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Whether you’re interested in popular hotspots or hidden gems, Arizona’s amazing mix of high-country hiking trails offers something for everyone. Rife with wildlife encounters, refreshing swimming holes and breathtaking views from atop historic fire towers, these destinations are your best bets for cool summer treks.
Here are the list of the most exciting, breath taking and dog friendly trials for you and your dog. GO AHEAD AND CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFO!!
MOUNTAIN SPRING
HIGH-COUNTRY WATER
PINAL SKY ISLANDS
THICK FORESTS & THIN AIR
- Kachina Trail
- Sunset-Little Bear-Little Elden Loop
- Waterline Road-Tunnel Trail
- Watershed Trail
- Weatherford Trail
Benefiting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Animal-Assisted Therapy Program, this fundraiser begins with a sniff ‘n’ greet, followed by gourmet human and canine dinners, a best-dressed dog contest, raffle and auction.
Calendar March 27
4 p.m. $100 for one leashed dog and one-behaved owner. Private Central Phoenix residence.
If Fido’s a foodie, you don’t want to miss our ‘fur-filled’ fundraiser for a chance to Dine With Your Dog for charity.
Mingle with fellow animal lovers, pose for portraits with your pet, and even enter your fashion-forward pooch in the Canine Couture fashion show at the Third Annual Dine with Your Dog.
The evening includes a gourmet human dinner with wine, a gourmet canine dinner, raffle, doggie activities and more. Benefiting the Animal-Assisted Therapy Program at Phoenix Children’s, proceeds from the evening will go ‘straight to the dogs.’
Tickets are $100 for one leashed dog and his or her well behaved owner. Reserve your seat today. Click here to purchase pre-paid raffle tickets.
DineWithYourDog
Tel: 602.944.9552
March 27
source: Phoenix Children’s Hospital
I will not play tug-of-war with Dad’s underwear when he’s on the toilet.
The garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.
I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I’m lying under the coffee table.
I will not roll my toys behind the fridge.
I must shake the rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.
I will not eat the cats’ food, before or after they eat it.
I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to throw up.
I will not throw up in the car.
I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc.
I will not lick my human’s face after eating animal poop.
Kitty box crunchies are not food.
I will not eat any more socks and then redeposit them in the backyard after processing.
The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.
I will not chew my human’s toothbrush and not tell them.
I will not chew crayons or pens, especially not the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.
When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it’s raining outside.
We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.
I will not steal my Mom’s underwear and dance all over the back yard with it.
The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are Mom and Dad’s laps.
My head does not belong in the refrigerator.
I will not bite the officer’s hand when he reaches in for Mom’s driver’s license and car registration.
“What would you do if you’d find an elephant in your shower tub?”
He’s taller than Shaquille O’Neal, weighs more than Peyton Manning and eats 110 pounds of food every month. He’s George, a Great Dane who stands head and shoulders above the average pup.
In 2007, Oprah met an equally impressive Great Dane named Gibson, who was the world’s tallest dog at that time. Sadly, 7-year-old Gibson passed away in 2009 and left giant shoes to fill.
Just hours before George’s flight to Chicago, this gentle giant stepped in and became the new Guinness World Record holder for the tallest living dog…ever!
Make no mistake—George is giant. He is 7’3" from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. And, at 245 pounds, he’s about 100 pounds heavier than the average Great Dane.
"If George steps on you with his paw, his front paws especially, because that’s where most of his weight is, it can hurt," says David, his owner.
David says he first realized George, his first Great Dane, was special during a visit to a state fair. "There were three lions there in a pen that you could get really close to, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘My dog is bigger than these lions,’" he says.
Back home in Arizona (Tucson), the world’s tallest dog gets royal treatment. He even sleeps in his own queen-size bed. "We originally started him in a dog crate. Then, he outgrew that, and he went to a twin-size bed," David says. "Within about a year, he outgrew that."
Every month, David says George chows down on $250 to $300 worth of dog food and treats. "He’s so tall, he can actually reach down into the sink and get a treat," David says.
George gets stares everywhere he goes—especially at the local dog park. "When I take him to the dog park, I hear comments all the time: ‘Is this a pony? You need a saddle for that thing. Is that a horse?’" David says. "I mean, if I had a nickel for every time somebody said that, I’d be rich."
When he’s not frolicking with his canine pals, you might find George riding in style on a golf cart.
"He loves it," David says. "He hops right in, and we’re ready to go. It’s one of his most favorite things to do."
Sources:
Giant George
Oprah Show
Toddlers, sneakers, and even scales can tweet–so why not dogs?
A new Twitter-enabled dog collar called ‘Puppy Tweets’ from Mattel will allow Fido to broadcast its everyday actions on Twitter.
The LA Times explains, ‘Attached to a dog’s collar, the plastic tag randomly generates one of 500 canned tweets when it detects barking or movement and automatically posts an update to Fido’s own Twitter page.’
‘Puppy Tweets’ includes phrases like, ‘I bark because I miss you. There, I said it. Now hurry home’ or ‘I finally caught that tail I’ve been chasing, and . . . OOUUUCHH!’
Over time, your dog’s tweets will eventually start to duplicate themselves (but then again, so do human Twitterers’).
‘It is a new frontier for us,’ Mattel Brands President Neil Friedman told the LA Times. ‘We think it could be the start of a new wave of products for people to interact with their pets.’
If you want your dog to tweet but aren’t sold on Puppy Tweets, check out Japan’s BowLingual. The app, which should be available in English later this year, promises to analyze your dog’s bark and translate it into one of six emotions, which it then syncs with a phrase that corresponds to that feeling. That phrase can then be tweeted out through your dog’s Twitter account.
Christian Velasco, 23, said he planned to check out Puppy Tweets because he often wondered what his dogs, Bailey and Casey, were doing during the day.
Los Angeles Times
The Huffington Post
photo: Flickr
Twitter: RexTheDogWalker
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Looking for a job with no dress code, no cubicle and no office politics? One that, despite a tough economy, still has a lot of pup — uh, pep? The clientele can be a handful, but it’s nothing a few treats and a long walk can’t satisfy. |
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It’s 10 a.m. in downtown New York and Casey Butcher is ready for work, but he’s forgotten his paper. A lot of New Yorkers start the day with the morning paper. For Butcher, though, the newspaper serves a whole different purpose. He’s in the dog-walking business, and his first client of the day is a French bulldog puppy named Mochi who is about to take care of his own business. "A lot of dog walkers invest in the blue poop bags, but I try to use an AM New York when I can," Butcher says. "I’m a little aware of my carbon footprint — I can go through, like, 20 bags a day." |
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Butcher works for a company called Club Pet NYC. It’s not the most glamorous way start to a day, but even in this economy, poop pays. How much does it pay? That can be a little controversial An article in a 2004 issue of the New York Daily News asked people how much they made. A dog walker named Sammy Swale reported about $50,000, prompting some dismayed online responses such as, "I went to grad school for five years for a Ph.D. and I still make less than the dog walker!" Another reader replied, "The dog walker is lying, we make much more than that!" Butcher agrees, although he won’t say how much he makes. "I have a friend who’s making $100,000, and that’s with the company taking half. So he brings in about $200,000 a year just walking dogs." That would be a pretty good income even with Manhattan’s high cost of living. But not just anyone is cut out for this line of work. According to the walkers, it’s a lot harder than it looks. First, there’s the physical toll. Sherman Ewing, the guy who started Club Pet NYC, says his foot grew a size and a half in his first year from walking about 10 miles a day. Then there are the logistics. Like the keys to 200 apartments. "What is amazing is I can tell if any are missing just from the sheer weight of it," says Eric Hahn, who has worked for Ewing for the past seven years and considers himself somewhat of an expert walker. Even so, walking five dogs at a combined weight of 350 pounds can be a little tricky. "There is a method. People see you with a bunch of dogs and they think it’s just random," Hahn says. He explains his system this way: "Whoever is full and has not been emptied yet is on the outside of you — it’s a matter of rotation. I need to keep track of who’s empty and full because if a dog’s about to go and you go into a lobby … ." But what makes dog walking truly challenging is that you have to be good with both dogs and people. "I have people where their kids call me Uncle Eric," Hahn says. "I’ve had dinner with my clients. It’s not like I’m the help, necessarily; it’s more like [an] extended member of the family." The people at Club Pet NYC won’t call dog-walking recession-proof. But it certainly will never require a government bailout or a stimulus package. Unlike the banking industry, dog walkers can always count on a high rate of deposit. |
Photographer: Brook Mayo
You could say her career as a professional photographer started with dogs. She has actually had an interest in dogs longer than photography, but a series of dog portraits from her uncle really piqued her interest in capturing dog’s moments with a camera. Combining the best of both worlds, photography and dogs, has allowed her to grow as an artist. 
After studying photography at Appalachian State University and The University of Western Sydney in Australia, she worked with Joyce Tenneson and Lois Greenfield in New York City. Traveling to some of the most fascinating places on earth allowed her to gain experience and solidify her love of photography. During this time, she also realized her childhood home was a place she wanted to call “home” again, and she moved to the Outer Banks in 2003.
A major part of her photography business in North Carolina is weddings, but it’s her “Underwater Dogs” project that truly captures her heart. She thrives on the unseen moments underwater – those few precious seconds that are missed observing playtime above water. Taking her camera below the surface of the water allowed her to explore another world that created so much joy for dogs. She has a love and admiration for the unconditional acceptance that a doggie friend can share with its owner. She enjoys playing with her own dogs and discovered how their personalities serve as entertaining and heart-warming subjects, but it was while her dogs were splashing through the water that the true spirit and freedom of being a dog was apparent.
She has always known how happy it makes her dogs to jump in the water after a toy, but she never viewed their expressions and the diligence they use to retrieve something for her. Not only do they love it, but they enjoy it even more because it makes her happy. Dogs want to please, so while diving to the bottom of a pool is super fun for them, they thrive on us being excited when they bring their toy back. You can see it in their faces – they dive with their eyes wide open searching for their toy and scramble back to you, as if it were the one thing they lived for.
As her bridal work keeps her busy, Mayo just published a hardback book of photographs called “Diving Doggies: A Celebration of Play Underwater
To see Brooke Mayo’s work and know more about her go to: www.Brookemayoblog.com
Her book is for sale for $29.95
‘Grace’: PETA’s Thanksgiving ad
Thanksgiving can be the scariest time of year if you’re a turkey. More than 45 million of these fascinating birds are killed to disgrace Thanksgiving tables each year.
In hopes of empowering kids everywhere to speak out as their families adorn their Thanksgiving tables with dead birds, PETA offers its Thanksgiving ad, ‘Grace.’ In the ad, you hear from one straightforward little girl as she tells it exactly like it is for turkeys who are killed for holiday meals when asked to say grace around her family’s dinner table.
source: Peta
Some veggies and fruits OK. Raw meet and fish NOT OK
Can a little reward from the table really hurt your dog? Well, that depends on what it is and what’s in it. A chip with guacamole can cause your dog some real problems. In fact, there’s a lot of people food your dog should never eat. And, it’s not just because of weight. Some foods are downright dangerous for dogs – and some of these common foods may surprise you.
Avocado
No matter how good you think the guacamole is, you shouldn’t give it to your dog. Avocados contain a substance called persin. It’s harmless for humans who aren’t allergic. But it’s highly toxic in most animals, including dogs. Just a little can cause your dog to vomit and have diarrhea. And, if you happen to be growing avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as in the fruit.
Alcohol
Beer, liquor, wine, foods containing alcohol – none of it’s good for your dog. That’s because alcohol has the same effect on a dog’s liver and brain that it has on humans. But it takes far less to do its damage. Just a little can cause vomiting, diarrhea, central nervous system depression, problems with coordination, difficulty breathing, coma, even death. And, the smaller the dog, the greater the effect.
Onions
Onion in all forms – powdered, raw, cooked, or dehydrated – can destroy a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. That can happen even with the onion powder found in some baby food. An occasional small dose is probably OK. But just eating a large quantity once or eating smaller amounts regularly can cause onion poisoning. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, little interest in food, dullness, and breathlessness.
Coffee, Tea, and Other Caffeine
Caffeine in large enough quantities can be fatal for a dog. And, there is no antidote. Symptoms of caffeine poisoning include restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors, fits, and bleeding. In addition to tea and coffee – including beans and grounds – caffeine can be found in cocoa, chocolate, colas, and stimulant drinks such as Red Bull. It’s also in some cold medicines and pain killers.
Grapes and Raisins
Grapes and raisins have often been used as treats for dogs. But it’s not a good idea. Although it isn’t clear why, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. And, just a small amount can make a dog ill. Repeated vomiting and being hyperactive are early signs. Within a day, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. The best prevention is to keep grapes and raisins off counters and other places your dog can reach.
Milk and Other Dairy Products
On a hot day, it may be tempting to share your ice cream cone with your dog. But if your dog could, it would thank you for not doing so. Milk and milk-based products can cause diarrhea and other digestive upset as well as set up food allergies (which often manifest as itchiness).
Macadamia Nuts
Dogs should not eat nuts or foods containing nuts because nuts can be fatal. As few as 6 raw or roasted macadamia nuts can make a dog ill. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle tremors, weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters, vomiting, elevated body temperature, and rapid heart rate. Eating chocolate with the nuts will make symptoms worse, leading to possible kidney failure and death.
Candy and Gum
Candy, gum, toothpaste, baked goods, and some diet foods are sweetened with xylitol. Xylitol can cause an increase in the insulin circulating through your dog’s body. That can cause your dog’s blood sugar to drop and lead to liver failure. Initial symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Eventually, the dog may have seizures, and liver failure can occur within just a few days.
Chocolate
Most people know that chocolate is bad for dogs. The toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine. It’s in all kinds of chocolate, even white chocolate. The most dangerous kinds, though, are dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate, even just licking out the icing bowl, can cause a dog to vomit, have diarrhea, and be excessively thirsty. It can also cause abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and death.
Fat Trimmings and Bones
Table scraps often contain meat fat that a human didn’t eat and bones. Both are dangerous for dogs. Fat trimmed from meat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause pancreatitis in dogs. And, although it seems natural to give a dog a bone, a dog can choke on it. Bones can also splinter and cause an obstruction or lacerations of your dog’s digestive system. It’s best to just forget about the doggie bag.
Persimmons, Peaches, and Plums
The problem with these fruits is the seeds or pits. The seeds from persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine in dogs. They can also cause intestinal obstruction. Obstruction is also a possibility if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. Plus, peach and plum pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. The difference is humans know not to eat them. Dogs don’t.
Raw Eggs
There are two problems with giving your dog raw eggs. The first is the possibility of food poisoning from bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. The second is that an enzyme in raw eggs interferes with the absorption of a particular B vitamin. This can cause skin problems as well as problems with your dog’s coat.
Raw Meat and Fish
Raw meat and raw fish, like raw eggs, can contain bacteria that causes food poisoning. In addition, certain kinds of fish such as salmon, trout, shad, or sturgeon can contain a parasite that causes "fish disease." If not treated, the disease can be fatal within 2 weeks. The first signs of illness are vomiting, fever, and big lymph nodes. Thoroughly cooking the fish will kill the parasite and protect your dog.
Salt
It’s not a good idea to share salty foods like chips or pretzels with your dog. Eating too much salt can cause excessive thirst and urination and lead to sodium ion poisoning. Symptoms of too much salt include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, and seizures. It may even cause death.
Sugary Foods and Drinks
Too much sugar can do the same thing to dogs that it does to humans. It can lead to obesity, dental problems, and even diabetes.
Yeast Dough
Before it’s baked, bread dough needs to rise. And, that’s exactly what it would do in your dog’s stomach if your dog ate it. As it swells inside, the dough can stretch the dog’s abdomen and cause severe pain. In addition, when the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it produces alcohol that can lead to alcohol poisoning.
Your Medicine
Reaction to a drug commonly prescribed for humans is the most common cause of poisoning in dogs. Just as you would do for your children, keep all medicines out of your dog’s reach. And, never give your dog any over-the-counter medicine unless told to do so by your vet. Ingredients such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen are common in pain relievers and cold medicine. And, they can be deadly for your dog.
Kitchen Pantry: No Dogs Allowed
Many other items commonly found on kitchen shelves can harm your dog. For instance, baking powder and baking soda are both highly toxic. So are nutmeg and other spices. Keeping food items high enough to be out of your dog’s reach and keeping pantry doors closed will help protect your dog from serious food-related illness.
If Your Dog Eats What It Shouldn’t
Dogs explore with their mouth. And, no matter how cautious you are, it’s possible your dog can find and swallow what it shouldn’t. It’s a smart idea to always keep the number of your local vet, the closest emergency clinic, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center – (888) 426-4435 – where you know you can find it in an emergency. And, if you think your dog has consumed something that’s toxic, call for emergency help at once.
What Dogs Can Eat
You can ensure your dog has a healthy, well-balanced diet by asking your vet to recommend a quality dog food. A well-designed dog food gives your pet all the nutrients it needs for an active and healthy life. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sometimes give your dog human food as a special treat – as long as portions are limited, and the foods are cooked, pure, and not fatty or heavily seasoned. See the next few slides for some tasty suggestions. But if you’re looking to human food as a meal replacement, talk to your vet about amounts and frequency.
Safe: Lean Meats
Most dogs are fine eating lean cuts of meat that have been thoroughly cooked. Be sure to remove all visible fat – including the skin on poultry. Also be sure that there are no bones in the meat before you give it to your dog.
Safe: Some Fresh Fruits
Slices of apples, oranges, bananas, and watermelon make tasty treats for your dog. Be sure to remove any seeds first, though. Seeds, stems, and leaves can cause serious problems.
Safe: Some Vegetables
Your dog can have a healthy snack of carrot sticks, green beans, cucumber slices, or zucchini slices. Even a plain baked potato is OK. Be sure, though, not to let your dog eat any raw potatoes or any potato plants it might have access to in your garden.
Safe: Cooked White Rice and Pasta
Dogs may enjoy plain white rice or pasta after it’s cooked. And, a serving of plain white rice with some boiled chicken can sometimes provide welcome relief from gastrointestinal upset.
Source WebMD
