It is the middle of the week!
One important thing to remember when getting your cute little puppy is that they grow up really fast! It is only a matter of months before your puppy will be looking like a dog. So enjoy your time with your puppy!
Here are two pictures of Ava, a German Shepherd, taken 6 months apart:
(imgur)
If you want to see more photo time comparisons like Ava’s check out the article 28 Adorable Before and After Photos of Baby Animals Growing Up on Distractify.
I have mentioned Sevenly before, but if you have never been to the site I think you should check them out this week.
Sevenly sells products with special messages or relevance each week to support a different charity. The main product Sevenly features are t-shirts with images and slogans that support the concept of the charity that week (along with other inspiring stuff), and $7 from each sale goes to the charity. Through your purchases you are supporting a cause and getting something in return to help show your support to others, start conversation, and hopefully inspire others as well.
This week Sevenly is donating to 4 Paws for Ability, a charity which places qualified service dogs with children who have disabilities and with veterans who need them. They also support animal rescue and education regarding the use of service dogs. Even more, Petsmart is matching your $7 donation so $14 goes to 4 Paws with every purchase!
On Sevenly you can purchase two different t-shirt’s this week that are specific to the cause in different sizes and styles:
Family Friend
The design looks better on the shirts so the dog does not look so see through, and come in these designs: women’s baseball tee for $32, crew for $24, boyfriend tee for $24, flowy raglan for $28, and a hoodie for $50.
Heroes Wear Dog Tags
This is also available in a few different styles including: flowy dolman for $28, baseball tee for $32 or Raglan, boyfriend tee for $24, crew for $24, and a crew sweatshirt for $48.
Get t them this week only, and check out Sevenly every week to see if they have anything that can help you express your passions. Even if you are not interested in supporting a charity in a manner like this, please check out 4 Paws for Ability’s website to see what they do here.
After a day of above freezing temperatures and rain, winter is angry! Temps dropped below freezing to ice over all the puddles, strong winds are blowing the falling and loose snow all over, and driving is near impossible with all the factors combined. Yep, winter is angry and paying us back for enjoying yesterday.
Do you have a greyhound at home? I guess they can get a little cold:
(imgur)
Ha ha! I feel sorry for this dog because he doesn’t look very happy about his warm fashion. I feel for you buddy, I wouldn’t let my human dress me that way either!
– Fizz
Another week, another Wednesday!
Do you love Welsh Corgis? How about when they are so tired they just fall asleep like this?
(Imgur)
I love how he was so tired his little legs are out like he just collapsed! So cute!
– Cola
What in the world is a Chusky you ask? Well, it is what some are calling the mixed breed cross between the Siberian Husky and Chow Chow.
Siberian Husky
(source)
Chow Chow
(source)
Chusky
Always remember that the best indication of what a mixed breed’s temperament and appearance will be are based on that dog’s parents. This is not a pure bred and as such will have a wider variety of differences in major characteristics. That does not mean that a Chusky is not a great dog, just that puppies can be an unknown quantity for size, color, build, etc.
Never base your desire for a certain dog on one picture you see online, especially if there is only one or two. Said pictures may be created in photoshop, altered in some way, is a puppy (that is cute and fluffy) but results in a much different adult dog, or is of a dog which has a particular hair cut.
This is the picture that I have seen spreading around. An animal built more like a Chow, with that fluffy coat, but the coloring of a Husky. This is however, the only picture of its kind when searching for these dogs. So either these dogs come from a well organized foreign Chusky breeder who has worked out how to achieve these looks, these dogs have colored fur, or they are very unique pups.
(source)
The reality of the cross is that looks will vary like this:
(Sushi a female Chusky from Designermixes.org)
(source)
Chuskies are very intelligent dogs that are playful and can be protective of their families. Given the coat of both breeds involved this dog sheds heavily and the coat requires grooming. These dogs need to be socialized so they can become used to other dogs and people, and not be too aggressive or timid. If your dog has a thick coat they will not tolerate intense heat well, but would do well in cold climates. They will need exercise and a purpose, with the working dog mixed in there combined with their intelligence.
I do not know of any breeders working towards this particular mixed breed. You might be able to find one (accidental or intentional crosses) in your local animal shelter – resembling the more realistic pictures above. I just wanted to write this post because of that single picture that keeps spreading so people are aware of what such a cross most likely means to prevent unnecessary breeding and bring awareness to the wonderful mixed dogs that take up residence in our local shelters in need of homes.
–Fizz
A late Wednesday Woof!
This Golden Retriever got into a bit of trouble, but that look on his face says that it not possibly be his fault.
(source)
The caption with this picture said “He is acting like he has no idea how this happened.” I have a really good feeling that he knows exactly how it happened, but that it might get him in trouble so it is best to not know. Ha ha! So innocent looking, but willing to go the extra mile to get what he wants!
Has your dog ever gotten into something and had a box (or anything else) stuck as evidence?
I saw in the news today that Federal animal health officials are warning that Chinese made jerky dog treats (sweet potato, dried fruit, duck, and chicken flavors) are causing illness and pet death.
Here is a screen capture of the FDA’s website:
The story I read in TIME cites that over 3,600 dogs and 10 cats have become ill, while 600 pets have died after eating these jerky treats. After running many tests it is still unclear what is making pets sick. There was a different incident last January when a couple well known brands of chicken jerky treats were removed from shelves voluntarily over a scare they contained unapproved antibiotics.
Please, if you feed your dog or cat jerky treats check where they were made (for those you have in your home now and before buying any at the store). It is always better to feed your pets as naturally as possible, and to know what kind of quality control the brands you use have in place for food safety. Given the multiple scares, it is probably better to not feed your pets this kind of jerky treat.
If your pet has become ill from eating jerky treats please take your dog to the vet and contact the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA lists a few things you can look out for in your pet should they consume bad jerky treats: decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased water consumption, and/or increased urination. Some cases involve animals with other symptoms including convulsion, collapse, or skin problems. If you suspect that jerky treats made your pet ill the FDA may want any leftover treats, or the packaging itself, for testing.
You can read the story in TIME or there is a lot of good information on the FDA’s website.
Sorry for the late post everyone, but it is still sort of Wednesday! Therefore, here is a funny Wednesday Woof! featuring a little Corgi that might not be the smartest dog.
(source)
Poor little guy! I do hope he realized that it is possible to go around the fence. Otherwise, he never did get to his toy/treat.
Has your dog ever done something like this?
-Fizz Pig
Yesterday a friend asked me if I had ever heard of a Pomsky, and I must admit I have not. So I sent Cola and Fizz on the hunt for information. Below are the results of their findings:
The designer dog mix of a Husky and Pomeranian is often called a Pomsky (plural Pomskies). There is a lot of good information out there about this new crossbreed, but also a lot of misleading information and pictures. Please, always do your research first! If you ever buy a puppy from a breeder make sure they are reputable and you can check out their facility and dogs.
We are looking at a cross of a Pomeranian:
(source)
A small breed of dog which is friendly, playful, and intelligent. They pick up training, but can also train their owners to get what they want. They are a healthy breed. Pomeranians often bark at new situations and people, which can develop into a problem.
With a Husky:
(source)
The Husky is a robust and strong breed of working dog most often used in sled pulling. I am guessing that the type of husky used for breeding a Pomsky would depend on the individual breeder. “Husky” is a term which refers to any dog used to pull sleds differentiated by their pulling style. These huskies can be mixes of many types of dogs and vary in particulars like coat, height, build, and color. These dogs are often crossed based on ability and in an attempt to create better working dogs, but are not registered as purebred dogs for show purposes. On the other hand, the Siberian Husky is a specific large sized working dog originating in Siberia with a set breed standard and appearance. These differences would affect the outcome in a mixed breed pairing.
So here is the result, a Pomsky:
(apexpomskies)
Given that these dogs are a mix, sometimes first generation and sometimes mixes of already mixed animals, individual dog’s characteristics vary. Most often Pomskies are small in size like a Pomeranian but have Husky coloring. This is, I believe, what breeders are working towards. Of course, with further development of the crossbreed and more generations there will be standardization of qualities like size.
Size?
Actual adult size will depend on the parent’s size and can range from around 15 to over 25 pounds. Smaller adult Pomskies will be possible with further generations.
Coat Considerations?
Pomskies can have the entire range of colors for both Pomeranians and Huskies. Coat length and fluffiness will depend on parent crosses, so some will be fuller like a Pom while others smoother like a Husky. Shedding will be close to whichever parent’s coat a puppy gets. First generation crosses are often more Husky like, medium shedding dogs which blow their coat during the summer.
Ears and Tail?
Ears should always be erect, especially if both parents had erect ears. The tail should be curled over the back like both parent breeds.
Note: This is in regard to an ideal standard, as with any other dog that should have erect ears or a curled tail. If a dog’s ears fail to come up, stand up all the time, or has an uncurled tail such a dog still makes a great pet quality animal but those traits are a “defect” detracting from a breed standard and are therefore not ideal and would disqualify a dog from being show quality.
Temperament?
Temperament is a mix of the parents, and will vary based on individual, but most Pomskies are energetic, intelligent, and may be loud. They are said to take well to training with your effort, and to be good family pets.
Puppy Cost?
A Pomsky puppy will cost around $1500. This will vary by area, breeder, and availability. These dogs are still “rare.” There are not many breeders specializing in this crossbreed and there could be a lot of puppy mill style breeders (or simply inexperienced breeders) trying to take advantage of the low supply.
If you are looking for a puppy I will direct you to the breeders page at the Pomsky Club of America.
There is misinformation that these dogs will always look like Husky puppies, often featuring pictures of actual Husky puppies or Pomskies as puppies and claiming they are fully grown. If you feel that this is actually true after seeing images of adults, then enjoy the breed for that. However, I do not find this to be true after looking at the pictures of adult Pomskies. The dogs just look like small sized Huskies.
Here are actual Pomsky puppies:
(ApexPomskies)
First generation Pomsky adults:
(ApexPomskies)
More Pomsky Adults:
(ApexPomskies)
— Cola and Fizz
UPDATE: I am not, nor have I ever been, a Pomsky breeder. As I mentioned above, if you are looking for a puppy you should check out Pomsky Club of America or Google to see if there are local breeders in your area. Please make sure you check out your breeder first before buying a puppy to make sure they keep their dogs and puppies in a good enviroment. A good breeder will allow you to see where they keep their dogs and allow you to meet the puppies before you pay the full amount for the puppy. I have seen too many fake listings for Pomskies that use puppy pictures from a Google image search. Be careful and do your research always!
Sources:
Wikipedia – Husky
Widipedia – Siberian Husky
Wikipedia – Pomeranian
Pomsky Club of America
Pomsky Information
Another Wednesday, a new month, hope your day is going well!
Here is a puppy to help:
(source)
This puppy looks so happy to be running around! This picture is excellent with a great angle and it captures the scene around the pup well.
– Cola Pig
