101 Gift Ideas For Dogs & The People Who Love Them

The three dogs you see here are (in order) Jezabelle (recently deceased), Lucky the spaz (Fur Person) and Nakita (the dominatrix). Nakita is a German Shepherd/Akita/Chow Mix (Yikes, three aggressive breeds rolled into one), but we love her. She is sweet and loving, just not good with kids or other dogs outside her pack. Lucky, the Lab is as much a spaz as he can be. Anyone who is under the impression that labs are mellow dogs, let me just say, you could not be more wrong! Jezabelle was extremely smart and sweet. Great with kids, but afraid of other dogs. She loved to play, and unlike lucky actually returned the ball after you threw it. She was a great watch dog, but not overly barky. She is greatly missed.

I hope dogs bring as much joy to your lives as they do to mine!

Want to memorialize your pet? Leave a note in the Guestbook at the bottom of this lens. Tell us about your special pet (alive or deceased) dog, cat, horse.... or any pet that touched your life!

Toilet paper is not one of them, but I could not resist this cute photo. My dog (lab) does this to the toilet paper if he gets a chance. He also enjoys running around with discarded socks and underwear (yuck)!

10 Things Your Dog Should Never Eat:

1. Grapes & Raisins: Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys.

2. Macadamia Nuts: Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle.

3. Mushrooms: Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.

4. Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, and other Caffeine: Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems.

5. Onions & Garlic (raw, cooked, or powder): Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Garlic is less toxic than onions.

6. Xylitol (artificial sweetener): Can cause liver failure.

7. Alcoholic Beverages: Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.

8. Avocadoes: Avocados contain a substance called persin. It's harmless for humans who aren't allergic. But it's highly toxic in most animals, including dogs. Just a little can cause your dog to vomit and have diarrhea.

9. Fat Trimmings (cooked or uncooked): Fat trimmings from meats dangerous for dogs. Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs.

10. Raw Meats & Eggs: Raw meat and raw fish, like raw eggs, can contain bacteria that causes food poisoning. Certain kinds of fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can contain a parasite that causes "fish disease." If not treated, the disease can be fatal within 2 weeks. The first signs of illness are vomiting, fever, and big lymph nodes. Thoroughly cooking the fish will kill the parasite and protect your dog.

It is a good idea to keep your dog out of the pantry. There are many things in there that can harm them. For instance, baking powder and baking soda are both highly toxic. So are nutmeg and other spices. Keep all foods your dog may be interested in on the higher shelves, and always close the pantry door. It is also a good idea not to keep dog treats in your pantry, as this will cause them to want to go in there and sniff about if given the opportunity.

Puppies:
Pros: A clean slate, you get to form their experience of things and people
Full of energy and fun
Adorable

Cons:
Need to Be Potty Trained
May Chew, Dig and ravage personal items in your home
Can be noisy at night t when left alone
Need More vaccinations as a Puppy than and Adult Dog, Which is more costly
Need lots of exercise and attention

Adults:
Pro: Are Usually house broken
Past the destructive stage (Digging, chewing)
Need less vaccinations
Can defend the home, guard dog (in some cases)
Require less attention and exercise (although every dog should be walked at least once a day)
Can be left unsupervised for longer periods than puppies

Cons:
May have previous owner issues, behavioral issues (trust issues)
Eat more than puppies
May be harder to integrate into house with existing dogs

I have always adopted Adult dogs myself. This is not because I do not like puppies, but because I know the puppies have a much more likely chance of getting adopted than an adult dog, so I always go for the ones on their last days on death row. Saving a life is more important to me than cuteness.

I personally feel that a lot of people do not realize what they are getting into when they adopt or purchase a puppy. Puppies are a lot of work, and there will be accidents and a learning curve. I think a lot of people forget this and when they realize the puppy is peeing, pooping and chewing all over, they get frustrated and give up. Puppies are a commitment, and people need to be aware of the time and effort puppies need to become a great pet. People who work 8-10 hours a day 5-6 days a week should not be getting a puppy. You cannot leave a puppy in a crate or backyard for 8-10 hours a day. They will find something to entertain themselves.

This is why I prefer the Adult Dogs. They are usually house broken, past the chewing on furniture and people stage and although it sounds strange, they can honestly be grateful. Now if the dog is younger than 3-4 years they may dig a bit i the yard. Almost all of my adopts under that age did, but that is just part of having a dog. A few of them did have trust issues, but we just gave them time to learn to trust us, and they became the best dogs ever.

A word of caution though, if you have children, be very cautious when adopting an adult dog that may has an unknown past. Most adult dogs consider children the same as they do puppies, and if the child does something the dog does not like, they may try to discipline the child as they would a puppy. This can result in bites, which is neither good for the child or the dog. Make sure the dog is okay with kids, some of mine were not, and I know this and so I do not let them around kids. I don't think this was because of any bad experience with kids, some dogs just do not like kids pawing and tugging on them.

Know your dog and take responsibility for them. If they are not good with kids, don't let them around kids. If they are not good with other dogs, don't let them around other dogs. Don't just get rid of them. Be responsible, take responsibility. Be very careful when introducing a kids to a new dog. DO NOT let the child bend down and put their face up to the dogs face. This is a direct challenge to a dog, and not something an adult would tolerate from a puppy.

Puppies can't control their bladders overnight until they are at least four months old.

People with more than one dog should not try to treat them all equally. Because pack position is important to a dog, this only encourages jealousy.

Dogs chew up your socks and underwear because they smells like you.

One in every three US families owns one or more dogs. France is the country with the second highest dog ownership. Germany and Switzerland have the fewest dog owners.

The common belief that dogs are color blind is untrue. Dogs can see color but it is not as vivid as we see.

A dog's sense of smell is about 1000 times better than ours.

Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.

Greyhounds are the most ancient breed of dog.

German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog. Surprising isn't it.

Body harnesses actually encourage pulling. While they may seem like they give you more control, the pressure points on a harness make your dog respond by pulling forward.

Dogs dislike being bored and easily get into trouble when left to their own devices. Think of creative ways to keep your dog's mind entertained.

Dogs often react differently to males and females.

Dogs know you as much by your scent as by sight. They will feel secure when left alone if you provide them with a soft object that smells like you. (A sweatshirt, T-Shirt, Blanket, etc.)

Dogs do sometimes get jealous. They may try and interrupt a hugging couple or bark for attention when you are on the telephone!

Dogs communicate a lot with their tails. Different wags can mean different things. An aggressive dog may wag their tail, but it will be held high wag rapidly. A playful dog will also hold his tail high, but it will wag in big strokes from side to side. Meanwhile a dog that is afraid will hold his tail low and may wag it stiffly back and forth