International Assistance Dog Week

This week we celebrate dogs who are more than companions, dogs who help people with disabilities and support them at a physical and emotional level.

International Assistance Dog Week was started after the efforts of Marcie Davis, a wonderful woman who wrote the book Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guide book, a great resource with practical advise and guide about service dogs. She is also a host of the internet radio program Working like Dogs.

Dogs have an extraordinaire intelligence and ability to help, but not all breeds are recommended to be trained for service. Between the most common service dogs we have Golden Retriever and Labrador, "A good service dog is not protective, is people orientated, not overly active, confident but not dominant or submissive. Service dogs should not require complex grooming as this could be a problem for their owner"

To read more of which breeds make a good service dog and to find assistance, go to the Assistance Dog International website and find your regional chapter.

There is so much to learn about. Some of the assistance dog types are: Guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired Hearing dogs for the deaf and hard of hearing Service dogs for people with other disabilities like Brace/Mobility Support Dogs (BMSD), Wheelchair Assistance Dogs, Autism Assistance Dogs, Diabetic Alert Dogs (DADs), Severe Allergy Alert Dogs (AADs), Seizure Response Dogs, Medical Alert Dogs (MADs) and Psychiatric Service Dog (PSDs) just to mention the most common types.

This week, some groups are organizing events to educate people and raise awareness about why these dogs are so important and cherished. If you want to organize an event, follow this link and download the materials you need (including banners) http://youtu.be/FkyeESrDywc

Celebrate Assistance dogs by spreading the word. Do you or a family member or friend have the blessing of enjoying the company of a service dog? Tell us about it in the comments section below! We would love to hear about your experience.

Note: The images in this post are from the International Assistance Dog Week website.

Adopting a Dog: Home for Hope

"Home is where the heart is" and a big part of that heart can be a dog. A wonderful initiative in Singapore between Save Our Street Dogs, Animal Lovers League and different stores including IKEA, will help more dogs to become part of a family.

IKEA is displaying at some stores in Singapore life-size cardboard standees in the showrooms where people can scan a QR code that goes directly to the site and the dog's information and videos.

If you have a store or retail business, why not team up with shelters and animal organizations to do the same? Creative ideas go viral and that is the beauty of the internet, when good causes and projects can inspire others!

You can read more about this at the Homes for Hope website.

DOG: A Beautiful Song

Songs are inspired by love, breakups, nature, family, friends, God and many other feelings, but this song was inspired by the beauty and happiness to have a Dog. Nat Johnson, a songwriter, singer and guitarist from the UK wrote it a year ago after walking at Rivelin Valley Park. She was inspired by looking at dog owners running free and having fun with their dogs and by how she wanted to feel after being a person who was always thinking and rushing about her next project. One day walking at the park and surrounded by nature, she was inspired to write the DOG son. Read more about her inspiration here.

In her own words: "The dog in the song doesn’t have to be real, he’s just a guide to a life approach. To remind yourself to look for that feeling of happiness and contentment wherever you can find it. Walking, with all of your senses wide open, is one way to find it. And when you go off the main path, like I did that day in Whiteley Woods, that’s when it becomes a real adventure; that’s when it feels like playing. Dog or no dog, it’s important to walk."

You can read more about Nat Johnson and her music on her website and download the song from iTunes or Bandcamp.

This song really makes me feel like I am at that magical place running with my dog! and the beautiful video created by Fettle Animation reflects that too.

If I had a dog, I’d call him to me

And we would forget about work and everything And I would run and he would run And I would call and he would come If I had a dog, I’d tell him my name And we would forget about money and everything And I would throw and he would go And I would talk and he would know

It’s important to walk There are friends yet to meet My dog says “Forget about it!”  My dog says “Let’s run in the woods” 

I will run and he will run I will call and he will come

Book: The New York Dog

Capturing the smile of a dog in a photograph is something that dog lovers do all the time. I often carry a camera with me to photograph my dog Winnie and other dogs I see at the park or the neighborhood. Some weeks ago I watched a video class at Creative Live with photographer Rachael Hale McKenna and I was hooked. The patience and the kindness she has to create photographs with animals is amazing.

Her new book "The New York Dog" is on bookstores now. I just ordered mine and I can't wait to read it. This is a description of the book:

"Following in the paw prints of The French Cat and The French Dog, The New York Dog showcases Rachael Hale McKenna’s signature photographic style in the Big Apple. Capturing both the atmosphere of the city and the personalities of its canine residents, Hale explores the life of the New York dog from many angles, showing dogs taking walks, riding in taxis, lounging in extravagant apartments, shopping in boutiques, visiting spas, dining in restaurants, and much more. From purebreds on the Upper East Side to loveable mutts in Queens, The New York Dog celebrates the wide variety of dogs that live throughout all five boroughs of this great city."

If you want to see Rachael in action, enjoy her video.

To get awesome tips for photographing your dog, read this post from the Design Sponge blog about Rachael and then... get those wonderful pictures!

Origami Dogs

Time for a break! After all day working with the computer it is fun to make something different. For your kids or for you, make these origami dogs. The videos are easy to follow.

National Puppy Day

This is a picture of my first dog, Samantha. I still remember the day she came into our lives. Running around the house, chewing shoes, barking and jumping and making us smile every day.

This celebration was started by Coleen Paige in 2006: "National Puppy Day is a special day to celebrate the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives. But more importantly, it's a day to help save orphaned puppies across the globe and educate the public about the horrors of puppy mills, as well as further our mission for a nation of puppy-free pet stores".

Celebrate playing with your puppy and find 50 other ways to do it at Coleen's page. Click here

And for a bright Sunday, watch these 2 puppy videos to keep you smiling all day : )

Happy National Puppy Day!