“They Call Me ‘Mister Entitlement"

All About Nemo

Nemo came to live with me (Ellen Gunty) 3 years ago, 1 month after the passing of my first Boston who remains near & dear to me. In fact when I got Nemo I thought the “paws he had to fill” were going to be much too big for him. It quickly became apparent that he wasn’t about to play “2nd banana to any dog. He had a different name when I first got him from a senior couple who considered him too big, too heavy, & too whiny when traveling. I named him Nemo because I had to look all over cyberspace to find him & like that now famous fish, he too has a “lucky fin” in the form of poor hearing in one ear.

I love that he is bigger and more muscular than the average Boston but at a now svelte 25lbs, there isn’t an ounce of fat on him.
Nemo was not shy about showing his true self in fairly short order. There is not a single mean bone in this dog’s body and we bonded within the 1st week.

He just loves to kiss people, especially children (much to their delight). However he also has the biggest sense of entitlement you will ever see in a dog, not unlike the Peter Sellers character in the movie “Being There”. You could say he’s on the “all Nemo Network”-all about Nemo, all the time! He ‘s a better traveler now but when I first got him, a trip to San Francisco was his limit before he started acting like a child who whined “are we there yet”.
He quickly developed a winning strategy for getting biscuits & treats from people where I have morning coffee. Naturally he is not impolite so “snatching” food is out of the question. Basically he knows how to “work a room” and is always careful to give everyone a kiss. This strategy has made him famous and beloved in the neighborhood. Even the bus drivers are enchanted so he gets to ride without being in a crate.

Like most Bostons he doesn’t “work” for a living or so he thinks. I’m a mediator so I take him to work when possible. The parties come with their “game faces” on until he struts in. Suddenly all you hear is oohs, ahhs, snorts of joy, then the petting & belly rubs begin. It’s a shared activity so before anyone realizes what’s happened, the climate of the room is much warmer & we can get real work done. However the most special Nemo story is something that happened shortly before my mother passed away recently. She had terminal cancer and came to visit one last time. I’m told dogs can “smell” cancer and judging by Nemo’s behavior , I believe it. For the 1st time I saw him keep his distance from us while maintaining a prudent eye on the activities. He simply would not go near her until one night I left for 10 minutes to get her favorite pie. During this time, she fell and was in a lot of pain. Watching these events unfold, Nemo decided his help was needed so he went over to her & thoroughly kissed her tears away which made her smile He then sat down right next to her, on guard, until I came home. This is one very special little guy indeed and definitely “entitled” to all the good things that come his way.

A New Boston Terrier Blog

If you are a typical Boston Terrier crazy person, you love to look at pictures and read stories about Boston Terriers. You just can not get enough of these wonderful creatures! Right? Well, now there is another place to go to not only look at pictures of Boston Terriers but to have your own Boston's picture posted!

Here is how it all started:

Two years ago, Andrew didn't even know what a Boston Terrier was. "At that time I
was in college, living in a duplex with no yard at all. I'm a major animal lover and I wanted a dog. So, after a little internet research I knew bostons were for me. I loved the mini boxer look, they handle apartment life pretty well, hardly bark (don't believe everything you read online), and they met the 25 lb weight limit. Two years and two boston terriers later I wouldn't trade them for anything. They both have very different personalities. The puppy is definatly the alpha dog. The older one is pretty skiddish of everything, but they're both sweet, loyal, and cute. What more can you ask for?

Bandit, is 9 months and Bo's 2 1/2 years old. For being two dogs of the same breed they have very different personalities. Bandit has been the alpha dog since we brought him home at 9 weeks old. It was funny to see a 2 pound puppy stealing treats and toys from a full grown dog. Bandit is is one of the most playful dogs
I've ever met. His favorite game is fetch. He'll play as long as you'll throw the ball. We played for 2 hours straight last night, and our record must be over four hours.

Bo, is quite a bit more mellow. Bandit has taken over all of the toys except one Frisbee, so Bo doesn't have much to choose from. He mostly likes to sit on the couch and look out the window for people and dogs walking by to bark at. When Bandit finally wears himself out he curls up on your lap to sleep. Bo isn't
really much of a lap dog. He prefers to lay about arms length away so he can have his own space. When Bandit meets new people, he brings them a toy right away. He instantly befriends anybody will throw a ball for him. Bo is little more cautious and it takes him a few minutes to warm up to strangers. The only thing my dogs have in common is that their favorite dog treats are ice cubes. I know it isn't good for their teeth, but they really love them and they're cheap.

My two Bostons are one of the biggest part of my life (after my wife), they make everything more interesting! I know I am not alone in my love for Boston Terriers and that there are a lot of people out there that feel the same way I do about the breed. I decided to start a blog devoted to sharing Boston Terrier pictures and stories. I hope the rest of you Boston lovers out there will stop by and take the time to submit your best photos. Come on over to: http://boston-terrier-blog.blogspot.com/

Andrew Guillotte

Tag Update!

Remember Tag? His story is below, titled "Send a Valentine to the one you love and help a puppy in need!" Tag had been surrenderd to BTCC Resuce requiring surgery for the abuse he had suffered.

Since then, he had his surgery and recoverd beautifully! He is now in his new "forever" home and wants to thank everyone for thier financial support and prayers.

Thanks everyone!

Support Boston Terrier Rescue/Win A BT Quilt!

After a long hiatus, Wisconsin Boston Terrier would like to welcome you back to it's Sixth Annual Wisconsin Boston Terrier Quilt Raffle!

This year's prizes consist of not ONE but TWO beautiful handmade heirloom Boston Terrier Queen Sized Quilts!! Quilt squares were made by dozens of volunteers all over the world. These quilts are truely a once in a lifetime opportunity to own or to give as a gift.

Wisconsin Boston Terrier Rescue has had a tough year with some tough cases and we are approximately $2,500.00 negative in veternarian bills. This raffle is our once a year chance to try and reduce that deficit.

Here is how the raffle will work.

1. Raffle tickets will be sold from March 25th, 2006 until May 20th, 2006. Two winners will be selected, the first winning ticket will get to select which queen sized quilt he or she would like and the second winner will receive the other queen sized quilt.

2 Ticket Prices:

Tickets are $3.00 EACH OR $20.00 FOR 8 TICKETS AND THE BEST DEAL OF ALL IS IF YOU BUY $100.00 OF TICKETS, INSTEAD OF GETTING ONLY 40 TICKETS WE WILL DOUBLE THEM AND GIVE YOU 80 TICKETS/CHANCES TO WIN!!!

3. Tickets can be purchased by paypal by going to www.paypal.com and sending the donation to: jlemoine@new.rr.com

or by mail. Please send your check (made out to WBTR), along with a self addressed stamped envelope to:

Jodi LeMoine
651 DePere Street
Menasha, Wisconsin 54952

4. I have double-sided raffle tickets. One half will be mailed back to you and the other thrown in the raffle jar. I will keep a log of all names/ticket numbers. The raffle will start March 25th, 2006 and go until May 20th, 2006. All entries must be received by May 20th.

5. The raffle drawing will take place May 21st, 2006. Winners will be posted on all the lists as well as receiving a very happy phone call if you include your phone number.

Best of luck to one and all, and please feel free to cross post and share with all your friends and family!



Hugs,
Jodi and Wisconsin Boston Terrier Rescue

Why Greenies® Are Dangerous For Your Dog Part I

Why Greenies® Are Dangerous For Your Dog
Part I

My friend, Jess from asnkadogs.com/ is joining me in spreading the "Real" truth about Greenies®. Here is part of her great article that you can find in its entirety on my Whole Dog News Blog or Jess's blog, Common Scents You will want to read the whole article, it is very well done :-)

How Greenies came to be
In the late 1990’s, Dr. Joe and Judy Roetheli weren’t overly fond of their Samoyed’s dog breath and devised a dog treat to be an effective alternative to brushing a dog’s teeth. In 1998, the dog treat, Greenies, was introduced and gave their competitors a run for their money with 325 million treats being sold around the world last year alone, overtaking the #1 dog treat spot by a landslide. Greenies are manufactured by a Missouri-based company called S&M NuTec.

A lawsuit
A rescued Miniature Dachshund, “Burt”, died July 25, 2005 at the age of 4. A Greenie was found obstructing his intestines. Burt died 48 hours after the obstruction was surgically removed. Burt’s family filed a lawsuit against S&M NuTec on November 30, 2005.


Common sense
In my non-professional opinion; Greenies pose a danger to every dog due to the biological digestive process of the animal. Asking owners, as the manufacturer does in the fine print, to make sure their dogs don’t gulp the dog treat known as “doggie crack” is ludicrous. It goes against the dog’s own nature and may not be a possibility. Part I of Why Greenies Are Dangerous for Your Dog is dedicated to canine digestion, intestinal blockage, and the lack of common sense of the manufacturers. I urge my readers to take my conclusions seriously and ask your vets for a professional opinion.

Digestion—a quick lesson
Canine digestion is very different than human digestion. Wolves eat their food quickly in an attempt to protect it from being stolen. They do not use their jaw muscles and teeth for chewing; instead they rip off large sections of meat and swallow them whole. The function of canine teeth is to cut, much like a knife. Wolf digestion is quite efficient for its purpose, objects not broken down become encased in undigested fur, and thus the intestines are protected from injury.

Wolves and dogs, as almost-true carnivores, do not have salivary amylase, an enzyme that exists in human saliva and begins the digestive process. Salivary amylase is an enzyme, a “biological catalyst” increasing the rate of a chemical reaction. From what I understand, dogs, unlike humans, will digest any starches/carbohydrates they eat in the small intestine where amylase and other enzymes *are* found and produced by the pancreas.

A dog’s saliva creates an efficient lubricant that glazes food and helps with swallowing quickly. No chemical breakdown is occurring; the digestive chemical process has not begun. This is how dogs can gulp down their food. They are biologically made to do so.In the stomach, digestive enzymes are added to the consumed food, proteins are beginning to break down in the high acid ph of the stomach. The mucus that lubricated the food now protects the lining of the stomach wall from being digested by the enzymes. The food that is primarily protein should now be a thick milky liquid and will pass into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The main site for digestion of carbohydrates is in the small intestine (the workhorse of the digestive system) and enzymes, such as amylase, are added. The broken down nutrients are then absorbed across the wall of the intestine and into the blood stream.

Please go read the whole article Here


Jessica Tighe
www.asankadogs.com
This article can only be reproduced when proper credit is given to the author and the website link is included.