What do you do with a dog who suffers from Obsessive Squirrel Disorder

This is what she thinks she sees

It isn't easy living with a dog who suffers from OSD. Yes folks, that's Obsessive Squirrel Disorder.

Now I understand all about coonhounds and their prey instinct. After all, I have that too. But I know when enough... is enough.

Francesca does not!

First, let me tell you what it's like at home. We go out into the backyard and I, of course, take care of going potty. Francesca, on the other hand, may be crossing her legs and needing to go but the first thing she does is scan the trees. And, if a leaf moves, WATCH OUT! She ASSUMES it is a squirrel and goes nuts!

I, Cinnamon, only get wound up when I actually SEE a squirrel. I use the backyard for sunning, playing ball, digging for things and listening for people who might prove a threat to our peaceful home.

Here's Francesca looking
outside for a squirrel

Francesca is totally and obsessively looking for squirrels 24/7. And if she should see one, it only exacerbates her OSD. Jeesh!

And, at the dog park, the one that has squirrel trees, she has all but given up playing with other dogs. She won't trot around the trail like everyone else does. She heads for the stand of trees in the park and stays there the whole time.

This is what she does. She goes from one tree to the next. If she doesn't find a squirrel she repeats the process all over again. Sometimes she tries climbing on a sapling to see if she might just reach an elusive squirrel. And, if she doesn't find a squirrel she starts looking through the fence at the woods in the distance looking for squirrels. And if she sees one I have no doubt that she could scale the fence and go running after it (although, she'd never be able to catch the squirrel).

Here's the squirrel section of the dog park.
This is where Francesca hangs out.

So now you see what I put up with. Do they have a support group for families of dogs suffering from OSD? I would attend!

Anyone have any advice for me?

Love, frustrated Cinnamon

Wordless Wednesday: Weird Dog Sleeping Position

Believe it or not, Francesca is sound asleep

Happy National Dog Day

What a day it is! I am celebrating by relaxing WITHOUT FRANCESCA! She is celebrating by whooping it up with the dogs at day care. Make sure you do something special today to celebrate.

National Dog Day is celebrated August 26th annually and was founded in 2004 by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige (also the founder of National Puppy Day, National Mutt Day and National Cat Day ...to name a few).

National Dog Day serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day - for their law enforcement partner, for their blind companion, for a child who is disabled, for our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and pulling victims of tragedy from wreckage.

Let's celebrate!

Klippy Dog Tag Quick Clip Means More Fun Collars

Francesca's tags

I’m getting in to decorative collars for seasons, holidays and just for fun. However, I need to keep my dog tags on me to be “street legal” here. I need to have my license tag on when I’m at the dog park. So what to do?

Well, you know me, I research almost everything on the Internet. So I started nosing around and BINGO! I found Klippy Clips on Amazon.com.  They were just what I needed. A lightweight, easy to use clip was being sold at a reasonable price. So I ordered two. Francesca is quite the fashion plate with her new turquoise collar so I figured she’d want one.

My tags

They arrived in the mail and we put our tags on the clip. It was great! Now I can easily have a fun collar for the day and not worry about my tags. In seconds, the tags can be switched to the collar I pick out for the day. And my owner has no trouble at all using the clip.

Here’s the specs:

•       Use Klippy To Quickly Move Pet Tags Between Collars

•       (7/8" H x 9/16" W)

•       Choose From 5 Colors! Comes With A Split Ring Attachment (I got silver)

•       Works On Virtually Every Collar Size (max 11/64-inch, the diameter of a D-ring on most large collars)

The Klippy is compact and the versatile design works perfectly for cats and dogs of all sizes. Just click on the photo to the left and it will take you to Amazon.com.

I’m really pleased!

Love, Cinnamon

City of Vancouver Washington: Please care about the animals - BAN FIREWORKS NOW

It's been awhile since the National Headquarters of Dogs Against Fireworks (DAF) was open. Young Francesca came into our lives soon after the 4th of July mayhem ended here in Vancouver, my hometown. So I've been busy.

But I just have to say something on behalf of myself, Francesca, the 23,700 dogs licensed in Clark County and the 77,595 unlicensed dogs. We dogs can't vote. But we are the ones who suffer in a city where personal fireworks are allowed to wreak havoc in our neighborhoods and explode over our homes. I'm scared of noise and I'm scared of fire. We look to the Mayor and City Council to protect us, our owners and our homes.

Before the 4th of July, veterinarian's offices are filled with owners purchasing sedatives and tranquilizers for their dogs. Some dogs, especially older ones, shouldn't even be taking this medication. And sometimes it doesn't even work.

For over a week we dogs suffered due to the noise, light and smoke from fireworks set off by our  unthinking neighbors. Some of the scariest noises were many blocks away. It was so loud I curled up in my owner's shower in the tightest, safest ball that I could make for myself. A couple of weeks later, when it finally all ended, I breathed a sigh of relief and swore I'd find a place far, far away next year. I don't have the freedom to enjoy this national holiday in my own home. I can't invite dog friends over for a picnic or have special patriotic treats. We just cower in the corners, shake with fear and endure. 

Here I am hiding in the shower praying that it will stop!
I was in there so long, my owner put a blanket on the floor.

So I am upset to hear that our Mayor and City Council have not yet taken the leadership to protect the animals and vote for a complete ban on personal fireworks in Vancouver, Washington. 

I am upset when I hear them talk about sending the issue out to the public to vote. That would mean a delay of one year in implementing a ban.... TWO YEARS OF SUFFERING FOR THE ANIMALS!

Dear elected officials of Vancouver. Please consider us.

Be our voice, protect us and vote for AN IMMEDIATE PERSONAL FIREWORKS BAN for Vancouver.

Sincerely,

Cinnamon

Executive Director, Dogs Against Fireworks

Francesca's Trip to the Beach

I'm so excited! Cinnamon assigned the beach story to ME! So I can tell you about my trip to see the ocean for the very first time. It was quite a journey.

So here's my story:

Road Trip!
It was morning and things were different. We weren't getting ready to go to the dog park. We were packing and loading some things into the car. Toys, food, towels and some of my owner's things all went into the car. I just paced around wondering what was happening.

I grew up in Yamhill County and just hung out. I didn't get to go on trips, to the park or anywhere. So I was surprised when our owner said, "We're going to the beach and you're going too, Francesca!"

Road Trip! I'm the one in the "box!"

I had heard about the beach from Cinnamon. She said it was full of good smells and soft sand. And, she said, the water was different from inland water. It MOVED! So I was curious about the ocean and the beach. And happy to jump into the car and head out on the highway.

We stopped for gas after we got through Portland. Was this the beach? No, it wasn't. And we didn't get to stretch our legs or anything.

About another half hour down the road (the beach must be really far!) we pulled into a place called the Tillamook Forest Center. Yep, there was a forest all right. But the best part was that we got to get out and go for a little hike. Soon we turned down a trail, went down some stairs and found a rocky beach and water. THIS MUST BE THE OCEAN! But it didn't have much sand and the water didn't really move. Maybe not. Later, I found out this was the Wilson River. We sipped the cool water and then got back into the car.

We got a sip of water out of the Wilson River

Down the road we went... for a long, long time! We wound through the forest, passed dairy farms (I could smell them) and finally we pulled in to a little town called Neskowin. Was this the beach? We parked and got out. I smelled something different and heard a loud roar in the distance.

THIS WAS THE BEACH!

My First Look at the Pacific Ocean
We walked through some sand and I peered over some rocks and there it was! It was blue and it moved... with lots of noise. I was excited. I could smell things like crab shells, old beach fires and drying kelp. OH BOY!

Here I am seeing the Pacific Ocean for the very first time

We walked right down onto the beach and out to the water. I dipped my paw in. It wasn't too cold. I waded up to the top of my paws but Cinnamon said, "Don't go any farther!" She was scared. She thought the waves might pull me out in the BIG OCEAN.

We walked along the water until we came to a magical place. It was a big rock with mist swirling around it. Cinnamon told me it was Proposal Rock.  I thought it might be something exciting. But the water was coming in and we had to turn back.

Here's Proposal Rock. It looked very mysterious in the mist.

On the way back I tried to take some bleached crab shells I found but my owner made me drop them. Drat! One even had a pincher on it!

Soon we were back in the car (all too soon) and headed for the Anchor Inn. That was to be where we were going to spend the night and see our friends. FRIENDS! I was getting excited. I just knew they would want to pet me!

So this is as far as I want to write today. I have so much to tell you. So much excitement. So watch for more tomorrow about my overnight at the scary pirate motel and an even bigger beach with big swimming animals!

by Francesca, the Intern

Photography by Cinnamon

Beach Bums!

I, Cinnamon, was invited to go to Lincoln City with my owner. Nothing was said about Francesca. But after she quieted down this week and pulled no more shenanigans, we decided to take her with us!

Here I am at the beach earlier this year.

Now Francesca knows nothing about the ocean or the beach. She is from an inland rural county. She'll be surprised. Will she be scared of the waves? I was scared when I first saw the ocean.

I have assigned Francesca the job of writing an article about her first beach experience. And I, Cinnamon, will take pictures to document the event.

I'm so happy to be going to the beach. I hope Francesca doesn't spoil it for all of us. We're going to see a well-behaved greyhound named Winnie. Winnie doesn't know anything about Francesca. Oh oh!

Love, Beach Bum Cinnamon

Oh No!

What Happened to Francesca? The Rest of the Soap Story

Yesterday afternoon Francesca ate a bar of soap. Nothing seemed to be affecting her. My owner was going out to dinner so told me to observe her for any signs of sickness.

So Nurse Cinnamon checked on Francesca every hour on the hour. Nothing, Nada.... no problems. To make sure Francesca was safe (and the house was safe), she slept in her crate.

Francesca was "under observation" for the evening after ingesting soap.
I checked on her but nothing happened. She's as crazy as ever... chasing imaginary squirrels today.

I lost a lot of sleep for nothing. But Francesca let me sleep in a bit this morning before the dog park. That's the rest of the story. Francesca must have a cast iron stomach!

Love, Nurse Cinnamon

What Happens if a Dog Eats Soap? We'll Let You Know

Well, my owner ran out of dog food because she doesn't order it on time! So she needed to head over to Mud Bay to get some Merrick's before we ran out. While this is a good thing (keeping us fed), Francesca was sad that she couldn't go too.

Francesca ate soap because our owner
wouldn't take her shopping! Here
she is pretending to be sick but she's not!

Since it was a quick errand our owner left us loose in the house. Usually we do ok but Francesca was really upset. So.... she went around the house looking for things to get into. Bingo! The bathroom door was ajar. Francesca figured this was her big chance to do something wrong. She went in and looked around. Not much was visible.

So then she looked behind the shower curtain. There was a partial bar of wet soap in the soap dish and a plastic razor! Francesca started by chewing on the razor. She chewed the handle off and decided to leave the parts for our owner to see. (Surely she would see the razor head and realize that Francesca could have cut herself and bled to death just because she didn't take her to Mud Bay!)

Then Francesca went back into the bathroom. The soap smelled good and looked like food so Francesca proceeded to lick it and carry it out onto the wood floor. She licked it until it was ALL GONE! Then she licked the soap dish clean.

Isn't this the cleanest soap dish you have ever seen?

Our owner came home with food and treats and we were very happy to see her. But then she spied the mess and was NOT happy to see Francesca! She got a bit worried and looked on the Internet to see what she should do about Francesca. Most articles said that soap, in itself, is not harmful. Dogs can get mild stomach upset and have some vomiting or diarrhea. The articles said to consult a veterinarian if these symptoms persist because the dog might get dehydrated.

We also read that a dog can get an obstruction if a large chunk of soap is swallowed. So we're watching Francesca. If she stops eating or vomits a lot we will take her to the vet.

I guess my owner will learn to keep the door to the bathroom closed from now on!

PS. Here's some info from the ASPCA

Love, Cinnamon, who didn't even lick the soap!

It's Aging Pets Appreciation Month (Instagram Contest)

I was asked if I would do a blog post on Aging Pets Appreciation Month. I guess that would be a good idea. We'll all get old some day. But right now I am just comfortably middle-aged. You know... 6 is the new 3, right?

So August is for those pets who are not puppies and kitties any more. They are the pets that really appreciate a nice walk, a romp on the beach or being petted. They are the calm, sweet pets that often go un-adopted. But they are sometimes the best company. I ALWAYS get along with older pets. Now Francesca is another story. She's a young whipper snapper!

If you have an "older" pet, here's your chance to win a $50 gift certificate. Now is your pet’s chance to shine for all the world to see: Enter the #SeniorPetsContest on Instagram and your pet might win one of three $50 gift cards to shop at PetSmart. This contest ends August 16th, so hurry!

I found out about this from BlogPaws, my social media marketing company. I'm not entering because I'M NOT OLD!

Love, Cinnamon

Wordless Wednesday: Francesca is the Laziest Thing!

Here is Francesca taking yet another nap.
She doesn't think she needs to work or learn.
She just does anything she wants!

Getting Creative with Food #InspiredbyCrafted Dog Food

I’ve been telling you about Hill's® Ideal Balance® Crafted foods for dogs… you know the company that makes small-batch gourmet foods for ME! Well now I find that my owner has taken tips from Hill’s and is now making some creative, locally sourced, extra-special meals for herself!

She started out by going to the Vancouver Farmer’s Market and getting farm-fresh produce and healthy proteins like wild salmon from Alaska. Then she’d bring her finds home and figure out how to make something new for her dinner. This became her creative outlet.

My owner likes to be creative
with veggies from the garden

Now she grows her own broccoli, tomatoes and zucchini in MY BACKYARD. I have to be careful not to knock over the plants when I’m chasing squirrels with Francesca!

Here I am at the Farmers Market
checking out the Salmon

It isn’t just something new going on at my house. More Americans are choosing foods with an eye to nutrition, natural and locally sourced ingredients, and sustainable preparation processes. They’re not just considering those factors for their own plates, either – they’re thinking about them when it comes to choosing pet food, too. And that is where Hill’s Crafted foods come in.

Small batch means that Ideal Balance™ Crafted™ is made just the way my owner would cook things… one very special batch at a time. At Hill's Crafted they create unique recipes in small batches using high-quality proteins, wholesome vegetables and ancient grains. They know where their ingredients are sourced. It's the stuff that's good for me. And when you provide your dog Hill’s Crafted foods, you’ll know that their diet is well-balanced. And, although my owner would never admit it, Hill’s foods look about as good as her people food!

Now tell me, doesn't this look as good as any people food?

Since we're getting all artsy and creative here, how about new dog bowls to go with the new foods? Here's a video that gave me a great idea!


The new Hill’s® Ideal Balance® CraftedTM products are available at pet specialty retailers and online at Amazon etc. The dog product line (Dry, wet, treats) is already on shelves in PetSmart, as well as all of the products for cats. At Petco, Ideal Balance Crafted dog products appeared in April.  Here’s a Coupon for $7 off a Crafted Product so you have no excuse. Get out there and try Hill's Crafted products!

These are some of the Hill's Crafted foods I tried. I'm always up for taste testing foods!

You can also purchase Hill’s Crafted products online at Pet360.

Love, Cinnamon

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I 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.

The New Seasons Dog Wash Experience: At least it was for a good cause

I WAS TRICKED! Stinky Francesca needed the bath… not me!

Here's the New Seasons Community
Event Coordinator getting things ready for
the BATHS!

All was well at noon when my owner put Francesca in the car and headed over to New Seasons Market for their dog wash event. Usually New Seasons is a place we go for grocery shopping. But today, there was a special event taking place. It was a benefit for The Pongo Fund.  The Pongo Fund is a food bank for pets. When people can’t afford food for their table, they can’t afford food for their pets either. Enter The Pongo Fund. They work for the day when no dog or cat goes hungry because their families cannot afford to keep them fed. They have provided more than 8,000,000 meals to date. They serve Portland and Southwest Washington where I live.

I was glad to see Francesca go. She was stinky and I needed a break from her. So once the garage door closed, I went to my cushy bed and drifted off to sleep.

I heard that when Francesca got to the event, she saw the wading pool and stepped right in (dumb dog!). But then the New Seasons folks started putting water on her and shampoo too. She gave everyone a pitiful look but she had no out. She was getting a bath or else!

Here's Francesca giving everyone a pitiful look.

There were treats there too! The Portland Pet Food Company makes their pet foods in small batches using local ingredients. They had dog biscuits and “topper” food that you find in the frozen food pet section of New Seasons. Francesca said she loved the biscuits and that made the bath time much more tolerable.

Soon she was home… dripping wet. My owner put her outside in the sun and came to get me. I awoke from my nap wondering what was up. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN MY OWNER PUT A WET LEASH ON ME! Oh oh! I was headed to the car. Where was I going?

Here I am looking like a drowned rat!
(But the New Seasons guy was really nice!)

We drove out of the neighborhood and down to New Seasons. I saw the Portland Pet Food display and figured it was a pet product show. I downed a biscuit when the man asked me if I would like to try their freshly frozen dog food. WOW! It was good. It tasted just like people food.

I was getting ready to go into Mudd Bay to pick up some treats when I spied three wading pools.

The people at the event motioned for me to get into the first pool. I didn’t want to because I only wade in creeks and rivers. But my owner TRICKED ME and put me in the pool. Out came the pitcher and shampoo and before I knew it I WAS HAVING A BATH. Grrrr. I was clean. It was only Francesca that needed a bath.

Well the New Seasons employee didn’t over-do the water and shampoo so I was in the rinse pool rather soon. I got dried off with my fluffy warm towel and headed out to the car. It was a warm day so I dried off rather quickly. Francesca has longer fur than I do so she needed lots of time in the sunny back yard.

So once I got home after BEING TRICKED I ran and played in the back yard and rolled in the grass. I have to admit it was nice being so pretty and clean.

And I have to say I felt good about my donation to hungry pets through the Pongo Fund. I found out about them through Clark DogPaw, the wonderful group who provides me with dog parks throughout Clark County.

I’m tired and dried off now. I think I’ll take a nap!

Love, Clean Cinnamon