Gracie's Bark | Pet Friendly Resource

Dog on a Budget

As we all may know taking care of a dog can be quite expensive.  If you are thinking of getting a new dog for yourself and/or your family there are many expenses to take into consideration. 

Most of the time many people do not think of how much this dog is going to cost me, they just fall in love with the idea of having a new dog or puppy.  Which, of course, is easy to do once you have come in contact or spent time with your cute and lovable new friend.

Some expenses to think about:

• Supplies: Leashes, Collars, Food/Water Dishes
  
• Dog Food, Dog Treats
  
• Annual Vet Bills (First year for a new puppy can be very expensive: more frequent visits to the vet)

And these are just to name a few.  Most people just think of these 3 items and not everything else. What about training? The actual cost can be staggering.

We’ve found a great article that puts a lot into perspective for a new dog owner or just someone looking to get a dog. Click here for article  But don't panic, this article helps you with useful tips to keep some of these costs down!

We really want to encourage anyone considering a dog to be aware and prepared for all that the cute puppy entails.  You will be responsible for him or her for their entire life!

Does anyone have any additional tips for new dog owners? 

Please comment and share your thoughts with us!

Gracie's Dog-Be-Mine Valentine

Love is in the air...Would your dog like to be Gracie’s Dog-Be-Mine Valentine?

On Valentine’s Day everyone including our dogs can share romance. Break the routine this year and enjoy a Dog-Be-Mine-Valentine.

Gracie's Bark will hold a Dog-Be-Mine Valentine contest on our bark blog. We want all the dog lovers out there to share a unique Valentine picture of their dog with us. 

All Valentine entries will be reviewed by Gracie's Bark and 3 dogs will be chosen based on originality.

We will then open the voting up to the public and encourage everyone to vote for his or her favorite Valentine! One dog will win and become Gracie's Bark's Dog-Be-Mine Valentine of 2010 and get their own “ABOUT ME” page on our blog for 1 year.

All entries must be received by Saturday Feb. 6th. Gracie's Bark will then post the top 3 dogs to the blog and start the voting process! Time is limited and creativity is required. 

Send Gracie your pictures today! Email us at [email protected]. Please type Valentine in the subject line. 

Amazing Dog Rescue in CA

Amazing. A shout-out to all the firefighters out there who risk their lives, not only for people and children, but also for animals. This dog would not have survived if it weren't for this LA city firefighter. And, he suffered a number of bites from this scared dog too. 

Below is the live video footage from the local news station. Truly amazing rescue!

Doggie Heimlich Maneuver

Last week we blogged about performing CPR on a dog. I have been doing some research on the doggie Heimlich Maneuver. When learning how to perform Dog CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver it is important to us to be able to link you over to a video. We want to make sure everyone understands the procedure completely for the safety of all our pets.

I've found a great video that shows how to perform the doggie Heimlich Maneuver.

Melanie Monteiro's video is great. She also has a great safety website and dog safety book which can be found at: TheSafeDogHandbook.com. Her channel on youtube has a lot of great safety tips too! http://www.youtube.com/user/MelanieLMonteiro. 

Thanks Melanie for letting Gracie's Bark share your video! 

Gracie enjoying herself at Horseneck Beach on Saturday Jan. 23rd

We had a great time enjoying some warmer weather this past weekend with Gracie.   

 

Dog CPR

We've been doing some research on how to perform CPR on a dog. I am CPR certified for humans and keep up my certification regularly. I want to be prepared if something happens to Gracie or another dog we may come in contact with. I found a great video from PetsAmerica.org from Austin, Texas. 

Please visit Pets Amercia.org to learn more about caring for animals before, during and after an emergency. 

Gracie: Spotted on the Web, Telling her story!

Gracie is a fan of Australian-Shepherd-Lovers.com and has been recently spotted telling her story. Check out her article at: http://www.australian-shepherd-lovers.com/gracie-our-aussie-mix.html 

Gracie & The SIT Command

There are many uses for the SIT command. We make Gracie work for almost everything we give her, whether it be a toy, treat or even her dinner. 

Gracie has to SIT:

at the door, before bolting out into the yard

to put her leash and/or collar on

for her dinner

for treats

for toys

during a game of fetch, before I toss the toy again

before getting into the car

before getting out of the car

before crossing the street

There are tons of uses for this basic command. Below is how I taught Gracie to SIT when she was a puppy. She learned to SIT when she was around 8-10 weeks old. It was the first command I taught her during her first couple of weeks in her new home.

1. I got some really tasty treats (For example: boiled hot dog cut into tiny pieces is her favorite)

2. I got her attention by saying her name and talking to her

3. I put a treat to close to her nose 

4. I moved the treat up over her head and lured her into the SIT position while verbally saying the command "SIT"

5. Once she was in the SIT position, I quickly gave her the treat as a reward 

I repeated these steps about five times in a row, then gave her a break.  I did this a couple of times a day about 3-4 times per week. It is very important to be patient and consistent when training your dog.

Developing a great relationship with your dog involves communicating with him or her in a fun and positive way.

Gracie's New Spotlight Pup

Check out Gracie's new Spotlight Pup!   

Click here... to learn more about Butch.

Best of Friends! Gracie and Luke

I thought today would be a perfect opportunity to tell all of Gracie’s Bark’s fans about her “brother” Luke. The picture below was taken very early this morning at 5:15 a.m.

 

Luke was a stray cat that I brought into my home back in 2003. He was wondering around all summer that year and once the fall came and it started getting cold, I just had to take him in. Luke is the sweetest, most well-behaved and loveable cat I have ever known.  His loyalty to me and Gracie is remarkable. When I brought Gracie home as a puppy he warmed up to her so fast.

 

Gracie would lay her life on the line for him and he knows it. It’s great to have them both get along so well.  I wanted to give Luke his spotlight too on Gracie’s bark blog because he is a huge part of her life.

 

 

They are and will always be friends for life!