Uggie Dies at Age 13

Another Canine Star in the Sky

Farewell to a Movie Star Mutt – From Shelter to Red Carpet

According to numerous pages on Facebook in the past 24 hours, from the New York Times to the LA Times and beyond, Uggie the Dog has passed away at age 13. He was plucked from a shelter and landed in fame, the movie way, according to his story depicted in Uggie: My Story (reviewed here).

Read more about it here: Book Review on DogEvals from 2013 and The New York Times

EverythingDogBlog: News for Pets in Washington, DC

Thank you from the animals – pet to be allowed in public housing in DC

Thanks to the efforts of the ASPCA, the Washington Humane Society, the AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Bread for the City, Legal Aid of the District of Columbia, and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, pets will now be allowed in Washington, DC, public housing.

Yippy, Skippy!

Previously only pets in public housing since 2004 were permitted but recently HUD determined that the ban violates federal law and pets will be permitted for the elderly and disabled.

According to the ASPCA website (see above link and below), pets provide constant comfort and also enhance health and wellbeing. In addition, lack of affordable pet-friendly housing is a factor for people to relinquish their pets to a shelter.

Read more about it: ASPCA Wins Challenge for Pets in DC Public Housing

EverythingDogBlog: The Final Word - Poop

Final words on dog poop: just pick it up!

13. Learn to read your dog's "Gotta Go!" and pre-poop signals. Some dogs slow down and walk in a straight line, like mine does. Some dogs sniff the ground or circle round. Some dogs 'go to curb' (that's where we get the phrase, curb your dog) or the grassy edge near the curb, or go into the bushes where it is difficult to locate the poop to bag it.

14. Remember never to put the poop in your compost pile. It simply isn't digestible by the composting critters.

15. Thanks for being a responsible dog-person picking up and making a good deposit of your dog's poop!

Remember: Pick up poop. It's the law and it's the right thing to do!

(For more on dog poop, see the previous four blogs and stay tuned for even more!)

EverythingDogBlog: On Poop, Part #4

Poop - pick it up. It's the right thing to do and it's the law.

10. Each time you see someone else picking up after a dog, thank him or her. A little kindness goes a long way and that person will stand up taller because of the recognition.

11. Dog poop is not good for the environment because dogs are omnivores (they eat meat like carnivores do, and plants as herbivores do). If they were totally herbivores (vegans, in other words), it would not matter as much but now, as dogs become more common (who doesn't have one or want one, or two?), we have reached and overflown the carrying capacity of the land to process the inordinate amount of dog poop deposited on the land. It stays and stays, sometimes all winter long, collecting flies. Some dogs even scoop up other dogs' poop to snack on, and who knows which dog deposited it or whether that dog had worms or other creepy crawlers.

12. When walking at night, wear something 'flashy' that reflects light or put one of those cute new lights on your dog. Take a flashlight along to locate the poop (and for other reasons).

See the previous EverythingDogBlog and the next one, too, for more helpful hints.

EverythingDogBlog: Dog Poop, part two

Just bag it. It's the law and it's the right thing to do. . . .

4. After your dog 'goes,' ask him to Sit and Stay while you 'take care of [his] business.' That way he won't pull you onward before you can finish up.

5. When you get home, tie a bag on the loop of the leash right away - for next time.

6. One of the 20 tasks for the AKC (American Kennel Club) STAR Puppy Class Program is to always carry a baggy with you. The training instructor will ask at least once during the six-week course (STAR is Socialization, Training, Activity, Responsibility) for you to "show your bag!"

For more tips, check out the previous EverythingDogBlog and check the next blog, too!

EverythingDogBlog: Poop, Part Three

Just bag it. It's the law. Plus, it's the right thing to do.

7. The best baggies for a large dog (lab, golden or larger) may be the plastic bags newspapers come in. For 'littler' dogs, those cute poop bags that come in a cute bone-shaped or hydrant-shaped container that attaches to the leash, may be just right. A really big dog might need a plastic grocery bag. Wish there were something between a grocery bag and a newspaper bag, though.

8. The best place to deposit the contents of a poop bag is your toilet (then flush) but the next best place is your trash. Many people put the tied bags outside their garage, sometimes in an old wastebasket with a lid, and then double bag them up to place in the large garbage can for garbage collection days. Your garbage collectors really appreciate the double-bagging.

9.When you get home, don't forget to wash your hands with warm water (and soap) for the time it takes you to sing Happy Birthday. Actually this is a good habit even if your dog doesn't deposit a deposit.

For more poop tips, read the EverythingDogBlog that appeared last time - also the next one. And, thanks!

EverythingDogBlog: The Real Scoop on Dog Poop!

Just bag it. It's the law. Besides, it's the right thing to do. (first in a series of five)

1. Take two baggies with you on a dog walk - one (or both, sometimes) for your dog, and one for one of the piles you find that someone else left behind

2. If you are really brave and see someone not picking up his dog's poop, rush over, pick it up and hand him the bag, saying something like, "Here you go. I used to sometimes forget a bag myself so I've learned to carry several." He will be so astonished, he will accept it!

3. Keep a baggy tied to the hand loop (handle end) of your dog's leash so you always have one. You can also find tiny cloth bags that Velcro on to the dog collar and contain an emergency poop bag or five!

Next: More tips.