Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog: 08/01/2005

The Donation for Animals Caught by Hurricane Katrina

I'm very worried about the pets that are caught in Hurricane Katrina. I can't do anything for them personally, since I'm not trained as a search and rescue doggy and I can't even walk -- but I've taken all of my allowance and made a donation to the Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund.

Earlier this year I donated my allowance to the Humane Society Asia's Tsunami Relief Fund. I feel good to know that I'm giving up my treats for another doggy's dinner. I just hope I'm not buying cat food!

Jonathan Harvey rescues his dog Cuddles in Gulfport, Mississippi, on Monday
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
[photo from the Humane Society website]

The No-Nose Cat with the Squinty Eyes

Charli went for a little stroll today in the backyard. She's 18 years old and doesn't have a nose. She had skin cancer on her nose a few years ago and they took it out. She's fully recovered now but she looks a bit weird. Her eyes are little slits these days. Well, she's OLD. She sure likes to eat her food though. I know because I watch her every move in the hopes that someday she will be "available" to me, if you know what I mean.

There's a reason there aren't any photos of Charli and me together!

Squinty-eyed Charli

Even more squinty-eyed Charli

The Dark Shadow Dog

Mom says it's impossible to get a good photo of me because I try to get away from the camera and I am all black.

The dark shadow dog

Look at Elsa -- she's seems to be a bazillion years old she is so gray and sluglike. Mom took her to Jack in the Box today and she shook like a leaf the whole time afraid she was going to the vet. She's a big baby. I like to ride in the car!

Annoyed by the camera

The Birthday Dog

Today is my birthday! Well, it's the day I came to live with Mom and Elsa and Pumpkin and Buffy and the luscious felines. So it's my re-birthday since my life changed tremendously on this day 1 year ago. Then I was in the Silicon Valley Humane Society without a future. Linda of the SF Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue pulled me out of the shelter and Kelly assigned me to live with Mom as her first foster dog. Mom adopted me and here I am!

Read my very first post on August 26, 2004: The Rescue

Mom almost forgot today is the big day. Luckily my friends Cindy, Dick and Kodi remembered. Geez, it's a good thing I have friends! They sent me a birthday card.

Dear Sammy-Wammy -- It's your 1 year anniversary of your Gotcha Day!! We've been honored to know you and your Mom for the last few months. You are a very loved doggie and we wish you many, many years of happiness just like this last year you've had in your loving home!

Waggingly yours,
Cindy, Dick & Kodi

The Mobile Vet Visit

Dr. Araiza, the mobile vet, came to visit me today. Mom says there was some blood in my dish on Saturday so she wanted the vet to look me over. Dr. Araiza examined my mouth and she said I bit my lip! No doubt when I was alligator snapping my teeth at those luscious looking felines.

Dr. Araiza taught Mom how to make me poop on command. I won't go into the details here but it's a handy thing to be able to do if you have a doggy that can't walk.

In the afternoon I went swimming. I've been growling and snapping at Connie, my swim instructor sometimes when I swim. I even try to bite her when I am swimming. I haven't succeeded since I get a bunch of water in my mouth and it slows me down. Connie and Mom endlessly discuss why I am trying to bite Connie. They and my vet have concluded it's because I need to tell Connie that despite my physical limitations I am still the top dog! Connie puts up with me because she knows how to manage me and she wants me to get my exercise.

Then tonight I had my picture taken. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will recall that I absolutely hate the evil camera, the technology equivalent of the devil.

Sam trying to get away

Sam escaping from the evil camera

Sam hiding his beautiful face

Sam and Elsa (with Buffy in the background in his crate)

The Fan Club of Buffy the Chihuahua Beagle

Buffy has a fan club. Mom's friend Cindy caught one of Buffy's adoring fans snuggling up to him on the couch. I was hard at work swimming during these shenanigans and take no responsibility!

In case you want to make a comment, let's take a poll.

Who is cuter? Me - Sammy, the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog!
.
................... o r ..........................

Buffy the mutt a.k.a. the supposed Chihuahua-Beagle although who really knows what his parentage is.

If you think Dick is cuter than either of us you can vote for him too.

Dick and Buffy with Dick sleeping

Dick and Buffy with Dick awake

The Canine Consumer

Finally the marketing humans are realizing the immense purchasing power of doggies (via their obedient masters).

By the way, ignore the typo in the last sentence of the article (below). 10% was really supposed to be 90%!

Dreyer's Scoops Up a Share of Doggie Treats Market
Frosty Paws ice cream has become its most profitable product line.
By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Dreyer's, the maker of Haagen-Dazs and other top ice cream brands, has discovered that doggie ice cream is something to bark about.

Sold in the freezer section near the Drumsticks and Popsicles, Frosty Paws Frozen Treats for Dogs has quietly become the most profitable product line at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings Inc., the nation's largest ice cream company.

Oakland-based Dreyer's is expanding the line to include a second flavor, peanut butter, and has slapped a Purina label on the product to make it more appealing to dog owners. Purina and Dreyer's are controlled by Swiss food giant Nestle.

Frosty Paws Original flavor, described by company executives as sort of a doggie vanilla, has been around for more than a decade, growing to a $10-million product line.

Although that's just a tiny fraction of the nearly $1.6 billion Dreyer's collected in sales last year, Americans' penchant for indulging their pets has turned the treat into the highest-profit-margin item produced by the company, said Candy Marciano, a Dreyer's assistant brand manager. The new Frosty Paws flavor, which sells for $3.59 for a four-pack of 3.5-ounce cups, is being rolled out in most of the state's major grocery chains.

The success of the Original flavor, mostly on the East Coast, sent Dreyer's looking for a line extension that would be palatable for the pooch and attractive to the human who pushes the shopping cart.

"Beef-flavored ice cream wouldn't be that compelling, especially to the owner," Marciano said. "We did some studies and found that all dogs love peanut butter.

"Dreyer's is tapping into an explosion in the amount Americans spend on their pets each year, said Bob Vetere, managing director of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn. in Reno.

Pet spending has more than doubled to $35.9 billion from $17 billion in 1994, he said. Pet food alone is a $14.5-billion-a-year industry. The typical dog owner spends $68 annually on dog treats.

"We are seeing a trend where human product makers are making line extensions into the pet business," Vetere said.

Indeed, the idea of serving a dog a treat typically enjoyed by humans sounds intriguing to Kim Santell, owner of Planet Doggy Daycare in Pasadena.

"I would go out and try it," Santell said, "but I am kind of a dog kook."Santell has fed her beagle Kelly and other canines regular ice cream, only to have them vomit. Frosty Paws, however, is lactose free and is formulated to work with a dog's digestive system, Marciano said.

Dog goodies are an important way of maintaining the human-animal bond, said Scott Campbell, a veterinary nutrition expert at UC Davis.

But, as with people, he said, treats should be used in moderation. "Just as there is in humans, we are seeing an increased obesity in dogs.

"A good rule of thumb is to limit treats to no more than 10% of a dog's recommended daily caloric intake, he said.

The Family Visit

I've been awfully busy the last week or so supervising Mom's family. Her brother George, his daughter Nikki, and Nikki's boyfriend Nathan came out from Missouri to fix up Mom's house. Gosh they required a lot of direction but luckily I was on hand 24 hours a day to bark instructions. They pelted me with ice cubes and treats so all of my efforts were worthwhile.