Good Bloggie!

Hum…what is that cute, adoptable dog or cat really like!? Will he or she be a perfect match to my home and family lifestyle or turn it upside down?

At many shelters it’s been a guessing game for the adopter, but no longer. A new personality evaluation test called Meet Your Match™, developed by the ASPCA, can help people make the right match the first time. This program is being used at local shelters across the country, include our own Austin Humane Society, who began using the program earlier this month to find better home matches for cats.

The animals are sorted into three main personality categories, which are color coded for easy identification. These categories are then broken down further into more specific types, such as: The Executive, The Goofball, The Personal Assistant, Free Spirit, etc. (Would be interesting to see which categories our crew would be in. Seems “The Goofball” fits everyone at some point each day! )

Read more about it here:
Austin American-Statesman (story coverage)

ASPCA’s “Meet Your Match” Canine-ality™
ASPCA’s “Meet Your Match” Feline-ality™
ASPCA’s “Meet Your Match” Puppy-alities™

Here’s an item destined to be on every Frenchie owner’s wish list: a crate with climate control built in. Keeps you pup cool and warm depending on the setting, runs on a 12V outlet which plugs into the car or home AC outlet, AND has a back-up battery (up to three hours). How’s that for piece of mind on a travel day with temps over 100°?

All this coolness comes with a price tag though. About $150-$300 depending on the size.

You can read more about them at the manufacturer’s website:
Komfort Pets

Online stores selling them, and in the larger sizes:
In the Company of Dogs
Amazon.com

Or do a search for “Komfort Pet Carrier.”

We haven’t gotten our paws on one yet, so if you have used this crate, let us know if the crate is as cool as it sounds.

An interesting postcard was in the Denton show catalog. It’s advertising a Summer Day Camp for kids and their dogs. What a great idea.

Sniffcerely stated by Millie, the child and dog will experience “A week full of FUN!!” as top professionals coach them how to do things such as: basic obedience (assuming for the dog!), agility, Canine Freestyle, and even preparing to compete in events.

If you live in the Denton/Dallas/Forth Worth area, this would be worth looking into. Or perhaps there is a facility in your home town offering similar Day Camps?

The number to sign up is (940) 765-8980 and here’s the link to the place offering the Day Camp:
Bed Biscuit and Beyond

And found this link offering more info about the Day Camp and what to expect:
Bark Here!

If you’d rather attend a one-day event, the AKC offers one-day Education Matches, which are organized through local clubs and are for for adults and kids.

Check here to see if one is scheduled near you. Or contact your local kennel club and see if they have one cooking or express your interest in attending one.
AKC Education Matches

The overhead fans were circulating warm, humid air and the ring was filled with panting and wilting Frenchies on Saturday, May 10th. Vivian managed to hang in there long enough to gait her way around the ring to the Winner’s purple ribbon adding 2 more points to her tally! She’s now down to that last, oh so crucial (and being told hard-to-get) point needed for her AKC championship title. Our thanks to Judge Gary L. Doerge for picking our girl out of the panting lineup for for this ribbon.

And just to prove the adage “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes,” Saturday evening a cold front came through and Sunday was a cool, breezy day. Much kinder to all the dogs, owners, and handlers at the show.

Saw this on a fellow blogger’s site. Too good not to share.

This robot/machine created by Boston Dynamics, MIT is so good, and animal-like, it’s downright spooky!

Now if they will only make them Frenchie toy-sized…

And must give credit to our fellow blogger for posting about it:
Johann the Dog.com