Thanks, Monica, for sending a game even we Steelers’ fans can cheer about!

This week, we’ve had a nice discussion about the incredible impact service dogs have in people’s lives with our review and giveaway of Sago, A Very Special Service Dog. If you’ve gotten inspired to support service dog work, consider a donation to the Doggie Donation Corps.

The Doggie Donation Corps begs for donations to help fund the costs for provide trained service dogs to wounded Veterans. They’re committed to funding the costs for one Veteran to receive a dog — that’s a whopping $15,000! In case you wonder, “How will a few scrappy dogs POSSIBLY raise that kind of money?” you should know that the Doggie Donation Corps is almost two-thirds of the way to their goal. We received a nice boost this week, thanks to a very generous donation from our friends at Pawsitive Thoughts.

You can join the Doggie Donation Corps by making a donation to the Pawz For Wounded Veterans program that trains and provides service dogs to disabled Veterans at no charge to the Veteran. They also providing free, ongoing support to make sure the pairing between service person and dog is successful. These dogs help provide physical and emotional support to these individuals to help wounded Veterans regain the independence they deserve.

Who’s going to help us hit the $10K mark? Tell me about your donation to help push us to our goal.

Did you know….
- The Centers for Disease Control estimates that one in 100 people has epilepsy.
- One in ten people will experience a seizure at some point in their lives.
- Epilepsy is the third most common condition treated by neurologists, after Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
- Interestingly, in seniors, Alzheimer’s disease and strokes are the most common causes of seizures.
- Most seizures occur without an obvious, correctable cause for both humans and dogs, but it’s important to make sure seizures are not a sign of some other illness.

You can catch our discussion starting February 4th at the My Buddy Butch show. Since we spoke, Butch has been doing very well, proving it’s important to get seizures evaluated and treated early.

Check out my free low-calorie cranberry juice giveaway. You may win a 64-ounce bottle of yummy and health-promoting juice.

Back cover blurb

Check out my free low-calorie cranberry juice giveaway. You may win a 64-ounce bottle of yummy and health-promoting juice.

Tonight, we’ll be reviewing the recently published findings from our large therapy dog study evaluating how adding a therapy dog to a waiting room helps patients, their friends and family, and the staff reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety, and pain. Wheatie will be on hand to answer questions, as well! WOOF, WOOF!

Check out my free low-calorie cranberry juice giveaway. You may win a 64-ounce bottle of yummy and health-promoting juice.

As you know, here at Fit As Fido we stand in awe of the incredible work of service dogs. Their work is highlighted in The Power of Wagging Tails and my terriers formed the motley Doggie Donation Corps, which begs for donations to fund service dogs for wounded Veterans. We also keep you updated on service dog work across the pond in the UK with our good friends Allen and EJ at Hounds for Heroes.

Sago, A Very Special Service Dog explains the incredible work of service dogs to children in an educational, informative, and humor-filled book that’s just on the right level for sharing with kids. The book describes disabilities that people might have in down-to-earth language that will make both children and adults sharing this story feel comfortable. Throwing in snippets of humor keeps the tone appropriately light and enjoyable and provides great opportunities to open discussions throughout the book.

Beth similarly describes the important work performed by service dogs and the proper behavior to have around service dogs beautifully. Several of my friends with service dogs become frustrated when parents encourage their children to “play” with the service dog, not recognizing that a service dog seeming to be sitting quietly is really performing active work and shouldn’t be distracted. This book will teach both adults and children how and why to properly respect the work of these amazing dogs.

At the end of her book, Beth has additional information for grown-ups about service dogs, search and rescue dogs, and even therapy dogs. These added paragraphs will be very helpful to adults sharing this book with children to help them become more knowledgeable about the important, but very different types of jobs performed by each of these dogs.

This book will make a wonderful addition to any child’s library and is not just a book for kids who know someone with a service dog. You often see service dogs in public and may wonder, “Why does that person have a service dog? What’s that dog doing for that person? I thought service dogs were just for people who were blind.” This book will answer those questions and more. And I bet many children will get inspired to work on training the family pet to perform some of these same skills and possibly consider a career working with dogs. This is definitely a terrific resource for starting discussions about people with disabilities, service dogs, and how humans and dogs work together to help each other.

You’ll definitely want a copy of Sago, A Very Special Service Dog for that special child in your life. Leave your comment after this blog and you might be one of my five lucky winners! Eligible winners are those posting comments between today and the end of day Friday. Happy reading!

Help celebrate our hard working troops with a donation to the Doggie Donation Corps.
Every dollar collected by the Doggie Donation Corps is directly donated to non-profit, service dog training organization, Canine Support Teams, for their Pawz For Wounded Veterans program providing trained service dogs to injured military Veterans at no charge to the Veteran. Ask me how to make YOUR donation and help the Doggie Donation Corps reach their goal.

In October, Bella was selected to be a spokespup for 1-800-PetMeds and her popularity soared! PetMeds has now offered her a Bella blog on their site, where she can share her wisdom and humor. Can’t wait to see her posts. Who knew those little Pomeranian toes could sew AND type! Bella, you’re amazing!

Notes from Bella’s assistant:
As Pombassador and Fundraiser for Southern California Pomeranian Rescue, Bella has raised over $10,000 in donations for the rescue with her popular Bella Blankie Project. Her mommy has sewn 476 blankies and gifts them to donors. SCPR rescued and placed over 200 Pomeranian and Pomeranian mix dogs during 2011.

Bella is also a TV star, appearing in the 1-800-PetMeds commercial that began airing in October of 2011. She won the coveted spot in the PetMeds facebook contest for the Next Pet TV Star and donated her $1000 cash prize to Southern California Pomeranian Rescue. She will be writing a weekly blog for PetMeds in which she hopes to share her life with her readers and encourage people to adopt their pets from rescue.

Click on the “SHOP” button at the Southern CA Pom Rescue site to order your Bella blankie, fashioned by this famous Pom. Your dog will get a wonderful blanket and you’ll be helping Pom resuce.

Last weekend, we spent a lovely and totally Fit As Fido weekend backpacking from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon in the beautiful Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania. The weather was perfect — cool, crisp, and clear skies with just a light coating of snow on the ground. This meant we could backpack in just hats, gloves, and shirts and the wheatens didn’t have to worry about ticks or mud. Perfection! The terriers kept their feet free of clumping snow balls with their boots and were easy to see with their new blaze orange capes. (Thanks, Donna, for super suggestions!)

After a beautiful hike through the woods, our trail went through the Seven Springs ski resort. And when I saw “through” I mean we crossed several slopes as curious and amazing skiers looked twice wondering if those were REALLY soft-coated wheaten terriers out for a day on the slopes. It was a bit intimidating standing atop black diamond trails with skiers and snow boarders barreling down the slopes, but we timed our sojourn to avoid oncoming skiers and luckily remained upright as we dashed across the ski trails. While we waited, some folks on the ski lift called down, “We love wheaten terriers!” Wheaten fan clubs where ever we go! Wheatie absolutely loved it on the slopes. While Toby proudly jaunted across, Wheatie put his head down in the snow, made a few terrier snow angels, and them pushed himself forward with his back feet, pushing his face through the snow. I think he actually felt like he was skiing. As one skier sailed past, he quipped, “I can get you a set of skis for that dog! He’s a great skier!” Once on the side of the slopes, numerous skiers stopped on their descents for some wheaten loving — therapeutic services on the slopes from the therapy terriers! My husband said we should have tied barrels under the dogs’ chins like the St. Bernards. I wondered how many wives would be looking at their husbands skeptically, wondering how many hot toddies they’d consumed in the lodge, when they came home announcing, “Honey, I saw the cutest and fluffiest doggies on the ski slopes today!”

Some unexpected ski bunnies (or terriers, in this case!)

Get your Kindle versions of Fit As Fido and The Power of Wagging Tails
Shop Amazon’s New Kindle Fire

We’ll be looking forward to hearing more about the amazing work and exciting adventures on which our friend Endal Junior takes his partner Allen. And if you’re not up to speed on the whole incredible Allen and Endal story, read this and learn how a broken man and not-so-perfect pup teamed up to change lives.

Laptop sale at Amazon

Shop Amazon Computers – Introducing Ultrabooks

In The Power of Wagging Tails, we meet Kerri and her delightful Rottweiler therapy dog Dillon:

“Dillon started obedience training at seven weeks of age. In puppy kindergarten, the class practiced ‘pass the puppy,’ and Dillon nipped at three people. Kerri took this seriously and worked on training to reduce aggressive behaviors. Aft er a few weeks, Dillon understood how to greet strangers appropriately. Kerri continued to train Dillon over the next four years in obedience and Rally classes that promote teamwork
between the dog and handler and help train the dog to crisply perform obedience and other skills on a testing course during competitions. Dillon grew up to be a lovable, social dog, and Kerri trained him for therapy dog work. Dillon has a special affinity for working with children. At one crisis center, Dillon acts as a go-between to help parents reconnect with children who have been living at the center without their parents.

“Kerri’s commitment to training resulted in both a wonderful therapy dog and great helper around the house who picks up dropped items, finds a lost remote or shoes, and even helps carry in the groceries.”

(Chapter 3)

Laying down is a very difficult command for many puppies and one of the hardest for my terriers to learn. Wheatie would lower himself near the floor and then hover, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice for weeks before I could finally get him down. For my dogs, showing them a treat and moving the treat down and backward between their front legs to lure them to the ground was the most effective technique for starting the “down” command.