It’s hard to believe but a year ago Lisa and I took over the ‘For The Love Of Dog’ blog. Since starting we have had the privilege to meet so many wonderful people. Dogster is a unique community because of the sheer number of caring, compassionate dog lovers that it’s made up of.

While not everyone always agrees, there are many varying opinions on the blog, the one thing that can be agreed upon is we are all dog lovers. I have really enjoyed working on the blog so far and look forward to another terrific year.

I want to thank all the readers because without you there would be no blog. I also want to thank all the Dogsters for their support and encouragement when it comes to Bo’s book BAD TO THE BONE. His book has truly been a labor of love, it’s hard to believe in a few short months it will released.

It’s time for me to shamelessly plug my upcoming book, but instead of me telling you about it I’ll let my publisher do the work for me.

“Let’s get this clear right away: I’m a dog.”

“From shelter-dog reject to beloved pet and popular doggie blogger, Bo Hoefinger’s life has been anything but ordinary.

Join this incorrigible canine as he welcomes us into his life, complete with his wacky “parents,” a constipated feline housemate, and chipmunk warfare.

Bad to the Bone is an unforgettable, laugh-out-loud tale of love and loyalty that reveals the true heart of a modern American family.”

As a special thank you to my readers the first 10 Dogsters to leave a comment in the comment section will receive 25 zealies!

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July holiday weekend.

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On Friday I posted the horrific story about Ella, the young German Shepherd who was left in a locked cage to starve to death after her owner moved out.

Christine Abrams, the woman responsible, was convicted of a misdemeanor and sentenced to 12 months probation, a $5,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service. Out of the 12 months she was supposed to serve eight in jail, she only served about six.

Abrams who was just released  is currently appealing the case, post-conviction, on grounds that the police searched her house illegally. It is speculated she is appealing to get out of the imposed court fines and probation.

While it’s too late to do anything to save Ella it isn’t too late to change the outcome of future cases. We need to join together to help get Florida law changed, making animal cruelty a felony. Death by starvation is a horrible way to go, this should never have been allowed to happen and the person responsible got away with murder as far as I’m concerned.

In some states animal cruelty has been changed to a felony, but not all, which is a travesty of justice. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lisa and I, along with our doggy crew, would like to wish all the Jewish pups out there a very Happy Passover.

Boris

Korma

Daisy Dimples Booth

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Lisa and I, along with our doggy crew, wanted to wish all the wonderful Dogsters out there a very Happy Easter.

Buster

Jay-Jay

Sophie Bean

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For those that don’t know, our dog Bo has a book coming out in October.  It’s about our adventures together over the past fourteen years, through Bo’s eyes.  I just wanted to share with everyone that has been following our story we now have Bo’s book cover.

Here’s the lowdown from Bo himself….so you wanna know about the book?

As some of you may know, I wrote a book for my mother for Christmas 2006. I was low on cash and needed to get her something, so I figured I could either make her an ornament shaped like poo or use my writing ability to create a masterpiece. Since our tree was already adorned with a slew of my Thomas Kinkade like collectibles, I decided on the latter. The book was called: Bo Knows: He Just Doesn’t Listen. It was all of 60 pages long, with pictures.

Several months after giving her the present, my mother sent out a barrage of query letters to literary agents the world over. She finally managed to hoodwink one unsuspecting soul. It was Barbara from the Irene Goodman Agency. Although she didn’t offer the contract right away, I knew a weekly supply of Milk-Bone’s sent her way would do the trick.

Sure enough, a contract was signed in the Summer of ‘07.

After adding more stories and revising existing content, the manuscript was deemed ready to push onto the publishing world. The title of the book had been changed to Unleashed: Memoirs Of A Man’s Best Friend. I laid down and waited.

Soon enough, but not that soon, “the call” came from Barbara. In what some will say was rude, she bypassed me and spread the good news directly to my parents. I let it slide because I was at ‘camp’ with my sister Copper and brother Logan, and most of you know, they take away our cell phones there. Upon my return I was filled in on the details.

Kensington Books had picked up the book and my editor would be Danielle. I would have until December to add more embarrassing family stories and revise existing content based upon her input. She shared with me a picture of her dog, a sexy little number that I couldn’t wait to meet, which served as an antidote to my procrastinating ways. I submitted the final manuscript the week of Christmas with its new, and final, title..BAD TO THE BONE: Memoir Of A Rebel Doggie Blogger.

I am now working closely with Danielle as a line by line edit of the book is done. At times I think if I had to do it all over again, I would just take the dump, give it to my mother and just admire it on the tree. But then I remember some of the truly funny things that have happened along the way, and I know my story will live on forever. Not that I really care, especially when the carpal tunnel syndrome in my paws acts up, but it seems important to my mother that I finish what I start. A position, I might add, that is diametrically opposed to her stance on the tunnel I’ve started to dig under the fence in our back yard.

Keep an eye out for the book in the September/October ‘09 timeframe.

So that’s the latest and greatest as of now. I strive to do a better job of keeping everyone updated in the future, but for now it’s back to revising the manuscript.

One more chapter to go before my dog chow is released from hostage.

Woof!

Bo

You can read a preview chapter on Bo’s site, find out how he adopted us.

I want to thank all our wonderful pup pals who have shown so much love and support throughout this project.  Dogsters are the best!

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There’s a growing trend among dog owners in the US, doggy day camp.  More and more pet owners are putting Fluffy or Fido in day camp to keep them from being lonely during the day when no one is around. Only five years ago you would have been hard pressed to find one of these camps, now it’ turning into a booming industry.

“It’s a recent phenomenon, and it’s grown so quickly that we’re just beginning to track it,” said Joe Lyman, chief executive officer of Pet Care Services Association, formerly known as the American Boarding Kennel Association in Colorado Springs, Colo. The recent name change came about because even the term “kennel” has gone out of fashion.  More pet owners seek lodging that comes with more amenities.

Going to camp doesn’t come cheap, with an average price of $25 a day or $40 for an overnight stay.  Statistics show more people are putting off having children which may lead to an increased amount of spending on their dogs.  Or, are more people treating their dogs like children?

Amy Popp, 31, lives in Warren but works in Novi as a marketing expert, and she worries that her four-legged children will be bored or lonely without her. She admits the camps might sound overly indulgent. She also uses a webcam the camp provides to keep an eye on her dogs during the day, when she is at her desk.

“Before I got my first dog, I would have said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” she said. But in the three years she has been using Camp Bow Wow, first in Troy and now in Commerce, “I have never second-guessed my decision. They will be coming here as long as they are able.”

Perhaps the reason behind the trend is simply that people love their dogs and consider them part of the family.  I know that’s how Lisa and I feel about Bo, Copper, and Logan.

Outside Detroit, MI in the Commerce Township camp Bow Wow opened in late July and is the second facility for owners Ann and Bob Roth; they also operate Camp Bow Wow in Troy, where as many as 40 or 50 dogs come to play each day.

“We have a lot of dual-income families, with people working longer hours in this economy,” said Ann Roth, as 15-year-old Nick, a long-haired dachshund, followed her about the main office. He is a “special needs” dog because of his age so he’s been given the run of the office. “People love their dogs, and they see them as part of the family and want to treat them that way.”

What do you think of doggy day camp, is it a  trend or here to stay?  If you’ve sent your dog to camp we’d love to hear about your experience. Give me a bark back.

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After we got our precious girl Copper many years ago, we noticed she had a peculiar little habit.  Food was disappearing off the coffee table or any other surface snout high. We thought it surely couldn’t be Copper, for she was so good about everything else. An angel sent from heaven as my wife says. But then we took the blinders off.

The first episode happened right around that first Christmas.  A friend had brought over a plate of cookies which my wife innocently placed on the coffee table for guests to help themselves.  We went into the dining room for dinner and when we walked back into the living room Copper was standing there, her face covered in powered sugar and not a cookie to be seen. Her innocent expression just said, “Got milk?”

Summertime was no different. Sitting in the living room having grilled hot dogs and hamburgers on a tray, we never ate in the kitchen . After a bite, I got up to get a glass of water, foolishly putting my tray down on the couch. When I returned seconds later, there was Copper with a little bit of ketchup on her snout. Her innocent expression just said, “Got sauerkraut?”

This all comes up now because last night my wife was asking me to quit kidding around, and to give the blackened chicken (blackened on purpose, I think) she had made for dinner back to her.  She pointed to a very clean plate on the tray by the couch and just said, “Very funny honey. Just give me my dinner back.”

I admit I may have hidden a few meals throughout the years just to have some fun, but I didn’t know what she was talking about this time. What I do know is that Copper had the worst case of gas last night that almost forced me to sleep in the guest room. I’m now sure what happened to that meal.  When I woke up this morning I looked at Copper with her innocent expression that said, “Got Beano?”

Yes, she was a “counter surfer”.  We found out that Rhodesian’s are known for swiping food off of tables although I suspect it isn’t necessarily breed specific. She is a master counter surfer…nothing is spared and she is fast.

I’m sure there’s some funny stories out there about your own surfers. Don’t be shy, share them with the group!!

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