Sophie is now 15 weeks old and this week, she barked.  OK . . .that might not sound like a big deal if you aren’t a dog lover but trust me . . . once a dog finds their voice there is no stopping them!

At first Sophie’s barks were little bursts that surprised her as much as they did us. Then they got more insistent. And today, she discovered “alert” barking - the kind when someone comes to the door.  I think the Border Collie is coming out in her now.  Or maybe its the Aussie Shepherd?  These herding breeds tend to be big talkers and Sophie has both of them in her genetic make-up.   Neighbors beware!

Sophie and Juliann

Our pet store of the month is PetSage in the lovely city of Alexandria, in norther Virginia.  One of my customers since the early days of Juno’s Garden, PetSage provides its customers with advise on diet and holistic healing, as well as the highest quality pet supplies. Owner Terri Grow has extensive experience in using Chinese Medicine and holistic therapies with pets and guides her customers in the search for solutions.

What I love about Terri, is that her approach to living and treating our pets is very similar to mine -  traditional vet care and holistic medicine can work hand-in-hand.  PetSage receives many of its customers from area Vets and Terri fosters relationships by consulting with clients on food and diet issues. She has even led workshops on holistic care for pets.  Her background includes training in Chinese Medicine so she really knows her stuff.  Maintaining this balance,  knowing what ailments can be treated with homeopathy and what requires traditional medicine, is the key to surviving the health challenges that face our pets daily.

PetSage has a wonderful website and a great BLOG which should be checked regularily. Terri is a great writer and her articles are fabulous resources.  Their also sell some of the best natural products in the industry.  Check it out: www.petsage.com.

PetSage, Alexandria, VA

Sophie came to us with a myriad of minor illness issues - fleas, worms and a big scab on her back that was growing with her.  This might have been a wound from excessive flea biting or from some intense puppy play when she was young.  She was very sensitive when you touched it and the area was getting larger, harder and had no hair.

So I went to my vet for a clear diagnosis.  I ALWAYS go to my vet first and never try to solve a problem without knowing specially what it is.  I wanted to rule out mange or some sort of weird skin disorder.  The Vet decided there was some bacteria issue making the scab worse and suggested an anti-microbal shampoo.  Now being that I am in the “pet shampoo business“, I was skeptical.  I looked at the ingredient list and even tried it a few times, but then the wound got really dry and started to bleed and her coat got really super dry too.  Maybe from the harshness of the shampoo?  Hard to say.  So of course, my next course of action was to use my own products.

I use several criteria when making a decision to move from traditional to natural solutions - for my pet and myself.  I suggest these to my customers as well:

1)  Do I have clear diagnosis of the problem? You need to know what the problem is to determine a solution in either traditional or natural healing.

2)  Is the problem life threatening or could endanger the long-term well being of my pet? If so, go right to traditional methods.

3)  Is the natural solution something safe to use with pets? Some essential oils and herbal remedies are not.  And many human natural products are not safe for pets as well.

4)  Does the natural solution impede anything my Vet wants me to be doing.

On all four points, I was clearly OK with treating Sophie myself.

I chose a combination of two of our products:  Pal Dog Boo Boo Gel for the wound and Pal Dog Soothing Spot Spray for the itching (she going nuts trying to itch her back!).   I used Boo Boo Gel on Sophie’s spot, three times a day.  I applied it with a gentle touch and a nice treat for Sophie.  The Soothing Spot Spray was applied about 5 minutes later.

Within 24 hours we started to see a difference. The scab stopped bleeding and started to look less painful. Then the hardness left and soon new hair was growing back around the spot. Within 8 days, the spot was reduced to a 1/4 of it’s original size and is almost gone.

Natural healing takes longer and in most cases doesn’t have that instant satisfaction we are used to. You need to be patient and consistent in your application.  But in the end, if you use these methods, you will see the benefit in letting nature guide you.  Neither traditional or natural methods are wrong.  They are both different ways of getting to the same solution!

Pal Dog Boo Boo Gel

Pal Dog Soothing Spot Spray

Sorry for the huge gap in entries on our BLOG this summer.  A combination of vacation, technology and the arrival of our newest family member has slowed things down a little!

Sophie, our new puppy arrived in late June and is now a little over 3 weeks old.  She is an amazing bundle of energy and love and very sharp teeth.  I totally forgot what it is like to have a puppy - it’s been 15 years.  It’s a ton of work but totally rewarding at the same time.  Sophie is an Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Lab mix. She looks more like a Beagle at the moment!

The best development in the Puppy world since we got our last one is Puppy Socials.  Held by local vets, dog trainers or vets, these are loosely structured training sessions that can start after with your first Parvo shot.  They wash the floors down with Parvocide so that puppies can play and socialize without fear of getting sick. The socialization is so important in the first 15 weeks and Parvo has had it scary.

Check out the puppy socials in the area before you get your new pet.  It makes a huge difference in the happiness of your pet!

Sophie with my Family

Many of us remember Lake Placid, New York as the location of the 1980 Winter Olympic games.  I am an avid Winter Games fan and can remember the photos of this lovely city and how inviting it looked.  That’s the same feeling I get about Jake Placid Doghouse, a new retailer for Juno’s Garden organic products and winner of the 2009 HH Backer Spring Show product drawing.

Deep in the Adirondack mountains, Lake Placid is surrounded by beautiful mountains, deep lakes and amazing scenery.  A resort community that offers hiking, kayaking, canoeing, spas and all types of outdoor adventures, Lake Placid is also known for it’s great restaurants and shopping.  Which brings us back to Jake Placid Doghouse, located at 2439 Main Street.  The store is right next door to A Placid Life, a wonderful outlet for gifts and clothing.  So you can buy something for you and your pooch!

Our Pal Dog and Pal Kitty products are perfect for Lake Placid, a city filled with outdoor enthusiasts, animal lovers and four distinct weather seasons.  Dogs in Lake Placid will love our Pal Dog Outdoor Formula Spray for summertime fleas and small bugs and the Pal Dog Calming Lavender Shampoo is perfect for dry, itchy sensitive skin.  Our Pal Kitty Freshen-Up Foam should be a hit among cat lovers in the community.

If your summer travels take you to Lake Placid NY, please be sure and stop by Jake Placid Doghouse on Main Street and say “hi” from Juno’s Garden!

Visit Jake Placid Doghouse at 2439 Main Street, Lake Placid

I am happy to report that Juno’s Garden products are now selling on a wonderful site called Bella’s Pain Relief - www.bellaspainrelief.com.  This is the site I needed when my old dog Soleil couldn’t walk anymore and need help.

Bella’s has all kinds of wonderful products for dogs focusing on canine well being and mobility, including arthritis, digestive aids, travel and safety products, foods and incontinance products, to name a few.  Ronnie Daldos has done a wonderful job of creating a website that has those “hard-to-find” items.  Things you won’t find in Petco and PetSmart (because they actually work!) and products that were developed with true dog companions in mind.

And of course, don’t miss our Pal Dog products now selling on BellasPainRelief.com!

In YOGA JOURNAL, I read about a wonderful concept that seems to be perfect for Earth Day.  Adi Carter is a Yogini (name for a female yoga devotee like myself), in New York City.  Adi developed an idea called the “Mindfulness Challenge”  in which she became totally mindful of the trash she was developing and carrying. To the point that she carried (physically), ten pounds of trash around with her in a bag, slung across her shoulder, all around NYC!

The scary thing is that Americans produce 4 pounds of trash a day. YES - a day!  Adi managed to reduce that to about 10 pounds in three months, simply by being mindful of the following:

1)  Buy foods without excess packaging - Farmer’s Markets and bulk grains.

2)  Cooking your own meals verses buying pre-made and pre-packaged.

3)  Taking you lunch to work, with re-usable utensils and stainless steel containers.

4)  Bring your own bags to the grocery store.

5) Pay your bills electronically.

6) Avoid single use products - paper towels, tissues and cloth napkins.

I was impressed that the simple ideas that Ali started are things we can easily do every day.

Happy Earth Day 2009!

Learning more about BLOG’s everyday.  Now I have discovered some wonderful shoppping on a BLOG!

The Gifting Gumshoe is a wonderful site for finding unique gifts for friends and family members who aren’t the easies to buy for.  It’s like having your own private gift boutique in your computer.  Awesome!

I found this site recently, as they were nice enough to feature our Pal Dog and Pal Kitty products on their site.  They have other wonderful pet related gifts as well.

Check it out!

In February, Rick and I went to New York City to visit friends and eat some amazing food.  You can’t beat the food and the fun in the Big Apple!

While in town, I stopped by one of my favorite pet stores, DoggyStyle NYC.  This wonderful pet boutique is the pride and joy of Andy Schulman and is located at 73 Thompson street, right in the heart of Soho.

What I love about Andy’s store is that she doesn’t carry every “new and crazy pet thing” out there.  Andy is selective.  She knows her customers, knows what they want and is very knowledgable about ingredients and where a product comes from. Everything she carries is the best and has been throughly researched.

This the kind of store you want in every neighborhood.  One you can trust and rely on to have a wonderful selection of safe, natural products.  Hat’s off to DoggyStyle NYC !

My husband and I are about to embark on a new adventure . . .adding a new member for our family. No Mom, I not preganant!  But we are finally accepting that with the arrival of Summer, we will be ready to adopt our next canine companion.  After much grief at the loss of our dear Soleil (in December) and Guinness (two years ago this weekend), we are ready to start the circle of life again.

While we haven’t met our new addition yet, and probably won’t for a couple months, I read a wonderful article in this months Whole Dog Journal, that must be mentioned on these pages.  Whole Dog is a wonderful publication written by a friend of mine, Nancy Kerns.  Nancy has given dog owners a wonderful gift in your monthly magazine and I recommend it to all my new pet owner friends.

An article in this month’s issue entitled - Pick A Winner - is about making responsible decisions when picking your next pet.  It covers Animal Shelters, verses Rescue Group, Breeders, Private Adoptions, Strays and Pet Finder.com.  It also touches on selection How To’s. The article, written by Pat Miller, gives a wonderful overview of the process, pros and cons to each option and helps the reader make a decision on their own.  I have been struggling with questions on this process and was so happy to see this article at this time!

If you have never seen Whole Dog Journal, I encourage you to check it out.  You can get an on-line subscription or a printed one. You can also order back issues on topics you are interested in. I keep them all and have gone back into past issues so many times, they are all dogeared.  No pun intended!