Nautical Pet

Happy Holidays

2011-12-19T14:52:00.002-05:00

Our dog Jack, usually known as "Lucky Jack the pirate dog" working undercover wants to personally wish you and your salty pets a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!

Lucky Jack disguised as a reindeer. Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THE NAUTICAL PET

Bob Timberlake licenses premium dog food

2011-09-29T19:36:00.000-04:00

Bob Timberlake holds a bag of his new Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food

Article written by Vikki Broughton Hodges/ The Dispatch

Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food, made by Plantation Dog Food in Boydton, Va., is now available to be distributed by Southern Foods at Home, which delivers all-natural, gourmet foods to homes in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and southern Virginia.

Lexington artist and designer Bob Timberlake, who's also an avid hunter and pet lover, said he got into branding dog food after his grandson's bird dog, Mike, short for Michael Jordan, unexpectedly died a few years ago.

"I've had bird dogs all my life, and he was the best I've ever hunted behind," Timberlake said. "He was a smart dog, a good dog. He really lived up to his name."

While no autopsy was performed it's suspected the dog died from liver disease caused by some imported filler in his food that was contaminated, Timberlake said.

"When he died from this, it made me mad," said Timberlake, who began researching what went into dog food.

Timberlake commissioned Plantation, which already makes its own line of premium pet foods, to make a branded product for dogs and puppies of all ages and breeds.

"I'm 74 and I've always had dogs, I'm not sure how many," he said. "I told (Plantation) if I'm going to do this I want it to be the best."

Timberlake said the all-natural dog food, primarily made from chicken, is good for all sizes and breeds of dogs, from little 3-pound lap dogs to 120-pound Labrador retrievers.

For more information, visit Bob Timberlake's website at Timberlake signature series.

Puppy Chow

2011-05-11T07:48:00.000-04:00

Dyna and Dylan aboard "aCappella"

By Karen and Jeffrey Siegel
aCappella
Castine Maine

Our first Lab was an 80 pound black male named Duke. He lived to the ripe old age of 15 but never was able to adapt to the old lobster boat we had at the time. As a puppy Duke ate Purina Puppy Chow. Since then all of our dogs have learned that "puppy chow" meant mealtime.

You don't ever, and I mean never ever, say "puppy chow" unless you mean it. There is no more sacred word to a Siegel dog.

Since then we have learned much about nutrition in dog foods - or rather the lack thereof in the vast majority of dog foods. The morsels that pass through Dyna and Dylan's lips are hand formed by virgins on a remote tropical island. At least we think it must be, given the cost and difficulty involved in obtaining it.

After many, many hours of research, literally, our two babies receive Innova brand dry dog food, adult for Dylan and senior for Dyna.

Innova is not available at Walmart or Publix or Pet Smart. In fact, we know of only two places on the east coast where we can readily get it from the boat, Solomons, MD and Miami Beach, FL. So we must have 30 lb. bags shipped to us along the way.

This means we need to be somewhere long enough to receive ground shipping. Trust us you don't want to be paying overnight shipping for this stuff. We have calculated that 60 lbs. of dog food will last for 3 months. That's per dog. So we generally stock 120 lbs. of dog food, ordering more when we open the second bag.

Then there's the issue of storing it. This is accomplished in 3 phases. There are two 2.5 gallon containers that take half a shelf in our pantry, one for each dog. These last about 5 days. Two bags (one of each), along with treats, travel bowls, etc. are stored inside the larger of the two side tables we have in the saloon. The other two bags are stored in the hatch underneath the guest bunk.

Today the last two bags came out from under the bunk. After ten minutes online, two more precious bags will arrive next week. So the best part of the day will continue to be when we say, “Dyna, Dylan, do you want some puppy chow?” and we watch the tails wag.

You can follow the adventures of Dyna and Dylan and the Siegel's aboard the "Capella" by following their website at http://www.takingpaws.com/

Canine Crew - Getting "Business" Done

2011-03-18T08:17:00.000-04:00

By Karen & Jeffrey Siegel

ActiveCaptain

https://activecaptain.com/index.php

Whether you cruise for weeks or months every year, or live aboard full time, your boat just wouldn't be home without your four-legged loved ones. Our first beloved Labrador, Duke, was eight years old when we acquired our first boat, an old day cruising Maine lobster boat. While Duke was passionate about swimming, he hated the boat.
When we graduated to a weekend cruiser, we had to leave him with friends ashore. After Duke went to the big dog park in the sky, we decided our next companion would be a true salty dog. Months of research, reading and discussion led us to a plan. Living in Maine, we would get our puppy in the winter. This way he would be trained but still young enough to adjust to the boat. 5-6 months old seemed like the "perfect" time to introduce him to the boat. But what about when nature calls?
The key to a truly successful canine crew member is ensuring that all "business" can be carried out on the boat. But how? The serious research began. Much to our dismay, we were greeted with endless tales of failure. One story that intrigued me, however, was of a large dog who needed to make a 3 day passage. The owner's solution was to sod the cockpit, giving the dog the grass he was used to. So we devised our "poop deck" plan.
Tucker came home in early March at 9 weeks old. Snow still covered the ground. We placed a small Astroturf mat in the snow, the kind often used as a doormat. Dutifully, we took Tucker out to the mat whenever it was time to go. He wouldn't even stand on it. We persisted into spring.
In May the boat went back in the water. We took Tucker out gradually increasing his time on the boat. He loved it! After several weeks, we decided it was time for his first overnight -- no going to shore. Anchoring off a favorite island and, with meager hopes, putting the mat in the cockpit, we waited.

Tucker was the perfect cruising companion.

As five o'clock approached, Tucker went to the transom door and whimpered. We showed him the mat. He whimpered. This continued for a couple of hours as the whimpers turned into howls. Finally, he ran to the mat and went! Good dog! Praise and treats followed in abundance! Tucker was the perfect cruising companion.
When we acquired our cruising boat, the mat was placed where we wanted him to go, in this case on the bow. The mat only needed to be down for a few trips for him to learn his spot. Tucker made numerous trips up and down the east coast, to the Keys and to the Bahamas. This included numerous overnights offshore and at least once not setting foot (paws?) ashore for 5 days. He was the perfect cruising companion!
Then during a winter cruise Tucker died very suddenly at the age of five from cancer. We were devastated as we cut our cruise short and limped back home.
While working with the breeder to decide when we should bring our next precious bundle into our home, we made the decision to adopt Dyna, Tucker's mom. Dyna was a beautiful nine year old "retired" lady. My husband had one condition - we could only keep her if she could learn to do her business on the boat. Of course, I "agreed." We picked her up July 5th. Dyna took quickly to the boat having spent time on smaller boats on Maine lakes. But how were we going to teach an old dog a new trick?
It occurred to us that the main problem with a house trained dog was that they saw the entire boat as being "inside" and therefore, not the place to go. We needed a revised plan.
Out came the trusty mat which was placed in the yard. Every time we took Dyna out the door we said, "Dyna, let's go outside." - emphasizing "outside." We would then take her over to the mat, which she ignored.
We took her to the boat and placed the mat on the bow. We all went inside, closed the door and waited a bit, and then said, "Dyna, let's go outside," opened the door and walked her around the outside of the boat, showing her the mat. This was repeated many, many times over several afternoons. However, Dyna always waited until we were ashore to do any business. We persisted.


Dyna and Dylan aboard aCappella.

Finally, one afternoon with the boat tied to the town dock getting a bath, Dyna casually went to the bow and did her business beside the mat. Good dog! (When my husband expressed joy at this success to a friend saying, "Now we can keep Dyna." The friend corrected him with, "No, now you can keep the boat.")
Our last test came in August when we brought home, Dylan, an eight week old male puppy - Dyna's grandson. In all honesty, this one was too easy. Out came the mat onto the yard. Faithfully, we took him to the mat multiple times a day. He had a few short, get acquainted trips on the boat. The first time we spent the day on the boat, he watched Dyna go on the bow and then ran over to the mat to go. At least one dog is actually using the mat!

8-week old Dylan reports for duty.

Thinking through these three very different experiences, I believe there are some basic concepts which can be applied to others:

Use some sort of movable mark post to indicate the appropriate spot. We've really liked the mat. It's easy to move about and store. And it's simple to clean. My guess is that it retains enough odor, even after cleaning, to attract the dog.
Develop a word that they understand as indicating "outside" and use it consistently wherever they go -- at home, on the boat, and elsewhere.
Be very, very patient. It's easy to give in to an uncomfortable situation now, but focus on the huge reward when you don't have to go ashore in the rain or during a dangerous condition. You will have the freedom to travel overnight or for multiple days. While there may be some exceptions, no dog can hold it forever.
If you have the advantage of an already boat trained dog, use it as a model for another dog.
Praise, praise, praise. They live for it. Make the boat a happy, fun place. When your dog knows what to expect and feels secure in their place, everyone benefits.

Having spent the summer preparing our two new crew members to enjoy their time with us on the boat, we are looking forward to years of cruising adventures. Now can anyone solve the problem of two large dogs and two people in what boat manufactures recklessly call a "queen" size bed?

Some Reasons Why Dogs are Better Than Human Companions

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our dog Jack- the smitten groupie

Written by Mark Patinken

I was home alone with the dog the other day, and noticed something my dogs have often done when it’s just the two of us. He gazed at me like a smitten groupie. That’s always good for the ego. One seldom gets gazed at like that by a spouse or paramour. This is not meant to denigrate significant others, but often dogs are better company. For example, try to come up with a list of why men are better than dogs. The only one I can think of is men don’t shed. So today:

WHY DOGS ARE BETTER THAN SIGNIFICANT OTHERS:
• Thrilled whenever you arrive home.
• Never get mad when you’re late.
• They adore your cooking to a point of staring lovingly at whatever’s on the plate.
• They don’t have credit-card debt.
• Never tell you you’re putting on weight.
• They don’t criticize your driving,
• They don’t step on the imaginary passenger-side brake.
• Or get upset when you refuse to ask for directions.
• They don’t hold a grudge.
• Don’t get jealous when you pay attention to other dogs in their presence… actually they do. Scratch this one.
• Don’t care where you’re going; they just love to ride along.
• They don’t mind if you forget an important occasion.
• They pack light.
• They may drink out of ceramic toilets, but not out of plastic bottles or aluminum cans.
• They mean it when they kiss you. (Except for when you’re holding a biscuit at arm’s reach.)
• Don’t get upset if you call them by the wrong name.
• When they cry, you know the reason.
• Always happy to take a walk.
• You can train them.
• Don’t ask no-win questions, like, “Notice anything different ?”
• Never ask why you haven’t called, written or texted.
• Never sneak into your cell phone to see who else you’ve called, written or texted.
• They rest their chin patiently on your knee when you’re in a bad mood.
• Never say they’ll haunt you after they die.
• Never keep you waiting. Takes them less than 15 seconds to get ready to go out.
• Always happy to curl on the bed with you.
• They don’t mind a mess.
• Don’t give you a hard time if you ignore them.
• (Male item:) They actually prefer it if you leave the seat up.
• (Female item:) Uninhibited about expressing affection in public.
• They love you as much whether you make $500,000 a year or $10,000.
• Are never embarrassed by you, even if you sing in public.
• If you come home with the scent of another dog, they’re kind of intrigued.
• Are happy to clean up any food you drop on the floor.
And finally:
• One mood all the time.

HERE'S A FEW OF MY OWN THAT I'VE ADDED TO MARKS LIST:
* Our senior dog Chance still thinks and acts like he's a tennager- even though he's actually pushing 14. That's 65 in human years.
It is a common belief that 1 human year is equal to 7 dog years. That is not very accurate, since dogs reach adulthood within the first couple of years. The formula used above is from a canine expert and is a bit more accurate. (as accurate as one can judge these things) The formula is: 10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years, then 4 dog years per human year for each year after.
* Takes his house guarding job very seriously until I get home...then he can unwind and relax.
* If either Alison or I go out (for whatever reason) it's back to front door guard duty until whomever returns and we're both back safely at home.
*When old friends have stories to share about me, the stories are always about my dogs. They have certainly earned center ring with their unbelievable feats and deeds.

Do you have some lines to share about your smitten groupie? Please share them with us and add to the list. Thank you Mark for sharing your thoughts with us and thank you for reading!

Best Dog-Friendly Beaches

2010-09-12T08:54:00.002-04:00

Take your salty dog to one of Coastal Living Magazine's best six dog-friendly beaches.

This salty dog is definitely a beach bum. Love the shades pooch!

Kudos to Coastal Living Magazine for publishing in the most recent issue their vote for six of the best dog-friendly beaches and what a fun way to exercise your dog (and yourself) than a pooch-friendly beach. So let your salty dog take a run along the wet sand, take a cool dip in the ocean and lap up the fun at one of these great dog friendly beach destinations. Click here for the link to Coastal Living Magazines Best Dog Friendly Beaches article-

Make sure that you observe all posted dog-friendly beach rules and regulations and of course always please clean up after your pet.

Please help keep these beaches dog friendly:
* Never leave your dog unattended.
* Always keep your dog on a leash or under voice control.
* Always clean up after your dog.

Here's a great listing of Dog Beaches & Dog Friendly Beaches in the U.S. created by Pet Friendly Travel

Have you visited one of these beach destinations with your nautical pet? Have another dog-friendly beach to recommend? Let's here about it! Send pics too.

Betty White to Appear at Binns of Williamsburg

2010-08-24T04:39:00.002-04:00

Meet Actress Betty White At Binns of Williamsburg, Virginia
Benefit for the Morris Animal Foundation
Saturday, October 16th, 1pm - 5pm

Betty White, Emmy award-winning TV star and Morris Animal Foundation trustee, will celebrate animal health in Williamsburg, Va., on Saturday, October 16. White will make a personal appearance at Binn’s of Williamsburg from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to sign a collection of European handcrafted ornaments, called The Pet Set, created by Joy To The World Collectibles. The signing will be followed by a black-tie fundraiser for Morris Animal Foundation at the Virginia Ballroom, Williamsburg Lodge starting at 7:00 p.m.

Click here or more information about this upcoming event at Binns of Williamsburg.

2010 Olde Towne Dogge Daze

2010-08-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

YOU'RE INVITED

DOGGE DAZE

August 28, 2010

starting at 8 AM

Middle Street Park

Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA

Olde Towne Doggie Daze Categories

Cake Walk Best Dance Wagginest Tail

Best Sports Fan Longest Sit

Most Ear-restible Ears

For Handler/Owners

Best Original Shirt Raffles Refreshments

Ribbons Prizes 'Paw Reader' Photos

'Pawcasso Painting'

Donations kindly accepted for K-9 Patrol Unit

Nautical Pet Friends and Pics

2010-08-15T13:45:00.004-04:00

SHOW OFF YOUR SALTY PET! We'll feature our favorite reader-submitted photographs and stories here on Nautical Pet. We want to see your pet in beach scenes, fun family outings with your best friend…that would be your dog of course, cool pet water sports, beachside kids with pets, that's images of any pet doing something on the beach, in a boat, canoe, or just getting cooled off with a garden hose.! Here's a few new entries.

Cone Dog

OK. This picture doesn't need a caption. It was though the winner in the Funny Pet Photo Contest by Fetching Dog blog. You can see other great pictures on the blog site at fetching dog blog.


Jasper after a cool swim. thanks Dianna.

Cindy wrote- the dog in the pic is Crystal. She is my foster dog still looking for a home! "Summer Fun ! "

Crystal is available for adoption through for the love of labs rescue. Join us and make a donation to help with the cost of their efforts at this site.

Dianna sent this picture of her dog Jasper ready to take the plunge from their boat.

Did somebody loose this? Flash retrieves a stick in the Rappahannock River. Thanks Allen.

The Salty Pet Picture Contest

2010-08-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

SHOW OFF YOUR SALTY PET! We'll feature our favorite reader-submitted photographs and stories here on Nautical Pet. We want to see your pet in beach scenes, fun family outings with your best friend…that would be your dog of course, cool pet water sports, beachside kids with pets, that's images of any pet doing something on the beach, in a boat, canoe, or just getting cooled off with a garden hose.! Water is the key word. Be creative. Be original. Send us a jpeg format picture along with a lively description of where you were, what you were doing, and the story behind each image. What’s special about it?

Here’s what you do: Type your name, address, phone number, and your description into the body of an e-mail, then attach the image and send to cjosephelder@gmail.com. Be sure to tell us when and where the photo was taken. Photos must be in .jpeg format, but does not need to be high-resolution for internet use. Please limit one entry per reader. Please do not submit anything other than digital images, as Nautical Pet will not acknowledge or return mailed photos, or be held responsible for lost, delayed, or damaged images. All submissions become the property of Nautical Pet.

Terms of Use: If we decide to use your photo, you understand that we can use it anywhere on our Web site, including e-newsletters and other blog posts; that we will display your name and a brief description of the photos; and that other bloggers will be able to post comments on your photo. You also acknowledge that the photo is yours alone and that no one else has any rights to it, and that we may delete it at any time. Photo descriptions may be edited for grammar, clarity, and/or length.

For the Love of Labs Rescue: The $1.00 Fan Challenge- We will donate $1.00 beginning August 8 through August 31, 2010 for everyone that Emails us a picture of your nautical pet. Have fun, show off your pet and help a worthy cause. You can also make donations by visiting their website @ For the Love of Labs Rescue Challenge.

Nautical Pet Friends & Pics

2010-08-09T03:03:00.001-04:00

Thank you for sharing your salty dog or cat pictures with us today. A $1.00 will be sent in each of your names to the "For the Love of Labs Rescue: The $1.00 Fan Challenge." and you are also entered into the Nautical Pet collar & leash contest!
For the Love of Labs Rescue is a small group of friends who came together over a shared love of Labrador Retrievers. They are passionate about rescuing and finding forever homes for homeless Labs & Lab mixes. Join their family and help us save lives...For the Love of Labs!


Robert Chrismer sent in a picture of his lab Bailey at the beach in waste deep water. Perfect way to beat the heat on those 100 plus degree days!

This is Bella sent to us from Becca Taylor. Nothing better than a dip in the pool.

Hi Cody! OK, no bribing the judges! Actually, Cody looks pretty dashing here sporting a Skipjack cap. From our buddy Barbara Vincent and of course Cody

Keep the pictures coming! Aren't these guys great!

For the Love of Labs Rescue: The $1.00 Fan Challenge

2010-08-08T15:41:00.000-04:00

For the Love of Labs Rescue fan and foster mom Cindy has issued a challenge to all fans. Beginning August 8 and running until the end of August, she challenges each of you to donate just $1.00 to For the Love of Labs Rescue to save the lives of Labs and Lab mixes who find themselves facing death in a shelter through no fault of their own.

We know that economic times are tough. In fact, many of the dogs in shelters today are there because their owners could not afford to take care of them properly. But, that is why we hope that by asking you for only $1.00, you will able to contribute to the happy endings that we all love to experience here at For the Love of Labs Rescue.

And, please, feel free to challenge your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, school, church, anyone you can think of! Because the challenge runs until the end of the month, you will have plenty of opportunities to ask everyone.

We have set-up a chip-in link to track all donations contributed as part of the "$1.00 Fan Challenge." You can donate and follow the progress at http://rescuealab.chipin.com/for-the-love-of-labs-rescue-100-fan-challenge .

If you would rather send your donations, that's fine, too. Just drop them in the mail to us at:

For the Love of Labs Rescue
c/o Tracy OConnell
160 Frederick Street
Torrington, CT 06790

THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN ISSUED!!!! Let's see how much a community can do, $1.00 at a time!

And all....For the Love of Labs!

Nautical Pet Collars- Two NEW Designs to Choose From.

2010-07-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

ANCHORS AWAY! Two NEW great ribbon designs available in 1.25" and 1/2" widths for smaller pets. Shown here with ocean blue and khaki anchors on khaki nylon webbing and hot pink with white anchors on raspberry nylon webbing. Also available with matching leashes! For more information and to buy these wonderful nautical inspired pet collars as well as others click here.

Nautical Pet Collars and Leashes NEW at Skipjack Nautical Wares

2010-07-15T05:03:00.000-04:00

Our dog Chance models his favorite signal flag collar

Now you can have the best dressed pets on the water. Skipjack Nautical Wares now brings to you our NEW collection of nautical dog and cat collars and leashes perfect for the beach and boating enthusiasts. The perfect choice for your salty cat or dog!

Durable nylon webbing with your selection of ribbon design

All our pet products are made with durable nylon webbing. Collars feature Delrin Acetal side release buckles for ease of fastening and separating and solid nickel plated “D” rings for strength and resistance to salt water.


Select from our colorful selection of nautical designed ribbons

Select from these nylon webbing colors for your pet collar and leash.

The collars are easily adjusted for length and are available in various widths and lengths ranging from cat sizes to Extra-large ( adjusts from 18" to 28"). Produced in Massachusetts, USA.

Select a matching leash to dress up your nautical pet!

You can order your nautical designed pet collar and leash on our web store by clicking here. Visit Skipjack's Nautical Living blog home page by clicking here.