Doggy Lama Blog

We’re Looking for an Experienced Dog Walker for to Join Our Team

Friday, January 20, 2012

We are looking for one group-hike dog walker to join our team. He or she must have at least two years of professional experience working with dogs, (in a dog kennel, doggy day care, dog walker, animal shelter, or as a dog trainer).  We currently have six dog walkers who walk dogs on leash and in the hills in Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Piedmont.

You can find out more information about Doggy Lama Pet Care here: Web site: http://www.doggylamapetcare.com Daily photo updates: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doggylama/ Yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/7oPSx23J1EKQ1pavqcYsWw

About the position

We will train you to walk dogs for us and, if you haven’t already gone to the Dog Walking Academy, we will partially subsidize you to get trained through that program on dog behavior, body language, and pack management, as well as Pet CPR and Pet First Aid. We will continue to support you as you become more confident walking groups of dogs. The eventual goal will be for you to walk up to two groups of dogs per day. The maximum number of dogs in each group is six. You will be an independent contractor (IC), so you will be responsible for your own health insurance, vehicle, dog leashes, etc. One of the strengths of Doggy Lama is that we’re a team. If you need help with your dogs at the last minute because you have car problems or you want to take a vacation, we’re here to help you.

Requirements

You must be available between 9am-4pm Monday through Friday.

You have a reliable SUV, station wagon, or truck with camper shell that can accommodate 6 medium to large dogs.

You have a good driving record and insurance.

You can walk dogs rain or shine. (When it’s raining out, our clients need us more than ever!)

You can pass a criminal/background check.

You have some comfort and familiarity with computers and the Internet (We send regular email updates and use Google Calendar for your schedule.)

You have a cell phone that you can leave on during working hours and you can return calls from the office or other team members on the same day.

You have excellent references.

You have at least two years experience working with dogs—this would ideally be as a professional, but perhaps also as a volunteer.

You must be at least 18 years old.

You must be able to make a minimum commitment of 1 year.

You live in the East Bay.

You are very responsible. Our clients consider their pets to be important family members—this is not a “slacker” job in any way.

Compensation —Group dog walks We pay 60% of the gross of what the clients pay us. For hour-long group walks, the clients pay $25/walk if the dog gets walked Monday through Friday and $27/walk if the dog gets walked fewer than 5x/week. This comes out to be $15-$16.20 per dog for up to six dogs. For a full group of six dogs, it usually takes an hour to pick them up, an hour out on the trails, and an hour to drop them off. We care about the environment and your time and stress level, so we will try to make your driving distance as small as possible. Here’s another way to think about it:

# of dogs in group:/Pay range for group:/Approximate time needed:

3—$45 to 49.50—2.5 hours

4—$60 to $66—2.75 hours

5—$75 to $82.50—3 hours

6—$90 to $97.20—3 hours

If you have the energy, skills, and interest, we can build you up to two groups of dogs per day, but unless you already have experience as a professional dog walker, you should expect to walk only one group per day for at least a couple months.

—Drop-in visits We charge $35/half-hour for a drop-in visit or individual dog walk. You would make 60% of that, or $21. Please do not apply to do drop-in visits only—our primary need right now is for dog walkers and drop-ins are something the walker could do only in addition to dog walking.

How to Apply

Please send your resume, at least 3 references, and a cover letter that tells us about your experience with dogs to doggylamapetcare gmail.com. Please tell us whether you come to us through a friend or acquaintance, Facebook, or Craigslist ad.

We hope to hear from you!

Thanks,

Doggy Lama Pet Care

Heathy Obsession: A Weekend Dog-Hiker Turns Her Hobby into Full-Time Fun

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Molly Kenefick is 43 years old and spends 20-25 hours a week hiking dogs in the East Bay hills. She’s worked on Wall Street and in high tech, and once bicycled across the country for charity, but now that she owns Doggy Lama Pet Care, Molly sees herself walking dogs for the next 20 or so years—that is if she ever stops walking dogs!

How you found it: Hiking with my dogs in the outdoors has been my hobby for 20 years. I had a horseback riding accident about eight years ago and as a result can’t sit down comfortably for very long. I gave up my job as a high tech writer/editor in San Jose, which involved a long commute and sitting at my desk all day, to turn my dog-walking hobby into my full-time job.

Greatest benefit: There’s a “tie.” Hiking in the outdoors with well-behaved dogs is a natural de-stressor and anti-depressant. (I struggled with anxiety and depression when I worked in the corporate world.) On a lighter note, I lost 20 lbs. and can now fit into my high school jeans—although I wouldn’t wear them because they are so out of style!

Where you do it: I hike mostly in the Oakland and Berkeley hills on East Bay Regional Park District trails, and occasionally in Strawberry Canyon and Claremont Canyon. On weekends I often take dogs up to my trailer at Dillon Beach, which is private dog-friendly beach in Northern Marin county.

Most annoying thing people assume about your obsession: That “anyone” can walk dogs or that this is a “slacker” job. It’s not easy to control up to six dogs at a time off leash, and I take my job seriously. I went through a program called the Dog Walking Academy, where I learned about dog body language, behavior, and pack management. I read books, watch videos, and talk to dog trainers regularly. It takes a lot of energy and knowledge to use positive reinforcement to control a dog pack to also to have a positive impact on the outdoors experience for other park users (joggers, bicyclists, and people walking without dogs).

Any advice: Follow your bliss. Just beware that if you turn your beloved hobby into your business, you might have to find another hobby. I still haven’t found one. So far I have failed to embrace knitting and salsa dancing, so when I need to have fun I just take the dogs out on another hike!

* * * * *

(Note: I wrote this piece to submit it to the “Healthy Obsession” column in the SF Chronicle. Unfortunately, the column was discontinued just before I submitted it, so I’m re-purposing the material here!)

My Nightmare Came True: A Christmas Boarding Dog Came Down with Kennel Cough!

Friday, December 23, 2011

We’re busy boarding dogs during the summer and over Thanksgiving, but there’s no doubt that Christmas is the busiest time of the year for us. As someone who boards dogs, my nightmare scenario is that one of the (four dogs) I board over the holidays comes down with a contagious condition like kennel cough. This year my nightmare came true!

Although it’s very contagious, kennel cough is not a very serious condition for most dogs that get it (more information below)—it’s similar to the common cold we humans get. We were fortunate to find out before he came to us that Colby the golden retriever was sick, probably with kennel cough. After conferring with some of his favorite humans, (his mom and dad are in South America and unable to be reached,) and getting the vet’s confirmation that he did indeed have kennel cough, we decided to keep Colby in his home and give him three visits per day: two hour-long leash walks (one in the morning, one before bed) and one midday snuggle/potty break visit. Luckily, Colby only needs care for a few days, and this is a scenario similar to his regular during-the-work-week schedule. By the way, Colby was up to date with his bordatella vaccine, which reduces dogs’ risk of coming down with the virus after exposure.

Here’s some more information about kennel cough:

When a dog contracts kennel cough, symptoms may appear anywhere from 3 to 10 days after exposure. Dogs with kennel cough usually act fine as far as activity levels, appetite, and general attitude. While the cough may sound serious, this infection is often harmless and most dogs recover uneventfully in a week or so, much like the human cold. There is usually no need for treatment, although an anti-inflammatory may be prescribed to reduce the severity and frequency of the coughs. While a dog is recovering, it is recommended to leave the dog without a collar (or anything else around their neck) to lessen irritation to the throat and help reduce coughing.

Dogs are given antibiotics if the dog is not eating, is running a fever, or is showing signs of respiratory difficulty. Generally it is in puppies, senior dogs, or dogs that have a compromised immune system, that these more severe symptoms occur.

It is very rare that kennel cough would cross over to humans, however it is wise to take extra care with hygiene if there are children or adults that are have a compromised immune system in your household.

There is more information on kennel cough here: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-kennel-cough.aspx

My deepest thanks go out to our office manager, Marianne Hockenberry, for her help with this post and handling this crisis!

Dog Walkers Beware: High Wind Advisory Tomorrow

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

(I sent this out to all the Doggy Lama walkers and also posted it on local listservs that dog handlers read.)

Hey guys, there’s a powerful windstorm coming into the Bay Area tonight that’s supposed to last through tomorrow. NE winds 25-40 mph with occasional gusts to 50 mph. Bay Area hills will get up to over 70 mph over exposed ridges and peaks!

Related dangers can be downed trees/branches, power outages, blowing debris on roads, and dangerous driving conditions. It might be best to avoid trails with lots of trees overhead. Please keep dogs on leash that might be easily spooked. I think I’ll walk Pt. Isabel tomorrow—please tell me your other ideas about safe(r) places to walk!

If u feel like it’s unsafe to walk your dogs at any time, we can just give them a pee break outside, but let me know so we can tell the clients!

Call or text me if u need my help at any time. Thanks for reading.

Take care, Molly

Looking for an Experienced East Bay Dog Walker

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

About Doggy Lama Pet Care

People like us. We were voted “Best High-Tech Doggie Care” by the East Bay Express in 2007. San Francisco magazine voted us one of the “Top 5 Places to Board Your Dog” in 2008. We have twenty 5-star reviews on Yelp.com and clients love our Flickr site, where we post new pictures daily of Doggy Lama dogs out on the trails and beaches.

Our main services are dog walking and in-home dog boarding although we also do some drop-in visits for pets. We have six dog walkers who walk dogs in Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, and Richmond. We have an unusual style of dog boarding—we board 2-4 dogs each in 5 East Bay homes, where we keep the dogs with us constantly and don’t crate them unless they come with their own crates. We exercise boarding dogs for a minimum of one hour/day out on the trails.

We are looking for 1-2 dog walkers to join our team. The primary need is for group dog walks, although if our new dog walkers are interested in boarding, drop-in visits, or individual dog walks, those are options, too.

You can find out more information about Doggy Lama Pet Care here: Web site: http://www.doggylamapetcare.com Daily photo updates: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doggylama/ Yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/7oPSx23J1EKQ1pavqcYsWw

About the position

We will train you to walk dogs for us and, if you haven’t already gone to the Dog Walking Academy, we will partially subsidize you to get trained through that program on dog behavior, body language, and pack management, as well as Pet CPR and Pet First Aid. We will continue to support you as you become more confident walking groups of dogs. The eventual goal will be for you to walk up to two groups of dogs per day. The maximum number of dogs in each group is six. You will be an independent contractor (IC), so you will be responsible for your own health insurance, vehicle, dog leashes, etc. One of the strengths of Doggy Lama is that we’re a team. If you need help with your dogs at the last minute because you have car problems or you want to take a vacation, we’re here to help you.

Requirements

You must be available between 9am-4pm Monday through Friday.

You have a reliable car or truck that can accommodate 4-6 medium to large dogs.

You have a good driving record and insurance.

You can walk dogs rain or shine. (When it’s raining out, our clients need us more than ever!)

You can pass a criminal/background check.

You have some comfort and familiarity with computers and the Internet (We send regular email updates and use Google Calendar for your schedule.)

You have a cell phone that you can leave on during working hours.

You have excellent references.

You have extensive experience working with dogs—this can be in the professional, personal, or volunteer realm.

You must be at least 18 years old.

You must be able to make a minimum commitment of 1 year.

You live in the East Bay.

You are very responsible. Our clients consider their pets to be important family members—this is not a “slacker” job in any way.

Compensation

—Group dog walks

We pay 60% of the gross of what the clients pay us. For hour-long group walks, the clients pay $25/walk if the dog gets walked Monday through Friday and $27/walk if the dog gets walked fewer than 5x/week. This comes out to be $15-$16.20 per dog for up to six dogs. For a full group of six dogs, it usually takes an hour to pick them up, an hour out on the trails, and an hour to drop them off. We care about the environment and your time and stress level, so we will try to make your driving distance as small as possible. Here’s another way to think about it:

# of dogs in group:/Pay range for group:/Approximate time needed:

3—$45 to 49.50—2.5 hours

4—$60 to $66—2.75 hours

5—$75 to $82.50—3 hours

6—$90 to $97.20—3 hours

If you have the energy, skills, and interest, we can build you up to two groups of dogs per day, but unless you already have experience as a professional dog walker, you should expect to walk only one group per day for at least a couple months.

—Drop-in visits

We charge $35/half-hour for a drop-in visit or individual dog walk. You would make 60% of that, or $21.

Please do not apply to do drop-in visits only—our primary need right now is for dog walkers and drop-ins are something the walker could do only in addition to dog walking.

—Boarding

We charge $50-$55/dog/day for in-home boarding. You would make 60% of that, or $30-33/dog.

Please do not apply for boarding position only—our primary need is for dog walkers. Boarding is something we can talk about doing with the new dog walker to supplement his or her income.

How to Apply

Please send your resume, at least 3 references, and a cover letter that tells us about your experience with dogs to: . Please tell us how you heard about this job.

We hope to hear from you!

Thanks,

Nicki, Office Manager and Molly, Top Dog

A 6/10 of a Million Dollar Dog

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I saw this on SFGate today and found it a pretty interesting phenomenon.

This big, drooling dog is worth more than your home: Probably a lot more, if your abode prices at the Bay Area median or lower. The woman, who gave her name only as Wang, bought the Tibetan mastiff for $600,000 from a seller in China’s northwest Qinghai Province.

Photo: AFP / Getty Images—I saw it here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2009/09/10/dip.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2009%2F09%2F10%2Fba-china-lifesty_0500576433.jpg

Cool Oakland and Berkeley Trails for Hot Weather

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Here are a few cool spots to walk dogs in hot weather. They’re also great because they don’t have tons of foxtails, which can be very dangerous to pets.

Sausal Creek in Oakland: Go to El Centro between Benvenides and the entrance to the Dimond Recreation Center—look for the pedestrian crosswalk and the trail head is right there. This isn’t a very long trail but it is beautiful and cool since it’s beside a creek and goes up a canyon. It’s a flat trail so it’s great for senior/disabled pups and people. You’re not supposed to let dogs in the water so the rainbow trout population can flourish, so I don’t usually let dogs off leash, or I go there with dogs who aren’t water dogs. There are a couple “swimming holes” where some people let their dogs swim, but if you get caught with a dog in the creek, you could get fined. It’s a little gem of a trail.

The Bridgeview Trail in Oakland: Go to Monterey Blvd. between Leimert Blvd. and the Montclair Golf Course—look for a trash can and a trailhead sign. This is actually the trail up above Sausal Creek and it crosses the creek. Go in and head down, down, down the trail. You’ll cross Sausal Creek and then to the right the trail will take you back up, up, up via a series of switchbacks. At the top of the switchbacks and the cement stairs, go to the right and keep following the path. Some poison oak. Shady and cool. Dogs are supposed to be on leash here, although many people walk their dogs off leash. It seems as if I hear that occasionally OPD does a “sting” and writes a bunch of tickets. They write a ticket for each off-leash dog, so it can get expensive for a dog walker walking a group—for that reason I rarely do this trail with dogs off leash. 

There are two places to turn around:

—Turn around after you cross over a little wooden bridge with metal handrails, after that (3 mins walk) you will see a trail head sign on the right. Just after that, the foxtails get horrendous. Don’t go any further if you want to avoid them.

—You can also go down the trail to the right as you see the trailhead sign. There are lots of switchbacks that will take you down to Sausal Creek again. You’ll be above where the official trail ends when you enter from El Centro. When you get down to just above the water, take a left. When the trail forks soon—take a left again into some ivy-covered green areas. The creek is underground but will appear again soon. As you go down the switchbacks, you might want to put your dog on leash. I try really hard to keep dogs on the trail because there are intense erosion problems here. The same goes for the switchbacks at the beginning of the trail.

There is another entrance at the end of Bridgeview Dr. (other end of block is at Leimert) but that end is full of foxtails so I avoid it in the summer and fall. In the spring it is super nice—there’s a big meadow and it’s a neighborhood dog-people gathering spot.

Strawberry Canyon in the Berkeley hills above Cal: There are two cool spots without too many foxtails—the green, shady hillside (no particular name that I know of) and thedeeply shady, moist Woodbridge Metcalfe Grove. These are on either side of the fire trail. There is not a water feature without foxtails, although if you enter SC from Stadium Way (parking lot on right after you pass the Cal swimming pool), there is a great spot to swim in. There’s a also mud along the trail that I’m a little freaked about letting dogs in—possible problems with mud: leptospirosis and guardia (sp?)—but sometimes they get in some mud despite my best efforts at avoiding it. I’m going to give you a spot to start, but possibly I should show you around up there if we can figure out a time that works for us both. I enter from the intersection of Panoramic Place and Panoramic Way, just a little bit to the right on Panoramic Way (minimizes time in foxtail-land before getting to green hilly area).

The Albany Bulb beach (part of the Eastshore Park) in Albany is also great when it’s hot. I always bring my own fresh water to minimize dogs’ drinking salt water.

The Lone Oak Trail at Tilden Park in Berkeley is cool and lovely but you have to keep your pup on leash while you’re on that trail if he or she is likely to go in the stream. (That’s to protect the endangered rainbow trout and California newts.)

You can also skip that trail and just drive to the parking lot by Lake Anza, where your pup is legal to swim. You can walk all the way around the lake (you have to do a bit of climbing in one spot).

Happy trails!

Silly Joke: “A Trip to Costco”

Friday, July 24, 2009

(BTW, I definitely don’t advise you to buy the brand mentioned in this joke for your dog. I think there are much better foods out there.)

Here’s the joke: A Trip to Costco

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the checkout line when the woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? Since I’m retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn’t, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I’d lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms. I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.

I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter’s ass and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won’t let me shop there anymore.

Yikes—it’s foxail season again!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

We dog walkers talk a lot about foxtails—which trails have lots of them; where on a dog we found a foxtail and how we got it out, and occasionally we talk about a dog that went to the vet to a foxtail out of his eye or her vulva. (Ouch!) “Foxtails” generally refer to the seed portion of the foxtail grass; it is shaped like an arrow or barb and so once it goes “in,” (fur, ear, eye, skin, etc.,) it is very difficult to get out. They’re all over the Bay Area. We try to avoid foxtail-infested areas as much as possible on our hikes, but that’s difficult since they’re virtually everywhere outside except the beach, manicured grassy areas, and deep redwood groves.

We ask our clients to join us in this “team effort.” We check for and remove any foxtails we find on dogs after our hikes before leaving the dogs at home, but we also ask our clients to also check regularly for foxtails. Dogs that have long fur or hair, (e.g., poodle mixes, etc.) should get groomed regularly and get a “summer cut” when appropriate. Dogs can pick up foxtails in their own backyard or walking down the block, and they can be a serious, even fatal, health hazard.

There’s more information on foxtails in Wikipedia.

If You Lose Your Dog—

Thursday, January 29, 2009

I hate to think about anyone ever losing their pet, but it happens all the time. If you ever do lose your dog, don’t just contact the shelter that’s closest to you. A panicked dog can cover dozens of miles in a couple days; a well-intentioned (or not) person can pick up your dog close to your house and then drive it somewhere else and lose it there.

Contact ALL area shelters if you lose your dog. You should fill out a “lost report” and have a flyer with a color reproduction of your dog that you can leave with all the shelters. (BTW, have at least one color photo of your dog on your laptop, PDA, or a print handy at all times. Make sure you have access to it when you’re outside as well as in your home. If you lose your dog when you go to Tahoe for the weekend, you will want to make sure you have a photo with you.) Some shelters will take information over the phone, but most will want you to come in and fill out the lost report in person. It’s a good idea to go there yourself (or send a responsible, organized friend). You wouldn’t want a harried city employee to make a mistake on the lost report. Go there and bring at least one color flyer for each shelter.

Always make sure your pet has up-to-date identification on him or her. If you move, make sure the microchip company has your new numbers, and always make sure your pet’s ID has your most recent phone numbers. If you go out of town, especially if you will be somewhere where you might not have cell phone reception, make a temporary ID tag with the contact info of your friend or pet-sitter on it. (Doggy Lama has over 100 ID tags on the collars of all our dog walking clients. We’re the back-up in case one of our client dogs gets lost at any time, even when the dog is not with us. In fact, we have gotten about a dozen calls for lost dogs wearing our tags; all the calls were for dogs who got out of their yards at home or away from their owners!)

Not only days, but hours count, when you are looking for your dog. Some shelters only keep found animals for a few days during which an owner can claim its pet before it is euthanized. Shelters have varying days and hours that they are open and you can claim your pet. Another reason to go “all-out” trying to find your dog, is that animal shelters are dangerous places for the animals inside. If your dog is inside an animal shelter, he or she will be safe from being hit by a car, but he or she will be surrounded by other stressed-out pets, some of whom are unhealthy and not up-to-date on their vaccinations. Stress will reduce your pet’s immune system, making him or her more at risk for getting sick (kennel cough is frequently passed in animal shelters). If your dog was injured before being brought to the shelter, he or she will probably not get the top-notch veterinary care you would pay for. Get your pup out of the shelter ASAP.

Other suggestions:

• Put an entry on Craigslist in the Pets category. You can upload your dog’s photo to the listing.
• Put up color flyers with the date on them at area dog runs and trail headings.
• Attach flyers to telephone poles, in the grocery store, at vet offices.
• Enlist your friends to help you put out more flyers. You will be surprised at who is willing to help you—the most helpful person may not be your best friend, who’s busy with his kids, but the person you met in the grocery store who lost their dog a few months ago. Reach out to people—some people will amaze you at their generosity with their time and ideas.
• Make a list of where you put the flyers up and take them down after you’ve reunited with your dog. If you don’t take them down, you will have people looking for your dog when they don’t need to, and it will distract from newer flyers going up about other pets who are missing.
• If, after a week or two, you still don’t have your dog back, put up new color flyers that look a little different—mark them “Updated,” “Still Missing,” “Last Seen at Solano Ave. and Marin Ave,” etc.

Here is a list of Bay Area shelters and animal services. I suggest you program these numbers into your cell phone so they’re easy to call if you or a friend need to do so. If you lose your dog, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. If you have thoughts or suggestions about things I should add to this blog entry, please email me.

Bay Area Municipal Animal Shelters

City of Alameda Animal Shelter, 1590 Fortmann Way, Alameda, CA, 94501, 510-337-8565, Office: Tue-Fri: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM, Kennels: 11:00 AM-4:00 PM, Office and Kennels: Sat, 1:00-4:00 PM

Alameda County East Shelter, (serves Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton,), 4595 Gleason Dr., Dublin, CA 94568, 925-803-7040, Mon-Sun 11:30 AM-5:30 PM

Berkeley Animal Services, 2013 Second St., Berkeley, CA, 94710, 510-981-6600, Mon, Tue, and Thu, Fri, and Sat: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM, and Wed: 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sun:  1:00 AM-3:00 PM

Fremont Animal Services, 1950 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA, 94537, 510-790-6630, Tue, Wed through Fri: 12:00 Pm-8:00 PM

Hayward Animal Control, 16 Barnes Court, Hayward, CA, 94544, 510-293-7200

Oakland Animal Shelter, 1101 29th Ave., Oakland, CA, 94601, 510-525-5605, Mon-Wed and Fri and Sat 12:00 noon-6:00 PM, Thu 12:00 noon-7:00 PM

Field Services Only

These local animal services don’t have a “shelter” where you can look for your lost pet. These municipalities contract with other cities that maintain animal shelters to house pets that these cities’ field services (the people who drive around with trucks and nets) pick up on the street.

Livermore Animal Control, 925-793-4848

Newark Animal Control, 510-793-1400

Piedmont & Emeryville (Animals caught in Piedmont and Emeryville end up at the Berkeley Animal Shelter.) 510-420-3006

Pleasanton Animal Control, 925-484-8127

San Leandro Animal Control, 510-577-3206

Other Municipal County Shelters

Contra Costa Shelter, 8449 Imhoff Place, Martinez, CA 94533, 925-646-2935, http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.asp?nid=59

Pinole Shelter, 910 San Pablo Ave., Pinole, CA 94564, 510-374-3966, http://www.animalshelter.org/shelters/Contra_Costa_County_Animal_Services_-_Pinole_Shelter_rId441_rS_pC.html

San Francisco Animal Care and Control, 1200 15th St., San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-554-6364 http://www.sfgov.org/site/acc_index.asp

Extreme Poodle Grooming

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Wow. Go here for poodle pictures that will blow your mind. Not necessarily in a good way.
http://laweekly.blogs.com/joshuah_bearman/2008/12/get-ready-for-an-audiovisual-assault-on-your-mind-and-your-poodle-.html

Studies show dogs have sense of fairness

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I love this article, written by the Associated Press and seen by me in SFGate.com, the online San Francisco Chronicle, because I see this in action every day. If I call all the dogs in to me, (e.g., when a jogger or bicyclist goes by,) and I give treats to some of the dogs for coming and sitting in front of me, but not to all of them, the other ones seem to me to notice the others got treats and so they should be getting treats, too. I really believe the studies’ conclusions are spot on. Read about it here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/08/national/w074934S71.DTL&tsp=1

The Stick Mystery

Saturday, November 29, 2008

(This happened a couple years ago, but I was just remembering fun things from my career in dog boarding, and thought I’d share it.)

I picked up the dog water bowl, filled it with water, and put it down on the floor. I looked at it a couple minutes later, and there was a stick floating in it! Hmmm… I grab my camera and take a picture…

I put the camera down, turn around, and behold—the stick is gone!! 

What?!!!

I take another photo, and turn to put the camera back on the table. When I turn back, the stick is suddenly on the kitchen mat next to a tennis ball!

Jasper is sitting there looking at me, but he doesn’t move quickly… I know the culprit must be his brother, Kipper, who is lurking in the background, watching to see what I’ll do. (No photo available of that moment, unfortunately.)

This is a picture of Kipper (left), the super-fast sneaky one, and Jasper (right), whom Kipper set up to take the fall!

I know it was you, Kipper!

I love hanging out with these nutty border collie boys—things like this always happen when they’re around. They keep me on my toes. 

How I Got Over My Epic Cold

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

I completely grossed myself out last week when I ate a salad at Picante. My nose was completely stuffed up, so my method of salad-eating became: take a bite of food, chew twice, then gasp for air around the food, chew some more or swallow, gasp for air, and repeat. Luckily I was eating by myself and facing the corner. Miss Manners would not have been impressed.

I have back problems from hell, but, (knock on wood,) I almost never get sick. I go years between colds or flus. Last week my luck ran out: I got an epic cold and instead of heading to the local drugstore, I reached out to people for their best natural cold cures. Here’s what I learned, and I think it worked great. I’m all better 6 days later and although I spent a lot more time than usual in bed, I also worked and hiked with dogs every day except one.

Recipes to Kick a Cold’s Ass

Sara and Mom said I should use the Neti Pot, and Roberta Abel, my realtor, has had sinus surgery and had this excellent Neti Pot Recipe: Use it 2x/day (BTW, a Neti Pot is the thing that you use for “nasal irrigation or nasal lavage:” you drip water into one nostril and it goes through your sinuses and out the other nostril. Totally disgusting but it’s tremendously helpful in clearing your sinuses. It has been practiced in India for centuries as one of the disciplines of yoga.)
2 drops grapefruit extract
1 tbsp kosher or sea salt
Couple pinches baking soda
8 oz distilled water
More info on nasal irrigation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation

From Roberta, Sara, and my Mom: Steam: Use a steam room if you have access to one, or do the cheap-o kitchen version: put your head over a mug of hot water with Eucalyptus oil drops in it. Drape a towel over your head and the mug so it traps the steam around your head.

From Roy, my friend in Brooklyn: Native American Cold Remedy Drink—Drink 2-3x/day
Hot water with:
Lemon juice
Cayenne
Honey
Ginger

From the lady at the Food Mill: Avoid sugar and dairy and take Wellness Formula Herbal Defense Complex (3 pills in the AM and 2 at night). Mine is made by Source Naturals.

Everybody said: Sleep as much as possible. Saturday night I almost went to a groovy art opening, but I felt completely exhausted and instead went to bed at 6 PM and got out more than 18 hours later. (Sorry I didn’t make it to your opening, Merav.)

I hope these recipes help someone somewhere. Here’s wishing you and yours good health.

Favorite Doggy Dancing Snapshots

Saturday, November 08, 2008

These are some of my favorite “doggy dancing” moments.

Yankee and Banjo interpret the fight scene from “West Side Story.”

Dunkler and Bailey lab recreate an emotionally-charged moment in early Martha Graham choreography.

Banjo and Amelia dance at high speed.

Beenie does a solo.

Gracie and Oyster try dancing as if in Zero Gravity.