Spring furward

by @winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

My old woofself had grrreat 16th birthday pawty November 2013. Now myself peekin' round corner toward 17th birthday.

Doo not paw attention to rumors of myself's demise. Da rumors are grrreatly exaggerated. True myself did sudden and dramatic peek over Rainbow Bridge in February 2014. Myself did meet many ER vets and techs. Then myself did come back to earth pawlane. Not finished 'ere yet!

Now mywoofself and furbro Jackie Nippers are springin' furward.

Nommin' fresh whole food meals like a ravenous puppy! BOL! Da fresh steamed organic broccoli arfully good. Now ready for furrst asparagus of da spring season.

Enjoy good noms, furriends!

Vacay Pawt II: Barkday Brambleberry Banana Split

by @winecountrydog Jackie Nippers Corgi

Wot did you doo on your summer vacay? ... Did you nom frozen desserts?

On mywoofself's barkday, Staff (aka Mum) served Brambleberry Banana Split. Organic blackberry ice cream with organic banana slices and sprinkles of probiotics.

Our Ani Meezer loves blackberry ice cream too. Hermewself does not eat ta banana.

Ourwoofselves are not only ones eating ice cream in July -- "National Ice Cream Month." Ta ice cream biz is over $10 billion a year in the States. Mostly industrial farm dairies, not humane dairy farms where cows are treated like special, honored furriends.

Blackberries get high rating as antioxidant and have got other health-confurrin' properties as well. Smart wild furriends such as foxes, coyotes, deer, and birds love nomming ripe wild berry fruits in season. Humans like picking berries from wild bramble bushes or buying 'em at markets wot sell local organic berries. If your Staffs like to pick berries, tell 'em to avoid bushes by roadsides. Tis not good to eat berries wot have been sprayed with agrochemicals or berries wot have absorbed pollutants from motor vehicles on roadways.

A bowl of homemade real blackberry ice cream is a wonderfur treat. Dependin' on howl much dairy food you are allowed to nom, you could enjoy ta blackberries in ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sherbet. Or if no dairy at all, have ta sorbet or fresh berry ice treat made in blender.

Sometimes our Staff serves frozen dessert wot is homemade. Sometimes not. Staff likes wild blackberries on pre-made organic vanilla ice cream. On myself's barkday, Staff got organic blackberry ice cream. Howly berry! No icky synthetic stabilizers or preservatives!

Ta furry idea of ourwoofselves and Meezer eating dairy or sugar does upset some pet owners and vets. Not to worry, pawleeze. Our bodies doo fine with bit of organic dairy foods. Our weights are normal. Our digestive systems are strong 'cuz our daily homemade diet is fresh whole foods. Ourselves doo not have problems with ta allergies or ta insulin or lipid metabolism or hyperlipidemia.

Ourwoofselves (not Meezer) doo eat fruits a few times a month -- more often in summertime -- with no ill effects from ta fruit sugars. Ourwoofselves and Meezer get food treats wot have refined cane sugar only a few times a year. You doo know occasional bowl of organic real ice cream with sugar is better 'n most pet snacks. There is nothing healthful 'bout "treats" like pet jerky or many of ta other packaged snacks. Furriends, you be better off eatin' tablespoon of organic ice cream! Our woofly ancestors 'ave been eating ice cream since ta first British ice cream recipe twere published by Mrs. Mary Eales in 1718.

Tis fine for healthy, normal-weight dog or cat to have high-calorie, high-dairy-fat treat like organic ice cream once in ta while. Howlever, ourselves not suggesting ice cream for furriends who are overweight or insulin-troubled or who have got skin problems, candidiasis, or ta chronic unidentified digestive problem.

Doo ask your Staffs to give you only homemade or organic brands wot contain no synthetic or artificial ingredients. Make double-doggone sure is ice cream sweetened with organic cane sugar, fruit, or honey. And ask Staffs to add some good probiotics such as ta Pet Dophilus.

Ta caveats:
~ Doo not serve ice cream to pets with history of dairy intolerance. Non-dairy sorbet and fruit ices would be good alternatives. ...
~ Doo not confuse berry types: Raspberries, red and black, or even blueberries or strawberries would be OK substitutes. But elderberries are toxic to cats. ...
~ Doo not ever feed xylitol-sweetened frozen desserts to pets! Xylitol, an artificial sweetener common in many foods, is extremely toxic to dogs and cats.

Tis helpful for Staffs to talk to vets whose pet feeding experience includes diets that go "beyond can and kibble." Also, Staffs can learn a lot 'bout wot foods agree or doo not agree by observation: Watch a dog's or cat's behavior for a period of time after he eats diffurrent foods. Reactions to foods should not cause lethargy, hyperactiveness, urgency to doo the doo or to pee, and certainly not diarrhea.

- - - - - - - - - -
Comments from Mum:
Buying pre-made ice cream? Ice cream is a subject that involves much discussion about food politics and food technology. The ice cream learning curve, in terms of how it's made and the range of ingredients that can be used, is rather steep -- an icy, slippery slope, if you will.

When you've got to choose a commercial ice cream, stick with brands containing only the following ingredients:

• Organic milk and cream;
• Cage-free egg yolks as primary emulsifiers;
• Organic cane sugar, honey, or real fruit sweeteners;
• "Natural flavors" from extracts or essential oils of fruits, vegetables, or other plants; 
• "Naturally-derived" emulsifiers and stabilizers (citric acid, guar gum, gum from carob or locust beans, tapioca starch, pectin, soy lecithin, xanthan gum).

Some of the ice cream stabilizing and emulsifying ingredients are added in very small amounts. Does this make them all safe for people or pets? Maybe not. After reading about the emulsifier carrageenan in research cited by Dr. Weil, I decided to avoid ice creams and other foods that contain it.

Generally, the imported gums and other extracts are neither organic nor fair trade. When they're used in a certified USDA “Organic” food product, they cannot make up more than 5% of the total ingredients, and also they must appear as "Allowed" on the USDA-approved “National List" -- as substances that can't be sourced organically but are "needed" in food processing.

I like making most of our frozen desserts from scratch. But I'd like to find a commercial ice cream with 100% organic, fair trade stabilizing ingredients. If you know of one, please let us know the brand!

July birthdays!

by winecountrydog Jackie Nippers

I am the only four-legger round here whose birth date is known. Always when we celebrate myself's July 23rd birthday, we doo have a pawty for Ani Meezer as well.

This year we did pawty fur three days. Here is myself on the furst pawty morning.

And here is Ani Meezer. She is eating her birthday bouquet of wildflowers which we collected on walkies.

Mum did take myself and furbro Tilin Corgi out fur my birthday ice cream.

OMD deeelicious!

Furbro Tilin loves ice cream too.

Next day Mum did take myself on special wine tasting adventures. Just the two of us.

On the third day of pawtying, Mum did share some of her nommy Pinot poached salmon.

Then Mum did serve a doglicious dessert of blackberry Cabernet sorbet.

Myself and Meezer fell asleep on the bed together. We were full and happy and tired from pawtying.

A lovely time twas had by all.

Bodega Bay Birthday ... My Big 13

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

My 13th birthday! Lots of pawtying fur two weeks, from mid-November till the end of the month. An extra-long barkday pawty covers all my pawsible birthdates.

Nobuddy knows my real birthdate, only that I was rescued as my six-week-old puppyself at New Year's 1998.

My favorite pawty event was a trip to Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast. Furbro Jack and mum did keep me company.

We did run on the beautiful long beach and then watch the sun set.

A little contempawlation of Nature was in order. ...

I noticed that the tide kept coming in and trying to get us. Howl does it doo that? BOL!

Furbro Jack was feeling pawsitively peaceful in the sunset glow.

When we got back to the doghausmobile after sundown, I was feeling arfully peaceful. Wot a swell Bodega Bay birthday!

Paw-note: Thanx woofs to mum fur keeping me going strong fur my 13 years! As only mum and myself doo know, we have had to get me thru some arfully ruff times.

They say it's my birthday

by winecountrydog

They say it's my birthday!. . . I checked my doghaus calendar, and, sure enuff, the date November 15th was circled as my 11th birthday. Nobuddy knows exactly which day I was born on, 'cuz as a puppy, I was a GGPWC rescue. But dog-ma brought me home when I was six or seven weeks old, so she knows how many years I have.

We started pawtying on the 13th.


I wanted to celebrate the occasion inside Russian River Brewing Co. with friends Katie da KRSH DJ and Justin of 1/4 Mile Combo. You recall that I enjoy the occasional 1/4-cuppa ale for my back spasms?


But, oh howl, dogs aren't allowed in Calif. eatin' places. So I ended up not havin' ale for what was ailing me.

Instead, I got to got to Dr. Jordan's clinic. I had a lovely laser therapy session. Woof! K-class laser therapy is fur healing, and I'll be paw-writing about it soon.

At Dr Jordan's, I made a new furriend — a sweet little rescue guy named Mo. He was with his nice human, Ali.


At home, I've been enjoying meals even more delicious than usual. I've received some gifts, too. My favorite gift is the yummy, healthy organic dog treats that Ani made for me.


'Tis still shocking that I'm as old as they say. I play like a puppy. Kind of.


Oh my paws, I'm so tired from pawtying.

World's smallest assistance dog

by winecountrydog

Today's the birthday of Carolina, a special dog-mom who, like her dog, lives on in our memories. We're remembering Carolina and Wishie, her "assistance" dog, by re-pawing dog-ma's story about them.

In dog-ma's words, here's the little story.

The first time I walked through Carolina's front door, Wishie spotted me. He was my friend Carolina's arthritic Boston terrier.

I'd hardly taken a step inside the house when Wishie — outfitted in a dark-red sweater to keep him warm — came rushing right at me in a determined but unsteady run.

I fell to my knees on the living room rug. My heart raced. I reached out my hand to my adorable new friend. I forgot why I was at the house. And I didn't care, because I wasn't ever going to move from that spot. Wishie was radiating too much charm and love.

Wishie liked hitching a ride on the foot platform of the mobility scooter Carolina drove. Carolina's legs didn't really work because of a spinal cord injury. Wishie's legs didn't work well because of his arthritis. And Toby, Wishie's little terrier housemate, liked to hitch a ride, too, because he was half-blind and timid.

One night, we all went out to dinner in San Francisco. On the way into the restaurant, Carolina had Wishie and Toby tucked away on the foot platform of her scooter.

Somehow Carolina got the dogs into the restaurant. I then noticed a woman at the next table who looked very unpleasant. The woman looked down and saw the dogs, then looked up at Carolina. Uh oh, I thought. But the woman's serious expression dissolved into a huge grin, and she started talking away with Carolina.

I later asked Carolina whether people ever reacted negatively when she took Wishie into places with no-dog policies. She responded by sliding Wishie's special dog collar off her scooter handlebars. She leaned over to me and held out the collar for me to see the big tag hanging from it.

The tag read Official Assistance Dog.

I giggled and said, "Oh, c'mon. What kind of assistance dog could Wishie be?"

"He's a Seeing Heart Dog," Carolina replied.

Many different breeds of dogs — usually bigger than Bostons — make great assistance dogs. Big Golden and Labrador retrievers are trained as service dogs and skilled companion dogs at Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, California.

If you're a hearing-impaired human and need a signal dog, paw-leeze keep in mind that we Welsh Corgis are very good at signaling.

Pawdon me, though, if I assert that nobuddy could be a better Seeing Heart Assistance Dog than Wishie.

Pawlitico dog's birthday

by winecountrydog

Today is the birthday of pawlitico! That's the nom de paw of my corgi buddy and fellow winecountrydog ezine™ author, Jackie.


As I was preparing to wish Jackie a happy 3rd birthday, I realized it's been a long time since I've wished a dog or cat a happy day on an actual birthday. Why? 'Cuz most of my four-footed friends are rescue animals.

I don't know when my own birthday is. It has always been estimated as mid-November. I and my sister were "Christmas puppy" presents to a woman who couldn't keep us. Dog-ma sez I was too young to be taken away from my birth-mum 'cuz I looked only six weeks old when she brought me home at New Year's '98.

My Siamese kitten's August birthday is estimated, too. Dog-ma found Ani Siamese at a feed store, where they had her up for adoption from the Sonoma County Animal Shelter.

My last two beloved cats, both departed now, were rescue cats. My late Siamese cat had been but a young kitten when dog-ma rescued her in '88. The kitten's whiskers were all burnt off, and some kids were trying to sell her in front of a downtown newstand for whatever amount someone would give them. My late, great Francis Topcat was rescued by dog-ma in '95 just in time to save him from death due to exposure and dehydration. Dog-ma named him "Francis" 'cuz she found him near a statue of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.

If I asked dog-ma, she could give me a long list of beloved dogs and cats with no known birthdays. In of itself, this is no big deal, of course. But it serves to remind me of what a hard life many dogs and cats have.

Maybe the fact that Jackie knows his birthday — and can visit his mum and other family anytime he wants — makes him feel that he should help others less fortunate. Whatever his motivation, I'm happy to see Jackie coming out of his shell as a pawlitical dog who takes a stand for compassionate treatment of animals.

We're pooped after partying. . . .

Long liver

by winecountrydog

To begin at a happy beginning, I've picked a special birthday: HBD, dog-ma!

My buddies — Jack Welsh Corgi (aka pawlitico) and Ani Siamese — and I had plans to surprise dog-ma with a cake. Last night, we waited till after dog-ma had gone to bed. Ani, an artist, insisted we do a Neo-Synthesist interpretation of a cake. She had it in her head to use raw liver to symbolize longevity as a wish for dog-ma, and to call the cake piece "Long Liver." Ani's a deep thinker, but we thought we knew where she was coming from.

What we didn't know was where the raw liver was coming from — not till Ani dragged out long pieces of liver she'd saved from dinner. One by one, she dragged them out of her bowl and carried them across the kitchen as if she were doing a performance. There were little red splotches everywhere she pawsed with the dripping pieces.

Ani's animated performance had an unintended effect upon Jack.


Jack began following Ani back and forth to try to snag some liver. He woofed at her like he always does when he wants to play. I had to muzzle him with my mouth. I reminded him that we didn't want to wake dog-ma. I really thought I had things under control. I didn't realize that none of us can resist raw liver for long. Before I could say woof, we were all pulling at the pieces, which became longer and longer. . . .

So we had to celebrate sans cake. We made do by holding the BD candles in our front paws. And we gave dog-ma a nice bottle of Freestone Fogdog.