The Chickasaw County K9 Unit is hosting fundraising events to alleviate a strained budget for the K9 dog. Children and pets are invited to area fire departments to take holiday photos with Santa in front of a fire engine.

The cost is a free will donation. Photos will be emailed to you. The goal is to raise $14,000 during the next two years to maintain the cost for k9 Deputy Ringo and assist in the set-up expense of a new K9 deputy.

The photo opportunities are at various fire stations in Chickasaw County during several weekends in November.

For more information call 641-394-3121.

Posted under Pet Events

TODAY (Friday, November 20th) Caribbean Tan & Spa in Cedar Falls is having a free spray tan day.

The only catch, you need to make a donation to the Cedar Bend Humane Society in Waterloo.

Caribbean Tan and Spa opened at 8 a.m. The phone number 319-277 -1110.

Posted under Pet Events

Each year around this time I try to take a good/fresh picture of Cubbie and me. I like to give it to my mom each Christmas for her desk at work.

I think Cubbie is very photogenic (granted I might be a little biased as his Mom).

In general, it’s not too difficult taking a picture of Cubbie. I can usually get him to look at the camera by the second or third try. But, taking a picture of the two of us (by myself) is another story.

Since it usually takes a while to get a “good” picture of both of us, I decided to try taking some pictures today. I don’t think Cubbie understands the idea of posing for a “nice” picture for Grammy.

Either he wouldn’t look at the camera, he would yawn, he would put his paw over his face OR if he looked cute I looked awful! I took about ten pictures before giving up for today! I don’t think I have a winner yet, but here’s a sample of our photo album from today.

Snobby Cubbie

Loving Cubbie

Shy Cubbie

Post Yawn Cubbie

I prefer belly rubs to pictures Cubbie

I think I missed some crumbs Cubbie

Finally! We're both looking at the camera!

Posted under Cubbie stories

Just a quick/cute story to share with you…

Last night, Cubs and I were playing tug-of-war (his favorite game). I was dragging him all around the house, and then we eventually plopped on the couch. He sat in my lap, then rolled over onto his back for me to rub his belly.

He was sitting in my arms just like a little baby, and I rubbed his belly and paws. In a few minutes time, I hear snoring. The best part, he still had the toy we were playing with clenched in his teeth!

I watched more football, and Cubbie snored. About ten minutes later, he spits out the toy and goes back to sleep.

Posted under Cubbie stories

As we celebrated Veterans’ Day this week, I came across an article about a non-profit organization which finds foster homes for pets while their owners are serving our country.

The organization is called NetPets, based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since 2001, the organization has arranged foster homes for 12,000 military pets.

Foster parents are almost always complete strangers who are willing to take an animal for up to 16 months in all 50 states as well as other nations.

You can click here to read the full article I found, or click here to visit the NetPets website.

Posted under In the News

Cubbie has different ways of telling me what he wants. He has a series of barks and whines and even gestures depending on what he needs to tell me.

For example, when he wants to go outside he either comes to me and stares right in my face and makes a little “yip,” or her simply goes to the outside door and makes a low growl.

Yesterday I really, really needed to clean the house. Thanks to both Cubbie and me, we track in lots of leaves, so the floors really needed a good sweeping. I also needed to do dishes and I cleaned out the fridge.

I have a yard/recycling bin from the City of Waterloo. I use it every week. I would say 90 percent of the time I use it for recycling. When I use something plastic or cardboard, I just throw it in the bin outside my door. But this time of year, it’s filled with leaves, which means I need to find another place to put my recyclables.

I was stacking them on the kitchen counter, but while cleaning yesterday I wanted to get them out of the way. I decided to use a big yard waste bag (yes, I recycle a lot of stuff). Once the bag was full, it was just sitting on the kitchen floor. Of course, I didn’t like that either. I decided to put the bag down in the basement so it wouldn’t take up kitchen space.

I didn’t think anything of it until a few hours later when I heard Cubbie barking and growling at something. I knew he was by the basement and the door to go outside, but I also knew that wasn’t his noise for wanting to go outside. He was really upset about something.

I found Cubbie at the top of the stairs to the basement barking at “something.” It’s dark now, so I turn on the basement light, and I immediately know what he’s concerned about. It’s the bag of recyclables!

It completely makes sense he was barking. Something out-of-the-ordinary was in “his” basement. As soon as I turned on the light, he ran down the stairs and started sniffing the bag. He decided it was nothing exciting and came back up and that was the end of it.

I guess it shouldn’t amaze me that Cubbie notices even small changes. In a way, it’s nice he notices when something is a little “off.” I feel safer. I just think it’s interesting what he notices. I wonder how much he notices around the yard, the house and even the neighborhood that I don’t! He’s one observant dog.

Posted under Cubbie stories

When I have to get up early, I do my best to let Cubbie sleep as long as possible. I put the covers over him, I don’t turn the lights on in the bedroom and I only wake him up at the last moment before I have to leave (if I even wake him up at all).

Do you think Cubbie extends the same courtesy to me? Not a chance.

I only get to sleep in two days a week (and depending on what I have going on, sometimes not even that). When I have to get up for work, Cubbie doesn’t want to get up. Yet, on my days off, he’s up at the crack of dawn.

Once Cubbie is up, he makes sure I get up too. He will lean over me and whine and nudge me with his nose. If I roll over or “pretend” to ignore him, he doesn’t stop. He actually gets even more persistent. He’ll stand on top of me whining until I get up.

This week on my days off Cubbie woke up (and thus woke me up) almost an hour before my alarm clock normally goes off for work! What the heck!

He finally dragged me out of bed, and I let him outside. Outside de took his sweet time and then he drank some water and then he squeaked one of his toys. After about 15 minutes, he crawled back into bed and went back to sleep! Not fair. Once I’m up, I’m up.

Here are some pictures from the mornings I have to get up early. Cubbie hides his head under the pillow as if to say, “Mom! I’m trying to sleep here. How dare you disturb me!” Yet, it’s perfectly fine for him to disturb me on my days off. Maybe I’ll try putting the pillow over my head the next time he wants me to get up.

Posted under Cubbie stories

We typically think of agility courses for dogs, but I saw this interesting/cute story about cats doing agility courses!

I have to admit, I think dogs are maybe more trainable than cats, but that doesn’t mean cats can’t be trained. My dad trained his two cats to climb up him and sit on his shoulders. I know some people train their cats to use the toilet instead of a litter box!

Here is the link to watch cats doing an agility course.

Posted under In the News

I recently got a letter in the mail from my vets office recommending a vaccine for H3N8 or the canine influenza.

In my letter, the vets office is requiring all dogs who stay there to get the vaccine.

A viewer emailed me saying she got a letter from her vet in Jesup as well. According to information I’ve received, symptoms of the canine flu can include a mild cough and fever. In some dogs, it can progress to pneumonia.

Not all dogs are at risk. Dogs that are boarded, showed, hunted, groomed or taken to dog parks are recommended to get the two shot series.

My advice is to talk to your vet. I’ve debated whether or not to get the vaccine for Cubbie. It’s difficult because this time of year he’s really not around other dogs. (We don’t go to the dog park very often this time of year. Partly because it’s colder and partly because it’s dark when I get home from work). He’s also never boarded because if I leave town he stays with my parents.

I’ve asked several people who work in vet offices, and depending who you ask, some say it’s very important to get it and some say if your dog spends most of his time at home, it’s probably not necessary. A lot depends on your dog and where your dog goes.

Posted under In the News