A Note From The Editor

Once Fall comes, it just seems to be one holiday after another doesn't it?

There's Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas (closely followed by New Year). And having five of my childrens' birthdays fall between September 15 and December 1 definitely adds a little extra chaos to this already frantically busy season.

With the first of these holidays racing towards us, I decided to add some Halloween flavor to this months ezine. So, don your witches' hat, grab your broomstick and follow me....

Puppy parenting can be an uphill struggle sometimes, just like human parenting really! Some days it seems that you're 'furchild' is never going to 'get it' (and the 'it' can be anything from housetraining or learning basic good manners, to understanding that the garbage can/cat litter tray/laundry basket is NOT an alternative food bowl!)

At the same time, your little angel can melt your heart (and score extra treats) with one glance from those puppy dog eyes. It's a bit of a roller-coaster ride isn't it?

Here at The Puppy Dog Place, we want to make your ride a little smoother. We've 'been there, done that', and although we don't by any means think we know it all (how could we? There's always a puppy ready to disprove that particular theory), knowing that you're not the only one struggling with a particular puppy problem or behavior can be very reassuring.

We have several areas on our site where we invite you to participate by asking questions, giving feedback/comments, sharing your favorite puppy dog stories/poems/quotes etc., showing off your precious pup and more.

There are also several pages with puppy stuff that's just for fun, including... online jigsaws, a fun puppy personality test, adorable puppy videos, a way for single, puppy parents to meet other people who share their interests, and more.

Check out the links below, and have some fun while helping us to build an interactive, online community of puppy parents.

• Help inspire and encourage others to consider adoption when thinking about adding a new pup/dog to their family by sharing your puppy dog adoption story. You can also read the heart-warming stories other visitors have sent in, and add your comments or rating


• If you have a favorite puppy dog poem (and it can be one you've written yourself or one that you found in a book, magazine, online etc.) send it to us and we'll add it to our Puppy Poems page. The same goes for your favorite quote on our Puppy Quotes page.


• If you have a question that you just can't find the answer to (and don't think any question is too small/silly/unusual for us!), you only have to aks us!. You'll get a quick, personal answer!


• Everyone knows their puppy is just the cutest thing on four legs! Well, we're giving you the chance to prove it...by entering your furchild in our monthly, Puppy Photo Contest.


• If you like jigsaw puzzles, why not try your hand at the free, online jigsaws on our Puppy Jigsaw page? If you want some for the kids, try our Kids Jigsaws page. The best part? There's no fiddly little pieces to get lost!

Well, enough from me...enjoy this issue of 'Puppy Pawprints' and don't forget to check out the-puppy-dog-place.com regularly as we're constantly updating our site with new information, tips and resources for puppy parents.

You can subscribe to our rss feed by clicking on the rss box below the nav bar buttons on each page. That way, you'll definitely not miss out as you'll automatically receive all our updates and news items delivered right to your computer!

Here are some of our latest article/page additions :

Hypoallergenic Dogs
Dog Rescue Organizations
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety Treatment/Medications
New Puppy Gifts
Special Gifts

Yappy Halloween!

If so, you'll want to check out the selection of costumes here Halloween Costumes for your Dogs at Drs. Foster & Smith. Valid through 10.31.07.

They're guaranteed to make you smile - the Superman costume is my favorite, what's yours?

To round out the celebration, there's even a selection of Halloween dog toys and a basket of deliciously spooky dog cookies, that your puppy will love.

Candies are for Kids (not dogs!)

We don't want our kids to make themselves sick from eating too much candy/chocolate but even if they do, they'll get over it. But our four-legged furchildren won't be so lucky!

Did you know that chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs? Well it is, and it doesn't take much to make your dog very sick. Chocolate contains theobromine, and if your pup ingests it he can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, irregular heartbeat, hyperactivity, seizures and even death.

If Fido munches on chocolate from your kids Halloween sacks, take him to your veterinarian right away!

There are other common human foods/drinks that are also very dangerous to your dog. The ones you might be more likely to run into around this time of year include :-

• Coffee (and other products that contain caffeine)


• Alcohol


• Macadamia Nuts


• Grapes or raisins


• Yeast Dough (the uncooked variety)


• Xylitol - you may not recognize this name, but xylitol is a sweetener that's a common ingredient in chewing gum and many candies/baked goods. It causes vomiting, lethargy, loss of co-ordination. These symptoms are quicky followed by liver failure which often results in death.

Also be careful with the Indian corn that's often used as decoration at this time of year. If your pooch chews off a chunk and swallows it, he could very well do serious, life-threatening damage to his digestive tract.

You can find a more comprehensive list of common foods that are poisonous to dogs, and what to do if your dog ingests them, right here.

Puppys' Pumpkin Cookies

• 4 cups whole-wheat flour


• 1 cup cooked brown rice


• 1 cup wheatgerm


• 2lbs fresh pumpkin (or the canned equivalent)


• 1 cup water


• 2 tbsp. oil


• 2 tbsp. honey

Put all the above ingredients in a large bowl and mix really well.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough (make it about 1/4 inch thick), and cut into shapes. If you have halloween cookie-cutters, so much the better!

Line ungreased cookie sheets with foil and bake cookies at 325 for about 30 minutes. When cooled, store cookies in an airtight container.

October is 'Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog' Month

The figures are staggering (approx. 2 MILLION dogs enter shelters every year here in the USA), and there are thousands and thousands of dogs desperately waiting for their new, forever home.

If you're thinking about adding another dog/puppy to your household, PLEASE consider adopting a needy pooch from a shelter, pound or rescue. Even if you have your heart set on a purebred, there are many, many purebred rescues that have gorgeous dogs waiting and h oping to meet their new families.

Our Dog Rescue page has a comprehensive list of rescue organizations that can help you find your next best friend. You can even search their databases from the comfort of your home. Don't miss checking out our Adopt A Puppy page either.

It gives you valuable information and tips on how to find the best pup/dog for you, including the questions to ask shelter staff and exactly what to look for.

Read other visitors touching, heartwarming and inspirational true puppy dog adoption stories. They're incredible tales of dedication, love and new beginnings... definitely something to warm your heart on a cool, Fall day.

If you have a dog adoption story of your own, please share it with us and help encourage others to give a homeless dog a second chance at life.

Do holidays make you feel lonely?

Would you like to find someone to share daily activities with? Are you looking for someone to share your life with, but your pets are a big part of your life and you need another pet lover to appreciate that? Or maybe you'd just like to widen your circle of friends and find others who share your interests.

If any of these sound familiar, I think you'll really enjoy our Pet Lovers Singles page. We'll introduce you to the leading, online dating site designed exclusively for pet lovers - yes, that's right, YOUR kind of people!

There's no obligation, so what do you have to lose (except for those lonely weekends), find out more today!

Feel free to email us at Editor.PuppyPawprints@the-puppy-dog-place.com or go to our Contact Us Page

Our site is designed especially for puppy parents and is full of FUN, FRIENDLY and FREE information and resources on all aspects of puppycare.

Please visit us at The Puppy Dog Place soon!

If you enjoy our site, why not let your other dog-loving friends know about us? There's a simple way to spread the word and it'll only take a minute..just go to our Share This Site page and see what I mean.