I’m clean thanks to the Halo Cloud Nine Shampoo for dogs!

Cloud Nine Herbal Shampoo is a revitalizing infusion of botanical oils and extracts – turning grooming into a pleasurable experience

Ingredients: Saponified Oils of Coconut, Olive and Jojoba, Tea Tree Oil, Rosemary Oil, Sage Oil Cedarwood Oil, Peppermint Oil, Sweet Orange Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Pine Needle Oil, Aloe Vera, Rosemary Extract (as a preservative)

There are several other great shampoo products for dogs on the market. My pet humans decided on the spur of the moment i needed a bath and bought this at Whole Foods. Now they are going to spray me with some stinky Neem oil to keep away the ticks and fleas.

Swami Dog-ananda is the patron of all homeless, flea ridden dogs.

In shelters devotees of this Master place a biscuit at his image in hopes of finding a new home. Others chant his mantra….Home Please find me a Hooooooome

. Swami Dog-ananda has stayed in embodiment until all dogs find homes. Go to your local shelter and adopt a dog. Good DOGma…Good Karma.
Find the Swami Dog-ananda Throw Pillow and other pawsitive gifts for dog lovers at The Tao of Dog Galleria

Treating Dogs with TCM
by jeanie mossa kraft, L.Ac. with Norman Kraft, L. Ac.

We did it! Our book is at the publishers and we are anxiously awaiting the proof copy for final editions. This book should be available to TCM practitioners by the first week of May.

This is a guide for the acupuncturist practitioner on the treatment of arthritis, pain and bi syndromes in dogs.

Includes:
Diagnosis
Western Veterinary Medication
Chinese Herbal Medicinals
Acupuncture
Canine Nutrition
Supplements & Lifestyle Recommendations
Laser Acupuncture
Tips on Working With Dogs and Their Owners

If you are interested in ordering a copy of this book or would like info on the recently approved NCCAOM class “Treating Painful Canine Disorders with TCM” please email us at woof at fourpawsacupuncture dot com.

The class is 3 CEU/PDA units and will be available to licensed acupuncturists late May. We will have more information on the cost soon.

Here’s Trouble!” In January, 2006, after some tough times of her own, then twelve year old Kendra Duncan of Marblehead, Massachusetts, decided that kids (and adults too) could use some help during difficult times … maybe they were ill, or had lost a loved one … or were simply feeling a little bit afraid. They needed a great big hug … and more!

She sat down and drew a very simple little pup, and named him “Trouble”! She then worked with her aunt, Sheila, to design a cuddly plush toy as well as a children’s book which tells Trouble’s story of rescue and hope…and how to “be tough” when times are hard.

Trouble has a mission … to make people feel better … and he does! It’s magical! ” To learn more visit http://www.troublesaysbetough.com.

Purchase this adorable stuffed Trouble dog or the children’s book and the proceeds are donated back to the SPCA of TN towards rescuing another poor dog that has no hope.

What can top combining art and dogs? Surfing the web i came across this delightful blog called Dog Art Today.
http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/art Filled with classic and contemporary canine art. Eye candy for dog lovers!

Stop by and wish artist/writer Moira McLaughlin a happy blog birthday today.

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.

Valentines Day is just around the corner…..dare to be different this year! Here are just a few of items from the Tao of Dog collection.
To see more unique art on clothing and gifts for the home or office please visit the Tao of Dog Galleria

This Peace Love Paws zen design is one of Planet Calamari’s most recent additions of canine art. A unique gift for all those zen inspired pet lovers.

Swami Dog-ananda is the patron of all homeless, flea ridden dogs. In shelters devotees of this Master place a biscuit at his image in hopes of finding a new home. Others chant his mantra….Home Please find me a Hooooooome. Swami Dog-ananda has stayed in embodiment until all dogs find homes. Go to your local shelter and adopt a dog. Good DOGma…Good Karma.

What is the sound of one paw clapping? All dogs are Zen masters!

To see art inspired by acupuncture, meditation, peace and absurd ideas please visit the Planet Calamari online shoppe

Well I have to admit that I am totally smitten with the idea of having a team of huskies and a sled.

The mushing bug bit me during the Myopia Sled Dog Races. Not sure if there is a cure for it. The AMA does not recognize it as a disease. The symptoms include nonstop talking about sled dogs along with the sound of happy dogs screaming oaaawooowww Let’sGooooooooooahhhhhooooooooo repeating in my head on a continuous loop over and over. It certainly beats having one of those silly Paul McCartney tunes stuck in the brain waves. The urge to buy unfashionable snow gear and a wicker sled consumes me. I no longer care about hat hair.

Western Medicine would only prescribe medication, usually used for those who suffer from delusions and suggest a therapist. Traditional Chinese Medicine would probably diagnose this as shen
disturbance and prescribe one of the more stinky herbal concoctions to anchor shen, calm the heart, and induce gagging fits. (Perhaps this sled dog syndrome has caused perhaps a bit too much joy… not something I have been familiar with lately.) So, I am not sure if I really want this new bug to go away.

At the event, there were a variety of unexpected dog breeds pulling sleds and skiers. Contrary to what I expected, not all were huskies. It was so refreshing to see several hound-dog teams (not to mention the howling of excited hounds!). Can you imagine the sound from a team of baying beagles? If only….

These dogs were having so much fun and all appeared to be taken very good care of. They loved being sled dogs….LOVED it. This was a major concern of mine before attending the races. I was so relieved to see that the dogs seemed to be in good health and so happy. Maybe this is due to the fact that these races are for fun, and not for profit like the Iditarod.

Thanks to the Boston Snow Dog folks for posting YouTubes and being a part of this event.

Until I actually manifest a team of dogs, my latest obsession is learning as much as I can about these dogs and the races. Here are a
few tidbits from Wikipedia:

Sled dogs, known also as sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs are types of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners (a
sled or sleigh) over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.

Several distinct dog breeds are in common use as sled dogs, althoughany medium-sized breed may be used to pull a sled. Purebred sled dog breeds range from the well-known Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute to rarer breeds such as the Mackenzie River Husky or the Canadian Eskimo Dog (Canadian Inuit Dog). Dog drivers, however, have a long
history of using other breeds or crossbreds as sled dogs. In the days of the Gold Rush in The Yukon, mongrel teams were the rule, but there were also teams of Foxhounds and Staghounds. Today the unregistered hybridized Alaskan husky is preferred for dogsled racing, along with a variety of crossbreds, the German Shorthaired Pointer often being
chosen as the basis for crossbreeding. From 1988 through 1991, a team of Standard Poodles competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Sled Dog Breeds
Alaskan Husky
Alaskan Malamute
Canadian Eskimo Dog
Chinook
Eurohound
Greenland Dog
Greyster
Labrador Husky
Mackenzie River Husky
Northern Inuit Dog
Sakhalin Husky
Samoyed
Seppala Siberian Sleddog
Siberian Husky
Tamaskan Dog
Utonagan ”

More to follow………

We added a new page to the Four Paws Acupuncture website with pictures of happy dog patients. To see more of the Four Paws Pack “ Click here! We will be adding more soon. If your dog would like to be posted on our page please email us a photograph.

Four Paws Acupuncture makes K9 acupuncture house calls on the North Shore of MA. www.fourpawsacupuncture.com

If you missed the MSDR this weekend in Hamilton MA the kind folks at Boston Snow dogs have put together a video! It’s the next best thing to being there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIC2f-If7VY&feature=player_embedded”