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I’ve decided to start a new feature - Save a Dog Wednesday. I will be spotlighting a shelter dog in this feature, in hopes that someone will give him or her a home. The first dog I’m featuring looks like a real sweetheart. She is available from Cecil County SPCA.

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Tia asks:

I have two dogs. They can smell really bad after they go outside to go to the bathroom. So I was wondering how I could teach them to go to the bathroom in a litterbox inside. Can you tell me how.

Hi Tia,
Litter box training is really simple. You need to start by buying a litter box and litter for dogs. Using cat litter box supplies is not a good idea. Once you have your supplies, set up the litter box in an out of the way area that is still easy for your dogs to access. If you have a command you give them when they go outside, such as “Go potty” you will have a built in shortcut. Place your dogs in the box one at a time and give the command. If they seem confused, try taking the litter box outside and putting it in their bathroom area and encouraging them to use it. The key is to be patient.
One final tip: Be absolutely sure that you keep your dogs’ litter box clean. They will stop using it if it is dirty, especially since they are sharing.

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Costumed Dog

Originally uploaded by super-structure

You can tell that this poor girl does not like looking like a skunk any more than she does being sprayed by one. She seems so ashamed of her costume. But, it is so cute and creative! Maybe an extra puppy treat for putting up with the whole thing?

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A reader asks:

I have a question about my dog, I have notice my dog tear drop are red and is turn his coat red now, his paws are turn slightly red, and his private area is to. I’m wonder if my dog was bitten by something. I have a min or toy poodles and he is 1 1/2

It sounds like your little guy needs to take a trip to the vet. Tear stains are a common problem in poodles, but they are usually brownish. The reddish color could be a sign that your dog has an underlying infection of some kind. A type of yeast infection can make the tear stains red, but the fact that he is experiencing problems on both ends makes me wonder if there could be something else going on. Let me know how you make out!

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I groom my own dogs. The bad thing about that? It looks like I groom my own dogs. If you want your dogs to look the way they should look, it takes a lot of practice and a lot of equipment, which can be costly. On top of that, if you don’t care for your tools properly, it can be even more expensive. I burned out a two hundred dollar pair of clippers because I didn’t know you were supposed to oil them and clean them as you worked. I also damaged an expensive blade because I didn’t wash my dog first and the blade got very dull. If you think this sounds like a lot of effort when you can just take a trip to the groomer’s, you’re right. In fact, I only started doing my own grooming because my Sarah had separation anxiety, social anxiety disorder and panic attacks when she saw a stranger (or a frog, or a broom, or…)

Finding an dog grooming expert in your area is pretty simple with the new Spock directory. I love the fact that the directory is built by everday people. Anyone who signs up for spock.com and tags him or herself as a dog groomer shows up in your search. So, you can find all of the dog groomers in the directory and then look for one in your area. Once you make a choice, check the groomer’s profile for more information, such as which business they groom for.

By the way, I decided to try Spock out myself, although I don’t plan to tag myself as a dog groomer, of course. Sign up is really easy, but I am still waiting for the confirmation email so I can start tagging myself. I assume it is delayed because I am signing up on a Sunday.

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My Sarah, the Standard Poodle who had cancer, epilepsy and a chronic ear infection and only lived three short years, loved dressing up. She swiped my clothes at first, so I bought her her own. Believe it or not, she even chose her own sweaters at PetSmart. With a dog like that, it is no wonder that we started looking at dog Halloween costumes! I created a Halloween Dog Costumes page in honor of my Sarah at Squidoo. A portion of any proceeds from the page go to Canine Connection, which is a no kill dog rescue. If you are planning to buy a costume for your dog this year, please consider shopping through the page to help raise funds for the shelter.

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Daisy Mae

Originally uploaded by Rochester Small Dog Playgroup

This month, I will be highlighting a few silly Halloween dog costumes. You can tell this little girl is a princess in or out of costume, can’t you? What a cutie.

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Topanga in her new sweater

Originally uploaded by chicken widget

You can just see this poor pug is thinking that she may end up on the worst dressed list. “Is purple my color? Maybe hoodies are out. My legs look fat in these striped cuffs. Was it vertical stripes that are slimming?”
Her worried little face peering out of that purple hood makes her today’s Silly Dog Sunday puppy.

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