Introducing A New Member of Our Family: Minnie!

Yesterday the Internet did not really work, but yesterday we adopted Minnie, a sweet beagle/rat terrier mix puppy, so I wanted to get this done today. 

Puppy??

 Yes, we adopted a puppy. She was at an event called Let Me Hold your Paw and she was fostered for 1 month. She is 3 mos old now and is absolutely ADORABLE! She was saved from a kill shelter and her description said she is very cuddly and sweet - which is 100% true! Minnie's name is because of the Mickey-Mouse-shaped spot on her back. (Which she came with, we didn't pick it.)

Rat terriers are great family dogs out of all the terriers there are out there. She is a beagle mix, so her face will look different, she will be slightly bigger, her coloring will be beagle-ish and her ears will possibly stay flopped. So far she has been exciting to play with and very loveable as well. We love her so much! 

Puppy food

Potty Time!(She has already learned to "go" in a certain area!)

Emerson holds the leash.

Rolling in the grass

Getting used to outside noises

Rope toy!

(This is her favorite toy so far)

Play time

Minnie is adorable!

(:

Cuteness!

Nylabone Puppy Play pack

Teething chews

Her crate she uses at night

Info About Rat Terriers

Description	The Rat Terrier is a well-muscled dog with a deep chest, strong shoulders, solid neck and powerful legs. Its body is compact but meaty. The ears can be upright or tipped and are carried erect when the dog is alert. It can be born with a short or full-length tail, each being left in its natural state or docked at two days of age. The coat colors include pearls, sables, chocolates, red and white, tri-spotted, solid red, black and tan, blue and white and red brindle. Breeders concerned with working dogs are not as fussy about the specifics of the looks.
Temperament	The Rat Terrier is an intelligent, alert and loving dog. It is very inquisitive and lively. This affectionate dog makes an excellent companion for those who will enjoy an energetic dog. They are good with children, especially if they are raised with them from puppyhood. They are, for the most part, friendly with strangers. Rat Terriers make good watchdogs. These dogs are quick, very playful and are not yappers. The temperament of these dogs is pure terrier. The lively, feisty, fearless nature can be found in the best of terriers. They are eager to please and respond and pick training up faster than most dogs. The Rat Terrier is a very well-mannered, well-rounded dog. It is easy to train, very eager to learn and to please its owner. They love to go with you and to do what you do. They are also very good swimmers, not bashful or afraid and have no problem with the water. They make good farm dogs as well as excellent family dogs for pets and companionship. This hardy dog is used for hunting expeditions as well as terrier work.

Height, Weight	The Rat Terrier comes in three different sizes. Standard:   Height 14 - 23 inches (35½ - 58½ cm) Standard:   Weight 12 - 35 pounds (5½ - 16 kg) Mid-sized:  Height  8 - 14 inches (20 - 35½ cm) Mid-sized:  Weight 6 - 8 pounds (3 - 3½ kg) Toy: Height  8 inches (20 cm) Toy: Weight 4 - 6 pounds (2 - 3 kg)
Health Problems	-
Living Conditions	Rat Terriers will do okay in an apartment so long as they get at least 20-30 minutes of exercise a day. They are fairly active indoors and should have at least a small to medium-sized yard. Rat Terriers love to dig, and they can get out of a fenced yard relatively easily. Provided they have the proper protection, they are able to spend a good amount of time outdoors. They love to be inside the house and outside to play.
Exercise	The Rat Terrier needs a good amount of exercise. This breed needs to be taken on a daily long walk or jog. It should have at least 20-30 minutes a day, but would enjoy much more. The breed enjoys challenging games and outdoor romps.
Life Expectancy	About 15-18 years
Grooming	The Rat Terrier is easy to groom. An occasional combing and brushing to remove dead hair is all it needs.
Origin	Named by the perceptive Teddy Roosevelt, the Rat Terrier was developed in Great Britain originally from the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Manchester Terrierin 1820. It was brought to the USA in the 1890s. At that time they were all their original color of black and tan. Life Magazine showed President Roosevelt with three black and tan Rat Terriers. American breeders crossed them again with theSmooth Fox Terrier as well as the Beagle and Whippet. The Beagle increased bulk, trailing and hunting ability, along with the red color. The Whippet contributed the speed and agility and probably the blue and brindle colors. The smallest variety was derived from the Smooth Fox Terrier and Chihuahua. The Rat Terrier proved to be one of the best in the rat-baiting pits. One Rat Terrier is reported to have killed over 2,501 rats in a span of only seven hours in a rat infested barn. The Rat Terrier is a hard-working farm hand, able to rid an infested barn of vermin with no problem.
Group	Terrier
Recognition	APRI, UKC, CKC, NKC, UKCI, NRTR, ACR, RTCI, RTBA, ACR, DRA, NAPR, AKC/FSS  APRI = America's Pet Registry, Inc. UKC = United Kennel Club CKC = Continental Kennel Club NKC = National Kennel Club UKCI = Universal Kennel Club International NRTR = National Rat Terrier Registry ACR =  American Canine Registry RTCI = Rat Terrier Club International RTBA = Rat Terrier Breeders AssociationACR = American Canine Registry DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc. NAPR = North American Purebred Registry, Inc.AKC/FSS = American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service® Program

Delicious Dog treat recipe!

This is an easy recipe you can make for your dog!

Banana Oat Bites

What you'll need:

3 cups oatmeal

1-1/4 cups of flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

2 mashed bananas

Mix all the wet ingredients together first, then add the dry ones until the batter is smooth in the bowl. pour the batter onto a lightly greased cooking sheet, then bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Once the banana bites have cooled on a rack, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Remember, although these treats have dog appeal, they aren't healthy if you feed them to your dog in huge quantities, so stick to 1-2 treats a day. They make great training treats as well. For a special treat, spread peanut butter on a few treats for your dog. Store them in the refrigerator until further use. 

Weekly Spotlight Question: How Much Chocolate Can Hurt a Dog?

(From Yahoo! Answers)






      "My  75lb Pit bull accidentally ate one piece of  Lindors Truffles, milk chocolate, I was wondering If i should be worried for her at all? She literally just ate it a minute ago. Help!"

   A simple way to figure out how much chocolate can hurt a dog is by looking at the chart below. A 75lb dog would probably have to ingest 66 ounces of milk chocolate to have it be toxic for them. Even though that seems like a lot, never feed chocolate to your dog even if it is a small amount. This could easily turn into a bad habit.(For an interactive version of this chart, go to NationalGeographic.com/ChocolateChart

01 Chocolate Toxicity - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!.htm

Puppy Love

Yesterday I visited a friend's house, and she had a very special surprise! A new puppy for Christmas! Holly, which was the puppy's name, was a West Highland Terrier. Seems familiar from the Cesar dog food advertisements. Remember the cute fluffy dog with seemingly immaculate soft fur? As puppies they are teeny tiny balls of cuddly soft cuteness, but these docile breeds grow up to  14-16 inches in height, and from what I have read, they live 12-16 years.

West Highland Terriers, or Westies, as they are more popularly known, originated from Scotland. The name "Scottie", and "Westie" can confuse you into thinking they are two different breeds, but the names are all for the same dog. Right? Wrong. Just remember that the dog with a mustache is a Scotland Terrier. The dog with a beard under his chin is a West Highland Terrier. Also, the two differ  in the length of their snouts--West Highland Terriers have shorter muzzles, while Scotland Terriers have very long noses.                        

So cute....so fluffy.........Who doesn't want one?


Even the cutest puppy still needs for his puppy pads to be cleaned, his bed to be washed, and his fur to be cuddled. Before you rush off and buy your pup before you finish reading this post, you need to know about them. So come on and please please don't stop reading this, because we have just started.

Consideration #1: The Amount Of Care. When they get older and they can actually run outside, Westies are frisky breeds and should only be for people who have enough time to let them outside to play fetch often. They are active dogs that love to run and play, which is surprising since they have really short legs! Westies also are very courageous dogs that will do anything, even if it means death, to protect you and your home--another surprising fact since a lot of small dogs get easily frightened.

Consideration #2: Other Pets. Westies are known as "rat dogs" because they were used for hunting rats underground when they were first introduced to the U.S.  Therefore, any small rodents could get stressed around a dog like that, and to make matters worse, he could possibly be killed. Just because there isn't any rats in your home doesn't mean nobody will get "hurt". Animals get jealous about the attention others recieve. You may notice your cat is more in hiding than usual when you first bring your pup home. Other dogs aren't as jealous, but they probably will do something considered naughty to get extra attention, and they probably don't know that "going" on the floor and chewing the puppy's toys will cause the wrong kind of attention! Avoiding this is easy. Spend one-on-one time alone with your jealous pet often, and it surely will wear off.





To learn more about Westies, go to www.wikipedia.com/west highland terriers. Thanks!

A request

Recently, a dog named Bonny "commented" and requested to be on my blog.  This is the perfect time to put a report I wrote on here for all to see.

Cancer in Dogs 

       Many may know that humans can get cancer, but you may not know animals can get cancer too. In fact, it is one of the most common diseases for dogs today, and the leading cause of death, mainly because it has been passed down for generations. Skin Cancer is the most likely cancer, as it causes tumors in the skin, and in rarer cases, mange is reported.

All species of animals can get cancer, but dogs are most likely to have it.  Cats, hamsters, rabbits....... They all have the liability to get it. Cancer creates tumors, which can be painful if they open up, or are left alone by careless owners. This horrible disease is hard to treat, and sometimes it can be confusing even to the most experienced vet.

If an animal gets cancer, you should act fast, and never say what everyone thinks is perfectly fine to say: " I'll wait until tomorrow and see if it's any better....." Instead, you should try to save your pet and keep him or her free of discomfort. There are many different ways to get rid of the tumor. Electro cautery is burning the tumor off using electricity, and Cryosurgery is freezing it off. A more risky surgery is removing it using special cutting tools, which costs less, but could make your pet die during surgery.  Unfortunately, rabbits, rats, and other small mammals cannot not be saved, on account their small form makes it difficult to preform surgery on.

Sometimes it is hard to figure out whether your dog has cancer or not, because dogs are excellent at hiding sickness. Symptoms include bumps that are red and inflamed, bleeding from the nose or mouth, and/or constant vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog is acting strangely, or acting aggressive towards you and others,  it might be time to check with your local vet.

Caring for your loyal companion is a must, and is one of the responsibilities of having an animal. Make sure you know your dogs ancestors, and what kind of diseases they could pass on. This is vital to your pets health and well-being. Therefore, a healthy pet really is a happy one!!!!!







Thanks Bonny!! Anyone else reading this blog can comment any time; be sure to ask questions, as I may put them on the blog along with a researched answer! Love Nature Girl and her loyal pets at Critter Corner!!