It feels like spring and i want a dog. I want one now. I should join a 12 step program for dog-aholics. It is overwhelming and it is all i can think about. It has been so long since i had my own dog. When i lived in San Diego i had three German Shepherds, Nina, her son Merlin and his wife Liberty. All passed away before i left the west coast. My heart tugs every time is see a shepherd. I can spot one from a distance. More than once i have almost wrecked my car gazing at a shepherd walking down the street.

I know that there is a dog in my near future- but my inner child is having a hard time being patient for that right rescue dog to appear. Yes, this next dog will come from a rescue group or shelter unless Rin Tin Tin knocks at our door or the Monks of New Skete call and say “Congratulations! You just won a New Skete Shepherd!”. There are too many dogs who need homes and i do not want a designer dog. And i promised my husband and 3 cats i would wait until April or May to begin searching for that dog.

This dog also must meet criteria set my family and myself. He or she must get along with all 3 cats and not try to eat them. He/she must be a big dog, not a small lap dog. And if possible this new dog will be trained as a therapy dog. The reality is when the time is right the dog appears. They pick us. But….oh the anticipation of who will choose us?

The sun was out this weekend with a heat wave of 55 degrees. The urge to roll in the grass was unbearable. It was wet, so i showed restraint. … And i really did not want to embarrass my husband anymore than usual. He is quite patient with my dog obsession. (well actually its an animal obsession but our small apartment will not allow us to have a horse, pig or elephant.) More than once Salem residents have approached me with “Oh.. you’re that Dog Lady.” ( I am sure they were all kind or scared enough not to say “Oh, You’re that crazy dog lady.)

My husband Norm, also an acupuncturist has recently diagnosed me with Gou Shen Shi Syndrome translated as Dog Mind Excess. (Gou is Chinese for dog. The rest is TCM speak.) The symptoms of Gou Shen Shi Syndrome usually appear around the same time as spring fever. It is estimated that 30% of most people suffer from chronic Dog Mind Excess.

TCM Signs and Symptoms of Gou Shen Shi Syndrom

Tongue: long and dry from panting like a dog
Pulse: Big and fast from over excitement

Symptoms include:
* Obsession with dogs.
* Identification of good sticks. (Size matters.)
* Running after other dogs to greet and play with.
* Sticking head out the window during car rides. (I don’t usually do this one.)
* Heightened sense of smell. (I can smell smoke coming from the next town.)
* Scratching fleas – real or imaginary
(Last week i had to throw away my “dog coat”, the coat i wore making house calls because it had fleas. It took me a few days to realize that it was the coat that had fleas, thus the reason i had flea bites on my arms. My family is grateful that they were not attacked by the coat fleas…. and they were not imaginary fleas.)
* Ogling the Planet Dog toys at WholeFoods. (guilty)
* Drooling on cool leashes and collars at the local pet shop. (Drooling is such an ugly word.)
* Thumping rear leg when happy.
* The urge to bite when annoyed. (no comment!)
* The urge to howl along with other dogs. (why not?)
* Exhibiting symptoms of dog ailments such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, knee problems and lower back pain. (all of the above)
* Subscribing to dog magazines, watching dog movies and surfing pet finder for dogs to adopt. (it beats shopping for designer clothes.)
* Stalking neighborhood dog owners when they walk their dogs. (Some no longer make eye contact with me.)
* Carrying dog treats in car, purse and pockets at all times when possible. (mandatory)
* Knowing all the dogs’ names in the neighborhood but not their owner’s. (guilty)
* Chasing loose dogs down the street in hopes of capturing them before they are hit by a car. (I now have a leash in my car for this purpose.)
* Reprimanding other irresponsible dog owners for leaving their dogs in cars on hot days with the windows rolled up, leaving their dogs outside during frigid temperatures while they are shopping and those who allow their dogs to be unleashed on a busy street. (Probably how i earned the Crazy Dog Lady title!)

So i ask… what Traditional Chinese herbal formula does one take for Gou Shen Shi Syndrome?

I think the cure is a dog.

So what is a Foo Dog? It is best explained in Wikipedia:

Foo Dog or Fu Dog refers to any of the following closely related Dog breeds originating in ancient China which resemble the Chinese guardian lions and hence are also called Lion Dogs.

Chinese guardian lions, also called Fu (Foo) Lions, lions of Buddha, or sometimes stone lions in Chinese, are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China, which is believed to have powerful mythic protective powers that has traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, temples, emperors’ tombs, government offices, and the homes of government officials and the wealthy from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), until the end of the empire in 1911.

Lions of Fo are always created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub. They occur in many types of Chinese pottery and in Western imitations.

Pairs of Chinese guardian lions, also called Chinese stone lions are still common decorative and symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures, with one sitting on each side of the entrance, in China and in other places around the world where the Chinese people have immigrated and settled specially in local Chinatowns. In Tibet, the guardian lion is known as a Snow Lion and similar to Japanese shishi. In Myanmar they are called Chinthe and gave their name to the World War II Chindit.

Read more about Foo Dogs at Wikipedia

Swami Dogananda
Patron of flea ridden homeless dogs who has vowed to stay in embodiment until all dogs are adopted into good homes.

To see more unusual greeting cards visit:
http://www.zazzle.com/planetcalamari

House Call Hours
Tuesday – Friday Noon – 7:00 pm
Saturday -emergency house calls only

Closed Sunday & Holidays
Mondays – Phone Consultations only

Four Paws Acupuncture makes house calls on the North Shore of MA. Some of the areas we service are : Salem, Marblehead, Swampscott, Lynn, Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Essex, Gloucester, Wakefield, Melrose, Reading. Please note that we do not make house calls into the downtown Boston area, Newton, Arlington, Brookline and surrounding areas and those cities that are more than 15 miles from Salem MA

For more information on rates, services and veterinary acupuncture for your dog visit our website www.fourpawsacupuncture.com

West Hollywood expected to ban dog, cat sales
Associated Press

WEST HOLLYWOOD — West Hollywood is expected to ban the sale of cats and dogs at pet shops under a measure designed to strike a blow at so-called puppy mills.

The City Council will take a final vote on the ordinance today after giving it a preliminary approval earlier this month. It would take effect next month and give existing pet stores until September to stop sales.
City officials say the idea is to reduce demand that can lead to inhumane conditions by breeders at puppy mills and kitten factories.
The law exempts home breeders, animal rescue groups and shelters.
The ordinance says 35,000 dogs and 67,000 cats were euthanized in city and county shelters in Los Angeles in the past year

Chinese New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. The 2010 Year of the White Metal Tiger begins on February 14.

Metal is one of the five Taoist elements. The color white is associated with metal. The other elements and their colors are water-black, fire-red, earth-yellow, and wood-green.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Metal is the element which rules the respiratory system and the lungs. Water rules the kidneys and bladder. Fire rules the heart and pericardium. Wood rules the liver and gall bladder and Earth rules the spleen and stomach.
The Tiger is associated with good fortune, power, and royalty. It is viewed with both fear and respect; hence, their protection and wisdom is sought after. Many people believe the tiger, and not the lion, is the true king of beasts.

According to legend, tigers live one thousand years. Half way through life at age five hundred, they turn white. Tigers are believed to scare off thieves, ghosts, and fires.
To learn more about Chinese New Year traditions and zodiac signs visit the website below.

click here

Valentines Day is a sweet day for people, but can be very dangerous to your furry loved ones. Leaving out candy, ribbon, flowers and other gifts may end in an emergency visit to your local veterinary hospital.

Treat your dog this Valentine’s day with safe and healthy snacks such as carrots, apples or wheat-free dog cookies.

Here is a list of substances to keep out of reach from Fido. If your dog consumes any of these, please call your veterinarian immediately.

Chocolate
Macadamia nuts
Alcohol
Tylenol
Yeast dough
Coffee grounds, beans & tea
Raisins and grapes
Moldy/spoiled foods
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips
Rhubarb leaves

Thanks to the Salem Woo Crew – (my favorite group of local huskies) for sharing this site! Stunning photographs of magnificent Seppala huskies.
http://galleries.seppalasleddogs.com/index.htm