It took four years and innumerable tries before we FINALLY got a new avatar photo of me and Lilly. I cannot tell you how many attempts to replace our favorite photo from December 2007 resulted in me sobbing. I’m not the most photogenic person, and I take bad photos personally. Here, then, is our new favorite picture … along with a few outtakes … because I really did NOT want to be that girl who uses a terribly outdated photo online.
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As promised, some agility humor for our dog training friends who already have earned or aspire to earn a Master Agility Champion title (MACH) with their dogs. Meet Chaos, a nationally ranked Labrador Retriever who TWICE had to earn her 20th and final double-Q to get her MACH #5. All this … at the age of 10.
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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Deal Alert, Dog Life, Hot News | Posted on 18-11-2011
Even on short notice, I managed to pull together some holiday shopping deals for our fans and friends. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the horizon, many thanks to Earth Heart, Four Legger Cookie Factory, Fuzzy Tail Designs, K9Byes, Peaceable Kingdom Essentials, Sturdi Products, and author Leland Dirks for offering great savings to Champion of My Heart dog blog readers.
Unless stated otherwise, these savings offers end December 31, 2011.
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Now, in its third year, the Santa Paws Drive is like Toys for Tots, except the money and toys donated go to pets in selected shelters and rescue groups. That includes Black Dog Animal Rescue Inc. in Wyoming this year. Goodness knows everyone at Chez Champion of My Heart loves black (and mostly black) dogs.
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It started out as a necessity. Swamped with deadlines and a work trip on the docket, I didn’t realize Lilly was getting low on her medicine. To stretch it a bit longer, I skipped her evening dose of clomipramine (antidepressant that targets her generalized fears) for a few days. I kept it up, however, even after her prescription refill arrived.
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Even after all the years working in magazines, I’ve never quite adjusted to thinking about holidays 6 months or more before they happen. That’s why I’m just NOW putting out a call for friends and vendors to think about gift ideas for the Champion of My Heart community.
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My apologies in advance to those who might think this sacrilege, but my new fav t-shirt says “Praise Dog.” It goes into the pantheon that includes my “Dog is my co-pilot” t-shirt. I think dogs embody the divine, so maybe it’s OK.
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Lilly got her staples out a week ago Wednesday. That part went fine, but Lilly had a little trouble in the parking lot and in the reception area before taking refuge in our own exam room. Every day is different when you live with a fearful dog … even when she has xanax in her system.
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Dangerous Instincts: How Gut Feelings Betray Us is a new book by Mary Ellen O’Toole, PhD, a former FBI profiler. She is a friend of a friend and was nice enough to offer these safety tips to people who love dogs.
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The ASPCA launched a campaign to educate people about the puppy mill sources of puppies sold in pet stores. You too can take the pledge NEVER to shop for anything in stores that sell puppies. And, you can sign a petition to the White House, asking for legislation to close dog care loopholes (particularly for mass puppy breeders who sell pups via the internet).
I know you guys. I’m confident that you know all too well where pet store puppies come from and what it means to give your money to stores that propagate this icky dogs-as-cash-crop industry.
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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Life, Hot News | Posted on 03-10-2011
We’re taking a break from our normal routine to announce that we’ve switched tools used for sending blog subscriptions via email. The new format from Mail Chimp (we hope) is prettier and more functional for those loyal readers who prefer to keep up with our stories via email.
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If you missed the news from late last week, the lump our veterinarian surgically removed from Lilly’s neck was BENIGN … and kind of a weird one, called a canine adnexal nevus (or fiboradnexal hamartoma). Not scary, just strange.
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So, the question is this: If your dog could earn merit badges for training accomplishments as simple as SIT or DOWN or being housetrained, would you take part?
That’s the idea behind Good Dogs of America. Your dog could indeed earn 19 different dog training merit badges … from a local dog trainer who offers the program as an add-on to their current dog training curriculum.
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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Brag, Dog Life, Hot News | Posted on 23-09-2011
I’ll write more when I know more, but the preliminary news from one of the veterinary technicians is that the pathology report clearly says, “BENIGN.” She went on to say that the name of the tumor wasn’t something she’d heard of, so I’ll have to wait to talk to our veterinarian about the details.
BUT … the headline we’re shouting from the mountain top is …
It’s benign!
And, now … we rest and release all the worry and tension and focus on helping Lilly recover from surgery.
"That silly mommy worries a lot. I knew all along I was fine."
Maybe letting Lilly sleep in “the big bed” with us Tuesday night telegraphed that something was up. Maybe my ability to keep my worries to myself failed … because Lilly shook so hard with fear that the dog scale at the veterinary hospital sounded like an 18-wheeler going over a cattle grate.
It broke my heart, causing big, rolling tears to pour off my face and into Lilly’s fur as I tried to tell her that everything was going to be OK.
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