If Only I was That Dog!

Most of you know, especially if you read my Facebook posts, that I dream of being the dog who rides with the Budweiser Clydesdales. I even decided that, due to my chest spots, I actually am a Dalmation. And therefore I qualify to try out to be part of the team. Right?

Well, when I saw this video I was thrilled. Of course, there was the Dalmation riding up front. He usually doesn't ride up front but the little boy had his seat right behind the drivers. That was wonderful to see. Don't you think I'd make a great Budweiser Dalmation?




Love, Cinnamon the dreamer

Vancouver, WA Recycled Arts Festival: Recycled Pups

Well, I didn't get to go because it was supposed to be too hot today. But with a nice cloud cover, the Recycled Arts Festival was rather comfortable I hear. My owner had a great time and brought home pictures of this doggy mommy (is it Nora?) and her pups on a tractor. I love their floppy ears. They are hounds, certainly! It's a great event and goes on tomorrow too!

Here's one of the puppies

Here's another puppy

Here's the momma dog driving the tractor!

Here comes the hound tractor!

I think I'll name the momma Nora, after Nora the bloodhound who recently had NINE puppies!

Love, Cinnamon (who didn't get to go!)

Cinnamon Celebrates the Supreme Court Decision on Gay Marriage Rights

Here I am wearing my rainbow lei that was given to me at
Vancouver's Pride Festival

When is it too hot to walk your dog?

I've been complaining about the heat lately. Now everyone knows you can't leave a dog in a parked car when it is over 70 degrees out, right? At least I think that is the cut off. My owner only shops at places that allow dogs when she takes me out on errands. Earlier this week we shopped at Home Depot. They allow dogs and even gave me a treat!

But many people don't know about pavement temperatures. Today I am staying in my yard and home. I don't even want to go walk around the neighborhood and here's why:

This graphic was posted today by my friends at the Vancouver Farmer's Market. I'm NOT going there tomorrow. Maybe my owner will bring me a treat?

It didn't go unnoticed by me that the dog in the graphic is a DALMATION!

Anyway, don't walk your dog on sidewalks or in the street when it's hot out... please!

Love, Cinnamon

Fireworks Regulations for Vancouver, WA for 2015

Here I am advocating for kindness to animals on the 4th of July

The dreaded 4th of July is upon us. Here are the new, and hopefully enforced, regulations for my home, Vancouver, Washington.

As the Executive Director of Dogs Against Fireworks (DAF), I have worked tirelessly to get regulations tightened. I should only suffer for one day, here in the City of Vancouver.... IF THEY ENFORCE THE LAW!

Just a reminder about the new fireworks rules for INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS:

- SALES 
Fireworks sales in the City of Vancouver is three days long, from July 2 through July 4. Retail stands open at 9 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. each day.

- USE 
Inside the Vancouver city limits, fireworks use is ONLY legal on July 4 from 9 a.m. to midnight. Use is not legal on any other day of the year, including New Year's Eve.

- FINE 
Individuals who use fireworks on any day other than July 4 in the City of Vancouver may be subject to fines beginning at $250. Fines for use of illegal fireworks begin at $500.

Go here for more information: www.cityofvancouver.us/fireworks



I have heard that if people break this law, you can call 911 and report them. I hate to do that but I may just keep my cell phone handy while I am hiding in my crate before and after the 4th. My crate also serves as the DAF headquarters, by the way.

This is what you'll see in tents all over Clark County.
They must all be dog haters! 

Please, be kind, Vancouver!

Love, Cinnamon

Puppy Watch

I've been watching the progress of Nora the rescued Bloodhound over at Urban Coonhounds. Nora is under the care of Colorado Coonhound Rescue, one of my favorite charities.

Nora gave birth to NINE puppies. NINE!

Here they are... the little babies, so new and sweet!

I'm impressed with Nora the Bloodhound!

And here's the most recent photo!

I can't stand it... they are all so cute!

My Visitors from Germany

Sometimes I get bored. No one visits. We don't go anywhere. My owner is busy.

But last week things were great! Because of the volksmarching convention (the self-paced walking I do), there were lots of friends in town. And two of them came all the way from Germany and STAYED WITH ME!

Here I am teaching Herr Pat and Frau Cheryl how to play ball.

So when I heard they were coming I thought they might bring me some German Wurst, Liebkuchen and German Bier for treats. So I waited patiently for them to come. Finally they were at my door! WITH A PRETTY FLOWER FOR MY OWNER. (No treats for Cinnamon).

They unloaded and we started getting to know each other. I found out they spoke English so any German I had learned wasn't necessary. We had a great time in the yard. I taught them how to play keep away with my ball. I'm really good at that. Herr Pat petted me and I was happy to have them visit.

I loved all the attention I got!

We didn't go volksmarching together. It was just too darn hot for me! They went to Mt. St. Helens and had a great hike. Someday I want to go there. I can see Mt. St. Helens from my favorite dog park.

All too soon it was time for them to leave. I was sad. Arf Wiedersehen, I said!

Love, Cinnamon

Wordless Wednesday: Cinnamon Loves Company

I love company. I was the center of attention at our recent Pot Luck party!

#inspiredbycrafted Win with this $300 Dog Food Raffle from Hill's

Hey there doggie foodies. Here I am again with some exciting news! You can enter a raffle for Hill's® Ideal Balance® Crafted dog food with a Giveaway for a $300 Pet Specialty {PetSmart} Gift Card. One lucky winner can pick up a supply of Hill's Ideal Balance Crafted Food.

Wouldn't you like to win and stock up on Hill's Ideal Balance Crafted Food?

I will be very jealous of course because I really enjoyed the samples of Hill's Ideal Balance Crafted Food that I received earlier in the year. Here's where you can enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

You saw how excited I was when I got the package from Hill's and you heard about how good the small-batch prepared food was. But I'll bet you didn't know that through all of this, I've become quite the doggie foodie. I am getting much more careful about what I eat. I want food where they know the source. I want food that is good for me without harmful additives. And, moreover, I want food that tastes good. (Having it beautifully plated wouldn't be a bad idea either!)

This is when I got the samples from Hill's. I was so excited!

There was a time in my life when I was on the streets licking ketchup off of Burger King wrappers. There was a time in my life when I had only the cheapest kibble the animal shelter could afford. But once I was adopted and became a famous blogger, all that changed. I turn up my nose at food that doesn't smell or look good. And my owner avoids foods that are not good for me. So the result? I get the best of food and feel great. I may have a grey snout but at the dog park I strut my stuff and hold my own with the silly puppies. And, I can't be beat at treeing squirrels and chasing crows!

 

Here I am treeing a squirrel.

But I'm fussy. I want to know how my food is made. That's why I was impressed with Hill's Ideal Balance Crafted Food and especially enjoyed the kibble.

When they make the kibble, they cook in small batches. They begin with thoughtfully-sourced, select proteins and vegetables and blend in distinctive ingredients like buckwheat and chickpeas to create unique, flavorful recipes. And then they add parsley and oats to the mixer by hand.

They then check the dough to make sure it's just right, roll it out and cut out the pieces of kibble. These special kibbles are then baked at 400 degrees until they’re perfectly delicious. Now really, doesn't that impress the fussiest of foodie dogs? It surely impressed me!

Here's the kibble. It's really tasty.
(I'm still working with my owner on her plating skills!) 

I work hard as a dog blogger. I travel, I review places and so I need good nutrition. Sometimes I'm at the beach and sometimes I'm on a mountain trail. No matter what I have done during the day, I need to spend time at night blogging about it. That's work!

 

Well fortified, I'm off to do more touring.

I hope all my friends enter the raffle. Here's a bit more about it:

The Giveaway is hosted by the BlogPaws Professional Blogger Network and sponsored by Hill’s Ideal Balance CRAFTED. There is no purchase necessary in order to be eligible to win and is void where prohibited. 

The Giveaway is open to anyone that resides in the United States and is over the age of 18. Employees of Pet360, Inc., Hill’s Pet Nutrition, PetSmart and their immediate families are ineligible. This Giveaway will be open from 6/9/2015 to 6/30/2015 at 11:59pm ET.

Winner will be notified on or about Wednesday 7/1/2015 and will have 24 hours to respond to the email before forfeiting their prize.

The $300 gift card to PetSmart will be mailed to the winner approximately 4-6 weeks from acceptance.

You can purchase Hill's  Ideal Balance™ Crafted™foods online  and from selected veterinary offices and stores. If you want to learn more about Hill's, check them out on social media:

• Hill’s on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HillsPetUS
  
• Hill’s on Twitter https://twitter.com/HillsPet
  
• Hill’s on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/hillspet/ 

And here are some coupons to help you out! I want to wish everyone luck on the big giveaway. Be sure and enter! I'll be watching to see who wins!

Love, Cinnamon

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I, Cinnamon,  am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Ideal Balance® CRAFTED, but Coonhound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

Wordless Wednesday: Finding Shade

It's been hot lately. Fortunately I have a covered area on my deck where I can cool off!
(Oh yeah, notice my pretty dishes!)

Cinnamon's Visitor

Yesterday was very exciting. I had a visitor who came all the way from Arkansas to see ME!

It seemed like I waited forever and forever for my visitor

It was early afternoon when we got word that she was on her way. She had done some volkswalking in Olympia and then was headed south. It's too hot for me to have fun volkswalking. I just do regular walking in the summer.

After I waited what seemed like forever, she drove up in her silver race car! I was impressed!

I tried to teach Ruth Anne how to play keep away with the ball.

We had fun outside playing. I love having visitors. Ruth Anne's mother made my beautiful dog quilt that I keep in my crate.

This is another keep away move I know.

I had so much fun! Notice I don't let loose of the ball, even while I'm rolling around looking silly.

We played and played. I got tired and my visitor and owner decided to go out for lunch. I didn't mind because it was getting pretty warm out. I heard they went to the Farmer's Market because McMenamin's on the Columbia was too crowded.

I sure hope Ruth Anne comes back soon because I love having visitors like her!!!

Here's a picture of the quilt that Ruth Anne sent to me.
(You can also see my green toy and toy basket in the picture.)

Thanks Ruth Anne for coming to visit. If I ever get to Arkansas, I'll come see you!

Love, Cinnamon

Heat Wave: How to Keep Your Dog Cool

It's hot out. In the 90's! I know some of you don't think that's so warm but I do. I have lots of black fur and that absorbs heat. And, besides, I am middle-aged. So what can be done for dogs during warm weather? Here are some ideas:

Left to my own devices I can find the coolest, darkest spot in the house.
See how I'm all spread out? It's hot outside and we don't have A/C inside.

Water - leave plenty of cool water out for your dog.
Shade - make sure your dog has shade whether outside or inside. If it's really hot (your dog can tell you by panting or wanting inside) let your dog stay inside.
Cars - Never, ever leave your dog in a car during warm or semi-warm weather. It heats up fast in there. Just don't do it!
Cooling Products - There are cooling pads, cooling vests and even crate coolers for dogs. Here are some on Amazon.com. I think I'd like a cooling pad if this weather doesn't let up!
Cool Snacks - Some dogs like ice or frozen treats to lick.
Kiddie Pool - Find a shady place in the back yard and fill up a kiddie pool with water.
Shady Walks - Confine your walks to shady parks. I start panting right away when we get out on concrete. You can also walk in the evening or early morning.

When I lived in Santa Fe we were only 15 miles from the mountain. We used to drive up the mountain and enjoy wading in the creek at one of the picnic stops. Sometimes we'd wade up the stream and I'd munch on the grass along the creek bank. I enjoyed that.

I like wading... but not swimming!

Here's what I'd really like to do during these hot days. I'd love to take off and go to the beach!

Here I am at the beach in the cool mist!

If your dog gets overheated you need to take it seriously. Here are symptoms and treatment of heat stroke.

Love, Cinnamon

Wordless Wednesday: This is where I wish I was!

How can I get to the beach?

Coping with Thunder and Lightning: Tips for Dogs

I don't like thunder and lightning. And, everyone knows, I don't like fireworks. So a couple of days ago I was really annoyed when I was awakened from a deep sleep by rolling thunder and a few cracks of lightning thrown in for good measure.

I immediately jumped up from my warm bed and sought refuge. I am pretty smart about finding the safest zones in the house. They are places in the center of the house with no windows. So I go into the master bathroom. This time, the shower door was open so I decided to go in there... even safer, right?

So I found out the bath mat was hung on the towel rack. I clickety clicked around looking for a place to lay my weary head... nothing. I was standing in the dry shower, scared of the thunder and it looked like I would be there for the duration.

The storm kept going through the wee hours of the morning. I clickety clicked around and finally my owner, feeling annoyed, got up to see what was happening. There I was standing in the shower pretending I was safe. My owner took one look and knew what was wrong. There was no place to lie down!

Here I am in my safe place weathering the storm.

She got the bath mat down and put it in the shower. Exhausted, I curled up in a coonie ball (another safety move on my part) and went to sleep.

When dawn came, it was raining but the thunder had stopped. I was so tired I spent most of the morning sleeping in the shower!

Heading for the safety of the master bathroom in my house works for me when I am scared. Here are some other things dogs tell me that work:

1. Wear a thunder shirt. The tight fitting shirt, relaxes dogs and gives them a sense of security. You can buy them on Amazon.com.
2. Cuddle up with your owner. Some dogs like to be held by their owners when they are scared.
3. Ask your owner to create a safe place for you to weather the storm. My safe place is the master bath. I am sure there must be a safe place in every house!

Love, Cinnamon