Dogs' Claim to Fame

Published: Wed, 05/19/10

Pet Tip 'n' Tales©

Dogs' Claim to Fame

Photo by Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe"©

Ollie, on the left, at four and a half months old is almost the same size as ten-year-old Woody, on the right. Both dogs have a claim to fame! Oh, that is Gary in the middle; he has the town buzzing with curiosity because he recently bought the old post office building then put it back up for sale. He realized the building was too big for his company, but not for the dogs! They loved running end to end in it!

TALES

Cottage Grove captured Gary. In September he was driving down the freeway on his way back to California after a business trip.

He stopped in at a downtown café for lunch. After lunch, as he walked back to his vehicle, he was greeted head on by our high school's fun, enthusiastic, and noisy annual Homecoming parade. Hundreds of students, along with their band, were heralding the first football game of the season.

"It was such Americana! I could not resist and decided, on the spot, to move to town. I returned in December, bought a house and a business building, and moved in three weeks later." says Gary.

Woody, an Australian Shepherd, is ten years old and he has two claims to fame; he was named after the cowboy in the movie Toy Story and his birthday is Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th.

Four years ago Woody had cancer and was doing poorly on chemo. Gary's best friend, a medical doctor who also loved Woody, became concerned. When Woody appeared to be failing, the doctor took over Woody's treatment. "My friend suggested I stop the chemo and Woody has been doing well ever since. He runs like a puppy and plays for hours with his new best puppy-friend, Ollie."

Now, don't think that Ollie is a little puppy. He is a Bernese Mountain Dog and, at eighteen weeks old, he is almost the same size as ten-year-old Woody. Ollie's legs resemble sturdy, thick tree trunks. Ollie was named after both Oliver North and the comedian, Oliver Hardy, because of the dog's good nature and comical behavior.

Ollie's claim to fame runs in his family. He was born in South Dakota and two of his siblings were adopted by movie stars. Instead of flying their puppies out to Hollywood, the celebrities sent an RV back to pick up their bouncing fur babies. Ollie hitchhiked, a fun and somewhat crazy ride, along with his siblings in the RV.

Like any disappointed older child when a new baby is brought home, Woody was not happy at the sight of Ollie. "He moped in despair for a week. Then suddenly, they became best friends and are now inseparable," says Gary.

At four and a half months old, baby Ollie weighs in at a hefty 45 pounds and promises to keep on growing to a robust 150 pounds. Gary explains why he adopted this large teddy-bear-like breed of dog, "Ollie is as gentle as he is big. He has a good nature and is affectionate. Ollie is wise beyond his youth and possesses the wisdom of Solomon. A Bernese Mountain dog's eye contact is similar to that of an intelligent person. When they look at you with their expressive eyes, you can honestly see what they are saying as well as you can with any human's."

"Woody is so intelligent that he was housebroken in one day," adds a surprised Gary. "It was like he just knew it was not smart to mess in a home. Now, Ollie is a different story. We are still working with puppy pee pads and frequent walks to train him."

Gary, a Vietnam veteran, is proud to add, "My dogs are patriotic; they wear red/white/blue collars on July 4th and Veteran's Day."

TIPS

Journalist Ms.Federis writes, "In 2007, 38 percent of adults in the United States used some form of alternative medicine for themselves, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Veterinarians say that once people start turning toward natural medicine, it's not a far leap for them to try to find similar treatments for their animals."

Pet guardians are including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and Chinese herbal medicine in their pet's health care. More and more veterinary clinics are offering alternative services for their clients' pets. To find a vet with these skills located close to you, Google Holistic Veterinary Medicine, homeopathy, or acupuncture for pets.

____________________

Books of Interest

- The Veterinarian's Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs and The Veterinarian's Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats, by Martin Zucker
- Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs, by Dr. Don Hamilton
- Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, by Dr. Richard Pitcairn

_________________

Inspiring Pet Video

From service dog to SURF-ice dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4