. Don't forget that a shelter isn't always a relaxing place for a dog, and they may be more nervous and anxious than they'd otherwise be.

You don't need to make a decision right then. Go home, and chat with your family. Ideally, you'll all agree on one particular dog, but if not, work towards a consensus.

The big day has arrived - you're going to collect your new family member. When you take him home, allow him time to settle in, and become familiar with his new home. Expect some teething problems, for example you may need to teach him where he can go to the toilet. It's a good idea to feed him the same food he was eating in the shelter, to avoid any upset tummies. You can gradually change him over to your preferred diet over the course of a week or two.

Shelter dogs are wonderful companions, and you can take pride in the fact that you've given a dog a new home, and a family who love him.

This guest post is brought to you by Dog Fence DIY's staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dog Fence DIY has a variety of different types of electric dog fence systems to choose from. They have everything you need all in one spot. Dog Fence DIY helps with finding the system right for you and your pet, installing your pet containment system, and the proper training needed to make sure your pet is getting full use our of it.

Jaguar, The Big Boss Maltese, 1997 - 2009

Jag passed away around 3:30 AM MT, on Friday, November 6^th, 2009. Roy and Tiffany had to take him to Emergency at 2 AM, but there was nothing that could be done. Jag is now with CoCo, Sundog, and many other friends in doggy heaven.

Jag was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 5^th, 1997. He was the big boss of the litter. He got his name from the way he stalked the rag when Mom was cleaning the kitchen floor. In English, it was Jaguar and in Mandarin it sounded like Ja Ga. His nickname became Jag in English and Ga Ga in Mandarin.

He followed Roy to Canada in 2001. After a long flight, with only a short stop in Vancouver, he bounced out of his kennel in Calgary for a joyful reunion with Roy as if he'd just been having a nap. He was happy to trade the heat and humidity of the big city for a place where he could go for walks on the grass. He loved walks and never seemed to get tired when he was outside. He especially loved Glenmore Park.
 

He remained the big boss throughout his life. He always patrolled the apartment balcony, alert for the jingling of dog tags, so he could yell down and warn the intruder to move on. Dog walkers would always look up, smiling expectantly, as they waited for him to make his appearance. He would poke his head through the railing and glare down three storeys at the interloper, no matter how much bigger than him it was.
 

 

He was extremely well behaved. Roy even taught him to roll over! Whenever Roy and Tiffany went out, he would retire quietly to his crate to patiently await their return. He had almost no separation anxiety.

Jag was obsessed with toys! He loved to play, but only he knew the rules to his games. To him, the best thing in the world was to get a new toy, the noisier the better. He would go without food and sleep for a day or two after so he could play with it around the clock. When he did finally fall asleep, he would use the toy as a pillow so no one could take it while he was napping.
 

Jaguar had a face right out of a comic book - his nose and eyes seemed extra large. He bore a striking resemblance to Disney's Bolt in appearance and manner. He was the most expressive and moody dog. His face would always show you if he was happy, excited, sad, bored, angry, or anxious. When he felt unfairly treated, he'd go grumbling back to his crate. Jag was a master of drama; there was never any doubt about how he was feeling! His goofy grin always made us laugh.

He was Roy's best bud and Tiffany's darling angel. He lived a very happy life and in return brought us much joy. We will always remember him with a smile.

 

Halloween 2009 - The Beginning of the Traveling Woofburys

It's too cold to go out to the pumpkin patch now. We've already got snow in Calgary! So, we did an indoor shoot for Halloween - Stella (6 months old female Maltese) & Harry (2.5 years old male Maltese) formed a rock band for Halloween 2009! They totally rock the house!

We love Halloween! Dog in a costume is cute, but don’t do it unless the dog is extremely receptive to this kind of thing. Otherwise, you could be causing him/her discomfort and stress!

Please also remember that sweets are not good for dogs and chocolate is deadly to dogs!

Have a Happy & Safe Halloween!

Acupuncture Treatment for Dogs

Acupuncture can be an effective pain relief treatment for dogs. Our furbaby Sunny was a patient and we could tell by his behaviour that these treatments were effective.

Sundog the Troublemaker Maltese was the faithful sidekick of CoCo the Handsome Maltese. He suffered from loose knee joints. As he grew older, this became very painful to him. To reduce the pain, he would try to walk without bending his hind legs and he stopped jumping on the furniture.  He'd just wait for us to put him on and off the couch to nap.  His back muscles were so tense they were as hard as a rock.

We were referred to a veterinarian trained in acupuncture. The vet instituted a course of 20-minute acupuncture sessions. Sundog did not mind the treatments, other than his usual extreme discomfort at anyone touching his back legs when the needles were inserted. He would sit at the beginning of the session and eventually lay down. Our biggest concern was making sure he didn’t get too comfortable and roll over on his side to sleep while the needles were in!

Sundog started with weekly treatments and gradually extended the interval to six weeks. We noticed that he started to stiffen up again after about five weeks, so we settled on once every four weeks.