Lost & Found

Is your dog's favorite toy missing? Have you been searching everywhere for that tote bag you brought to camp during his last boarding stay? Though we do take an inventory of what each dog brings to camp with him, things still occasionally get left behind. We currently have quite the collection of toys, blankets, and more Glad containers than you can imagine, so if you think you may have forgotten something at camp during your dog's last stay, please let us know and we will do our best to reconnect you with your lost belongings!

Presidential Dog Bowls

Here's an interesting video, originally posted by Yahoo!, about the non-spill water bowl the Presidential Dog, Bo, will soon be drinking from.

Road Refresher Video

And, after watching the news clip, if you're curious to find out more about Road Refresher bowls, check out their website here.

Remembering Our 4-Legged Troops

On this Memorial Day, it's important to remember the sacrifices made by the noble men and women who have served our country in the armed forces, both past and present. However, the oft-forgotten servants on the front lines are the ones who have no way of understanding the extent our gratefulness, even if we were to tell them outright. I'm talking about the K-9 troops who stand by our soldiers in battle and who, like the men and women on active duty, can often use a pick-me-up.

There are a few organizations I have found that take donations for K-9 troops, so if you're interested in supporting the country's most patriotic dogs, please check out these websites:

Soldiers' Angels

Give 2 the Troops

Dog-tested, Owner-approved

For the record, I did make the recipe for Frosty Paws Ice Cream today. It was super easy to make, and it used simple ingredients -- no special wheat flour or anything odd that you sometimes need if you're going to make your own dog biscuits. I basically just threw everything in the food processor, blended for about ten seconds, and then poured it into an ice cube tray. I also poured some of the mix into a Tupperware container so that I could scoop it out as needed instead of having cube-sized portions. I was a bit worried as to whether the mixture was going to actually freeze well, but it's only been about 3 hours since I put the results in the freezer, and the part I put in the ice-cube tray is already ready to go. I'm guessing the Tupperware container portion will take a bit longer to set up, but it looks like it's well on its way.

When I discovered that the ice cream was done, I couldn't wait to try it out on Lily & Lola. Lola is the world's least picky dog when it comes to food. I mean, the girl will eat watermelon, for heaven's sake. So I was pretty sure my efforts to make a treat would not be lost on her. Lily, however, is a little more discriminating. I put two ice-cream cubes in each of their bowls, but by the time Lily realized I had something for her, Lola had already eaten both of their shares. So, I took Lily aside and gave her her own cube, which she licked for a few seconds but did not totally eat. Still, I'd call the recipe a success.

A few tips if you are going to try making the ice cream at home:
1. Spray a tablespoon with PAM or another cooking spray before you measure out the honey and peanut butter. It makes it slide right off the spoon and helps you get a more accurate amount in the blender.

2. Don't microwave the ice-cream cubes like the recipe says. I found that they were a perfect ice-cream consistency without being nuked first.

It's Not Easy Being a Pit Bull

When is the last time you visited an animal shelter or a pet-search website and noticed the disproportional amount of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes available for adoption? Unfortunately, due to high-profile stories in the news of dog-fighting and other incidents involving Pit Bulls, the breed has gained a stigma and is often difficult to adopt out.

Though Pits may have received some unjustified bad press, it does take a special owner to raise this type of dog. Hello Bully, a Pittsburgh-based group, strives to educate dog-lovers regarding the myths and facts about owning a bully breed. If you do make an informed decision to adopt a Pit Bull, know that one of the most common problems plaguing these often-misunderstood dogs is over-breeding. Spaying or neutering is an absolute must since Pit Bulls can have litters of 8 to 12 puppies, which only increases the likelihood of some or all of them ending up in a shelter. To combat this issue, Animal Friends has created a spay-and-neuter program especially for Pit Bulls called Project Pit Bull. For a $20 deposit, owners are able to have their dog fixed and, as Bob Barker always said, "help to control the pet population"!

For more information on Project Pit Bull, e-mail Animal Friends at spayneuter@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

Loveable Rottweiler Looking for a New Home

One of our clients came to us a few weeks ago because she reluctantly must give up her 4 1/2-year-old Rottie named Tiki. Tiki is a very sweet and loving dog and is up to date on his rabies and distemper vaccinations. He is a very big boy, weighing in at around 115 pounds, and he needs regular exercise either in a fenced-in yard or on daily walks.

If you might be able to give Tiki a home, please contact us at camp for more information.

Lend a Hand

We've had quite a few inquiries at camp recently about volunteer opportunities for kids who are soon to be out of school for the summer. While we do not use volunteer staff at Camp Bow Wow due to liability reasons, we know that both the Washington Area Humane Society and the Western PA Humane Society would be delighted to accept ready-and-willing volunteer help. Whether you and your child are interested in volunteering for a day, a week, or the whole summer, there are dozens of ways you can contribute to the well-being of shelter animals in our area. Dogs need to be walked, cats need to be cuddled, envelopes licked and grass cut. Even if you don't live close by to either Humane Society location, volunteers are often needed for off-site events, so don't let distance deter you. You should note, however, that there are often age requirements for volunteers. The WPAHS requires that volunteers be at least 16 years of age. At the Washington Area Humane Society, volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you have a young child who is desperate to help out, consider encouraging him or her to have a lemonade stand or a toy sale and donate the proceeds to the cause. Any little bit helps, whether it comes in the form of time or money. So, after lazy days at the pool and bike rides around the neighborhood become old-hat this summer, keep in mind the local animal-rescue organizations that would benefit immensely from the work of a volunteer.

To find out more about volunteering for the Washington Area Humane Society and the Western PA Humane Society, please visit their websites at:
WAHS
and
WPAHS

A Friendly Reminder

Summer is the busiest time of year at CBW, so if you have plans to go out of town and would like to give your dog a vacation of his or her own, please try to book your reservations at camp as soon as possible. All that we require to book a boarding stay is a 50% deposit for the cost of the stay, and we ask that if you need to cancel your dog's reservation, you do so at least 48 hours beforehand (or 72 hours if the stay is over a holiday).

As for daycare, due to the number of dogs that are boarding on certain days, daycare spots may be more limited than they are throughout the rest of the year. To ensure that we have space for your dog(s) to come and play for the day, give us a call 24 hours in advance to save your spot!

Hope to see your and your dogs in the coming months.

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Ice cream is one of my favorite things about summertime. Well, maybe it's one of my favorite things all year 'round, but I feel like I have a better excuse to eat it when the temperature is above 70 degrees. As much as I'd love to share the joy of my ice-cream treats with the pups, I'm never quite sure how their stomachs would handle some of the strange (but delicious) flavor combinations out there nowadays, so I figure it's best to avoid giving them a taste. However, dogs don't have to be completely left out of the ice-cream experience. There are many brands of dog-friendly ice cream in the frozen section at the store, but you can also make your own doggy ice cream at home! Here is a recipe I found online. I haven't tested it out yet, so if you decide to try it, please leave your feedback in the comments section. Otherwise, I will post a review of how it turns out once my dogs have had their fill!

-Caity

Recipe for Frosty Paws Ice Cream:
-32 oz. vanilla yogurt
-1 mashed banana
-2 T. peanut butter
-2 T. honey

Blend all of the ingredients together and freeze in either 3 oz. paper cups or ice-cube trays. Microwave for a few seconds before serving. Enjoy!

Dog Humor

This month, Reader's Digest had an article on America's funniest jokes. Two of the jokes were dog-related, so I decided to post them here.

Drum roll, please...

Joke #1:
A poodle and a collie are walking together when the poodle suddenly unloads on his friend. "My life is a mess," he says. "My owner is mean, my girlfriend ran away with a schnauzer, and I'm as jittery as a cat." "Why don't you go see a psychiatrist?" suggests the collie. "I can't," says the poodle. "I'm not allowed on the couch."

Ba-dum Ching!

And, without further ado, here is joke #2!

A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads, "Talking Dog for Sale." Intrigued, he walks in. "So, what have you done with your life?" he asks the dog. "I've led a very full life," says the dog. "I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now I spend my days reading to the residents of a retirement home." The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the dog's owner, "Why on earth would you want to get rid of an incredible dog like that?" The owner says, "Because he's a liar! He never did any of that!"

If you have any dog jokes of your own to share, please leave them in the comments section. Hope you got at least a bit of a chuckle from these zingers.

Hot Time, Summer in the City

If you watch "The Simpsons" on Fox, you may remember an old episode where the family takes an outing in the scorching heat and brings their dog, Santa's Little Helper, along for the ride. When Bart, Lisa, Homer, Marge, and Maggie all pile out of the car, they somehow forget that Santa's Little Helper is still cooped up in the backseat and all of the windows are rolled up. After making it a short distance away from the car, Homer remembers the dog and returns, only to shout through the closed window, "There's water under the seat!"

Obviously this is a cartoon's way of making light of a serious situation, but since warm weather will soon be upon us, we thought it'd be a good idea to post a refresher on dog-safety tips in the summertime.

Here is an article from the American Dog Trainers Network that sums things up very well.

Shameless Self-Promotion

As you may have heard if you've stopped in to camp lately, Pittsburgh Magazine is conducting their annual "Best of Pittsburgh" contest, and for the first time ever, they are including categories for "Best Pet Day Care" and "Best Dog Kennel." Winners will be featured in the September issue of the magazine, and we would really appreciate your vote! Here's what to do:

• Follow this link to Pittsburgh Magazine's website
• Scroll down and click on the "Best of Pittsburgh" link.
• The categories we are eligible for are on the third page of the survey.
• You do not have to vote for a business in every category in order to successfully submit your ballot.
• When you vote, please make sure to use our full name - Camp Bow Wow Pittsburgh South - since there are multiple CBWs in the Pittsburgh area.

The deadline for votes is May 31st. Each person can only vote once, so don't forget to tell your friends!

We really appreciate your support!

What's in a Name?

At Camp Bow Wow, we have over 300 clients, so there are bound to be many dogs with interesting names walking through the doors. A lot of dogs at CBW have the same name. We have many Baileys, Lilys, Mollys, and more. So, sometimes we need to identify a trait on a particular dog in order to distinguish her from the other dogs of the same name. For instance, we have "Soft Max" and "Red Maggie." Their owners may not call them that, but it helps us to keep things straight.

It's also very easy to tell what the current naming trends are from the pups that come to visit us. There is quite the influx of dogs named after Penguins players lately. We have Sids, Crosbys, and even a Malkin! Strangely enough, there are no Roethlisbergers or Polamalus. ;)

In 2008, VPI Pet Insurance took a survey of the most popular dog names and compiled a list of 100 for both males and females. Check out the list and see if your dog's name is on it!

Newsworthy Dog

You might enjoy reading this article from the New York Post about the world's oldest dog. She is a 21-year-old dachshund named Chanel. Chanel's secret to old age? Apparently it's nothing new -- just diet and exercise. She used to run three miles a day with her owner, and she eats boiled chicken and whole-wheat pasta.

Read more about Chanel here.

Cinco de Mayo Pictures! Ole!

Cinco de Mayo pictures are now posted on our Facebook page. If you are not a member of Facebook, have no fear. You should be able to access the albums through the links at the bottom of this post.





Some of the dogs took to the scenery more than others, but all of the different personalities at camp led to a lot of hilarious pictures.




As you can see, it was definitely a fun day at Camp, and we're looking forward to more festivities over the summer.








To view all of the pictures, click on the links below:

Album One

Album Two

Fiesta!

Today was Cinco de Mayo at Camp Bow Wow Pittsburgh South, and, boy, did the dogs have a great time! The staff donned beaded necklaces and festive tattoos (temporary, of course), and the lobby was filled with the sounds of Latin music, courtesy of Sirius radio. In addition to $5 off a full day of day care and 50% off baths, each dog that attended the celebration got a picture with our authentic Mexican scenery, otherwise known as a blow-up cactus and a few miniature sombreros. All of the little muchachas and muchachos also went home with a spicy bandanna to remember the occasion by. We will have a link to pictures from the fiesta posted here soon, so be sure to check back if you want to catch a glimpse of all the fun that we had today.

In other news, a top-secret Mother's Day project is in the works. Bring your dog in to camp before Sunday to find out what we have up our sleeve!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Camp Bow Wow Pittsburgh South blog!

We hope to keep you up to date with all the happenings at camp, as well as interesting dog news, product reviews, dog-friendly events in the Pittsburgh area, and more.

Stop by often and see what's new!