Pet Photo Contest Winner for May

Hello All,

A big congratulations goes out do my new friend Lucy Belle. She is our pet photo of the month. Lucy Belle belongs to Olivia of Stow, Ohio. Lucy Belle will be turning 1 on June 24th so in honor of her birthday, I would like any of you that have photos of your pet celebrating their birthday to send them in for our contest. I am going to hold this one open until July 31st, but be sure and send them in soon. The winner at that time will receive a custom photo magnet of their birthday celebration.

This is a picture of Lucy Belle. Check out her competition at www.DogCandlesAndMore.com/petpics along with all of my friends.

Don't forget that our June special is still in effect at www.DogCandlesAndMore.com. Any candle order will receive a box of Birthday Cards featuring adorable dogs like Lucy Belle! They are valued at $7 .95.

May all your wags be happy!


Love, Fido

PS Be sure and watch for my next newsletter coming soon with some special tips regarding your dog.

Happy May!

Hi Everyone!

Happy May! Pretty soon those grills will be firing up with yummy hot dogs and hamburgers cooking away. Ahhh… those wonderful smells! Baseball season has started, and yes I am a fan of my home team, those Cleveland Indians! Go Tribe!

May Fun Facts:
May 6^th – No diet day **Yippee! Let’s all go for ice cream!!
May 10^th – Mother’s Day
May 24^th – Brother’s Day ** I have a great brother! His name is Andrew!
May 29^th – Hug your Cat Day ** I wonder if they have a hug your dog day?

Now for my joke of the month

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him.

He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. The friend saw everything but did not say a single word.

On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, "Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?"

"I sure did," responded his friend. "He can't swim.”

Did you guess the breed of the month? It’s a little tricky, since there are several bird dogs, the list includes, the pointer, English Setter, Red Setter, German Shorthair Pointer and the Brittany to name a few. I chose the Brittany, to be my breed of the month.

Did you know that the Brittany is widely considered easy to train and is sensitive, and good-tempered? They are also known to get along well with other dogs and can work as a team. They weigh between 30 and 40 lbs and require regular brushing, but their coat is easy to maintain. The Brittany will point and hold his game and will retrieve both on land and in water. He is used primarily in the United States for bird hunting, but is used on both fur and feather in France.

This is one of the Brittany Candles that we recently made.
I don’t know of any Brittany’s that have joined my dog park, but if you know any, please tell them about me and all the fun we have!

May all your wags be happy!



Love, Fido

Are you and your dog feeling stressed out over the economy?

Are you stressed over the current recession? You could be stressing out your dog too! Recent research from the University of Florida states that dogs are more aware of human behavior than previously believed. Dogs can pick up our tone, body language and our sense of fear. So, if you are nervous about the economy remember that your best friend is watching!

To help calm your dog and yourself, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Your dog can pick up on your tone of voice and body language. Try to keep a moderate tone even when talking about stressful situations.

If your schedule has changed, due to lack of employment, try to keep your dogs schedule the same or modify it over time. Any sudden changes should be avoided.

Make sure meal time and walks are at the same time everyday. Just like you take time to adjust when you go on vacation, your dog needs some time to adjust as well.

Veterinary care is still a must for your dog! Things might be a bit tight, but it is important for your dog to stay healthy to avoid preventable issues. Some vets might even help out with a payment plan! Your dog is a member of the family and you wouldn't put off health care for a loved one.

Exercise everyday! Its fun, cheap and easy and it’s a huge stress releaser! The endorphins that you feel when exercising, have the same effect on your dog.

Your dog can be your best friend and he is always there to listen! They can be a great source of stress relief just by being a non judgmental and offer unconditional love. And besides, who can't smile when they get a big wet kiss from their favorite pooch!

Fragrances have also been shown to relieve stress. One of the best is Lavender. DogCandlesAndMore.com offers a great relaxing lavender candle. Here is a picture of a Bernese Mountain Dog in a 24oz candle.

Hello All,

A big congratulations goes out do my new friend Buster. He is our pet photo of the month. Buster belongs to Ed and Cindy of Painesville, Ohio. Ed and Cindy will receive an "I Love My Dog" candle.

If you haven't sent in your pictures, you still have time to enter the April contest. I would love to see some of you dressed up in your easter best or maybe with ears like mine!


This is a picture of Buster. He is a border collie mix and is a rescue from the Cleveland Dog Pound. This is not Buster's first appearance in the news. Check out his full story at www.DogCandlesAndMore.com/petpics.



Don't forget that our April special is still in effect at http://www.dogcandlesandmore.com/. Use coupon code "Bunny" you will receive Free Shipping . Better hurry, I can only offer this discount until April 30, 2009.




May all your wags be happy!

Love, Fido
PS Be sure and watch for my May newsletter around the 1st.

Is your dog packing on the pounds? How to test and what to do about it!

Is your dog overweight?

Statistics show that over 40% of dogs in the United States are overweight; however, the percentage of owners who think their dog is overweight is significantly lower than 40%.

Quick Tests

Here are two quick tests to determine whether your dog is carrying more weight than he or she should: When you run your hands along your dog's ribcage, can you feel his or her ribs? You should be able to clearly feel the ribs and be able to count the number as you move your hands along your dog's body. Secondly, run your hands along your dog's side, does he or she have a 'waist' - does the body tuck in before the hips? If there's a straight line from his hips to his shoulders, your dog is probably overweight.

What does your vet say?

Your veterinarian is the best place to check to see if your pet would benefit from weight loss. Your discussion with them will also help you to understand how to help a overweight dog lose weight. Be sure that your dog is also examined for any other medical conditions that could be causing weight gain.

If your vet feels that your dog is overweight, they will probably ask you a few questions regarding frequency of exercise, amount and type of food eaten and other foods given as treats. Be as honest as you can. Often times, there are others in the house that may be sneaking snacks. And don't forget that all of those treats each time the dog goes out add up and often aren't counted as "food".

Misconceptions regarding obesity.

1. Healthy dogs do not need to eat every day. Do not encourage your pet to eat if it isn’t interested. If you provide a good quality food and plenty of water, your pet will eat when it wants to.

2. Another common myth is that spaying or neutering causes obesity. The sugrical procedure may slightly slow the pet’s metabolism, as will normal aging. Remember, surgery doesn’t cause the weight gain, eating too much does and you control that.

3. Table scraps are ok in moderation. Besides possible allergies to "human" food, table scraps can be hard to monitor as to the quality or quantity.

How to help shed those pounds

If you have determined that your dog's weight problem is due to over feeding and not enough exercise, draw up a plan for feeding and exercising and stick to it consistently until he's lost the weight he needs to.

Like humans, it's better if the weight comes off slowly and adopting a healthier lifestyle is likely to be more successful than putting your dog on a crash diet and/or giving him some of the new weight loss medications that are now available.

And lets face it, most people could use a better diet and more exercise anyway. Why not make it a goal for both of you!

Your veterinarian will be able to help with you with how much food to feed your dog. Some vets do not recommend "Reduced Calorie" or "Light Diets"! These dog foods have low fat levels to reduce the calories but by necessity have increased the carbohydrate percentages. This increased carbohydrate stimulates additional Insulin secretion which tells the body to store unused calories as fat!

Get everyone involved.

Another important tip is to get everyone’s cooperation in restricting the pet’s intake. There is usually someone in the household who feels sorry for the dieting pet and usually gives in with that “I’m hungry” or “boy, does that look good” look. If they want to really help, it would be best to take the dog on a extra walk, or throw that ball around in the back yard.

Helping your dog lose weight is hard work - but it's worth it. Your dog’s energy level will be back to normal and it’s really better not to carry on those extra pounds.

And the February Pet Photo winner is...

Hello All,

A big congratulations goes out do my new friend Dee-O-Gee. She is our pet photo of the month. Dee-O-Gee belongs to Tracy of Wickliffe, Ohio. Tracy will receive an "I Love My Dog" candle. If you haven't sent in your pictures, you still have time to enter the March contest.


This is a picture of Dee-O-Gee. She is a 1 year old terrier mix and is a rescue from the Euclid Animal Pound. Tracy says that she is quite a handful with three others in the house as well.

Don't forget that our March special is still in effect at http://www.dogcandlesandmore.com/. Use coupon code "Ides" you will receive 15% off your total order. Better hurry, I can only offer this discount until March 31, 2009.

May all your wags be happy!

Love, Fido

PS Be sure and watch for my April newsletter around the 1st.

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Hi again,

It's March! Can spring be close by?

With the warmer temperatures, comes the mud! I just hate waiting by the door to get my paws cleaned! But I guess it's the price to pay to enjoy being outside! Pretty soon flowers will start to emerge and birds will be singing with all their hearts! What a great time of year!

Some important March Dates

March 1st - Ohio became the 17th state in 1803

March 6th - Italian artist Michelangelo, born 1475

March 15th - Julius Caesar assassinated 44 B.C. (Ides of March)

March 17th - St. Patrick's Day! (Aren't we all Irish today?)

March 20th - Spring Begins (Yippee!!)

March 21st - Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer, born 1685.

March 29th - Cy Young, American baseball player, born 1867.

Most important! Did you know that March 23rd is considered National Puppy Day? So, if you know of anyone that has recently gotten a puppy, make sure you celebrate! Plus don't forget to send me a photo of that new puppy, I'd love to add him to my site!

In honor of the month of March, if you go to my website at http://www.dogcandlesandmore.com/ and use coupon code "Ides" you will receive 15% off your total order. Better hurry, I can only offer this discount until March 31, 2009.

Now for my joke of the month!

What do you call an Irish Setter with a lucky streak?

A four-leaf rover!

The Irish Setter is a great family dog. They will get along well with children, other dogs and any household pet. They are an active breed and require long daily walks and really enjoy running off lead in wide open spaces. However, they are a breed with a tendency to 'play deaf' so careful training is a must. Geez, mom never says I'm deaf... she just says "I'm not listening!" Maybe, just maybe, I'm part Irish Setter too, they are not the breed that will attack an intruder, unless you count on the intruder being licked to death!

May all your wags be happy!

Love, Fido

PS Don't forget about the special offer, it is good until March 31st, 2009! Use the word "Ides" in the coupon code box and receive 15% off of your total order!

PPS Be sure and watch for the winner of our pet photo contest around the 15th.