Saturday, May 1st from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Gutheridge Park -  Green Pavilion Hiawatha

Iowa Humane Alliance and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are teaming up to raise funds and awareness for both organizations. 
Admission is $12 for adults – children are free.

Dog handlers bringing adoptable dogs can participate for only $10.
All proceeds to benefit  IHA and the LLS.

Registration is also available at the park beginning at 8:30 a.m. the day of the event. 

For additional information contact Susan Manson at 319-899-1146.

Posted under Pet Events

This story caught my attention.

It’s time to let the good times roll — hamster style that is! On Saturday, more than 10,000 hamsters are expected to roll into 1,000 different nationwide locations for the annual Hamster Ball Derby hosted by Petco.

The event is designed as a family event to reinforce proper pet care principles with children.

I thought this was a creative idea!

Here’s a link to the full story.

Posted under Pet Events

Posted under Pet Events

I’m teaming up again this year with the Bucks for the Cubbie Tails/Waterloo Bucks Dog Day at the Ballpark.

This year’s event is Sunday, June 20 at 3:05 p.m. at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo.

For $10, you and your dog can attend a Bucks baseball game. Of the cost, $5 goes to the Bucks and $5 goes to the Cedar Bend Humane Society in Waterloo.

Once again this year we’ll sit in a special section of the ballpark.

I’m also organizing a silent auction and already have some great items lined up! I will post a full list soon. All proceeds from the silent auction go to the humane society.

You can pre-register, but you certainly don’t have to, just show up on June 20!

Posted under Pet Events

Cubbie had a vet appointment today, just for his regular checkup and shots update.

Part of the routine is getting weighed, and the little Cubbers keeps growing! He’s now up to 25 pounds, which I have to tell you must be solid muscle. He eats about once a day, and we’ve been outside a lot the last couple months either walking or going for a bike ride (Cubbie runs alongside). I’m not one for working out (but it is almost swimsuit season) and it’s great having Cubbie because he always wants to go on a walk. I feel obligated even if I’m not really in the mood to exercise.

The vet also asked about Cubbie’s upcoming birthday. He turns four at the end of June. I really can’t believe it! My little boy isn’t so little.

Recently, I helped man the KWWL table at the Strictly Business Expo in Cedar Falls. A young woman came up and talked to me about the yorkie she recently adopted from the humane society. She said she never thought she’d be “that” person who was all about a dog. She even confessed he has jackets. I’m very much the same way. If you had told me more than four years ago my dog would be the center of my world, I would have been pretty skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I was always a dog lover, but I never knew I could love a dog as much as I love Cubbie. It’s hard to describe, and you can only really understand if you’ve felt it too. If someone told me I’d actually be blogging about my dog… I would have laughed. Now, I can’t imagine my life without Cubbie, and I’m so glad that young woman came up to me, and said she could relate to what I write about.

Despite being almost four, Cubbie still acts like a puppy. He loves to run and play and he gets overly excited. When I think back to the little two pound puppy I brought home, we’ve both come along way. We’ve definitely been through a lot the last four years, and we’ve both grown together. People have come and gone, but my dog has never left my side.

Tonight, I was reminded again just how “big” Cubbie is now. He was rummaging around in his toy basket, and when he couldn’t reach what he wanted, he decide to get in. Too bad he didn’t fit!

Cubbie’s parents were nine and seven pounds. I expected him to be pretty small. But you know what, I wouldn’t change him one bit. I love all 25 pounds of him. I just joke he grows on love.

April 15, 2010

August 2006

Posted under Cubbie stories

Most mornings, Cubbie wakes up at 7:15 on the dot.

His morning routine got me wondering, do dogs have an internal clock?

A few articles I read actually say dogs can tell time. Of course, not in the sense that we tell time, but they certainly get used to a routine.

For example if you take your dog on a walk everyday at noon or get home everyday at 5:30, your dog begins to sense when it’s that time of day.

Here is an excerpt from one article:

“There was a dog who learned that his master always arrived on the 5:30 train. So he’d meet his master at the train station. He would always get there just as the train was pulling into the station. He was as punctual and reliable as the train! One day however, he arrived and his master didn’t get off the train. He waited and waited, but what he didn’t know was that his master had been rushed to the hospital and had died. Every day for the rest of his life he was still at the train station at 5:30 to wait for his departed master.
Stories like these are not uncommon. As a matter of fact, we hear stories of dogs waiting at the door when they know their masters are due home. Some dogs even ask to go out to potty at the same time everyday. Others wake up at a certain time each morning and wake up their masters for work. They can be so reliable that their masters don’t even require an alarm clock!
They have a biological clock in their brain. We have it as well. According to the show, these biological clocks are cells deep with in the brain that produce enzymes, and then break down the enzymes with in a 24 hour period. So dogs just know what time of day it is.”

For me, the article makes a lot of sense. The more I began to think about it, the more ways I noticed Cubbie is in effect telling time.

He wakes up at the same time almost every morning to go outside, he is usually ready for bed at 10 p.m., he naps at the same time and he wants to go on a walk every afternoon because that’s when I usually take him.

The bad part about my job, my schedule changes almost daily. I go in at different times on different days. Some days I’m done at 5 p.m., others not until 7 p.m. Poor Cubbie! He can’t predict on any given day when I will be home! But, the good news for me, he’s always happy to see me.

Posted under Cubbie stories

Press Release:

The first day of spring is just behind us and April showers have begun. Spring also marks the beginning of tornado season.

The American Red Cross recommends three actions that can help prepare you to deal with a natural disaster or emergency; get a kit, make a plan and be informed.

According to the American Red Cross, you should make sure your emergency kit has at least three days of supplies in an easy-to-carry container. You should remember to check the kit and restock every six months. Remember to pack a kit with pet supplies as well. If it is not safe for you to stay and you must evacuate, it is not safe for your pets either.

Each pet should have food and water with a collar, leash or carrying case for easy travel. Don’t forget a small litter box or plastic bags. Make sure you have each pet’s tags, any medications and vaccination information.

Current photos of your pet could help eliminate confusion if your pet becomes lost. Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems and the name and number of your veterinarian is important incase you have to board your pets. If easily transported, toys and bedding are recommended.

To be well prepared a pet owner can follow these tips:

. Know which hotels accept pets. Map places along your evacuation route that will accept you and your pet in an emergency. Ask if no-pet policies could be waived in an emergency. It is also a good idea to call ahead for reservations if you have warning of an evacuation.

. Prepare a list of phone numbers. Be sure to maintain a list of friends, relatives, boarding kennels, animal shelters or veterinarians that can care for your animals in the case of an emergency.

. Include your pets in drills. This can help them become used to entering and traveling in their carriers easily.

. Keep up to date with vaccines. Many pet shelters require proof of current vaccinations to reduce the spread of disease.

. Make sure your pet wears identification. During the chaos of a disaster, pets can become easily scared and confused. Consider having your pet microchipped incase they do become lost. If your pet is not microchipped
make sure they are wearing collars with securely fastened, up-to-date identification.

Disaster warnings are often issued hours or days in advance. Take advantage of the warning and call ahead to confirm your emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pet. Make sure your pets identification is correct and that your pet disaster supplies are ready.

After a disaster, be aware that your pet’s behavior may change. Keep a close eye on them to protect them and others. Examine fences and gates that could have been damaged and be aware of debris, spilled chemicals or other substances that could harm your pet. It is always a good idea to have a veterinarian check your pet after any kind of disaster or emergency.

Posted under In the News

What is it with dogs and remote controls?

Cubbie has this uncanny ability to change the channel or adjust the volume on the remote control.

We went to my parent’s house for Easter, and my dad started to watch a movie. Cubbie jumped up on the couch and pushed a button on the remote. My dad started to freak out because he’s not very good with technology. All Cubbie did was hit the fast forward button, so I rewound the DVD for my dad.

At our house, if I can’t find the remote, the first place I look is under Cubbie. He always lies down on top of the remote! I’d think it would be uncomfortable, but he never seems to notice.

I’ll be watching a program, and Cubbie will roll over and the channel changes or the television shuts off entirely.  Maybe he’s trying to tell me he’d rather watch another channel!

Posted under Cubbie stories

Press release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department–

The Cedar Rapids Police Department and Harding Middle School will be having too much fun this Friday for it to be called work. They will be “dodging” the big one at the 3rd Annual K9 Dodge Ball Fundraiser at Harding Middle School, 4801 Golf Street NE at 1:00 p.m.

The Harding Middle School has formed teams of 6th, 7th and 8th graders to raise money for the Cedar Rapids Police K9 Unit. The teams compete against Cedar Rapids Police Officers who have formed teams.

The event has grown each year and has always been a closely fought dodge ball battle. The police say they have been victorious each year and Harding Middle School students say they have been the champions. The real winners are the citizens of Cedar Rapids as the money raised helps to fund the K9 program.

Posted under Uncategorized

Check out this really cute video of a hungry puppy! The dog is so excited she just can’t keep her paws on the ground.

Click here to watch.

Posted under Uncategorized