If your dog is an active dog that plays in the snow, hangs his head out the car window as you drive down the road, or goes for bike or motorcycle rides, your dog needs eye protection. Doggles, sun goggles for dogs, protect eyes from foreign objects, dirt, debris and UV light. They have flexible frames that fit snuggly without irritation against your dog’s face. The frames are foam padded and have an adjustable elastic head and chin strap to keep the Doggles attached securely. The lens are anti fog and polycarbonate (shatterproof). Search and rescue dogs often wear Doggles for eye protection.

The frames come in many fashionable colors and many with designs on the side. The lens are also available in many colors to suit every dog’s fashionable need. There is a pair of Doggles out there waiting for your dog!!

Westminster Kennel Club will hold their 133rd annual dog show at Madison Square Garden Center in NY on February 5 through February 11, 2009. This is the Super Bowl for Dogs!! The dog show has been televised since 1948! USA Network will air part of the first night of the live show of judging of the hound, terrier, non-sporting and herding groups on Monday, February 9, 2009 from 8 to 9 pm Eastern Standard Time and then CNBC will finish airing the rest of the judging from 9 to 11 pm (EST). On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, USA Network will air the second night of judging of the sporting, working and toy groups from 8 to 11 pm (EST) ending with the Best in Show finale!

Every year Westminster invites the top dogs in each breed to compete in the show. The English Springer Spaniels that were invited this year are CH Amilyn Fanfare, Ch Cerise Jesse James (call name Jesse), CH Cerise Signature of Telltale CD RN (call name Dustin), CH Crossroad Crownroyal Miracle (call name Bloomie), and CH Tara’s Master of D” Game. You can see the majority of these amazing Springers in the Volume 10 number 2 issue of The Springer Showcase or at www.springershowcase.com. You can also see some of them at www.essonlinemagazine.com, volume 3 issue 3.

Overall, there are 27 English Springer Spaniels entered to compete for Best of Breed and the winner will later compete in the Sporting Group. Dogs for all over United States are entered to compete and also several dogs from foreign countries. California has the most entries with 265, followed by New York with 235 and Pennsylvania with 180 entries. Canada has the most entries for a foreign country of 74.

I will be faithfully watching and rooting for the English Springer Spaniel that wins Best of Breed to go all the way!!!!! “Go Springers!”

The pros for dogs living indoors with the family are a safe, healthier, and happier dog. Dogs are social animals that depend on companionship and thrive in the safe living environment of their pack. They bond with their owner and they are more likely to obey commands. If you are using your Springer for hunting purposes, he/she will do their best in the field to please you. You will be more aware of any health issues that might occur with your dog. Dogs find comfort in familiar surroundings such as dog odors are also a concern if someone in the home has allergies.

Pros for an outdoor dog is from a human perspective, shedding, dog hair and dog odors especially if someone in the home has allergies.

However, there are many cons for a dog living outdoors. Outside dogs have a lack of human contact and are insecure and more anxious. They are less social, due to long periods of isolation. They tend to have behavioral problems, and are more aggressive and territorial of their small area. Outdoor dogs tend to be excessive barkers and are more difficult to train. They can be subject to teasing and taunting, shot or poisoned. They can not defend themselves while being chained and can be injured or killed by other dogs or animals. If they are in an enclosed area, they tend to concentrate on ways to escape, putting them at risk being hit by a vehicle or lost. An outdoor dog tends to be less healthy and sunburn, heatstroke, frostbite, exposure, and dehydration can be a devastating health problem. They are also more likely to catch diseases. Theft can also be issue.

A dog reacts well to living indoors but having an area outdoors, such as a fenced yard for play and napping in the sun. An electronic fence may work well for some breeds, but be aware that a Springer is a hunting dog and his/her hunting instinct may ignore the shock of the electronic fence. Never leave your dog outdoors while you are not at home, they are like a small child and must be supervised. Their actions will surprise you!

Did your dog ever get you in a situation that made you call for help? Well, that happened to me and my second dog, Spencer! At one time my office was in the basement. I went downstairs to work like I did every day and was working for awhile when I heard a loud bang. I went upstairs to investigate the problem. However, when I got to the top of the stairs, I could not open the door! The door knob would turn, but the door just would not open. Now Spencer was barking and trying to help. I knew just what the problem was!

My husband, Jim, bought a piece of plywood the day before and brought it into the house and leaned it up in the hallway. Spencer must have leaned against the plywood and it fell over and rested on the basement door. When I went to open the door, the plywood pushed up and under the door knob, locking me in!

While I had several hours of work to do in my office, I did not have access to the bathroom and considering this happened early in the day, it would have been a long day until Jim came home. I tried to get Spencer to move the plywood, but all he would do is bark and avoid contact with the plywood. If only Lassie would have been there to help! There was only one thing to do. Call Jim and have him leave work for a short time to rescue me!

My husband, Jim and I are campers and we love to travel. But due to the high cost of diesel fuel we decided to take a seasonal site in a nearby campground. The campground is quite a large and to get around the area, we use golf carts and all our friends use them too!

Eliot knows the golf carts as “cookie-mobiles”! All our friends carry dog biscuits in their carts and keep them in the “glove box”. So when our friends see us out walking with Eliot they stop to talk and Eliot hops into the carts and puts his nose in the “glove box” in search of cookies! Eliot’s favorite kind of cookie is peanut butter.

After he locates the cookies, he immediately takes a good dog position! If they ignore him, he places his paw on their lap! In the end he always gets several cookies!

If Eliot sees a golf cart, he immediately heads in that direction! He is like a child that sees the ice cream truck!

I was recently on the American Kennel Club website (www.akc.org) and noticed that Pennsylvania currently has a bill (PA House Bill 2553) that would allow municipalities to pass any type of law that applies to dangerous dogs and includes breed specific ordinances. If this bill is passed it will allow municipalities to decide which dogs / breeds are considered dangerous and take actions as they feel appropriate. If you oppose this bill, please contact the members of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, or contact your legislator!

Also, the neighboring state of Ohio has a bill (Ohio bill 568) introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, that is aimed at prohibiting ownership of any dog that is of the breed of pit bull dog. This bill will prohibit the ownership, keeping or harboring of a dog that belongs to the breed known as the pit bill. Within 90 days of the bill going into effective, anyone who owns a dog that belongs to the breed of pit bull will be forced to surrender the dog to a dog warden. Within 10 days of the surrender the dog will be euthanized. If there is probable cause to believe that a dog is of the pit bull breed, a search warrant can be obtained and the dog seized and euthanized within 10 days. If you are an Ohio resident and oppose this bill, please contact your representative! There are no bad dogs, just bad owners!

This reminds me of a poem by Pastor Martin Neimoller (1892-1984) the translation as appears at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The version inscribed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. reads:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.