Central Bark Doggy Day Care would like to wish you and yours a very happy holiday!  To celebrate the holiday season check out out festive doggy gallery below!

Dogs are adorable, but I think we can all agree that when a dog gets dressed up they become a million times more adorable.  Enter Designs For Paws.

Designs For Paws sells custom made, designer bandanas for animals.  The quality of the construction of these bandanas are as amazing at the designs.  Handmade in the USA, the edges of the bandanas are sewn with a turned serge edge to keep the fabric from fraying and contorted while being washed.

They even offer embroidery services to customize your pooch’s bandana!  You don’t even have to worry about Fido undoing the knot on these babies because there’s an open sleeve at the top where the collar slides in for fastening.

These make great gifts!  Check out their full line here.

One beach in California has issued a new life saving technology…for dogs!  Doggy CPR masks have been issued to one lucky beach’s lifeguards in the state of Cali.

Although it is not often that a dog needs CPR at a beach, when they do a human face mask doesn’t fit well.  Air tends to escape out of the sides and renders the mask useless.

Dogs are just like humans and this video just offers more proof.  Check out this dog who just can’t keep still when one of his favorite Black Eyed Peas songs comes on.  Prepare yourselves because this dog has some moves…

Most dog lovers confuse hip dysplasia with arthritis of the hips.  In a normal dog, the ball and socket of the hip fit together well and the ball stays in the socket where it belongs. When a dog has hip dysplasia, the ball and socket of the hips have an abnormal relationship to each other.  This can range from mild incongruity to the ball being partially out of the socket.  This abnormal relationship between the bones will then eventually result in arthritis – and in pain for the pet.

The only way to diagnose hip dysplasia is with radiographs of the hips.  Unfortunately, there can be a poor correlation between how the hips look on film and how the dog feels and behaves.  Some dogs with mild hip dysplasia can be severely lame, while other dogs with very bad hips act perfectly comfortable.  Inevitably, all dysplastic hips will result in arthritis at some point – we just can’t tell when.  How and when a dog develops pain in the hips determines what treatment options are available.

For more information like this, be sure to sign up for Central Bark’s monthly newsletter!

Source: Central Bark Doggy Day Care Newsletter

Author: Dr. Biermeier

This holiday season don’t forget about your four legged family members!  Just look at them, they’re practically begging for presents.  Check out Central Bark Doggy Day Care’s official list of goodies that you can buy for your pooch.

1.  Dog Grooming Services: Get your dog an appointment at your local Central Bark groomer.  They’ll smell better, be cleaner and feel better.

2.  Dog Training Classes: Each Central Bark location offers their own schedule of dog training courses.  Everything from agility training to basic obedience training.  This is something that can benefit you and your dog.

3.  Doggy Boutique Gift Baskets: Head over to the doggy boutique and load up on goodies like sweaters, chew toys, dog treats, new collars and dog beds to show your gratitude to one of the most loyal family members in your life.

4.  Doggy Day Care: Your dogs are bored when you’re away at work or out and about during the day.  Sign them up for doggy day care.  They’ll get all of the socialization and exercise they need and will love you more for it!

Doggy day care centers are a booming industry in Wisconsin. While they may be popular with pet owners, one couple found out the hard way that regulation of the industry has not necessarily kept up with its growth.

Matt and Natalya Miller are both doctors and unapologetic “dog people.” But they are emotional over the loss of their dog Chief after he was attacked at a Milwaukee area doggy day care facility.

“It’s been four months since this happened and we keep wondering ‘Where is he?’” said Natalya Miller.

In June of 2011, the Millers took Chief and their other dog Rosie to North Shore Pet Connection for boarding while they were on vacation.

The day before they were to return home, a devastating call came from their veterinarian.

“They basically said Chief had arrived there deceased that morning because he was attacked by another dog,” Miller said.

Medical records show that a North Shore Pet Connection employee rushed the dog to the vet. They said that staff had left Chief in a dog run with some other small dogs and went inside briefly. Upon returning, the worker saw Chief lying on the ground.

The veterinarian determined Chief died of either hemorrhage or strangulation from a dog attack.

“Here we are 1,800 miles away and our poor little — at that point he was like our little son — and we got the phone call that he was killed,” Matt Miller said.

Diane Bernhagen, owner of North Shore Pet Connection, told 12 News that in her 30 years of experience she has never had a dog die in that manner. She said two staffers were on duty at the time, but because dogs can be unpredictable there is always a risk.

“We supervise them, but things happen in a moment’s time,” Bernhagen said.

The Millers filed a complaint with the state’s Department of Consumer Protection, and the answer stung nearly as bad as the phone call from the vet.

The State of Wisconsin does not regulate dog kennels. That means that unlike day care centers for children, day care centers for pets have no requirement for staffing. In fact, 12 News discovered that many boarding facilities will leave dogs unattended overnight.

The administrator of the state’s consumer protection division said the agency is not to blame for the lack of regulation.

“We don’t get to decide what we get to regulate,” Sandy Chalmers of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection told 12 News. “That direction comes from the Legislature.”

Recent stories have called attention to the same issue in other states. Fifteen animals dead after a kennel fire in New Hampshire. Eight puppies dead in a North Carolina kennel. And 150 animals dead in a South Carolina kennel fire.

Laura Kriofsky owns a franchise in the growing Central Bark Doggy Day Care chain. When asked about the risks of leaving animals unattended overnight, she felt that her local connections bridge that safety gap.

“We have security and I have fire alarms and all that, and the fire dept knows me and knows we have live animals here,” she said.

And when it comes to state or federal regulation, many in the industry said the pet day care business is doing well in regulating itself.

SOURCE: wisn.com

Ok, we have seen the name Schipperke and no one seems to know how to pronounce it.  So here it is skipper-kee!  Now that we know that, did you know that Schipperke was originally known as the Belgian Barge Dog?  They worked aboard barges in the canals of Belgium.  A few of their jobs consisted of ridding the barge of vermin, security and nipping at the heels of the tow horses to get them to move.

The breed was formed in the 1880′s but was not written as standard breed until 1889.  The Schipperke can be found in black, cream, grey and white and weigh in around 7-20 pounds.  Their tails are cropped, and in some places where cropping is not accepted, their tails curl over their back like a Husky.

This is certainly a breed that does not feel like a small dog.  Along with their hunting, herding and security instincts, they prove themselves as a fearless, smart and willful companion.  Don’t misunderstand, they can be quite the lap dog and would probably love a ride on a boast (they are no prone to sea sickness).  Being headstrong and a quick learner, they can figure out difficult problems, especially if it is for their own benefit.

In closing, this 90 pound dog in a 9 pound body can be a great companion and great guard dog for you!  They love to please their owner and have been said to be good in obedience and agility.

Source: Central Bark Doggy Day Care newsletter

Article written by: Laura of Harmony Pet Care

Lao Pan was an umarried man who lived in the Chinese village of Panjiatun.  He didn’t have much family, except for his dog.

Earlier this month Pan died at the age of 68.  His furry companion was found by villagers at Pan’s grave safeguarding the site (BBC News).  After seven days without food, the dog refused to move.

Since noticing the dog, villagers have been bringing food and water to the gravesite and are planning on building a kennel there for the dog to sleep in.

This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for our family and friends because you never know what type of impact you’ll have on another living being.  Pan was his dog’s everything and in this case actions speak louder than words.

The holidays are rapidly approaching and it’s important if you live in a household with dogs that you take into consideration their safety, as well as yours.

Hanukkah is an amazing holiday celebrated by people of the Jewish faith that features a menorah that has nine candles.  The center candle, or “starter,” is used to light the other eight candles with one candle lit each subsequent night in celebration of oil that lasted for eight nights.

If you are going to keep the candles lit try to keep it out of reach of your dog.  This is a very easy way for your pooch to burn themselves or knock over the menorah starting a fire.

Also if you are playing with a dreidel and using chocolate gelt, a Yiddish slang word for money, make sure that you keep these in a place where Fido can’t steal and run!