Happy National Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Are you wondering how you and your little canine matey can celebrate it?

Well, you could break out the pirate costumes like this person did.

I am decidedly on the fence about dog costumes. I am not crazy about dressing up another creature who has little say-so in the matter. And perhaps I have been traumatized by several hundred attempts of getting The Beagle to wear devil horns for Halloween. I mean would it kill her…… apparently it would because  she casts out the ears of Satan as fast as they can be placed upon her.

But I digress.

I’m not sure about costumes but then I see a clever get-up like this and admire the creativity. They got one dog to look like two pirates. And they got the dog into the costume. How is that possible? So that’s pretty cool. Or then I see a bulldog in a bumblebee outfit and think how cute. Or a bulldog in any kind of costume or a Corgi wearning glasses. So I am definitely conflicted.

How would a pirate settle the conundrum of canine costumes? I believe it would involve wee bit o’ grog, savvy?

With the very welcomed cooler weather in metro Phoenix, it is once again great to be outdoors, especially at night.  Here’s two movie nights that you can take your dog to where you both can enjoy the cooler weather.

• Doggie Date Movie Night. Benefits Lost our Home Foundation, a terrific group of real estate professionals and other community members who help find places for abandoned pets and provide options for pet owners having a hard time making ends meet. They are showing “Marmaduke’’ on Sept. 29
• Movie and a Dog Night: Our friends at Urban Beans in central Phoenix hold a monthly movie night on every third Monday. This month’s showing:  “Big Night’’, which is nothing like  “Marmaduke’’.  It’s about a struggling Italian restaurant that decides to bet it all on one “Big Night’’. Great cast. Funny, sweet  movie especially if you have ever had dreams of being your own boss. As always, the delicious Short Leash Hot Dogs will be there as well.

Divertiti!

http://youtu.be/JtmOTYmVNII

Did someone just open a bag of corn chips? Or popcorn?

Nah, the dog just walked into the room.

It’s not your imagination.

Your little poochie’s paws smell like a pack of corn chips. In fact, vets have nicknamed the condition “Frito Feet.’’ (I am sure Frito-Lay is delighted to be associated with the smell of dog feet.)

Anyway, the smelly paws is probably due to naturally occurring bacteria and yeast that collect in the moist folds and pockets of your dog’s feet. The common bacterium Proteus, is known for its particularly yeast-y scent; bacterium Pseudomonas is fruitier smelling. Both bacteria are harmless and do not require treatment unless the odor is overpowering, which could be a sign of an infection.

If the smell is bugging you, wash your dog’s feet.

If there is still a smell after bathing, carefully read the label on your pet’s food. If the main ingredient is corn… like the main ingredient in say, Frito’s, you have found the corn chip smell’s source, according to PetAdvisor.com. Buy a better quality of food that has meat as the main ingredient, the site advises

PetAdvisor also offers this excellent bit of advice: Stop worrying why your dog’s feet smell like Fritos’s – instead, consider why Fritos smell like your dog’s feet

Seen at the Macy’s at Biltmore Fashion Park on Saturday: a Pomeranian in men’s clothes; a Cocker Spaniel mix in purses and a large, Standard Poodle in women’s shoes.

Women’s shoes are on the second floor.

How does a large Standard Poodle get to the second floor?

She takes the elevator, of course.

All dogs were on a leash or being carried by their people.

Looking for other fun places in metro Phoenix to take your dog? 

Summer rains in Arizona have brought more than high humidity and greener deserts: the extra moisture brings mushrooms that pop up over night in your yard.

Are those mushrooms dangerous to your dog?

Vets in northern Arizona have reported several cases this summer of mushroom poisoning in dogs.

Flagstaff veterinarian and Happy Dog Phoenix contributor Monet Martin says the cases she has seen involve some vomiting and diarrhea. Dogs, however, have been known to die from eating mushrooms.

Veterinarians suggest people remove mushrooms from their yards before their dogs start nibbling on them. Pluck the mushroom from the ground rather than kicking it over to avoid just spilling more spores that will create new mushrooms.

If you think your pooch has eaten a mushroom, keep a close eye on her and get her to the vet. It’s also a good idea to take a specimen of the mushroom along so the vet can identify it. The type of mushroom determines how sick your dog is going to get from eating it.

Everyday, the Beagle and I use a nearby city of Phoenix golf course as our dog park/hiking trail. Unlike city parks, there is less food trash for her to investigate and the grass of the course is a lot softer on her old joints than hard-packed dirt trails. We go early to avoid the golfers.

So it’s big news around here to learn that there may be budget cuts at some public golf courses including Palo Verde, Maryvale and Aguila. If you are interested there will be public hearings where you can voice your opinion.

Golf courses not in the city of Phoenix aren’t immune from budget troubles either. The Phoenix metro area is overseeded when it comes to golf courses and there are fewer golfers these days.

What to do? Keep an eye out — just like you do when you are on the course and there are a couple weekend hackers with Big Berthas coming your way. Heads up!

Well, it’s Day 3 of me loving this site: dogshaming, a kind of confessional for people with dogs to anonymously share their dog’s very worst habits.

I think it’s hilarious

But a woman I know says that many of the entries just reveal the stupidty of the people in the house. Plus, she objects to the use “mom” or ‘dad” when describing the relationship between human and dog.

Of course, she doesn’t have a dog now, does she?

I’m still checking out the site daily. And I am thinking of a suitable sign for The Beagle.

We’ve already established that dogs can stretch out and sleep an afternoon away, especially a hot Phoenix afternoon. But does your dog snore when she is zonked out?

Mine does. Like a little tug boat.

Dogs snore for some of the same reason as people snore. And some decidedly canine reasons:

 •Weight: The spare tire around the dog’s middle can push the upper airways closed.
•Nasal Congestion: Colds or allergies can plug up your dog’s nose.
•Having a Flat Face: Bulldogs, Pekingnese and Boston Terriers often have more nasal infections and easier blocked airways than longer nosed breeds. Consequentially, they almost always snore. Beagles, like mine, are known to snore because of the design of their tongue palate
•Cigarette smoke: No, your dog is not sneaking cigs while you are at work. But she could get secondhand smoke from someone in the house who smokes. Tobacco irritates the airways

Should I be worried if my dog snores?
If your dog suddenly starts to shake the house with her snores, yes! And if you notice that she is not her chipper self that could be a sign that she is not getting good quality sleep, despite all the sack time she seems to log.

If her snoring is bothering you and it has been for a while, try changing the shape of her bed.

I’m not sure what a movie about two middle-aged men trying to find the meaning of life through a good Chardonney has to do with dogs but….

It’s the feature film for our friends at Urban Beans. The central Phoenix coffee house opens its patio every  third Monday for their Mov ie and a Dog night.  There are more dogs involved than just your dog, however. The always delicious Short Leash Hot Dogs food truck will be set up as well.

Check out the movie, which begins at twilight. Nosh on the lovely hot dogs and don’t forget the wine!

Bark in the Park, where you can bring your dog to a Arizona Diamondbacks game is back on Aug. 26. You and your dog can sit in a special section of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix and take in the Padres game.

There’s a pre-game Puppy Rally and Puppy Parade on the warning track at Chase Field. There are rules about vaccination and your dog’s age.

To get you in the mood for the game — check out this video — and be grateful that your dog would do nothing like that:

One of my favorite parts of the video is that the minor-league players do very little to help out — guys you are going to have to show more hustle to make it to the show!

Want to learn more about having a good time with your dog at the ballpark?