Boston Terrier selected as finalist for Circuit City "Fire Dog"

Spanky, has been selected as one of 19 finalists out of 6,000 entries for the Circuit City Firedog photo contest.
If he wins, the Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene will receive $50,000, plus $1 per vote.
It is particularly noteworthy since this little guy just survived
vascular heart surgery.

The voting takes place online from January 6-26. If you can find the
time, it would be wonderful to have you vote
for Spanky. He is photo number 12 of the little black and white Boston
Terrier on the beach.
Just click here >>>> http://207.56.151.5/view/?id=12 to vote.

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More about Spanky:

Spanky was born 7/31/05. I have always been a yellow lab fan. My children's mother wanted to get our kids a dog. She wanted a breed that was smaller and began researching breeds. She decided that Boston Terrier might be a good choice.

She found a breeder in Sweet Home, Oregon. We had Spanky for about 3 weeks and found out from the vet that he had a heart murmur. We did not have the money to have it repaired. Each time when we took him to the vet, they commented on the murmur. I asked the kids' mother if we shared the cost, if she would agree to
let me take him to Oregon State University's Vet School to be diagnosed,
to see what we could do to help Spanky. She agreed.

I brought Spanky up there and spent an entire day. They said that he had a ductis and that surgically correcting it was the only option. They suggested going in through his leg through the femoral artery and putting a plug in to close it off. He also had an arterial valve issue that they said was not severe enough to treat. However, it caused an arterial bulge. When they went in, they inserted an
ultrasound scope down his throat to get a better look at the ductis. After three hours, they were not able to get a good enough image to deploy the blocking
devise.

They recommended that they make an incision and go in through his ribs and tie off the ductis. We OK'd them doing this. The surgeon said that it was one of the toughest ductis surgeries that she has ever done. Spanky came through the procedure with good results. He goes in in one more week to make sure that the ductis was
successfully closed off.

Spanky has become a member of our family in every sense of the world. He steals the hearts of everyone that he comes in contact with. The staff at OSU kept him in their laps when they worked, except when he was on an IV. They all just love Spanky.

Winning this contest would be such a validation of what an incredible little dog he is! He may be small in size, but he has the heart of a lion.

It is interesting to note, the cardiologist said that dogs rarely make it to two, with this condition. The fact that Spanky was 28 months old at the time, and had such good heart function, was really a miracle!

Please vote for Spanky to be the Circut City's Fire Dog!

http://207.56.151.5/view/?id=12

When most people come in contact with a Boston terrier they see a small, chortling, and often excitable little dog; for many of us the experience could best be described as cute, but when Erica Daking stares into the big brown eyes of her beloved dog, the connection is nothing short of inspirational.

Mighty, Daking’s 5 year old Boston terrier, is not only her precious pet and best friend but also the muse from which she draws a majority of her inspiration for her sleek and stylish fashion line- All Mighty Clothing. Daking’s designs are as adorable as the pup that inspires them. She makes recurring use of peter pan collars, scalloped edges, stripes and of course the lovable mug of her favorite K-9, for whimsical and playful pieces with names like ‘Pupcakes’ and ’Scrappy Meal’. For the daring (or less daring) fashionistas, Daking designed an entire collection with matching “Mommy & Me” shirts for both owner and her pup (pup shirt optional)

Daking spent 5 years working for independent clothing companies honing her skills as a designer & artist, meanwhile learning the day to day of running a small apparel line. It wasn’t long before the desire to produce original creations prompted her to start her own line in 2004. All-Mighty designs are influenced not only by her lovable little dog, but also by putting a distinctively modern twist on classic fashion movements like 60’s Mod or ‘50s kitsch and of course one of the industry’s oldest stand by’s: rock n roll. In fact, an early admiration for Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon sparked Erica’s desire to start her own clothing line, such as Gordon did with X- Girl, her mid ‘90s apparel line. Also like her one time hero,

Erica has successfully used her love for one undeniably cute Boston Terrier and combined it with her own varied experiences, a keen eye for fashion, and a strong background in design to build All-Mighty.

Ericia's sister, Jen, is now a partner and of course is owned by a loveable Boston Terrier as well. You can view Erica and Mighty's store Here

Life Is Good!

My name is Charlie and life is good! I am the only child of a couple happily married for nearly 20 years. My parents are Jon and Lori and they did extensive research prior to choosing a breed and breeder. It must have been meant to be, since when they found me I was still with my breeder at 6 months of age. We are a perfect fit! My doggie dad is Ch. Flashpoint’s Cosmic Ray, with whom some of you may be familiar.

I am rather well behaved since I had obedience training. I am only 15 lbs., so my mom can scoop me up if the need arises. She often has had to, since I am a therapy dog at the local nursing home. I need to be placed gently on many beds and laps of people in wheelchairs.

My passion in life is playing ball. I get regular sessions of fetch,
and my dad is my favorite partner for this. I have the freedom to run in my fenced in backyard when my parents are home. We belong to two Boston Terrier meet up groups so we have the pleasure of meeting other people and Boston Terriers as well. My parents have organized some indoor meet ups during the winter months, which have been great fun!

We have traveled a bit visiting family at my grandparents’ home, and have also found some lovely dog friendly hotels. I am usually a big hit wherever we go; people always think that I am sooo cute! My local grandmom and all my aunts and uncles make a big fuss over me too!

My parents have searched for all the perfect lifestyle choices for me, which include grain and potato free food. We discovered this through The Whole Dog mentioned on Little Beasts and Woof! Board, both online Boston Terrier sites. I have tried a few different foods but I do best on Rubicon Grain and Potato Free Lamb Kibble. All the choices that my parents have made for me have made my life second to none! Like I said, life is good!

Remembering Milo

by Amy Blackwell

Milo came into my life after a lot of research looking at many favorite breeds. I wanted someone small and smart, lively and spry. Milo fit the bill to a T. Right from the start he was different. A gentleman and a lion hearted hero. He fit right in and stole our hearts. We took him with us everywhere, whether or not dogs were allowed. After all, Milo was no ordinary dog...he stayed at some of the best hotels in the West, greeting all he met with a warm smile and eliciting a pat on the bum.

As the years went by, it became more clear that I didn't do my health research as thoroughly as I should have. Milo had a host of heartbreaking health issues that became very, very hard on him towards the end of his short life. He was allergic to many things, so I rotated his food frequently and made sure he got his allergy medications during the highest of pollen seasons. He never could eat pork or chicken without breaking out in a terrible, itchy rash.

Over the years, his back got steadily worse, with the his vet calling him Wonder Dog because he was still so spry and energetic though he clearly had serious compression of discs and some fusion going on constantly in his spine. The vet indicated that some dogs in better shape than him were already completely paralyzed. As long as we were careful, he lived very, very well. We had to limit his play time for his own good. His motto was NEVER GIVE UP! And he never complained. After more time, he couldn't jump up on the bed anymore to sleep with me. We lifted him gingerly each time he wanted up.

Milo had a great "sixth sense" for pain and trouble. Maybe because of his own condition. He would have made a fabulous therapy dog, as he liked to stay close to and comfort those in need. He would even lay by the crib when the kids were sick, or if one us wasn't well. He enjoyed his days in rehab by the side of a good friend of mine who had had a stroke. Because of his allergies, I opted not to have him trained in therapy because I just knew all of the wonderful people he would come into contact with wouldn't be able to resist sneaking him a treat that would do more harm than good.

Milo also had a special radar for cheese. He even knew how to spell it. I would sneak down to the kitchen in the night for a cheese snack when everyone was fast asleep, creeping as quietly as I could, take the "food in question" of the refrigerator quietly, slice off a piece, and look around in time to see him sitting quietly behind me, waiting his turn. Fortunately, this didn't affect him adversely.

I still see him laying in a sunny spot in the bedroom at times, snoring gently. I miss him terribly. He was an incredible little man who can never be replaced.

Please, please, do your health research with the breeder you choose; ask lots of questions and BE PATIENT. It is heartbreaking to see someone you love struggle with health issues that cause them pain. Milo died peacefully in his sleep on June 17th, 2005. We will never know exactly why. I guess it is because his soul burned so bright for others, the fire had to go out at some point to give him peace from the constant pain. He had just celebrated his 10th birthday on May 7th.

Good bye, Mr. Milo. We love you!

Amy

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Can You Find Milo?

A Herding Boston Terrier:

Robson is a 2 year old Canadian bred Boston Terrier owned by Le-Ann Elgie, Owner/Director of Fido Can 2: Canine Consultation and Training in Pleasant Hill, CA.

Robson had previously shown extreme prey drive but had difficulty with attention, focus and excess energy. He has previously trained in obedience, rally, agility and disc sports, however, nothing ever seemed to slow him down nor completely tap his drive/energy.

Robson’s “brother”, Dash (a Cattle dog) is a herding breed, thus, Robson spent some time at the sheep farm watching his brother train. Robson always seemed very excited by the other dogs working at the sheep farm and he would watch them carefully on a weekly basis; eventually, we decided to give Robson a try on the sheep. Robson was phenomenal….he got around his sheep, demonstrating good balance and excellent instinct. After such initial success, the AHBA was contacted (American Herding Breed Association) and it was found out that “non-herding breeds” can compete in AHBA events, however, they must start at the Junior Herding Dog (JHD) level which essentially is the “second” level of competition that requires the following (as quoted from the AHBA website):
The stock (3 to 10 animals) are free-standing in the middle of the short side near the top of the arena, well off the fence. The dog may be brought in on lead, and the handler may gently guide the dog by the collar to a position within no less than 15 ft. of the stock before removing the lead. Off-lead, the dog must hold a stand, sit or down, then is released to gather and/or drive the stock.
Throughout the course, the handler may take any position relative to the stock and dog but may not touch the dog once the stock are set in motion.
The stock are taken through the panels. The handler may take the center panel either on the return from the corner panels or on the way to the corner panels (when negotiating the corner panels, the handler may choose to do either the righthand or lefthand panel first).
The stock are then taken to the pen. The dog is stopped, holding the stock in place, while the handler opens the gate to the pen. After the stock have entered, the handler must close the gate; the dog should remain outside the pen.
Course time is 8 minutes.

Robson now trains in herding, along with his brother Dash, on a weekly basis. He has most recently learned to “walk up” and he is showing great promise. It is hoped that Robson will compete in the first JHD trial offered in 2007 by the AHBA. In addition to Robson’s herding success thus far, weekly “work” on the sheep has greatly changed Robson’s attitude. He is compliant, calm, eager to please, focused and motivated to train on a daily basis. For those who do not think that Bostons can do it all, Robson demonstrates that he “begs to differ.”

You can now see videos of Robson herding his sheep at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC17Pa0JQqE

You can get it full sized and copy all of them (there are four) from here: http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/Herding/Video/