Letter from a Delighted Barks and Blooms Client

in Baltimore / Barks and Blooms / Barks and Blooms Doggie Daycare / client / delighted client / dog / doggie daycare / Hampden / Henry  by November 19, 2013
We received this note from a client and had to share!  


“I was at Madonna Vet on Saturday morning  and everyone was chatting in the lobby and I had Henry and Julius (my cat) in for check-ups.” 

  “I was explaining that Henry was in daycare and a women suggested I contact a dog walker from Barks and Blooms because they were the best.” 


Henry!
“Then the other woman in the lobby indicated that she also uses Bark and Blooms; and her dog got sick while she was away and had many messes that  had to be cleaned up. She said her house looked beautiful when she got home and that is why she will always use Barks and Blooms.

“She proceeded to tell me how great the service was and how her dog  just loved her walker.” 

Barks and Blooms Doggie Daycare in Hampden, back yard

 
,
Barks and Blooms Doggie Daycare in Hampden, front door
“Then I realized they we were trying to outdo each other with how great Barks and Blooms was when I interrupted and told them I had used Barks and Blooms from the beginning and that Henry was in their Doggie Day Care Center. 
 
It is hard to top me !!”
 
Best Wishes,  
 
Richard 

Here Comes the Bride….and the dog?

in Barks and Blooms / dog / dog wedding disasters / dogs in weddings / Pinterest  by June 27, 2013
by Sandy Kempton


One of our Fantastically Fabulous Pet Professionals here at Barks and Blooms sent me this picture the other day.



Dogs at weddings is becoming more and more popular.  There are websites dedicated to designing a wedding with humans and canines in mind.    Pinterest is overflowing with boards on the subject.


What do you imagine with you think about a wedding that includes furry friends?  


Or this?




Have you included a fur-kid in your wedding?  Know someone who has?  Tell us about it!


Baby, It’s Hot Outside! (or How to Help Your Dog Avoid Heat Stroke)

in Barks and Blooms / dog / heat stroke / hot weather / panting  by June 26, 2013

By Sandy Kempton


We all know that dogs don’t sweat–except for a teeny bit through their feet.  They depend on panting to exchange hot air for cool, but when the outside air is the same as their inside air, that form of air conditioning isn’t so efficient.  




Being left in a car during hot weather, confined on concrete or asphalt surfaces, and being without shade or fresh water on hot days can lead to heat stroke.  Did you know that Pugs, Pekinese and Bulldogs are more prone to heat stroke because of their cute little noses?


What does heat stroke in dogs look like?  It starts with heavy breathing, the tongue looks bright red, saliva thickens and the dog may vomit.  (The body temperature also rises to over 104 degrees, but most of us don’t have a rectal thermometer handy to check that.)  If shock sets in, the lips turn gray and the dog may become unsteady and collapse.  



So what do you do now?  First, you must cool the dog at once.  Usually moving him to an air-conditioned area is sufficient, but sometimes it is necessary to place the dog in a cool bath or spray him gently with a garden hose for a few minutes.  Be careful not to cool too much or too rapidly,  because that causes another problem:  hypothermia and shock.



Always, always follow up with your veterinarian if you believe your dog has suffered heat stroke to avoid other complications.

Do You Live in a Dog State or a Cat State?

in AVMA / Barks and Blooms / BuzzFeed / cat / cat state / dog / dog state  by June 13, 2013
Illustrated here is the difference between the percentage of households that own dogs and the percentage that own cats. Orange colors indicate a higher percentage of dog owners while blue colors indicate a higher percentage of cat owners.

In Maryland, it looks like we’re leaning more towards the Meows than the Woofs, which makes us in line with the top five cat-lovin’ states of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.  
The top dog states are Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arizona.

So, which are you?  A Meow or a Woof?

Pet Apps–Really?

in Barks and Blooms / cat / Cross Tuner / dog / pet / pet app / pet pictures / PetSnap  by April 25, 2013

You saw that right–Pet Apps!  

I know you’re picturing your cat or dog clutching your smart phone or iPad in their furry little paws and chasing virtual mailmen or toying with pixel-birds.  Nope, these apps are for the entertainment of humans.   

Pets reluctant to cooperate for pictures?–no worries–use PetSnap!  It uses sounds to attract their attention and give you that oh-so-adorable head tilt that we find so endearing! 

Do you ever wonder what your dog or cat is thinking?  Wonder no more!  



If you have found a quirky, comical or useful pet app., please share it with us!

Two Cats + One Pug = Funny Friday!!

in Barks and Blooms / cat / cat toys / dog / flashlight / Friday Funny / laser pointer / Pug  by April 11, 2013
How many of you enjoy entertaining your dogs and cats with flashlights or laser pointers?  I admit it–I’ve done it.  It’s hilarious and the animals seem to enjoy it, too.  And while one should always be careful with the laser beams and our sweet fur-kids’ eyes, they get a workout and so do our abs when we chuckle and guffaw at their antics.  Enjoy! 



Cats vs. Laser Pointer

Kittens Can Catch?
Laser Pointer Pug

We Never Said Dog Walking Was Dignified

in Barks and Blooms / dog / dog walker / Fantastically Fabulous / pet  by April 11, 2013

A typical day in the life of a dog walker
(Thank you Lisa, for sharing)
April 3rd

7:53 pm – Receive text from a client asking if I can stop by as her daughter will be at a friend’s house.  And oh, by the way, the puppy cannot run or jump because she has stitches from being spayed recently.
 
April 4th
 
7:15 a.m. – Leave house to go to a morning visit for a vacation client.
 
7:30 a.m. – Discover the road to their neighborhood is closed–in both directions!
 
7:30 – 8:15 a.m.  – Drive aimlessly through the county trying to find a detour to get to the dog.  Call Manager to look at map. We both conclude that there is no other access to the neighborhood!  Contemplate parking the car and walking 2 miles to the house.
 
8:19 a.m. –  Client from last night sends a text to say her daughter will now be home, but please come anyway.
 
8:25 a.m. –  Beg police officer at the road barrier to let me through to get to the poor dog. (He does!)
 
8:35 a.m. – Finally get to my first morning visit – one happy dog, one happy walker!
 
11:08 a.m. – A client with  a pool texts to say the pool is being opened today — note in the house to cover every aspect of dog care during pool care–this should be interesting. 
 
11:17 a.m. – A client texts to say she is leaving work early – no need to come today.
 
11:52 a.m. – Visit Golden puppy (the one with the stitches)  and spend 20 minutes trying to convince her she should not run or jump.
 
12:20 p.m. – Drive past client house with the pool – pool people are there. Decide they do not need any help from the dogs to open the pool. Will go back later.
 
12:40 p.m. – Visit another Golden puppy who likes to pee on the area rug near the door. I get smart and move the rug before leashing him up to go out. We get outside and he sits down right at my feet. I congratulate him (and myself) on getting outside in time, only to realize he’s not sitting–he’s squatting–he’s actually peeing on the mesh part of my brand new walking shoes.  Before you know it,  my sock is soaked as well. Now who’s the smart one?
 
1:30 p.m. – Back to the vacation client dog who will not leave my shoe alone;  courtesy of the leaking Golden puppy.
 
2:15 p.m. – Return to the client house with the pool. Pool is now open, but so full of chemicals that I need to keep the dogs away. I leash the Newfoundland (she loves the pool and has a mind of her own).  Her brother, Burmese Mountain Dog, pees.  Newfoundland just sits down and looks at the pool. I bring them back to the deck and shut the gate – leaving the leash on the Newfie so I can take her to pee again later. I take the other dog in for a treat and find poo in both the dining and living rooms on BRAND NEW area rugs! After cleaning up the


mounds of BMD bm’s  I check on our precious darling on the deck. I reach for her leash to take her out again; but now it’s in three pieces, rendering it completely useless. I guess she told me.

 
3:00 p.m. – Go home to walk my own dog,  who is distracted by my not-so-sweet-smelling shoe.
 
3:45 p.m. – Wash shoe – Febreeze heavily.
 
4:00 p.m. –  Raid son’s Easter basket for a Reese’s Egg because I forgot to eat lunch. 
 
7:00 p.m. – Back to vacation client wearing a different pair of shoes.
 
8:30 p.m. – Finally get a shower and fall into bed so I can get up and do it all again bright and early tomorrow.
 
The good news? It wasn’t raining!
 
Would I trade this life for something more dignified? Not a chance. It’s the best job ever!
 
 

Adoptables–Trinket

in Adopt / adoptables / Barks and Blooms / dog / F.A.R.M. / Fallston Animal Rescue Movement Inc. / pit bull / Trinket  by April 10, 2013




Hi! I’m Trinket!! 

I’ve had a few tough moments in my life, but I am hoping my luck has turned and that I will find a loving home where I can get better and heal. Even though I have had some hard times, somehow I have managed to keep myself upbeat and full of love, and this is what has helped save me. And since I am GREAT with kids– as you can see in the picture– and good with other dogs– I hope this will help me find my forever family. 


You may be wondering what makes me a “special needs” pup… Well hopefully this will be temporary. I arrived to Animal Control with a very visible leg deformity, and so I wasn’t really high on their ” fit to be adopted out” list, and then when the shelter became full, I almost ran out of time. Lucky for me, volunteers noticed me and my sparkling personality and campaigned hard to save my life… I almost became a Facebook celebrity, if I may say because they felt so strongly that I deserved a chance. 


And thanks to all their hard work and all the wonderful people, I am here today!! 


The good news is that, my care taker and rescue took me to have X-rays done of my leg and they firgured out it isn’t a deformity that is wrong with my leg! They learned that my elbow was broken as a puppy and unfortunately my leg was never reset, so it healed back funny. The doctors say my leg can be fixed and my friends are raising the money to have it done. I do have to admit, it doesn’t feel very good to walk like this, and it does hurt, but I try to ignore it and stay happy and upbeat, because I do realize I am still a lucky pup! However I would really LOVE to have my leg fixed so that I can walk and run like the other dogs do. And that is what I am hoping for– I cannot have my surgery until I am in a furever home that is willing to help me with recovery. Until that happens, I have to wait for my surgery! (The surgery and follow up visits is fully covered by my caretaker– so don’t worry about that! I just need a forever family to help me heal!)


A little more about me: I’m about 2 1/2 year old girl, who is great with children of all ages and good with other dogs. I love attention to myself though, so may do better as an only dog in a home setting. I’m told, I’m sweet as pie and hope that you will consider welcoming me in your family, help me get my surgery so I can be a normal pup!


Love,
Trinket

For more information about me, please contact my friend Dara at dara@tabbytime.net or http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MD63.html

If you are able to help chip in for her surgery, It would make a huge difference. Trinket says thank you very much! http://www.gofundme.com/1x89z8

All rescued dogs are vet checked, microchipped, vaccinated and spayed or neutered. All adoptions are refundable for up to 60 days. Adoption fees range from $100 to $400 depending upon the age and breed of the pet.