Pet talk

Just before leaving for her trip to

Nowadays, making sure your pets are cared for after your death is pretty common.  And you don’t have to be a Leona Helmsley either.  Most people instruct the heirs to find good homes for the pets, or to care for them out of a fund left to the animal itself.  In fact lawyers now report that it is fairly common for people to leave up to a million dollars in pet trusts.    

Since 1998, 39 states have passed laws that have made leaving money for pet care legal.  And in 1993 Texas A&M started taking reservations for a pet care facility like none other in the

Pet retirement homes are springing up now to fulfill the need for ageing boomers who are concerned about their pet’s futures.  Remember if you are considering a home for your pet instead of assigning a trustee and caretaker; make sure the company is above board.  You need to do your homework just as you would if you were considering a home for a human family member. 

Ever decide to take a trip and then wonder how the whole “family” (all the pets) can go with you?  I guess I am not alone in that regard and there is a website to prove it.

Dogcars.com is a website that rates cars on the ability to comfortably transport the pets as well as the human members of the family.  They rated the Honda Element as being the best—and from the picture, I agree.

I guess if you are transporting a wallaby or a mini horse your requirements would be a little different.  But for animals kept in square cages this car looks pretty pet friendly. 

I bought a Dodge Caravan based solely on the fact that all the dogs could get in it without help and ride without touching each other.  I see that this car is also listed on the website as being a runner up.  Unfortunately, the car was a lemon and the pets and I didn’t ever get too far from home before it would just stop running.  (After a trip to the dealer and not finding a problem, that car went to an auction!) 

But the reviewers on this website are right; the Caravan was great for all my pets—it never matters to them where we are going.  Just getting in the car and riding around is the best it can get.

Every holiday, Greenfield Village puts on a event called the Holiday Nights and the Eagle Tavern Dinner.  The village comes alive with 4 performance stages, ice skateting, shopping, fireworks, carriage and model T rides, strolling performers, and a personal visit from Santa!  The dinner is an authentic period meal served in the Eagle tavern, a real 1850’s stagecoach stop. 

Of course something this fun sells out pretty quickly and all the tickets are gone for this year.  Except for 2 lucky people who win their tickets from the Monroe Humane Society’s raffle going on right now.  Just get yourself to their booth in the Frenchtown mall this weekend and enter by Saturday (the dinner is for 5pm on Sunday).  In fact, enter a bunch of times because even if you don’t win, you will be donating to a great organization.  Normally these tickets go for $65.00 per person and it includes admission into the village and all the entertainment.  Even the skate rental is included! 

Do the homeless animals in Monroe county a favor and think of them this Christmas.  If you can’t get to the mall to enter the raffle, then mail in a donation today.  Or better yet, go down to the shelter and adopt a new family member.  I can’ t think of a better Christmas present!

People are always asking me for recommendations on dog trainers.  And luckily, I have two that I can highly recommend.

For basic dog obediance, I suggest Karen Murphy of Karen’s Canines.  Both Kia (my rescued female Boxer) and myself have taken classes from Karen and we actually learned things.   Well, I learned things and I taught them to Kia, but the effect was the same:  a calmer dog who does know how to sit even though she pretends she doesnt.  We took the basic puppy class at a local school and at the end Kia even got a graduation certificate.  I was quite impressed. 

Several years later I went with my friend Ellen to visit Karen and she even remembered me.  I have trouble remembering peoples names two minutes after meeting them and she remembered my name years later!

Then two summers ago, my husband decided that he wanted to try Kia in agility training.  So we packed up Kia and headed over to Chris Allen’s farm Atair Acres.  There Kia tried to learn to jump poles, go through a cloth tube, twist her body though a series of upright poles, and sit on a platform.  But her heart wasnt really into it.  Chris had a full class that day and Kia was way more interested in the other dogs than doing any of those stunts.  Finally we agreed that because of her tortured past she was just too stressed out to deal with the obstacle course.  Of course Chris did not say it, but Boxers are not known for their agility abilities anyway…..

Chris also trains and shows Arabian horses and runs a boarding stable as well.  If she is not at a dog show, she spends her time riding and driving her horses.  Come to think of it so does Karen.  She too is an accomplished horsewoman and rides and drives her horses.  Maybe that is why I like them so much…….

You can see Chris Allen at:  www.atairacres.com and can visit Karen Murphy at:  www.karenscanines.com

The American Kennel Club is the oldest dog registry in the US.  And not all dog breeds make the cut with the AKC.  Other kennel clubs have cropped up to register the dogs that don’t make it into the AKC–like the United Kennel Club, (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA).  

The new breeds are:  The Swedish Valhund which looks like a cross between a Corgi and a German Shepherd.  Very cute.  The Beauceron, which looks like a slenderized version of a Rottie.  This dog even has a similar evolution as the Rottie.  And lastly, the Tibetan Mastiff, which looks like a cross between a Rottie and a Chow.  Very fluffy and very big–up to 140 pounds.

 Just because your dog is not registered it does not mean that your dog is inferior.  The best pets tend to be hybrids anyway–those Heinz 57 animals that have the best of qualities of several breeds and the worst qualites of none. 

Let’s face it.  Buying Christmas gifts for pets is fun.  But some things can be taken off that list right now.

The first one is all those high fat and high calorie treats.  Most pets range from slightly pudgy to down right rotund, and they do not need those extra calories.  So put those cute little doggie doughnuts back and go for a reflective leash for those early evening walks.  Hey, the dog will love you even more if he gets to spend more time with you!

Another useless item is the cute stuffed toy.  They are so irresistible that I even broke down and bought one for my dogs.  When I gave it to them I quickly realized that the toy would only last about 3.8 seconds and could cause a choking hazard when its cute little button eyes got ripped off its head.  Giving these types of toys to animals that routinely destroy cloth items only will cause heartache (or more probably a stomachache) later on.  Resist the cute, and go for durable toys that your pets can not easily destroy.  They last longer, and are safer in the long run.

And finally the biggest waste of money I have seen this season:  At Home Doggy & Kittycat Daycare DVD’s.  These are movies that you plug into your DVD player just as you are leaving the house.  The thought is that the pets will watch the movie and not even know you are gone.  Be real!  Most pets do not even watch TV.  Occasionally someone will tell me about their pet that actually does—but let me tell you that they will not be watching while you are gone.  If you think your pet needs some company, either get another companion pet, or leave a radio on.   I vote for the companion pet.  Wouldn’t that be the BEST Christmas gift ever?

Lets here it for councilman Stephen Kunselman!!  The Ann Arbor Democrat has introduced a measure to allow private homes in AA the option of keeping chickens in their backyards.  I guess he has visited Key West where chickens run free and are considered neighborhood pets.  He proposed the keeping of only hens which rule out rude, early morning awakenings by roosters.  Without the crowing, how could anyone vote no that that?

Now if AA allows chickens, how about places like Luna Pier, Frenchtown, and Bedford??