Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Hippies

A few years ago, my son entered Seamus in the dog costume contest at the local fair. My son and Seamus were dressed as hippies. 

First Prize Winners!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

B.F.F.

Stella has been living with us for the past three months, and Seamus is been adapting very well to her new friend. Stella follows Seamus everywhere he goes and they play together very well.
Stella is a little dog but acts like a big dog. She has a bed, food bowl and toys appropriate to her size, but she prefers Seamus' large food bowl and bed. She tries to be the boss, but Seamus patiently shows her that he is the boss!!!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Friday, March 18, 2011

Metamorphosis


 Wheaten Terriers puppies look completely different from the adult ones. The coat of the puppies is a brownish color with some black and white, eventually transforming to a wheat color in the adult dog.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Peticure

The toenails of the Wheaten terriers are very hard and they grow fast, so often trimming is necessary.

Seamus does not like this at all! As soon as he sees me with the nail trimmer, he runs away as fast as he can. Two people have to hold him while I try to trim the toenails!

Recently, I decided to buy the PediPaw to try it on Seamus' toenails. First, Seamus was scared of the noise, but now I am able to trim his toenails without him having an anxiety attack and going wild!!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

My Furry Leprechaun...

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium size terrier that has its roots in the Irish and Kerry Blue Terriers.

The first Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers came to America (Boston, MA) in 1946.

The Wheaten Terrier was the dog of the Irish farmers.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Homemade Oatmeal Shampoo for dogs

If you want to use a shampoo that is free of chemicals to prevent skin irritation, you should try this homemade oatmeal shampoo.

Ingredients:

1 cup of instant plain oatmeal
1 quart of warm water
1 cup baking soda

Procedure:

Put the oatmeal in a blender and grind into a fine powder.
Transfer oatmeal powder into a large container. Add the baking soda and water.
Shake vigorously until well blended.


Monday, March 7, 2011

Oatmeal Shampoo

Seamus, like most wheaten terriers, needs a bath once a month because his beautiful coat is a magnet for twigs, dirt and leaves.  Because of this, he needs a good pH-balanced dog shampoo to prevent him from getting dry skin.
I always use oatmeal shampoo. The oatmeal is a mild ingredient that maintains the pet's skin and coat healthy, and it also helps to relieve the dog's itch.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Ear Infections

Wheaten terriers are often prone to ear infections (otitis externa). It is very important to keep their ears clean and free from hair and waxy buildup. The hair growing inside the ears has to be pluck out and the ears have to be clean with a otic solution at least once a week to prevent waxy build up that can promote an environment for organisms to grow in the ear.

 A few years ago, Seamus was getting ear infections on his left ear. I kept taking him to the veterinarian for this problem. The veterinarian was giving him cortisone shots, oral antibiotics and ear drops. The veterinarian even sent a sample for culture to identify the organism causing this infections, but this did not resolve the issue. After many visitis to the doctor and expensive bills, I decided to get a second opinion. I made an appointment with another veterinarian. After evaluating Seamus' ear condition, this doctor decided to give Seamus another type of antibiotic. Seamus took the new antibiotic for two weeks and his ear infection was resolved. Althoug this antibiotic was very expensive ($8 a pill), it was the right medication for his condition. It has been almost two years and Seamus' ears are free of infection!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Bonding

It has been only two months since we adopted Stella. She is a Chihuahua mix and came from a rescue shelter in Kentucky.
Seamus has adapted very well to having another dog in the house. They enjoy playing with each other and they even share their toys.





A great dog training tool ...

The Gentle Leader headcollar is a great training tool! This headcollar consist of a nose loop and a neck strap. The nose loop wraps the dog's muzzle gently but firmly, signaling the dog that you are his leader. The neck straps puts pressure on the back of the neck, making the dog to lean back against the pressure and consequently preventing pulling.
I used this collar with Seamus and noticed an amazing effect while walking him and during dog training sessions. He felt more calm and he did not pull while walking.
The manufacturer recommends to wear this collar as early as 8-10 weeks of age. This collar is great to prevent jumping, pulling and even barking!
It is important to properly fit the collar to prevent resistant and other problems.


Seamus wearing his training collar.

Wheaten Terriers are great dogs because:

1.  they're friendly and outgoing
2.  they make a great companion dog and are good with children
3.  they're hypoallergenic
4.  they don't shed
5.  they are good watchdogs, barking at ringing doorbells

Wednesday, March 2, 2011