A Trip To The Baltic Sea With My Dog

Today I took my dog Maggie to the Baltic Sea. It was a lovely, sunny fall day with the temperature hovering around 60. The beach was totally deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight. Maggie was very curious about the rocks in the shallow water. She thought they were balls, and was trying to get the courage up to go out and retrieve them! The sea water was chilly, so she never ventured further out in the water than just until it started to wet her belly. A large ship passed by and when the waves from it came toward shore and were slapping against the rocks, Maggie jumped backwards for every wave that came ashore! I spent the time there picking up colored glass that that washed ashore. I use these glass scraps to make stained glass candle holders. I took a few photos of the seaside trip and will post a couple of them here tomorrow-see you then, Cin Good afternoon! Well, the weather continues to be dismal here in central Sweden. It is overcast and chilly today, only about 45 degrees. There is a bright side though, as the trees are really showing their fall colors now. Sundsvall is a city of 99,000 people and is nestled between two small mountains next to the Baltic sea. The forests in the mountains mostly consist of pine and birch trees, so now the birches are showing off their lovely shades of gold and red hues and are scattered among the pine trees. It is really pretty and I hope the leaves don't fall anytime soon. It provides a really nice view from my window. I will be getting a memory card for my digital camera this coming week, so I'll be sure to capture the view and post it here.I submitted this blog to a couple of directories this morning. Should be interesting to see if it is accepted. Maggie was out for her morning walk this morning and she really turned on the charm for an older woman whom we met in the area. Maggie made eye contact with the woman and the lady called Maggie to her. Maggie ran toward her and then darted around her and was teasing the lady-running up toward her and then zooming around in circles! It was really cute and the woman laughed and said 'Fantastik!'. (I don't think I have to translate this Swedish word for you). More to come later,Cin
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A Trip To The Baltic Sea With My Dog

Saturday In Sweden

Good afternoon! Well, the weather continues to be dismal here in central Sweden. It is overcast and chilly today, only about 45 degrees. There is a bright side though, as the trees are really showing their fall colors now. Sundsvall is a city of 99,000 people and is nestled between two small mountains next to the Baltic sea. The forests in the mountains mostly consist of pine and birch trees, so now the birches are showing off their lovely shades of gold and red hues and are scattered among the pine trees. It is really pretty and I hope the leaves don't fall anytime soon. It provides a really nice view from my window.I will be getting a memory card for my digital camera this coming week, so I'll be sure to capture the view and post it here.I submitted this blog to a couple of directories this morning. Should be interesting to see if it is accepted.Maggie was out for her morning walk this morning and she really turned on the charm for an older woman whom we met in the area. Maggie made eye contact with the woman and the lady called Maggie to her. Maggie ran toward her and then darted around her and was teasing the lady-running up toward her and then zooming around in circles! It was really cute and the woman laughed and said 'Fantastik!'. (I don't think I have to translate this Swedish word for you). More to come later,Cin

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Saturday In Sweden

We Should Pay Better Attention To What We Feed Our Dogs

I was just thinking about what I am feeding Maggie. She gets some small amounts of meat from me on ocassion and I buy her one of the 'higher end' dry dog foods on the market. I prefer the lamb and rice varieties as the rice is much better for a dog's system then corn is, which is the main ingredient in the cheaper brands. I found this really great info packet here It is 'The Complete Dog Nutrition Guide - Ebooks, Audios & Subscription'. It offers info on nutrition tips..brand name dog food ingredients..special diet info, recipes for homemade dog food..all about dog’ health related to nutrition. It is really great and I would highly recommend it to ANY dog owner who wants the best for their dog.
I have just finished buying a memory card to my digital camera so I can take more photos of Mags and will be loading them here real soon, so please come back and check them out. I would love some comments too! Cin

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We Should Pay Better Attention To What We Feed Our Dogs

Making a Lens on Squidoo

I just started creating a lens over at Squidoo. You can see the work in progress at http://www.squidoo.com/mybehaveddog Sure is fun to make and I plan on putting lots of cool dog related things there as well as more photos of Mags. I have to go to the basement and find some photos, as I have recently moved and have yet to unpack all boxes.
The weather here in central Sweden is turning. This morning when I went out with the dog, there was a pretty good layer of frost on the grass and the cars. Summers are really short here and the winters are long and dark. I plan on being outdoors as much as possible this fall to enjoy the last bit of warmth before winter sets in.
I need to get Maggie to the vet and have her nails clipped again. I take her about every 5 weeks. I have a nail trimmer, but am too 'chicken' to cut more than just the tips off. Her nails are black and so small, it is hard to see where the 'quick' begins. My sister is a professional dog groomer, and I have watched her numerous times trim dog's nails, so you would think I could do it!
Luckily Maggie has 'hair' as opposed to fur. She is really easy to groom, so I don't have to take her to a professional groomer. I took her once when she was about 5 months old. They worked on her for over 4 hours (doing what, I'm not sure)and when I went to pick her up, she looked a heck of a lot like a schnauzer! Plus they charged me about $45.00! So needless to say, I learned quickly how to keep up with her grooming. She loves being groomed, and when she sees me bring out the equipment-scissors, towel, etc, she jumps up on the chair, then hops to the kitchen table and is ready! Sometimes I groom her on my lap; it is easier to brush her belly that way. She actually falls asleep during the process-it's really cute! Well, enough for now. Come back and please do leave comments and I will come to your blog and return the favor! Peace, Cin

http://www.squidoo.com/mybehaveddog

Making a Lens on Squidoo

Sweden Is Very Dog Friendly

I moved to Sweden from the USA a few years back after meeting my 'life partner'. It was a bit of a culture shock, so to speak, but I easily adapted and find myself quite comfortable here in Scandinavia. I noticed right away that this country allows pets pretty much everywhere. You are allowed to take your pet on any city bus in any town, with the only stipulation being that you must sit towards the back of the bus with your dog, in case someone riding the bus is allergic. It costs a few cents extra to take your dog on the bus, but if your dog is small and you are able to carry him or her, it costs nothing. Maggie is very small and light, so I simply take along the small doggie carrier I have and she can follow me anywhere. I told myself before I got Maggie, that I would be sure to include her in most of my out-of-house activities, and I am doing just that. Also, you are allowed to have pets-both dogs and cats in basically any apartment in the country with no questions asked. I really like that policy because I often, when living in the US, was turned down for apartments because I was a pet owner. I think one of the reasons they allow pets in apartments here is because here in Sweden all apartments and most homes have hardwood floors. I have very rarely seen a home here that has wall-to-wall carpeting. I like that too, as I often had to rent expensive carpet steam-cleaners in the states to clean my carpeting. The lack of carpeting makes cleaning easy and another plus is that you can shop for different throw rugs when you tire of the old ones! You are required by law to pick up after your dog when they deficate in public. All dog owners here carry 'doggie poopie bags' with them. They are small, black plastic bags that you take up the waste with and then just toss them in special trash cans throughout the city that are specifically for the doggie bags. Well, have a great day readers and thanks for stopping by! Cin

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Sweden Is Very Dog Friendly

Feeding your dog healthy food and some thoughts on dogs wearing clothes

Anyone who hasn't been living in a cave the past year or so, surely has read all of those terrible stories on the news about the contaminated dog foods. Luckily, none of the brands listed were any that I was feeding Maggie. It is really maddening to know that we cannot even trust what we thought were the most trustworthy brands out there! Even though my brand wasn't on the list, I started reading all of the horror stories from those poor pet owners that had sick and/or dying pets. I found some recipes online to make homemade food for Mags, and actually did throw a couple of batches together, but ended up going back to the store and buying her favorite nuggets eventually. In the back of my mind though, I was still wondering if I really should be feeding her commercial food. And the I found this: http://tinyurl.com/3jjhd2 It is priceless; full of information on how you can keep your dog healthy to insure he/she lives many long years. It is full of info on what is really in the dog food you are using; lots of recipes to make your own food and treats and so much more. I feel very fortunate that I found it! Check it out-you will be glad you did (and so will your four-legged friend)! What do you guys, the readers, think about Maggie? Think she's cute? Please comment! It is a drizzly morning here in central Sweden. Maggie hates the rain and has to be coaxed outdoors. I must get her a raincoat! The one I had been using has a broken buckle on it, so I have to remember to go to the pet store soon, ss the weather is beginning to turn here. I felt a little funny about buying coats for my dog; it seemed kind of silly, but she has thin hair and gets really cold and wet. Another thing is that she is so low to the ground that it only takes a few minutes out on a rainy day for her underside to become really wet and cold. So she wears a doggie jacket. :) Any thoughts on dogs wearing protective 'clothing'?? Let's hear your opinions! Here is another picture I took the other day at the Baltic. More to come so do come back and look! Cin
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Feeding your dog healthy food and some thoughts on dogs wearing clothes

TGIF and meeting the neighbor dog

Well, it's finally Friday! I am going to work on this blog, although I have been having some difficulty logging in here the past few days. Sometimes my browser won't even let me visit the site. Hopefully it is just a temporary glitch. I have a neighbor who owns a husky mix. When I moved into this building two months ago, the neighbor's dog wanted to meet Maggie, so I hestitantly allowed his dog to approach Maggie. Maggie was clearly NOT interested in him due to the fact that he was barking and jumping and was about 4 times bigger than her. Clearly they never addressed the dog's behavior problems when he was young. The funny thing is, at this first 'meeting' between the two dogs, the owner said that the reason he (the dog) was acting so badly was because he was a 'puppy'. I asked him how old the dog was and he replied 'three and a half years'! Hmmmm....This is clearly a case of a dog's owner being ashamed of their dogs' behavior and making excuses. The last time I checked, a 3½ year old dog does not qualify as a puppy! :) So, again, back to the importance of training your dog early to avoid embarassing moments like these. One more thing-the photo here of Maggie was taken on a recent excursion into the forest to hunt for Chatarelle mushrooms. When the foilage becomes too thick, Maggie has to be carried in this special doggie carrying pouch, because she is too short to run through the thick/tall growth in the woods. She rides along happily in her carrier, no complaining, nothing. She is a joy to have along on outings. Gotta love those small dogs; they are so 'portable'! Best Top-Quality Pet Supplies!